Quick update

Back in Fianar again. I wasn't planning on leaving site again so soon, but the gas in the tank for my stove ran out and for some reason there is no gas to buy in Mananjary so I had to put an empty gas tank on the roof of a taxi brousse and head to Fianar to refill. I say "an" empty gas tank instead of "my" empty gas tank because I'm lying about my tank being empty. There's actually still a little bit of gas left, but not much and there's a barbeque in Fianar for the COS-ing (close of service) volunteers in the region this weekend, so I'm planning ahead and refilling Gabe's empty extra tank today -- which is actually a genius move on my part because this way I only have to find a car to make ONE trip to my site from Mananjary, to switch out my empty tank with the one I'm filling in Fianar. Even this will probably be difficult, since there's only a vehicle going to my site about once a month, but I'm planning on reminding the NGO in Mananjary that I work with that they asked for a volunteer at my site so they need to support the one they got. Pleeeeeaaaaassssseeee...

In site-related news, the new doctor did finally arrive before I got back, so we had a good mother and child health week and my commune finally got vaccines for the first time in almost 6 months. Our new doctor seems pretty great (she's a 28-year old female which I think will be really good for my community where most of the people that come to the clinic are women), and I think/hope she will work pretty hard. Unfortunately she's about to go on vacation for a couple weeks so I won't really know for a while. In the meantime, I'm getting started on some other projects in my village so hopefully I'll be able to stay occupied while the clinic is closed again. These include: getting some public latrines constructed at the school, planting moringa trees with the women's organization (the miracle tree-- the leaves have protein, calcium, and a bajillion vitamins and minerals), improving the facilities at the clinic, some sort of anti-AIDS club, and building fuel efficient stoves with whoever I can convince to provide the materials.

That's the news for now. I'm going to go make a peanut butter and guava jam sandwich, with all ingredients homemade by the woman who works for the Fianar Peace Corps house.