Bismillah, Ramadan!

New address:

Chantel Welch
BP 184
401 Mahajanga
Madagascar
**No worries to the people that have sent mail; I'll be in Tana next week grabbing mail, and they will forward any on up to me. Thank you!! I have letters on the way back:)**

All is well, just getting through my first Ramadan, which is both amazing and lame at the same time... I usually get cranky around 3pm, when I get really hungry, but then it gets better, and breaking fast is the best feeling :) Until the bellyache.. sigh. Ramadan is a Muslim holday acknowledging the month that Allah gave the Quar'an to Mohammed (sorry if I'm a bit off on any details), and one celebates from fasting from 3am-6pm each day (sunup to sundown) for a month. Some people get up to eat at 2.45, but I am far too sleepy, so I stick to the one meal a day plan. The harder part is not being able to drink water either, I get pretty cotton mouth by noon. The highlights have been learning how to cook gasy foods with various families, going to mosque, meeting new people and generally further confusing my community (why is chantel wearing cloth on her head??). Other than that, growing veggies, working on a world map, making cookstoves and planning a future reality tv show with Kelly/ Two Girls, Ten Goats, and a Whole Lotta Cheese (patent pending!). Lots of love, chaaaaaaaaan