Christmas in Mad-a-hooha

Corie called about 6:30am (PST) on Christmas day because she wanted to be the first to wish us Merry Christmas. Cindy told her it was the best gift she could ever give us, especially since she is also feeling much better--her leg infection and coughing bouts are much better now. She sounds very happy and told us she'd had two holiday lunches at friends houses and Christmas dinner the night before. She had, in her words, beef, veggies and potatoes. She had stayed up most of the night on the 24th after attending church with her family. Her village did a long nativity play and hung decorations of coconut palm fronds and flowers everywhere. She said it was very pretty. She was calling surrounded by group of friends and handed her phone to one named Oscar who wished up Merry Christmas and said Corie was a good friend --in pretty good English! Her 26-yr. old 'sister' has braided Corie's hair in very tight little 'corn-rows' and said it only took her about an hour. She then described what New Year's celebration would be like in her village...a 5 day party, both day and night. Everyone starts with church on the 31st, then parties from 1pm to 5, then more praying and dancing all night 'till morning. Lots of bottled rum and Malagasy moonshine is available. After sunrise, everyone sleeps a little bit, then they start all over again in the early afternoon. People are now buying beef in preparation for the festivities. We also asked about her tattoo and wondered if anyone commented on it. She said they thought it was cool, and that it wasn't unusual there except that women and girls don't get tattoos. They are not supposed to do this. All-in-all, she really sounded in great spirits, and was planning to bike the 2.5 hours North to Maroantsetra, her banking town, to pick up her last dose of PC antibiotics, get her paycheck and visit the post office. The bank visits usually take half of the day. Lots of waiting and no ATM's! She also has been playing music for her friends on her ipod. So far, the favorites seem to be any kind of Marimba, Paul Simon's live album from Central Park and James Taylor's 'Mexico' hit.