Where the lemurs enthrall, the people are strong, and the toilets are below average.
Driving to Ambalavao a few weeks ago, I saw this sign warning drivers to slow down before a dangerous curve right before a narrow bridge:
maybe such a menacing sign should be put up in walker on roads people drive too fast on - dad, time to send another letter to the mayor! 
Also, I found an article being passed around via Joseph’s blog about world reactions to the election, and our newfound status as non-idiots. The article did a good job of summing up my feelings about being abroad as an American, although I’ve certainly not spent as much time out of the states as the author. Since my adult international experiences began in 2003, I’ve grown accustomed to apologizing for my country, telling people, “No, I don’t understand why we’ve made all of these bad decisions either!”, and in general rolling my eyes when discussions gravitated towards American politics. I never had to resort to saying I was Canadian, or any other nationality for that matter, but I did often follow admitting American citizenship with an immediate dismissal of our president. When I was teaching in France, often the first thing people would ask me was, “What do you think about Bush?”. When I replied that I didn’t support him at all, and that I didn’t vote for him, that usually made me a much more credible person in their eyes. Now, already, French people around here (even ones I just spoke to briefly on the train) have had nothing to say but words of congratulations and praise about last week Tuesday. Regardless of what Obama does or does not do, with one nationwide decision, the world has forgiven us our blunders of the last 8 years. Back home I’m sure that this difference isn’t felt as urgently, but I feel it, and I like it! People like us again.
