My life in Norway

The Prostant church in Madagascar send a christians youth from FLM ( Fiagonana Loterana Malagasy "Malagasy lutteran Church" )to attend the exchange program at Hald Internatinal Center in Mandal, Norway (http://www.hald.no/). Many student from different contry come to Norway to attend this exchage program every year, so this 4 from Brasil, 2 from thailand, 2 from laos, 2 from Peru, 2 from seribia, 4 from Uganda, 2from kenya, 2 from camerun, 1 from Tanzania, 1 from Bolivia, 2 from Madagascar and the rest from Different part of Norway so we are about 67 students attend this program in 2007 -2008. How did I know this Program?

I am choire member in my church in Fort-dauphin, Madagascar,the name of that choire is " Ankon'ny lanitra", it means " echoes of heaven" My place in that choire is tenor. every four year the group choir has a big meeting on one place in Madagascar, some youth from different country come to attend that meeting to . the last meeting that I attended in jolay 2006 it was in Tananarivo, they introduce us the student who will go to Norway. The preident of SPFa told me that next year the FLM send a student from my city Fort-dauphin but you should have a english test before you go. I didnt care that because I alway thing about my study in Fort_dauphin, I have work to do for the last year at my University Libanona Ecology Center http://www.libanona.com/).

When I went back home, the church have an anoncement to the youth more less than 25 years old to do the english test if they interest to go to Norway to attend the Exchange program for ten months. My director at the choire ask me if I intersted on that. I did not give her my answer at the first time because I need to my friend ( the five Guy: Lalaina, Tantely, Stella, Alfa they are my best friend in Fort-dauphin) and my Mom.

Next time I told the director that Im going to do it. The first test it was in Fort-Duphin , it was a writing test. we were 7 people did the test at the some place but one gril she study in Tananarivo but she comes from Fort-dauphin, she did her test in Tananarivo and send the copy to Fort-Dauphin. The FKTLM ( Fikabanin'ny Kristiana Tanora Loterana Malagasy " Group of the youth christian from lutteran chuch malagasy") need two from my city and two from the region Alaotra to have the last test in Tananarivo.
I was the tierd so I can go for the next test, I mean I miss the the first test. it suposed the girl who study in Tananarivo but she lives in city She's name is Gwladys and one of my classmate she's name is Onja ANNAEL.
God want me to go and want me to do the last test even I missed the first test. Onja had a probelm with her father, her dont want her do go far from him, (Iwould like to say be hard on your children, give them achance sometimes) she realy want to go for the last test in Tana but her father was the problem, she was very sad. I didnt think that I can have the second chance to go for test, but seven days before the last test in Capital of Madagasacar, she texted me and told me like she cant go she need me to remplace her. I was happy but I was very sad for her.

I didnt have much time to prepere my travel to Tananarivo, I didnt save money for that. The only bus that I should take will leave on two days, I asked by my self where can I find a money to go there. God help me, My Mom give somemoney and my friends help me a little bit. The trip will be tree days normaly nonstop, but the road was very bad because it was the rain saison. I left Fort-dauphin saturday morning as we did every time with friends we dont sleep the nigth before we leave your city, so I was very tired on bus and we left early in the morning at 6h 00 mn am. Its was rain seson so the road was very bad, I stop two times for one day without food because we could pass the bridge, the water was over the bridge. I was very squered to be late for the test. I just prayed all the nigth, soudenly in morning we saved from the problem. I arrived saved in Tana on tuesday morning.

The first nigth in Sabotsy Namehana I meet two student from the program Hald and they showed me the pucture from Norway and the life at Hald. I found it very interesting but I always think about the test the next day. I was little bit squered because it was only one girl from Alaotra and we are two from Fort-dauphin, so I thougth that I could succed the last test. On wensday mornig we left the house to attend the test it was a women from Hald and Pastora Barson who did the interview. We had writing test again before the interview. Glad had the interview first and I was the last, I was little bit afraid. We will know the result after few month. I went back home on tuesday and back at the bad road again. To go back was fine.







It was fun to see friends and the family in Fort-dauphin but I always think about the result from Pastor Barson.

In christmas eve I got a call from barson that I am on the list who will go to Norway and stay there for ten month. I was very happy and I the party start it was a big party with my friend, I was like a crazy man, smiling alone and sream like " I am going to norway". All of my friend were very happy. To go to norway it was gift from Gud because he help me and I got the result on christmas eve.
I went back to Tana on March to prepere my passport and all the paper work.
The school in Norway needs my CV and my Back round so I just sent to them.
The twelveth of august 2007 at 00h 45mn we left Madagascar to go norway, we took Air France from Ivato to Paris; We arrived in Paris arroud 10h 00 pm. at 15h we took anouther plane from Paris to amsterdam and from Amsterdam to kristiansand ( Norway).

In Amsterdam, we saw the sun still up at 20h 00 so I said: " ok, I am not in Madagascar, I am so far way". It was very nice to meet the student from Kenya, Peru, Brasil, Bolivia an Unganda at the airport in Amsterdam, they will go to Norway to attend the Exchange progam. They are like a people that we have met before, we talked during the flyght.

We arrived In christiansand arround 22h but we still see the sun, that was new for me. One of the leaders from Hald pick up us from the airport and he sent us by a big taxi from christiansand to Mandal where is the school. We had pizza the first nigth and went to sleep because we were very tired.
the first day we went to the down town the explore the twon. On the street I saw only white people, I said in my mind that I am not in Madagascar. The town was very clean, road are very nice, bike and the people have their won way and the car respect when the people across the road on the white line. most of the house are white and made by wood.

Our food its always bread in the morning and the night but for lunch we have different meals. I miss the food from Mada. here in Norway you eat manytimes and you drink much milk. I had a big problem the first mouth, I went to the toilet manytimes a day.

The norwegian students arrived on wensday and we had sociale nigth. We showed to day a capoera dance, I didnt practice that dance before but one girl from Peru taugh me 7 hours before the show. it was easy for me because it seems like something that I have learnt at the Kung fu Club in Madagascar. I meet tow norwegian who have been in Madagascar, their family worked there as a missionar. Some of the norwegian student are shy. They looked shy because they dont want to talk to the people they never met before, when you start to talk to them they are open and good friends, I mean tehy never start to talk to you. I had one friend from Peru, he behave like my friends in Madagascar, his name is Nagib. We like to stay outside and talked, sometimes we sleep outside because we want to see the sunrise and we realy want to know what is the time for the sunrise.




I missed alittle bit my volleyball team in Madagascar but at Hald you have everything you want so we played a beach volley. the norwegian like to play Soccer. I was very surprised to see the norwegian Girl play like a boy. I realy like sport so I'm like crazy man who play basket ball alone outside. we have some Tai boxing teaching by one man from Tailand, He ask me to help him because many student want to learn that. I help him sometimes.











The first sunday we went to church, its a lutteran church in Mandal. it was very fun because I didnt undersadnt any thing beacuse the worship was in Norwegian. I was lucky because one nice Norwegian student translate some of it. the worship was little bit from Madagascar, its shourt, you can clap and the Babtism before the preaching. You can wear any cloths you want and any hair style you want even you are christian, thats norwegian church. I was very suprise to see my leader wear simple cloths to go to church. but they told me that on chrismas eve its a big day for them.


they norwegian student like to go to bad very late arround 00h am, they just talk or play games but they speak norwegian when they are more than two so its difficult for me to be with them even I want to play or talk with them. thats mean I should learn Norwegian languge. we have norwegian class two times a week, I realy like our teacher, she is nice and we always got a gift from her sometimes. To learn norwegian for me its not very difficult more than french.

I realy like singing and be with the choir. we have choir at school and I took part of it. Agi ask me if I can lead the choir and to be the director, it was very difficult for me but I said yes. I taugh them a malagasy song that I realy like, I was very imprest to heard them singnig like a malagasy choir. We sing at school and at church.





Norway its a cold country as the people say. we leave near the beach in Mandal, I realy like to swim, in Madagascar I swim every week because its very hot and my shool is near they beach but here in Norway the sea was very cold, I went t o the beach tree time and the last time it was very cold but me and Nagib want to try, that was realy realy cold, you cant be longer in the water, twenty second max.

We have six week at hald before we go to our practice place. Me and Glad we will be in Orkdal Commun for six month. we going to work with the christian youth, the kinder garden and some work in church. we went to visit the place for four days. it was very cold there six degre in the morning, we went to the montain to visit my contact person's house (she have been in Madagascar as a missonar), it was realy cold and we met some thing betwen snow and rain. Glad was very happy to see it, I was unhappy, I said I want to go back to Mandal because its more warm there. The norwegian people always said "there is not Bad wetheir but there is Bad cloths" its mean if you have cloths for rain or for the winter you can be outside. I dont like much to wear much cloths but now I havent no choice and then I choose norway.
after the visting my host family and the place that I am going to stay for six months, we took the flyght from Tronhaim to Stanvager. In stanvager I met many family who have been in Madagascar, and they spook malagasy. its so funny to here them speak the official languge.

We just stay there for one day then back in Mandal again.



Back to school it was more fun to meet the students, before we visit our practice place we had a norwegian night. it was very fun and I missed home at that time. I was like a crazy because that was the time that I can dance and make somethingfor fun, I like dancing and have a party with friends. We had the second party, before we left Hald and that was fun to see your the teacher sing and dance hiphop. it was hard to leave the friend but I told to one girl like the six month it will e like six day so we will meet again on weekend. I was very sad to leave them but thats life.

In 28 of september, We took the Bus from Mandal very early at 7h 30 to kristiansand them kristiansand to Oslo and we took a train from Oslo to tronhaim then my hostfamily pick up us on trian station arround 21h 30. Back again at the place realy cold in Norway.

Orkdal is a commune but I live in fanneram near the farm with the ministry in Orkdal church; I realy like my host family and the father at home he make us laugh. they have four children but they live in Oslo. we live in big white house, its realy old house (150 years old).

I realy like to help the father so we repere the car together and do some work together at home. My Mother here in Norway she want me to fixe her table. it very difficult to do it but I made it. I put smo gospel music in her phone and she was very happy.
Compare to Madagscar and Mandal, Orkdal is very cold, the first week we have like 2 or 3 degree in the day but in the nigth we have 1 or 0 degree. In november I dont think that I can survive to live on under zero degree but Im still alive untill now he had -9 degree. they told me wait, soon we will be -20 or -30 degree. I am not afraid on that because if you have warm cloths its fine, you just learn how to wear cloths.

they waiting the time that Im going to practicee skiing. skiing is a popular sport here in orkdal, they have ski jump. I want to try to do that soon.

They first week I felt realy bored because I have nothing to do on weekend and I didnt have friend. I talked to Guri ree Bjorkås, (she is my contact person she have been in Madagascar as a missionary) my problem. We found a solution that I can go to tronhaim to enjoye Krik once a week. I was very happy to enjoy krik in tronhaim every tuesday evening, I met many young people same age than me and they are christian. we have volley ball, basket ball, soccer and dancing sometimes. after the training we have some gadering, prayer, sharing the gospel and play some card game. I met one guy from Fanneram so we went together to tronhaim to enjoy krik. Sometime his family drive us, sometimes my host family sometimes we took a bus, its not very far from where I live, 45 mn by bus. As you know I like to have a relationship so on the bus I met one man from Africa ( Sommalia), I was very happy to met him and we take the some bus every tuesday. we just talk about life in africa and we compare africa and Noraway. I often take care the kichen in Madagscar but here my hostfamily ask me to cook a malagasy food or International food so every tuesday I have to do that. We have dinner with Guri every wensday so somtimes she wanted me to cook a malgasy food to and I did it.
The Norwegian like bread and milk. I dont like much the food but I live here and I have to used it because its part of the learning the culture. We had breakfast bread with something, "matpack" for lunch, at four o clock dinner, thats the real meal. The norwegian like to eat just little bread for the lunch and different kind of food in Dinner. I used to eat three times a day in Madagascar and we have rice so I missed that. my hostfamily try to make me happy so they baugth rice for me and meat. The things that I realy like in norway are the Ice cream, Cake, and milk they are rich on that. Every meeting that I attend we always have Cake and coffee but I dont drink coffee so I just took the Cake. Me and Birger went to Melhus to attend a meeting so we ate much Cake. anywhere I go in Norway I found the cake and Coffee.

I work with the church, kinder garden, barn gospel, Baby massage, choire " join Us" and I take part of the comfirmant leaders.

In the kinder, they kids dont speak english so I tried to used body languge. I am learning Norwegian form the kids. The first word that I get from them is like "Hallo på do" it means like hallo toilet. they like me verymuch and I realy like to work with them every thursday even its realy hard. one girl in kinder she like me and I awlays get a gift from her. The name of that kinder is "Liavoll".

We had malagsy exhebition in orkdal menighthus for four day, It was succesful and I missed my home when I saw everything form Madagascar. In orkdal we have many people who ahve been in Madagascar so they brougth many things from Madagascar.

The exhebition visited by the student and the people who live in Orkdal. we show them too one dance from Madagascar " Mamgaliba", we danced five times a day during the exhebition, it was very hard but It nice to show the norwegian about madagascar about the life there even they think that Madagascar are one of the poor country.
I didnt like much when somepeople think that if you are blck means you are poor, I can say even we are poor we are happy and have fun everyday. if you have a money you have a problem. every thing here in Norway you should pay. Its diffucult to meet poeple in day here in Orkdal because they are so busy at work, they never walk to the office always by car so its funny when my teacher in Norwegian class told me that she lives near Atla in top of the hill but she never meet him because He always took a car and stay at home.I missed my coutry and my twon, because its a small city and you know each other.
I have attend two times a confirmat camp in "Søvassili",I took part as a leader. its realy hard to be with them because they are teeneger but I try to make something for fun with them then they like it. I played basketball, and some games with them. i profite to share the gospel with them because someof them are not realy christian. In norway its like culture to be a confirmant and they pay for get that. We sing in Malagasy gospel and explain to them whats the meaning. I realy like the things they do during the camp. they have climbing staff and some prayer inthe night. I realy like to see the confirmant work on team. we had a games "Cauching flag".

I found a volley ball team near where I live, I take part on that team so we had training every wensday nigth and sunday nigth. it fun to be with them. I had my first match with them in Inderøy in 17 november 2007 but we lost the game, it was my first macth with them and my first macth in Norway. I hope next time we will win.

On thuesday evening we had some foot ball game and honkey in door with out ice. its my first time to play that game it was very fun but know I going to learn more about that game.

The first of november untill fourth of november, I went to lillehamar to attend a big meeting for NMS U, It was very interesting even it was in Norwegian, Monica our contact person at Hald translate for us. I realy happy to meet again the team nettverk student there, we are like a family.

I take part in the worshiop group there, I played a Jambe and lead the choir from hald. Me and Glad sung one malagasy song and malagsy dance.

As I told you that I work with NMS U so the 8th of november I went to Mjuklia for a camp, it was a camp for 10 years old. It was snowing there so we went out to play outside withthe snow and they like to through the snow to me so I get little bit sick in the nigth. the last nigth all of the leaders want to stay up untill in the morning so we didnt sleep untill 5h in morning, we wacth movie and somthing for you tube. it was very fun.

The krik (http://www.krik.no/) in tronhaim had a christmas party on 23th friday november nigth, I was there to explore what they do. first all the boys pick one girl's name to be their date during the party. Mine doesnt show up so I didnt have one. They walk arround the house with their date before to get their place. after that we eat many different kinds of food. during that they have some show and talk about joke, it was in norwegian but I understand some of it. after that they go arround the christmas tree; singing and dancing. I never see that before we dont have kind of thing like that in Madagascar. I saw all of the norwegian who were there was very happy to sing and dance arround the christmas tree. I took part of the clean up and arrange the table because after that singing and dancing, we have swing dance. We danced swing utill 2h 30pm in morning. at the end it was very fun.

CHRISTMAS in Norway

Its my first time to have christmas way from my country and in the white crhistmas. We start to celebrete christmas in the fisrt of becember, in orkdal. You don't belive that I become josef here in Orkdal. We take part of the christmas time with the student in 4 primary school so I was the josef. it was very fun. Glad was the Marie.

I was very suprised to see people are very busy to go shopping for.

In christmas eve I was in Orkadal church , singing one malagasy song and talking about christmas day. after the service we went back home to eat food, typical food in Ckristams " lutefish". we spend four hour just eating dufferent food. after the food its time to get you gift. we was eigth people in the house but we spent tree hours to share the gift, I get a many thing.

its time to dance arround the christmas tree after the sharing the gift. We looks like crazy people.

since christmas eve untill 27, we just eat and eat, anywhere we go its alway food.

in 27 of december we went to the bowling place just play because I get bored when we just eat and eat.

I miss little home for the praty not only eating but dancing with the family.

In 25 of december its not many poeple went to church but its like a tradition to be in the church on crhistams eve; so the church are full of people on christmas eve.

My challenge in winter time in Orkdal
I come from in warm country, I never touch snow before. When I was in Mandal in August I was squared to live with the Snow. At that time, the Snow for me was an Ice and you can’t do anything outside. I really like to spend time out side and play outside. In Madagascar I never play Foot ball indoor, so I thought that I can’t do that during the winter. I met my first Snow in Orkdal and I see they play soccer outdoor.
Be with the snow is really fun from me and I really like it. We spend two hours outside in Mjuklia with the snow and we play with the snow like make snow ball, snowman, and go down from on top of the hill. It was fun to play but they through too much snow to my face so I get little bit sick in the night. I went in Mesenaly ( Lillehamar) in November and I met the team netteverk student (International student from warm country). We had Snow there and it was their first time to see Snow and was very happy. I looked like a person who has been long time in Norway because I have met Snow before them.
All of my friend in Orkdal invite me to enjoy them skiing. I have tried Surfing in Madagascar and they said I can do ski too but I was a little bit squared. The first of December my host family ask me to enjoy them skiing but they said we start to learn outside the house before we go to the public. It was my first time to hold and use ski. It was fun but I heart myself to fell down many times. We start in flat then my host family saw me how to do it in the small hill near where we live. My only problem is I could have the control on the ski. Next time we will try to be in Public ski field.
I really like winter sport in TV, I spent time on that, learn how they manage the ski and how they do.
I never lived under zero before I came in Orkdal; here in Orkdal I met many time under zero and sunshine outside. When I was inside the house I thought that it wasn’t cold much because I see the sun looked like strong so I wear one tee-shirt and one light jacket, outside was very cold , I went back home to get more cloths.
To be outside you should wear many cloths and heavy jacket too. I stay two hours outside with the kinder every Thursdays so sometimes I couldn’t feel m fingers because it was really cold.
When I was in Madagascar, my colour was little bit brown but know my colour has changed, it become light brown. My skin becomes soft. I can feel that I have change in my physical life.
In Madagascar I used to weak up at 6h pm. Here in Orkdal it was hard for me to weak up at the sometime because it still dark. I become lazy so I weak up at 10 or 11h pm if I don’t have work to do in day.
It was fun to see me wear shocks and two shocks sometimes in my host family’s house. I used to have indoor shoes at home during the winter, I never do that in my country but I should wear it here in Orkdal.
It was really difficult for me to walk on the Ice so I felt down once since I came here in Orkdal; the way so slippery.
You can not kiss the window because you got a big problem if you do that; your tang will fix on the window if you want to try.
I used to wear just tee- shirt inside the house in Orkdal but my host family was very surprised because if you are foreign people or people from warm country you are not used the cold.
I don’t feel comfortable when I wear many cloths and heavy cloth but you should wear that

LOOK AT THE MALAGASY BOY ON HIS FIRST TIME SKIING IN NORWAY.