The Malagasy Way of Life

             The Malagasy way of life differs of course depending on each person’s profession/s, but it is in many ways the same.  This similarity in many peoples life is due to the fact that many Malagasy people have more than one profession/job to be able to earn enough money to live on.  It is also due to the fact that many Malagasy people also own some land in which they farm rice or some type of produce in order to supplement their income.  Those people that have somewhat similar work schedules as we would be used to in western society are usually vendors at the market (who stay at their stalls all day selling their wares), store owners, and officials; although this is not always the
case.  For instance, the mayor in my town also owns his own private school and teaches mathematics at the local high school.  Teachers will seldom teach more than 16 – 20 hours a week at any given school and will more than likely teach at multiple schools.  One of my friends and colleagues teaches a few classes of Science at the public high school, a few classes at one of the private schools, and must also farm rice as well. 

            Although the daily schedule may change from day to day for any one person (depending on their work schedule) there are a few things that stay the same.  For many people their day follows the following:

5 am: Wake up to the sound of rosters crowing.

6 am: Prepare and eat breakfast (Rice with a side dish).

7-8 am: Go to work.

Noon: Go home to prepare and eat lunch (Rice with a side dish).

Noon - 2/3 pm: Nap, hangout, stay out of the sun.

2/3 pm: Go back to work.

6 pm: Return home.

7 pm: Prepare and eat dinner by candle light (Rice with a side dish).

8/9 pm: Go to sleep.

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