6/16/07

A Malagasy father's day: kicking it with the Camel trophy in 1987

It's father's day and we all have had problems getting dad the right gift: A new tie or a toolbox gets old after a while. So instead, you could tell your (Malagasy) dad one of your favorite story about him. I know my dad won't like this too much because he is not too found of the whole "blogging" thing. He believes that not everyone have good intentions on the web (he probably has a point). However, the web is not all that bad, it helps sharing moments even if we are far apart.
So, dad grab your favorite beer, your reading glasses and your favorite longchair, because we are taking a trip down memory lane. Twenty years ago to be exact.
Remember this ?



In 1987, the Camel trophy was set in Madagascar and it was a big deal for adventure seekers and Malagasy people. The idea was to rough it out in the Malagasy primitive forrest from North to South, with Range Rovers (this would be the last year that Range Rovers would be used for Camel trophy).
My dad, freshly celebrating his 40th birthday, was chosen to be part of the medical emergency team that would follow the participants in his grueling adventure. One of the reason was probably that he owned a Range Rover himself back then and it would be more acceptable for the sponsors. (That was the only time my dad own a somewhat expensive car, since then, he's been using (in chronological order) a Citroen 2 CV, a 4L and a Golf).
My dad was beaming like a kid in a candy shop. It was everything he could wish for: Camel trophy, big outdoors, men against nature,no showers, smelly feet and scruffy beards allowed, and fixing cars with a tin can and some scotch tape.... heaven on earth !
My mum was not thrilled but she knew that she possibly could not NOT let him do it.
The Camel trophy team seems to have had a blast in Madagascar.
Comments go as such "The majesty of Madagascar...the people are the assets... clear and bright Madagascar dawn".
The following video is the part where my dad was with the crew in Antsohy.
So enjoy the video,dad, but better yet, turn off the sound on the video and play the Lolo sy ny tariny Lemizo song over the video. You know where the song goes:
Izany no mba nofinofiny
Avy any anaty aloky ny Chef-fréra-
N'Ambodin'andohalo a

( my dad was a choirboy at the Andohalo church ) :)

(Lolo sy ny tariny: lemizo)
click here if the song does not play:



Happy father's day !

PS: Try playing the song over the video. It really gives you quite a chill :D.
If only I was computer savvy enough to pull off this trick ( warning: soprano finale spoiler)

13 comments:

  1. Hey Lova, thanks for this moment :)

    I remembered the Camel Trophy Madagascar but I was like 9 year old so I can't put a Picture on It. Also thank you for those milllésime vid's :D AWESOME (nice found and Great idea of father Day présent for your Dad).

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  2. thanks hjk,
    you are way better than me at this so I will ask you:
    saurais-tu comment mettre un mp3 player sur demande sur un blog ?
    Une personne pourrait synchroniser une video avec le mp3 de son choix en faisant un copie/colle d'un lien mp3 ...

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. Anonymous2:56 PM

    On my dad's behalf.

    So my father had hard times waiting for me to translate the post, for the video to fully download, and for me again to get Lemizo playing together with the second one. My dad's legendary patience was at test, excited as he was to discover his son's gift. And treasured memories of his beloved Gasikara: not the one, he said of jammed Tana, or proverty-stricken suburbs, but stunnning panoramas of its countryside, smiles of village kids he once was.
    He frowned at the smelly feet comment (for those who don't know, he has become an hygiene-freak, with tons of cleaning products in the kitchen, stockpiles of toothpastes and soaps in the bathroom so much so I regularly envisage opening a fivarotana)...reminding those around (poor lonely me in this case) that he shaves everyday (err...sometimes twice a day) even during week-ends. When I courageously ventured the idea of a possible TOC, he vehemently justified the obsession as a way to compensate his kids' laxism in the area...Broz? Come here, don't hide! YOu started the whole thing with the smelly feet stuff.
    My Camel Trophy recollection is the cold, cold shower of the Antsirabe stopover hotel des Thermes, and the filthy dancing florr of the Disco "Diamant". Well, Dad, la lucha continua! Happy fathers' day
    Randiana
    Randiana

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  5. Hey Randi,

    It looks like we got our first anonymous "troll" cursing in Malagasy :D, filling the comment sections with "witty" comments. It was quite funny until the cursing begun, so had to delete the comments :). Ah the joy of blogging !

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  6. Anonymous10:43 PM

    so it is father's day. the message is dedicated to the father. he does not understand english. however, his children are using english. clever. who is the message for, again?

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  7. Hey Anonymous,
    You are back :). Glad to see you feel at home over here. Please grab a chair, make yourself comfortable and let me pour you some tea. Now take a deep breath and tell me what is it that's troubling you. Let out all of the anger and frustration, I promise you will feel better eventually. :)

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  8. Bonne fety tonton ;)

    Bon j'espere que tu vas bien cousin, ca fait lgtps que j'étais pas passée par ici. Ca fait plaisir de revenir :)

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  9. Hi Lova,
    My name is Gracie Humphries. I am an American high school teacher from Louisiana and am interested in New Caledonia and would like to know of any influence on this island by former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. I understand that the island was a French Penal colony site and wanted to know if there was a "connection" to the American "Emancipation Proclamation": - at the release of prisoners with regards to amnesty. I know that these questions (?) may seem ignorant, but I am studying about the culture this summer and intend to use the information in my classroom to teach my students about the atrocities to the native people there. Please email me at spedingear@hotmail.com or spedingear@gmail.com. Thank you for your insight and assistance. Gracie :)

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  10. @ Vola,
    Coucou cousine pekinoise :D content de te relire par ici. Bonne fete a mon oncle aussi !

    Hello Gracie,

    Thank you for dropping by :). I do not know enough about New-Caledonia but I can tell you that the island is still under the French penal system although they will have to decide whether they will part with France in a couple of years. I will sent you a couple of links by email that might be of help.
    Good luck with your class,

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  11. Anonymous12:47 AM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  12. pssiiiiiiit it's friday......in 8hrs i'm out....pssiiiiit

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  13. "Et le vendredi, C'est ravioli", n'est-ce-pas Jo ? ;)
    Feel free to unleash "Brangelina" anytime at the purple corner, we will be there. :D

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