Mr B.

Dear Mr. B,

It's been a whole week since I've departed from Boston Logan airport. I know I haven't been writing letters to you like I said I would, but I haven't found time until today. I've learned so much about this country ever since I have arrived! The first day I was so overwhelmed with the different culture and how strange my surroundings seemed compared to the United States. First, I noticed odd trees which I learned are called "baobab" trees when I asked the American taxi driver. If you've never seen a baobab tree (or heard of one for that matter), they look as if they were pulled up form the ground a replanted with the roots in the sky. Interesting, huh?

The past seven days I have been staying with a somewhat small, but very nice family of 4, which consists of two children, a 6 year old boy and a 9 year old girl, and their parents. When I first met them I told them about writing to you, and they asked me not to share any of their names, and I wasn't sure if it was my place to ask why, so I didn't. Instead, I wanted to learn more about the baobab trees and other plants as well. Staying with a family that speaks English as well as French, the country's official language, was perfect because it became so much easier to communicate. The country's other unique language, Malagasy, is not spoken in the family that I stayed with.

We sat down outside and watched the children play. I was told that the baobabs were also known as "upside down" trees and can be used for numerous things. I was told that the bark is used to make cloth, strings for instruments, and baskets. The wood from the baobab are used for canoes and a type of boat (which, from what they described, is what I am guessing is like a platform that is used for fishing). The leaves from these multipurpose trees are eaten like we eat spinach, which we then ate for dinner and it was funny to imagine the awkward trees as I learned more about them and other intriguing things about their culture.

There is also another type of tree called a "Traveler's Palm", which is not actually a palm, which is said to guide tourists that