We ALWAYS smile, ALWAYS !
Be it in happiness, in harsh situation, we always smile. This is a constant element all over the island. We don't laugh without reason, we smile.Even in embarrassing situation, we smile. Foreigners use to mistake about it. When a Malagasy pedestrian crosses the street out of zebra crossing area (: meaning he/she is faultive) and nearly triggers an accident, he/she smiles. In this case, Westerners use to think that the Malagasy person is making fun of him. In fact, not. He/ She smiles thinking how silly he/she is to cross the street the way he/she has done. This self-derision is quite important to know if you get in contact with Malagasy people. Of course, this smile is different from our smile when we greet people.Also, even in a heated discussion (don't talk about Malagasy believes too much. You may ask the reasons of our believes but never criticize), you would see people to end a...
