“It’s been just under two months since former US math teacher George Leiter arrived in Madagascar Aug. 19, making this his fourth month on the island. The first two months were a visit last December and January.

The cultural differences between Madagascar and the US are varied, but foremost is the language barrier. “English is not widely spoken here, so I’m very determined to learn Malagasy. It’s frustrating to want to talk to people on the street, and to not be able to.” Malagasy takes its roots from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines—a quality that makes it distinct from many other African languages, which tend to be either Afroasiatic or Niger-Congo. “It’s both fun and frustrating,” Leiter added.

Second only to the difficulty of learning a language, driving in Antananarivo is also quite difficult. “This is a relatively large city, and it’s just chaotic. We have a car, and I’ve driven it a few times,” Leiter said, “but oh my god, it just scares the bejeebers out of me.”

Not only are there no yield signs in Antananarivo, there are no traffic lights either. “But people are very considerate of each other,” Leiter noted. “At an intersection, there’s six cars trying to get to different places, and everyone just takes turns. No one is screaming, and I’ve never seen anyone yell at anybody,”—a different mentality from American intersections, where road rage can take over even with traffic lights, at times.

The American School of Antananarivo, where Mr. Leiter teaches, was founded in September 1969. The total enrollment is roughly 220, and the school is K-12. “The parents send their kids here because they want an American education,” Leiter said.

But for such a small student body, the school exhibits a surprising level of diversity, with students representing more than 30 nationalities. “It’s a really cool mix of cultures,” Leiter continued, “A good part of the kids are Malagasy by birth, but their parents come from other parts of the world. Primarily India, China, Korea.”

Many of the children know four or more languages, including English, Malagasy, their native language spoken at home, and the language they learn at school. “To all the schools having trouble with the diversity question, just have a school in Madagascar!” Leiter said.

Aside from teaching and learning the language, Leiter also plays in a band of expatriates. Leiter noted how playing at different venues allowed him to see the many sides of Malagasy culture. “On the same Saturday from working on the street, helping kids measure their feet for shoes, we went to a house where the door was answered by a butler in a tailcoat. It was a party by this guy’s pool, in a giant mansion,” Leiter said, “I just thought ‘there’s a little contrast!’”

Despite all the contrast between America and Madagascar, Leiter maintains that the weather is nicer. Since Madagascar is in the Eastern hemisphere, its summer starts around October, right as Minnesota begins its dark descent into winter. “I’m telling a lot of people who I Skype with that they can expect some spite-based weather reports,” Leiter laughed. “Pretty much every day here is 75 and sunny.”

Ultimately, though, Leiter has enjoyed being in Madagascar thus far. “It’s intense at times, but it’s cool,” Leiter said. “I bear my tidings to everyone.”