I think that knowing and applying or even mastering the local lingo wherever you travel is a must. Why? Because it gains the people's respect and understanding. In the long run you're less viewed as the 'foreigner' or 'expat' and you'll also win new quality friendships. In a way, I guess travel is not just going to one place, take some pictures, updating your status of course, and go but it's also about expanding your network and keeping in touch with new friends. Here, knowing the local lingo will get you to levels of kinship that you would never expect.
So for those who are about to go to Madagascar, here's some words that I would like to share and I've learnt so far:
Malagash English Indonesian Francais
Manahwona     Hello            Halo            Bon jour/soir/nuit
Veloma         Goodbye      Selamat tinggal   Aurevoir
Misaotra       Thank you     Terima kasih       Merci
Rahampitso     Tomorrow     Besok             Demain
Androanij        Now         Sekarang          Aujourd'hui
Omalij           Afternoon     Sore              L'après-midi
Tonga           Coming      Datang             à venir
Azafady       Excuse me      Permisi             Excusez-moi
Miasa          Working      Bekerja Travailler
Mianatra       Studying      Belajar             Etudier
Vita            Finish          Selesai             Finir
Lehilalij       Men           Pria                 Hommes
Vehivalij       Women       Wanita            Femmes
Zazabelij      Children      Anak-anak         Enfants
Namana       Friends       Teman-teman      Amis
Mihinanana     Eat         Makan             Manger
Mahandro      Cook        Masak              Cuire
Sasana          Wash        Mencuci           Laver
Pasohana      Ironing       Menyetrika         Repasser
Hope this post is useful. ^^
