For Better, Or Worse?

This is the corner of Broad & Randall Streets (the heart of Monrovia) almost two years ago. Recently, the long row of trees in the median, once majestic with their bright orange blossoms aflame all the way from Crown Hill to Snapper Hill, were cut down. The tiny booths too, where one could buy newsmagazines, were destroyed.This is Broad & Randall today. The trees are gone, and the luggage sellers driven off the corner (several months ago) with their black bags and rainbow umbrellas. The renovation isn't finished yet, but for now I miss those trees and the rich color we used to have at this intersection.

A Quick Update

I'm back home in Liberia after a nice long vacation in the USA. Mornings are cold and foggy, and there's a film of dust on everything (inside and outside) as the Harmattan wind is blowing from the North. The days are still hot though, and it gets dark around 7:00pm

The good news: Our pipes were fixed while we were away so we have running water in our home at last, having lived here for two years using buckets of water (sometimes muddy) from the well. Now that we have running water I don't know how we managed for so long without!

The bad news: Sometime before we left, our little dog Frisky was stolen, most likely to be killed and sold for meat. (Yes, that's a new reality here. People had to eat dogs during the war and some apparently developed a taste for it.) I just couldn't bring myself to write about it when it happened. And now, despite leaving him in 24-hour care, our other dog Skipper, who was a lovely lively white dog when we left, looks like a mangy stray with cuts and sores and patches of fur falling out, with flies following him everywhere. We are keeping him in the yard and nursing him back to health.

The Liberian Ski Team

Hey, why not? Skiing is the only thing that can get me out in the snow willingly and joyfully. Here we are, me with Keyan and Tyne, at Ski Brule in Michigan last Saturday. We are now winding down our month-long vacation which was full of lots of firsts for the boys. They truly enjoyed being in a Winter Wonderland (Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan) and, because the winter was unusually "warm", I didn't mind being in the US as much as I thought I would. (This is our first Winter in 8 years!) A few more days in New York and Washington DC, and then we will head back to hot and sunny Liberia where I look forward to a New Year of living, loving, learning, and blogging.

Twilight in Foya

View from a hill in Foya City, Lofa County

Mob Violence in Broad Daylight

On my way to the Urban Chateau for lunch today, the talk in the taxi was all about an incident of mob violence that had happened this morning, in broad daylight, right on Tubman Boulevard in the heart of Sinkor.

Everyone had their own version, but the gist of it is that two people, a man and a woman, were using using a stolen car as a taxi and robbing the passengers. The victims chased them down, the woman got away, and the man was beaten to death right there on the street by a crowd of angry people.

"You ain't mind, de man slippers still on de ro," the cabman said. I didn't believe it was possible, but sure enough, as we drove past Greenland Supermarket there they were - two yellow rubber slippers, thrown several meters apart.

Sunset at La Lagune

La Lagune is a nice new spot for swimming on Sundays. Even swollen with Rainy Season water, the lagoon is less than five feet deep (and maybe waist-level when it hasn't rained for a while). They have tables shaded with rainbow-colored umbrellas, drinks, beach volleyball, and large inflatable boats for hire. We like to stay until sunset. (Congo Town Back Road, Monrovia, LIBERIA)

Car Shopping

Prompted by stories upon stories of violence and robberies after dark, plus the difficulty and indignity of running and fighting and pushing to get a space in a crowded taxi on Broad Street at the end of the day (since even the taxi drivers are too afraid to let anyone charter them), I spent the morning looking at used cars for sale. There was not much of a choice, and the lowest price was about $3,800 US Dollars. Just as I was considering happily going back to the indignity of Broad Street rush hour, I saw a nice little white Nissan Sunny at the lot on Carey Street and the Capitol Bypass. It'll do just fine!

Rogue, Rogue!

After several attempts, rogues finally broke into our yard two nights ago. They broke into Shaun's truck and stole the radio, and they cut the screen of our porch and came in for the plastic chairs. Nothing major, but still unnerving considering the fact that we were at home, and that we had two security guards on duty who were supposed to be awake all night keeping watch. The funny thing is I always get up to investigate every little noise, but I heard nothing. The good thing is Shaun has now been spurred into action on taking more safety measures. He got two fire extinguishers - one for our residence and one for his office, which is right next door - and he has hired a 4th security guard so that there'll always be three on duty. Today the welders are here building a tall wire mesh fence around the office and putting up another gate, all with razor wire on top.

A Place Called Puduken

There are about 14 towns in the Nyemonweh Chiefdom of Maryland County, Harper District. According to my guide, Nyema Nevis, Puduken (pop. 550) was built in 1832 and is the least developed town of the Chiefdom because it is the only one separated from Cape Palmas by the ocean. There are no schools there, and those who leave to get an education elsewhere normally do not return. Nyema's own brother left for the USA in 1983 and the family has been trying to trace him ever since. It is a short canoe ride to get to Puduken, where much of the town's livelihood comes from the cassava and eddoes that grow extraordinarily well in the sandy soil. Nyema's father, John Nevis, is the Town Chief of Puduken. Born in 1921, he has lost his eyesight but is still very much in charge and very highly respected. Before the war, he served as Speaker for the Grebo People of Nyemonweh Chiefdom and represented them in audiences with President William V.S. Tubman and President William R. Tolbert. Today, his request on behalf of his Chiefdom, if he could speak to President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, is for a bridge to connect Puduken with the mainland so that development will reach his people.

The New Dog

Skipper (left) with the new dog (right). We've been calling him "The New Dog" for two weeks now. Any good suggestions out there? Help us, please! (-:

Lights!

On Tubman Boulevard, Congo Town, Independence Day 2006.

When the lights were tested on Monday, July 24th, the rejoicing in the streets was very much like it was the day we heard Ellen Johnson Sirleaf had won the Presidency. Even those of us who use generators here could not help but cheer. It's wonderful to see that we, as a nation, are moving forward.

Justice for Saah Samukai

At last! After a lengthy trial, three suspects were convicted today for the murder of Saah Samukai.

After Saah's funeral last October, we stood with his mother in the hospital and didn't know what to say (see "Heaven Cried Too"). Back then I don't think we even believed justice was possible; people literally do get away with murder here all the time. Case in point: the convicted men are only three of the 11 armed robbers that attacked the Samukai family that night, and if Mrs. Tamba (as I call Saah's mother) had not thrown acid on one of them, they may never have been caught.

I didn't know what to say that day in the hospital, but a month later, when I saw an ad in the paper for a short-term media consultancy on an arms control project, I knew what I had to do to be a part of the solution. That short-term consultancy has turned into a full-time communications job and news of the verdict makes it extra sweet.

Although the frontpage headline of the Daily Observer says the killers face hanging, it's hard to believe that they will have to pay for their crime. Is this really the beginning of a new day in our justice system? Will there really be justice for Saah Samukai? We can wait and see, or we can rise up - individually and collectively - to make sure justice is served.

A Welcome Public Notice

A welcome notice on a new light pole near the YWCA, Congo Town, Monrovia. Liberia has not had public lighting for 16 years!

Mexco Zidane's Ataye Shop

Ataye Shops are a fairly new phenomenon here in Liberia. "Ataye" is a strong tea served in tiny glasses. The fun is in the mixing of it. The server puts the already brewed tea in a small plastic cup, puts in some sugar, and, instead of stirring, he pours the tea from the plastic cup into the glass and vice versa several times (in a very long stream) to mix it.

Ataye shops have become men's clubs ("because women don't like the strong flavor of the tea," someone explains to me) and are always alive with discussions, debates and answers to Liberia's problems. Today, at Mexco Zidane's Ataye Shop on Maryland Avenue in Harper City (Maryland County), the talk is about who should win the World Cup. I'm not really following the argument but I hear the words "Ronaldinho" "Brazil" "Portugal" "France" and something about unequal match-ups and some country taking all the African players. Mexco (aka Mohammed) offers me my very first glass of Ataye. I say no at first, but he insists and I accept. It is strong, but surprisingly sweet and not at all unpleasant.

Welcome to Whole Graway

About an hour's drive from Harper City, Maryland County, along a dusty road winding through lush green landscapes that make one dream of building a sprawling vacation home far from the madding crowd, there is a large town called Whole Graway. (And yes, there is a smaller town nearby called Half Graway!) Whole Graway (pronounced erroneously by most people as "Ho Gravy") is the heart of the Nyemoweh Chiefdom. Situated right near the palm-lined beach, the houses are large mud structures, usually square or rectangular, with thatched roofs. The round structures with cone-shaped roofs are the kithcens -- often shared by more than one family. There are around a hundred houses in the town, but because it is the middle of the day, it is peaceful and quiet. Most of the adults have gone to the farms, leaving behind the elderly, the very young, and the goats who run ahead of our vehicle to warn everyone that strangers have come to visit.

Beautiful Kids of Whole Graway

The kids of Whole Graway gather happily for a photograph.

Communication for the Nation

Lonestar Cell was launched in Pleebo and Harper Cities the day I arrived in Maryland County. What a relief! From Foya City in Lofa, to Harper City in Maryland – Lonestar Cell has the widest coverage, the clearest connection, and the best customer service...by far!

River Gbeh

Once upon a time, Liberia was divided into 13 Counties. River Gee and Gbarpolu Counties were created in recent years, bringing the number of counties to 15. There are two rivers running through River Gee County: River Gee, and River Gbeh. River Gbeh is the most powerful, with waves flowing fast and crashing noisily against the rocks. Makes one wonder why the county was named River Gee instead.

Muddy Boots

I ordered my waterproof hiking boots online, and when they arrived I thought I had overdone it. Even though I had heard stories of the Rainy Season upcountry roads (some with stretches so bad they have names), the boots looked and felt too serious for little old Liberia. Boy, was I wrong! I’m using them for the first time on a trip to River Gee County in the less-traveled southeastern region of the country. Even though it didn’t rain much during the days leading up to our journey, what did come from the sky was enough to turn the infamous parts of the unpaved “highway” into bowls of mud soup and traps of sticky red clay. When we aren’t stuck in one for hours struggling to get ourselves out, we’re stuck waiting for hours for other unfortunate souls to get out first. While we wait I love plodding around in the mud with confidence (and an air of experience in rough terrain). It’s also satisfying to know that if we have to hike several miles to the nearest village my boots will be adequately challenged.

"What's New for April?"

That was a question posted on Liberia Stories earlier this month.

Well, what's new for April is actually old. After a full year of searching for the perfect words (and not finding them), I have decided to just go ahead and post some of the pictures I took last April at the 25th Anniversary Memorial Celebration for the 13 government officials killed on April 22, 1980, shortly after the coup d'etat. They are posted along with the draft I wrote back then.

I think another reason it has taken me so long to share what I have is that no images can adequately convey the sheer power of that day.

I have posted each picture separately (in the April 2005 folder) so that relatives and friends can add comments and personal memories. I, too, will post the perfect words as they come to me.


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