In Liberia...

I realize I have been delinquent in my posting – work has become steadily busier and there seems to be less to comment on during a given day. However, I realized today that I’ve started to become accustomed to life here, and that much of the way we live is still interesting and fun to share.

So in that spirit, here’s a little “you know you are living in Liberia when…”

…running water at the office is a big deal (normally we flush by pouring a pitcher of water into the toilette and wash up with Purell)

…making a phone call requires hanging out of your office window to pick up a signal (there are no land lines here) and yelling into the phone to be heard through often scratchy connections

…the generator that powers your office is switched at 5 p.m. every day, so that for a short stretch of time you are disconnected from email (if you’re lucky enough to be on it), cannot print or make copies, and depending on your office, end up working in semi-darkness

…your friends come down with malaria instead of the flu

…peppers and tomatoes at the supermarket are cause for celebration

…50% of the men you pass by in the hallway at work call you “baby” and men on the street call you “fine girl”

…24 hour electricity is a luxury

...a night on the outdoor dance floor leaves you drenched in sweat

…terms like “ASAP” and “ballpark estimate” don’t apply

…people use the expressions “fine” and “not fine” for “good” and “bad”

Today I was speaking with two Americans who are in town for about a month and looking for recommendations for restaurants, entertainment, etc. After I rattled off some options and they left, one of my colleagues said, “It’s nice not to feel like a newcomer, isn’t it?” I hadn’t really thought of myself as a bearer of information on Monrovia, but I suppose these things tend to creep up on you…