Consider this a very basic Liberian English to American English dictionary, featuring some of the expressions I hear on a daily basis. This of course excludes those clipped phrases I haven’t been able to make out yet, so as I learn and decipher more I will share them with you.
How was the night? = It means pretty much what it says, but sounds far more exotic and full of potential than “How was your night?”
To flash = To call someone’s cell phone and hang up after the first ring. This essentially forces the person to call you back and incur the charge for the call. You can also text someone a pre-selected message when you’re completely out of money on your cell phone scratch card – it simply reads, “Please call me.”
Small–small = So so
Holla–holla = Lots of trouble
Most businesses here are named in a very straightforward fashion, and the store owners who don’t believe the name painted on their storefront is explanatory enough post signs listing what they sell (one sign reads: scratch cards, cell phones, newspapers, cement, shoes, zinc)
However other stores sell products that don’t pertain to their names at all, like:
Quench Your Thirst International, Inc., which sells ice cream (Does ice cream quench one’s thirst? And does anyone believe this chain exists outside of Monrovia?)
Uncle Joe’s Jewelry, which sells tires
And while I’m discussing (mis)representation, there’s also Stop & Shop (not related in any way to the American supermarket but which uses a *very* similar logo), J-Mart (a KMart offshoot?), and City Builders (featuring a decent rendition of the Home Depot logo).
You can imagine how all of these sightings can make even our daily drive to work endlessly interesting.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
From nicknames to food and back again
It’s official. Korpu, my Liberian name, has stuck. People walk by me in the halls and yell out, “Hey Korpu!” and I suppose it’s ok that they’re not actually calling me by my real name because I often don’t know theirs either. The novelty of the white girl with the Liberian name hasn’t worn off yet. A few Liberian colleagues have asked if I can cook some of the delicacies of the region where my name is most popular. My standard line right now is that I can barely cook American food, so they shouldn’t hold their breath for Liberian meals.
Speaking of meals, I think my immediate co-workers find my eating habits curious. There is no way I can get through the day without multiple snacks, but this really isn’t a snacking culture. Food here is basic and filling, and people eat three meals a day (lunch is usually the biggest) with little in between. Food allergies are basically unheard of, so the multitude of Lebanese food is quite helpful because I know what is safe and what isn’t. However on Sunday I went out to eat at a BBQ restaurant and explained the allergy, then ordered two side dishes I was told wouldn’t have milk or butter. When both arrived looking creamy, I asked again, “Do these have milk or butter in them?” I was told, “Oh yes,” quite pleasantly and honestly. Our waitress at a Moroccan restaurant last week thought I was requesting that milk and butter be added to my meal. You really can’t get annoyed because standards are just so different here, and there’s just enough of a language barrier for things to get confusing (English is spoken here, but it’s much more rapid and clipped).
And bringing it back to names, a Liberian woman came into our office for a meeting today and it quickly became obvious that she had lived in the U.S. She primarily resided in Boston, though she had been to Worcester, which was pretty cool to learn. When she asked my name and I told her Alexis, she said, “Oh, that’s a great name!” When we finished the meeting and she leaned over to say goodbye, she shouted, “Dynasty!” Awesome.
Speaking of meals, I think my immediate co-workers find my eating habits curious. There is no way I can get through the day without multiple snacks, but this really isn’t a snacking culture. Food here is basic and filling, and people eat three meals a day (lunch is usually the biggest) with little in between. Food allergies are basically unheard of, so the multitude of Lebanese food is quite helpful because I know what is safe and what isn’t. However on Sunday I went out to eat at a BBQ restaurant and explained the allergy, then ordered two side dishes I was told wouldn’t have milk or butter. When both arrived looking creamy, I asked again, “Do these have milk or butter in them?” I was told, “Oh yes,” quite pleasantly and honestly. Our waitress at a Moroccan restaurant last week thought I was requesting that milk and butter be added to my meal. You really can’t get annoyed because standards are just so different here, and there’s just enough of a language barrier for things to get confusing (English is spoken here, but it’s much more rapid and clipped).
And bringing it back to names, a Liberian woman came into our office for a meeting today and it quickly became obvious that she had lived in the U.S. She primarily resided in Boston, though she had been to Worcester, which was pretty cool to learn. When she asked my name and I told her Alexis, she said, “Oh, that’s a great name!” When we finished the meeting and she leaned over to say goodbye, she shouted, “Dynasty!” Awesome.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Mamba Point Hotel
Yesterday marked the first full month of being in Liberia for me and my housemates. Coincidentally, we chose to have dinner at the restaurant where we had our first meal here but hadn’t been since: The Mamba Point Hotel. There are actually three restaurants at the hotel, one that has themed food nights, another that serves sushi, and a third that has a full menu (our choice last night).
The hotel is one of the few spots in Monrovia that doesn’t actually scream Liberia. The crowd it attracts could be found in many cities around the world. They have wireless internet and many people head over to get work done, send emails, or simply to sit outside and enjoy a meal or drink on the terrace. They have fans going outside to keep the people who brave the humid air comfortable (quite a luxury, I must say, this artificial breeze).
Mamba Point is an interesting place with a unique history. On one trip around town with our driver Bill, he told us that he used to drive international reporters around during the war, often directly into conflict areas or danger zones so they could get the interviews or quotes they needed for their stories. Most of the people who hired him were staying at the Hotel, as it was the only hotel in operation during the war. It sort of conjures up this romantic image of gritty international journalists swapping stories over dinner or meeting in the morning to round up drivers to take them around the city. With limited or no electricity, a capacity crowd, and a civil war raging, I’m willing to bet it may not have been exactly as I’ve just envisioned it.
While dinner at the Hotel is admittedly not an authentic local experience, something about the atmosphere and the history help forge a connection with the recent past. Another comfortable hotel here, the Crystal Ocean View, is the current home of Charles Taylor’s former dog (an energetic little poodle – totally unexpected, no?), which, as fun facts go, is pretty good, but its hard to beat the richer history of Mamba Point.
The hotel is one of the few spots in Monrovia that doesn’t actually scream Liberia. The crowd it attracts could be found in many cities around the world. They have wireless internet and many people head over to get work done, send emails, or simply to sit outside and enjoy a meal or drink on the terrace. They have fans going outside to keep the people who brave the humid air comfortable (quite a luxury, I must say, this artificial breeze).
Mamba Point is an interesting place with a unique history. On one trip around town with our driver Bill, he told us that he used to drive international reporters around during the war, often directly into conflict areas or danger zones so they could get the interviews or quotes they needed for their stories. Most of the people who hired him were staying at the Hotel, as it was the only hotel in operation during the war. It sort of conjures up this romantic image of gritty international journalists swapping stories over dinner or meeting in the morning to round up drivers to take them around the city. With limited or no electricity, a capacity crowd, and a civil war raging, I’m willing to bet it may not have been exactly as I’ve just envisioned it.
While dinner at the Hotel is admittedly not an authentic local experience, something about the atmosphere and the history help forge a connection with the recent past. Another comfortable hotel here, the Crystal Ocean View, is the current home of Charles Taylor’s former dog (an energetic little poodle – totally unexpected, no?), which, as fun facts go, is pretty good, but its hard to beat the richer history of Mamba Point.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
President's Day
Everyone in the States may have celebrated a holiday on Monday, but today was most definitely President’s Day in Liberia. George Bush was in town (his last stop on a five country tour of Africa) and everywhere you looked this week, there were reminders of his upcoming visit. Construction projects were completed just in time. Fresh coats of paint were added on (a select few) buildings. Billboards with George and Laura’s faces splashed across them welcomed the President and First Lady to Liberia. The major impact that my housemates and I felt was the lack of internet for the last 72 hours. We were told it had something to do with a “communications blackout” in preparation for Bush’s visit.
One of the local papers interviewed students from the University of Liberia about what they thought of the President coming here, and one elated student compared his visit to the coming of Jesus. Whoa. (Bush is pretty beloved here for helping to end the civil war and dedicating a lot of money for the rebuilding effort. Wanting to end his trip on a positive note, he capped it in Liberia.)
Some major roads were closed today, which prevented a majority of our Liberian colleagues from getting to work, so we essentially had the day off. A few of us wanted to see how close we could get to the action, so we decided to start walking around town (my housemate Jenna actually won the prize, managing to join a colleague in the audience for Bush’s speech at the University and ending up one row away from Condi).
The city was buzzing this morning. Walking around town, we saw many Liberians carrying U.S. and Liberian flags and wearing t-shirts with faces of both Presidents on them. We passed by children playing who were chanting “Jah Boo! Jah Boo!” (George Bush! George Bush!) The people of Liberia were so excited about hosting Bush that a special song was created and played incessantly on the radio (“Welcome to Liberia George Bush…you are our Iron Man” – they call their President the “Iron Lady”).
Ultimately we made it very close to the University, but the UNMIL and other international soldiers standing guard weren’t letting us pass. Some senior staff we work with happened to be walking from the area we hoped to get into, and they convinced security to let us through. Thinking we were on our way to meet up with Jenna, we were pretty excited, but we were ultimately restricted to a shady bus stop for a couple hours with a Bosnian UNMIL peacekeeper as we waited for the motorcade to drive up. Don’t think we didn’t question ourselves every 15 minutes or so about why we were actually waiting for Bush, but there was little else to do, so when the motorcade drove up I took a couple of little videos of all the black cars. I’ve posted a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.
You can read about Bush’s visit to Liberia here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/world/africa/22prexy.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Also, I must say that after reading the comments to my last post and some recent emails I’ve received, I think I’m sending a message that Monrovia is some sort of oasis! While we are living in a bit of a protected bubble – where I have a more active social life than I did in Worcester – it’s more of a survival mechanism than anything else. You sort of have to make your own fun in a post-conflict, developing country…
One of the local papers interviewed students from the University of Liberia about what they thought of the President coming here, and one elated student compared his visit to the coming of Jesus. Whoa. (Bush is pretty beloved here for helping to end the civil war and dedicating a lot of money for the rebuilding effort. Wanting to end his trip on a positive note, he capped it in Liberia.)
Some major roads were closed today, which prevented a majority of our Liberian colleagues from getting to work, so we essentially had the day off. A few of us wanted to see how close we could get to the action, so we decided to start walking around town (my housemate Jenna actually won the prize, managing to join a colleague in the audience for Bush’s speech at the University and ending up one row away from Condi).
The city was buzzing this morning. Walking around town, we saw many Liberians carrying U.S. and Liberian flags and wearing t-shirts with faces of both Presidents on them. We passed by children playing who were chanting “Jah Boo! Jah Boo!” (George Bush! George Bush!) The people of Liberia were so excited about hosting Bush that a special song was created and played incessantly on the radio (“Welcome to Liberia George Bush…you are our Iron Man” – they call their President the “Iron Lady”).
Ultimately we made it very close to the University, but the UNMIL and other international soldiers standing guard weren’t letting us pass. Some senior staff we work with happened to be walking from the area we hoped to get into, and they convinced security to let us through. Thinking we were on our way to meet up with Jenna, we were pretty excited, but we were ultimately restricted to a shady bus stop for a couple hours with a Bosnian UNMIL peacekeeper as we waited for the motorcade to drive up. Don’t think we didn’t question ourselves every 15 minutes or so about why we were actually waiting for Bush, but there was little else to do, so when the motorcade drove up I took a couple of little videos of all the black cars. I’ve posted a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.
You can read about Bush’s visit to Liberia here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/world/africa/22prexy.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Also, I must say that after reading the comments to my last post and some recent emails I’ve received, I think I’m sending a message that Monrovia is some sort of oasis! While we are living in a bit of a protected bubble – where I have a more active social life than I did in Worcester – it’s more of a survival mechanism than anything else. You sort of have to make your own fun in a post-conflict, developing country…
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Fiestas
Somehow this weekend got away from me and it has been a couple of days since I posted -- I'm feeling a bit disconnected from everyone! Despite a holiday at the start of the week, we were all pretty tired by Friday. Going home and passing out after work would have been sensible, but did we do that? Oh no. After a couple of drinks at Golden Beach (I may already have described it, but in case not, it's a restaurant and bar literally right on the beach, and an ideal way to relax after work if you enjoy the sound of the ocean and a great breeze), we moved on to sushi at a nearby hotel. We paid the bill around 11:30, which I thought was an ideal time to go home and sleep. However, the rest of the group felt differently, which is how I found myself at a Liberian outdoor dance club called The Garden around midnight.
It took us a little while, but we found our way to the dance floor and enjoyed the 80s music and good people watching (a highlight: a young Liberian woman in hot pants and a vintage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt). A Liberian friend with us was amazed that I didn't know a song called "The DJ Saved My Life," yet when I started dancing to Madonna's "Holiday," he asked, "You know this song??" "IT'S MADONNA," I shouted back. I mean, honestly, I may not be the coolest kid around but I've got Madonna covered.
Saturday was sadly spent doing work (lots of last minute projects that occupied all three of us housemates and a couple others), and then we spent an hour or so shopping for food for a Mexican brunch we were hosting today. By the time we got out of the supermarket, Jenna and I decided we needed a release, so we went for a jog outside, which was PERFECT. It was probably 85 degrees and humid, people were burning trash, we splashed through some stagnant water, and it was STILL PERFECT. We had been cooped up all day and we wanted out.
This morning's brunch turned out quite well! We served breakfast burritos, corn bread, chili, fruit, mango and pineapple bellinis, and coffee with cinnamon sticks (thanks Ellie!). Nine of us sat around eating too much for a couple of hours, and then we moved out to our pool and sat in the sun for a couple more. I went for a run outside at the end of the afternoon, and had a Liberian running partner for a little while. A teenage boy joined up with me and if he hadn't been wearing flip flops he probably would have left me in the dust. If you run in this climate for more than five minutes you get red-faced and sweaty enough to fool yourself into believing that you've had a major workout. It's a nice little confidence boost : )
It took us a little while, but we found our way to the dance floor and enjoyed the 80s music and good people watching (a highlight: a young Liberian woman in hot pants and a vintage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt). A Liberian friend with us was amazed that I didn't know a song called "The DJ Saved My Life," yet when I started dancing to Madonna's "Holiday," he asked, "You know this song??" "IT'S MADONNA," I shouted back. I mean, honestly, I may not be the coolest kid around but I've got Madonna covered.
Saturday was sadly spent doing work (lots of last minute projects that occupied all three of us housemates and a couple others), and then we spent an hour or so shopping for food for a Mexican brunch we were hosting today. By the time we got out of the supermarket, Jenna and I decided we needed a release, so we went for a jog outside, which was PERFECT. It was probably 85 degrees and humid, people were burning trash, we splashed through some stagnant water, and it was STILL PERFECT. We had been cooped up all day and we wanted out.
This morning's brunch turned out quite well! We served breakfast burritos, corn bread, chili, fruit, mango and pineapple bellinis, and coffee with cinnamon sticks (thanks Ellie!). Nine of us sat around eating too much for a couple of hours, and then we moved out to our pool and sat in the sun for a couple more. I went for a run outside at the end of the afternoon, and had a Liberian running partner for a little while. A teenage boy joined up with me and if he hadn't been wearing flip flops he probably would have left me in the dust. If you run in this climate for more than five minutes you get red-faced and sweaty enough to fool yourself into believing that you've had a major workout. It's a nice little confidence boost : )
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Praise the lord
There are a lot of aspects of life here that can seem charming, or entertaining, or absurb, depending on our frame of mind. At night we usually compare notes about how our days went, and today one of my housemates definitely gets the prize for the best story/worst use of his time. Each day, on his department's office door, a prayer is posted. In a corner of the prayer sign, there is a small picture of Jesus. Although he is Jewish, he isn't bothered by this, but he also does not possess the same Christian fervor that his officemates do. Recently, some work-related signs were posted on the door, and the prayer sign was displaced and ripped in places. When this was discovered, his colleagues were not happy. As he was helping to repair the sign, someone realized they had a copy of it on their computer and could print another one out – except that this new one wouldn’t have the image of Jesus on it. So my housemate was tasked with cutting out the image from the original sign and photocopying it onto the new one, which was hung on the door once again.
The fact that three employees dedicated resources to this project, the end product of which brings religion into the public sphere in a way that some might perceive as unwelcome at the very least, and threatening at another extreme, was enough to send us into hysterics at the dinner table tonight.
People talk very openly about faith here, the assumption being that everyone is a believer. I’ve actually been asked by several people if I’m Christian (most of the staff in our building seems to be) and the assistant in our department often checks with me on Monday to see if I went to services on Sunday. There don’t seem to be any Eastern Orthodox churches here, though I have seen Lutheran, Baptist, Seventh Day Adventist and Methodist churches, and many signs for Jehovah’s Witness Halls. A sizeable chunk of the population is Muslim, and we have passed by some mosques in the city too.
The fact that three employees dedicated resources to this project, the end product of which brings religion into the public sphere in a way that some might perceive as unwelcome at the very least, and threatening at another extreme, was enough to send us into hysterics at the dinner table tonight.
People talk very openly about faith here, the assumption being that everyone is a believer. I’ve actually been asked by several people if I’m Christian (most of the staff in our building seems to be) and the assistant in our department often checks with me on Monday to see if I went to services on Sunday. There don’t seem to be any Eastern Orthodox churches here, though I have seen Lutheran, Baptist, Seventh Day Adventist and Methodist churches, and many signs for Jehovah’s Witness Halls. A sizeable chunk of the population is Muslim, and we have passed by some mosques in the city too.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Worlds colliding
When I arrived at work today, one of the social workers employed by our office was back after a day of absence. I commented on how nice it was to see him and asked what he had been up to. He told me that he was "bereaved," as his sister had died unexpectedly yesterday morning. She was eight months pregnant and had started to feel ill. Apparently the family members that she was staying with took her to see a doctor, although it sounds like it may have been more of a traditional healer or village doctor because she wasn't taken to a hospital. Whatever transpired, she did not make it. Sadly, she actually lived in the same section of the city where JFK hospital is, and while basic, they do have a functioning maternity hospital.
The social worker only stayed a couple of hours today, explaining he had to go to a family meeting. He called me later to tell me that it was decided that each family member had to make a monetary contribution to his sister's mother (I don't think they have the same mother), and asked if I could provide some financial support. It's not an uncommon request; I was stopped at work a couple of weeks ago by a man who told me his wife had just had twins and he needed $20 from me. He assured me he would provide me with a receipt and would pay me back the next day. Having been advised that this would happen frequently, and unable to help all of the people who might make similar requests, I had to gently explain that I could not help him (I had never met this man before). However, knowing how little can make a difference to someone here, it's an uncomfortable exchange.
I haven't been great at commenting back on the posts that are made to the blog, but I love reading them and really appreciate hearing back from you all. As for answers to questions related to the JFK posting, I know that MSF/DWB currently operates a maternity clinic and I think they may run others too. I actually don't know the most effective way to donate to a direct service provider here, but will ask around. Oh, and there are 30 doctors for upwards of 3.5 million Liberians.
On the Presidential visit front, it's true...W. and Laura are visiting Liberia next Thursday. I'm told world leaders rarely stay here, so their visit will be considered a "flyover." They will land in Monrovia and make some official announcements but will spend the night elsewhere (perhaps in the next country they're visiting). Considering there is only one road to and from the airport, traffic on Thursday is expected to be a nightmare.
The social worker only stayed a couple of hours today, explaining he had to go to a family meeting. He called me later to tell me that it was decided that each family member had to make a monetary contribution to his sister's mother (I don't think they have the same mother), and asked if I could provide some financial support. It's not an uncommon request; I was stopped at work a couple of weeks ago by a man who told me his wife had just had twins and he needed $20 from me. He assured me he would provide me with a receipt and would pay me back the next day. Having been advised that this would happen frequently, and unable to help all of the people who might make similar requests, I had to gently explain that I could not help him (I had never met this man before). However, knowing how little can make a difference to someone here, it's an uncomfortable exchange.
I haven't been great at commenting back on the posts that are made to the blog, but I love reading them and really appreciate hearing back from you all. As for answers to questions related to the JFK posting, I know that MSF/DWB currently operates a maternity clinic and I think they may run others too. I actually don't know the most effective way to donate to a direct service provider here, but will ask around. Oh, and there are 30 doctors for upwards of 3.5 million Liberians.
On the Presidential visit front, it's true...W. and Laura are visiting Liberia next Thursday. I'm told world leaders rarely stay here, so their visit will be considered a "flyover." They will land in Monrovia and make some official announcements but will spend the night elsewhere (perhaps in the next country they're visiting). Considering there is only one road to and from the airport, traffic on Thursday is expected to be a nightmare.
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