Christmas in Liberia

'Tis the season and all that jazz, but in Liberia, things are a bit different. For starters, the temperature here is consistently reading 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. There is no fall, no winter, no snow, no dip in temps to make it feel like it's Christmas. Secondly, the Christmas decorations are a bit different. While I appreciate the effort put forth by some of the people living here, Liberia could most likely win a 'most tacky Christmas' award due to the amount of shiny tinsel trees and gold 'Merry Christmas' banners. Think Chinese imports and you'll get the picture. Also, everyone asks for money around this time. The very Liberian saying is 'My Christmas is on you.' Well, let's just say it makes you feel a little guilty thinking that the person isn't going to have Christmas, but at the same time you get pretty tired of hearing it pretty fast. I have to remind myself that $5 is not a lot of money to me, but to someone else it is. I did give money to a few people, but usually those I knew, whether it was the woman who worked at the grocery store, the beggar whom I speak with on a regular basis, or one of the guards on the compound who has done something nice for me. There are moments where I wish I could give to more, but there are a lot of downfalls with that, including seeing your money spent (and not always, just sometimes) on unnecessary or unsavory things. It's hard to live in a poverty stricken country at this time of the year, but it's also very eye opening to what Christmas is and should be rather than the commercialized version we celebrate back home. I went out on Christmas day to pop some bread in a friend's oven and was greeted with Merry Christmases by just about every Liberian I passed. Very few were looking for money, but rather just rejoicing in the day and that made me feel very happy and uplifted. I can't resist a smile and a 'Merry Christmas' to say the least.

To celebrate the holiday, a had a few people over for Christmas brunch. There were about ten of us total, eating pancakes and potatoes, banana bread and eggs, and of course, lots of coffee. It was delightful. My apartment's a bit small for ten people and cooking food, but we made it work and had lots of fun in the process. There was also a bit of fake snow spraying on the windows from a 'Waldo' (think Where's Waldo) look-alike, and some crossword puzzling going on. Fantastic. After brunch, a few people left to do other things, the rest of us went to the pool. Swimming, sunning, and gazing at the beach are not usually on my list of things to do on Christmas day, but in the tradition of making new traditions, this is exactly what happened. A few chicken fights and exhilirating games of tips later, we retired back to my very cool apartment. Most places that my friends live don't have a/c, or at least don't have it for almost the whole day. They really appreciate taking advantage of my a/c when they can, and I'm happy to share, as I love having company since I've started living by myself and all. Naps and a movie followed. Lots of lounging later, we headed out to dinner at Mamba Point Hotel. By this time our numbers had dwindled to six, though I believe that's a great number for a more intimate dinner celebration. Debbie, Andrew, Matt, Jen, John, and I enjoyed a lovely dinner and few pictures in front of the Christmas tree in the restaurant before heading home. I also managed to sneak in a phone call with the fam to catch up on Christmas festivities in that part of the world and send Christmas greetings all around. It was strange not spending the holiday with them, but I've realized I've become part of a different sort of family over here. We spend lots of time together and go through things here that help bring us together--like the holidays. While I was sad to not be home, I am very grateful that the holidays were still filled with fantastic people and good times.


Friday the 19th was our last day of school before the holiday break. Before the break the school completed a clothing drive. I was able to take the clothing we collected and give it to an organization that really put it to good use. The group, called Orphan Relief and Rescue, works with orphanages in Liberia, helping them feed, clothe, and bring medical care to the children living within them. The in-country people who work for the organization have become good friends of mine. They were part of the group with whom I spent Christmas. I was lucky enough to be able to spend time with them sorting clothes and creating gift bundles for the kids. Even luckier, I went with them to distribute these things to two orphanages right before Christmas. Each child received a new outfit from the donated clothes (from school families and other donors), a new pair of slippers (flip-flop), and a gift bundle with a toy, some candy, a toothbrush, etc. Check out the link below to view the video that one of the guys made of us handing out these things and the kids. It's not very long, but it really gives you a great picture of what they're doing here and the kids that they're serving.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83PFkUf5a8Y

This video makes me smile everytime I watch it.

The good things

I tend to spend a lot of time on here writing about the interesting and not-so-good aspects of Liberia. I think that this place is so different it's easier to write about these things in order to describe my life here. There are many good things, too, they're just harder to remember when you saw someone peeing on the side of the road or your shower and power cut out when you were in the middle of washing your hair (my morning, both). This past weekend, however, was a great example of some of the good times and beauty of Liberia.
A few friends of mine planned a party this weekend at Robertsport. Robertsport is about 2-2 1/2 hours away from Monrovia. Let me just say any opportunity to get out of the city is a good one. The drive isn't so bad for the most part, though the last 40 minutes or so can be a bit painful as the road's very potholed. Robertsport is a beach town. It sits right on the coast, about 30 minutes from the Sierra Leone border. It's beautiful. Also, as it's away from the city, it's much cleaner.
It was a full moon themed party, so we spent the night there at an eco-lodge set up by some South Africans. Basically, there are two double beds set up on platforms covered by tents. The rooms also have a fan, a small table, and two chairs. The water at Robertsport was beautiful for our weekend getaway: clear, calm, warm, just gorgeous. The sand is soft and not as trashy as the sand at Monrovia's finest. The lodge also has a bar and serves food, so we sat around and had a few drinks while we enjoyed the sun, sunset, and full moon. They even made a bonfire out on the beach later into the night. It was wonderful. I met some new great people who will hopefully turn into great friends. Just being away from Monrovia has improved my mood so much, I'm more relaxed and less stressed out. A much needed break from the city!
Other than that, school gets out on Friday for winter break. Though I'm not doing anything, I'm much looking forward to the two weeks off. I love my kids, but sometime's everyone needs a break from each other. I plan to relax, celebrate Christmas with some friends (though I wish I could celebrate it with everyone back home!), and read. Oh reading, I'm so excited!
Be in touch, everyone. I miss you all like crazy and don't hear from you often enough :) I love you guys!

Jailbreak!

Check it out...This is Liberia.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6272043.stm

Apparently the number rose to 150-200 later. No one ever seems to know exactly what's going on. I've also heard three different stories about how they escaped. Some say it's an inside job, others are saying the workers were on a sort of strike, and finally someone said the inmates simply threw bottles and stones at the unarmed guards (the whole disarmament thing) and they let them out. Who knows?

the experience of an ex-pat at Thanksgiving

As Thanksgiving approached last week, I wasn't too excited. I was bummed about being away from home, eating Thanksgiving day dinner with a bunch of people I didn't know, and not being able to spend the whole morning baking and preparing. I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun I had this year during this American holiday, though. I went to the US Embassy where a dinner was being held at the ambassador's residence. About 50 people attended. It was in a potluck style, everyone brought something, and the ambassador provided the turkeys. It was a beautiful day (a bit hot) and her porch overlooks the ocean where the sun was setting. There was a ship that had been tugged out to sea, but which had made its way back to the shore and had been pushed into the sand not far off the shore. It hadn't been there very long, but it sure looked like it had. Between the weather (hot and sunny during the day, rainy season earlier) and people pillaging it (there's really no better word), the ship looked like it had been sitting out there for years. I talked to some people I knew, some I didn't. Met the Peace Corps volunteers who are here (one of whom recently fell through a roof and has to return to Washington for a broken hand.) Also talked with some people that I've met very briefly before and got to know them better. All in all, not a bad way to spend a holiday which is synonymous with family and football for me.
I went to a friend's house after Thanksgiving and watched a movie. As I had Friday off from school as well, we went out that night to the Red Lion. This is supposed to be an English Pub. In all actuality, while it may be the closest thing, it's not really like an English pub. It is, however, a nice place to go for a few drinks with friends. It's often pretty calm and low-key, except on Wednesday and Saturday nights when there is live music. We met up with some of the marines from the Embassy as well as some guys who work for UNMIL through the US military. Basically we were hanging out with guys from the Navy and Marines, which is amusing in itself. Another good time of being relaxed and just hanging out with good people.
I guess I'm learning to live on my own during my time here. It's a strange new reality for me. I have no family here, no roommates, no pets. I do have friends, though, and they are pretty amazing. I'm learning how to make do at my job, with my social life, and with my new lifestyle (which involves less vegetarian food being readily available.) It's a struggle at times, but plenty rewarding as well. If nothing else, I've already met a few great people along the way and learned a lot about what I can handle.