Back in Ghana

So, I left Liberia yesterday... Which was quite sad, so I will not dwell on that!

What I will tell about is my re-experience of Accra. When going to the airport in MOnrovia, you drive out of town for about 35 minutes, through the bush, passing several small villages. That is it. The airport i basically placed in the middle of the bush, you see nothing but rainforrest and small villages when you land or take off, and when standing on the runway, all you see is trees.
The airport in Accra is in the middle of the city. So when flying in to land, you fly ver the cuity, and see all the lights, the roads and the hotels.

The airport in itself, well in MOnrovia, it is one building.. I am guessing half the size of the airport in Aalborg. The one in Accra is not that big, but it is absolutly bigger than the one in Monrovcia. and there are lot of lights, and other planes arund. And no UN planes or helicopters or trucks. It is quite strange walking the streets here. No UN vehicle is in sight, and I am used to them beeing every second car.
Everyting is different, and suddenly Ghana (Accra) doesn't really seem like developing country, or at least not in the same sence. Because it is deffenetly developing, all teh half finished buildings you see, well they are actually just that, buildings that are in the process of being build, but not yet finished. Which is quite a change from Monrovia. Where half the buildings are overgrown since they were being build, half way before the war, and have been left since then.

anyways it is qquite a difference.
Today is a sunday so everything is quiet, people are less pushy and I have only been approached 3 times today... Which is very low.I am sure it is because it is sunday, and election day, but the atmosphere is just very different here.
Uh year, no trouble yet, I saw a police convoy about an hour ago, but haven't heard of demonstrations or anything... But it is quite exiting...

ok, have 5 minutes left... so will finish thins and get i posted.
Happy new year to all

LNP vs AFL

LNP vs AFL
Yesterday a big gathering took place at the stadium not to far from us. Two Nigerian actors and a Nigerian singer visited Liberia in connection to the Global campaign against HIV/AIDS.
Because of this the police (LNP) had set up roadblocks in fromt of the stadium. Though they let an offiial car through here and there. But at one point after letting a car through, they closed the block for a military (AFL) vehicle. Oh.... So apparently the guy in the car got vexed and said ”this is the 3 time you guys (NLP) are disrespecting us, one more time and we will come beat you guys” (paraphrasing acording to street word). Well apparently this was a bad thing to say, cause the police guy got vexed too. And somehow, I don't know if the army guy had gotten out of the car to argue, but anyways the word is that the police guy pushed the army guy... Can you imagine what hapend then. The army guy got more angry, and then another police guy came and pushed him again, and then somehow a fight broke out and someone got hit in the head.
Well word was send to the military compound, and they send two squads, one for the block at the station, and one to the junction next to it, and next to my house. So the army came to beat the police! And I am serious too. It has been confirmed. We (samiera and I) were coming from the market at the junction and noticed that the road was blocked ad traffic just keep jamming, but didn't get why the police didn't open for them to drive through. When we reached the house we were told by the news... They were advising traffic to find different routes.. Yes cause that is easy when you only have two roads to choose between... But anyways, I guess I am just very glad that neither the LNP or the AFL are allowed to carry arms yet. Only 149 police guys in a special unit and then the UN guys carries arms in Liberia.
But can you imagine, the police and the army fighting each other. It seems, well bordering to surreal. if the two government forces cannot get along... well, how can Liberians be expected to...? But they seem to do - for now anyway...

Churches and China, in Liberia...

Monrovia December 17 2008
well, I guess I have a little time for writing on a very overdue blog. Sam is on one of his trips, he went across the road to get a block of ice for the cooler about 30 minutes ago. And when I say across the road, it is nothing more than that... But I guess that is just him.. what do I expect... Anyone of you who ever meet him will know that he has a tendency to ”disappear” from time to time. Anyway it leaves me time on my own, and that can be used on my blog, as I don't want to eat alone...
Well I guess I need to sum up what has been going on for the last week plus. I have been to church!!!! And, a great thing as it is for me, here it requires SO much more effort than most anywhere else (here being an African setting, because I don't think it is for Liberia alone). Anyways service started only 30 minutes late, so that was quite something. It lasted 4 hours!!!! So we were out by somewhat around 14.30... what a way to spend a Sunday morning, very enjoyable.. NOT! One reason is that church often is rather boring. But what gets me in this case, as always when visiting a church here, is the money thing. I mean, I know it, I have seen it before... But ohhhh. I got so angry that I almost cried... See this church, is a pretty nice church, it has windows (real ones), a wooden ceiling and chandeliers down the isle, it has 8 large fans with lamps on them over the benches and several fans along the walls, all of this being a fairly new thing, the fans were installed last year. But guess what they needed money for. Yes USD 18000 air conditions!!! Because many of the members lived in AC houses so coming and worshipping in the heat just wasn't acceptable! Seriously. I am telling you. And the reason the AC has to be so expensive is that if they get the ones standing at the walls the coolness still wont reach the isle... Who is sitting in the fucking isle???
Do you know what USD 18.000 can do here. The church is in one of the poorer areas in town, I mean I would not be so outrage if they would collect money for a community sanitation project, or school books or even to buy bibles to be used in church. But air conditions... AND the way... Argh. They had a Rally. But after the first round, and we sat for 15-20 minutes waiting for them to collect money, they decided it wasn't enough, so “go again”... and after the second time, it still wasn't enough.. So guess what, yes the baskets were send around on all the benches... After this they were satisfied. And we could move on to the regular offering.. Where a different basket is send round the benches... They raised more than USD 1000 in 45 minutes... That is the rent for this place in a year! 45 fucking minutes in this area, and you could have done so much in that neighbourhood... But no, they need air conditions. What was it that Jesus said about greed and money???
I went to a programme in our neighbour girls church one day. There the priest even looked a Seanan and me and said “if you have USD you can go to the back of the church and change it”. Again did Jesus not “ban” the money changers??? I mean I haven't ever read the whole bible, but I am sure I remember something like that... But “this is Africa”, right...
Ok enough raging against the churches, I just now need to find a way of getting out of going to church on Sunday, because I get so upset, and that upsets Sam. So it is a very bed thing for me to go to church here. Church in this country has nothing to do with Christianity, at least not the Christianity I know.
Besides from that, I am now restricted to live for less that USD 10 a day until I get to Ghana... That is somewhat of a challenge, especially because we are 2 having to live for that amount. And this is counting selling my phone to be get money to go to the airport.
I have promised to hold a farewell/Christmas party on the 25, I have now come to buying food and drinks for 30 people for less that USD 80. We are not going to get overwhelmed with drinks, or food, but I think it will actually happen... That is crazy, but I have no choice, I have made the promise and I also want to see people. So that leaves me with less than USD 100 till next Saturday..
We can do it, but it is not going to be a very fun and full of experiences week. Unless you count going to the market to buy food a lot of fun. And here I was hoping for some very nice food to leave on. Well at least I have Ghana to rectify that in. But I don't know what I am going to do with Sam. Maybe if I am good, the money for the phone will go to him... That should leave him with 20-25 USD.. That is also money...
Oh God I hope he gets a job soon. We are praying for a job at IMC for some time now. Yes I am praying! So you know it is serious. But I really think he has a chance. So send all your good energy and plenty good karma this way.
OK, he is back, and light is now on... though not to stable, the generator thing... Oh well..
Food.. yey, rice and clear soup...
Ok, back and taken advantage of the generator.. My battery ran out...
I forgot to tell you. Have discovered a new “favorite” radio station here... CRI China radio International. The newest, as far as I know, of the 5 radio stations China has in Liberia. But, why do I like this station... Year year, some will say I was always a communist... But that is not the case. They provide news, from the world, they have 2 rather fun radio show hosts AND they play ROCK music... Actually I think it is these two guys show I like, and they are the ones playing rock and presenting the strange news. They don't heavy severe rock, but Nickelback kind of rock.. That works for me. Rock practically do not exist here. It is all pop, R&B, hip hop kind of things. Like P. square (Nigeria) and Shaggy, oh year and of course 50 cent. Aren't I lucky. I don't mind this music, but all the time. The 15 songs that are being played I now know from end to another. And I actually bought a CD holding these numbers, so now you can enjoy them when I get home...
Besides from that, to look at the political aspect of the 5 radio stations china now has in Liberia... china is in the part of Monrovia called Congo Town, the area where I live... year year year. And the US embassy is at Mamba point, right in the centre of town, and the most expensive part for that matter... and apparently there has earlier been quite a palava over where the Chinese embassy should be, because the US didn't want it anywhere near them. I don't know if this is true, but it is the rumour on the street. The same street where the word is that the US is getting a bit uneasy as Ellen (the president) is too friendly with the Chinese. Hehe, but then what are they to do? Because if they threat to move their support Ellen will just make more use of the Chinese on the other hand they cannot give more support, just to push out the Chinese... A taxi driver asked me, about a second after I got in the car the other morning, “why do you think G.W. Bush says Liberia is not safe?” Oh well open with an easily approached theme... but maybe that is why, there are to many Chinese people here... It has nothing to do with the war... That was his idea anyway, maybe he is right.
But all in all, you have to love the fact that anyone, and I mean anyone, here as a political opinion. Everything in everybody's lives is political. To think of Denmark where we can get all the info we want at any time we want it, but very few gives a , well, they don't really care. Here... well everybody knows what happened when, a lot of info is transported via an oral channel, from person to person, but also the radio is a very used channel of information. Most people here knows exactly who said what at the TRC. I know this is their lives, but still. How many of you have to think about what TRC stands for... Most people at the camp, and many here knows different UN conventions, and how the politicians are not living up to them. The trouble here is, that people don't believe they can do anything about it. In DK, few cares, but the minute something comes up, they will definitely move to do something about it. I guess we, as peoples, can really learn from each other.

http://picasaweb.google.dk/charlottetorp/Liberia2#

is holding new pictures..
and a new blg is in the making (almost, well in my head at least) so it shouldn't be far away...

Vacation weekend (sort of)

Ok, so I have to tell you about my weekend...
We went to Gbarnga (pronounced Banga). That was a 3 hour plus ride in a shared taxi (meaning 4 people and a kid on the lab in the back) I had the front to myself though, so I was pretty happy... :)
Anyways, Sam used to live in Gbarnga, and when the war was gong on he was ”based” there. So it was nice walking around with him and seeing everything and meeting people. Either Liberia is a very small country or Sam knows God and every man more or less. No matter where we go we always meet people he knows. And I learned quite a bit about the war (and Sam for that matter). Sam always told me, that he could go anywhere where he was ever a soldier and he would be welcomed. An judging from Gbarnga, he was not lying. I meet a few of the people who hosted them during the war, and all came and gave hugs and invited us to their houses... So all the rumours about how child soldiers behaved and was outcasts in society, well they do not apply to Sam...
Also we meet a friend of Sams from camp, who went on a LOOOOOONNNGG walk into the bush with us. I still have blisters to show for that trip... Sams sister (who we visited) also walked with us and she worried about my ability to walk almost from we set out... Well she was right somehow, by the time we were half way back, I was exhausted. But is was nice. Sam was walking telling all about how it used to be and how things had changed, and the area was nice. Oh, this country is beautiful. Put a few mountain bikes and some white tourists up there, and you have a good business. Anyways the aim of the trip was to reach a small village across a small river, the river should have a monkey bridge for us to cross on.. We reached the river... almost a 2 hour walk... and the bridge was no longer a regular monkey bridge (hængebro) but instead build from sticks.. Unfortunate it was broken down in the middle, and Sam and his friend insisted that we shouldn't cross, since the water was deep..... Hmm, just because they cannot swim.... But it was nice anyways.. (I will try to get some pictures uploaded providing the net will cooperate....) And seriously, even in these small and I mean SMALL villages in the bush, Sam knew people... it is just not normal to know so may people... But I guess when you live there at some point.. no still.. he knows too many people.
Ok, enough about that walk, oh except, maybe I should mention, I was rescued by a motorbike about a ½ hours walk from Sam's sisters house, so that was nice. Now I also got to ride one of those.
So moving on.. Sunday.. uhmmmm.. we went to Kpatawee (pronounced without the k) which is a fantastic waterfall about ½ hour drive from Gbarnga... OH my God. We had the best time. It is not a dropping waterfall, but one of those river ones that sends water over rocks with force. But it is high.. so.. well pictures will follow... Anyways Sam and I were quite quick to agree we wanted to go to the top of it, and play in the water. Oh, it was NICE!!! we had the water running over us, and at one point I got a bit to brave, and almost got carried away... do not go under forcefully falling water... But nothing happened, and I got my little scare and just slid down the rocks, hehe, where the water had less force. But I am telling you... I didn't want to leave. We had the best time playing there. And we have a million pictures. Oh, how I like water. And the place was so nice. The trees around it and the sun was shining... This country holds some really nice spots... I mean it, I could seriously sit in that water all day just looking at the view. It was awasome... hehe, and it was in December.. how are you enjoying the winter weather....?? :)
Anyways, I am preparing to go home, small small. The day is getting closer and I am not really sure how to deal with it. I am looking forward to going home this time. Not in the sense that I want to leave, but there are a great many things I miss more this time around. But I also know, that leaving is going to be TOUGH.. huuuuh, don't really want to talk about it... So I wont.. instead I will try to upload pictures... till next time

Another random round

december 4th 2008

Well it has been some time. But I feel I am running out of things to tell. And when I think of things I need to share, they are so random, and I don't really know how to put it into a context.
Like, I don't think I ever mentioned the element of Gas stations.... There are some, few, that has pumps like we know them. But for the most part, you will see old mayonnaise glasses, or mineral water bottles, standing on a table by the roadside or just one of them standing alone of right by the road. The content will be a clear but reddish or yellow watery element. This is gas. And when you are in a cab, they will often pull over here, and a guy will come with a long tube with the top of a bottle or gallon attached to it. This goes into the gas tank, and then the content of the glass is poured into it... And then you are ready to go again, now with an gallon of gas in the tank. You know to exlain how it looks. Do you remember when gas stations at had the small pump for mopeds? This looks almost like what was in those, it is just much more clear, because there is no oil in it... Anyway, I will try and get a picture of one of these ”gas stations” so you can see it. I mentioned to Sam the other day, that I wanted a picture of it, and he looked at me very puzzled, like ”why???”, and I said, well I have never seen it before... And he laughed... Well he has a pretty good understanding of how things are outside, but so many things is just such a natural thing for him, that he doesn't think that it doesn't exist in any other place.
Well besides from that, things here are coming to an end. Seanan is leaving tonight... Which is going to be very strange, bot that she has been around a lot lately. But she is still here, and I see her everyday (almost), but now her bag is in the other room -almost packed... well I guess things will be fine. It will just be strange, and I lose my confident somehow. I can tell Sam and others here a lot, but there are just some things they will never get unless they are foreigners... But it is not for long, in about 24 days, but who is counting, I am leaving Liberia too. I have very mixed feelings about it. I will really miss people, and some of the experiences this life has to offer. But I am also looking forward to going back to Ghana, not to mention going home. It is strange, but this time out, I have really missed home. But I think it is because I have had people from “home” around me for quite some time. And when they went back, I came here... And life here is tough... I don't think I can explain it. But it is hard. I think it is the extremes that meet you every day. You have the very rich and the very poor so extremely close to each other that you are always concious about the major in equality in this society. Year I think that is it. I mean in Ghana you also have it, BUT I was not living next to it. I was on the camp, and shared the housing and water conditions with everyone there... here I have some very nice houses next to me and I also have the house build of mats and almost falling down the hill it is build on. So everyday when I wake up I am meet by it. And I am by no means living in luxurious conditions. I went to a compound to visit someone a few weeks ago. And I had such a hard time enjoying where I was. These guys lives in a compound where they have a “bar” a swimming pool big apartments, where the living room in the smaller ones, is bigger than my whole place... They have two balcony's in every apartment. And from where we were, you see the two streets the place is on. So, I am standing here, on the balcony of this very nice apartment, looking at the swimming pool and also looking at the people sitting outside selling oranges and making less money in a week than we had spend on pizza...
don't misunderstand, I don't feel guilty for who I am, and I understand that people who come from outside, give up their life and work hard need a nice place to stay where they can unwind. If not they would go crazy. I have only been here 3 months, and I am sometimes on the verge of insanity. But, they didn't seem to have any connection to what was outside. I know they work with people outside everyday. But they are so far form it the minute they check out of “the office”. There must be some sort of balance. Anyone who has been able to succeed in life and make money should not ever feel guilty for it. But when you are in that position and you know things of value to this society, you have a responsibility to try and make a difference. If you come to Liberia and make a great living, you are responsible to help the people around you, in any way you can.
I don't know. I just sometimes feel that a lot of the people living here, have no idea where they are (some do, granted... some have really made an effort, but they are a minority).
So that is on my mind. But what is taking most of my time these days is trying to find a place to live when I get home. I think there is small hope, that I will actually succeed, but so far nothing is final.. So you pray for me.. Uh, did I say that. Well keep your fingers crossed at least....
regarding my fieldwork. I am ok. I have given up on thinking about it and being frustrated. I have come to terms with that the data I have when I come home is the data I have. And it will be fine. And all m frustrations about my method, well I will put them in a paragraph about methodology, and explain why it has and has not worked. And then that will just have to be it. But I think I have plenty information, and I sometimes worry unneeded. But I think that is part of doing fieldwork. I will figure things out when I get home and start sorting my info and writing, I am sure. I am just very scared, I will suddenly see all the things I should have done, and it will be to late... But no, I think I am ok. There will be things I wish I had, but for what I set out to get, I am confident that I got it. Now I just need to process it and write it up well... Pue, that shouldn't be too hard!!! Arghh, I am so fucking scared of that God dammed thesis... Is it really necessary to write it, I wonder....

a guarded ladder

Ok, I have to share this wth you guys... Yesterday, when I was going to town I saw something that would make any construction supervisor crazy, at home at least.
The main road going to town is a 2-4 lane(sometimes 6 lanes, depending on traffic) road. And when you reach Sinkor there is an arch kind of thing crossing the road. And apparently this needed to be painted, so... what do you do. You plave a man on a wooden ladder in the midle of the road, place a police guy to guide traffic around the ladder in front of it, and a guy underneath the ladder to hold it just in case... and then you send up one of those painter rolling hthings on a long stick. And wupti, there you go, you are getting the arch painted!!! I would never ever had stood on a ladder in the middle of the fucking street... and with cars running undet you all the time. This place is crazy sometimes. I saw it and made a small sound and started laughing, and so did the driver, then the driver said "oh well poverty".. Poverty... No no my friend stupidity... It's not the same... Just because you are poor, you don't need to be stupid. But well if the guy didn't die, he did make money at east, so I guess the driver is kind of right...

hehe, this morning our radiu burned down. It was kind of strange, it was plugged in (which might be the reason, I am so greatful that I still have my computer working) and suddenly smoke came out from where the TAPE was playing, and from where the cort goes into the radio... Quite an interesting experience... But my computer and our phones alle lived through it. I guess they have better wiering. :)