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. :)

new pictures at

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

Robertsport, and a word of advise...

We start with the advise.. DON'T lend ut your camera in Liberia, it comes back with a broken screen a card full of virus!!!! So yo have plenty nice pictures, but you cannot get them off the memorycard... Life is a bitch!

Ok, so moveing on to my weekend!! we went to robertsport. Oh, it was very nice. I would show you pictuyres, but... I will try and get Seanans pictures later... so instead you will ahve to use your imagination...

ok, to start at the beginning... I mean the beginning. robertsport, was one of the first settler towns of Liberia. The first president of Liberia, was called something Roberts, or Robert something. Either way, the story is, that he was a merchant from Virginia, and sailing along the coast of, what is now LIberia, he saw a very large cotton tree, and decided to land there (I saw named cottontree...). So the whole town has an air of settlement, the houses are very particular, and has a "colonial" atmosphere to it. It is very nice. And it is set in a BEAUTIFUL area.

On one side of town you have lake Piso, with all its little islands in it, on the far side of this lake, you can see a beach and forrest, and if you should chose to cross the lake, and through the forrest, you will be in Sierra Leone. When you then follow, the river, through the road in town, you pass a big hill, with a church build i 1837, which is 10 years before the state of Liberia, you have the ocean. And oh my. It is beautiful. When you stand at the top of the hill, or on the beach, you have all of this amazing blue ocean in front of you, you have the lake on your right, on your left you have miles and miles of beautiful beach, and behinde you you have a mountain full of forrest. It is gorgeous! nothing less.

We stayed at a place called nana's Lodge, it is basically very NICE tents on the hill side, straight down to the beach. The tents all have a little porch, with an ocean view. wooden floors, and two twin beds. So it was a nice break away from our regular setting. And by no means was it a camping trip. It was all about relaxing, the only downside (and I mention it, just to get it out of the way), was the food. I mean, I got crab and lobster... which sounds pretty nice, but is was cooked very badly, and the rice and frensh fries, that came with it, had basically no flavour, except from oil. Ok, that said, we move on to more nice things.

Sam and I went for a walk saturday afternoon, into the town, it was very nice, and people vere super friendly, a couple of boys were walking with us, and telling us about the place (hence the story of Robertsport). After we came back, basically the entire evening was about relaxing. Sunday mmorning, we went for a hike. Oh my. We walked for about 2 hours, which might not sound like much, but I was beat after. We started out walking up the hill and into the forrest, it was quite amazing, I love walking in between trees and small water streams. we didn't encounter any number of animals, a flying squerrel was all it amounted too. But it was quite a beautiful trip, and we did come across some quite ineresting fruits, that I have forgoten the names of. For the last 15 minutes of teh forrest hike, we could hear the ocean hitting the beach, the waves sounded crazy. So we enden up coming down this quite steep hill, and through the beach bush, and just like that... we were standing on this log white desereted beach. With the ocean on one side, and this mountain full of forrest on the other. It was almost a prehistoric view. like Jurassic park meets Robinson Cruso. I don't know how to explain it, but this is a movie scene! so walking on the beach, there is down under the hill of forrest, this small "lake" of water, it is so pretty (I really need to find a way toshow pictures) and its like, you have this small lagoon of water, under all this forrest, the white sand, adn then the massive surfer waves in the other side. There are no words!
Our guides told us that the monkies from the forrest comes down to catch the crabs on the beach every morning, so any time you are there, take this hike, very early. Oh, and in the sand we saw traces of a sea turtle...
Anyways, this beach is so secluded for seveal reasons, one would be, that there is a wall of giant black rocks coming on the beach from town, and this way. So that meant, that we would go do some small rock climbing. And I am telling you. The rocks were so dark, like coal black (koksgrå, når de var helt tørre) and on it were all of these green plants with very purple flowers on them. again, it was amazing, and the green was so fresh, with the sun cominon it, so the contrasts in colors were amazing.
So we walked for about 1½ km on the beach, maybe a little more, and the whole thing was just breath taking. several times I stopped to turn around and just take it in. I took so many mental pictures, I really just want to keep the memory of that Liberia too.
OH, we walked back, in the burning sun... Bad idea, so I drank a litre of water, went to put on my bathing suit, and went in the water for about an hour. And the water. Oh. it is perfect, It is worm, it is clear, and it is salty enough that you can float, but not so salty that you cannot stay in it for a long time. And when you pass the area where the waves break, you can just lie right there in the water, and hardly move. You can float... I was seriously in the water for 1 full hour, and I hardly moved out of the place, and I also didn't notice that I was in the water for 1 hour. So I send my thanks to seanans sun screen, it is very good!

anyways, I think that sums up our weekend, more or less. Oh, no. Hehe, getting to Robertsport, was no so hard, since we left Monrovia in the morning hours. But going back, when you are not leaving in the morning hours... That is a different thing. But somehow things always works out (is should be said, that people going to Robertsport, usually have their own (or their organisations /UN) SUV), so some guy who worked at the lodge, went with us to the town, where they found a car going to town. Trouble was, that the car was basically full, except for 2 seats, and we were 4. So, after a lot of confusion, two guys were on the roof, and we were in the back, on some wooden benches, and of we went. The confusion was, that the owner of the car apparently had been called by the gy who took us there to carry us, but the driver had taken other passengers on board, so the owner asked these passengers to leave the car to make room for us, but it was a 10 seat car, and we had no intention of paying for 10 seats. So he asked them to come back, but they were pretty angry about being put of the car... oih. But it worked out, we all got in (I think) and we took off. and it wasn't too bad riding in the back, I have troed worse. But a seat would ahve been nice. I am just happy that I am short, I think seanan had some trouble curling ehr legs up on the spare tire... :)

either way, we made it back, we went to town and had dinner. Oh so nice, fast food, like burgers and sandwiches etc (we had spend less money on the trip, that budgeted, so we spend it on dinner last night)...

so Robertsport, is also Liberia, I figured you needed a story of something else, than the constant struggle in monrovia. Liberia is a beautiful country -O!

realization of time

Ok, so I am up and about again, it took me a week almost. One week. And I had to give in, I spend a WHOLE day just in bed. God that is boring... Yesterday I was up small, and today I am out!!! yeeey.
I just went to see someone I meet on the camp first time I was there. She was very happy to see me, so now that makes me feel a bit better. I have been here so long without calling her, and I felt somewhat bad about that, but I went, and tried to explain why I have been in Liberia for more than one month without seeing her... hmm. Well a lot to do... Arg, bad bad Charlotte...
But what I have rediscovered during my sick days... Yesterday i took Dube (the puppy) for a small walk up the hill behind our house. From there you have a very nice view of the area. And my... It is SO beautiful. This country. I am telling you. It is beautiful. I cannot wait till i get to go to the interior and go see the waterfall and maybe do a small hike. Oh, I have seen Seanans pictures, if they don't lie, this place is beautiful!

Anyways, now I have been looking at my time, and I realize, I have about 6 weeks back in Liberia. 6 weeks, huh. I left dk in July, then all of the sudden I was going to Liberia, and now all of the sudden, I am half way through my stay here... It is going quite fast... So now I really have to start on my fieldwork again. huh, well i guess that means I would have stopped at some time, which I have not, well with the exception of the last week spend in bed. But there I learned how Liberians react when someone is sick. I have had just about everybody worried sick themselves. And nomatter how often I say, i am going to be fine, they don't really seem to believe me when I won't go to the clinic. "but I have a virus, a cold, they cannot do anything about that, I just need to rest". Well since I am not a doctor how can I know that.... Ohhhh. well, now I am better, and they are starting to believe me, since they can see that I am now able to walk again. So that was my littel fieldwork on illness, which I hope not to repeat.
But I do need to get on with my interviews. They always provide me with something extra. I mean I need the interviews, definetly, but I need all the other information just as well. I really hope that all the info I get from people just talking will qualify as valid material, becuase that is really a good source... People talk so much, and they say so much they are not aware off. I hope I am not over interpreting, but I guess that would be my privilege if I am. I get to really hear what people say, and see how they act. And that is what my method is all about, isn't it. well at least according to Bourdieu. Åh, how I do love that guy... :) He just should have learned to write, so regular people could understand it. I hate reading that stuff. But once you know what he is saying, it gets faily simple I guess. Oh, I hope I remember right, since I am going home to read him...
was just looking through my calender yesterday, trying to plan the workprocess of my thesis.. ohhh, I got a bit stressed. I have quite a lot of interviews to transcribe.. any volunteers to take over that little project, liberian english really isn't THAT hard... ohhh. it takes for ever!!! I hate transcribing, which is the sole reason I am so heistant about making interviews. They tend to be semi long, which is good, but oh, that means a day of transcribing each time... meaning so far I have 8 days of transcribing in fromt of me, and I still have about 8 interviews to go... OH no...
But at least my "depression" about my methodology etc seems to have gone, but maybe that is just pure neglience. I think maybe I should be worried, but I have deciede that my worrying will bring me nothing but a headace, and I can really do with out a headace these days. So the worry is over. Now I enjoy my last weeks in Liberia. :) And then I worry when I get home. I mean that is what the whole thesis writing period is for anyway, isn't it??

oh, one funny story before I leave you for now..
I was listening to the state radio the other day.. that was interesting...
They have a 45 minutes news block. that means repeating the same 5 news for 45 minutes.. But hehe, it also includes a segment of the news in french... AND, this is the great thing, in SIMPLE LIBERIAN English. So anyone ever telling you that English and Liberian englsish is the same, "They li - O" and the state radio even adds a simple liberian english, meaning there must be a complicated liberian English also. which there is, because the simple Liberian English newscast, I got, every single word, but I don't get the spoken liberian english on the street. Well at least not every word of it.

5 whole f...... days in bed!

Monrovia November 9.... What .. Nov. 9?!?!


Oh well. None the less. I need to complaint. Not so much about Liberia, Liberians or Monrovia for that matter. But about my health, or lack off (No need to worry, since at posting time, I will be up and about again)... Meaning that I cannot remember the last time I was confined to my bed due to illness, I mean, I live in god damn Denmark where it is cold and raining more than half the year and I don't get sick. But what happened when I go to Liberia and the dry season hit... Oh year. I get a fever and the worst cold I have had in years. The fever is retrieving (small small) but the cold is overwhelming me. I hate both! When I have had a cold at home I just stay indoor, not in bed, for a day, maybe two if I stretch it (which is mostly due to laziness, of not wanting to bike around in winter weather, just in case...) but now I find myself in bed on the 3 day. 3 fucking days in my room!! I went and carried a mattress to the porch yesterday, because I thought I was feeling better, and I tried to wash. BAD idea!!! Today after taking some wonder drug that Seanan provided I got up again... Once again BAD idea. And I mean, it is not like I left the house, I went to get something do drink about 150 meters from my front door yesterday, and came right back... And that is it. I have stayed inside the walls of my, by now VERY small, apartment for 3 whole days. And I can sit here, and look out, - hehe - through the bars (for my security, I don't know how secure I feel having bars across all exits except the front door) that covers my window, at a very blue sky and green trees and hear kids playing, some crying (probably because they get beaten, but I don't even have the energy to get up and yell at the parents to stop). And it pisses me of! I hate being inside.
And very annoyingly Seanan went to Gbanga yesterday morning to go hiking with MD... ARRRGGGHHH. I want to go fucking hiking!!! I want to go around Liberia seeing the country side. I have been in Monrovia almost all the time I have been here, I have seen a lot of different aspects of the city - granted, but now I want to go OUT! At least next weekend we go to Robertsport. Which should have some amazing beaches. I better be well by then! Hehe, and... We are staying at this luxury tent “resort” Seanan has decided to spend money on a tent, and there is room to share, God bless her. ;)
I have seen pictures, and it looks NICE!!!! I am very exited, so now I have decided to stay in bed for one more day. And by Tuesday, I am out, maybe I need fresh and hot air, to clear my system... I mean being confined to a room and the same bed, even with windows open and changing the spread every day, it might keep the virus here. So one more day... Ohh, just writing it is devastating. I live, what.. 15 minutes walk from a very nice beach, and the water here. Oh it is worm and not at all salty. If it was not for the sun burning me in a minute, I could stay in it all day. It is so nice. I think it is one of the nicest beaches I have been to in a very long time. I mean it is not a bounty beach, it is the Atlantic ocean, but it is niiiice... huh, maybe worm water, salt water would make the cold go away... and the fever too. Hmm, maybe not. I hate having the flu. So much that I am now sharing it with everyone that might pass by this site... How crazy is that.
Well besides from me being sick, what has then happened since last... I have no idea. When was last? Hmm, well it was before the election, of that much I am sure. It was a quite interesting experience being here for the election. I mean I always follow it at home, but this time, I am in a “want to be America” country and I am living with an American. Either way, the country was beside itself. There were people writing “vote Obama” on walls around town. I guess they know how many American expads there are in this country. And people would come down the street and yell at Seanan, “hey Obama” in stead of the usual “hey, jew (meaning: my girl)”, “fine girl” or “small girl”. That was quite funny. I got stopped by several people, asking me what I thought of the election. And who I voted for. With regret (for the first time in my life) I had to say that “I am not an American”. For Seanan it is apparently the opposite. She says that for the first time in her life she is proud to state that she is American. That is something. So now we wait. And Seanan and I have vetoed that no one is allowed to speak bad of the president elect until after January 20th. Then we will see if he lives up to what we hope. I mean, the poor guy, there is absolutely now way he can. We all expect him to be the saviour (interpret anyway you want). How is any man able to live up to that. But he does prove, that the American people deserve more credit than I have given them through the past, mmmm 8 years... I really don't like the sitting president over there. But now there is light ahead of the tunnel. And I must say that I hope my own people will learn from the Americans – WHAT???, well I do. We NEED a new prime minister! Urgently! Unfortunately an election seem far off, at least from here. Oh, and what if we make a catastrophic mistake AGAIN and elect the WRONG person for the job. OH I don't think I could bear it. If I didn't have a fever already, I would certainly get one from that thought.
Oh well enough about illness and politics. But then it seems nothing has happened in my life. Huh. That is sad. Here I am across the world, compared to where I come from, and I have nothing to tell about it. I wonder why. Do I expect people to know what things are like, I mean most of those who read this has travelled like this themselves, or is it that I don't see how things are or don't find them interesting any more... Oh I hope not, that would be sad, since I am only half way in my fieldwork here. But how do I find out? I mean, I see the little things, and we talk about them, but I don't seem to be able to write them down, not even for my own notes. I need to try to explain my surroundings right? I mean, I can I write a thesis if I am unable to make people “see” the setting? Oh, I am a bad anthropologist. Well that is not my field any more, but maybe I should start pretending it is. It is the main method of that particular subject I have chosen to be my main method after all. I guess I have to start making descriptive notes. Hmm, a bit late. A good thing I am going back to Ghana... :)
Ok, both my head and my battery are giving up now. So this will continue some other time, with more interesting aspects, hopefully...

you know when you mind goes blank??

Well, I am sure there are a million things I should tell. But for some reason my mind is completly blank. I have seen a new form of prostitudes though. And actually I didn't know they were prostitites, because they looked like any girl going out in DK. Low cut jeans, no panties... last one there should have given it away - I am in liberia... But anyways, it wasn't untill Sam commented on a pair of trousers of mine hanging low the other day, and comparing me to this particualr girl, that I was informed she was a prostitute... I went inside and put a belt in the trousers immediatly after. I get enough attention already...
Well what was new about these girls were, that they didin't wear next to no clothes, and they didn't stand in front of a mirror dancing with themselves, trying to find out how much they could sex up their bodies... They danced and had fun, just like the rest of us, manybe not quite a ugly as seanan and I were able to, but still, it was far from the " I stand here and sway my body in any sexual position I know" that most other prostitutes practice.

besides from that, I don't think there has been any new discoveries lately. I am supposed to be transcribing right now, buuuttt... my fieldwork is going ok, I get a bit done most days. I am not super productive, but I blame the heat for that. I have hit somewhat of a dry spot though. I mean, I have some interviews lined up and that will be fine. But besides that, I am feeling that I am done. I know I am not. But my mind is blank. I have lost my creativity (again, I blame the heat) and I sometimes looses focus a bit (this I blame myself for).
I don't know. I suddenly don't remember what I am supposed to do on a fieldwork... Any suggestios?
I try to get around to meet the returnees, and sunday I even went to a meeting in the newly established (read in the rocess of establishing) Liberian Returnee Association. The interesting element here, was that all the returness that had shown up were from Buduburam... I guess they do have some special drive, and connection...
I still sometimes try to analyse both the situations and my notes. I don't describe to much, that migh be something I shoud try to sit down and do... Hmm. Anyways, I feel I get caught in my analysis, since I usually always end up in the same place - the returnees from Buduburam are having a hard time (I think all returnees have a hard time) and they are creating an imagined community betweeen them. No matter how well they knew eachother on camp, they feel closer here and the only difference between refugee and returnee is that they are home. But they do feel more free here, and see several opportunities, after they finish listing all the immidiate challenges... so where does that leave my fieldwork, and how do I write this in 50-75 pages???

So back to the blank mind.......

billeder/ pictures

well...
Since I cannot figure out how you put the function, where there is a link to all pictures on your blog, then instead....
I have uploaded pictures from Liberia here...
http://picasaweb.google.dk/charlottetorp/Liberia#

random stories from Monrovia

Well I guess there are several random things to tell. And I suppose some of them are things you only see here. Yesterday Seanan and I were almost run over by somebody's business centre on wheels. A group of guys had put the little wooden ”store” on some iron construction with two wheels with no breaks. So what happens when something like that has to go down a hill????
It runs. More or less out of control, with several guys running yelling a bit trying to steer it. Seanan and I stood there for a while looking at it getting more uncontrolled and heading straight for us and then at the crucial moment we decided to move, just in case. And when it hit the place we stood -they got it under control... I got several flashbacks to the day a very large truck full of rice came forcefully, in reverse, down a bridge towards us. Things happens here. Luckily this time like with the rice truck no one got hurt. But not too long a go a girl got killed here at the junction next to our house. A large truck decided to cut across the road and go up the side where cars are supposed to come down, this while a girl was crossing to catch a car. I didn't see her, but she was hurt badly and died in the evening at the hospital. But what were they also to do. Her intestines were halfway out of her body (according to those who saw her; I didn't go to look) and the hospital can't really do anything about anything. I have not been to the hospital here, but all who has tells me that it is a very grand building with nothing working inside. Anyways just send all your good karma that nothing will happened to anyone here, because then they are screwed.

Another interesting thing that is going on are the taxies. I know I have told you about them, but what I have forgotten to mention is the seatbelts in the front. You know, the cabs, well half of them has a paper as a plate, most of them has driven on flat tires for so long that the wheel is completely damaged and you sit and bump up and down every time the wheel turns, others again have practically no wind shield left due to the rocks making big ”stars” in it. So the vision is VERY limited. In some taxies you cannot get the windows up and down and most have no interior padding. You sit minimum 4 in the back often 5 plus the kids on the laps.. BUT if you go and sit in the front. You HAVE to put on your seatbelt. The driver will not drive unless you have it on!
I guess it will really have consequences for the driver if the passenger doesn't have a seatbelt on and is stopped by the police. Well I suppose they can just pay their way out of it like with everything else, but for them to be so specific it must be somewhat expensive. This rule is new though, right before I came here it became against the rules to have more than 1 passenger in the front... And this passenger should now always wear a seatbelt.
It is funny when you think about that SO many drivers don't have a license, but they can make more money just driving anyway, and paying off the police when they are stopped...
But the seatbelt thing is followed and also the police regulating traffic. They really stop on the whistle and a hand sign. It is a strange combination of which rules are followed and which are not. I still haven't quite figured out the system.

And when we are talking about paying off the police, well. I have now endorsed a system I am very much against. Seanan and I had borrowed our landlords car the other day to go do some grocery shopping. Hehe, things went well on the way there, BUT... coming back we got pulled over. Argh!! We should have driven on, but we were caught on the inside of a truck, and the lane in front of us were somewhat jammed. So.. We stopped. “good afternoon... your plates are illegal”... WHAT!?!!? They are not. Our neighbour drives the car everyday and have regular (as one of the few with real plates) Liberian plates. This we tried to explain to the officer. Unfortunately Seanan was driving, and she hasn't brought her licence. So when they found that out, they stopped caring about the plates because “driving without a licence is a serious offence”... “Yes sir we know, but we just wanted to get the grocery's and we live right here, and I didn't realize that I forgot it until we were there”... which was a lie since her licence is either in the US or in France (I am not sure) either way it is NOT in Liberia. So what do you do. You try to ask -without asking -how much it would take to pay them off and just let us go. We were very concerned about our grocery's since there was both frozen broccoli and spinach amongst it, not to mention mozzarella cheese... And we really wanted to get it home in a cooler. So in the end we ended up paying US 10 (way way overpriced, but we wanted to move). Which means the police in that area has had a party on us that evening. But either way, nothing to do about it now. But next time, I think I will let them take me to the station... At least if I feel I am right, but driving without a licence is not the smartest thing, and then going insisting on our right - well probably not the best idea. But still then the ticket would have been real, and could help fix some of all the potholes in the roads - maybe...

Monrovia an Firestone

I have been here a month. That is kind of strange, but I guess that is how things always are. On one hand I feel like I have been here forever and on the other I feel like I just got here. This time things are a bit different though as there are still a great many things I don't know or even know about – which is also weird. Knowing that you don't know about these things. In Ghana I very quickly got familiar with camp and Accra, but here. Well I am somehow familiar with the area I live in, but by no means of comparison to my familiarity and knowledge of camp. Also I have some knowledge of Monrovia but nothing like that of Accra. This last part I find somewhat strange, as Monrovia is VERY much smaller than Accra. It contains almost the same amount of people (according to the public mouth) but the city itself is very small. So if almost 2 mill people are living here, then it is no wonder that the streets are so crowded and that it is so hard to get transportation. I wonder where they live though??? hmm, well under bridges and in Doe's old ministry buildings that never got finished I guess. I don't know. But the slum areas don't even seem that big, and I live about 5-10 km outside of the centre of the city and already here we have swamps (I think I kind of live in one), bush and small creeks where I actually saw kids fishing today... I mean think of Copenhagen it has 1 mill inhabitants (I think) and the city is unfolding on quite a large area of land. It seems twice as big as Monrovia, and that is all city with apartment buildings etc. here all is houses nothing reaches more than 3 storages and that is only in the centre of town. I don't understand it.
Maybe the number simply counts all that can be considered to be Monrovia and outskirts, maybe even to the next towns...
What is also worth noticing is that by now I have experienced, Sheanan (the Amr. girl I live with), Jenna (anotherr Amr girl) and myself travelling around in shared cabs. No other white person I have seen travels without own SUV. There are a great deal of SUVs though. So it doesn't mean that there isn't a lot of expads here, it just means they only see Monrovia and Liberia from inside their air-conditioned cars. I mean, Sheanan told me the other day that she had a meeting with a Finnish woman who had seen her trying to get a cab from town sometime around 19 (when it gets dark) and basically she had told her that she was bordering insanity. She never went outside in the dark and she definitely never went in shared cars in the dark... well lady, then why didn't you stop and give her a lift if you thought it so dangerous to get a shared taxi?? I mean I understand that all these “hard working” white people needs their houses to be ok, they cannot get up and haul water in the morning and spend 3 hours doing laundry if they also have a full time job. I get that. Also it is just tedious work, so who would want to do it if they didn't have to. They want their lives to remind as much as possible of the lives they lead at home. BUT ther must be a reason for going out? I mean teye only get the theoretical life of Monrovia. They go to western supermarkets to shop (or have their maids go there) they always travel inside own (or organisations) car, and they take this car to the restaurants and clubs where the other expads come... I mean. What Liberia is it that they know? Which Liberians is it that they know? It is definitely not the same as the one(s) I know. I am not saying that their way is bad, hell it is hard living here! But is just don't think they can really identify what this country needs to rebuild, they only know it on paper and see the burned houses etc from their cars. When do they go out and see what the people of this country believe they deed? Who determines what is needed? I mean. I et the whole political thing, cancelling debts and getting projects from US AID, Danida, Sida, Oxfam and who else is out there. But why do save the children, IBIS, Action Aid etc also work that way? They are supposed to be on the ground working with partners to get the Liberians to have ownership of what is happening in their country. But NO. Well it is not all their fault, the options of local partners, well, they are not that great... I just still don't get it. I haven't seen people in the field here really looking into the education, how it works and what the students actually learn. The whole thing just seems so absurd. I mean the only freaking cars in this city are taxies, UN cars and NGO cars, or year and of course the 5-8 cars driving in convoy every time the VP or the president moves. Hehe not to forget the two HUMMERS!!!! that take the ministers to work, there is a yellow one and a black one! Who the HELL needs a hummer! NO one, and especially not here. Jesus a gallon of gas costs almost USD 5, which is a prive they would cry about in the US... But here... Well no. We need only SUVs and HUMMERS! I understand that those traveling across the country on the non-existent roads needs the tall 4WD, but these cars ONLY go around in Monrovia. It is such a waist! And hardly any NGO personnel from Monrovia travels to Harber on road anyway, they fly. So why these major cars? I simply don't think it is necessary. And even if it was, why is it so normal that the organisations car is a personal car. You can find a car from basically every organisation working here outside the nice restaurants every night. I got passed by a UNICEF car at 23 in the evening one night! What, were car they possible WORKING at 23 in the evening? Waist of donors money!
Ih, that was quite an sour episode. There are fun things though. We went to the beach today (in the rain). The rainy season ended 4 days ago, but someone forgot to tell that to the weather Gods. And we (Seanan and I) had promised ourselves, that after washing today we would go to the beach. So we did, even though it started raining quite a lot. That didn't spoil it to much though as Sheanen put it “It isn't the beach experience I was going for, but it is nice anyway”. So we went in the water, which was so worm. It is crazy. And it was quite strange as the rain and wind was rather cold, the water just seemed even wormer (it is worm on hot days too, tested it last week). But it was nice, we got soaked though. We walked a little on the beach and the rain was a silent constant rain, so by the time we reached the road we were dripping. Luckily a guy going to town gave us a ride, I have a hard time imagining how we would have managed a shared taxi with 4 people in the back. Oh they would have gotten mad for getting soaked from us.
So thanks to the guy in the bordeaux station car... hehe. Oh year. Another thing about Liberia. They don't have enough licence plates. And you need one to not get arrested when driving, so what do they do? They make paper ones. I am serious. Half the cars here drive with A4 paper plates in their windows. What happens is: they go to the police office (or which ever office issues the plates) and they pay for the plates, then the officer tells them the plate number and maybe even write it on the paper for them. Then they go home put one in the front and one in the back window. And that is it. From then one they just go back and forth to the office until they can get the plate. I don't know how long it takes, but I overheard a taxi driver complaining about waiting for a month +. hmm. Well. I am not sure how that would be looked upon by the police at home, but then again we also didn't just come from 14 years of civil war... I guess 5 (3) years is a very short time to build a country. God even the roads on the main street is a horror. Uh, any of the guys from where I grew up would never allow their car to enter that road. It would rip the bottom apart... uh and their fenders, oh no... :)

to tell a bit of a different story...
Well, Liberia is made up of many elements. We went to Habel, which is where most of the Firestone rubber plantation can be found (yes it is where most of the rubber for the Firestone tires comes from). They have their factory there and a large part of the plantation is there. I guess all of it is there, but the rubber areas are a bit scattered. Firestone is made up of 3 camps covering 45 divisions, and by a local estimate up to 40.000 people live there...It is a completely different world. The grass is green and kept, the houses are whole no burned buildings and well in general it is just well manicured (as Seanan expressed it). It has a supermarket, with more boose than I have seen for a VERY long time) and everything you could ever need from juice and chocolate to mattresses. I mean they have all. Hehe their hospital is even nicer and better functioning than the main hospital in Monrovia. Oh year, and that is the old hospital there, they are still rebuilding the one that got looted during the war, so they move everything there when they finish... Well, if I need medical help while here, I think that is where I would want to go. And I only live 10 minutes in car from the main one in town... But either way, I hope I never have to go to the hospital here (I will change my ticket and go to Ghana instead).Well back to Habel and the Firestone plantation. everything there seems like a different country. It has nive brick houses with the Liberian falg in front of it. But seroiusly, it looks altogether more American than Liberian. I mean they even hav bus routes with specific destinations...
That doesn't exist in Liberia. Well there are buses running from Red Light into town. But... they are always over crowded and I think there might be 2 or 3 during the day... so like mentioned earlier, if you want to get around, get a car... or have patience...

lidt mere personlig

det er vist på tide med et indlæg til familie og venner. Hvor der er knap så meget analyse og refereren af hvad der sker her. Ikke for det, det er super vigtigt, og siger jo også noget om mig og hvor jeg er.
Som udgangspunkt går det godt hernede. Liberia er et land der skiller sig utroligt ud fra Ghana, som jeg er min anden Afrikanske oplevelse. der er så mange ting der ikke fungerer her og så er der alle de gængse Afrika ting, der i europæiske øjne ikke fungerer, men som reelt bare er et udtryk for en anden kultur.

Jeg er super glad for at være her, mit feltarbejde går, well, det går vel nogenlunde. Men det meste af min dag går med praktiske ting. Og det at finde rundt og lære priser etc at kende, det har taget noget tid. Men på en måde relaterer det jo ok til mit feltarbejde, siden nogle af de udfordringer jeg står overfor, er lignende dem de der kommer tilbage møder. Mange har aldrig været i Liberia, endnu flere har aldrig været i monrovia. Så... men de har selvfølgelig en masse andre udfordringer også, find et sted at bo, arbejde og opbyg dit liv.... Lidt mere uoverkommeligt end at skulle tage hul på at få lavet interviews.
jeg har dog fundet ud af den del, og har efterhånden fundet nogle spørgsmål jeg tror kan være nogenlunde fyldestgørende, så nu må vi se. har lovet mig selv at lave de første reele interviews denne uge...

MHT Sam... Så går det ok. det er ikke noget der har en kæmpe fremtid, men det er super rart at se ham igen, og jeg har det godt når jeg er sammen med ham. Dvs når ejg ikek har lydt til at vride halsen om på ham. :) det er dog utrolig sjældent, men der er en masse ting som bare er super svært. Vi kommer fra meget, meget, forskellige steder. Men nu har jeg da efterhånden mødt hele hans familie...
ellers så er der vist ikke det vilde at fortælle. Jeg er altid overvældet over denne by, og sætter utrolig pris på mine venner, og på amerikansk pige der nu bor i vores andet værelse. Ih hvor er det rart med en anden udefrakommende.
Har helt sikkert fået endnu mere respekt for dem der har lavet feltarbejde og ikke haft andre vesterlændinge i nærheden. Ved ikke om jeg ville kunne det...
der er så mange ting, der er så ekstreme. har på 2 dage overværet 3 ulykker, hvor 1 døde i de sidste af dem. alt er så smadret at der er helt utroligt. og samtidig kan jeg sidder her på restaurant med trådlæst internet... Verden er et UNDERLIGT sted... og pisse uretfærdigt hvis nogen skulle være i tvivl... (jeg er utrolig glad for at have vundet i det lotteri)

nå, prøver lige at smide billeder på facebook.

thoughts on Liberia

After being here for some time, I feel more comfortable now, so that is good. I have an idea of where things are located and what the price level is. I am still having trouble finding out if it is expensive or not. Though for most parts, things here is expensive, that is unless you eat pepper and gardeneggs every day (which I don't). That you can get for next to nothing. But anything besides from that is pricy when you compare to Ghana, and even to DK. Basically I would say most things here are US level, not having been there for a long time, but as I remember the relation to prices in DK anyway. Ex. I went to see a friend living across town yesterday. Getting there was 70 Liberty (Liberian dollars) 63,5 Liberty gives you a USD (at least in the bank), so going there and back was more than USD 2. when you then think about that the poverty line is USD 1,08 that puts thing in perspective. I cannot cross town for less than what several people around the world, especially here, live of on a day...
And also, crossing town, or just getting to town can be hard enough. The transportation here - well here should be that amazing African throat sound, for “no no no”... meaning that the transportation system here is very bad. It is next to non-existent. There are plenty taxies it seems, trouble is that there are many more people, so even though you put at least 5 passengers in every car, there still isn't enough cars. So if you are unlucky you can stay and try to get a car for an hour (if you are really unlucky this hour will be spend in heavy rain...).
So basically Africa and Liberia is a great place to be, if you have enough money, and a car... Then it must be a very cool place. Without enough money and a car, it is also pretty cool, but it is F...... hard sometimes.
Well at least we now finally got our oxygen gas for the stove, so I am no longer cooking on coal. Which my back appreciates, and my eyes too, not to mention me, as my clothes no longer smell of smoke very day. Hehe, but getting that gas.... Oh that was a different story. Sam left here about 15 o'clock in the afternoon, and I had to come get him at red-light about 19 in the evening. He had run out of money, so could not get a car back. And also just going to where he could get the gas, oh, he almost never got a car. When he did, he made it to red-light, but had to walk across to where he should meet me with a 25 KG gas tank... when I finally got a car to get there, I got stuck i traffic of course, as that time of day is NOT desirable to go anywhere, least of all in that direction... Anyways in about an hours-time I made it there (is is about 15 minutes away in car), BUUUT, then getting a car back, with space for two and a gas tank... Well at least 25 Kg is not SO much when you are two to carry it, so that we did... My hands are still sore. And we only carried it about 1 km, maybe not even that far. The we decided just to sit and wait, and hope luck would come to us. Which it did, after about 45 minutes. So we got home, and today it is just a story that shows the ways of Liberia, but that day, with no food since breakfast, and me walking in red-light in the dark... Oh, no.. Not so much fun... especially since people all through, including Sam, has been telling me how “dangerous” red-light is in the dark. Thanks... “well you need to be informed”, year well, I was well informed. But nothing happened, I have all my limbs, and also my phone and bag...
Yesterday I went to Logan Town, and again.. there are just places you don't go, especially in the dark, this would be one of them. I mean, I know that the area I live in is nice, but wow. Sometimes I really get reminded... we were trying to reach Philips house, and it had been raining heavily both during the night and also during the day, so everything was flooded. I mean seriously flooded. I forgot to take a picture. But basically the whole area was covered in 20 cm of dirty water. We went around on higher ground, but getting to the house was like crossing a small river, we had to jump on rocks that had been put as a path to the door. And of course, they didn't neglect to tell about the guy who had been robbed and pretty badly hurt the night before - just outside. Thanks, “hey Sam, its getting to be that time where we are going” So red-light AND Logan Town is definitely off limit to me in the dark..
Don't worry I am not in any danger, as I said I live in a nice area, and we have a security guy around in the night.
Oh year, I live in Congo Town, not to far from the central Monrovia. It is like a sub-urban area somehow. Don't go thinking about nice houses with little gardens around etc. But we have space between the houses, and we have a water pump just outside as well as a mini mart and a market just up the road. So I am pretty well off. Also I am close to the main road, so I am not hiking around the bush to get to my house. Basically it is very nice.

To say a little bit of Liberia and Liberians. I have noticed that there are three (3) traits that are fairly general. 1) Politics: there is no way you can spend more that 10 minutes with a group of Liberians before politics are discussed. Whether it being how (in)competent the president is, the level of corruption and who is to blame for it or social or economic policies in general. So to anyone who ever gets in a shared cap, be careful what you say... You will by no doubts start a discussion. I one day mentioned, how no speedometer in any car I had been in had worked. Oh my... All the way to my house the rest of the car was discussing the general level of things that didn't work in Liberia. They can complain, I am telling you. Not without reason, there is enough to complain about. But the ting is they always only complain to each other, it seems it is up to someone else to change things... 2) They are always attentive to what conspiracy might be going on. No matter in what connection, someone is never doing anything just to do it- they are serving a purpose and “in bed” with someone. “he said x and y, and the reason is because he is friends with this and this person, and he will only obtain z if he will do this and this for that other guy”. I mean in politics, of course there are blocks, there always has been and always will be, and you make sure that you remain friends with the ones who can support you. But here everything is a conspiracy to take over and get power for yourself. I understand that people come from war and everything was a power-game, but still I am taken a bit by surprise by the areas where conspiracies apparently can exist... 3) They know how to network. I can really learn something. They know everyone, and remember how they know them. I guess that is necessary if you ever want to archive something. I mean, to get a job,-you need to know someone, to get favours- you need to know someone. Everyone here is an agent of his or her own opportunities, so you cannot afford to not know someone who might be of help to you in the future. Granted the way of being social here, and approaching strangers is more open and some are just very social beings who like to talk to new people. But for a lot, it is about prospects...

I guess I can just conclude from this, that I come from something very different, and that I have been spoiled in my upbringing. I mean, this morning I was woken up by a screaming child, and the sounds of smacks from whatever the child was being beaten with... And the kid keept screaming, "I want to go to my momma, I want to go to my momma", to what sam said. well people here don't reat other peoples kids nice... Really?!?
You know, I don't have to worry about eating every day, or someone robbing me (well not to the same extend anyway) or war breaking out again. Also I don't have to worry about being beaten (or killed, depends on the level) if I speak my mind. I can be me at all times and not get punished for it (of course if I am a bitch people will let me know, or avoid me). But I have my own respect and the respect of others, which is more than most people here can say. The way those “inferior” to you are treated... I mean... You don't approach a person, no matter where they are, you just sit on your ass and yell until the person comes running. And it is on every level, the one in power, can tell (never ask) others to do basically anything- and they will. The hierarchy lives to an extend that is almost uncomprehensible. And I am getting more and more thankful for my country (well except that our sicko government now is trying to destroy it) and my family.
None the less, I am really happy to be here, I am learning every day, even if and when I don't realize it.

Returnees...

Monrovia 27-09-08

When the refugees return.

Repatriation is not an easy thing. More than anything it reminds me of driving cattle. The UNHCR sends several hundred people back, from Buduburam, every week, back to a capital that is overflowing with people.

The returnees stand in a big crowd outside the gate for the weighing ground, then they are put on buses and taken to the airport in Accra. From here they go to Monrovia, but first they wait some more, fill in papers upon papers. They get on the plane. When they reach Robertsfield Airport they again wait get their luggage and are put in the back of trucks, along with their luggage, and dropped on the way. Welcome home! It is interesting to see these trucks pass by. Especially when a person on the street sees someone he or she knows on the truck and the other way around. A dance of joy is taking place, hugs, screaming and jumping is going on until the truck takes off. You hear yells of “where are you?” and “I am here and here” “What is your number?”. What is interesting though, is that it is people from the camp greeting the ones just coming.

The welcome back from the average Liberian who has not been out is somewhat different. But that can have several reasons. The one which seems to be common among the returnees themselves is that, the Liberian who has been here all through is nervous. They know that the returnees come with new ideas and different ways. They have seen ways of doing things, and they as one put it are no longer living in the darkness. The trouble though is that the returnees have no where to go, they stop with families and friends, rejoicing in seeing them, but the joy ends soon. They cannot share a bed with a cousin or a friend for too long, they will overstay their welcome. So what to do. There are areas where displaced people have settled already during the war, but those are filled already and possibly will be removed by the government in coming years. Then people stay in abandoned buildings but most of these are owned by the government, so only few (families, not criminals) are allowed to stay there and only for a limited time period. The government regularly come to check and set people out. So they cannot go here, and finding a place to stay is a full time job, and tiresome. It can take months and it requires money as housing prices are going up with the number of people seeking places to stay. A room can easily cost USD 25-50 a month, depending on the standard. This might seem like little money, but when you have nothing, including no job, and you have to pay a year in advance, suddenly it is a lot of money.

You should then think that getting a job would not be too difficult, since many of the returnees have gotten some level of education in Ghana. But as before mentioned they believe many of the people who have jobs are keeping them from getting jobs. At least at the level where they move. When it comes to UN jobs and high level jobs, they still seem to believe that you are hired according to qualification. But for the medium and low level jobs, you need to have a friend who is already there.

This I believe enhances the “returnee” community. The people who has returned from the Camp have their own identity somehow. They will stop each other on the street “hey Ghana-man” or “hey Buduburam, how is it, when you came?”. They exchange numbers and special looks confirming to each other that they know... They share a history, they have a common past that no one who has been in Liberia all through can take part in, just as those returning cannot take complete part in the shared memory and history of those who did not go outside or to Ghana more specifically.

Liberia

Monrovia September 22 2008.

well I should of course have written this earlier when everything was fresh impressions, but I think my look upon things here is still new and I haven't been here so long that I have forgotten how it was coming.

To start with the in flight, that was interesting in itself. My first view of Liberia was from the water side coming into the airport. And it became very clear why they (colonists) called Liberia the “Green Coast” back when... everything was green. Basically there was bush and a river, two dirt roads and some small “villages” in the range of 5-10 houses in the middle of the bush. I was sitting and wondering if one of the dirt roads would suddenly turn into a landing field. But it didn't. A paved, not very long, landing lane turned up. The first thing I then saw on ground in Liberia was UN trucks and Helicopters lined up. I mean seriously, I saw more UN vehicles in the first 2 minutes in Liberia, than I have my entire life. Not that I have seen that many, but just to illustrate that there was quite a lot. I wonder what they need appx 10 helicopters for???

Well I got to the airport, a small building at the end of the landing strip... hehe, I forgot, the landing strip, this is an international airport... with ONE landing strip, meaning, the plane comes down, then turns on the same strip and goes back on it, and turns over in front of the building that is the terminal. I got through immigration, not without trouble, since the guy who did my visa made a mistake with the date, and just erased it with a pen, and put a new date. I had asked him if it would cause trouble, he said “no no no, then just let them call me”. Year like that is going to happen. But I got through it, even without paying the bribe money they initially wanted. I guess my comment of everything in Liberia being about money hit to close to home, and he felt that he needed to prove me wrong. :) which is kind of weird as I had already agreed to give him USD 10, then he just wanted to know if that was ok with me, and I said “well this is Africa” with a smile and then he gave me my passport and send me through without taking the money... So all is not about money. At least not at that moment...

I went to get my luggage and again had a very new experience. Before leaving the room where the luggage belt is, I had to give an officer my luggage number, and she checked if it was the same as on my backpack... I have never tried that before. But I guess it says something about the level of crime here if they expect travellers to steal each others luggage. Then through customs and out to the street, where to my relief Sam was waiting.

I have been here for 2 days now and it is very strange, I still am very confused about the money. Not so much the currency but I keep having the GhCedi in my mind, which is not completely as the USD but almost, but that gives the trouble of always calculating the price in cedi, to compare the level. And that takes time, plus it is a very annoying number. The rate for USD 1 is 62 Liberty (Liberian dollars), then when I get that then I again calculate into DKK. So a lot of math is going on when I go to the market. But I guess for now, I am trying to just know certain amounts and how much that is in cedi, at least until I get more familiar with the money here.

I have through the past two days seen quite a lot more UN vehicles, every other car or bus I see has large UN letters on it. 12000 men in the UNMIL (UN Mission in Liberia) takes up some space I guess. But what is also remarkable is how many Chinese people are here. It is almost like the Japanese at the little mermaid in CPH in the summertime. But then the Chinese embassy is the largest and newest building in town. At least as to what I have seen. And it is nice too. It looks like a luxury hotel from the outside. I guess that says something about the Chinese in Africa. One thing is for sure, there are a LOT of Chinese in Liberia.

As for my fieldwork, I think it will be very fine. I have seen Sam again of course, Samiera passed by right when I came, yesterday we walked around this area for a little while and I met Morris again (I haven't seen him since I left Camp last year), Alex also stopped by for a little time yesterday and today we went into Monrovia, and I met up with Jeremiah. Also we met Samiera's dad on the street in town today so I have plenty to start with. But I have promised myself to take some time and get adjusted before I start working to much. For now I am just soaking up impressions. And there are a lot of them. The environment here is somewhat strange. Well at least for a capital city. I am about 5 km from the town centre (I guess) but this seems more like a village or small town in a fairly distant district in Ghana. There is plenty space and it is very green. There is 1 paved road (the one that goes from Red Light straight across Monrovia) and then the small dirt roads on wither side. The houses are all from old mansions that have been burned or just neglected, where people are now staying, but not living like in the past, at all. Then there are all the old buildings, that used to be nice, which are now just standing as a ruin and then there are the shags and the nice houses. It is all one big mix. Also several half finished buildings are standing around. And was it not for all the people (IDP) coming a occupying it in lack of other places they would be ghost buildings. Several half constructed buildings, that were build by S. Doe and supposed to be ministries are like this. And apparently the government now don't want to finish the buildings as they are not their project. I don't know. It seems strange to me. Why not finish them, not necessarily as ministries, but then make apartments or something. I mean there are SO many people in Monrovia, and not at all enough housing... But then of course, who would have money to pay rent anyway???

We were walking around central Monrovia today. That is a strange town, it reminds me somehow of Baguio in the Phillipines. It has the Urban character, not question, to many people to little space, but it doesn't seem like a capital city. And the minute you move away from the direct centre of the town, you have so much nature around. I don't know how to explain it, but the atmosphere is just different. I mean it bears no comparison to Accra. The wires that give light are hanging across the streets, there are no tall buildings, the highest house is 3 stories, they are all rather old buildings, except the presidents mansion (under reconstruction) and the ministries they are tall, and getting a facelift. The roads are bad, and the atmosphere especially on Broad street (main street in town) is tense. Getting a taxi, where they fit 4 people in the bag is a STRUGGLE. I mean people are literally fighting each other off the car with their elbows, throwing themselves inside the cars. Also all electricity in houses comes from generators, so there is a constant brumming sound in the back, behind all the yelling. Hey Missy buy this or this... So in that sense it is very much like Accra, there is a LOT of attention to a white person walking the streets.

It is strange also, how at home I feel. In some ways it is like visiting a new town up north in Ghana, and like being on Camp, at least the area where I live. I don't feel like a stranger, I just feel like I am a bit lost from my normal route around. I mean. Like I am in a familiar area, but a new road. Its weird. But I guess this area reminds me a lot of the “village” on camp. The area also looks like the south of Ghana, the dirt is the same colour, it is close to the water, and there is a lot of nature around. Also the market is close, and looks like the covered market on camp.

What is lacking though is the current, we got a generator today, so at least I can charge my phone now and write. But argh, I am never going to like that sound. What on the other hand is here, is close to town, and supermarkets, but also a mini mart right next door, where I can buy frosted flakes, long lasting milk that is cold, mac and cheese... I mean, this is not an “American colony” for nothing... Oh, and there is a nice expensive expad restaurant about 400m up the road... This means it is 200 m from a self build shag with different fabrics, straws and a UN flag as walls which functions as a home. Also I am in a nice apartment, and the buildings in this yard are nice. But the closest house to my window is a house build from straw mats held up by a big pole on one side for it not to fall over... a nice mixture of elements...

Bole and mining...

Sunday 14 September
I am currently in Bole wich is in the in the Nothern region of Ghana. It is not to far from the boarder to Ivory Coast.. Which means it is very far form everything else… J But the nature around here is very nice… This area is mostly muslim, so there are mosques everywhere. I think it is impossible to walk for more than 3 minutes in Bole without passing a mosque. Yesterday we therefore went to see one. But we went to see the old mud and stick mosque. It was pretty cool. I was so amazed by it. It was quite small, but it was nice and COOL, I really don’t get how it is possible in the kind of heat we had yesterday that the inside of the mosque was so cool. It was so nice, no need for fans or anything. I know that the mud houses alegendly is the only way to keep a bouse cool in Africa, but still I was surprised by how cool and nice it actualy was. Howcome, with all the modern technology the only way to keep houses cool now are fans and AC (which makes you sick!)? This mosque was build almost 200 years ago according to the guide and is one of the nicest places I have been in when to comes to temperature. So that was nice.
Today (Sunday) we were supposed to go see a mining villae about an hourfrom here, buuut it has been raining all morning. So that is prosponed indefenetly… Which means I am not going as I am heading back south on Tuesday. Uh, and the back to camp Wednesday to pack (and wash) and then by Saturday I am heading to Liberia… That is so crazy…

Well as for Camp. It is so strange, I have barely been there this time around. I feel I have spend most of my time in Accra or back and forth to Accra. And I am not sure why… But I have done basically all I wanted to do on Camp anyways, when it comes to my fieldwork anyways. I have done several interviews, and some patterns are emerging. Now I just have to write that down. That is the tricky part. I am really bad at the fieldnotes. But I hope that by the time I get my interviews transcribed (arrggghhh) I will be better at noting these things and writing them down. But actuall it has been quite difficult with the last few interviews as I have already had time to relefct on the first ones, so when interviewing it is hard only to write the answers down and not also writing all my own thoughts down at the sam time. But I guess that is wat I need to sit down and do now when I go over the interviews again. Oh, so much work and so many other things I would rather do.
But I think before I start working in Liberia I need to have sorted most of my notes and interviews from Ghana so I can keep a bit of perspective. Therefore I beive it is a good thing I have given myself between 2-4 weeks in Liberia to get settled and tie ends from Ghana before I start interviewing in Liberia. Also I really need to get aquinted with Monrovia. It will be so strange going, and having absoluty no idea where I am. But I am exited (and scared) none the less.
The hard part about going to Libera is leaving people here behinde (again) but most of them are coming to Liberia within the next few months, and majority of the people I know are already there. I just need to go and find them… Tiny challenge there…

Well back to my trip to the north of Ghana. I am staying with Sia (Danish intern for IBIS) in her very nice little house (I am so hoing I am going to live in something like this i Monrovia). It has been great being here but also quite the experience. See things here takes more time for a reason. Well I guess it is a bit strange, but for example. Sia normally has running water from Tuesday to Thurday BUT last night the water came on. Which was great for showering this morning (VERY COLD though), buuuuuttt the little trick is, that the water fosset in the bathroom had been left on and the angle of the water is very high on the edge of the zink, which means that the water splaches over the edge… Anyone who has guessed what that means??? Well, I heard the water, but thought it was just raining a lot… So for over an hour the water was fossing all over the floor. And things here are rarely straight, which means after the bathroom floor was covered with water, a small river across the bed/lving room was created, and made a pool in front of the kitchen door from here a nev river was created that flooded (literally) the kitchen floor. Sia picked 21 liters of water up from the kitchen with a dust pan… and I mobbed about 3 liters of water from the floor in the other rooms… So this was all before 8 this morning. Then we wanted breakfast… Just oats and musli with cold milk. Now milk, well it exists but requires a fridge (which is on its way tomorrow I guess) so that is not a option. Instead powder milk is the way to go, so Sia went to buy cold water so we could make cold milk… And then it started raining. I mean really raining… So she dicided to run back, resulting in her dropping the bag with the two bags of water… So she came home put on her raincoat and went again… Whie she was gone I wanted to clean up from last nights dinner, resulting in me smashing 2 of her 4 glasses (sorry) all over the kitchen floor. Then Sia was back, breakfast on the way, exept… When we opened the box with the oats and stuff it was full of ants (not jus any ants, but super hyper ants, comletly impossible o flick off a bag) and in my attempt to get this evel ant of the bag wit oats I flicked it so hard that I dropped it, and left half the bag of oats on the kitchen floor (oh year and the ant too). The kitchen floor which is at this moment still wet, took the oats with kindness, and has made it almost impossible to get all the oast of the floor. So that will happen in a few days when the floor is actually dry…
But this now leaves me with over 2 hours where no miniature disasters has happend in this house. I am hoping the rest of the day will continue that way.

Monday 15 September
I can now say that the day changed. Actually very much. We ended up going to a small village not too far from here, where they aremining for gold. That was quite an interesting experience. We got to see the shafts where they climb down about 30 m into the ground and bang on the walls to get the dirt out and the gold out. The shafts are extremly narrow, and supported either by wood on each side all the way down, or for the wider ones (still very narrow) the walls are just clay, with wholes in the sides so they can climb up and down... Year.... I was offered to try, but passed. It was far into the ground it was sark, and the sides was wet. Not thanks I have no desire to climb down a caly side like that... I really ahve no desire to climb down a clay side into the ground no matter if it rains. But none the less it was super interesting. We was shown how they wash the gold, and how they dy it and pound it... It is not by any means an easy process to get the gold dust out of the mud... But we actually saw gold dust, one of the guys washed some mud for us and there it was, shiny gold dust... getting it from the mud the... quite another process. using mercury (ih maybe not rightly spelled, but is sounds like that, its the stuff that is inside thermometers)...

We also went and saw the village. Now I might live in a refugee settlement, but wow. The main street (well, it was a main street, the cize of a bikelane) was mud, I mean mud, it was raining remember. And all the houses were of straw... no current, but plenty generators. Though there were more permanent houses being build... year. It was super amazing. and the people ho live there come from all over the country to mine for the gold. Is like a story from Lucky Luke or something... Except they didn't really see to "strike gold". But I was told that there is plenty gold, for industrial mining it should last 10 years... So when they find gold, I guess they can live comfortably, at least if they own the consession for it... But they didn't look that comfortable, though it didn't seem like they were poor (relativly) either. They didn't seem starving at least... I guess that is the difference to Camp. There people live in nice houses and have a "city" but they starve, here the physicalside of it was more primitive, but they seemed ´"content" somehow... But then what do I knowI was there for 1 hour... But would have loved to be a real anthropologist there... wow. It was fascinating...

So in relation to my previous blog, I guess I am pretty happy about being here, and for now, this is my life. Its still wierd though... And now Sia and I will go and try to find some lunch... maybe eggs or rice... uhh the choices...

Inbetween worlds....

There are times when I tend to forget where I am. I can lie here on my very very FLAT mattress, having half my body smashed into the concrete floor, with the fan on to keep the air moving. I can hear people talking or arguing in a strange language I have no way of understanding, I eat of plastic plates, I cook on a gas burner and I have to check my bread for ants before even thinking about eating it, oh year and I get and pay for water by the gallon or the bucket... But somehow it can all be put aside when Sex and the City is on the computer. I doesn't really matter which episode or how many times I have seen it just as long as it is there. The torture however comes when the episode finishes, and you realize that the pain in your hip is not from lying on the remote, but from the pre discussed concrete floor, and it has left a bruise (this could possibly be avoided by loosing some kilos, buuuuttt, that is a different story, and then again you should think the extra fat on the side of the hip would counteract the extra kilos pressing on it.. WRONG!). The point is, it is difficult being between two worlds. The girls spend SO much time in restaurants and actually eating food, that is to say food, I cannot get. The whole time I have been here with the girls (not the Sex and the city ones, the ones who stayed with me here) we have talked about the things we missed - mostly food. Basically that is what our lives comes down to (besides from the sex conversations, but there is no reason to miss that here, unless you want to). When we eat we talk about the food we cannot have, when we don't eat we talk about the food we miss, and even when we get the food we want we still talk about the food we cannot have... Why??? why this constant torture of ourselves?
Two of the girls have now gone home, when I talk to them they miss everything about being here, again why? They now have access to all the things I miss, a real kitchen, a real stove (meaning an oven included), running water, hot water not to mention and any kind of food they want... Why then do they miss the things here? Are we made to always miss what we don't have?? And would I have it here, if I could? I mean. Theoretically I could live in Accra, have a kitchen a bathroom with running water and a water heater, access to all the restaurants any city provides, but I wouldn't want to live thee. I would feel I missed the experience of being here... So what is the point? I sit here, I watch different films and tv shows, just to remind myself where I am not. It is like the Sunday evenings you spend with your best single girlfriend watching romantic films just to rub it in. And then you have your other friends who are in the relationships, wondering if they are actually finished being single. Hmm. Does it all come down to the same thing, do we just want what we don't have, just because we can want it? I don't get it...
hmm, something to think about..
What I do get however, is the fact that I have my very own tailor(s) who make clothes just for me, like I want them (with an African touch) and I get to spent my weekends on the beach... which unfortiunatly means I have a fairly burned back today... :)

Tro-tro (små penge)

Hehe,
I have to tell this story, It linkt to absolutly nothing, but it is funny.
You know how we in Euprope tned to belive certain things have to be in a car to drive it. Like a key, or a thing to put the key in at least, or, a speedometer or buttons for lights etc.. Well. All seems to be unnecessary...

A car can drive perfectly well (in Ghanaian context) if the wires, the stering wheel and the pedals are there. seriously, where I sat I could look through the front, next to teh speaker (of course) past the radiator and on to the road!!!
The car was started by, twisting two wires under the dashboard (well what was left of it), this was apparently for the preheating (a diesel car we are talking about). Then the car was started by two other wires being ut together, to shortcircut, I think. And woila, here we go...

who needs all that fancy stuff anyway...

a wedding happend.... (I think)

05-09-08
I cannot believe we are already in September.. That is so crazy. Hmm, 2 weeks before I go to Liberia I start prioritizing my fieldwork again, might be a little late, but then again, I still have 3 months of field studies in Liberia. So I guess I will be ok. But to start with the beginning, since it has been some time now.
Trine and Erika left Sunday, the day after Trines wedding. I bailed Saturday night to go to an Aid effectiveness conference in Accra. But first things first. Trine and Sam got married. That was quite the event. We got up fairly early (ca 05 o'clock) to be sure all was ready on time... he he he... well, at least to try. But actually things worked out ok, by short after 6 we were ready to go, BUT then the little detail of the car not showing became an issue. The night before Sam and the boys had arranged with a guy to come and drive them to and from the court, which he then decided not to do.. Thanks.. :) Well luckily there were some resourceful people in the room. So down to the station and shanghai a Tro Tro (the public transport of Ghana, further explanation will come later) to take us back and forth. So 15 min after this the Tro Tro came. We started to get in, BUT then the groom decided he was hungry!!! So he took of, in slow walk, to find some food... Lucky for him the bride didn't see this, she was inside crying because her future husband was about to see her in her dress for the first time. Well I guess he was, but not for another half hour... Anyways at this point we also realised that the champaign was still in Deborah's freezer, so Princess went to get that. Meanwhile the rest of us got in the Tro Tro and waited, we went down to the road, and waited... And then here comes the groom nice and easy walk (now the time is almost 07 o'clock) stands in front of the Tro Tro ( I mean like 10 m away facing us) and urinates... :D Ehm.. well... I guess he didn't realize that his whole wedding party was sitting there looking at that... I can say that by this time, I am not sure if Trine was still convinced that this was the man for her. But at least she didn't beat him or anything when he finally got in the Tro Tro, but also she didn't really speak to him... That is quite understandable though. Well, trouble now was, that Princess hadn't turned up yet. So we waited some more. By the time w decided to just go and leave the champaign she came, I guess 10 or 15 after 7 (here I can share that though she new we were all waiting to go, she had had time to change her clothes also so she could go with us to the court (which initially was not the plan)). Anyways we got on the road, and Thomas (the best man) got a call from Lavelah that we were first up, so the wedding would be between 8 and 8.15. Now anyone familiar with in to town traffic will know that we were on an impossible mission. Camp is about 45 km from Accra which doesn't take much time, except from the police and toll barrier, BUT Accra Traffic. That takes time. However, someone must have really wanted them to get married because by 8.15 we were outside the court (this was late of course since they were supposed to get married at that time, but still pretty good time). So we hustled upstairs and into the room where about 200 people were seated, here off about 50 couples to get married. We got in while the first couple got married (Lavelah had talked to the guy doing the marrying and apparently agreed to take 1 or 2 couples before us, since we were late). So we got in waited about 15 minutes and then Sam and Trine was up. 15 min later they were man and wife, and we went out to get champaign and pictures.. :) So in the end, it was a success. We went back to camp, got settled and prepared, and by 15 o'clock we were almost ready for the party, except the only people who were there at 15 o'clock was the ones not invited... But by 4 most people from the invitation list were also there, so we started. That however presented a whole new problem, as we only had plates for about 60 people (the target for the wedding was 40) but the turnout was closer to 100 when they were at the largest number. But somehow I think all ate, the food was plenty, it was the plates that created the largest challenge, they were disposables, and couldn't really take the whole concept of tripling as plates... But I think all got food in the end. Luckily not too many liked the desert, so the plates were ok for that. We liked the desert though, fruit salad and fresh home-made yoghurt... So nice on top of some very heavy African vegetables stew and rice (and I don't even like yoghurt).
In the end the cake was cut, and I went to Accra for a two days conference, I got back on tuesday, to find the house still standing, but several things missing, like half of our plates, a half tin of powder milk, our flour, our big knife, the gaffa tape and several of our lotions.. Well I guess that is what you get for having 100 strangers in your house... :)