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...
torsdag den 30. oktober 2008
tirsdag den 21. oktober 2008
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...
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...
mandag den 13. oktober 2008
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.
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.
onsdag den 8. oktober 2008
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.
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.
Abonner på:
Kommentarer (Atom)