post 24 hours...

So now being here for longer than 24 hours I already have a lay of the land down. On Monday, we went to the city center or "downtown" for lunch and to exchange money ,etc. It was not what I thought it would be. I was expecting some taller buildings and more businesses or offices, but it basically was just more condensed business and people. It did not remind me of a capital, as most think of, with tall buildings or public transportation. The main means is either walking or taxi- there are even bus or matatus- just plain strange. Lunch on the other hand was pretty good, I had jollof rice which is semi spicy with meat and corn in it. I also tried fufu just because it sounded fun and foudn out it has a large resemblance to ugali- an east african dish. Though don't cringe your face just yet for those of you who know it- this fufu was actually better: it managed some taste and was smoother! I thought immediately someone should bring this to East African they are missing out!

Then we went and had an official introductory meeting with Don Bosco at their office. Don Bosco itself was founded in 1992 to help with the displacement of children and then in 1997 is helped with the disarmament of 12,600 child soldiers. The mission is to help children/youth reintegrate into society acting as a temporary safe haven and then aiding in the process of reunification and reconciliation. It was much more organized meeting than I had expected, granted the day got away from us as the time's of activities was pushed back and back. All good though, I can't say I expected anything more. But anyway at this meeting, we meet 5 staff members, including those that will come out with us to the field assignments, which we also received today. My group, which consists of Jess, Danny, and Cecily will be going to Marigibi and commuting each day, then Cape Mount Country where we will be sleeping while working there and then finally Montserrado another commuting area from where we are currently.

We left after this briefing and enjoyed a nice dinner on the beach. Though the water and waves are beautiful, the beach itself was littered- almost reminiscent of what Staten Island South Beach once looked like. As we reached the resturant thoguh it become neater and Cecily commented on the surrealness of the situation. Who would have thought we would be enjoying a beachside dinner in Liberia on a conflict resolution trip. And this is where I started thinking, that people assume areas in which there has been conflict have no value left to them- let alone beauty. I think this assumption also carries over to the developing world where we are plagued with images of disease, poverty and uncleanliness- thought there are just as many wonderful locations to take comfort in. Just a thought.

Anyway tomorrow at 7:30 am we shall be driving to Nimba, 4 hours tomorrow to
Ghanta ( I think that is how you spell it) and then 3 hours the next day to Ghimba ( again unclear). Basically, refugees galore a.k.a friends for me!

Touchdown...

..in the land of the delta blues in the middle of the pouring rain. Although this line is from the song, "Blue Suede Shoes", there are many similarities to my first few short hours here in Monrovia. We touch downed with Delta airlines, with rain to follow shortly. The journey here was not as long as it seemed. I was able to sleep most of the way and entertain myself with new friends for the rest. I spoke to a group of H.S. Georgia students coming to Monrovia to build and do "programing", a.k.a probably missionary trip-but we can all look forward to a tag on facebook in the picture I took with them at the airport. I also began talking to my neighbor on the plane, Eugene. He is a pharmacist from Ghana, who went to school in the U.K. and was just attending a conference in Baltimore. On the side, he is part of the African Peace Network, a Ghanaian organization responsible for programming regarding conflict-prevention. So Eugene and I had many things to discuss once I told him there was 12 students from university accompanying me to Monrovia for peacebuilding work. It was the epitome of cross-cultural communication, consisting of a global exchange of opinions on an international flight-. He had some interesting views that I felt crossed over into my realm of theory when studying PCR. He talked of greed and poverty driving conflicts and that in Ghana- who has never had a civil war- it is not tribal lines that concern him, but religious differences when combined with poverty, sparks conflict. The creation of a war helps create opportunities for illegal smuggling of items that outways regular means of an income. He also introduced a new concept, of counterfeit medicine production as the new income generator for smaller groups of smugglers and people. It is not diamonds or hard drugs anymore, because there are international conventions and too much awareness- but he insisted the counterfeit medicine production is more difficult to track. He continued the thread of greed as a casual factor when we discussed the Cote D'Ivoire situation and how Mbagbo should have relinquished power when he lsot the election. Eugene, though was more concerned I think for his own country of Ghana due to the influx of refugees. He insists that the community of refugees is culturally intergrated and welcomed, but does not deny that it is a strain on the resources- especially the health sector- that Ghana provides. We exchanged contact info and hope to communicate in the future. His faith in the international community to provide answers and assistance astounded me and I look forward to having more conversations with Eugene via email.

As for Monrovia itself, first impressions were quite different than my experience in East Africa. The airport was tiny, barren almost and the only plane on the field was ours. The drive from the airport to Don Bosco's Lutheran Guest House was about an hour drive, as we filled three vans, some- myself- in the trunk. As we drove I saw a very tropical landscape. We are very near the beach and the water was always insight, followed by palm trees and many green spaces. The houses were spread apart, though still clustered and the squatter homes used the indigenous materials from the palm trees to weave walls for their homes. I also saw crafters along the side selling their work for the day and small shops that seem to be common- considering unemployment rate is very high and people are trying to sell whatever they can. The car ride also including a sighting of former president Taylor's home, which of course lead to discussions about the upcoming elections- something I hope to learn more about.

The group is good. I definitely feel better about the people I am here with, having time to bond in the airport and car rides. We also tonight went out for dinner together- not a traditional meal- but good none the less. While we were at dinner, it started pouring again. The sound was equivalent to Niagra Falls- fo real. The strength came and went and so we braved the storm. The man at the resturant offered to take the umbrella from the tables outside and walk us, but we let him be and walked. Needless to say walking in the dark, in the ran with, roads with potholes= not the safest but fun! I also felt as if I was treading across a river and some points, but hey the way you sweat here I welcomed the rain shower and my butt stayed dry! Though, the local residents here at the house felt immensely sorry for us- as if they felt responsible because this is there country. I have to say from what I have seen of the local population, they are just as friendly as the East Africans I have encountered. They are always looking to help and open to talk- so I see no issues making friends here, but don't worry mom, I will still keep my wits.

Tomorrow, we are having an introductory day- exchanging money, going to the office of Don Bosco- the organization we are working with. We will be downtown and I will have more to say about the nature of the city, because as I see it now it reminds me more of the smaller towns around Nairobi or in Western Kenya. Then easing into the day- considering that this week we head to Nimba. Nimba is on the border of the Cote D'Ivoire, in Liberia and has about 3,000 people to its regular population + now the added refugees. The car ride is apparently 6+ hours, considering it is on the Eastern part of the country- but this is where I am thankful Lorraine's motion sickness has not passed to me.

I will try my best to keep up with this considering, it takes a while for my email to load and internet is spotty. I also put on the page news feeds concerning Liberia and the website of the Lutheran House we are at. Hopefully, at the end of the week I will have more stories and even put up photos.