Welcome to Monrovia, Liberia!

Sunday, January 26, 2013:  arrival in Monrovia.  While taxiing to the gate, I saw the World Food Program tents.  And the UN presence.  Getting through the airport wasn’t too bad (and all my luggage arrived). 

It was after dark when we got to the Peace Corps vehicles and were driven to the PC training facility in Kapata.  On our way we drove through the very large Firestone facility – rubber trees, processing plant, etc.  (Recommended:  Google “Firestone Liberia history” or something like that.) 

Monday:  Training

Tuesday:  Training, including visit to local school (more about that later)

Wednesday:  Training and trip to Monrovia (for overnight).  Stopped by PC office, did administrative things, and then went on a walking tour of the city.  Monrovia (downtown) is small, bustling, not particularly safe, and “struggling”.  Lots of Liberians running small businesses, and lots of NGOs in town (and facilities and expat/NGO housing behind high walls with barbed wire – with security guards). 

When we went to the PC office I thought “This is a lot of security to guard a bunch of volunteers with backpacks and Chacos…”  (Security there includes the high wall, metal gate, and all vehicles (including PC vehicles) have their engines and under the vehicle checked (mirrors) before they can enter.  And PC is just one of the many, many organization driving around in “real” Landrovers with red diplomatic (or other official) plates.  I’ve seen the Chinese Development people, UN vehicles, USAID, and everything else under the sun.  (And umpteen signs for various aid agencies.) 

Again, every official organization is highly guarded with walls, barbed wire (or glass atop the concrete walls), metal gates (you honk, the guard peers out, and then pulls the gate open), etc. 

We’ve been repeatedly warned against theft.

Example:  The currently serving Peace Corps Response Volunteer had the following experiences a couple of weeks ago.  He was in downtown Monrovia at 10pm, he was attacked by a few men for his iphone and wallet, he gave the phone but resisted giving his wallet, a crowd saw what was happening, chased the men, stoned them and one of the thieves died. 

The same volunteer seems to know everyone and everything of interest to do.  He suggested we go to an abandoned hotel to see the view.  Basically, when the war broke out, the hotel was vacated and eventually locals looted the entire thing.  Today it is an empty concrete building.  Our visit went something like this:  We walked up to the hotel, our guide found his squatter friend and then talked to the security guard there about getting us up to the roof.   (There were lots and lots of locals up there, largely kids, hanging out, too.)  The security guard was offended that our guide went to the squatter first and a shouting match ensued (between security and the squatter).  Eventually both were given a sum of money by our guide (some would call this a bribe) and the guard brought us up to the 8^th or 9^th floor for the view.  Great view of the city!  Ocean, Westpoint (aka very poor area), bridge, abandoned Masonic Temple, etc.  While up there, we saw a gagillion bats flutter out of one of the big trees. 

Post walking tour, we had dinner at a restaurant literally on the beach.  (To get to the restaurant, you drive into the behind-a-gate guarded parking lot.)  I put my feet in the ocean (though water in that area isn’t considered to be clean because a) people use the beach as a toilet, b) rivers dump into the ocean there, and c) I’m sure city sewage also dumps there).  Ironically, Vietnamese food was the specialty (the chef is Vietnamese-American.)  Restaurant was 90% American/European. 

We spend the evening in St. Theresa’s Convent/Guesthouse.  It is one of the few establishments that stayed open during the war/”conflict”.  (Apparently the head nun is the woman featured in many documentaries about the war in Liberia.)  We got back to the convent after dark to find no electricity but the way to our rooms was lit by a few candles placed on the floor in the corridors.  A great reminder of the challenges the country, including the capital, face.  A member of the PC staff, when I pointed out that we didn’t have drinking water, went out and returned with bottled water.  (The tap water was on, but a) isn’t always good for foreign stomachs and b) was running at a very slow rate.  I had a quick “shower” before bed and got to rinse soap off with a “stream” of water that was equivalent to drippy faucets I’ve seen.  Aka enough water to make a single stream, but not enough to easily clean off a toothbrush.  (At midnight the electricity came on again with the AC.) 

Which is all to say that this is certainly the poorest country I’ve spent time in.  (Which is a little obviously actually, because in terms of income, it’s arguable the poorest country in the world – literally (look up UN statistics).)  Apparently average annual income is $250. 

All that being said, Peace Corps has a GREAT reputation here (more about that later), I will be spending very little time in Monrovia, the PC staff are excellent, and I have a whole bunch of things to look forward to.  Like being a “real” PC Volunteer – aka living in a house with no electricity or running water (Russia wasn’t nearly as hardcore), trying new food (monkey meat), and…  being able to catch a ride on the UNMIL (United Nations Mission in Liberia) helicopters if there is space.  :D

Which is all to say that this is going to be tough, but I’m not overwhelmed (yet).  ;) 

You're going to Liberia why...?

I have a variety of stupid excuses for going to Liberia.  Like "I worked pretty hard to move all my stuff to my parent's basement pre-Georgia; why not getting a second trip out of all that effort?" And "I don't particularly enjoy spring in Boston."  And "No mortgage, no kids, no commitments."  

But on a more serious note, I think possibly the easiest way to explain why I'm going to Liberia is this:  Because I can.

I can explain.  And there are some other reasons, too.

1.  Because there are no guarantees. 
This time last year, a friend of my then-significant other was trying to figure out the medical issues he was encountering.  Eventually a diagnosis was made:  pancreatic cancer.  What a reminder that, just because I have my health now, doesn't mean something screwy isn't going to happen next year/month/week.*   

This summer, while in Cappadocia, Turkey, a fellow (Australian) traveler commented that "Most people live their lives backwards.  They work when they're young, with the intent to travel when they're older.  But when they're older, they often can't due to health issues.  We should live our lives the other way around."

Ergo, if I have the opportunity to go to Liberia now, why not take advantage of that opportunity?  Who wants to look back and say "I always wanted to do that.  But never did.  And now I can't."

2.  Because I can; I have my health (and so do my parents).  
A few years ago, my summer began with me in a Boston hospital wondering "What do you mean there might be a problem?  I'm a mostly-vegetarian who eats organic food and exercises.  What do you mean you want to send my medical information to an oncologist for a second opinion!?!"  While I was (and am) fine, I know many people who have encountered unexpected (or chronic) medical issue.  And these aren't elderly people.  Often cancer related.  There's something about such an experience to help one re-prioritize.  In addition to me having my health, my parents have theirs.  Why wait? 

3.  Because I haven't spent much time in Africa.  
A bunch of years ago I was meeting a friend at an event at Harvard which recognized the work that women were doing in post-conflict regions of the world.  The honored guests were women from Rwanda.  One of the women and I started chatting.  She asked "Have you ever been to Africa?"  My response was a sheepish facial expression, the rocking hand gesture that means "so-so" and that "Mmmmmm" noise that means "Maybe?".  She smiled, patted my hand and said "You've been to Morocco."  "Yes," I replied.  "But I do plan to go to Africa for real one day."

Then, when interviewing for my upcoming position, I was asked "Why do you want to go to West Africa?  You haven't been to Africa before."  I corrected her (reminding her that I'd spent over three weeks in Tamale, Ghana) and then talked about what interested me about the position.  But, in addition to the explanation I gave her, there was another reason:  I never want to be asked that question again.

In addition to enjoying seeing "new" places, as someone with a long standing interest in development issues, it feels important to spend time in a place that is facing so many of the issues that so many poor countries are struggling with. 

 4.  Because maybe the experience will contribute to some divine idea about what to do next.  
I would love to have a long-term plan for my life.  And there are times when I wish that I'd be satisfied getting some job that I can work in until it's time to retire (or die).  Unfortunately, however, I don't have a firm plan and I don't want to settle for something that is unfulfilling.  So I continue to collect experiences in the hope that one day they will come together in some ah-ha! moment. 

5.  There's some unfinished business.  Odds and ends...  
I've worked for the federal government before.  And I spent time in Ghana a couple of summers ago.  And I'm not done with either. 



* Given the "Carpe Diem" reminder that TC's illness provided me, it was a little ironic that his final demise happened a couple of weeks ago, while I was home in Boston between my Georgia and Liberia adventures.

Wait... You're going to Liberia?

Yes, I'm going to Liberia.  At least, assuming I get my passport - which is supposed to arrive on Thursday.  I depart on Saturday.  Two days after I get my passport.  But first, a few answers to some common questions. 

Where is Liberia?  For how long? 
I will be with Peace Corps Response in Liberia for six months.  Peace Corps Response is a Peace Corps gig open to people who have already done a full (27 month) Peace Corps gig somewhere.  Because I was in Russia for 2 years a bunch of years ago, I can apply for PC Response (which used to be called Crises Corps).  PC Response gigs are shorter than regular PC gigs - 3, 6, 9, 12 months. 

What will you be doing? 
I will be teaching high school English, likely in the southeastern part of the country.

Is it safe?  Isn't there a war going on there?  
There was a civil war in Liberia.  But it's over.  And Peace Corps is back.  PC had been in Liberia years ago, left due to the war, and it currently in the process of transitioning to "regulr" PC country.  The first PC volunteers to go in after the war were Response volunteers and then they gradually began transitioning to a regular two year program.  As a Response volunteer I will be helped to meet the need of too few teachers in the country while also essentially trying out a "new" site that, eventually, a two year volunteer will move into.

As for safety, the official answer is "Yes, it's safe.  PC only goes to safe places."   The more accurate answer might be "It will be as safe as I make it.  Kind of like Boston.  If I walked in traffic in Boston, drunk off my ass, in the middle of the night, it might not be safe.  But I like to think I'd avoid such unsafe situations."  ;) 

And then there's the biggest question, WHY?  Why are you going?  
See next post... 

Tbilisi > Boston; Boston > Monrovia

I arrived back in Boston one month ago.  On the 21st, I flew from Tbilisi to Warsaw to Chicago, and then, as I'd feared, I was delayed in Chicago due to weather.  Despite my annoyance, it actually worked out.  I had had the foresight to ensure my phone would be reactivated prior to my arrival, so the first few hours in Chicago were full of phone calls as I booked a flight for the following day and found a hotel for the evening. 

Interestingly, another teacher was on the same flight to Chicago, so we teamed up for the evening and enjoyed our first Americana meal together in the Chicago Airport Hyatt.  I understood why he didn't want the cucumber-tomato salad that came with his burger and he understood why I thought the iceberg lettuce wedge with blue cheese was a great way to being my time back in the United States. 

The next day, after a great night's sleep, I flew to Boston, was driven to Hull by my parents, and, later that evening, drove into Somerville to attend a friend's party.  I'm not sure I recommend that - attending a party a few hours after arriving home after being gone for nine months, but I'm glad I did it.  Though I certainly felt a little out of it that evening. 

And then there was Christmas.  And New Year's.  And then...  preparing for my next adventure - in Liberia (West Africa).  Truth be told, I was hoping that the Liberia departure date would be a little later - like February 1st.   But driving from Hull to Quincy to get on the subway (metro) to go into Boston is getting a little old so I might as well get on to Liberia, right?