Liberia Continues to be a Joke

To start, let me say that I decided against entering the fray of the Vice Guide to Liberia controversy earlier this year. Once other bloggers had so thoroughly and eloquently expressed their views, I didn't feel like I had much left to add. Although, as one of just a handful of young, white American males in Monrovia, I felt the whole sophomoric, hyperbolic, melodramatic drivel was especially unhelpful. I don't mean in the sense that I had to worry about being a target for some kind of backlash against me personally. I was not envisioning a scenario where I would be harmed in an Anti-American street protest, or personally attacked. But at the same it also isn't going to make my time or my work in Monrovia any easier.

In my experience, Liberia is a remarkably safe, friendly, welcoming place, with incredibly warm and approachable population who have, in both an individual and communal sense, an ability to put a foreigner at ease, and extend a gracious hospitality that I've not encountered elsewhere--and certainly remarkable for people who have faced and continue to encounter so many problems. I'm not the only observer of this point (see comments), verbalized especially in reaction to Vice's depiction of a dangerous, chaotic hellhole. Liberia has plenty of problems, especially within its still-fragile social realm, and I wouldn't walk down Broad Street at 2AM by myself or anything, but to depict the city as some kind of danger zone is utterly false.

Aside from however annoying and disappointing one finds the lazy sensationalism and gross ignorance of the Vice Guide, it is dangerous to the people of Monrovia, and not the other way around. Once again I am repeating what others have better articulated (see comments), but what we are talking about is Liberia's reputation, how it is perceived by the American public. The Vice Guide's misrepresentations make Monrovia and Liberia seem even worse than they really are, and are therefore doing harm (by the way, Vice eventually apologized). Unfortunately, the Vice Guide is only the most severe and extensive of Liberia's recent appearances in popular video, in which Liberia doesn't get the best profiling.

Earlier this summer, I learned that an episode of a show I had not previously heard of: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, was going to Liberia. I put this up on Facebook and was excited to watch it, and have Liberia gain some exposure, even if it was on one of those American-never-heard-of-this-place-before type of show.

At the end of of the half hour show, having been served palm butter and trying to surf in Robertsport, the schleppy, middle-aged New Yorker concludes:

"Liberia was tough for me, not so much physically as trying to wrap my mind around the place. The past is still too close and the good, I fear, too weak to overcome the bad just yet. This is a place that has endured the worst, that deserves better, much better. I'd like to sum up with hopeful words; a look forward to a brighter future...but I don't believe it."

A lot of people I know were really bothered by that. Of course, what he said was his opinion, and its his show. And I am sure he is not alone in assessing Liberia and feeling that its hopeless. But some of my friends felt that, in a public forum, he could have said something hopeful and encouraging, even if he didn't feel it personally. He might have felt a responsibility, if his sentiments were genuine, to be more positive, and improve Liberia's public profile.

As difficult as it is to admit, I will readily agree that Liberia is a tough place, with challenges so huge that sometimes its overwhelming. I get really frustrated in Monrovia, and I can be very critical and negative at times, and even feel hopeless. But then I go off to spend a lot more time and effort encouraging people to get excited about Liberia, to invest there, to believe in its future. Its therefore annoying when a celebrity chef from Manhattan drops in for a few days with a production crew, and informs his followers that Liberia is hopeless.

My third example is from the Daily Show, where Ellen has appeared previously. In an otherwise ingenious (and surprisingly enlightened, considering the judicial ruling at the end of the segment) report by Wyatt Cenac about Staten Island's lack of Supreme Court Justices, Liberia unexpectedly comes up.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
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At the beginning of the segment, a Staten Island Assemblyman, when asked by Wyatt to list some of the good things on Staten Island, almost immediately mentions the Liberian Community as one of the borough's main assets. I was momentarily optimistic, but I could already see that the Assemblyman had completely served up a softball for the comedian to swat back. Just as I thought, Wyatt, whose job is specifically to look for any joke he can crack, took the opening provided by the Assemblyman, and offered up another laugh at Liberia's expense:

Assemblyman Matthew Titone: We happen to have a lot great things going on here.

Wyatt Cenac: Talk to me about some of those great things.

Assemblyman: [pause, audience laughter] Staten Island is immensely diverse..we also have

THE largest Liberian population outside of Liberia.

Wyatt: No offense, but its Liberia.

Assemblyman: Well, clearly people coming from a civil-war torn country prefer to be on Staten Island then Liberia [audience laughter].

Wyatt: Its kinda like saying, 'Oh, do you want to get punched in the face, or punched in the balls?' [audience laughter]

Please read Palaver Hut's post, as I largely share the view expressed there. But beyond those comments, what I am talking about is the specific damage that can be done when Liberia is mentioned in American popular culture, in a negative connotation. Personally, professionally, and emotionally, it bothers me and worries me that Liberia continues be portrayed in this light, and used as a punchline. For large audiences of young people, such as the Daily Show, this might be one of the only contexts in which they hear about Liberia at all, and the country was served up for a laugh.

Do these personalities, entertainers, and programmers have a responsibility to use their platform to help Liberia? What about the Daily Show, with its flirtations with serious journalism, such as inviting President Sirleaf, only to equate the place with a kick in the groin a year and a half later? These wisecracks are more than unhelpful-- they are, I feel, actually harmful.

An Open Letter to Naomi Campell

Dear Naomi:

So Sorry to have bothered you. I guess the rest of the world hadn't grasped how "big" an "inconvenience" this whole International War Crimes Trial would be.

All because of a few "small, dirty looking pebbles." Ewww, gross, right? Not like, a Tiffany box or anything?

As is usually the case, a lot of other people have said it better than me, but I just wanted to state here how shockingly, laughably sad your obliviousness to the plight of thousands of poor, helpless Africans who have suffered during the instability of West Africa.

It really isn't about you, or how really busy you are. Its not even about protecting your family, which is otherwise totally legitimate and normal. Its about using whatever pull your notoriety gives you, to do some good in a world that is obviously overloaded with indescribable evil, such as the wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Whats bizarrely ironic to me is that you came involved in all this because of your work and donations to a children's charity. Yet you've demonstrated almost no ability to care for anyone other than yourself.

One Month Until Delta Starts Flying to Robertsfield

In one month's time, Delta will be flying to Robertsfield, from Atlanta via Accra. This is the first time since Pan Am departed in mid-1980s that an American carrier will land in Liberia. This is a real sign of progress-- I am very excited (if not particularly thrilled about the inconvenient routing, or the prices-- check out the introductory fares).

Pan Am's Guide to Liberia, 1963

As I wrote in the Wikipedia Article about Robertsfield, Monrovia was for many years one of Pan Am's principal focus cities in Africa, until the economy stagnated under Doe in the mid-1980s.

I had this old edition of Pan Am's New Horizon's World Guide from 1963 for some time, but it was only recently that I looked at the page for Liberia. The Ducor Hotel is mentioned, for as much as $10 a night! Other than that, nothing is particularly recognizable, although it'd be great to know about these other spots, and just where 80 Broad Street is, where Pan Am's G.S.A. was located.

Building Boom! (Part Three)

These are the last two major buildings that I included in my photo essay submission for Business Liberia Magazine.

One is on the Crown Hill end of Broad Street, the Rose Garden Building, which is unique as a mixed-use building. The other is at the opposite end of the metropolis, at ELWA Junction. It is the new NASSCORP Building (National Social Security and Welfare Agency). It is also mixed use, supposedly with a mall inside.

Building Boom! (Part Two)

A few more images which I assembled for the Business Liberia Magazine article on Monrovia's construction activity. This flashy tower on the corner of Sekou Toure Avenue and Newport Street, on Mamba Point, with its glistening green glass curtain wall, is really striking, as glazing like this is not common around town-- a real sign of how far along Monrovia is coming (just take a look at this same corner fifteen years ago!)

Building Boom! (Part One)

Here are some pictures that I shot around town for a last-minute photo essay for Business Liberia Magazine on Monrovia's mini-building boom. It was an idea that had come up with when driving around town, and but once I got the call from the editor, and started out with my camera, I was a bit overwhelmed by just how many newly-completed and under-construction projects were around town, from ELWA Junction to Mamba Point.

I'm not sure when the new issue will be out, but I hope I make the cut! If not, here's a sample of what I shot around Sinkor:

National Elections Commission Headquarters

Insurance Company of Africa Building
New Wing of the Royal Hotel, 15th Street

IB Bank, Sinkor Branch, 9th Street

Chimpanzee at Thinker's Village

This is the Chimpanzee at Thinker's Village. There is more than one, actually, and they are definitely older than the baby chimps you occasionally see for sale on the street. They still really cute, but its a little sad to see them in such a small cage, and I wonder how safe the whole set-up is.

Crabs at Kendeja

These two little fellas somehow got stuck in the drain by the pool at the RLJ Kendeja Resort. After I picked them up and set them free, it occurred to me that someone might have put them there, saving them for dinner. I am tempted to call them "ghost crabs" but I don't know if that's what they are, or even if that's a real species of crustacean.

The Embassy of the Holy See

I hadn't previously realized that the Vatican still had an Embassy here (I do try to stay up on that kind of thing). Anyway, here it is, right across the street from Les Griot Cafe off of Gibson Street, Mamba Point.

Liberian Land Commission Opening Ceremony

I was honored to be invited to attend the opening ceremony of the Liberian Land Commission today, just down the street. Its great that this is finally happening, and it was very interesting to learn about all the effort that went into its constitution and formation, and its tremendous scope of work. Its a daunting challenge to tackle this very complex and difficult issue, but it is encouraging to see such a talented team in place, and I have really high hopes that with international support, the new entity will be able to tackle some of the major land and property challenges in Liberia.

Escargots

I knew that Liberians eat snails, and that there were huge snails that came "from the bush", as they say, but I had never seen them for myself until I encountered these wheelbarrows full on Benson Street today. Rather than eat these guys, I'd be more inclined to keep them in a terrarium, but that would involve finding someone to building one, and cutting glass is still not a common trade here.

I didn't buy any of these fellas and haven't tasted this local dish, but it was remarkable to come across a small mountain of fist-sized tree snails in the center of the city.

Historic Structure on Front Street, Gone

I was walking along Front Street today and happened upon this pile of rubble at the corner of Center Street, which was until very recently a house. I must have missed it being pulled down by a few days. I'd be curious to see how they did it, whether with a bulldozer or by hand, etc.

Its not particularly unusual to see buildings getting knocked down. There are a couple on Capital Bye-Pass that some guys have been working on recently.

But this one was, I thought, rather old, and perhaps even historic. I think there is a picture of this house in the Architecture Tour. I guess this is not surprising that it was knocked down, but sort of puts into focus that there is no Historic Preservation or other listed restrictions here. Not that World Monuments Fund or UNESCO has Monrovia's settler heritage in its sights (which is probably a hot-button issue, anyway). But, should it?

Pet Duiker at the Royal Hotel

I am relatively certain that this is a Duiker, which is apparently a house pet of the Royal Hotel at 15th Street, Sinkor. It wandered up to my table at dinner last night, licked my hand, pooped, then walked away. I've seen it sleeping in the bushes during the day, and it also seems to be friends with the cat, who had kittens recently, and I've seen the kittens sleeping with duiker during the day. I don't know if its native to Liberia, or what-- I know that duiker is a Dutch word from South Africa.

View from the Ducor

Walking up to edge of the swimming pool at the Ducor Hotel yesterday, I saw this vantage point for the first time, looking down the hill and down Water Street to the Crown Hill end. Looks very metropolitan, like a suggestion of what the city could be if there were taller buildings.

Bats! Bats! Bats!

I don't know how many West African cities have large populations of large bats, but I can say that both Monrovia and Accra are filled with humungous colonies, which take over entire trees in the downtown area. At first, they look like dead trees, with dry leaves clinging to the undersides of the branches, until you realize that you are looking at clusters of sleeping bats.

I'm not really afraid of animals, but I have to say that I think bats look sort of diabolical.

Anyway, today was quite an event on Snapper Hill, when, just as we were driving by, a huge crash came from one of the giant trees nearby. It sounded like a strike of lightning, or an auto accident. Instead, it seems as though we witnessed an incident of the straw that broke the camel's back: there were just too many bats on this one branch, and it all came crashing down. Pretty fascinating, from a physics/mathematics point of view.

Well, this resulted in bat pandemonium. The bats, being nocturnal, were mostly asleep, and I also wonder whether their eyes are even worse in broad African daylight than in their normal night-time setting. The bats panicked, and thousands of them started flying all over the place. Some right into the ground, others into chain-link fences. One or two hit the side of the car.

This, in turned, caused a rush from all the people nearby-- running to catch them with their hands or even buckets and nets. Not a quarter hour later, there were bats for sale in the streets, a few blocks away (I was tempted, but didn't buy one…)

Bats for dinner across the city tonight!

Fendell: University of Liberia Campus

At the invitation of an acquaintance, I was transported up to Fendell, which sort of the northeastern gateway of metropolitan Monrovia. The urban sprawl slackens a few miles after red light, but not long thereafter is the new Fendell Campus of the University of Liberia, being constructed by the Chinese. In size, scale, and simply in newness, it is quite a sight, and its not even finished yet.

Trucks from Europe

Like the t-shirts I talked about earlier, I am not really sure that anyone pays attention to what is written on the trucks that are used around the city, for transport and delivery. Like a lot things here, they mostly seem to come from Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands (deciphering the languages on the side). Also like t-shirts, they end up here through donation or other sorts of exports of undesirable goods.

It has to be remember that, quite aside from the high degree of illiteracy among the local population, there is little understanding of the differences between Europe and the United States, much less the various countries and their languages.

I've met Liberians who thought I was German, or Russian, and seemed unaware that I would speak a different language if I was. To them, non-Africans speak English. I can see how this makes sense to them, in their perspective.

Houses for Rent (not for ex-pats)

I'm helping my friend find a new place to move his family in the area at the end of my street. Its sort of embarrassing to admit, I've been here for about six months on and off and I've never ventured down into the community down by the river, a 5 minute walk away.

Here are a few shots of the selection in the immediate area, ranging from about $50 a month for one-bedroom, to $150 for a two bedroom with a bathroom inside (but no running water…)

I have to admit it was pretty incredible to walk four minutes from my air-conditioned apartment down to this little area, and see how differently my neighbors live.

Weightlifting Competition 2

This is my second "local" weightlifting competition, and although I have been really under the weather this week, I was glad I came out for it. Once again, the event was held this morning at the Joe Bar Market area, and sponsored by Mr. Big, the former Mr. Liberia, whose gym is just down the Old Road from Joe Bar Market Junction.

Same as last time, it was just a bench press competition, using "African weights" (really old machine gears) so the amounts involved were a little approximate (the guys would call out the weights in "African pounds", as in "175 African pounds." To get real weights from overseas is difficult and expensive, and there isn't a lot of money to be made out of starting up a gym.

However, there's no question that these guys are strong! Even using their conservative estimates for the weights, the champions were lifting 2-3 times their own body weight off the bench. Pretty incredible!

Mangrove Roots

Driving Across the Mesurado River on SKD Boulevard provides an excellent view across the low marshland, with the fantastic Mangrove plants and their incredible, curvaceous route structure. I hope that, before development threats this habitat, measures are taken to protect it.

Another Awesome African Sunset

African Sunsets are fast, as if the sun is weighted down, but they don't lack for color. I find that its much easier to see the sun when it sets here. I guess between the woodsmoke fires and perhaps the higher-altitude dust from the Hamattan effects, a sort of atmospheric screen dims the sun a bit.

Sea Turtle for Sale

I could probably write a great deal about the circumstances surrounding this picture, but to summarize, here's what I posted on Facebook about afterwards:

Oh no. These guys were walking around town trying to sell this poor, beautiful sea turtle. I tried to negotiate with them...the youngest one here actually understood what I was saying and I almost convinced him to get in the truck and drive it back to the water if I gave him $20, but the older guy said no, it had to be $50. He said they had been keeping it in a pool for 2 weeks and had been carrying it around all day-- the bottom of her shell was soft, she probably wasn't going to make it anyway (who knows if she even had a chance to lay her eggs...). In the end, they ran away when a police officer started walking down the street. I am so upset now. This place is tough sometimes.

I was really disturbed by this. I wasn't mad at these guys, exactly, but it was quite painful to see this magnificent sea turtle, suffering like this, thinking about whether she was pregnant with eggs, what she had been through. I wish I could have done something to help that animal-- or maybe just not seen the poor creature at all. 

Baby Chimp for Sale

I've mentioned seeing baby Chimpanzees on the street before, but here was one just sort of hanging out on a storefront on Benson Street this morning. Still cute, still sort of sad, and still a mystery exactly what the plan once it is no longer a cuddly infant.

Temple of Justice Under Construction

Thanks to my new buddy Paul for showing me around his jobsite, which is the Temple of Justice courthouses on Capitol Hill, home to the Supreme Court and the offices of the chief justices.

Although under construction, the interiors are pretty stunning. I don't know much about the history of the building, nor do I know how I would research it, but my friend Paul was able to confirm that the building was originally built by an Italian firm sometime in the 1960s. Judging by the gorgeous Luigi-Nervi details of the helixed ceiling and lighter-than-air staircase to the upper gallery, I'd say he's got his facts right (I'll move these over the Architecture Tour when I have a chance).

All-County Championship, SKD Stadium

Having a colleague here who is interested in football has definitely made for a fun week. I am not a big sports fan, but I do love attending live sporting events, especially in stadia. Liberia's all-county final match was an excellent opportunity to finally be inside the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex, which is giant.

Getting in was fairly chaotic, almost scary (I couldn't help but think of stampedes crushing people in Liverpool, etc). And sitting on the concrete for several hours was a literal pain in the ass. It was pretty fun otherwise, and the crowd was friendly. The National Judo Team was also in attendance. Final Score: Nimba County 1, Grand Gedeh, Zero. There was a massive traffic jam afterwards.

Football at Spriggs Payne/Fish Market

I've written before about the great little public space at the end of the Spriggs-Payne runway, which is usually packed with people playing football.

Apparently, no action has taken place on Spriggs Payne's attempts to remove these people, and the place remains one of the few public recreation grounds in the city, albeit in flaunt of the law, to a certain extent.

My friend Paul Jones, who runs the fantastic Keta Sandlanders in Ghana, is in town, and so when we drove by here earlier and he spotted the action, he proposed coming back and being a spectator. We went this afternoon hung out for a while, watching some of the matches. It was pretty dry and dusty, but it was a great afternoon, and the football was pretty exciting.

Church in Margibi

This is the community church in a town in Margibi County. As you can see, it is made of woven reed mats, with a tin roof. This is by far the most common building method in the metropolitan area, among the local population.

Rain!

I guess it used to be that once the dry season began, you wouldn't have a drop of rain for months. That isn't the case any more, probably because of Climate Change, not that I am in a position to say.

But, as different as the clouds and sky are here, the rain is also really something else. It seems to rain all at once, rather than in drops. More like, sheets, or ropes, or daggers. It hits your skin hard, with a violence. It makes a huge sound when it impacts on all the metal roofs.

Redemption Road

Its a bit difficult to get pictures of this area, which is below Capitol Hill, behind the Barclay Training Ground, south of Central Monrovia. Anyway, it is, in my opinion, a spot with totally fantastic potential to be a public space and a real asset to the city.

As it is, however, it is a largely neglected, derelict zone, with stinking garbage everywhere. But much of the city is like that.

I know I am no professional photographer, but I really hope that these images convey the inherent potential of this area to be a jewel of the city.