Boney Fish

Food in Liberia has been one heck of an experience. There is some good, some bad and some mysterious…

When I first got off the plane and arrived at St. Theresa’s there was a bounty of fruit (plums = mangos and green oranges) and cucumbers. It was late, I was tired and after hours of oscillating altitudes fresh produce was the perfect thing to eat. That was the simple beginning of food in Liberia. After that it got complicated.
Most meals consist of a thick leafy soup and rice. Because of this a lot of food here is green…but not in a salad green kind of way. The leaves are cassava (bassajama), potato greens (jojama), collard greens or pallowa sauce. These leaves are cooked in inches of oil (most commonly red oil – high in cholesterol and hard on the unconditioned stomach) and mixed with an assortment of meat, vita (msg cube), burning hot peppers and various other vegetables (onion, bitterball, kittaly,okra, canned tomato). Sometimes greens are mixed with the rice which is called chopped rice (the most interesting green that I have seen mixed with rice has been hibiscus leaves). For the most part the food is delicious; however, there were a few experiences that almost broke me.

At training there seemed to be a gradual integration to real Liberian food. They started with the sweet stuff like jollaf rice (African fried rice), eggs, even POTATO SALAD!! My first memorable meal was this gargantuan pile of jollaf rice with an entire grilled fish garnished with tomatoes. It was delicious. After a few meals like this and being spoiled with hot dogs and fried plantains the real food was brought out. It was green, fishy, and every bite was thorny :P
Let me tell you a little background about me and fish… I went years without eating fish because when I was around 5 or 6 I choked on a fish bone. I was terrified about reliving the experience and so I stubbornly refused to eat fish of any kind for years. I got over this irrational fear and behavior well before coming to Liberia but in that meal where I experienced the ‘boney fish’ I was flung right back to my past self.

Bony fish are fish that have been dried until all that is left are bones (thorns) and scales. These fish are used for flavoring soups. Along with a ripe fishy flavor boney fish add copious amounts of bones and scales. This makes eating difficult. With each bite of food I would be stopped by cartilage! I would spend hours eating my plate of food and it was exhausting…I would eat 5 bites and be ‘full’… Every day I believed that bony fish was the karmic retribution I deserved for being such a butt head about eating fish when I was younger. After time my meals had less bony and more fresh fish. The bones were still there but in more manageable portions. Tank Goh!

Other than the occasional thorn in my soup I had a few other stumbling experiences that involved food. I ate Topagee! Oh man topagee…this meal is made with red palm oil that has been left out in a bag to “age”. As it ages it develops a flavor that has been described to me as being, “bitter but so sweet” meaning that it’s an acquired taste. My host Ma told me that I had to be in Africa for one year before my stomach would be able to handle topagee because “the soda is too strong, it will run the belly.” I have no problem following that rule after my first taste…

My host family made me stew a couple of times. This dish is made with tomato paste, onion, pepper and other things that make it awesome. My Ma brought back cows meat, crawfish and cow skin from Monrovia to add into the stew. The cow meat was grizzly but good, the crawfish was amazing (and the star of the stew!) but the cow skin was pushed to the side of my plate until my brother Leo stood behind me shaking his head and prodding me by saying, “Lela, you need to eat plenty-oh…da food is sweet!” So I was guilted into trying cow’s skin and I have decided that it’s not for me… :P

Food in Robertsport

When I moved to Robertsport I was excited to be able to cook for myself. My site mate and I had grand plans of steaming crab, eating fresh fish (not covered in oil) and not having rice with every meal. Unfortunately the first few weeks at site we had no means to cook our food until a man was able to make us a coal pot. Those first few weeks we ate peanut butter, tuna, eggs, bread and donuts with a side of DONUTS. When we got the coal pot everything changed…I got to drink real COFFEE (French press is my favorite thing I brought) and learn how to light a coal pot.

To light a coal pot…to light a coal pot took many hours of me singing, cursing, crying and begging the thing to light so I could cook dinner. In Kakata my sisters used plastic or kerosene to light the coal…we couldn’t find kerosene (or we would forget to get it when we were in town) and I was not too keen to burn carcinogenic plastic :P The constant rain complicated matters…humidity and fire do not mix well. One day I spent somewhere around 3 hours trying to catch the coal (I made mac n’ cheese that day). Finally, I set my pride aside and asked for help from a local shop owner’s wife, Winnie…she gave me a carton (cardboard box) and told me to light it in the compartment below the coal to heat and light the coal. I went home determined! I was going to light this coal pot! No surprise, the carton worked, the coal was lit, food was made and it was awesome.
Once we had fire our options were limitless…we could make coffee, tea, spaghetti, crab, potatoes, pumpkin pie, no bakes and even, on occasion, rice! My site mate and I would take pictures of our culinary creations and pat ourselves on the back for our newly acquired cooking skills. Everything we make is in some ways is an experiment… but I really must say I have become quite the cook living here in Africa :) Below are a few pumpkin “recipes”…right in time for Thanksgiving!

Hawa and Lela’s Pumpkin Pie (favorite until we had an encounter with fermented pumpkin pieces…what did I learn…don’t make pumpkin pie, no matter how much you are craving it, with fermented pumpkin unless you want to be sick for 3 days :P)
1 pumpkin (typically good for 3 pies)
Sugar
Butter
Salt
Brown Sugar
Milk (powdered)
Pumpkin Pie spice, nutmeg, cinnamon
Vanilla
“Diggy” Biscuts (Digestives – plain whole wheat)
Filling
Peal the pumpkin and cut it into little square pieces. Then put the pieces in a pot with water and let boil for approximately 30 minutes (or until the pieces are soft and squishy). Drain any excess water. Add the sugars, butter, milk, vanilla, a dash of salt and mash the pumpkin pieces together until it has a smooth consistency. **If you have ginger, cut it up and boil it with the pumpkin pieces…makes the pie out of this world!
Crust
Take the diggy biscuits and crush them into small pieces (crumbs) and mix them with butter (it is easier if the butter is melted but it is not necessary). Put the crust at the bottom of the pie plate and pour the filling on top…dish delish!
**This is not a typical pumpkin pie, it is a lot of work cutting and pealing the pumpkin, but it is worth the work…YUM!

Liberian Dish! Pumpkin Soup (Winnie, the shop owner’s wife, gave us a slice of pumpkin and we had a ten year old teach us how to make this… AMAZING!!)
Piece of pumpkin
Onion
Hot peppers
vita cube
salt
black pepper
seasoning (all we had was curry seasoning…but typically you would use season all)
Some sort of meat (fish, chicken, etc.)
Oil
Rice
Peal the pumpkin and cut it into little square pieces. Cut the onion and crush the pepper (best done with a pestle and mortar…but a grater and spoon work well). Fry the fish/chicken to cook it remove it from the oil and set aside. In the same oil fry the pumpkin and then add onion, pepper, vita cube, salt, seasoning and small water to the pot and let simmer for some time (until the pumpkin is soft). Add the meat back to the soup and put over rice…too sweet-oh!

First Africa Side Post - *warning* long...and probably a lot of spelling/grammatical errors

So finally, FINALLY I am updating my blog! A lot has gone on during the past three months and there were many moments where I pined for a charged computer and internet access so I could write and tell all.

I left off at the airport in Anchorage and albeit that was only three months ago it now seems like years…so much has happened. When I arrived in Philadelphia it was HOT, way hotter than Africa! At staging I met and spent all day with the 14 other people in my group. It was a long and busy day and for my last night in the states I ate a cheese burger and ran up the Rocky steps. It was awesome!

The next morning we were vaccinated for yellow fever and then we were put on a plane for Brussels and then Liberia. By Friday I was in Liberia. We arrived in the late afternoon and when I stepped off the plane I did not hit the wall of humidity and inhale the jungle stink that I was expecting. Even though it was hot by Alaska standards (of course) the temperature was not as bad as I expected. It had recently rained so it was actually quite nice! We spent a couple of hours getting through customs and getting our bags and then we drove from the airport to St. Theresa’s (an inexpensive hotel that is also a school/convent) in Monrovia.

After a few days in Monrovia the group moved to Kakata to begin training. We spent 6 days a week from 8-5 going over medical, technical and cultural information. While in Kakata I lived with a host family…that was a great experience. The first night I was in their house I locked myself in my room (and was stuck there for 3 hourse) and ate a delicious dinner (chicken stew and rice…enough to feed me for three days!) with my host Ma and talked about her journey through the war…

Host Family

She left her family and country after she escaped from prison and lived in the Cote d’Ivore for 10 years. While away she lived in a refugee camp and learned how to make soap, tie dye and bake pastries. During this time she was not able to talk or communicate with her family which was back in Liberia. When she returned to Liberia she found her childhood home in ruins and that her grandmother, the woman who raised her and (as she put it) spoiled her rotten, was dead, killed during the war. Despite this my Ma was able to turn her life around and used the skills she learned in the refugee camp to support herself. Time passed and she was able to build a beautiful house and has been working to help strengthen and rebuild her community.

She was asked by peace corps to help find families in Kakata to host the volunteers and I was lucky enough to get her for my host Ma :). She took me to an African wedding, had a beautiful lappa dress made for me, taught me how to cook fried plantains, foofoo and jollof rice and taught me the african technique of tie and dye (so cool!!).

In the house there were 5 girls (Cona, Sarah, Mabe, Neuoh and Prayline), 3 boys (Leo, Christian and little Christian)and one beautiful red headed hen. The younger children were scared of me at first…it took 2 weeks for little Christian and Mabe to stop crying every time they saw me. Christian, Leo and Prayline could not get enough of me. I played cards with them….became frustrated with the cheating…stopped playing cards with them, played hopscotch with a potato green leaf and busted my slipper(flip flop) playing kickball. I also spent most nights telling them stories like Peter Pan, The Princess and the Pea and a couple of Japanese fairy tales. Cona helped me with everything. She walked me around the town, taught me how to cook, and how to buy things at the market. She was awesome. Neuoh was a spit fire with a big heart. She told me African stories and braided my hair (a painful but fashionable experience). She also taught me the names of everything I was eating and showed me what plant it came from. Then there is Sarah. Sarah was the same age as me and a quarter of the size. I felt like Andre the Giant whenever I was around her. The girl loved to dance and sing and was always dancing and singing. Lastly, there was the red hen that was not for eating…she was part of the family! My Ma loved this chicken:)

I had an amazing time with my host family. My Ma was always taking care of me and made sure people didn’t give me a hard time. If someone came over to the house and asked about my personal life my Ma would scream at them to mind their own business, I loved it. I miss my host family and can’t wait until I see them again. They cushioned the culture shock of coming to Africa and because of that I will always have a special place in my heart for them.

They call me Lela

While in Kakata my family gave me the African (Kpelle…pronounced pay-lay) name Lela which literally translates to heart(le) and lie down(la). The deeper meaning of this name is satisfaction or my heart is satisfied or my heart is happy. Needless to say I love this name. Whenever I am in a kpelle community and I tell them my name I get a large and happy response. Another interesting aspect of this name is that it is not that common outside of the Kpelle ethnic group…because of this I hear a lot of variations of my African name. Typically I hear, “Lena” but about a week ago when I was walking through my neighborhood a child greeted my sitemate Laura (Hawa) and me as, “Hawa….Ninja.” I stopped, laughed, asked him what he just called me and in a high, squeaky voice he said, “Ninja.” That has to be the coolest name I have EVER been called! I am Ninja…

Snakes and Language!

During preservice training we all had to take Liberian English language classes…to help us integrate into Liberia. I will add a brief guide to LE at the bottom of this section. For the most part the classes were… interesting. I believe I learned the most interacting with my host family and the people around Kakata but the class was good for cultural education as well as basic language. My favorite part of the class was when our instructor would tell us cultural stories…or Liberian Urban Legends!! The most epic story is the one about the Cassava snake…oh the Cassava snake….I hope I can do the story justice…here it goes.
Imagine the most terrifying, dangerous and life threating creature possible….the cassava snake is worse. The cassava snake looks like a boa constrictor EXCEPT its body is covered with sharp horns. When it rains the snake will come out and rest, with its mouth open, in the puddles waiting for an unsuspecting frog, mouse or human to pass directly into its mouth. At this time the cassava snake will bite down…injecting deadly venom into its victim. If a person should see a cassava snake slithering past their house they must shout out, “STOP SNAKE” the snake will then stop and a person should be able to go over a kill the snake. However, if you chop off the snakes head it will shoot poisonous webs and spring at you. If you are quick and the spikey head of the cassava snake should miss you then it will go find some living creature (deer, tree, child) to inject all of its venom into before it itself dies. For those who are brave enough to do battle with the cassava snake and live there is a small consolation…the snake can be used as a home remedy for yellow fever.
I love this tale of the cassava snake…and most days when it is raining or when I am walking through the bush I am cautious for fear of my first encounter with the CASSAVA SNAKE!!

Liberian English

Greetings/ response
Morning-oh/Morning-Oh
What news?/No bad news, tank goh
How da body?/Da body alrigh, tank goh

Other words/phrases

Tank you yeah - thanks a lot
be bluffin - showing off, dressing up, being fancy
fine -very beautiful (respectful)
take time - be careful, don’t be careless
swee – oh - delicious
bitter -not so delicious
wait small - be patient
plea help me/plea help me small -said when bartering…or if you need directions/help
Custowoman/customan -vendor
I go an take baf - I’m going to take a bath
plenty - a lot, more
plea, I beg you, I hold your foot - apology/begging/request/I’m sorry
Wha your nee? -what is your name?
I go and come back - I am leaving
I am reaching -I am going home
spoil -ruin, destroy, break
runny belly - diarrhea
rouges - thieves
sore - cut
coright - correct
na coright - not right in the head
spy - cheat
cutlas - machete
sea monkies - dolphins

Food

Soft rice - rice pudding
sweeba - fried dough ball
white bucket sou - dog
Cuda - barracuda
peh pay – hot peppers
butter pair - avocado
kitalee - African peas (very bitter…put in topagee :P)
Glucose for da body - coconut water
plum - mango

Favorite dialect sayings

chechepoolay – gossip (kpelle)
Bumbalo – fat (Vai)

Robertsport

By some amazing piece of luck I ended up getting Robertsport for my site. This will be my home for the next two years and I absolutely love it. The beach is moments from my house…I can hear the sounds of the waves as I go to sleep. As the sun sets on the water it lights up the sky like a giant orange pumpkin…it is breath taking. Robertsport is not a bustling city and living here is a nice change from the lively Kakata. On the weekdays the beach is mostly abandoned save the hard working fishermen who go out 2+ times a day to catch the fish (barracuda, puffer fish, covalie, makrel), crab and lobster. I have left my pasty pallor in Alaska and after 3 months of sunscreen and sunburns my skin is tan for the first time in 10 years…it’s great. I love my home, I enjoy being here in Africa and on many occasions, I am truly Lela.

Good bye Alaska...

My bags are packed, I’ve said my good byes and now I am sitting in Stevens International Airport waiting for my flight to Philly. By some ounce of luck my bags were within the weight limit (the ounce was my mom who drove me to the airport…she took an armful of random things home…THANK YOU). My big bag was 48lbs while my smaller bag was 32lbs coming out to an even 80 :D I sacrificed some hand sanitizer and some coffee :( but in hindsight those things are not essential and I don’t think I will really miss them…okay, I will miss the coffee.
The whole drive to the airport I had a major case of the stomach butterflies. I spent so many hours packing and repacking that when it was finally time to go I felt disorganized! But after I checked in, got 6 (?) pieces of ticket sized paper for 2 actual tickets, said my final good byes to my mom (who waited until I was out of sight and would manically smile if I turned to look at her), got through security with no carry on trouble (awesome) and sat down, the butterflies are gone…for the time being.
In a half hour I will board my plane a fly 5 LONG hours to Minnesota and then straight on to Philadelphia! I arrive around 10 and will head straight to the hotel. I have orientation at 1 and will be busy, busy, busy all day! My only anxiety is that I forgot something essential in the place of something trivial. Hopefully not!

Oh! The Places You'll Go!

Oh! Liberia is the place I will go in approximately 3 weeks. I will be serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching science to middle and high school kids. Liberia is located in West Africa a few (~6) degrees above the equator and by association is hot and humid.

In contrast I live in Eagle River, Alaska which is a few (~5)degrees below the arctic circle and is predominantly cold and dry. I bet if Alaska had an opposite it would be Liberia;)