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.