Robertsport Take 2

We finally made it to Robertsport, and it was worth the wait! Robertsport, named after the first president J.J. Roberts, is in Grand Cape Mount County, along the coast towards the Sierra Leonian border.

This time around, it was a much faster, easier and altogether more successful trip! And the beaches were gorgeous. We stayed in some great tents at Nana’s Lodge, right on the beach. There’s also supposed to be great surfing here, featured in the Sliding Liberia film. Instead, we sat on the beach, and tanned.

Ducor Revisited

Monrovia has had an influx of Chinese Canadians lately. Michelle came to join me in Liberia for a couple of weeks! We visited the Ducor Hotel again; this time I had my digital camera. Here are some pics.




















We also visited the Masonic Temple. It's large and imposing, at the top of Benson Street. Many of the former presidents were Freemasons, I believe. It's still standing though a bit run down; we didn't go inside.

Chinese in Liberia

According to a BBC program I caught a few minutes of, there are about 3/4 million Chinese in Africa. Not sure where the majority of them are, but there are quite a few in Liberia, working on various construction projects, and operating some Chinese and Korean/Japanese restaurants (the "Japanese Steak House" is actually Korean food, run by Chinese people!). In fact, the Chinese are so prevalent here people automatically yell, "Chinese woman", when I walk by. I'm not sure what prize they expect in response, but it's one of the few places where I don't get "Japan?" or "Konichiwa" first. And surprises of surprises even some Caucasians get called Chinese here! That's how prevalent they are.

There's quite a bit of Chinese investment, and a few of the public works projects have been done by Chinese companies. And there's Chinese radio, where they play country music on Sundays and give Chinese lessons!

Surfs up

I don't think I was destined to be a surfer.

I had heard there were great waves in Liberia. There's even a movie about surfing here. Quite a few people have picked it up since coming here, buying boards and going out every weekend. You're so close to the ocean you can wake up early and surf before you go to work.

I'd tried it once before, in Australia. Long ago. I remember it as being fun; I even managed to stand up! But not this time. I went for the first time here a couple of weeks ago. Borrowed a board from a friend and we headed out near Kendeja, a brand new 5-star hotel built by Bob Johnson (of BET fame) early one morning. I basically sputtered around the water, occasionally body surfing but mostly just exhausting myself. And I started feeling sick (a la typhoid) shortly thereafter. Probably just coincidence. Unfortunately, my innate surfing abilities did not reveal themselves. Sigh. Time to cross professional surfer off my list of potential careers.

Civil service pay...

Thought this might be of interest for those civil servants out there. The minimum civil service salary here is $70/month. If you're lucky enough to get a civil service job - formal sector unemployment is about 85%. There are about 15 different civil service 'bands' (or grades or ranges). Civil service salaries declined in the 80s and significantly during the conflict in the late 1990s. As GDP plummeted 90%, civil service salaries also fell by similar amount.

But this isn't the only form of pay. Salaries are paid in Liberian dollars, but there are also allowances, which are paid in US dollars. Allowances are pretty significant, and can be even more than the base salary. Nevertheless, civil servant salaries are low. But the Budget is pretty small too. The wage bill to revenues is about 45%. The cost of living is quite high here; a bag of rice is about $25, leaving little for much else. I'm not sure what the World Bank poverty line of $2/day (or $1/day extreme poverty) would translate to in PPP terms here today, but $70/month is pretty much there...

Bollywood in Monrovia

There's a cinema in Monrovia. Actually, I think there's two, but I'm not sure if the 'Relda' is open. The Rivoli is though, and it's across the street from work. It's a dilapidated building; the stairs are crumbling, as is the facade. The sign out front says 'Rivoli' in big red letters. I had wondered if it was a cinema.

It is indeed a cinema, and it plays Bollywood movies! We went to see a movie the other day: 'Goal', a Bollywood movie set in London, and about...you guessed it, football/soccer! So I got my fix of movies, Bollywood and London in one go. The theatre's quite big, with orchestra and balcony seating. It hints at what Monrovia might have been like long ago. While the seats are mostly still in place, some are replaced with white plastic chairs. Little kittens roam the stage by the screen.

It was a Monday night, so not a big movie night. Movies are only 40 Liberian Dollars (about 60 cents). There must have been only about 20-30 people in the theatre, but audience participation was definitely in. They got right into the movie; talking back to the screen, cheering, berating, yelling. It was all I expected of a Bollywood flick. There was the requisite song and dance scene, the 3 hour slow-moving plot, and luckily English subtitles. It was definitely an experience. I had fun! I might just go again.

It's typhoid

Well I finally found out why I've been feeling horrible this past week. I have typhoid. Unlucky. Unlucky because I also had the typhoid vaccine before I came...but it's only about 80 per cent effective. I happen to be in that 20 per cent. I went to the clinic again. I explained my symptoms; I'd been there just a week before. At first the attendant suggested perhaps it was the change in the weather, or maybe I needed to turn down my air conditioning. I asked for a typhoid test. It came back positive. At least I know now why I've been feeling ill.