Football, flat tires, babies and Welsh poetry

Happy New Year!

Where do I begin? Lots of newsy type details so I'll start from the beginning and work my way forward. After a long several weeks of travels to do loan disbursements I was pretty wiped out and was initially not too excited to trek 5 hours back up the road I'd just come down the last week, and then another four hours past that to Bunadin, the hometown of Allen Gweh, LEAD's National Director, and where I would be spending my Christmas break. After piling ten warm bodies, and plenty of luggage and gifts into the Land Cruiser (hereafter referred to as a 'jeep', because that's what we call all SUVs here), we took off on Christmas Eve day for Bunadin and survived the trip with only one casualty: a flat tire, but this is not unusual. After repairing the tire and continuing on, we arrived in Bunadin at 10pm where we were met with plenty of pomp and circumstance, warm greetings, and a few speeches under the main shelter in the community.

As it happens, Christmas weekend was also being used to re-launch a community based organization (CBO) which had been around since 1981, and had been responsible for building the gathering shelter we were under, as well as the community's med clinic, and several other projects. Allen and I would be staying in a house owned by his family and the following morning (Christmas Day) I slept in a bit, but then joined Allen's father Paul outside.

Paul Gweh, on the football field

After exchanging morning formalities, and then staring out across the yard for 15 minutes, I worked on establishing a rapport.

"So, what's the plan for today? Are there any big events going on?"

"Oh yes," says Paul. "We are doing it now."

We chat for a bit longer before I ask him to take me on a tour of the community. Paul has lived in Bunadin all his life, and seems to know most of the community's 1500 inhabitants by first name. He lays out for me the general landscape of the homes (each with its own unique pattern on the outside, made by covering the bamboo walls with mud, then 'painting' on decorations using mixing different colors of dirt from various areas around this community, mixed with water). He also introduces me to all sorts of community members, the school where Allen attended growing up, and the market which is deserted all days but Wednesday.


Two things struck me about the community.
1) There are almost no businesses. The largest is a video shop where you can pay 15LD to watch Nigerians soaps, US action movies, or that night's Chelsea game. All businesses are simply tables where women and children would sell 'small small': rice, margarine, salt, etc. in single serving sizes, as well as a small assortment of cookies, candies and cans of sardines.
2) The community has been around for some time now, and it was not likely anticipated to grow to the size it currently is. Houses are scattered about in no particular order. It really makes for an interesting feel. Few roads or cars get in the way, and fenced in yards would simply not work. In a departure from fenced-in and isolated rectangular lots in America, the four days in Bunadin were not spent with just a few close family members, but were instead a constant stream of friends and relatives, stopping in for visits and chats.

As it turns out, Paul was holding back. He failed to mention the traditional Elders Vs. Youth Annual Football Match, where Allen and I were graced with the honor of playing on the Elders' team, which boasts a perfect record in the history of this tradition. I threw on some basketball shorts and a t-shirt, tightened the laces on my sneakers, and carried my bottle of water out to the field. Shortly after starting the game, it became quite clear as to how the elders have been able to maintain an unblemished record. Anyone not currently playing (hundreds of folks) stood behind/in front of the elders' goal, blocking any shots on net. Additionally, the ref (who looks EXACTLY like a Mano version of my Oakdale Christian fourth grade teacher Gary Warners) called everything in our favor. Once the youth figured out that they were not going to win, we beat them handily, 4-0. I had a blast, and the crowd was very forgiving and even considerate of the fact that I haven't played on a 'soccer' team since 10th grade. They cheered me on as I thwarted a few oncoming youth (I played defense) and even encouraged me after wiping out when I lost traction on the 'field's' gravel. Allen did well too, and was happy to be playing on the elders' team for the first time.

Friday evening was low key, but Saturday was scheduled as a fund raising event for the CBO. Scheduled to start at 10, we waited around until 2:03 PM when the event finally kicked off. As per official white-guy-in-Africa guidelines, I was expected to sit stage center, rubbing shoulders with actual big shots like the Paramount Chief and the Minister of (?), and shook hands with most every citizen of Bunadin. The fundraiser was successful and plenty of money was raised, including a $10 bill luckily found in, and dug from, my jeans' back pocket while I delivered a short 'speech' after being called to the podium and asked how much I would be contributing. Myself and most of the the other VIP's up front slipped out while the money was being counted, just after 6pm.

Me, being welcomed by the dancers (who otherwise do wear shirts!) who don't stop until you tip them. Anthony (second from the right) is the Paramount Chief of the region.

Sunday morning we loaded up the jeep with our luggage and 16 warm bodies (if you include a few chickens) and began our trek back to Monrovia. Another 9 hour trip - two flats this time - and we were welcomed back to to the city with the smells, sights and noises of the city.

The remainder of the holiday season has been spent around the greater Monrovia area. The LEAD offices are officially closed between Christmas and New Year's, but the work is plenty and we spent a few days in the office, taking care of details and catching up on emails. Now that our apartment is connected to the central power grid, I borrowed the jeep and purchased a water storage bucket, and a mini fridge so I can now do much more cooking at home (and save the leftovers).

Nursing a bit of homesickness with two good friends and some Mac & Cheese. (My new fridge allows me to prepare slightly more adventurous food than this)

New Year's Eve was spent in high class at the RLJ Kendeja Resort, Liberia's single finest establishment and workplace of my friend Andrew who is the GM there and was a huge winner when he let me stay over in his guest suite instead of riding back to town in the dark.

New Year's Day was spent replacing the temporary fix of yellow electrical tape which has been holding on my motorcycle's loose brake light and turn signal, and also getting an oil change. Liberia's roads are unforgiving for vehicles, and I'm regularly reminded to tighten bolts by rattling noises or the tinking along of metal parts on pavement behind me. I'm currently experimenting with ways of using that same tape to strap my camera to the front of my motorbike, to give all you folks a video tour of the streets I run each day.

This morning I stepped out of the shower (yes, running water this morning!) to notice a missed call. Apparently my house back in Grand Rapids, affectionately known as 'the Neland Estate', was broken into last night. My tenants report a few thousand dollars in goods missing, and I'm sure a bit of frustration. Its a clear reminder that the world is in fact still happening back home and that, the poor everywhere can be lead to destructive behavior in desperate economics times, both in Liberia and back home. That last line is of course in reference to getting jumped and roughed up a bit about two months back. On the bright side, I logged into my online banking account this morning and was happy to see a pop-up article which explained that Midwestern business owners believe the recession will be over by the fourth quarter of this year, or early next year! Keep up the good work folks; I expect a booming economy when I return.

Finally, the latest exciting news is this: (not exatly in chronological order but I wanted to save it for last) I'm happy to announce the birth of my nephew Dylan Thomas Vander Ploeg! I received a text from by brother Isaac while hanging out with friends by the pool on New Year's Eve, announcing Dylan's birth. Everyone was quick to ask if he is named after the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (he's not) who I had never heard of. Dave and Karen are taking him home today to join his older sister Kendall as the fourth member of the family. Dave emailed me a few photos and so far I was able to download the one below.

Mom, VERY happy with the situation.

Thanks for reading! A prayer request for the day: I have an infection on my left knee which is causing me a surprising amount of pain that just won't go away. I'm off to the pharmacy (where meds are cheap and easy to get) for some antibiotics, so I'm hoping it clears up soon.