Merry Christmas!

We woke up today to a Santa gift tied to our door.  This was clearly an American Santa for two reasons.  First, the gift contained a luscious mini snickers bar.  Yum.  Second, it was a gift.  Liberians call Santa Old Beggar Man.  Their Santa comes and is given gifts.  There is no getting.  As Christmas has made its way here we have been approached by many people who have said, "My Christmas is on you!"  Apparently they say this to each other and not just the white people.  We have all been approached by folks asking for money because we are the rich white folks so it is refreshing to know that the request for Christmas is not just at us.  

On one of my first days here is was approached by a 19 yo boy.  He was very close to me physically and announced that I could be his mommy and he could be my black boy.  His plan would be that I adopt him and he could come to the land of plenty.  After that first meeting he got the message that he came on too strong.  Since then he helped me buy a new phone and I gave him my old one to fix and sell.  I also gave him a small an

Mount of money for helping me find a new phone.  After I gave him the money he left immediately.  This is not about friendship for him.  It is about personal gain.  Still I didn't mind giving the money and I don't mind seeing him for a couple minutes each day.  

We are staying in a guest house that has a woman who comes around and helps with laundry and cleaning.  She is not always here and a man named Harris does most of the work and does it well.  In the hall the other morning she asked me for $30 American dollars for her Christmas.  I gave her $10 and was troubled all day.  Obviously it was not the money itself but the manner in which it was solicited.  By my cultural norms it was crass, but people here, not just the kids blatantly ask the rich white folks for money all the time.

Joe under the Christmas ball.  I brought decorations from Monrovia.

Our typical breakfast morning gathering for those staying here.

If I could publish these you would know that I have spent days on the back of Prince's motorbike.  He hardly talks so I don't know him well but in out small dealings I know he is a smart, honest man.  He has jobs for NGOs mostly working with kids until he was hurt in a motorcycle accident a couple years ago.  (I know.  I was nervous as well). He has a 4" leg length discrepancy due to a tib-fib fracture so hard labor is tough for him.  He is married and has 3 kids.  All the times we went out riding he never asked for extra.  We agreed up front on a price and he stuck to it.  His buddy Isaac continually overestimated the distances and asked for extra gas money.  A few days ago he made a point to stop and give me a ride between his other customers (he uses his motorcycle as a taxi for a living).  When we got to my destination about a minute later I asked him how much and he said nothing.  He is not a gouger and, in my understanding of the world, a good business man.  As Christmas approached it dawned on me that I wanted to give him extra money for Christmas.  I stopped him on the road and gave him $20 US.  As I was sitting at CeCe's, the local hang out.  He brought his daughter to meet me.  She is three and was terrified but he had dressed her up in a fancy clean frilly dress.  He was clearly proud of her.  Her name was Princess.  That was $20 I felt great about giving.

Prince and me!

Merry Christmas!!!