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!!!

ETU

Today we all went to the ETU.  There were bigwigs from the German construction company there checking on the work.  We all agree that this ETU has some serious design flaws.  We will have to get creative in deciding how to use it.  I will pat my back when I say I came up with the option that makes the most sense so far.  It cures at least four ills in the design.  The way it is going it is unclear if we will or won't actually work there.  Not working there, not having patients will be a big stressor.  We will see how we all handle that should it come to pass.

I think Jonathan and I are set to continue Cheryl's mission. She leaves tomorrow and I am going to really miss her.  She has been a blast.  We talked tonight about some public health strategies to try to contribute to the community.  I can see some of us continuing that work.

This morning we were given a pineapple and bought some papaya off the kids right here in the compound.  We had some mini bananas for dinner.  It was excellent to have fresh produce!!!!!

Fish Town!

I am writing this on 12/12.  I am noting that because I have no idea when I will have Internet to publish this to the blog.  This morning George, WASH team; Cheryl, public health nurse; and I took a Samaritans Purse flight from Monrovia to Fish Town.  There is another group coming here by car.  They leave tomorrow on their overnight drive here.  We got to the airport and were treated extremely kindly by the Sam' Purse people.  They only take riders if they have room.  This flight was to carry buckets to Fish Town where they would use them to make up hygiene kits to distribute to rural families.  The plane was packed with them.  The flight was excellent including the hard landing on a rough landing strip outside of Fish Town.  The scenery reminded me of Alaska flying with the windy rivers and the vast undeveloped land.  The vegetation is completely different obviously and the terrain is bumpy- not quite flat.  Here are flight related pics.

Monrovia's small airport.  Not the one at which we arrived in the country.  

Touching the outside of the plane for good luck.

Lots of UN craft there.

Caravan

Cheryl, Co-pilot

Jazzed for the flight!!!

Good bye Monrovia!

The ETU at a couple hundred feet.

Landing strip

Safely on the ground.

Bucket unloaded.  We are off for a twelve mile drive to Fish Town.

Boring day gets filled

We began the day with a walk back to the charcoal making place in the woods.  Jonathan and Joe had never seen it.  We took pictures back in the huge trees on the way to the cutting field.  I think they enjoyed the hike.  I did.  The jungle was absolutely alive with noise.  I wish I knew more about the creatures here.  

Next was out breakfast of Oatie cookies and fruit- bananas, papaya, and pineapple.  All fresh from the nearby trees.  I learned that pineapple grows close to the ground.  Never knew that before.  All three were as sweet as they could be.  

Internet was next-  mooching off the Germans this time.  It was no better than the other NGO so I couldn't get the blog going or get my email or send pictures.  Poor Jean was awakened early and consented to text chat for a while at 430am.  That was heroic.  

We met the Department of Defense as they landed their Black Hawk on the helipad.  Apparently they are here to train the local staff for 5 days in the end of December.  Good to know.  Terry is trying to swing a deal where they can stay in our camp which theoretically will be open by then.  With a commitment to the Army I think it makes it more likely we will get up there sooner.   

We checked out training sites- two local schools.  With great paintings on the walls.  They are available since school is closed due to the epidemic.  I hesitate to post pics I case just words might upload with the weak wifi we have here.  We then went to the ETU.  Jonathan and I had a great talk with an army guy who was quite frank about life in the Army.

Next stop was the CCC owned by Samaritans Purse.  We were welcomed to tour since they have not had a patient yet.  It is a sweet little mini ETU.  I thought it made a ton of sense.  This afternoon they had a suspect case who was too scared to go in.  Her husband took her away and the thought is she went back into the community.  Jonathan. Went back up to follow up on the patient to try to trace her and found out she has been treated here at the health center and that the PA was going to follow up on her tomorrow.  She seemingly met the screening criteria for ebola.  Hopefully she is not our index case.

We met at the usual place for dinner.  Our own cooks make the meals now and tonight's was fantastic.  Spicy spaghetti and chicken with real meat on the bones.  Bananas for produce.  Tomorrow is market day in fish town so they will be looking for some fresh fish for dinner.  I will go scope out the nutrition of the market offerings to see what is available to the residents.  But I jump ahead.  Maybe someone will someday get to read this again.  I hope so.  I miss you guys.

The Hood

I am feeling pretty comfortable here.  Walking a ton.  The Best 8 Guest house is about 2 miles from Fish Town business area so we either get around by motorcycle or walk.  These are my digs.

We get up in the morning when the electricity goes off- about 630 or 700.  Cheryl and I go for a walk.  Then we meet at the "waffle house" where we can get cream of wheat, eggs, bread, sardines, or beans or any combo of the above.  All cooked by the owner- a man about 20 or his 13 yo brother.  They are both cute as heck and keep about as clean a kitchen as you will find here. 

There are always little siblings around.

This little guy runs money from restaurant to shop to get bills changed.  High finance for 4 years old.

After breakfast Cheryl and I run around town meeting health officials to introduce ourselves and attempt to drum up a purpose for our team if we have no ebola.  So far the things they identify as needs are fuel and money.  Not things we can provide.  We met this young man who is a PA and the supervisor of all the health facilities in River Gee County.  He knows the county but insists that all the facilities are well staffed and the care is top notch.  He came here right out of PA school in Monrovia so this is all he knows.

We took the motorbikes with Isaac and Prince driving 12 miles back toward the airport only to find the Sarbo Health Center closed.  They closed all the clinics for two days in order to pay people.  Not sure how that worked.  In Sarbo we met two men- the district commissioner and the quality control officer for the school system in River Gee.   And tons of children including Buzz Lightyear.

This is Cheryl after the ride.

Dr. Joe and Jonathon, nurse, and Henry, WASH, arrived tonight.  Yeah.  I will have somebody to play with when Cheryl leaves!

The Hood

I am feeling pretty comfortable here.  Walking a ton.  The Best 8 Guest house is about 2 miles from Fish Town business area so we either get around by motorcycle or walk.  These are my digs.

We get up in the morning when the electricity goes off- about 630 or 700.  Cheryl and I go for a walk.  Then we meet at the "waffle house" where we can get cream of wheat, eggs, bread, sardines, or beans or any combo of the above.  All cooked by the owner- a man about 20 or his 13 yo brother.  They are both cute as heck and keep about as clean a kitchen as you will find here. 

There are always little siblings around.

This little guy runs money from restaurant to shop to get bills changed.  High finance for 4 years old.

After breakfast Cheryl and I run around town meeting health officials to introduce ourselves and attempt to drum up a purpose for our team if we have no ebola.  So far the things they identify as needs are fuel and money.  Not things we can provide.  We met this young man who is a PA and the supervisor of all the health facilities in River Gee County.  He knows the county but insists that all the facilities are well staffed and the care is top notch.  He came here right out of PA school in Monrovia so this is all he knows.

We took the motorbikes with Isaac and Prince driving 12 miles back toward the airport only to find the Sarbo Health Center closed.  They closed all the clinics for two days in order to pay people.  Not sure how that worked.  In Sarbo we met two men- the district commissioner and the quality control officer for the school system in River Gee.   And tons of children including Buzz Lightyear.

This is Cheryl after the ride.

Dr. Joe and Jonathon, nurse, and Henry, WASH, arrived tonight.  Yeah.  I will have somebody to play with when Cheryl leaves!

The last few days

I haven't written a post for a while because it is a whale of a lot more fun when I can post them.  I will find out in the next few days if it will be at all possible for the rest of the time in Fish Town.  Since the last post we have visited a couple more village clinics and health centers.  The story is the same all over.  Since the NGO Merci left the health care workers have not been paid and they aren't getting their essential drug packets.  There are many other needs as well but we have not yet identified a project that could fly.  It would be nice to do something sustainable but the health care problems here run deep.  Ebola itself may actually make a difference in that infectious disease prevention techniques have made their way down to the smallest villages.  Whether they continue to be used when ebola is over remains to be seen.  

We went to the seaside town of Harper yesterday.  There are some beautiful spot there but as you see in the foreground of the picture they will never be internationally marketable until some garbage disposal and renovation happen.  International money will not put up with the quality here.

George, Uganda, and me on the rocks.

On the way back we had to wait for this van to be yanked ou of the mud hole by a van just like it plus six guys pushing.  They were not happy with us photographing their misfortune.

Thie is the namesake of the county, River Gee.

The drive was close to four hours each way for 110 km.  I spent the entire way back in the bed of the truck.  Probably not the safest but infinitely more comfortable than anywhere else.  It was a brutal drive.  These roads are best handled by motorbikes.  Luckily I have an ace driver.  He gave me a free ride in town today since he's made so much money off me.  That's good business.  I will definitely call him again.

On the way out of town we found a business that agreed to sell us some soft drinks for the trip back.  There was a teenaged girl washing their chairs that normally sit on their patio.  This woman/girl was amazing.  Whoever thinks Michelle Obama has nice arms should come to Liberia.  You would swear the woman were weight lifters.  They do tons of work with their arms and they are not a tiny bit fat.  As a result their arms are buff as heck.  Strong, strong women.  The men are buff too but that seems more obvious.  I have seen about four fat people.  Liberians do everything manually and they walk everywhere.  I pass them when I am walking but they walk all day long so pace themselves in the hot sun.  No need for an Uptown Y here.