Saturday, December 5, 2009

Monrovia Weekend

Last night, worldgroove and I ate at Be First, an Indian-Pakistani-Bangladeshi joint over in Sinkor. The food was wonderful, if rather unexpected. We had expected to go there. We expected the good food. We just had no way of knowing what we would eat. Liberia is 80% illiterate now, which makes drink and food ordering chancy. I ordered Chana Masala and garlic naan. When I asked what chana meant, the waiter told me lentils. Chana does not mean lentils. Chana means chickpeas. But the chickpeas were wonderful, and the chipati was wonderful. 


Today, shopping. We picked up a zillion things for the house, plus a radio, a fan, and some kwee (Western) food. We got mobbed by homeless former child soldiers. I bought a bootleg DVD that doesn't work (very odd here- most of the bootlegs work fine), a pair of Birkenstocks for $20 out of a wheelbarrrel, and enough liquid provisions (rum) to last the rest of the month. And we made the most amazing discovery - a functioning public library in Monrovia. More on that later.


Tomorrow, worldgroove and a fellow IFESH-er will work on my dreads. We might have the fancy breakfast at the hotel, since I've quit trying to eat at the convent. Apparently, the good cooks have quit. We'll chat and visit friends, as every business in Liberia is shut down on Sundays. I'll pop popcorn.

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