Liberia, December 4

Some recent happenings...
I have jiggers in my toes...small burrowing insects that lay eggs and have to be squeezed out in a painful at-home surgery. Sounds fun, no? It's strange the things you get used to, the idea doesn't really bother me any more.
Also, fighting a low-level malarial situation...lose energy and get a little strange in the head in the evenings...but by morning I'm back to normal.
Will be leaving Liberia in 10 days. I try not to think about it, or talk about it when it enters my mind. When I do think about it, I tell myself that I will be returning in February, so that I don't get too much in to anticipatory grief. I am going to miss so many things about this experience: the Fellows, the Staff, the ocean, the gorgeous evening walks, getting to teach yoga 6 days a week, teaching enthusiastic students who love to learn, watching Nik be so free and engaged with life and the natural world and his friends, the moon over the water, the coconut palms, the ferns growing on the trunks of trees, living with 8 boisterous and entertaining people, our family dinners around the table, each person stating what they are grateful for that day, the laughter ringing through the house, the teasing and joking that goes on between Nik and the Fellows every day, getting my meals prepared for me every day... the list goes on and on.

Well, the dinner table is set and we are gathering, so will try to post a time or two more before we leave on December 14th.

love,

Rachel

Thanksgiving in Liberia

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

We had a special day here...called off classes and organized a fishing adventure on a very tippy canoe, out in to Lake Piso. We walked out to the mouth of the lake, where it connects to the ocean, and waited for our boat to paddle up, fishing for bait while we waited. When the canoe arrived, Nik's dad and I decided we were a little too old and fussy to sit in the bottom of a small leaky wooden vessel, but Nik, Timmy and Donnett went aboard and paddled out away from shore. Apparently, Nik caught all the fish, Donnett caught one, and Timmy caught none. They eventually straggled back right in time for our Thanksgiving lunch, carrying lots of fish. Gathered around the table and enjoyed American stuffing from a box along with our spicy chicken and rice dish. Nik's dad gave money for the chickens, and Nik and Essie had gone out and bought them from a neighbor and chased them around to catch them. Donnett killed them, Nik looking on in fascination...

This evening we went around the table and gave thanks for our day (which we do every day) and Nik's dad gave a good speech, which I translated into English, about how well he was being taken care of here and how much he was enjoying himself in this beautiful place. He spent most of the afternoon being entertained by local children, playing games and walking along the beach. He also generously bought new shoes and shirts for Nik's two best fishing buddy friends.

Today is the day that I commemorate the death of my father, since he passed away on Thanksgiving, and I believe that he would be very happy to see Nik and I here among such good friends and family.

love,

Rachel

Liberia, November 20

Hello All,
OK, catch up time again.
Today, early, a sea turtle came up on shore to lay eggs. But she came up at the wrong spot, where all the fishermen keep their boats. Luckily, since she didn't "belong" to anyone (no one had caught her), the people who had gathered around encouraged her back in to the sea and let her continue on with her life. As she reached the waves, one young lad stepped up on to her back and surfed out into the waves on her back. Several people dove in with her as she swam away, until they lost her in the waves.
I then got ready for service up at the Episcopalian church on the hill overlooking Robertsport and the ocean and Lake Piso. Such a beautiful place, reminds me of Cape Cod in summertime, bushes and flowers overlooking the sea with old New England stone architecture. We were told service started at 9, so we hiked up the mountain with my breakfast of fried plantains in my hand. But no one, not even the pastor, was there when we arrived. about 9:30 the pastor arrived, and 15 minutes later a few other people straggled up the hill. Apparently, service actually starts closer to 11. African time. But once things got started, the sermon was interesting and funny and had a good message, and I was asked to stand and was welcomed by the pastor and congregation.

My pepper plants are starting to poke up out of the goat manure.

Getting things done here (the roof needs replacing - badly - and the fence around the house has been in major disrepair since I got here) has been a challenge. There are very few materials available, and even when they are, getting someone to cut them down and transport them to us seems to take forever. And finding someone to do that is difficult too. Frustrating, and not sure what the root causes are. Lack of motivation, lack of energy, lack of that old American "get it done" attitude - not sure...

Nik's father is coming to visit for a week on Tuesday. The last time Nik saw his dad was 3 summers ago...it will be interesting to see how they interact here in Nik's house, as we've always been on his dad's turf in Mali or France.

Thanksgiving coming up on Thursday...not sure how/if we will celebrate. I'm going in to Monrovia on Tuesday to do the shopping and will have to see if any Thanksgiving-ish items appear to me.

Classes with the Fellows have been entertaining and productive, as usual. I am teaching them Latin word roots and derivatives, have taught them how to conjugate Latin verbs (good mental calisthenics!) and tomorrow we'll do names of body parts and their derivatives (e.g. manus = hand, where we get manual, manufacture, manicure, etc.).

Yoga classes have been good, getting up at 5 to do my own practice, then waking everyone up at 6 for our group class. Attendance is sometimes spotty (just 2 or 3 of the 6 Fellows) but I can't force anyone out of bed for yoga...and those that do come seem to really be enjoying it.

Love to you all,

Rachel

Liberia, November 12

Hello All,
So hard to keep up with reporting things here!
This morning, worked with some small kids to clean the yard (once they figured out what I was doing, they competed with each other to race to pick up the next piece of trash), transplanted some small trees from the side of the house out in to the yard, collected some goat manure from a local farmer and planted pepper seeds in a little nursery up on our balcony. Then had a delicious cajun-type lunch of spicy kidney beans, sweet potatoes and rice - I need to learn that recipe!
Yesterday, Nik went out fishing twice with his two friends, Samuel and Mohammed (MoMo for short) and brought back fish to fry for lunch and then fish for fish pepper soup in the evening. Nik is getting a real cultural immersion, learning how to cook local fish dishes over a coal fire, cleaning the fish, etc.

Yesterday, I taught the Fellows about the eight parts of speech, which then turned in to a discussion about evolution, gay marriage, prostitution, etc. Nik and Donnet also presented their survey results on a virus they each researched, answering questions from a panel and engaging us in interesting discussions about AIDS and rabies.

It was 11/11/11 yesterday, the official beginning of the Aquarian Age, so we celebrated with extra yoga in the morning, then I made popcorn for morning snack, and bought sodas at night during our Friday Festival or dancing and singing...not the typical Aquarian Age celebration, but it's what we got here in Robertsport...

I also went swimming by myself for the first time, and sat on the beach watching the sun go down. so beautiful and peaceful here, giving thanks for having been brought to this amazing place and these amazing people.

Having a hard time deciding whether to stay for the spring semester, or come back in December to stay in Boulder permanently. Will keep praying for guidance and the best decision...

A few days ago, on an early evening walk, went into an old abandoned hotel and was blown away with the eery-ness and beauty of the place. see the photo...

Tomorrow, will teach two yoga classes to the community here at the House, one for kids, one for young adults. The kids are boisterous and enthusiastic, we'll see how the two teenage boys who are coming take to it...

OK, feeling more caught up.

Love to you all,

Rachel

Liberia, November 6

Greetings!

A quick update...

Nik and I went to Monrovia Saturday, his first trip in to the capital. He hasn't been willing to go in for previous grocery shopping trips, which take all day and involve at least 6 hours of driving, but the enticement of pizza and ice cream was finally too much.

He was a good traveler, as usual, plying our taxi driver with questions about monkey sightings and getting an interesting story about the driver hitting a crocodile in the road and taking it home on the top of his car.

Three hours later, we made the transition to another taxi just outside of Monrovia, and made our way over the bridge into the city. We got out and managed to be jostled along the streets, the sidewalks full of vendors, to Stop and Shop, which is owned by a Lebanese man and strives to be as American as possible. Nik was in awe of the canned tuna and candy selection. And the donut was on the house.

We then had several errands to run, and in one electronics store, the owner allowed Nik to sit and watch an American cartoon movie while Emmanuel and I finished our shopping, buying fresh fruits and veggies out on the street from street vendors. I found avocados (called butter pears here), green beans, carrots, cabbage, zucchini, cilantro - I was in heaven. We bought our items and left them with one of the vendors so we could return later for them on our way out of town. Notice the theme of leaving precious items in the care of strangers....and in all instances, the trust was well placed. We made our way back to Nik in the electronics store, and I struck up a conversation with the owner, who was Indian, explaining that I was teaching yoga. We talked yoga shop for a while, and he may bring his family out to Strongheart in the next few months to enjoy the beach.

When I asked about good pizza in Monrovia, he phoned his friend, also an Indian, who runs the Palm Hotel, and sent us to his friend to take good care of us. The pizza, according to Nik, was delicious, and I had a fresh salad and delicious Middle Eastern eggplant dish. Heaven.

Then the challenge of getting all of our boxes and propane tanks and fresh veggies back to Robertsport...not an easy task, but after two more taxi rides, and several more hours, we arrived near home by 8 pm, tho the taxi would not take us to our house because of the horrendous state of our road, so we had to carry all the items back to the house on our heads.

Luckily, we had found a bootleg version of Tom and Jerry on the street, so Nik was well entertained as we made our way back on the terrible road back to Robertsport.

Thank God for portable DVD players.

The moon is waxing, and a walk on the beach under the moonlight was just the thing to heal the bumps and bruises of our adventure.

love,

Rachel

ps – nothing brings 10 year old boys together across the cultural and language divide like old Tom and Jerry cartoons. There are guffaws and cackles coming from the next room from a group of kids as I write this….

Liberia, October 31

Hello All,

Let's see, where to start.

This morning I taught some basic yoga poses to 8 young kids from the neighborhood. Some of them were really good - able to hold tree pose forever, seemingly, and enjoying doing the difficult downward dog pushups with one leg in the air...more and more kids kept coming wanting to join, it may end up being a big Sunday class.

Yesterday Timmy and I walked to the beach to find Nik and three of the Fellows joining in with the local fishermen to pull in a giant net from a canoe out in the sea. It was like a giant tug of war game with the fish in the net...and the fish lost. Lots of small fish, and several large ones (called in the local dialect "sea chickens"), a tuna, some barracuda. People on the line were putting the smaller live fish in to their pockets to take home as bait or for their afternoon soup. Since he had helped, Nik was given a barracuda, and he sold it for 75 Liberian dollars, which is about $1.25. He will use it to buy drink mixes to put in water or bread in the market when he gets hungry and our meal isn't ready.

Yesterday morning, a couple in their 20s from the community came up for a private yoga class, which they really seemed to enjoy. People here are not used to sitting cross legged, so even just basic stretching poses are challenging. But the woman had good balance, and the man's strength served him well in the difficult poses. Hopefully they will bring some friends next time. I felt proud of them for being willing to try something new.

It has been getting hot here, and the rain is coming less and less to cool things off.

There has been a major upset in the elections, and the election commissioner admitted that differing results were reported, and in fact the opposition party, CDC, won the first election. Ellen's party came in second, so it won't change the run-off election parties on Nov 8, but psychologically it definitely changes things. Apparently, the election commissioner sent his family to the US before he made the announcement (in fear for them) but the US wouldn't allow them to stay. Now the CDC will participate in the run-off election, since they feel like the first election was fairly reported now.

Please see the new Strongheart website: http://flavors.me/stronghearthouse

We need donations!!! there is a spot on the website on which you can donate. We need groceries and money to pay the local staff (cook, housekeeper, someone to bring the water from the stream for bathing and drinking, etc.). Thank you!!

The crescent moon appeared last evening, so beautiful over the ocean, with Venus sparkling brightly near by.

We went to a wake for the neighborhood "governor" Friday night. The coffin was draped with a Liberian flag, in the City Hall, and women were dancing and singing all around it. What amazing energy surrounding him, a good way to go. The dancing and singing went on all night apparently.

We have a pet monitor lizard tied to a tree. Nik brings it dead fish to eat. They say that it will become tame and not need to be tied at some point.

Classes have been going well, there is good positive energy in the house, and things are running smoothly. There was a lot of publicity for Strongheart because of Evelyn Apoko, one of the Fellows, speaking out about the situation in Uganda and Rush Limbaugh's comments about the LRA, by whom she was abducted as a child. Brave woman - interviews on CNN, going to Capitol Hill, etc.

Speaking her truth.

Next Friday the Fellows and I plan on performing MC Yogi's "Be the Change" rap about Gandhi, which is the house favorite song.

Thanks for following!

love,

Rachel

Liberia, October 23

Well, it's been a little while since I've posted. Partly because I need to conserve laptop battery, partly because I have gotten busy taking on the financial budgeting and accounting here at the house. Which has been teaching me a lot about the behind the scenes workings of running an establishment here in Liberia. And also I think bringing me closer to people here since I am becoming a more integral part of the House.

Have had many lovely daily adventures here recently, and am really really happy. Feeling connected to people, swimming in the warm and calm sea, feeling like I am being of use, teaching yoga every day. Nik is taking on more of a sense of being a part of the house, and is becoming more and more willing to help out and "be useful" as I say (and as the Fellows make fun of me for saying). Had an American visitor stay here last night, it was interesting to be in the position of getting to be the tour guide and seeing this amazing place through another's eyes. It is becoming more like home, like a place that I belong to and that I am happy to share with others. We all (Fellows and Staff) worked hard yesterday to get the house ready, and everyone worked together to make sure there was delicious food available and clean water in the house, etc., and I think we all felt that sense of accomplishment from working together and creating something successful. Our visitors made a generous donation to the house, and gave our dear cook a ride in to Monrovia on their way back so she could attend her brother's funeral.

Above is a picture of me and Timmy and Gabriel carting broken chairs to the chair doctor in their wheelbarrow ambulance. With a book on my head, carrying things in the African style.

Nik goes out fishing with friends every afternoon, coming home just before dinner and darkfall. He is making good progress in Math, we are working on long division and he has mastered multiplication and math facts are rolling off his tongue now. I think one on one instruction has been very beneficial for him. I am also having he and a Fellow do a survey on a particular virus of interest - Nik chose AIDS and has been asking several people in and out of the house what they know about it. We will compile results this week in graphed and written ways. I've been enjoying keeping my hand in being a "school teacher" but glad to have just a few students, and mostly getting to teach yoga and from the amazing book Wired for Joy.

We hope to start a small pepper garden in the yard this week, and will be inventorying the house to get ready to start opening it up as a guest house. So lots of projects! Yay!

Love to you all. If you are moved, please consider donating to this amazing organization: http://flavors.me/stronghearthouse

Rachel

Liberia, October 15

Swimming every day in the beautiful sea. And here's a poem I wrote sitting on the beach. First poem I've written in years and years...using inspiration from my life here of sugar cane and wells and fishing nets and fish.

The Poem Fish

The poetry juice has dried up, she thought, like a

sucked out

sugar cane.

Writing poetry about a lack of poems seems futile

but it’s possible that

deep in the well

maybe

something

liquid awaits.

Waits to be re-membered and

drawn up – hand-over-hand, strenuously.

Inspiration won’t bubble up, unasked for.

Like any grail, it will sit out the ages until

it is

sought.

no hurry

no inner compulsion to advertise its wares to uninterested parties.

but

when a

light

is shone

down into the depths

something stirs and

waves begin to lap the edges of awareness

until a net might be cast down and a

fish-poem

gets dragged into the light.

Liberia, October 13

Today, I was inspired to start a Science class for Nik and some of the Fellows. Will start by studying viruses and bacteria, partly because they are interesting and partly because they are such a large part of our reality here and good to be well informed about. Nik is currently recovering from some kind of intestinal parasite…

As a former Agricultural Peace Corps Volunteer, and a current vegetarian, it is appalling how few fruits and vegetables are available in the local market here. I’ve had thoughts about starting a community garden or some kind of gardening project here, and on election day on the way back from observing the voting we passed a large parcel of land growing sugar canes. I said to Timmy that maybe that would be a good place to start a community garden.

Today, we went to visit the former Robertsport mayor, and lo and behold, she is a gardener and actually owns the parcel of land growing the sugar canes. She was very open to the idea of gathering some women together who might be interested in a community garden. One of the main problems here is that the young people do not want to do work (according to the former mayor)…so we are brainstorming ways to overcome that obstacle…like maybe somehow coercing the local soccer team to help us. A work in progress, but it was an exciting contact. The former mayor reminds me of my recently deceased grandmother…wise and willing to be quite frank about her critique of the current culture. And also, she’s a gardener like my grandmother and seems to derive a lot of pleasure from growing her peppers and eggplant and bananas. And sugar cane. Which Nik and I are sucking on this very moment. Delicious.

Liberia, October 12

Hello dear ones,
So far so good on the Liberian election. Went as an unofficial observer and things were quite peaceful and cheerful. People came out in their best clothes. It was nice to see middle aged and elderly Liberians, since on the street you mostly see young people and children. So far it looks like "Ma Ellen" will win, but no official results yet. We make prayers every day at the end of yoga class for a peaceful result, and have lots of conversations about why some people/countries learn lessons from tragedy and others tend to repeat it. Hopefully Liberia went through enough pain and is ready to keep moving in the direction of peace and recovery. The three Fellows in the house who voted all have the dark ink stain on their index finger indicated that they did so. This was the first time they were able to vote in their own country, since during the 2005 election they were in a refugee camp in Ghana. I learned today that their family went to the US Embassy in Monrovia seeking help and were flown out of Liberia, to that camp where they then all grew up. The oldest child was 5 when they fled Liberia.

Had an early dinner tonight and Nik and I went for an evening stroll on the beach. The sky was pink and grey and both colors were reflected in the water. The Strongheart dogs, Bingo and Blackie, chased the crabs running in to the water. There was a light rain, and bait fisherman were pushing off in their canoes for some night time fishing.

Until next time,

Rachel

Liberia, October 10

The Liberian Presidential election is tomorrow!!

So far, no word of anything untoward.

Today was a holiday (to celebrate the day before election day, I suppose) so Timmy and I organized the staff and Fellows and some of the local kids who spend a lot of time here with Nik to clean the yard. We then celebrated our productivity with a lovely swim in the sea. Tomorrow, (another holiday, for voting) after the of-age Fellows vote, we will re-paint the interior walls white to cover over all the grimy fingerprints.

Had a very interesting talk with one of the staff about the history of this house we are staying in and what happened in Robertsport during the civil war. Some notes: it was built in 1973 (the year before I was born). It is owned by a Liberian woman who currently lives in Georgia. Her mother, who passed away this past summer, was a nurse both here in Robertsport and in Georgia. When it was first built, it was a motel and the yard was full of coconut palms. The house was used by Charles Taylor’s forces until 1992, then was partially destroyed by rebel factions after they left.

He peppered his explanations with several inflammatory remarks about the current political situation and the war, that I will not repeat here. There is such a sense of how recent history is here. When we think of civil war, the American imagination places it at a safe distance (at least for me, a Northerner); here it was just a few years ago. Nik’s 12 year old friend Samuel was born during the war and his family fled by dug-out canoe on the sea.

Samuel and several other friends of Nik’s, and Timmy and I, and the two Strongheart dogs, took a march down the beach yesterday to a beach where sea turtles come to lay their eggs. Samuel then disappeared into the forest and emerged with a fruit called a monkey apple, which was quite delicious. One of Nik’s aspirations is to try as many exotic tropical fruits as he can, so he was well satisfied. There are also many wild almond trees here, you can eat the fruit and then once the pit dries you crack it open between two rocks and eat the nut inside.

On Saturday, I took a trip in to Monrovia to do the shopping. It is a 12 hour excursion on bad roads, quite exhausting and overwhelming. But so good to have a stocked house and everyone was quite grateful. The Fellow who came with me has come down with malaria, so he is slowly recovering from that. People here get malaria countless times so it tends not to be as seriously debilitating for adults as it is for Westerners.

Everyone has returned from the soccer tournament, the team that one of the Fellows is on made it to the Finals and came in second. Yay! He was approached by a coach in Monrovia who invited him to pursue joining a higher ranking team. We’ll see, but it was an honor in any case, since only 2 other players from all the teams were approached.

Lots more, of course, but thanks for reading and being a part of this experience with me!

Love,

Rachel

October 6

Finally managed to go to the local business district (one muddy road with tiny tin shack shops) and buy some West African cloth to make into a skirt. I chose orange, my favorite color. Then had an unfortunate adventure trying to support a local women's sewing co-operative...they wanted to charge me $75 to hem it...I should have left then and there, but instead stayed to bargain it down to $5, which was still way overpriced and when I told the Strongheart cook about it she was scandalized and I wished that I could give her $5 to hem it for me. But I had to learn my lesson the hard way I suppose. One of the women had alcohol on her breath. Part of me would have liked to go back and take my cloth back, but I don't want to start conflict for Strongheart here in town, so I shall swallow my pride and hope for the best.

The photos: the Cotton Tree here in Robertsport where the original former slaves landed when they first arrived on the west coast of Africa. The tree is enormous, powerful, ancient feeling. The other photo is from a walk to where the Atlantic meets Lake Piso. The Fellows, and Timmy my fellow Program Guide, walking hand in hand.

Last night, we had "electronic games" night, which meant a giant image of Wii tennis projected on to the wall. The Fellows and Nik had quite a work out. What an odd juxtaposition of technology/leisure/wealth with the facts of poverty and no electricity all around us.

Still no propane in the country, so we are cooking on coal in the outside kitchen. Which makes things like a cup of tea or warm water for a bath too much work to ask for. So Nik is getting used to cold bucket baths.

Another jigger removed from Nik's toe this morning, by one of the Fellows. This time, no tears.

Some of the Fellows left today to play soccer at a tournament that the President of Liberia will be attending. May they represent Strongheart House well! The elections occur next week...may they pass peacefully and may the best person win.

love,

Rachel

Liberia October 4

OK, couple of notes.

Nik got a jigger in his toe. A painful surgery with a sharpened stick (unapproved by me) followed. Hopefully all the antibiotic stuff I put on after will save the situation. A few tears, but all the love and laughter around him helped.

Nik has joined a local club of three, they are called the Veggie Boys, poking fun at my vegetarianism. They have a dance and a handshake.

The moon is waxing, at night the sand shines brightly all around the house and the palm trees frame the stars burning above.

Nik and some some local boys have invented a new game, a combination of football and soccer. You throw a football as hard as you can at the goal, which is being guarded by your opponent.

A few days ago, a young boy shimmied up a 60 foot coconut palm and threw coconuts at our feet. Tasty.

Boogie boarding in the surf on the weekends.

Starting to offer a public yoga class on Sundays.

Saw a monkey tied to a tree. It did flips and posed for the camera.

Stories from one of the Fellows about his father being shot during the civil war.

Kundalini Yoga and Meditation is being very well received here amongst the Fellows.

The puppies are growing, but still with eyes and ears closed. Bingo is an attentive and sweet mother.

Lots more I'm sure, but it's all piling up and going the way of the past.

see new photos at the link.

love,

Rachel

September 30, Liberia

Uploading several photos to the link on the right, from another beautiful walk through Robertsport yesterday. Churches built in the 1800s, an abandoned cultural center, the amazing sea. And Alphanso, one of the Fellows, surfing this morning.

love,

Rachel

September 29, Liberia

Yesterday, as part of our daily Outdoor Movement/Adventure time, we hiked up the hill behind Robertsport to a beautiful and peaceful old Episcopalian mission. The main chapel there is still functioning, looking like something straight from the 1800s in rural New England. (see photos on the link to the right). But most of the rest of the buildings were damaged or destroyed during the war, and just the skeletons remain, ghostly yet majestic looking out over the sea. I want to go back for the Sunday service at some point, just to experience it. And bring a picnic for the lawn overlooking the town and ocean. And do yoga on the wrap-around porch. And renovate one of the buildings and start a yoga center. But one step at a time.

The hospital, St. Timothy's, is also up there, we walked around it and observed the nurses' quarters and saw the one "ambulance." Medical treatment is free in Liberia, but you probably get what you pay for...

On the way back down, we ran in to the American doctor/nurse couple running a volunteer organization at the hospital, which was fortuitous because I've been trying to get in touch with them for several days. I want my aunt to come volunteer at the hospital while I am here...we shall see if all the pieces fall in to place for that.

Today, conversations with Timmy and the Fellows about how to make yoga more accessible to the general population here, and what the benefits of yoga are, as they experience them, and who might most benefit from yoga here in Liberia. And how it might be possible to make a "living" by bringing yoga to Africa. A little overwhelming to think about, until I remembered that if the Universe wants that to happen, I will be shown the way if I am willing. I brought The Alchemist here with me, and of course that is the book that Timmy has been wanting to read for years. So relevant to the conversations we are having here with the Fellows about following one's dream, listening within for guidance, and having the courage and will to do what is being asked of you.

A good Learning Circle today, wherein I taught the Fellows the Greek alphabet and we dissected words to find their roots. Opening up the world of words to people is fun for me, but not as fulfilling as the deeper conversation we got to have about the concept of LIGHT (the first Greek root was photos - light). That which brings us from darkness to light - awareness, guidance, willingness to look within...

Sat Nam,

Rachel

September 27, Liberia

Lovely swim yesterday! see photos on link to the right. Nik would NOT get off of the boogie board, and the water was SO warm, you could stay in it all day. mild waves, gentle breeze. even got a ride in a wooden dug-out canoe. Not sure why it's taken me so long to get in the water!

At 2 am this morning, awakened to an odd squealing sound and the sounds of footsteps in the hallway. Got up to find that Bingo the dog had given birth to 5 pups. Photos at the link.

She has been an attentive mother all morning, staying with her babies up on the balcony and gobbling up any food sent her way.

This afternoon, off to watch a soccer match two of the Fellows will be in. Great morning of yoga and classes: poetry, and discussions about Homer's Iliad and how it relates to modern day Liberian politics and recent history. Lots of synergistic connections and comments. So rich.

Nik has now finished all of the Hardy Boys books we brought. Am still looking in to whether the local post office is ever open.

Love,

Rachel

September 26, Liberia

Wow. amazing morning. Our first day of the semester. Everyone up at 5:45, on their new Prana yoga mats. Learning breathing techniques, doing challenging yoga movements (all from the Y.O.G.A. for Youth manual, thank you Krishna Kaur!), singing along, etc. Some really strong yoga students in the group, and others for whom sitting cross legged on the floor is a huge challenge.

Then breakfast on the balcony. Then classes started. I worked with Nik on math while Timmy taught a class on finding your calling. Then I taught a class based on the book Wired for Joy (highly recommended). The Fellows shared so openly and honestly about their own personal experiences of joy and miracles in their lives, as well as despair and disaster. I feel so blessed to be sharing these discussions with them and sharing work to solidify the skills they already have in coping with what life brings. Then a class with Nik and one Fellow on grammar, both of them working together and collaborating. Discussion on the American Civil War and the connections between our countries historically included. Then silent reading time and a fruitful sharing of what each of us are reading, from a manual on sustainable local hydroelectric power, to a story about an American girl born with HIV. Then lunch on the balcony and just enjoying each other's company, listening to one of the Fellow's short wave radio, which he sang along to. I am really feeling the sense of family and connection growing with this group of people.

This afternoon should include my first swim in the ocean since arriving.

Love to you all,

Rachel

September 24, Liberia

Good conversations today.

One with Timmy, the other Learning Circle Guide, from Nigeria, to map out our plans for the daily schedule of classes and activities, how to approach house rules and tasks, etc. It seems as though we will work together very well. He has a lot of energy and enthusiasm and relates well with the Fellows and Staff.

Two Fellows arrived today, Donette and Fitzgerald, who is blind.

Met with Timothy and Essie, as the main Staff members, and worked out our approach to house duties and also how to ensure we have filtered drinking water for everyone.

And, two Americans visited at the house today, one a doctor and his wife a nurse. They are volunteering at the Hospital here in Robertsport and we had very productive discussions about ideas for collaborating. And they consulted on a few health issues here at the house very kindly.

This afternoon, fishing is in the program. The laundry is trying to dry through the fits and starts of rain. Gabriel is having a keyboard lesson out on the balcony. Another full day in Robertsport.

love,

Rachel

September 23, Liberia

Hot, sweaty, sticky and filthy. That's what you get for traveling in to Monrovia. Quite an adventure, from the car having a flat tire the moment it came to get us, to a boot being placed on the car because the driver parked it for 5 minutes in the wrong spot. Went to Stop and Shop...shelves lined with American goods, complete with 30 types of cereal...very expensive, but couldn't help getting the Oreos for Nik and a towel for me (I've been using a hand towel since I've been here). Shopped for papaya and ginger and garlic and tomatoes from the women lining the street...and brought home Timmy, the other person who will be a Learning Circle Guide with me here at Strongheart. He is from Nigeria, and was here a year ago basically starting the program. Everyone was so happy to see him and I'm looking forward to working with him. While I was gone for most of the day, Nik stayed in Robertsport having adventures with the Staff and Fellows here, including being picked up and forcibly removed from the vicinity of a poisonous snake. Glad he was removed from it, not glad that he came close to one. My worst nightmare. Now it is has happened, it doesn't need to happen again.

Beautiful sunny breezy day today. House was cleaned, new sheets on the beds, everything feels fresh and new. And two more Fellows to arrive tomorrow before our group is complete for the moment. I've uploaded some photos under the Liberia Photos link to the right of Nik being tossed in the surf yesterday, along with some neighborhood girls who were along with us.

Happy to be back "home" at Strongheart House.

love,

Rachel

September 21, Liberia

Yesterday afternoon went on a walk along the beach. It was empty of fishermen, their boats all pulled up out of the surf. An incredible sky of pink and blue clouds, with lightning flickering in one far off. It rained hard all last night. We saw a giant (I mean the size of my hand) spider in the bathroom while teeth brushing, and a large green praying mantis in the hall. The roof leaked in a few places, but no damage. This afternoon it is glorious and sunny, there is a pick up soccer game out in the sand in front of the house. Went on a walk in to town with Essie, the cook, to the market for cucumbers and okra. A very moving talk along the way about the empowerment of women, her particular life story (amazingly, no one in her family was even injured during the war, but she saw many terrifying things happening), and our plans for raising chickens at the house and starting a garden nearby. So good to connect with a woman here. In Mali, the language barrier was usually too difficult to overcome since most women hadn't gone to school.

Then a trek in to the forest to a stream where Timothy collects water in plastic jugs for bathing and cooking. Tropical trees and plants overtaking the path and stream. So beautiful and lush. We walked in the stream up the hill a ways, Timothy says far up the hill the stream just gushes out of the ground. Some day we will go all the way up.

Alphanso, one of the Fellows here, recited from memory two of his original poems for me out on the balcony while we were having lunch.

Nik is making lots of friends, boys come to the gate and when they see him shout, "Nik! Nik!" One of his friends got a serious leg wound during a soccer game and Nik brought him up for first aid. I learned my lesson yesterday about giving away books to the neighborhood, (everyone clammering around asking for another) so I had one of the Fellows patch him up so I don't get a reputation as the local free nurse.

Friday we go in to Monrovia to shop for food and pick up the other Learning Circle Guide, Timmy Ogene from Nigeria. Looking forward to starting to teach next week!

Enough for now! Check out my new photos on the Liberia photos link.

love,

Rachel

September 20, Liberia

Let's see, where to start.

The President will be visiting tomorrow, as part of her campaign for re-election.

it's a beautiful sunny day today, light breezes off the shore.

Starting to plan for how teaching will look next week - homeschooling Nik, teaching yoga, and a Learning Circle which will probably involve basic writing skills as well as vocabulary, literature, and history.

There is a little girl who belongs to the cleaning woman who has attached herself to me. She is mute, and very loyal and helpful, as well as wanting to be with me every moment she can. Effy.

Learned to play some Liberian card games last night from a man whose father was killed in the civil war and he had to flee to the Ivory Coast because the rebel group was forcing him to join their army. Another man told me this morning that during the war he didn't leave Liberia but was constantly moving, like a wild animal, around the country trying to find safety.

A boy about Nik's age approached him with a fishing pole in hand asking him if he wanted him to go fishing on the lake. Apparently, word must be getting out that Nik is a fisherman. They will go this afternoon with Timothy.

More tomorrow!

Rachel

Hello from Robertsport, Liberia!

We are here! Arrived safely yesterday, the flight was quite painless, so nice not to have to fly through Europe since Delta flies directly to West Africa from Atlanta. Today, went on a lovely walk along the beach with a staff member named Timothy, gathering gifts given to Nik from the local fishermen of crabs, shrimp, fish, etc. Everyone is quite taken with him and he has made a lot of friends already. This morning he was teaching two of the Fellows how to play American football. The ocean water is quite warm, with lovely trees growing along side it (almond trees and a giant kind of tree called a Cotton tree, along with palms). Later on I will post some photos. This afternoon, went on a walk through Robertsport with Emmanuel, one of the Fellows. Met the mayor who was waiting with several others for one of the presidential candidates to arrive for a rally. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the current president, will also come soon I am told. Bought some flip flops (mandatory in West Africa) and a new phone (yay for cell phones being everywhere!) and a Sprite which we enjoyed by Lake Piso, a huge lake which Nik has been invited to go fishing on tomorrow. The jet lag feels like it is dissipating, although Nik and I were both up at 2 this morning. Hopefully we will sleep through the night tonight. Have been making connections with each of the Fellows and Staff, glad to have this time with them before I start teaching, next week. More, and photos, soon!

Rachel

Leaving Saturday

Today is a day of packing. I am bountiful, blissful and beautiful... Repeat...