Ronald Mendscole, secretary general of the Youth League of the Congress for Democratic Change, is one of four Liberians who shares his thoughts here on the importance online casino of a free press in the country"s upcoming elections. See the original post for more on the group. <object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/16563542"></param> <param name="allowscriptaccess" … [Read more...]
Taxis
Many of Liberia"s yellow taxis have a curious phrase painted in white and fully covering one of the rear fenders. "The hole you dig for me Jesus," it reads, "make me jump over it." I finally asked our driver, David, what it meant and where it came casino online from. He explained that the words are lyrics from a popular song. The essence of it: Jesus will help me meet any challenges foes present. (David declined to sing the song on camera.) Indeed, we have seen many challenges here for the … [Read more...]
In Monrovia, you must "be the traffic"
Being a passenger in Monrovia traffic is a special experience. It’s a white-knuckle carnival ride — without the carnival glitz but with all the thrills. Our drivers — most often David Kweku and his father, Joseph — surely could meet and beat the challenge of any street in any big U.S. city. They are unflappable and oblivious, oddly good-natured about it. I had a friend some years ago who seemed immune to the cold weather, while my wife and I were freezing. “What’s your secret?” we asked. He … [Read more...]
We get a surprise at church
For the second Sunday in a row, we attended services at a Pentecostal church this past weekend. This one was a 40-minute drive outside Monrovia, right off the Atlantic. (In fact, the final stretch of “road” that carried us there was a bit of hard-packed sand no more than 25 or 30 feet from the crashing waves. (Since I can’t swim, this prompted me to get an early start on my prayers.) The service was very similar to the first week, though there were two dozen parishioners this time and not … [Read more...]
You can “click,” or make it “explode”
Liberia could be the only country with a national handshake. The greeting actually can be a whole series of moves after the shakers lock hands, or it can be a simple, vanilla shake, as long as it ends with the distinctive “click,” where the shaking parties grasp the tips of each other’s middle fingers and snap. The best shakers can produce an arresting click, audible across a room. The worst? Silence. A complete misfire. Epic failure. This befalls many rookies visiting the country for … [Read more...]
Together Liberia on UNMIL Radio
Together Liberia on UNMIL Radio by Together Liberia Trainers and participants were invited to speak on the United Nations In Liberia's (UNMIL) radio program Front page to discuss their experiences durning the training and thoughts on the state of the Liberian media. Project director Ken Harper, trainers Steve Davis and Bruce Strong were joined by participants Kindness Nehwon and Clarence Nah. … [Read more...]
To the media, the answer is “yes”
I continue to be amazed at the uncommon access we get here while working on our stories. Bureaucrats, as well as everyday people, haven’t caught on to what’s become the default answer to the media in America: “No.” Instead, here we ask — and our sources say “yes.” They are happy to have their stories told. Earlier this week, to start off on a set of stories about education, we walked the campus of the local high school in Cestos, south of Monrovia, without escort. And we stumbled on exactly … [Read more...]
Hungry to vote
“Mark,” my cab driver around town Saturday, didn’t hesitate when I asked him who would get his vote for president in October or November. “Ellen,” he said, as President Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson is called. Mark then produced a shiny card from his ash try — his voter registration card. He said he was going out of his way to keep it clean, because the sooner he used it, the better. Indeed, when the vote will be held is in some doubt. A referendum will determine if the vote should be pushed from … [Read more...]
Connections Easily Made In Liberia
It’s all about connections in the new Liberia, just as it is everywhere else on the planet. That said, I still was a bit taken aback with the information I gleaned the other day while strolling on the Atlantic Ocean beach just a quarter-mile from the guest house where we are staying. On the sands, I ran into a young man and his dog. We shared a laugh when we introduced ourselves and heard an echo. Steve, meet Steve. My new friend Steve Kollie was a bit shy but warmed quickly. We … [Read more...]
More Politics Over Lunch
William Morris by William Morris, of online casino the Liberty Party, shares his thoughts about the role of a free press in the upcoming elections. We approached Morris and friends at their lunch table. … [Read more...]
Together Liberia on Truth FM, The Leading Lady
Together Liberia on Truth FM, The Leading Lady by Together Liberia Believe in yourself. Don’t be bitter. Don’t be negative. You can do it. From 10:15 to 11 every Friday night from a studio in downtown Monrovia, “The Leading Lady” on Truth FM 96.1 talks Liberians into believing in themselves — and, she hopes, out of their feelings of despair. Matenneh-Rose Dunbar may not be a psychologist, but she sounds like one on the air. All of Liberia is her therapist’s couch. Her … [Read more...]
Class Is In Session!
Our first class of students showed up Wednesday, and they put in a full morning and afternoon of work. We’ll be working with them at our headquarters in Monrovia all of this week; next week we plan to travel out into one of Liberia’s 15 counties to find stories to tell there. The idea is for our training and outing to serve as a template for two more rounds just like this one. We hope to equip our trainees with the skills (as well as some equipment) to continue this kind of work long after we … [Read more...]
More Political Talk Over Lunch
Long before Election Day, politics makes great table talk. This is the second installment from a best online casino political conversation we stumbled upon at the Krystal Oceanside hotel — a take on the media and Liberian politics by Amos Swaray, press and public relations director of the Congress for Democratic Change. … [Read more...]
Liberians make some noise
Monboe by SUprof As we lunched at the Krystal Oceanview Friday afternoon, our local guide and “fixer,” Francis Nyepon, leaned over to explain the swell of noise intruding from the table some 20 feet away. Was it an argument over a gambling debt? Girlfriend issues? A dispute over how to split the bill? Soccer fans talking "smack"? “You’re going to hear a lot of this,” Francis advised. “They’re talking about the election.” When we approached them, we discovered it was an impressive … [Read more...]
