Harmattan

When I looked out the window this morning, I was struck at how white the sky looked. The whole view was hazy, almost foggy. You'd think this was a white, snowy sky. I could not see anything I can normally see on the horizon, for instance, Ducor Hotel or the new American Embassy. 

What we are seeing is the Harmattan, fine dust traveling down from the Sahara. Apparently, it's so thick that flights have stopped coming into Monrovia. 

I do not really mind it at all because the sun is blocked and it is slightly cooler.

A friend of mine though suffered from a horrendous migraine for about 2 days which he blamed on the Harmattan. He even came out to dinner with us to the newest restaurant in town (Blue House in Congo Town) and suffered through excellent food and a fabulous ambience with the slowest service possible. He was optimistic though, because he said the migraine would go away the next day as the sun was bound to come out. And guess what, the sun did come out that Sunday! I texted him to ask whether he could also predict other weather changes! He said he's working on it. 

Below are some pictures taken from our terrace:

Monrovia: I Love My City, I Hate My City

It has been a week since I got back from my very long trip out of Liberia. I must say I am struggling - like I always do - in settling back into Liberia. I am frustrated with everything: the hot and sticky weather; the general shabbiness and ugliness of Monrovia; the gutters, the putrid smells; the throng of street vendors and especially their goods-laden wheelbarrows; and, how long things take to get done here.

It is pure culture shock! Even when driving back from the airport, one looks around at the thick tropical forest on either sides of the RIA highway, and you say to yourself, yaar ye tau jungle hai, what am I doing here?

That jungle-shock-fever passes and you start coming into Congo Town, one of the furthest edges of Monrovia, and get re-acquainted with the bareness, the shoddiness of Monrovia. I did notice the new Ministry of Health recently renovated by Chinese contractors and it looks good. But it stands out as a lone building. As you come into town and pass Sinkor and finally into the very congested central Monrovia, you are really struck by how shoddy and small Monrovia is.

Sure, Monrovia has seen loads of changes over the past several years. In fact, I should know having first arrived way back in 2003 when it was literally enveloped by darkness, full of refugees, piles of garbage and shelled-out buildings starting out at you from every corner. I often make glowing and enthusiastic remarks at how much change has come about and that we are really moving towards much more. But I guess because the country still has such a long way to go, it is such a culture shock coming from places like Islamabad.

I arrived back at my apartment slash office only to find everything caked in 1-inch dust and half my plants struggling for water. Nothing was as I like it and have instructed to be maintained in a certain way. I was incensed, infuriated and indignant. I wanted to fire everyone. Thankfully, it was the weekend and I couldn't actually fire anyone. But my God, was I pissed off that my staff had let simply ignored my very detailed and explicit instructions on how to maintain my office. I couldn't even enjoy the cup of coffee on the new terrace that Haresh had added to by making a walkway and a wooden floor. I was fuming the whole time, angry that my plants had unnecessarily been starved of precious water.  I found dirt and dust everywhere, wanting to weep and scream at the same time. 

I also forgot to mention that half of the new rattan set that I had specially got made for the terrace was stolen on one of the holidays when both Haresh and I were away and I guess no one was around (although I had asked my staff to check the place by passing by on Sundays and holidays and take turn doing it). The clever thief had actually broken the lock going up to the terrace and apparently no one in the entire building heard the sound. Naturally, I was seething about this as well. 

I did, of course, take my staff to task on Monday morning. The answers I got were really creative: the cat ate all the plants, we just cleaned the place, I don't know or let me blame someone else for it. Then, there was a whole lot of sulking and mumbling. 

So yes, I got really pissed off and did some almost-firing and sulking of my  own. I think I also really miss Joseph Dennis and I feel pangs of nostalgia through out the day. May his soul rest in peace.

I guess I need to find keep working at enforcing rules and getting people to follow instructions. I have noticed that although most of staff come from really humble backgrounds, some of them really think it is below them to do other things requested of them. I found it very strange that none of the staff bothered to wait for me at the office after I returned from the Airport last Saturday. And, the worst is that they'll never admit their mistakes and instead, sulk! I was shocked to see how much attitude and sulkiness I was shown when I pointed out my disappointment at finding a messy office and half my plants in bad shape. There is really no way to change the mentality but I guess I can keep pointing out what I like and dislike and hopefully, this set of young persons working for me will start to follow instructions. 

Work wise, the business has been doing well and for the couple weeks that both Haresh and I were away, the staff handled clients and followed instructions. It was also a slow time and not much was happening. Ultimately, Haresh and I can only afford to be away for about a month at the same time and any more than that impacts the business. 

So, I think I am getting back into it although I do really miss Islamabad. I miss being in a city which is functional and also pleasing to look at. Monrovia offers no respite because it is in a very shabby condition. Sure, things have improved a lot in the last few years and the mayor's office has accomplished a lot to restore order (parking areas, street signs, one-way streets, control of traffic, building of the new bridge going into Bushrod Island), get the city cleaned up (so much so that the first Saturday of the month is set aside exclusively to clean up the town) and to beautify (plants, painting, renovation).

Broad Street

Broad Street

But still, it is always a culture shock to come from any other country and to find oneself in a shabby city that is Monrovia. It also offers no natural beauty and so one longs to see something looking pretty and normal. Monrovia is by the ocean but unfortunately most of the beaches in town are extremely dirty and people have been using them as public toilets! One has to drive out for several kilometers to find a clean beach. So what does that leave us with? There are some hilly bits of Monrovia which are nice such as the top of Broad Street which offer a nice view but really one is hard pressed to find some scenic views.  All in all, I do not think Monrovia is naturally pretty making one starved of beauty. 

The streets during the day time on weekdays are full of street vendors, masses of people, traffic and lots of commotion. I often find myself wanting to throttle the guys who sell those outdated, annoying CDs and play them on an ancient deck, transporting the whole mobile CD shop on a wheelbarrow!

Having said all of the above, I do have a certain relationship with Liberia that forces me to think in positive terms. I am here for the long term and have set myself up for a challenge that I am relishing. I have been in Liberia for almost 10 years, most of it working for the dysfunctional UN system, but only recently switched to the private sector. I am here to establish and grow a premier IT company that will provide services and goods to the new Liberia, which is booming and shows great promise.

I am really glad that I don't belong to the aid crowd with its typical short-term relationship with the country it serves. I am here for long term and have a different vision and stake in this place. When I used to work in a stuffy UN office it would take me ages - at least a month - to get back into Liberia mode or to feel motivated again. Now, my turn around time is a week! There's too much going on in my personal and professional life to feel down or depressed. Where before I was stuck in a job which had such a messed up relationship with the country I was in, I could never be positive about the future. 

It is a completely different ball game now. Having a business has completely changed my outlook and view towards the place I am in. Instead of seeing Liberia as an aid-receiving hopeless case, I now see it as a growing economy with a leadership that has an outward-looking, modern vision. I want to be part of a new, changing Liberia and yes, benefit from it. I want a piece of the cake!

I see potential everywhere. And yes, Liberians can be a pain to work with but I have way much more freedom to train people, to hire people, to fire people and find and mould a team to my liking. And I am sure I am also a pain to work with, too. 

Yay! I have given myself a great pep talk and am re-excited about all the great stuff I am trying to accomplish in Liberia!

Living in the world's most expensive city

There's an article on BBC "Living in the world's most expensive city," which is none other than Luanda, Angola. 

Monrovia is also extremely expensive and it appears that Monrovia is expensive for the very same reasons: aftermath of a prolonged civil conflict, broken down infrastructure resulting high prices for basic commodities and energy, high rents created by an expatriate bubble, and very little local production and necessity to import almost everything. 

The article interviews various expatriates who live and work in Luanda. The comments and observations they made could almost describe the scene in Monrovia: tomatoes are so expensive here you'd think they were made of gold, rents for ordinary apartments in those exclusive compounds where the UN crowd lives are sky high and drive up rents elsewhere, and the quality of the average item or service you buy never matches the price!

However, there is a way to live more economically as some of the more practical residents of Luanda are doing. Likewise, one can find cheaper accommodation in Monrovia - it's not in a compound but in available for example in central Monrovia in the commercial areas, usually above the businesses and shops. The apartments are available unfurnished and have very reasonable rents.  One can buy one's vegetables, fruits and meats outside of the supermarkets and one can save money. Sometimes it is a matter of getting as far away from the supermarket as possible and buy from the market women. I avoid buying meat from the supermarkets but from the butcher.  I have also heard some farms have cropped up and it is cheaper to buy directly from them. 

You'd think that these measures are so basic, so commonsense and why bother even pointing these out! But most expatriates who live in these post-conflict countries which are experiencing a double aid-and-foreign-investment boom can't seem to think normally as they would back home. 

So yes, Monrovia is also extremely expensive but there are ways to save that hard-earned cash and put it to be better use. Of course, one still misses have the variety of options as a consumer, one misses the variety of fresh produce, one misses the quality of service and goods back home but at the same time, life is quite simple in these places. 

Let's hope that we have more competition in Liberia and prices are driven down for basic things. Let's hope we have more options and choices. And let's hope that domestic production also takes off. It'll be nice to see more products made in Liberia on the shelves. 

Greetings from Nairobi Airport

* image from Excess Baggage Charges and How to Avoid Them

Why is my life so full of excess luggage? As far back as I can remember, I seem to be flying from city to city, continent to continent dragging over-the-limit suitcases and hand carry on's bursting at the seams. Why do I always insist on packing a hippo and an elephant?
There are such profound questions and because the answers will be so philosophical and require quite some time and space to fully elaborate the explanations from a socio-political perspective, it is best to just put the questions out there and let them linger as giant question marks over our heads. But I can tell you how much I spent so far on excess luggage! While I was driving to Islamabad Airport at around midnight, I asked the Radio Cab driver whether he had any contacts at the Airport who could help me with my excess luggage which was around 20 kg as I was only allowed 30 KG on the Emirates flight from Islamabad to Dubai. He said the best thing to do was to ask the porters to help me out as they would speak to the officers at the counters and make a deal. So that is exactly what I did! The Radio Cab driver spoke to a couple of them before hand to explain what I wanted. So, while I was in that ridiculous 3-laned queue to actually get into the airport, I explained to him how much I thought I was in excess. Another porter came round and explained that he would try his best to get my things through with spending a minimal amount. He told me he would get it done in half the amount. So, I slipped in 10,000 rupees into my passport and the job was done. I also paid 3,000 rupees to the porter who arranged the whole deal. I guess I saved a lot of money as I would have had to pay at least double. But it was not over, I also spent quite a bit of dirhams for excess luggage for the Dubai to Monrovia leg on Kenya Airways where my travel allowance was 40 KG. I spent 350 dirhams for 7 kgs excess luggage for the checked-in luggage and guess what, 200 dirhams for 9 kgs excess for carry-on bags! This is a fortune to say the least. The Islamabad to Dubai flight on Emirates was full of screaming babies and I hardly got an hour's sleep. I mean you know it that the flight is full of desi's when you have a screeching symphony of bitterly crying and whining babies. Mujhe paida kyun kya??

The Dubai to Nairobi flight was around 4 hours long but because I was so tired, I hardly remember much of it. Both airports were a modern Internet-user's disappointment as the wi-fi was not working at either! At least I would be able to send e-mails. I think this e-mail will stay in my Outbox until I reach my apartment in Monrovia. I only have a 3 hour-stop in Nairobi and am probably going to spend it sipping coffee at the Java House cafe until they announce boarding. I would love to look around duty free and buy some Kenyan souvenir but my hand luggage is too heavy to drag around and they do not have those trolleys like they do at Dubai Airport. It's an almost 9-hour journey from Nairobi to Monrovia including the 1-hour stop in Accra. Fortunately, I will spend that stop over in the plane. Will call from Monrovia once I get there on Saturday at 3 PM. It will be 8 PM in Pakistan and Saira will be glued to the TV watching the latest Humsafar episode which I shall try to watch on YouTube on Sunday if the Internet speed permits it.

28.01.2012 - Nairobi Airport

A cubist nude woman and horse and a Mughal miniature

I will always fondly remember today as I purchased my very own first Pakistani art. After going back and forth to the Nomad Art Gallery (I must have made at least 5 trips), rummaging through paintings, researching artists on the Internet, and talking to the various gallery staff, I finally made my selection today! 

I purchased a Mashkoor Raza mid-size painting and a Mughal miniature by N.H. Kazmi. 

The Mashkoor Raza, an artist from Lahore, is a very atmospheric cubist piece with a nude woman and a horse. It's part of a series of  "over 35 oil paintings featuring fuming horses and semi nude women were put on display, giving an impression of ‘power and beauty'" (Check out this article Mashkoor Raza Encloses Cubism at Nomad Gallery Islamabad).

And here it is:

Ain't she a beauty?

There was a similar one to this and it was in red hues but I am glad I got the blue one. 

The other painting is a Mughal miniature by N.H. Kazmi who is a prominent artist and famous for his Mughal miniatures. It was a bit of an impulsive purchase and to be honest, there is nothing particularly mind blowing about it, but I guess I got it for the heck of it. There was a painting, not a miniature, by the same artist which featured two veiled women and for me, that was more interesting. But it was as expensive as the first one and I wanted to spend the bigger part of my budget on the Mashkoor Raza. 

Below is a picture of the miniature:

I am really happy with my first foray into Pakistani art and, now plan on collecting pieces each time I visit Pakistan instead of blowing so much money on clothes! There were lots of other amazing pieces in the gallery. I am mainly more interested in the more modern expressions rather than Mughal miniatures and calligraphy, not that it is not beautiful, but I would rather explore something else. 

So, thanks to my brother for suggesting I invest in Pakistani art. I sent him a teasing text message today where I said I was really more Pakistani than him as I not only still had a Pakistani passport (he's got a British one in addition to his Pakistani one) but also owned 2 Pakistani paintings. He's probably going to get really annoyed because we have this really anal argument as to who is more Pakistani between us.

I love my city, I love Islamabad

I have been in Islamabad since 17 December and have thoroughly enjoyed being back in this beautiful city in the winter. Living in tropical Liberia, where one experiences two seasons - a really dry one and a really wet one - it is nice to experience a different climate, especially such a deliciously cold one. There are wintry colours everywhere: yellow grass, dried out golden leaves, seasonal flowers in bloom and the streaming winter sun.

And then there are the pine-tree-lined beautiful roads and highways, the Margalla Hills in the background, the beautiful elitist homes with armed security guards, the manicured gardens, and this snobby quietness that is so special to Islamabad.

I have been gushing about the beauty of Islamabad to everyone and to myself. Well sure, some of this wide-eye wonder comes from the fact I live in a very shabby, war-affected, run-down capital of West Africa and yes, I am relishing being in a city that is not only functions but looks great, too, and is so clean. I literally drink in the beauty. I just love Islamabad.

But most of this appreciation really stands on its own. Islamabad is a beautiful city.

So, what are some of my favourite places and things to do in Islamabad? Here they are in no particular order:

1) Getting my favourite cake (almond syrup) from United Bakery in F-6. Like with most favourites, they are usually rooted in one's comforting childhood memories and so it is with the United Bakery almond syrup cake which we have been enjoying every since we were kids.

They keep changing the decor, though, and it's different each time we go there in the last few years. I guess they are trying out a new style but with the space they have, they need to better utilise it.

This time around they have put the counters in the middle and along the sides with loads of space in between. They really need to get an interior decorator to re-do the space that doesn't need to be too fancy but simple, cozy and inviting. They could even start serving tea and coffee and put a coffee bar by the front window with some bar stools and it could be really hip.

2) Shopping at Generation for funky, cool shalwar kameez -es. This has got to be a topper for me. Ami always has beautifully stitched clothes (from the tailor) ready for me each time I visit but still, shopping at Generation is amazing. I love browsing their funky collection, they way they mix materials, the bold colours and their twist on the versatile shalwar kameez.

When I used to actually live and work in Islamabad, I used to only wear Generation clothes. Sure, loads of other ready-made stores are out there, but I usually only buy at Generation because they are edgy, funky and cool. I prefer their clothes over all the other too-girly-for-my-taste clothes other shops have on offer.

I must admit though I do also shop at Khaadi for ready-made clothes, they have some pretty funky clothes too.

Generation does have its down's though. They only accept cash! It is so irritating! So, if you want to buy loads of clothes in one go, you need to have a lot of cash ready.

The other down is the pushy women who shop there! Sheeeesh, they are rude. Everyone kept pushing into each other and did not even bother apologising. I was really amused and shocked at the same time. And then they give such bitchy stares.

3) Going to the tailor's to pick up newly-stitched jora's. This particular tailor has been stitching our clothes for a decade now and it's always nice to catch up with him whenever I am in town. Ami had got a few jora's already made for me and I also got a few more made. All in all, yes, I went crazy on the clothes shopping. I guess one cannot help it - spending money on clothes.

4) Getting hot, frothy and sweet 45-rupee coffee and 10-rupee spicy potato fries from the road stalls in Jinnah Super Market while window shopping.

5) Buying truck loads of pirated DVDs and CDs from Illusions in Jinnah Super Market in F-7 A single DVD costs 100 rupees and you can get all the movies, all the genres, all the albums your heart so desires.

What's more, they make freakingly awesome compilation CDs in Pakistan.

Moreover, each CD store has their own Top 10 compilation. So Illusions has their own. Radio City in Super Market in F-6 has their own.

6) Evening walks in my neighbourhood. I have a particular route that takes about 40 minutes to do. There is a mix of really unkempt, what-the-.... houses and really posh ones. There's also the 'green belts' and the jacaranda trees which are in bloom in springtime.

This time, I enjoyed the winter colours and the drizzling rain.

7) Eating a club sandwich everywhere we go. People inherit all kinds of stuff from their parents. We have inherited the love of the club sandwich! And boy, did I eat a lot of club sandwiches and they really know how to make them in Pakistan. They have perfected it.

So these are some of my favourite things about Islamabad. I realised this time around that sure, the city is snooty and dull compared to the other bigger and older cities of Pakistan but this city is blessed with natural beauty. So yes, if you want to have natural beauty around you but loads of snootiness, this is the city to come to!

So what's new? Or what's something new in good old Isloo?

Café's

I have also been amazed at how much this city has changed since the last time I was here. There has been an explosion of café's and it's been a delight to go to try out various ones. There's a café concentration in Khausar Market and all are pretty cool. There's even a few next to us in F-11 Markaz: Masoom's and Rock Bottom. My favourite one, though, is Chai Khana in F-6. It is cozy, even has a fireplace, comfy sofas, and just fantastic chai!

 

 These café's are really welcome because they offer one a place to meet friends and chill out instead of the usual restaurant.

Art Galleries

I have visited Khaas Gallery and Nomad Gallery with my brother initially. Khaas is small and quite stylish as it has a really nice cafe inside it. When we went, they had an exhibition of art by art graduates i.e. it was by budding artists. Half of the work was a bit boring and dare I say, amateurish, but some of it was quite bold. My favourite pieces were two portraits: Zia and Bhutto, two very important figures in Pakistani history. But they were already sold.

When we visited Nomad Gallery, there was an ongoing press event for an exhibition by Samina Ali. The paintings were mixed media and inspired by Lahore's Mughal History. We browsed through the gallery and learned it was the oldest gallery in Islamabad and had a lot of paintings and pieces to browse through. There was also a lot of 'truck art' to look at it, which was really very original and funky.

My brother convinced me to start looking into buying a Pakistani painting and I have been going to and fro, researching artists online and trying to find one I really love.

I also attended a really great concert at Khuch Khaas: a fusion of sufi music and jazz. The space was very intimate and the atmosphere was quite relaxed. The crowd was more or less into it and appreciated the amazing fusion of jazz, sufi music and subcontinental instruments. The first song was actually "Nature Boy" and to hear it being performed by this Haitian-French singer Cae and Arieb Azhar was amazing. All the songs were amazing and I was amazed at how they fused the two traditions together and actually pulled it off. I sooooo enjoyed the music and know that afters years of listening to jazz (whatever I could get my hands on, I don't claim to be an expert), I could really appreciate what was being done. I loved Arieb Azhar's voice, I loved Cae's jazz and enthusiasm, I loved the flutist, the classical guitar, the young kid on the guitar and of course the tabla player. Everyone had a really good rapport with each other.

Making New Friends While Buying Halwa Puri on A Sunday

When Haresh was here briefly, we went for an early-morning walk in the beautiful F-9 Park and stopped to get halwa puri on the way back. Haresh befriended a really nice gentleman because he figured out he's Sindhi. And that was the start of a beautiful friendship so much so that we made friends with the entire family. Sweet!

Afterthought

So yes, I have had a great time in Islamabad thusfar and it has really made me appreciate my home town. Yes, it's snooty, yes, it's not the real Pakistan, but it is beautiful. I like the place for what it is and let's not forget, I have lived and worked here for almost 2 years, so I know it's actually a really nice city to live in, too.

I also realise that to really appreciate, you have to see it for what it is and stop comparing it to other places you know. One has to make the most of the place you're in.

Finally, why have Pakistanis become so Allahhafizi??? I remember when everyone used to say khudahafiz (goodbye) and it sounded so nice. Now suddenly, everyone's saying Allahhafiz. I really prefer khudahafiz.

My new favourite place

Since the landlord has put in a new roof on the terrace I have been hatching a plan to make a rooftop garden and sitting area. I've come far enough to take a few pictures of what I have done so far. 

The rattan chairs and the table are new and so was the foam for the cushions. But the covers are recycled old curtains, table clothes, bed covers. I asked the tailor to do a patchwork job and look how colorful and funky it came out! I am so delighted! I am so glad I don't like to throw things away. 

Some of the plants are old and were given a new lease of life by the gardener. And some plants are completely new. I made an enclosure using the pots and so far it looks good. 

This is just the basic outlay and after I am done with it, it's going to be really something. I am planning on splashing a bit of terracotta-coloured paint around this corner. I will have another row of plants to make it a more lush-looking rooftop garden. Some creeping plants will hopefully go around the four pillars. 

I'm so delighted with this space. I foresee many many balmy and romantic nights on the roof, with lots of candles, sipping tea or red wine, and listening to some divine music. Right now I can hear the Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté album in my head. 

Post Conflict Liberia: Search for Alternatives, Default Political Change, and an International Local Success

Default Political Change

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has won a second term in office without even having had to bat an eye lid, fight stiff competition, and really having had to explain her ideology, politics and/or platform. On top of it, she has had a handsome endorsement from the international community in the form a Nobel Peace Prize.

A few months leading up to the elections, I encountered a great deal of skepticism about her possible victory. Many people pointed out that 15 political parties vying for power equals stiff competition. Many whispered that Ellen was not popular amongst the population, that the main opposition party (CDC, Congress for Democratic Change) had built up a huge following and she was certainly on her way out. The common analysis was that it was probable that no one party would succeed in getting a 51% majority vote in the first round of voting and a run off was imminent. And indeed, that is what happened. However, none of the other speculations played out. 

There was no stiff competition. There was no ideological debate. We did not have a neck to neck run off. Instead, the opposition committed one strategic blunder after one and lost a massive historical opportunity to build up some political credibility and repertoire. It has been one long list of political suicides which in sum, gave Ellen an effortless victory. 

A few questions arise. Did the opposition in fact have a massive following and could have defeated Ellen in the run offs? Or, did Ellen always have enough support to begin with? Or, did the opposition make all this noise of declaring the whole process a fraud because they knew they had lost the game?

I feel we have had a default political victory

Search for Alternatives - The Notion of Great Leadership and Liberal Democracy's Limitations

As accolades continue to pour over Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as she accepted the Nobel Peace Prize this week up in Oslo somewhere there, you would think some saint has has descended from the heavens to lead Liberia to its promised land. Sirleaf has been joined into the ranks of Nobel Prize laureates and now considered a great African leader. She is one of the personalities to be immortalised within her own lifetime.

Is Sirleaf a great leader, though? She certainly does not have the saintliness that is attributed to Nelson Mandela or Desmond Tutu, the two giants of Africa.

Sirleaf is a politician and her status as a leader comes from her credentials as a politician and for steering post-conflict Liberia towards stability and economic revitalisation.

Her political goals are very clear - to bring Liberia back into the international community's fold. To re-open Liberia to the global market. To conform to certain notions of peace, democracy and development. It is for this for which she is being recognised.

What other alternatives did Liberians have? Well, I have already noted the short comings of the main opposition's leadership and lost opportunities. I have noted that the same actors of the civil war have found influential and respected positions in post-conflict Liberia. So, what alternatives did we have? Not many so it seems.

It is ironic that for all of CDC's machinations to try to match Sirleaf's credentials, they have failed miserably. George Weah went back to university to get a degree. He even joined forces with former UN diplomat and Harvard-educated Winston Tubman. But alas!

The machine that is democracy is not designed to produce great leaders or alternatives. Even the most mature democracies in the West have produced the likes of George Bush, Tony Blair, Berlusconi and Bill Clinton. Moreover, the electoral process as well as the every-day workings of democracy are complex and limited in the actual political and societal change they can produce. And, with the financial crisis the Western democracies are currently suffering, it has been made painfully clear that the  democracy has so far served capitalism's needs rather than the peoples.

So, Liberia's infant democracy has done well for itself by bringing to power the kind of leader that is Sirleaf.

An International Local Success

Having said it all, it feels like Sirleaf's victory is what I call an international local success. Admired, worshipped and supported by the international community, she is the global choice for Liberia. And what are we celebrating here? The fact she has brought peace to Liberia or is revitalising an extraction economy?

Joseph Dennis, Faithful Servant and Friend, Passed Away

 

I learned today that Joseph Dennis, my faithful servant and friend of 8 years, passed away today. I hate to use the word servant but the fact is he was my servant who has taken care of my house and office for as long as I have been in Liberia. It is not politically correct to use the word servant but the fact is that given the socio-economic divide between him and I, and the fact that he was not performing skilled work for me but average household/janitorial work, he was a servant. But I considered him more than just a servant and a long-time friend to whom I was grateful for his unwavering loyalty and friendship. The fact is, he has stood by my side through practically everything I have been through while I have been in this country.

I just came back from Joe's house in West Point. I have visited West Point when I was working with the UNDP a few times to check out some projects and knew it was a slum and have seen and smelled its narrow alleys, crowdedness, poverty and filth. But I had never visited Joe's home so it was a very overwhelming experience.

It was quite dark and Joe's friend guided us through the dark with a torch light. We entered a doorway and saw many people gathered and his wife crying very loudly, beating her hands on the floor. I asked to see her separately and we went into their one-room house which was lit with a bright bulb. Patience (NATC staff) and I sat down and the wife sat on the floor. His three little girls (his older son was not around), neighbours, wife's brothers were there. I just sat in shock looking at the poor little room. The walls were covered with newspapers and posters and some frames. A huge bed was the main attraction with suitcases and a couple of TVs and clothes here and there. I recognised things from my various homes, picture frames, old perfume bottles, DVDs, old suit cases...My discarded life decorated his one-room house.

So we just sat there and we talked about what happened. It was such a surreal experience. I was in shock and speaking practically and in a robotic voice. I tried to convey to them how much he meant to be me and what a kind and honest man their husband, brother, neighbour and friend was.

It seems like it was definitely a stroke or a heart attack because he just collapsed Saturday morning. He was fine and was even dressed to go to work. His neighbour told me that Joe had in fact woken him that morning. The next thing then knew he had collapsed and was almost in a coma. From then onwards, Jonathan (NATC staff member) rushed to their house and took him to Mercy Clinic first and then JFK. Patience visited Joe twice on Saturday. He was moving his limbs, apparently struggling against the doctors when they were examining him. When they went to visit him today, they were told he had died and to come back tomorrow to identify the body. 

I do not know what kind of care he got at JFK and, whether he could have been saved if it were a hospital in a country with better facilities. 

And that's it. Joseph Dennis is no more. I am consumed with grief. I cannot even explain you how sad I am. He's been my faithful and loyal servant and friend for 8 years. He knows all my habits, my mannerisms and my moods. I have confided many a problem to him. He was never sick, never late, never anything. I could always rely on him, on any day. He was always smiling. He was there with me through the ordeal of Wesley's death and by my side all along. He even went to the court to testify against the Chinese criminals. I know it is selfish but I cannot even imagine a daily routine without Joe. I am so sorry I never did anything substantial for him. I felt so bad sitting in his one-room house in that slum.

May Joe's soul rest in peace. I wish I had done more for him all the time I knew him but what is the use of regrets now? I wish tomorrow does not come so I do not have to face the reality that he is gone and that he will not be amongst us, around us, bring me my coffee and being the glue that he was between all of us. I feel sad he will never see our new office that we are so excited about. I feel sad he will not enjoy the successes our growing company is going to achieve. And I feel sad thinking about his children who are now without a father and his wife who is now without a husband.

Life is unfair and random and even more so for those who live in poverty.

My dear Joe, I hope you rest forever in peace and please know that I will remember and cherish your memories and friendship.

Letters and Nostalgia

I have been a voracious letter ever since I have been a kid. 

Some of my fond and earliest memories of letter writing as a kid were writing letters in Urdu to our grandfather. Aboo taught us to fold the letter in half. On one side would be our letter to Dada Jee and the other side would be blank. So we would post our letters to Dada Jee through the Embassy Pouch. And, Dada Jee would send us back our corrected letter on the other side. 

The sweetest thing about writing those letters in Urdu were starting with "Pyare Dada Jee." 

I am afraid my Urdu writing never progressed further than 3rd or 4th grade and we never really wrote many more letters in Urdu which is too bad. 

So, most of my letter writing has been in English. I used to write dedicated letters to all my girl cousins and, God knows what I used to put in them because there were so many cousins I'd write to. I guess I would just talk about school, classes, homework and other nerdy things. 

I also had friends that I had made in each city and country I have lived in and so they also needed to be written to. I have managed to stay in touch with many of my childhood friends and we have been good friends through all these years. There are a couple of friends that shared my love of writing so much that we primarily contacted each other through letters. I feel I have a deep bond with them as we have shared with each other our concerns, desires and special moments through words as we have grown up and moved on in our lives. 

Finally, when we left home for university, I started writing letters to our parents and little sister. Those were sweet times as well. 

Since I started working, though, I have been in places where sending and receiving post has been tricky but I still managed to do it via the UN pouch. 

Now that I have started working for myself, I haven't bothered to find out whether Liberia's post actually works. I have heard it does indeed work but I have been too lazy to make an inquiry myself. I should given how much I love sending letters. 

What I have been doing in the meantime is to send letters via anyone leaving Liberia and asking them to put it in a post box next time they see one. And I have sent postcards to friends and family from where ever I have gone to visit. 

I know post cards and cards still do get sent. I am sure people still write letters. But e-mails have replaced letter writing for most people. Not only do e-mails reach the receipient almost instantaneously, but are much faster to write than taking quill to paper. And because one can send an e-mail countless times in a day, they can be as short as possible.  Where before, one would sit and write about what happened in the previous month, one can talk about what happened the day before. I think letters were a much more measured way of writing to one's friends and loved ones but e-mails can be equally eloquent and romantic. 

I still love writing a letter when I get the chance and posting it. It gives me almost a childish sense of glee because it connects me back to my childhood and how I was taught to communicate with my loved ones. 

I feel quite nostalgic for bygone days this evening. It has actually been prompted by a number of incidents. First of all, Haresh is in India to be with his mother who has undergone a critical by pass and valve replacement surgery. My own mother is going to have a similar operation next month. 

And, finally, Wesley's brother has finally returned home to Cape Town, South Africa after several years. It must have been a bittersweet family reunion. He has come home after the passing away of his dear father (Wesley) and elder brother (Wesley). I heard it was a wonderful reunion but full of tears. 

Being alone in Liberia for the first time in so many years, I definitely feel nostalgic and a bit lonesome. I have been thinking about distances, from loved ones, from one's country and the passing of time. We can't stop time, hold on to something forever and not experience change. But we can hold on to memories. 

So I decided to dig out my old shoe box and take out some letters and envelopes to comfort me and linger over happy memories.

A Disastrous Turn of Events in Liberia's Elections 2011

This blog entry was written on 7 November 2011 while playing Settlers of Catan

Although the actual details of today's events are still sketchy, it appears that some peoples' fears about Liberia's shaky peace have come to pass. Apparently, three people (or at least 1 person) were killed in an incident involving the police and the main opposition party's supporters today on the eve of the run off's. Businesses were closed early, streets were emptied of the usual chaotic traffic, and people are in a general state of panic. The opposition has already declared a boycott of these elections so therefore, the state of panic is excaerbated by a sense of acute uncertainy.

At least that is how I read many peoples' moods this evening as I sit playing a game of Settlers of Catan this evening with close friends and family. It is 2 AM, I'm sipping a cup of delicious masala chai,  have just activated my knights as the pirate ship looms ever so close, and am pondering the rather terrible turn of events today.

I would like to focus my blog entry on specifically countering the cynicsm and fears about a stable and peaceful electoral process that I keep hearing about around me. There seem to be the merging of two beliefs about violence in Liberia: 1) it is endemic and 2) elections will be just a trigger to fall back into another civil conflict. I think that as unfortunate as today's incident was, it is not any indicator of an electoral nightmare similar to that of Kenya or Ghana. I agree that opposition's antics are problematic - specifically, their persistent efforts to denounce the entire process even before it started - but so far, there are certain reassuring factors about this process to date.

As I have said earlier, the main opposition party, the CDC (Congress for Democratic Change), has lost a great opportunity to build its political credentials. Their view of politics is not long-term, a desire to build a credible political reputation and, to try to win some international support but merely guided by a determination to reach the Executive Mansion.  Politics needs to be viewed as a game of chess but CDC seems to be playing rather a game of ludo.  All we have seen this party accomplish is to cry foul at literally E-V-E-R-Y S-T-E-P O-F T-H-E W-A-Y. Their cries of 'foul, foul' have been uttered by threats of making trouble but nine out of ten times, verablised threats are rarely carried out.

The Unity Party on the other hand has not lost a single day in continuing their campaigning during this electoral period. As soon as the run off's were declared, the President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, was back on the road rallying more support and reassuring not only her supporters but the public in general of a peaceful process and promise to accept the outcome. 

There are glaring differences between the political machinations of the CDC and UP Parties that go beyond the criticisms against the international community for their unabashed and insensitively-timed awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Sirleaf, for example. These differences also go beyond the criticisms that the ruling party has unfair advantages of using government and UN machinery for their campaigns. In short, the CDC party is not the peoples' party it claims to be but an immature, crude populist outfit that has built up massive public grievances by emphasising their poverty but not offering any solutions. 

I, of course, have many reservations against the Sirleaf and her regime, too that range from 'the international community has a neo-liberal agenda in Liberia' to Liberia Has Not Adequately Addressed It's War Crimes. Sure, I also agree with the perception that Sirleaf's government has catered to an elite, revived old segments of the previous elite and is even creating a new one. There is also no doubt that an extraction economy with its problems of wealth distribution is being re-juvenated. This government is an entirely outward-looking one. The list of criticisms goes on. 

So yes, Sirleaf's government is not revolutionary nor socialist. But as Prince Johnson said when he conceded to her, she is the 'lesser of two evils.' 

The main thing to stress here is that thus far, it has been a managed process and, will continue to be a managed one. The fact that some violence occurred today is not necessarily an indicator that a return to war is a certainty, as some fear. 

The government had already taken steps to boost the security by importing 4,000 troops from neighbouring Nigeria. ECOWAS has been extremely vocal in professing its support for the electoral process going to the extent of admonishing CDC. The US Embassy here has gone on record to say they will be closely watching the process and in the case of violence will be making recommendations to the ICC. These are some reassuring factors.

So far, it has been a peaceful and managed electoral period with ups and downs not dissimilar to any other in the world. There are successful and lucky politicians and some who should not be in politics to begin with. Electoral results are always contested. Electoral violence also occurs and ends up killing people. This is what we are seeing in Liberia. 

It remains to be seen what kind of turn out we will see in tomorrow's run off's. How much will these deaths play into the CDC's declared boycott? How will it affect voter turn out?

So this is what we have been asking ourselves all day today. The news first came in by word of mouth early afternoon and, Facebook messages started playing as well. All the businesses started closing by 3 PM or even earlier for fear of an escalation and possible looting. In such an atmosphere, we decided to dismiss our staff at around 4 PM so they could get home early.

I went out later in the evening to buy a few things from the supermarket and they had practically closed up except and seemed to be letting customers come through a half-opened door.

Through out the day, we could not confirm what happened, how many people were killed and who fired at who. Did the police shoot first to disperse the crowd? Did someone from the crowd shoot?

BBC and Al Jazeera aired clips today so it has garnered attention but they were literally 1 - minute blurbs that do not provide much context. Some analysis from these news houses would be greatly appreciated.

Here's the Al Jazeera online article "Deadly Clashes Ahead of Liberian Vote" which states that at least 3 people were confirmed killed. Here's a New York Times article "Pre-election Liberia Protests Turn Violent" which reports that at least 1 person was killed.

Lastly, I would like to certainly read more about electoral violence and how and why it unfolds . 

5,000 Hits on Potatogreens

Not that I care about numbers and statistics and all that, but I just wanted to say that I have had 5,050 hits on my blog! Yay! It is surely worth a blog entry!