Saturday, April 27, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
This time no joke...
...is currently my preferred saying which I would like to put on my new baby (don't get too excited, I am talking about a car) - a Toyota RAV4, built in 1999. And the saying would be stolen from a creative Liberian who had it on his own car. Alternatives would be
Well yes, I got a car. Many things happened since my last post in June last year: I signed a new work contract for another three yeard (until end of September 2015), I moved twice, I worried about people close to me, I sad good bye to my old colleague and hello to a new one, I turned 29 on the Liberian flagday, I got Malaria one more time, I flew in a chopper, I visited an artisanal gold mine, I visited an indutrail iron ore mine, I had wonderful friends coming over to visit me, I became the logistics operations director for the Liberia Marathon 2013, I went to Budapest for a training in December, I celebrated Christmas at home, I worked too much, I laughed and cried, I had my bathroon flooded with stuff you don't want to know, I met a cool Liberian rap queen, I cooked potatoe greens in Sierra Leone, I had to say the final good bye to my grandfather, I went to Hungary once again for the second part of the training, I was visited there by my best fried, I got 5 new pairs of cool shades, I learned that you have to speak slowly when giving a speack in front of 200 kids in an Liberian gym, I went to a wonderfully unconventional wedding ceremony, I got an annoying cold in 30 degrees, I met wonderful people, and here I am.
Tired, but happy. Every day something new. No stagnation. Exciting. Exhausting. But exactly what I wanted. At least for now.
I will try to keep this blog updated again from now on. It is a good sign though that I feel like writing again as this means that my workload is decreasing a little. Some of the last months were just too insane and there was no motivation to post here. But now I am back. For today with two little stories to make you smile:
Parking issues
I went over to my friends' office during lunch hour as we had to discuss something. I parked my care in front of the building, with a gentle distance to the car parking towards me. However, the guy sitting in his car - a tall Liberian guy - started waving his hands and kind of yelling at met. It was sweltering outside - way more than 30 degrees celsius - and I was really not in the mood for stupid discussions. So I got off: "What?" Guy: "No car there, I need space." Me: "you got plenty of space to park out, A baby could park out there." Guy: "No, no, only small small space." Me: "well, you know what, I show you how to leave this space and when I manage, I stay." So I did. I got behind the wheel in this super old, big car and left the parking space in seconds. People around me laughing and clapping. Guy speechless. Me covered in sweat - it is just too hot for arguments. But a successful moment.
Baustellenhure
On my way back from work I ended up in a heavy traffic jam because Monrovia is currently discovering the arrival of several traffic lights and one after the other gets activated. Unfortunately something went wrong with the programming so they are causing nothing but insane traffic jams. The time it usually takes me to get to work just doubled within the last few days. The problem? Well, if you have two lanes and you allow both of them to go straight but one of them also is for people turning to the left, but the straight-forwarder and left-turner do not get a green GO at the same time but one after the other, you can imagine what happens. Also, the police decided that it is a good idea to build check point two meters behind the traffic lights. Clearly an efficient solution.
Interesting also what I learnt from the discussions on the radio, the traffic lights apparently also contribute to increased crime: As someone explained, there is usually a lot of criminal activity in the traffic (like snatching phones and bags through open windows etc). Before the new-borne traffic light era, the thief would be chased through traffic and often the stolen goods could be returned to the owner. Now with these traffic lights though, you are forced to stop and the thieves can escape easily. I have to admit I have my doubts about this causal relationship, but will clearly look for evidence as soon as I get stuck next time.
Anyway - so I was sitting in the car, waiting for the next move. Suddenly I realized what was written on the yellow, overcroweded cab in front of me. In clear white letters it says: Baustellenhure.
I just started laughing and took a picture. Clearly, it was an old German car, but for whoever's sake, why would that be on a car? And what actually is a Baustellenhure? Guesses and explanations are welcome. Moments like that most certainly turn the crappy traffic jam into a daily highlight.
Tomorrow I am leaving for a two-day trip to Gbarnga where the next consultation round for the update of the Liberian Minerals and Mining Law will take place. Will be interesting.
Off for now, but more to come very soon.
Take good care of yourself!
- No food for lazy men.
- After the rain, the sun will shine.
- To be a man is no easy.
- Your boyfriend is my ATM.
- Tomorrow will come
- No bad day
Well yes, I got a car. Many things happened since my last post in June last year: I signed a new work contract for another three yeard (until end of September 2015), I moved twice, I worried about people close to me, I sad good bye to my old colleague and hello to a new one, I turned 29 on the Liberian flagday, I got Malaria one more time, I flew in a chopper, I visited an artisanal gold mine, I visited an indutrail iron ore mine, I had wonderful friends coming over to visit me, I became the logistics operations director for the Liberia Marathon 2013, I went to Budapest for a training in December, I celebrated Christmas at home, I worked too much, I laughed and cried, I had my bathroon flooded with stuff you don't want to know, I met a cool Liberian rap queen, I cooked potatoe greens in Sierra Leone, I had to say the final good bye to my grandfather, I went to Hungary once again for the second part of the training, I was visited there by my best fried, I got 5 new pairs of cool shades, I learned that you have to speak slowly when giving a speack in front of 200 kids in an Liberian gym, I went to a wonderfully unconventional wedding ceremony, I got an annoying cold in 30 degrees, I met wonderful people, and here I am.
Tired, but happy. Every day something new. No stagnation. Exciting. Exhausting. But exactly what I wanted. At least for now.
I will try to keep this blog updated again from now on. It is a good sign though that I feel like writing again as this means that my workload is decreasing a little. Some of the last months were just too insane and there was no motivation to post here. But now I am back. For today with two little stories to make you smile:
Parking issues
I went over to my friends' office during lunch hour as we had to discuss something. I parked my care in front of the building, with a gentle distance to the car parking towards me. However, the guy sitting in his car - a tall Liberian guy - started waving his hands and kind of yelling at met. It was sweltering outside - way more than 30 degrees celsius - and I was really not in the mood for stupid discussions. So I got off: "What?" Guy: "No car there, I need space." Me: "you got plenty of space to park out, A baby could park out there." Guy: "No, no, only small small space." Me: "well, you know what, I show you how to leave this space and when I manage, I stay." So I did. I got behind the wheel in this super old, big car and left the parking space in seconds. People around me laughing and clapping. Guy speechless. Me covered in sweat - it is just too hot for arguments. But a successful moment.
Baustellenhure
On my way back from work I ended up in a heavy traffic jam because Monrovia is currently discovering the arrival of several traffic lights and one after the other gets activated. Unfortunately something went wrong with the programming so they are causing nothing but insane traffic jams. The time it usually takes me to get to work just doubled within the last few days. The problem? Well, if you have two lanes and you allow both of them to go straight but one of them also is for people turning to the left, but the straight-forwarder and left-turner do not get a green GO at the same time but one after the other, you can imagine what happens. Also, the police decided that it is a good idea to build check point two meters behind the traffic lights. Clearly an efficient solution.
Interesting also what I learnt from the discussions on the radio, the traffic lights apparently also contribute to increased crime: As someone explained, there is usually a lot of criminal activity in the traffic (like snatching phones and bags through open windows etc). Before the new-borne traffic light era, the thief would be chased through traffic and often the stolen goods could be returned to the owner. Now with these traffic lights though, you are forced to stop and the thieves can escape easily. I have to admit I have my doubts about this causal relationship, but will clearly look for evidence as soon as I get stuck next time.
Anyway - so I was sitting in the car, waiting for the next move. Suddenly I realized what was written on the yellow, overcroweded cab in front of me. In clear white letters it says: Baustellenhure.
I just started laughing and took a picture. Clearly, it was an old German car, but for whoever's sake, why would that be on a car? And what actually is a Baustellenhure? Guesses and explanations are welcome. Moments like that most certainly turn the crappy traffic jam into a daily highlight.
Tomorrow I am leaving for a two-day trip to Gbarnga where the next consultation round for the update of the Liberian Minerals and Mining Law will take place. Will be interesting.
Off for now, but more to come very soon.
Take good care of yourself!
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