Country Cook

As you know, I taught all four sections of tenth grade last year.  Near the end of the year, my students started asking me if I was going to come for their Country Cook.  It took me a few minutes until I deciphered their Liberian English as “Country Cook,” but once I figured that out, I realized I had no idea what they were really talking about!  :)

Every year, schools in Pleebo do this (and maybe around Liberia, though I’m not sure…) until students reach the tenth grade.  As an elementary student, it is much less involved, but as a tenth grader, it is a day’s event!  The week after final exams, students will get together on campus and cook a meal together to celebrate another successful school year.  They each pay an agreed upon amount of money and a group of students from the class will head to the market to buy all the required goods. 

Every section of tenth grade did things differently, but the average price being paid by my students was around 300 LD (or around $4 US).  On Monday, I showed up, not sure what to expect, and I was so surprised by the results.  There were ten or so girls from the 10A class (the only class doing country cook that day) cooking up a storm.  They had purchased 35 kilograms of rice and 12 kilograms of beans to cook for their Country Cook.  Arriving on campus at 7 am, they prepared their wood fire and got to work cooking all that food for about 60 people. 

Country Cook is special because it typically involves meals that people don’t cook often at home (or meals prepared in a special way – i.e., plenty of meat, special beans, or more expensive rice (less starchy)).  10A had purchased a goat and slaughtered and parboiled it on Sunday to be put in their beans on Monday.  Upon arriving, Maria and Caroline laughed and set me right to work, preparing seasoning, washing peppers, and cleaning rice.  It was so much fun and such a great, relaxed environment to spend time in with my students. 

As things were wrapping up, they looked to me and said “Miss Moore, where are your containers?”  I was confused – containers?  What does that mean?  I said as much, and they explained to me that I needed to bring containers to carry my food home in.  I hadn’t expected to be fed, and I explained myself to them. They refused no as an answer, and they sent me on my way to get containers from my house.  When I returned, they made sure to dish up my soup and rice first, giving me plenty of rice and so much meat.  I tried to stop them, explaining I hadn’t paid for the meal and that the meat was plenty-oh, but they would hear none of it.  (I think they were so shocked I had wanted to help with this meal, and they wanted to make sure I enjoyed as much of it as I could.) 

The next day, I arrived on campus and walked between 10B, 10C, and 10D as they were preparing their meals.  Beans were the common denominator for all my classes, it seemed, and I asked them why.  “Beans are sweet, Miss Moore!” “Beans are plenty and not too dear (expensive) – we can eat plenty on this day!”  The responses made me laugh, and I couldn’t help but agree with them.  Beans are quite tasty, and these students can cook – I’m telling you! 

10D had bought a goat, as well, but 10C and 10B made due with plenty of chicken and fish, which was equally as tasty.  At the end of the day, it was a competition to see who would get to send Miss Moore food to take home – I ended up choosing to carry home some beans and rice from 10D, as I had taste-tested from both 10B and 10C throughout the day. 

Walking home both days, everyone knew that I was carrying my Country Cook home, and as is custom, I was asked if they could join me in eating.  I happily obliged, but no one took me up on the offer.  Instead, I carried my food straight to Regina’s house and shared my bounty with Eliyassa, Patricia, and all of the children in the yard.  Had I not had neighbors to share with, I think I would have been eating those beans for the rest of the week! 

Country Cook occurred when Sarah was travelling to Monrovia to hand in grant applications and things for our library, and I’m sad she missed out.  I am grateful it occurred during that week, as well, though.  It gave me something to do and someplace to be for two days out of what could have been a very lonely week.  And the welcoming spirit and fun atmosphere that my students gave me for those two days is something I will remember for the rest of my life. 

They not only taught me a little something about cooking Liberian dishes, but they also taught me what it is to be selfless and generous when you may not have much.  They welcomed this confused white lady in as their teacher and as their friend, and I am so incredibly grateful for the experience we shared together. 

Dishing out beans for everyone to carry home

Maria showing off 35 kilos of rice - cooked!

Fires are ready to cook

Country beans have to be beat after they are boiled

Teta can cook-oh!

Ferretha bluffing with the chicken

The ladies of 10A - hardest working women I know

Patrick getting ready to eat his papaya; Andrew preparing the pigs feet for the soup

Prom at PHS

Updating my blog, I realized I never filled everyone in on the prom event that happened at our high school!  We had heard about prom since February, when a class sponsor started announcing the fees due for prom – 800 LD (or about $10 US)!!  It is dear-oh, but that is necessary for the party to be as amazing as they wanted it to be. :)

Prom is open to the junior and senior class and is held at the city hall.  The junior class met and discussed their options for a meal, finally deciding on jollof rice, chicken, macaroni salad, cake, and soft drinks.  On the Friday before prom, twenty of the junior girls got together near the city hall and prepared the cake and rice (they were cooking 100 kilograms of rice to feed everyone, and that’s an all-day affair).  On Saturday morning, they cooked the chicken and made the salad. 

Prom was slated to start at 8 pm, so Sarah and I figured we could show up around 10 pm and be there right about on time.  Little did we know…  We rolled into prom around 10:30, bluffing (as we tend to do), and our students were so excited to see us!  They looked great, of course, and they were blown away by our outfits (mostly Sarah – she was rocking a new lappa dress!).  We were greeted with slight disappointment, however, for showing up so late.  Apparently prom is the only event where things start on time…  An 8 pm start really meant an 8 pm start.  Who would have thought that to be the case!?  

We were led to seats of honor – on the stage – and brought our meal.  The food was to die for, and I was so grateful for our students treating us with such open arms.  (Jollof rice is only cooked for special occasions or celebrations, and they knew how excited we were to eat it.  They made sure to give us plenty.)  I did catch a rock in my rice, though, and came away with a pretty awesome chipped back tooth – here’s to Peace Corps dental coverage! 

The prom was unlike any prom I have heard of in the States.  Instead of fancy dresses, corsages, dinner, and a free-for-all dance party, this was a much more structured program.  The array of dress options was amazing, as well.  Some girls had bought western-style gowns in Monrovia and were looking great, while others were wearing the shortest, tightest dresses and skirts they could buy in Pleebo, while others still were rocking jeans and sassy tank tops.  They were all sporting new hairstyles, as well, relishing the opportunity to wear something other than school-mandated straight plaits. 

The program started at 8, with a welcome speech and various other speeches throughout the night.  Offices in the student government were handed over to their new officers, farewell speeches were given by senior students, and then the talent portion of the show started.  The junior class had a dance, followed by the senior class.  Local talent acts from Pleebo showed up to perform for the event, and then students started queueing to perform for the group.  Anyone could perform, and it ranged from singing to lip-syncing to dancing.  They asked if Miss Ryan and I would sing, so we happily obliged. 

Our singing, mind you, was being handed a microphone (switched off), blasting the music, and lip-syncing our hearts out.  Sarah sang “Diamonds” by Rihanna, which was a hit, and I sang “Irreplaceable” by Beyonce, which was equally as loved.  Both of these are heard daily on stereos around town, and the fact that their white teachers could sing these songs was a wonderful source of entertainment, I think.  :)

Prom ended around midnight, and walking home, Sarah and I reminisced about the fun we had.  It was great to see our students in a relaxed, fun atmosphere, and it felt great to be welcomed into their community in that way.  While we were put on show a little bit, it was still a great time, and we definitely looked forward to prom the next year!

(My only regret was not taking my camera – no pictures from this event.)

Photo Update

I have a lot to say about my current administrative hold due to the Ebola-related evacuation.  It will take some time for me to aptly put my thoughts into words, so until then, enjoy some photos I took on my last days in country!

Photo Update!

This is the checkers board we made for the room where we hold study hours.  Some days are slow, and Sarah chooses those days to annihilate me..

Scenery on the drive from Pleebo to Monrovia

The road we drive on for 18 hours to get to Monrovia -- this is "good" in the dry season.

A typical village on the way to town. 

Sarah cleaning the fish for our potato greens (with Loveina's guidance).

Explaining the pop the balloon game to our women's club

The winners of the game - Majula, Saybah, and Cecelia.  Notice their "color clothes" - that day, students paid the equivalent of $0.25 to wear whatever they wanted to school.

Sarah and Sinamie, bluffing in their lappa!

:  Explaining the "sharks and fish" game -- notice the eighties prom lappa suit!

We take part in the games too :)  

The "untying the knot" team-building exercise.

Musical chairs!

Dancing with the girls - that's how we play musical chairs :)   

This is Margot -- she puts up with a lot.

On the way to training in Kakata -- 18 hours in the bush taxi gives us all a nice "spray-on" tan.

Snails for sale in the market!  They're sweet-o!)

A Weekend in Monrovia

This weekend, we were able to travel to Monrovia and experience an Embassy home stay.  My goodness, I have never been so grateful for the opportunities that come with a small Peace Corps post as I have been this weekend.  Because our country is so small (we only have one project in Liberia – education – and we have 90-100 volunteers in country), we are allowed a few extra “perks,” so to speak.

One of these is the Embassy home stay program.  Embassy employees can sign up to host Peace Corps Volunteers and we as volunteers can sign up for two home stays during our time in country.  This allows us two weekends in Monrovia, staying with an Embassy family and enjoying the luxuries of a city. 

Our family is travelling back to Iowa this month for their son’s high school graduation, so unfortunately we were not able to really form a personal connection.  We were, however, able to enjoy life in a very nice apartment, complete with wi-fi, hot running water, a real stove, and delivery pizza.  This weekend has been a great recharge weekend, and I can’t wait to plan my next visit.  (We were also doubly lucky in that we were able to catch a UN flight from Harper to Monrovia, turning four days of travel into three hours on the plane/chopper.  Thanks, UNMIL!) 

Our main reason for coming to Monrovia this weekend was to attend the Embassy Arts & Crafts Fair, an event they host twice a year (in December and May/June).  There is a Peace Corps Volunteer who started a secondary project, which then turned NGO, called Bosh Bosh and she was selling there.  There were a few things I wanted to purchase from her, and I was also curious to see what other goodies I could find.  I was blown away.  This craft fair was like any other outdoor event I could have attended in the States, and it was a drain on my wallet for sure! :)

Everything I could have wanted I found, including lappa, bags, jewelry, carvings, paintings, clothes, and shoes.  I managed to get some gifts and some goodies for myself, and I’m so excited to bring everything home and show people.  Until then, I will be content with enjoying a few of my buys back in Pleebo and basking in the feeling of rejuvenation that has come from this home stay experience :) 

Sarah and I with Bosh Bosh stars.
These stars are made from recycled materials by the girls and are absolutely beautiful.
60% of the price goes towards a community service project (currently raising funds for trash cans for the health center) and 40% of the price goes back to the NGO.
Check out their website here! :  http://boshbosh.org/