Confessions From A Black Rose

We are less than three weeks away from the Mid-Term Elections in the United States. There is a lot at stake this elections for both parties. It is possible that the Republicans can win the Senate. Which means that they would be in control of the House and the Senate. Both parties are in full campaign mode. There are also few Governor races taking place as well. The one in Florida gained nationwide coverage over a bizarre debate that took place last night. Where the candidates( I kid you not) had a disagreement over a fan. Regardless of whom you vote for, it is important to exercise your right to vote. It would be great if there were more positive tactics to winning an election. Instead of smearing the name of the other candidate, you could just ran a better campaign. A campaign that highlights your strength and your leadership. I am not surprised that several campaigns have chosen to use the recent Ebola Outbreak to stream votes. It is disheartening but not surprising. Historically,...

This post has been a long time coming, to be honest I have been avoiding writing it. Four years ago, I made my first visit to my parent's home country Liberia. It was an interesting experience that I chronicled in my previous blog posts. If you click on the Liberia label, you can read all about my adventures in Liberia.  During my time in Liberia, I saw a country that was emerging from a devastating civil war. It was a country with a bright future ahead of it. Never would I imagine that a few years later, the country would be facing another crisis. Last December, the first case of Ebola was reported in Guinea. Nearly one year later, there has been a reported 8,399 cases (as of October 10) that has affected seven nations: Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, United States, Spain, Senegal and Nigeria.  The majority of these cases are in three West African countries: Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Out of the reported cases 4,033 people have lost thei...

My time in Liberia has come to an end. The beginning of my trip to Liberia was rough, I am not going to lie. The first few days I was counting down the days until my departure. As time went by I began to see the beauty in my mother's land. The country is extremely rich in resources yet majority of Liberians are living in poverty. Most people have moved to the city for a better life which has caused a lot of congestion. Then there is not enough jobs in Monrovia to support the population. Hopefully jobs will open in the interior. I have come to realize that the Liberians I have been in contact with over the years are different from the Liberians who are living in Liberia. I think the two decades of civil war and unrest has changed Liberians. It has also created a divide between the Liberians who were able to leave and the Liberians who stayed behind. There were a lot of pleasant memories I have had in Liberia, most took place by the ocean. Anyone who is thinking about traveling to We...

The last week I was in Liberia my twin sister decided she wanted to go fabric shopping. I was a little reluctant because shopping is not my favorite activity but I ended up going anyway. We met up with our cousin by duport road junction, since she knew how to maneuver around the market. So away we go. The first place we went the people where selling 3 lapas for the price $30(tres cher), so we moved on. After nearly being run over by a steam roller we found this boutique where they were selling clothes and hair accessories. My sister was looking at dresses but I was not too interested. I did take a good peak and found a perfect dress. I asked to try it on and lucky me it fit perfectly. That was the first purchase of the day. The second store we went to was run by a father and son pair. The son looked like a Lebanese version of Ryan Gosling. It was there my sister purchased some fabrics. They sell 3 lapas for a price of $10 and Obama fabric for $15. Which is the most exquisite fabric. No...

On New Year's Eve we rented a van and went to Grand Cape Mount( Robertsport specifically). The town where my maternal Grandmother and my Father are from. I was so excited about the trip because this would be my first full day on a beach. It was so beautiful, a welcome change from Monrovia. On the left side of the road you would hills covered by what is best to described as jungle. Then to the right is crystal clear water of Lake Piso. The road leading up to Robersport is rough, tons of pot holes. We visited Nana's Louge and had lunch by Lake Piso(which really is a lagoon). After lunch we had a boat ride on Lake Piso where we got to see the Richard's Island(yes my Aunt's family owns an island). I just love being by water, is has a calming effect on the soul. Drinking wine while you place your feet in the water makes all the hard times in life just go away. I did not go swimming because the African waves are extremely rough. I just went a little bit in and water was reach...

My great great grandfather came from Ninety-Six, South Carolina and resettled to Bensonville, Liberia. Four generations later I finally get the chance to see Bensonville. I must say its an absolutely beautiful place. Coconut trees, pineapple farms, streams and hillsides are all you see. It must have been a sight all those years ago. I was able to go on a tour all over Bensonville(now known as Bentol City). I saw the homes were my aunts and uncles all I lived prior to 1980s coup. Most of them are unrecognizable but the foundations are still going strong. I also got to see my grandfather's dream house and church where my mother grew up in. It's amazing how much time we lost due to the war that destroyed Liberia. This is an image of my grandfather's dream house. It's beautiful isn't it.

I am not too sure what I expected to find in Liberia. I think I felt that there was going to be a lot of novelty but still a lot of familiarity as well. I must say they have come a long way since the civil wars that devastated the country but things are a little rough. By the time I exited the airport it was nighttime so I did not get to see much of the landscape. Which is unfortunate because the drove from the airport is breathtaking. I got to know the pempem( motorcycle taxi) pretty quickly. I also became familiar with the pedestrians. There are very few crosswalks and most people do not even use them. So what happens is that you find more people in the street than cars. It can became pretty chaotic and if you even hit one the pedestrians you will be paying for them for the rest of their lives. On my first full day in Monrovia I unfortunately saw something that really bothered me. I was on my way to a family friend's luncheon and on the right side of the road I saw this little gi...

Most of Liberian food is fried, cooked in oil and drenched with pepper but I love it. Everyday a traditional Liberian dish is made in my house. From potato greens to Cassava leaf to palava sauce to palm butter, I have eaten all dishes at least twice during my my Liberian vacation. Liberian food tends to be on the heavy side. You have a late lunch and you are set for the entire night. To have anything else for dinner would be too much. The one meal I became addicted to was dry rice, my mouth is watering thinking about it. Dry rice is usually served with fried fish and gravy that is extremely peppery. I once ate dry rice gravy that was so hot my nose was running, my mouth was on fire and tear drops were falling on my face yet I was still eating it. The rice usually has okra in it and sometimes smoke fish to the side. Some people cook it with corn beef but I don't really like that version. I also enjoyed my Liberian sweets. They make these caramelized candies out of peanuts and sesame...

Well I am back from my one month vacation in Liberia. I have so much to say about my trip that one post would not do it justice. So I have decided to divide my thoughts into seven chapters. So I am dedicating my first post to my journey to the land of potato greens and ginger beer. Okay I admit it I was a little hesitant to go to Liberia for the Christmas holiday. Not sure why since everyone I spoke to had amazing time when they went back home. I was not sure what to expect in Liberia, for one thing it was a country recovery from decades of Civil War and civil unrest. As far as I knew the country still was having problems distributing running water and electricity to the population. I was not sure that I could handle all of that for an entire month. On December 9,2010 my journey to my mother and father's land began. I was schedule to fly with Air Canada to Brussels and SN Brussels to Monrovia. I checked in fine, I have to give mad props to the Air Canada staff, hands down the ...