Holiday Season

Monrovia has changed since I’ve been gone.  I first noticed it on the road back from Roberts Air Port Friday night.  As we left rural Liberia and approached the outer suburbs of Monrovia (where very wealthy people are building some mighty large homes) they started appearing - houses decorated with Christmas lights.  Red, green and white lights, even those dangly icicle ones.  As we drove through Paynesville, then Congo Town and then Sinkor more and more lights appeared - on houses, hotels, restaurants and shops.  Then we hit the road in front of the Presidential Mansion where strings of lights zig-zagged back and forth over the street.  The Christmas spirit, well at least the decoration, has hit Liberia.

Then on Saturday afternoon (my morning - all of it - was spent asleep!) I walked down to the food store so I could have something to eat over the next couple of days.  It was daytime so I didn’t see any lights.  But a few cars drove by with . . . yes, Christmas music playing.  White Christmas, Jingle Bells, . . . all of the usual standards.  

And I noticed something else.  Smelled, actually.  As I looked around there it was, fresh paint on almost everything.  Then I noticed a couple of guys painting the walls of a UN compound, then a few more guys at another building, and a young man painting a home.  Folks were scraping and painting all the way down to the store (which of course was full of Christmas music, Christmas lights, Christmas gifts, and Christmas shoppers - Bah! Humbug!)  Then I remembered that Finley told me a few months ago that in the latter part of December Monrovia goes crazy.  People flood the city, either to shop or to visit family, the drivers literally dive like nuts (very true), people start getting excited about New Years parties, and everything gets a coat of fresh paint.  Apparently, along with the new year the city requires everyone to put a new face on their building - or else they’re subject to a fine.  So everything gets a fresh coat of paint.  Finley mentioned that, in the grand Liberian tradition, the people have embraced the inevitable to make it a source of pride and a good excuse to celebrate.  And Liberians love to celebrate.  

So now, along with the vision of blinking lights and the sound of carols, Christmas reminds me of the smell of fresh, exterior latex paint.  

Have a Happy Holiday Season!