This is what happens when you point a camcorder at a group of kids in Liberia and flip around the screen so that they can see themselves.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
I Am Contactable
Besides the wonderful world of e-mails, there are some other alternatives to getting a hold of me.
Phone: If from Canada, you dial 011+231+06-923408. It might cost a premium, but if you call me quick, I'll call you back, cause it only costs me 20cents a minute. Don't forget about the 8hour time difference.
Skype: Its like a phone, but its free and over the internet. Just search for christophsanz or Christoph Sanz, or my e-mail address. The downside is that I don't always have access to the interweb.
Mail: It takes about two weeks for it to get here. Just don't send anything valuable. The postal service is pretty sketchy. Here's my mailing address.
Equip Liberia
c/o Christoph Sanz
PO Box 2499
14th Street, Coleman Ave
Monrovia,Liberia, West Africa
Make sure you include my cell number (06-923408) somewhere on the letter/package, just not under the address, so that it doesn't get mixed up for a zip code.
Phone: If from Canada, you dial 011+231+06-923408. It might cost a premium, but if you call me quick, I'll call you back, cause it only costs me 20cents a minute. Don't forget about the 8hour time difference.
Skype: Its like a phone, but its free and over the internet. Just search for christophsanz or Christoph Sanz, or my e-mail address. The downside is that I don't always have access to the interweb.
Mail: It takes about two weeks for it to get here. Just don't send anything valuable. The postal service is pretty sketchy. Here's my mailing address.
Equip Liberia
c/o Christoph Sanz
PO Box 2499
14th Street, Coleman Ave
Monrovia,Liberia, West Africa
Make sure you include my cell number (06-923408) somewhere on the letter/package, just not under the address, so that it doesn't get mixed up for a zip code.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Lights Camera Chaos!
If you ever want to experience a real gong show try shooting an amateur film in Africa.
I’ve had the privilege of getting acquainted with a drama group called “The Revelation Is Christ (or T-RIC for short). I had sat in on one of their practices and wrote a little piece on them for the Equip newsletter. Their big focus is to highlight serious abuses and crimes that are happening in their community, and there are more then enough of those to go around in Liberia. Topics of their skits range from domestic violence to ritualistic killings. Not exactly your average acting group. They’ve decided that they have a couple stories that they want to make into a movie and since I’m the “queepoo” (white-man) with a camcorder, I get to film all the action.
My cell phone alarm clock woke me up bright and way to early at 7. I was out the door and at the designated gathering place in half an hour. It took till about 9 before everybody was actually gathered so I killed the time by playing with some of the kids in the neighborhood.
Speaking of kids, I MUST go off on a tangent here because as nice as Liberia is, it’s the kids that I have fallen in love with. There are a lot of kids here. I mean, a lot! And you know that whole “don’t talk to strangers” thing that parents always told you when you were young? It doesn’t apply here. They practically throw themselves at you; except for the real little ones that take one look at you and start crying. Over 50% of the population of Liberia is under 18. Think about the implications of that for a minute.
I digress.
Once everybody was finally assembled, we were still a long way off from actually filming anything yet. We were going to shoot a scene that involved using a number of fake AK-47s. So we had to whisk off to the local police station to let them know, lest anybody freak out. One cop, seeing an easy way out of a tedious day, instantly declared that he needed to come along to supervise, so he came back with us.
It was then declared that we really needed a car, so somebody rushed back into town to rent one for the day. So by about 11 about ten of us piled into a tiny Toyota Corolla and headed off to our first scene, the rest following on motorbikes.
Once we actually got the camera rolling, things were still kind of crazy. First off, we had no tripod. I would try and keep my arm still or find something to prop the camera, but everything is still a bit shaky. But hey, apparently that is in style these days. Secondly, the actors were clearly just as new to this movie business as I was. They would constantly deliver lines when they were miles away from the camera frame. Since there wasn’t really a script to go by, actor would completely change their lines and sometimes even the plot during different takes. Thirdly, Liberians are curious by nature. So whenever we were filming a crowd would gather to watch the action. They were, of course, always in the way and always making a lot of noise. Oh well.
It was altogether a thrilling experience and its not over. We’re filming again today.
Here's a completely unrelated but absolutely adorable photo of a puppy:
I’ve had the privilege of getting acquainted with a drama group called “The Revelation Is Christ (or T-RIC for short). I had sat in on one of their practices and wrote a little piece on them for the Equip newsletter. Their big focus is to highlight serious abuses and crimes that are happening in their community, and there are more then enough of those to go around in Liberia. Topics of their skits range from domestic violence to ritualistic killings. Not exactly your average acting group. They’ve decided that they have a couple stories that they want to make into a movie and since I’m the “queepoo” (white-man) with a camcorder, I get to film all the action.
My cell phone alarm clock woke me up bright and way to early at 7. I was out the door and at the designated gathering place in half an hour. It took till about 9 before everybody was actually gathered so I killed the time by playing with some of the kids in the neighborhood.
Speaking of kids, I MUST go off on a tangent here because as nice as Liberia is, it’s the kids that I have fallen in love with. There are a lot of kids here. I mean, a lot! And you know that whole “don’t talk to strangers” thing that parents always told you when you were young? It doesn’t apply here. They practically throw themselves at you; except for the real little ones that take one look at you and start crying. Over 50% of the population of Liberia is under 18. Think about the implications of that for a minute.
I digress.
Once everybody was finally assembled, we were still a long way off from actually filming anything yet. We were going to shoot a scene that involved using a number of fake AK-47s. So we had to whisk off to the local police station to let them know, lest anybody freak out. One cop, seeing an easy way out of a tedious day, instantly declared that he needed to come along to supervise, so he came back with us.
It was then declared that we really needed a car, so somebody rushed back into town to rent one for the day. So by about 11 about ten of us piled into a tiny Toyota Corolla and headed off to our first scene, the rest following on motorbikes.
Once we actually got the camera rolling, things were still kind of crazy. First off, we had no tripod. I would try and keep my arm still or find something to prop the camera, but everything is still a bit shaky. But hey, apparently that is in style these days. Secondly, the actors were clearly just as new to this movie business as I was. They would constantly deliver lines when they were miles away from the camera frame. Since there wasn’t really a script to go by, actor would completely change their lines and sometimes even the plot during different takes. Thirdly, Liberians are curious by nature. So whenever we were filming a crowd would gather to watch the action. They were, of course, always in the way and always making a lot of noise. Oh well.
It was altogether a thrilling experience and its not over. We’re filming again today.
Here's a completely unrelated but absolutely adorable photo of a puppy:
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Obama
With the inauguration of Barack Obama just days away, I thought it would be appropriate to share with you just how much the people of Liberia are in love with the new president-to-be. There are posters of him everywhere. There are businesses named after him. I can garuntee you that in 5 years there will be a whole group of 5 year old boys with the name Barack Obama. I read an article in the local newspaper a few days ago that announced that now, thanks to Barack Obama, it would be super easy for Liberians to immigrate to America!
Here are some examples of Obama love...
I pass the Obama Filling Station on my way to the office. What you can't see so well in this picture is the words "YES WE CAN" boldy printed across the foundation.
Here are some examples of Obama love...
I pass the Obama Filling Station on my way to the office. What you can't see so well in this picture is the words "YES WE CAN" boldy printed across the foundation.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
So This Is The New Year
I welcomed ’09 dancing with a handful of random people on the most beautiful beach that I had ever seen at a wedding of two strangers that I had never met. It was something else.On the 29th I headed out with the Waines family and volunteers to Robertsport, just a 3 hour drive Northwest of Monrovia. Robertsport is nestled between the vast Lake Piso and a strip of beach that offers Liberia’s best surf. Despite the ruins of bulidings blown apart by the war, the town is idyllic. We pitched our tents under the shade of two enormous almond trees on a strip of the coastline known as Cassava Beach.
When you stick nine people in a place like Robertsport there is no lack of things to do. Surfing, swimming, hunting crabs and roasting them, eating pineapples, buying fish off the local fishermen and cooking them in the fire, just lying around reading and chewing on sugar cane. None of this, however, compared to the phosphorescents. I’ve seen them before, but this was something else. I dived in the water and my whole body glowed. Every time my arm entered the water it was trailed by hundred little green sparks. When you clapped your hands underwater there was an explosion of light. And when you put on goggles and swam underwater it was just about to much to handle.Near to where we were camping, a South African guy called Joe and his brother who isn’t really his brother called Robert had built a surf lodge complete with a bar. Dave, the extremely extraverted patriarch of the Waines family, got to talking to Joe and found out that Robert had managed to find himself a beautiful Norwegian girl and that they were going to get married on the beach on the 31st. Dave got us all promptly invited.
It was by far the quickest and oddest and possibly the most beautiful wedding I’ve ever attended. There were a few friends and family of the couple, but at least half of the guests were people that just happened to be staying in the lodge at the time, and our little army. The bride rode up on an ATV. Since this was a strictly secular ceremony, they had hired the local judge to marry them. She took the whole procedure a whole lot more seriously then anybody involved. When the groom mispronounced one of his vows she made him repeat it three times. Then slamming down her mallet on the table she sealed the deal. She stood there with an immense sense of pride on her face. There was an awkward moment while we all waited for something to happen. “Can me kiss?” asked the groom almost hesitantly. “Certainly,” said the judge, a little taken aback, as if it was an absurd question. They kissed. It was all very amusing.
As the sun set down everyone shifted around the tables set up along the beach and all the candles were lit. The champagne was sweet and the food delightful, the highlight being a giant Barracuda fish. I normally don’t really savor fish, but this was amazing.
It was altogether the most unique and enjoyable New Year’s Eve I’ve witnessed.
(Speaking of unique, this is a monkey-apple fruit. It tastes like...actually you just can't describe it.)Saturday, December 27, 2008
Christmas
I’ve been thinking about coziness lately. For me the feeling of coziness, that feeling of being safe and warm, away from the cold, has always been associated with Christmas. I know it’s a little superficial since Jesus’ birth happened in a fairly hot climate and most historians claim that he was probably born some time in the summer. Still, coziness and Christmas have always waltzed hand-in-hand across my subconscious.
(The Advent Wreath that Chris and I made with a coat hangar and tinsel)
That’s why this really doesn’t feel like Christmas, because when there is no cold to come in from, you can’t really get cozy. Instead of “chestnuts on a roasting fire” you have “fresh pineapple on the beach” (which honestly isn’t a bad trade-off). Despite this more then subtle difference in my usually seasonal routines, the holidays haven’t been without their surprises and delights. Removed from the majority of the Christmas kitsch that can swarm around the last week of December, I was approached unexpected by a string of beautiful experiences.
The Waines aren’t exactly your traditional family, but they have one tradition that is worth keeping. On the 23rd four missionary families and us four volunteers converged for a “St. Nicholas Party.” After some team games to work up the appetite we tucked into one hearty potluck. Turkey legs, pumpkin, bean salad, sweet potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie(!), and shortbread filled our stomachs seasonally. Next followed the main event.
Everyone had drawn someone’s name about a week ago by random (sort-of). The task was to make a hand-made gift (no buying!) and present it along with a poem or song. I was blown away by the creativity of the people in that group. Everyone was rolling on the floor in laughter when fellow volunteer Chris, who has size 15 feet, was presented with a board game entitled “Bigfoot Finds A Wife”, complete with tips from Jane Austen and tasks like “practice your dance moves.” Some gifts appealed to the appetite (a cookie the size of a pizza) and others played to an inside joke or character trait of the receiver (Like a multi-shot spit-ball gun for a 10 year old). With all the songs and skits and presentations and gifts it was a full night of sharing God’s joy with one another. It was beautiful.
(Matthew covered in Christmas lights)
Christmas Eve was a seriously low-key affair. A big game of risk, a large puzzle, a refreshing swim in the ocean, and snacking on leftovers from the day before. After dinner we all piled into the Land Cruiser and bounced and swerved our way over to some good friends of the Waines, where we had a campfire complete with hotdogs and marshmallows. Singing carols around a fire under the stars with a marshmallow in one hand and a cup of mango juice in the other ain’t a bad way to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Christmas morning started with a hearty “ho-ho-ho” and Dave dressed as Santa (sort of). We all started our search for our “hobo-sacks”, evidently the Waines’ equivelent of stockings, which were hidden throughout the house. Here’s mine. It was yellow!
Another day of just relaxing around the house, playing Risk, and surfing. The evening involved some candle-light reading of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” and then presents. I got a box of “Swiss Miss” Brand Hot Chocolate. The day was seasoned throughout with a good dose of carols and yummy food.
Boxing Day saw us all piling into the Land Cruiser and heading off to Bomi Lake. It is now on my list of most beautiful places I have ever been. It was a huge quarry-mine-pit excavation that has now filled in with rainwater like a giant puddle. The water is crystal clear and so refreshing. There are no people there except for a small bottling plant and some UN buildings. I scaled a nearby peak to get you this photo.
(Click for a larger version)
Some of us climbed up the dried-up waterfall across the lake. When we got to the top we stumbled into a totally new world, one that looked like it was straight out of a Dr. Suess book. There was this whole valley of soft clay so everywhere you stepped it was really bouncy. It was formed into shapes and peaks. It was gorgeous.
Altogether a completely different but still beautiful Christmas.
(The Advent Wreath that Chris and I made with a coat hangar and tinsel)That’s why this really doesn’t feel like Christmas, because when there is no cold to come in from, you can’t really get cozy. Instead of “chestnuts on a roasting fire” you have “fresh pineapple on the beach” (which honestly isn’t a bad trade-off). Despite this more then subtle difference in my usually seasonal routines, the holidays haven’t been without their surprises and delights. Removed from the majority of the Christmas kitsch that can swarm around the last week of December, I was approached unexpected by a string of beautiful experiences.
The Waines aren’t exactly your traditional family, but they have one tradition that is worth keeping. On the 23rd four missionary families and us four volunteers converged for a “St. Nicholas Party.” After some team games to work up the appetite we tucked into one hearty potluck. Turkey legs, pumpkin, bean salad, sweet potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie(!), and shortbread filled our stomachs seasonally. Next followed the main event.
Everyone had drawn someone’s name about a week ago by random (sort-of). The task was to make a hand-made gift (no buying!) and present it along with a poem or song. I was blown away by the creativity of the people in that group. Everyone was rolling on the floor in laughter when fellow volunteer Chris, who has size 15 feet, was presented with a board game entitled “Bigfoot Finds A Wife”, complete with tips from Jane Austen and tasks like “practice your dance moves.” Some gifts appealed to the appetite (a cookie the size of a pizza) and others played to an inside joke or character trait of the receiver (Like a multi-shot spit-ball gun for a 10 year old). With all the songs and skits and presentations and gifts it was a full night of sharing God’s joy with one another. It was beautiful.
(Matthew covered in Christmas lights)Christmas Eve was a seriously low-key affair. A big game of risk, a large puzzle, a refreshing swim in the ocean, and snacking on leftovers from the day before. After dinner we all piled into the Land Cruiser and bounced and swerved our way over to some good friends of the Waines, where we had a campfire complete with hotdogs and marshmallows. Singing carols around a fire under the stars with a marshmallow in one hand and a cup of mango juice in the other ain’t a bad way to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Christmas morning started with a hearty “ho-ho-ho” and Dave dressed as Santa (sort of). We all started our search for our “hobo-sacks”, evidently the Waines’ equivelent of stockings, which were hidden throughout the house. Here’s mine. It was yellow!
Another day of just relaxing around the house, playing Risk, and surfing. The evening involved some candle-light reading of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” and then presents. I got a box of “Swiss Miss” Brand Hot Chocolate. The day was seasoned throughout with a good dose of carols and yummy food.Boxing Day saw us all piling into the Land Cruiser and heading off to Bomi Lake. It is now on my list of most beautiful places I have ever been. It was a huge quarry-mine-pit excavation that has now filled in with rainwater like a giant puddle. The water is crystal clear and so refreshing. There are no people there except for a small bottling plant and some UN buildings. I scaled a nearby peak to get you this photo.
(Click for a larger version)Altogether a completely different but still beautiful Christmas.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Content
I spent this morning setting up fake medical emergencies. It was a riot. We needed to take some good shots of our people in action, especially relating to the medical side of the work, for some publications. We got a team together and headed out to the nearby clinic. We gave fake injections and set up drip IV's for fake patients, and bandaged totally healthy people, and made a stretcher in a minute and put a girl inside and ran around...all the while taking photos. The result was better then I expected. See below.
The funny thing is whenever we got someone to pretend to be the victim, they always started smiling and laughing, instead of displaying the face of pain that someone who had just broken their legs might have. Liberians have so much joy!
Speaking of joy, I had a distinct lack of it earlier this afternoon. I had finished the photo shoot and didn't really have anything left to do for the rest of the day so I just drifted around the office, bored. I was feeling really discouraged and restless. I wanted to get out of Ganta, get out of the country, not talk to another Liberian for a while. I wanted a nice hot shower in a world where things run on a reasonable schedule. I read my bible a bit and then decided that I was going to lie down on my bed and pout at God until he talked to me.
He did. The minute I lay down I felt him tell me to just get up and go outside. I wrestled with my soul for a few minutes and then summoned the willpower to get off the bed and out the door.
I went at sat down on the porch railing that oversees the back area of the property. There is a little cookhouse there where a number of mothers always prepare food for their families, and there are always children running around. I just sat there for a few minutes watching the kids, and felt my frustration slowly dissipate, the way it always does when I stop thinking about myself and just start enjoying the life that God's given me.
I started talking with some of the women and joked around with this one kid, Sam, who has the chubbiest belly and the healthiest smile. I borrowed one of their small pots and heated up a can of Campbell's Cream of Potato Soup on their little coal fire. I felt so content, so satisfied with where I was, surrounded by the most beautiful children, at home in this foreign land, with ducks and chickens scrambling all over the place.
My terrible smile and Sam.
The funny thing is whenever we got someone to pretend to be the victim, they always started smiling and laughing, instead of displaying the face of pain that someone who had just broken their legs might have. Liberians have so much joy!Speaking of joy, I had a distinct lack of it earlier this afternoon. I had finished the photo shoot and didn't really have anything left to do for the rest of the day so I just drifted around the office, bored. I was feeling really discouraged and restless. I wanted to get out of Ganta, get out of the country, not talk to another Liberian for a while. I wanted a nice hot shower in a world where things run on a reasonable schedule. I read my bible a bit and then decided that I was going to lie down on my bed and pout at God until he talked to me.
He did. The minute I lay down I felt him tell me to just get up and go outside. I wrestled with my soul for a few minutes and then summoned the willpower to get off the bed and out the door.
I went at sat down on the porch railing that oversees the back area of the property. There is a little cookhouse there where a number of mothers always prepare food for their families, and there are always children running around. I just sat there for a few minutes watching the kids, and felt my frustration slowly dissipate, the way it always does when I stop thinking about myself and just start enjoying the life that God's given me.
I started talking with some of the women and joked around with this one kid, Sam, who has the chubbiest belly and the healthiest smile. I borrowed one of their small pots and heated up a can of Campbell's Cream of Potato Soup on their little coal fire. I felt so content, so satisfied with where I was, surrounded by the most beautiful children, at home in this foreign land, with ducks and chickens scrambling all over the place.
My terrible smile and Sam.
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