early thoughts on liberian culture and life

travel is such a blessing. there are few things that compare with being able to see parts of the world so distinctive and fascinating as what i am observing now.
one of the most striking things (other than the heat and rain) is the smiles of the people. liberians, almost as a whole, have difficult lives. 85% unemployment and 78% illiteracy. as i have said previously, there is little infrustructure. yet, yet, with so little there can be such joy. rufus' words still echo through my head about God's grace being prevalent here. the challenges are undeniable and overwhelming, but to just crack a smile in someone's direction is enough to get a large smile in return.
not only is this a joy to be surrounded by such a sea of smiles, but it is humbling to think of how easily i grumble or i am dissatisfied with something that is not even present here. how can the smiles of such an economically depressed nation be found everywhere when in my own country they are significantly less common? what does wealth or self-satisfaction do to one's contentment? or is it something else?
though one can find a smile in any direction, it is hard to observe the dire poverty. as i walked with jan this afternoon we saw tremendous poverty. where the average person makes 2 dollars u.s. a day, how can you afford the supplies which are so expensive? a shirt for $15. a hammer for $25. gas is expensive. very few can afford a car. running water, plumbing, or even a generator are outside of most people's possibility financially.
one problem is that many of the young have only known this world of ramshackle living. and they do not see it as a problem. they either say "this is africa" or "it is because of the war".
on to what i have eaten. the rainy walk was good to be out. though people had ducked for shelter and they thought jan and i were crazy, they still had their faces peering out at us.
i tried five interesting things today:
1. potta. long o. this is actually clay or a sandy clay-like, grey-colored dirt. yes. clay or dirt. and women are known to eat it. many women eat it when they are pregnant. it is popular. my desire here is not to perpetuate thoughts of africans being savages by any means but this one took me back. i tried it. it tasted like one might think clay would taste like: chalk with sand. i am not a big fan.
2. kola nut. this is actually like a big bean that comes from a pod. it has a red hue. my first reaction to putting it in my mouth was to spit it out. again, not one of my favorite things. students eat it to stay awake for exams. supposedly it is high in caffine.
3. kalla. this, like the previous two, are found at most huts that sell things. it looks like a donut hole. a golf ball sized piece of dough that has been fried. it is hot and then they put a crushed red pepper paste on top. ah, now this is good. not only does it satisfy the mouth but it burns on the way down.
4. catfish with palm oil. the fish was caught and then dried with salt. it is reconstituted then heated with copious amounts of palm oil (which is red in color). this is a really tasty dish which is placed over rice.
5. plantains. these are a more starch-filled version of the bananas we get in the states. i had the plantain both steamed (?) and fried. both work well. any type of banana is enough to make me happy.