Africa, Day 8, 9, and 10: Interviews, Interviews, and an Almost Missed Plane….

These last few days have just FLOWN by!

And at the end of them, we almost MISSED our flight home!!

Goodness.

On Friday we decided to turn the cameras around on our own camera crew, which proved to be very interesting! We asked the same questions we asked everyone else we had interviewed, and each had their own story and path though the civil wars, exiles, and finally to us!

We also started to film Kimmie Weeks interview, but being the super-busy man that he is, had to be called away to give rice to a local mosque. He was doing this in an act of solidarity- to support the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. This is all part of the rebuilding, he later told us, that many people in Liberia made reference to and are working towards. It is so interesting to see most everyone we talked to was uniformly wanting and working towards the goal of rebuilding community ties and putting the civil strife as far behind them as possible.

We wrapped up Friday by going to Providence Baptist Church in Monrovia, and doing what the film crew called “establishment shots” of the outside of the church. This, to me, basically means takes of Anna walking into the church, to edit her meeting Roberta for our interview, which wouldn’t take place until the next day. I learned SO MUCH from the film crew and Johnny about filming things- terminology, techniques, I even got to film part of the PSA that they are shooting and Johnny and Anna were off camera giving me acting tips- it was so great!

On Saturday, we finished up our interview with Kimmie, and got to hear his incredible life story first hand, which was an amazing experience in itself! He is such an inspiring figure, to go though so much and come back to work for the good of his country- if you haven’t already, GOOGLE HIS NAME IMMEDIATELY!! It’s a good read.

We went back to Providence Baptist Church one last time to interview Roberta Sherman, who was our Hospitality Director last week when we visited the church! The rain, which had held out so nicely every day we filmed outside, came back with a vengeance today, and made the sound and lighting difficult for our intrepid camera crew. It was so interesting to watch them light her with cell phones and pen lights- they were like the MacGyver’s of film crews!

We also interviewed Emmanuel Blowier, a former minister, who gave us an amazing overview of the history of Liberia. It is so fascinating how much America is linked to this country, and yet not many people know how intricately we are intertwined. It was very interesting to hear about all this history while sitting in the very first church built in Liberia, which was in eye-sight of the very island the freed slaves landed upon all those years ago!

Finally, our ‘martini shot,’ as I learned the last shot in a film is called, was us walking around the bustling downtown area of Monrovia, peeking into tailor shops crammed with pedal-driven sewing machines and brightly-colored bolts of fabric to buy. It was still a little drizzly, but so much fun and interesting, that I barely noticed my hair matting slowly to my head with moisture. (Great for the camera, I’m sure…)

We headed back to the hotel for one last celebratory Club Beer (naturally!) with the crew and toasted to our collective success as an accidental documentary crew. (And me, as the tag-along photographer. haha)

Sunday, we had a nice morning sleeping in and brought one last plate of breakfast buffet up to our beds. We packed up our gear, said our last goodbyes, and headed out for one last lunch with Kimmie at a really nice steak house- so nice in fact that a few dignitaries stepped in while we were there- including one of next year’s presidential candidates! Apparently they were all there for a committee on the Liberian football (American translation: soccer) league. This is a matter of national importance due to the fact that it is on every television set and every grassy field in the entire country, at all times.

We came back to our hotel and picked up our backs, said our last goodbyes to the owner and Marines we had befriended, and high-tailed it to the airport. We got there and said our last goodbyes to Robert, our amazing driver, and Musu, one of our film crew guys who was there to see his mom, who worked at the airport. Musu also hooked us up with an immigrations officer who got us though customs really quickly, which was nice. (I am telling you, this film crew was invaluable to us!)

Everything seemed to be going swimmingly until the computer couldn’t find Anna’s reservation. Worried, we ran over to the head office to plead our case. I was ready to trade all of my camera gear and any cash I had to get her on that plane, but it turned out to be a computer error and she was put on the stand-by list. After a tense 30 minute wait, she got her boarding pass, and we all let out a collective sigh of relief.

So now we are in the Brussels airport, waiting for our next leg of the trip. We were hoping that the flight to Newark would be overbooked so we could take a travel coupon and stay in Europe to actually spend a few days of our ‘vacation’ relaxing, but apparently New Jersey isn’t  a very popular destination, and there are 20 extra seats on the plane. Rats!

I can’t really believe our trip is finally coming to an end. It has felt more like a month than ten days, and I mean that in the best way possible. I have learned so much and seen so many things that have changed me and how I see the world that it would be hard for me to put it into words. Now, when I see an expensive purse, I think about how much time at school that money would afford a child like Pon Pon, who otherwise wouldn’t be able to go to school at all. Or when we go out and eat and there are leftovers, I can’t help but think about the kids at the soccer field that we gave a new soccer ball, but as one local pointed out “They are hungry- they can’t eat a soccer ball.” Or when I think about my own personal problems in my life, then compare them to what this entire region has gone through in civil strife, and how much they are all seemingly working towards healing, reconciling, and moving forward- then I feel like I can get though anything life might throw my way.

There is still so much to be done in this region, but what the Greener Diamond and Youth Action International has accomplished is nothing short of inspiring. From vocational training centers, to helping fund orphanages, to planting rice fields to feed entire communities and to rebuild entire nations’ economies on greener, more sustainable industries, these organizations are doing SO much good- and yet there is still so much more to do. But if any organizations and people have the drive, resources and most importantly passion to make big changes in this world, it is the Greener Diamond and Youth Action International. So, armed with my new life perspective, I will always try to look for ways to contribute what I can, help out when I can lend a hand, to these amazing organizations.

Thank you so much for reading along with our adventures. And especially, thank you to Anna, Johnny, and the Greener Diamond for allowing me to have this incredible experience. It has been, by far, the one of the most memorable and inspiring trips I have ever taken, and I feel honored to have been a part of this team.

Africa, Day 7: (One whole week in Africa! Wow!!) Cute orphans, talented women, and ex-Marines from the States!

Today we started at the leisurely hour of 9am… after two days of 6:30 ‘calls,’ as Johnny keeps putting it, 9 am felt like sleeping in! And all you Lion King people KNOW that 9am is NOT sleeping in for me!

We went out to one of YAI’s (Youth Action International, Kimmie Week’s Charity that Greener Diamond works with) orphanages and met with the kids, and let me tell you, it took every ounce of will not to come home with a beautiful little orphan!! These kids were SO sweet, polite, and wonderful, they all deserve so much more!

When we drove up, they ran beside the car and shook our hands, and as we pulled up to the buildings, they were singing a welcoming song to their ‘brothers and sisters,’ (us, I’m assuming) replete with percussion instruments (that I’ve seen Stephan and Rue play in our show!) and drums!! It was so sweet!

We went on a tour of the facilities and saw their livestock (pigs, rabbits, chickens, and a few guinea fowl!) and their rice field, which was great to see how self-contained and sustaining they were. They even made their own charcoal to sell to people in the city!

Johnny gave out his last soccer ball, which they loved, of course, and Anna gave out school supplies and bubbles, which was really fun to play with for them, and us!

They sang us another song, which was really sweet, and some of the kids danced, which I especially loved seeing! There was one girl who really attached herself to me. When you get out of the car the kids rush to hold your hands, so Anna and Johnny had about 5 or 6 kids hanging off them each! I was busy running around snapping pictures, so whoever could keep up with me were ‘my’ kids. My one girl was named Jenni and her little sister, followed me around all afternoon.

The girls asked for my email (!) to keep in touch with me, which was so surprising considering the conditions of this orphanage. There is one central house where the kids all bunk together, one tiny closet for their clothes and shoes (which was empty when we were there, so I think they only had one or two outfits) and a farm and livestock area surrounding the land-  and yet somehow she still has access to a laptop?!? Amazing!

It was so much fun to hang with these beautiful, happy, sweet kids. Even when we were handing out the candy they were so well-mannered and polite! Usually we just get bum-rushed by every kid on the block, but these kids would patiently wait their turn for their lollipop.

We reluctantly had to leave to see another YAI project- we were just starting to play with the little LITTLE ones, the infants who were a bit wary of us when we arrived. We all carried the littlest one, Janet, about for a bit. She was SO cute with the chubbiest cheeks ever!

The next stop was the Women’s Empowerment Center run by Kimmie and YAI. This is a center where women can come for trade skills training, like beading, cosmetology, tailoring, and catering, to name a few. The crafts they create are beautiful- we saw some amazing tie-dye and hand-crafted dresses, bead jewelry and crafts, and even had some yummy heart-shaped cookies that the culinary class made just for us! The women were so sweet and gracious to let us come and see their work!

We had dinner at the hotel, and Anna and I met some American ex-Marines working on the construction of the new US Embassy down the street. I must say, after spending 90% of my time interacting with Liberians for two weeks, it was very interesting to talk to American people again. I mean, Johnny and Anna are American, but really, Anna is Australian and Johnny is well…. Johnny. (Talking to him is like interacting with an older brother. We don’t really get much done, but we have a lot of fun doing nothing anyway.)

So having a beer with these guys was fun and kind of reverse-culture shock, in a way. I am so used to the Liberian accent that I can fully understand our local film crew now, but had to as the American guys to repeat themselves a couple times! haha, so weird!

Africa, Day Six: Amazing interviews, inspiring workshops, and more incredible interviews

Today started early again, so that we could cram in as much good stuff as we could.

We interviewed our first Sierra Leone delegate this morning and it was truly an amazing experience. To hear, FIRST HAND, how the civil war affected him, how he survived, and how the Greener Diamond is helping him and the rice fields he works on today was nothing short of incredible.

He opened up to us so candidly about how deeply the civil war still affects him- how the rebels killed his parents in front of him, how horrific life was while he was with the rebels, how he daringly escaped his captors, and how nightmares of all those years still haunt his dreams.

It was all I could do not to get emotional.

In between more interviews with our Sierra Leone delegates, Johnny and I had the opportunity to teach and acting and dance workshop to local actors and children. Johnny masterfully talked on the art of acting to the adults, while I took the kids (all boys!) out in the basketball court for some movement and acting exercises. I warmed them up and taught them the importance of always stretching and warming up before vigorous activity, like football (soccer for you Americans), in their case…. then we did some animal exercises (roar like a LION!), then I taught them a combination of some basic dance steps for them to remember. It was a BLAST!

The best part was afterwards, when the kids all took turns free-styling in the center of a circle. Let me tell you what- for a city with NO dance school whatsoever, these kids can MOVE! I saw popping, locking, breaking, hip hopping, swaying, and even some ernest MJ impersonations!

It was SO inspiring to watch these kids move so naturally, with no formal training whatsoever. They had such an interest in dancing and acting- I showed them the tour’s “sizzle reel,” (clips of the show) which the Disney head office so generously gave to us to share, and they had SO many questions about what I did after I showed it. (Before the showing no one was quite clear on what “The Lion King” was, much less a Broadway show…)

I was so moved by these kids and their ernest love for acting and movement that I hope to be able to send them a play to perform at their school, and hopefully help them find some sort of funding or sponsorship to build an acting/dance space somewhere in the city, with Kimmie Weeks help, of course! But my first priority is always to help as much as I can with the amazing work on the Greener Diamond- the dance school would just be an amazing cherry on top!

Speaking of the amazing Greener Diamond work, we filmed more of the PSA that they are putting together at the workshop too. We are having locals all say certain lines of a PSA that Anna has written and then we’re editing them all together to say one message from many different mouths- we used one of my little kids, and then the head of a local modeling agency for the next. This agency all came out to the workshop to meet us and say hello, and to ask us for advice and connections on how to get the word out about models in Liberia- well here’s your first official word- These women here are GORGEOUS!!!! Look out Tyra- these girls are fabulously beautiful, well dressed, and carry themselves like a million bucks every day.

After we all took pictures with the models (who is going to pass THAT up?) we went back to the hotel to finish up our interviews.

We had two left, one from another former child soldier, and one with the local administrator from the Kono district in Sierra Leone.

The first interview was as emotional as the one this morning- his hardship was sad and painful, but when he spoke about the rice field and how it changed his life, it was completely inspiring. He said that his life was ‘very bad’ before the rice fields were planted and that his new life and the rice fields are a dream come true. It gives the people in the area something positive to do with their lives, because, he said, without the agriculture the people would be stealing and perpetuating the bad things they all were trained to do when they were captured by the rebels.

The administrator of the area even said that the ghettos in the Kono district are clearing out, and positive changes are apparent all around the district. He said that all of these improvements were a direct result of the Greener Diamond and YAI’s fields- the diamond mines that were in the area made such money off of this district- from the mining alone the Kono district supplies 60% of the total revenue for the COUNTRY. Over half. Yet if you visited the district, he said, you would never know that the area was so ‘rich’ in resources because the diamond mines aren’t giving back to the areas at all. They just make the huge profits and never give back nearly as much to the area in which they were mined.

The things that were most impressed upon me today during these moving interviews was, first, how much pain these boys have lived through. Just meeting them, you can tell that they have been though SO MUCH. They have that “10,000 yard stare,” as Johnny put it, and it’s true. They do. Then, when we heard the horrifying things they had experienced, one losing both parents and being beaten so badly his eye doesn’t track, and the other losing his beloved father for whom he was named; it just made all the messages and news stories we had heard even while we were hearing about blood diamonds so REAL- that these rebels, who were fueled by diamond money, wrecked whole families, entire communities, and almost all of Sierra Leone.

That’s another thing that I came away with- the fact that if the diamonds hadn’t been around, the civil war wouldn’t have lasted as long. The rebels who controlled the mines were using the profit to fund the war and supply their troops. One of the boys we interviewed even said he wished the diamonds weren’t there so that the war would have ended long before it did. It’s just heartbreaking to think that choices made so far away from him, in our comfortable homes in America, buying our diamond rings and gold necklaces, could contribute so DIRECTLY to HIS pain and suffering.

Finally, the biggest thing I came away with from today, was how much the Greener Diamond is truly helping in this region of Sierra Leone. These boys were so thankful to Anna and the Greener Diamond foundation for their help in making the rice field such a success- again, it was all I could do not to tear up at their grateful message of thanks.

I really don’t know how I held it together all day…. I’m such an emotional cheeseball…

But really, it was totally inspiring, and just reiterated what I already knew and loved about this amazing foundation and movement- that consumers CAN affect world events, for good or for bad. Historically, our jewelry choices have been hurtful, even catastrophic. But now, there are other, better, more humane choices. Choices that give BACK to the communities that need it the most.

I, personally, am so proud to be a MiaDonna consumer, and to see these people in Sierra Leone being DIRECTLY affected by my fiancé’s conscience choice to not buy a mined diamond, to go with a company that is doing SO much good in the world, to see first hand what a HUGE difference concerned consumers and contentious businesses can make  … it’s simply beyond words.

…

And NOW I’m tearing up.

Shoot. Thought I’d make it though the day…

Day Five- the scariest day. ever.

So… today we started out as any other day- waiting around for “Liberian Time” to roll around. You see, if you’ve ever visited a Caribbean Island, you are familiar with “Island Time,” which is usually a SOLID 15-minutes after your appointed time to meet, have lunch, get a massage, etc.

Well in Liberia, TODAY at least… it was THREE HOURS behind the appointed time.

Hilarious.

SO we got up at 6:30a to leave at 7:30a for the Sierra Leone/Liberian border to pick up two of the 500 reformed child-soldiers working on the Greener Diamond (GOOGLE IT NOW!) rice field that was planted after the diamond mine used up the community and left the area. We got up early and had a quick breakfast and waited for our ride.

And waited.
And waited.

At around 10.30 they came by. There were some complications with communication with the Sierra Leone boys since there isn’t the best cell reception while bouncing through the unpaved Sierra Leone roads.. so it was understandable. Sorta.

Anyway, since we didn’t hear from them for three hours, we just decided to head out there ourselves. Meet them at the border, have a fun meeting, etc.

Or so we thought…

We headed out and left Monrovia, watching the concrete block huts give way to thatch huts, and mud walled huts… VERY National Geographic- what I expected to see in “Africa.” There were a few check points along the way- I”m unclear as to what the purpose of these are other than to get bribe money out of random passers by, but that’s beyond the point. We had our passports and were ready to show them…

.. until a big checkpoint asked for our documents… and then pulled Johnny from the car.

Anna and I are in the back, starting to worry. Robert, our AMAZING Liberian driver, hops out and says that he doesn’t think they know we’re in the car. We stay perfectly still, trying to hide behind the headrests or something, until we hear Johnny’s booming TV voice say: “Oh, they’re in the car…”

Shoot.

So we give them our passports, but refuse to get out of the car. (They don’t ask anyway- they can probably recognize that ‘deer in the headlights’ look from a mile away…) Meanwhile, Anna is checking her cell phone reception on both her US and newly bought Liberian phone (no reception to be found…) and slowly pocketing her mace/horn pen.

We were laughing nervously, but also locking doors and seeing if Robert the driver left his keys in the car…

FINALLY, we heard Johnny say jovially “Ok, thanks guys!” and we BOTH let out an audible SIGH of relief. Hilarious…

So we drive on, wary of any more checkpoints, when we come to a huge snarl of barbed wire crossing the road. Thinking it’s another check point, we pocket our passports, and slowly realize we have made it- THIS is the Sierra Leone/Liberian border.

There is a small town that has sprouted around the border office- tin roofed shacks, small restaurants, a one room ‘restaurant and club.’ We get out and have our papers looked at, and we decide to go a little ways into Sierra Leone to meet our boys and escort them over the border. The Liberian custom agents have no problem with this, and one man even offers to ride with us to help us though. (SO nice the Liberians…)

So we make our way across the Monroe River Bridge that separates the two countries. At the Sierra Leone side we stop, and an angry faced young man declares that we can go no farther. Actually, to be exact, he says that our OTHER car, with our other Liberian driver Bobo can go through, but, and I quote…

“The white people cannot go in.”

‘But,’ I thought to myself…. ‘I’m half Asian?!?’

I didn’t really feel like going in by myself, and only half of me, since I”m only HALF Asian, so we turned around and went back to Liberia.

BUT, for the record- we WERE in Sierra Leone.

For a minute…

Anyway, it turned out to be a great day- hanging out in this border town. The nice Liberian side let us film on the bridge (usually verboten in check points and borders to film or shoot pictures, these nice guards saw nothing wrong with it!) and then Johnny gave the kids a brand new soccer ball, which went over very well. He played soccer with them and kicked the ball about a bit. It was all great- until a random angry young man came over yelling at us about how these kids can’t EAT a soccer ball, and what us people need to bring is FOOD not balls… downer.

But we still had fun. And the kids were so happy that it really was amazing.

We sat and had a beer at one of the little restaurants while we waited for our other driver to come back with our Sierra Leone boys. We talked to some local Sierra Leonians about how the country has been doing since the war and what the Greener Diamond (GOOGLE IT- FOR REAL! IT’s AMAZING!) is doing in Sierra Leone, and they were genuinely impressed and thankful, which was a great feeling for Anna, who has worked so hard on this incredible project.

Finally, another three hours later or so, our boys drove across the bridge and we welcomed them with open arms. They were exhausted from their 10+ hour drive on unpaved roads, so we tried to leave a quickly as possible, but the locals had started to take over our caravan wanting candy and attention, so we had to take a quick detour to take one last picture.

One red eyed angry young man (the same one who yelled at us for giving soccer balls instead of food) demanded that Johnny take a picture next to a grave site near our cars. When asked what the site was, he said it was where a mass grave for Sierra Leone soldiers was found.

And it was also connected to the soccer field the children were playing on.

Chilling stuff.

We tried to high-tail it out of there as fast as we could, when we accidently rolled to far though the first check point and got pulled over by the guard. Robert, our driver, silently held his hand back to Anna and asked if we had any cash- a bribe was needed.

Scared, Anna handed over a huge wad of Liberian dollars- about $10 American. After about a 10 minute game of back and forth, the bribe worked, and Robert SPED off, worried that the guards would change their mind, and of the oncoming dark.

Now, we have been in some seemingly shady situations with Robert and he’s been as cool as a cucumber… but now, we saw nervousness in his eyes.

So we were nervous times 10.

What happens after dark, I wondered?

Well, I don’t know what happens to the people, but the potholes on the road, the axel-rattling, teeth jarring, head-bumping ones, become INVISIBLE. We bounced around for the next hour and a half, holding our breath at each check point, until we finally arrived in our hotel…

… at which time I know that Anna and I both considered kissing the floor.

It was a harrowing day, but what hit us the most, as we locked ourselves into the safety of our ‘posh’ hotel, was that what we went though today was not 1/10th of what these former child soldiers that we are interviewing tomorrow have experienced. The atrocities they’ve seen and been forced to participate in chill me to the core. We got a TINY sampling of that bone-numbing fear today. To extrapolate that to what these boys have been though- I can’t even begin to relate….

Africa, Day Four: A Reunion, A Press Conference, and an Interview

This morning we drove out to a more rural area outside of the city of Monrovia and met with Anna’s sponsor child that she has been sponsoring through a charity for years. It was very, very cool to see how all the money she has sent through the years has actually helped a young man, who went by the name of Pon Pon.

We drove out to see his school and the area in which he lived. I thought living in the city was destitute- the countryside has NO running water to speak of, so we passed a pump-powered well where people were gathering to fill wheelbarrows full of plastic jugs of water. The huts were made more of the air than of raw materials- a four-sided hut was getting more and more rare.

Yet, the people were still happy, smiling, and surprisingly well dressed, as I had already learned of LIberians and their above-average fashion sense! The people outside of the city were also MUCH more laid back about getting their pictures taken- in Monrovia people yell at you, thinking you are  yet another journalist sticking your camera in their face and making money with their images. In the city, it’s not uncommon to be yelled at for snapping a shot. In the country, however, people were inviting me into their huts for mini-photoshoots!

Anyway, Anna met with Pon Pon, after years of correspondence, and he was very happy to meet her finally. Her sponsorship pays for him to go to school, have a school uniform, at eat a hot school lunch every day. All that for just $30 a month! What a deal. He was so grateful for her and her support, as was his father, who came with him. It was so touching and inspiring!

We interviewed the administrator of the charity, who tells us that since the recession hit the world, sponsorships have all but stopped from the States, which is heartbreaking for the kids. I had already decided I wanted to sponsor a child when, out of the group of kids that always seem to find me and my lolly-pop laden pockets, a little smiling boy with a large scar down his beautiful cheek asked “Will you be my sponsor?” I almost broke down. “Of course I will!” I answered. “Ok. My name is Small Sam.” he replied, with another 100-watt smile.

So now I have a new child to sponsor when I get home! =) I can’t wait to post these pictures of these beautiful children. During the interview they always gather around me, since I”m kind of removed from the cameras and snapping ‘behind the scenes’ stuff instead. That, and I always travel with at least two pocket-fulls of candy. =) These kids were as sweet as the others at the soccer game. It’s funny- they all know there’s candy in my cargo shorts, but not ONE of them reaches in and snatches at it- which they easily could! Sometimes they’re practically falling out of my pockets and not one kid makes a grab for them!

After the interview, I wandered around the village for a minute (much to the consternation of Anna and Johnny, who worried I had been kidnapped!) and that’s when all the locals called me into their huts for pictures- even women breast feeding wanted a picture snapped so they could see themselves in the little window!

We drove back to our hotel and got ready for our  press conference. We had it in one of the side offices at Kimmie Week’s headquarters, and there were so many reporters interested that it crowded out the small room quite quickly! It was fun to meet the local journalists, but there weren’t many photographers around. In fact, two journalists asked me to send them pictures of the event for them!

After the press conference, we met with the Liberian Movie Actors Union, a fledgling union for movie actors Liberia. It was so great to see how passionate this group was about making movies against the odds. Imagine filming a movie in a place where running water is in a fraction of the buildings! The technology for the cameras, editing, sound, etc… just to think how they make that all work is so amazing. And they love what they do so much! It was great to see such determination and passion for film making, even in a country still recovering from a devastating civil war!

We ended our long day with an impassioned interview with one of Kimmie’s staffers, Oliver. He is such a well spoked, well educated young man- all of Kimmie’s staff is amazingly intelligent, passionate, and focused on making Liberia a better place- it’s truly inspiring to talk to any of them. Oliver was here throughout the war and experienced some atrocious things. He is a gifted story teller and I hope that Anna uses some of his amazing story in her films, so I can link to them and you can see how amazing Oliver is! He lost his brother during the wars, saw such horrible things, yet still is fighting the good fight and trying to rebuild Liberia with a positive attitude and message. It is wholly inspiring and it was an honor to spend time with him while we were here.

So many people here have been though so much- ti is amazing how resilient this country and her people are. Everyone mostly wants to talk about how far the country has come- not the awful things they lived though. They don’t want to live in the past, they are intent on rebuilding for the future. It is truly amazing and beautiful.

Day Three- Church, Football, and Sushi?? In Africa?!

Today we got up and literally put on our Sunday Best for a service at the oldest church in Liberia. (A Baptist church, for those interested!) It was a BEAUTIFUL service, with a guest pastor from Long Island, NY, of all places, and we had a really good time. The choir was great, and featured one guy who was SO good, I swear he could have been in the Lion King if he came over to audition! So good!

The church’s hospitality division sat us down and welcomed us thoroughly after the service and prayed for our safety and success, which was lovely.The head of the hospitality division, Roberta, then gave us a tour of the original oldest church, where the Declaration of Independence was signed.  Everyone here has been so truly welcoming and happy to talk to us. At first they all seemed shy, but once you approach them, you find that Liberians are generous and very kind.

We had a leisurely lunch, then went out to a ‘suburb’ of sorts, and watched a local football (or “soccer,” for you Americans… =) game, which was awesome. Hundreds of local stood around a dirt field to watch the local teams play, and when a goal was made, everyone would rush onto the field as if the game was won for a few moments, then clear the field and proceed with the game.

We interviewed a local for the Greener Diamond documentary, and I made friends with a HUGE group of children and young adults as I took pictures. They all pressed up against me all around me, like a halo of people, wanting to see the pictures I took, and asking for the candy in my pockets. But once again, so well mannered, polite, sweet, and shy, all of them. Such beautiful people!!

Oh, and tonight, for dinner we bravely all had sushi. In Africa. Which we all thought we would never do- and you know what ?? It was FANTASTIC!

But if I’m dead in the morning you know why…. =)

Day Two- A Tour, A Meeting, A Disco…

Day Two started out with us finally meeting out host, Kimmie Weeks.

(Google that name RIGHT NOW. You will be amazed.)

Cliff Notes Version of his life: This young man has done simply extraordinary things here in Liberia. As a teenager, he started advocating for children’s rights, and a 17, published such a whistle-blowing article on how the Liberian government under Charles Taylor was training child soldiers that he had a contract put upon his head by the president and had to flee the country. (And if Charles Taylor, the man on trial currently for his war crimes, is trying to have you killed, you MUST be doing something right..) He went to school in the States and came back to an international charity that advocates for children’s rights that has impacted hundreds of  thousands of people nation wide. He regularly meets with the President of Liberia and advocates for issues with ministers and members of Parliament often as well.

This amazing person is taking time out of his busy schedule to show us around town, and we couldn’t be more honored. He first took us on a driving tour of Monrovia, the capital city where we are staying. It reminded me a bit of Central America, with tin roofed shacks and pot-hole-filled roads, but the people inhabiting these places were stunningly well dressed. Kimmie tells us that being well dressed is a big part of the culture here- if the person only has one nice outfit they will wear it often, yet wash it nightly as to make it look as nice as possible.

He told us a lot about Liberian history- which is fascinating. This is the country that was founded in the mid-1800′s by freed slaves from America- hence the name LIBERIA, as in LIBERTY. Monrovia, the capital, is named after James Monroe, the president at the time of their freedom.

There is so much history here- we visited the first church that was built and is still in use, from the 1800′s, we saw where the pioneers (freed slaves) first landed right off the coast… to see all of these places and hear all of this amazing history was so fascinating. Liberians are very proud of their history and heritage, and it is so apparent when any of them speak to you.

We had our first authentic Liberian food (Dry rice and fried fish, DELICIOUS!) and then we stopped by City Hall on our tour. We actually walked right in because we are in the company of Kimmie and his celebrity- and met the mayor! It was amazing! She was so sweet and inviting- her staff gave us a tour of the newly renovated City Hall, even into the bathrooms, which was something they were very proud of- having running water and soap dispensers was a new addition to the building since before the war!

We were in awe of having met the mayor our first official day here- having Kimmie as our host has already proven invaluable to us! We went back for a quick dinner at Kimmie’s brother’s restaurant (Delicious food!) , then Kimmie took us out to a Liberian club- which, to be honest, felt just like a normal night club at home! Everyone here dresses like Americans, so when you’re inside a nice nightclub, like we were, you could forget you were in Africa all together!

A famous Nigerian actress came into the club so she and Johnny were announced as special guests of the night and people clamored to take pictures with them, which was fun. We stayed out far too late, but had a blast anyway!!

What I did on Summer Vacation (or) My First Trip to Africa (or) Here I am. In Africa.

So.

We all know the story of why I’m here.

(If not, please see this: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=423698097709)

But did you know it takes almost an entire DAY to travel here?

That there is only one flight per week here?

That most of the hotels have barbed wire surrounding the property here?

But wait… where is HERE?! …you must be wondering.

Here:

More specifically, the capital. Monrovia.

Almost 20 hours ago, I met my team (Anna-Mieke, CEO of MiaDonna, and Johnny Littlefield, host of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition) at Newark Airport to embark on this unique journey. We sat down in our seats and prepared for the first six-hour flight of the day, when during taxi out on the runway, the pilot abruptly turned the plane around and brought us back to another gate.

Sighing, I figured it was a typical flight delay (usually something like “Oh, there’s a part that needs replacing in the engine..” which is the LAST thing I want to hear them say. Can’t they just say they forgot the ice cream or something??”) but this time it was different. NYPD came on board to remove an old lady from the back of the plane! (You KNOW how dangerous those grandmother types can be… apparently she accused a flight attendant of stealing stuff from her while he helped her to the loo. Hmm)

Anna slyly recorded the whole thing, and the officer taking the woman off the plane joked- “you know this is already on Facebook, right?” Almost true…

After that, it was the typical six hour intercontinental flight. (Re: Painful as you try to cram yourself comfortable up against a window to sleep) We had a brief layover in Brussels, in which when we went back through security, they found a HUGE fishing knife Johnny had accidently left in his bag and gotten through all of LAX security with!!! I mean, when they took it out, it was like a machete!! Hilarious.

Then we had a surprisingly nicer six hour flight to Monrovia, featuring some of the best in-flight food I’ve ever had. Shocking.

Arriving in Monrovia was so interesting- it reminded me a lot of my trips to Central America- lush vegetation, with slightly run down, yet colorful houses. The only difference was the people- and the fact that a lot of women were actually carrying bundles on their heads! I don’t know why this surprised me. I always had assumed this was a stereotype of some sort.

Anyway, we’re checked into our barbed-wire hotel (with wi fi!!) for the night. Had a nice dinner (Indian food..?) and accidently ate some ice, so if I’m sick, we all know why… Big day of shooting tomorrow, so off to bed for us!

Selena in Seattle! – February 2009

So it’s NOW November 2009 and I’m blogging about February of this year… yikes… I need to catch up! I’m going to take this opportunity of being injured to do JUST THAT!

~ ~ ~

I was excited to have the tour go to Seattle for so many reasons.

1) I have loved Seattle since I first visited when I was 9.  So much so that I applied to the University of Washington when I was considering schools and was accepted, but decided not to go there after the 12 hour flight (with layovers) it took to get there from Florida. (Oh, and a boyfriend I had at the time was also a factor in that decision, since he was staying in Orlando!)

B) Randomly, I have a bunch of friends that live there, including one of my closest friends and President of the school when I was VP (see? I’m STILL a nerd…) Steve!

One of my friends, Lucas, is a marine stationed near by! He went with me to our opening night party! Everyone was impressed- hehe.

3) Seattle is just an ALL AROUND awesome town!!

The first weekend we were in town happened to be Valentines Day, so we went to Steve’s V-Day Party! It was SO fun and it’s always great to see Steve. We had to wear these little ribbons to tell people whether we were single (green), taken (red) or “other” (yellow) I don’t remember what the yellow ribbon meant, but I guess it was for people who aren’t sure they wanted to date anyone at the party, and therefore had an excuse like “Oh, see I’m IN a relationship but it’s so new… I just grabbed a yellow one,” and then they can walk away without crushing the persons’ spirit. Needless to say, I wore red.

Steven and I “trying out” his awesome tub!!

The next weekend was eventful and so much fun! I hung out with Steve again and after an awesome lunch of the most famous mac and cheese ever, Beechers (well what other mac and cheese have YOU heard of besides Velveta?!) I dragged him to the Aquarium on the waterfront. It was a cute little aquarium that was small, but fun!

Us being like the statues!

Steve and I in the Seattle Aquarium

That Monday, which is our day off, Kendra and I took a drive out to my favorite wine-makers, Chateau St. Michelle and tasted some really tasty wines!

It would take Kendra and I FOREVER to drain that keg of wine!

(Well, maybe not thaaat long… hehe)

After another week of shows, I went to my first game of WHIRLYBALL!! This sport is awesome!! It’s like if Jai Lai and Bumper Cars had a baby- that’s what Whirlyball would be. It is totally addictive, believe it or not, and SO much fun! Fast paced, competitive, and you really can’t help but laugh at your friends ramming each other with their bumper cars while they’re trying to shoot a whiffle ball into a net. Hilarious.

My Whirly Ball Team!
The picture on the left is a nice pic,

the one on the left is our ‘game face’ pic!

Levi came to visit me in Seattle to

see his first Broadway show ever- and I was in it! =)

Levi and I explore Pike Place Market!

On Wednesday, Levi came to visit for a few days and we had a little ‘make up’ Valentines Day, since he couldn’t be in town for the real thing. We had SO MUCH fun,  of course, exploring Seattle. We visited the Needle, naturally, and Pike’s Market, as well as the Experience Music Project and Sci-Fi Museum and Hall of Fame! (again, nerd… but at least I had a fellow nerd with me! Hehe)

We were really excited to see and go up the Space Needle…

Us rockin’ out at the Experience Music Project!

 

 

We also went to a 9:00 am showing of WATCHMEN, a movie after one of my most FAVORITE graphic novels. (Ok… comic books… wow, the nerdienss of this post is starting to concern me…) It was AWESOME, contrary to popular belief. =) And guess what Levi got me for my Valentines Day present?!? ALL WATCHMEN PARAFANALIA!! It was AWESOME.

My Watchmen obsession went to a whole new level in Seattle… =)

 

 

 

 

On Sunday I played some more Whirlyball (I TOLD you it was addictive!) and Monday hung out with the cubs in our show (the young Simbas and Nalas) but started to feel a little under the weather…. I had NO idea what was coming! For the rest of the week I was completely LAID OUT with the WORST flu of my life! (Actually, the ONLY flu of my life that I could recall!) It was so bad at one point I couldn’t get out of bed to go get my prescription filled! I had to call one of my amazing friends to help me out! Kendra, my ‘Big Sister” on the tour really helped me out later in the week when I was too weak to get out of bed to get food and water! Terrible! I was so sick I had to cancel a trip to NYC between cities and go straight to East Lansing… boo. And you KNOW I had to be near my death bed to miss a visit with Levi! Yeah, It was basically the worst week ever. No pictures from that, sorry to disappoint. =)

And sadly, that is how I ended my AWESOME month in Seattle! Came in with a bang, went out with a cough.

Ew.

Opening Night!!! – September 10, 2009

And so my belated blog continues. Since I’m laid up with a strained neck, I figured I’d make the best of it and continue my blog! We’re still in Tempe, 9 months ago *yikes!* and it’s finally my opening night!

~ ~ ~

Levi left the day before my opening night but my best friend Yadhira was flying in the same day so I didn’t have too much time to be sad when Levi left. My mom had surprised me the day before too, so I was really excited for my opening night!

(Above) Levi trying to capture me jumping in front of our LK Trailer… and not succeeding.

Me capturing Levi jumping in front of the trailer just fine….

Kendra had a surprise care package from my sister for me to open that night (even though I had recognized Cheryl’s handwriting on the package earlier that week! Busted!) I opened it and wassurprised and delighted to see good luck presents from all of my friends in Chicago! It was SO sweet and personalized, like for example, my physical therapist Julie, who worked on me when I sprained my back in 2006, send a tennis ball to roll out my stiff muscles! Or Todd, my photographer friend, who always has Wrigley gum at his studio that I swipe, (he gets it for free for shooting for Wrigley so he has a never-ending supply!) sent me lots of gum! It was SO sweet and I loved every single gift!!

Me enjoying each of the gifts – I sent these pictures to the people who got me the gifts to let them know how much I liked them- especially that Target gift card, on the left!

My first night on that stage is something I will never forget, yet it is also indescribable. I was extremely nervous, first of all, to be in the right spacing at the right time. There is SO much going on in the show that if you’re in the wrong place, you’re liable to get run over by an elephant or something!  But really, I was mostly excited. It was my Broadway debut! (Well, Broadway Tour Debut, at least) At the end, during our standing-ovation curtain call, it took all my power not to just burst into tears. I even got my own personal standing ovation from my cast mates after the curtain fell! I was so happy to be there, and so relieved to have survived not only the rehearsal process but my first show, it was overwhelming. It was such a privilege to be on stage receiving my first standing ovation for my first Broadway show performance. It’s everything you imagine it would be. Goosebumps and all.

My Opening Night/Erynn’s Birthday Party!!

Us being silly…

Afterwards, a bunch of us went to celebrate and meet my mom and Yadhira. It was a great group of friends, and it was also Erynn’s birthday, so we combined occasions and had a great time. My mom and Yadhira had to leave the next day (such a short visit!) so after sending Yadhira off early, Mom and I had a quick lunch at the closest Vietnamese place we could find. Yum! She also took me grocery shopping, just like kids in college have their parents do because they’re still not sure what they need. I never had that, being in Canada for my first year and then living at home for the rest of my schooling, so I had it now, browsing the Asian market shelves for dried fish flakes for soup and such.

A yummy lunch with my Mommy!

My last week in Tempe was pretty open, since after my opening I had minimal rehearsals (compared to six days a week earlier in the rehearsal period!) so I took some time to be the professional tourist I planned to be for the remainder of the tour. I went to the Phoenix Zoo, which was extensive and excellent! I spent a lot of time hunting down each animal represented in our show, of course, and had a generally great time roaming around the zoo.

A cute groundhog ~ A really funny sign next to the bathrooms ~ My cat sleeps like that too!

Also in my last week I wanted to take out my friends that I had made at the Four Points Sheraton where I was staying. The front desk guys were SO sweet the entire time I was there, and not just because it was their jobs! They were just really nice guys. So we went out the night before I left for a little night-cap and snack. They really made my stay in Tempe really nice!!

Me with my Tempe Pals!

Finally, after a four week intensive rehearsal period, a thrilling opening night, and three visits from some of the most important people in my life, I packed up my life and made the move to our next city, Seattle, Washington!!!

The show’s cast listing ~ My first time on the board!~The Gammage Auditorium

where I had my opening night

and was designed

by Frank Lloyd Wright!!

Me signing my first autograph on the show poster as a full cast member!