Saturday September 11

I slept quite late for me, thanks to Ambien and a late night !! Sometime after noon we all drove out to the house of Edwin, who is a representative in the Liberian House from Nimba county. Nimba is where Adamah grew up, and is the site of a new Chinese-built hospital complete with CT scanner. They haven't staffed it yet, but they are intreated in getting HEARTT to go out there. Apparently it is about 8 hours drive, and Adamah wants to see the place, so he is negotiating a UN helicopter ride out three this week. I would love to go if it works out, but we shall see. The current law is that no one in Liberia can have a helicopter except the UN.

After lunch, which was really mid-afternoon snack of fufu and rice ( I did have some fufu and it wasn't as disgusting as I had thought it would be !) we came back to the house, and then Simon and I went to the Royal Hotel to use the free WIFi. We had intreating conversation about global health, and the likelihood of Liberia sinking down into the chaos of civil war again. He is worried, as am I, that if President Sirleaf is not re-elected next year, the country is at great risk for deterioration and bloodshed. Hopefully that won't happen.

Tonight we have been invited to dinner at Adamah's brothers house. This is his oldest brother, Jess, who lives at the family compound in Congo Town, a suburb of Monrovia. One of the houses is where his mother was when she was arrested by the government of Samuel Doe ( I think) and put in prison. Adamah and his brothers were in the US at the time, and were told that she had been killed; they didn't learn that she was still alive until many months later. In any case, we went to Jess's house for dinner and drinks, and were joined by Ben and a female cousin and her daughter. lots of laughs, and we got to see the animals that Jess has: a crocodile maybe 8 inches long, a sea turtle, and a monkey. Next he wants to have a leopard ! Yes, a bit of a strange dude.

After dinner we went to the casino where Erin ( and others) played blackjack and she won $250 ! home at some early hour of the morning...