A few thoughts on: Food.

I've only been here two weeks. As such, I feel compelled to be honest
and state that my perspective on this matter may very well change over
the next 8.5 months.

But, suffice to say, for now: the food is great!

Granted, we've been very lucky these last two weeks that we've had
lots of food brought up on kiss movements from Monrovia (a kiss
movement is where one car leaves each location, in this case Monrovia
and Sanniquellie, and meet in the middle, exchange cargoes, and head
back to home). As a result, we've had a lot of chicken, cheese,
olives, even some chocolates and the like.

Our project is (relatively) unique in that for some reason they've
decided to have the cook on duty 7 days a week. Most projects
apparently have the cook only 5.5 days per week, leaving Saturday
nights and Sundays up for grabs as to what happens. But we've got a
cook here all day, every day.

I could get used to this :)

Breakfast is at one's leisure, nothing is prepared. The team keeps a
stock of corn flakes, powdered milk (Nido), honey, sometimes bread
(not very good I must admit), peanut butter, sometimes it has
preserves, and instant coffee. I'm not much of a breakfast person, but
I am trying to make sure I get three meals a day, so I've started
eating cornflakes and powdered milk. It's not that bad!

Lunch is prepared by the cook(s): Rebecca on M-Th, Kou on F-Su.
There's always protein, usually one animal and one vegetable (we've
got vegetarians), and at least one type of starch, typically rice.
(Meat) Proteins vary from dried fish, fresh fish, beef (uncommon),
goat, and chicken if we have it brought up from Monrovia. Vegetable
proteins are usually lentils, and so far I've had at least three
different colors. We had canned pork & beans once. Right now we're
smack dab in the middle of pineapple season, and damn they're fine. I
think I could eat ripe pineapple all day every day. Sometime in June
mango season starts and I'm excited about that!
Vegetables are in relatively short supply here, so we don't get much.
I'm compensating by eating heaps of pineapple. Yesterday we had a
papaya, but it wasn't fully ripe yet. Coconuts grow out back (behind
the latrines...).

Dinner is whatever is left over from lunch, plus another round of
something cooked. Same kind of things, but two proteins and two
starches or three. Leftovers go to the guards.

So...style of food? The only thing I can come up with is west african.
I certainly recognize that my exposure to African food is apparently
quite small. Like most food from tropical climates, it's heavily
seasoned to mask, of course, the flavor of things gone bad. They make
liberal use of hot peppers (yay!). Spices themselves? I've recognized
cumin, coriander, tumeric...maybe nutmeg. I'm still working on that
one. Lots of saucy/curry type dishes (but no curry). At some point
I'll start asking what things are.

People who sell things on the side of the road may have grilled kabob
type things (i've not been here long enough to risk trying one), they
also have bags of kool-aid type beverages (again, not brave enough
yet), and, well, other things. I've not been out of the compound that
much, honestly.

There's more, but there are nine of us here and a queue forming for
the one internet computer. My time is up.

Ciao
taj