[07/12/07] My new name

The coolest thing happened last weekend. I got an African name. Aminata. Which means small lady. It's also the name of some gas stations in Monrovia. Kelly is not a name that African people can say or remember very well. Having an African name makes me less of a foreigner and also gives me an alias in case I meet someone who I don't want to be able to track me down later. We were waiting for a boat ride and helping make potato greens when a local woman gave me and some friends new names. There was at least one kid there too who had the same name as each of us. They loved it. The potato greens were hot as hell, and I'm not even swearing. I don't think I've ever sweat so much in my life. The boat ride was really cool. We got off on a little island in the middle of the city and learned that it was where all the freed slaves from America stopped first when they arrived in Liberia, their little version of Ellis Island. Other stuff going on: the Anastasis sailed away to her final resting place in India, I've been learning to salsa dance, got caught in some torrential downpours, been making drinks in the cafe, observed a few surgeries, ate fish that still had a head and tail and spent half a day in jail. Of my own free will. More photos coming soon. Or maybe not so soon. Slow computers make me... No word to describe.