the big day

As you probably already know, today is a very big day for Liberians: GW Bush is landing in a few hours, as are the First Lady and Secretary of State. For a nation of only about 3.5 million people - with a capital city of maybe 1 million - this is a huge, HUGE deal. Streets have been swept. Curbs painted. Banners hung. Shacks demolished, and people relocated. Most of the city has been given the day off.

We saw the first signs of the impending madness last week: piles of dirt on one of Monrovia's main roads, about every 3 feet apart. I suppose they don't have giant dustpans here, so the collection had to happen sometime after the sweeping.

The curbs at the bus stops have been painted red, white, and blue - not, as we had initially feared, to represent the good ole Stars and Stripes - but because the Liberian national colors are (of course) red, white, and blue. (The obvious imitation of the US flag is another uncomfortable reminder of the country's always visible, sometimes proud, and occasionally humiliating legacy - but more on that later.)

There were rumors that there would be absolutely no mobile phone or internet access today, and I'm happy that this post proves them false. More to come later today...

our new family member

I arrived at our apartment in Liberia at 4:30 AM on Monday morning (Sunday night). Peter had reminded me that there would be someone special to greet me, and in fact, there was:

Meet Libby, the newest member of the 16th street household(inspired by her country of birth). She likes puppy chow, belly rubs, and chewing on everything. Her favorite toys include a cardboard paper towel roll and a crushed Pepsi can.

getaway

Last Sunday was my 33rd birthday. When I turned 31, I vowed to spend each birthday in a different place - perhaps just to stave off the boredom associated with all post-30 birthdays. At any rate, I spent my 30th in New York; 31st in London; and 32nd in Philadelphia.

So this year...where could I go? London was already out, and Liberia is a bit far for just a weekend trip. Ideally, I would go somewhere new, nearby, and visit someone I know...

Luxembourg!

My b school classmate Hilary lives there, with her husband and adorable twin boys, Landon and Aaron.




Luxembourg is actually quite lovely. Despite its relative non-existence on the international tourism map, it's nice. Squeezed between France, Belgium, and Germany, it feels - to the ignorant outsider - a bit like a generic European city.




Luxembourg also has more Michelin-starred restaurants per square mile (and per capita) than any other country in the world. This *probably* has something to do with Luxembourg's other notable characteristic: highest GDP per capita.

We took advantage of the city's culinary offerings with a visit to Toit pour toi, a gorgeous restored farmhouse lit entirely by candles.



Delicious. After dinner, a large party sat down next to us, including a very large, round man...the chef! He and his party sat down, except for one: an enormous black dog with a friendly face and light brown paws, who sniffed the rest of the tables before returning to his own.