As I am counting the days to my departure, it has been really a tremendous experience and reminiscence of how the earlier days went by, from the moment this 2 feet land on Liberian soil, the very moment headaches and hardship began to appear greeting me right in front of my nose.
One of my great on-the-job-site challenges was finding the decent accommodation in the mission area. The commodities for which most post-conflict are scarce of – a modest house with sufficient basic facilities that cost reasonable.

Alhamdulillah that those difficulties was never put on my shoulder, as the Indonesian Milobs has already gotten a permanent accommodation here in Sinkor, 18th street in Monrovia. The hurdle was when we are deployed to the interior, I mean to the bushes where most decent buildings were previously destroyed during the conflict leaving them only the walls and some partition left standing while the roof was probably blown away and burnt.

So most of us, in turn, must have contributed a lot of financial resources to renovate an existing compound to meet the UN-MOSS (UN’s Minimum Operational Security Standard) for staff accommodation, that some of them are mandatory to have the doors and windows installed with steel bars and reinforced steel-doors and a 3 meter height of perimeter wall with barbed-razor wire decorating the top of the fence. In short – a prison type of accommodation for us after a long-exhausting patrol to the bushes.
Renting an accommodation, for some of us in Monrovia, comes with so much cost with less basic facility given by the landlord or I should call this person as the Juragan Kontrakan. I took the liberty to take a snap shot of a colleague’s accommodation.

It is a 3 bedrooms duplex, with a shared generator. Oh yes, I forgot to tell that most houses here are lit with diesel fuel generators, as no public electricity has yet been made available to most people living in Liberia.

For most people living in Monrovia, they are on their own in finding the accomodation, and for places in the sectors where the county is quite big enough and private accomodation are available, except the military contingents – we all are to find on our own.

Ok, where were we..? Oh 3 bedroom.. OK.

3 bedrooms with 1 master bedroom with its own bathroom, looks like a Barbie-style bed set, carpeted with each room got air conditioning and the other 2 bedroom is sharing one bathroom, a large living room and spacious car port. Basic furniture and bed an so on, all of those cost to rent as much as US $ 1500 per month, not including the generator’s fuel that might such the tenant’s pocket as much as another US$ 1200/month. They are more expensive one as well..

So imagine! Gosh!

Well, as to mine.. I live in a decent accommodation with much less cost that the others, and this lower price of rent often comes with persistent headaches, too.. like for many instances I have to exercise my loud scream and frustration to the landlord’s face when the water was not flowing free, and it turns to yellow and smelly. So the morning tooth-brushing becomes chocolaty and got the taste of earthy water when gargling.

“Mame!, The water stops from running and I’ve informed you 2 days ago.
There is no water to flush the commode.. if this is not fixed till this afternoon, I am going to use your bathroom and knock on your door day-and-night!”

Then later the end of the day, I found that the problem is fixed.
Though 3 of us are spending almost US$1000/month of room rent, still there have been so much shortages and accomodation fixing issues left outstanding. Of course there is always an exception. There are nice and understanding landlords and I know some of my colleagues happen to rent an accomodation from them.

Generator breakdowns are one among many common headaches most people experience when renting a place here in the mission.

Bossme’ – sore that the generator is spoo’
No spare-pa’ availabo.. I went ing-ta looke’ looke’ plente.. no pa’

I am sure you can understand the local accent spoken above, if not below is the transcript.. :-)

Bossman, Sorry that the generator is spoiled.
No Spare-Parts available.. I went in town looking-looking plenty.. no parts.

The very minute the fellow generator-man finished with the first two sentences, my head just started to spin and spin faster. It is understood that this can go on for nights. Candle-lit dinner would be emminent and flushing the toilet with buckets of water and rationing the consumption would be unavoidable.

I guess, landlords are typically the same – when it comes to collecting rent! They often to be on time and punctual, but when it comes to repairs and responding to complaints.. man, you can really say that your patience really put to the test. It seems like this landlord and accommodation headache has turned me from the flexible-kind-hearted person into an up-tight-and-very-annoying-complaint producer (want a test me?)

Anyhow, I am glad that it was over and to the incoming officers of Indonesian Milobs, I am wishing you a smooth transition and may challenges ahead can be dealt within calmly.

I am now based in Monrovia, and counting the days to be on the stairs boarding the plane leaving Liberia for good.

For Major Senior Ifthekar from Bangladeshi Army, Major Abore from Nigeria Army, Major Amjad Khan from Pakistani Army, Major Debero Koua from Mali Army and many other whom I shared accomodation during my assignment in Zwedru – Sector 2 and Sinje – Sector 4, I am glad that I’ve met you and shared all the laughs and tears under one roof of accomodation.

Last but not the least, Leut. Col. (Army) Hilman Hadi, and Major (Marines) Benny Nadeak Poltak, I thank you very much for all your support and being the supportive senior commerades, as well as a great housemates. Thanks for all your kindness and support.

Guys, do you have similar situation when it comes to mission’s accommodation? How’d you find the search for decent accomo on your first arrival to the mission? I appreciate your kindness to share here, so some of us would understand and perhaps picture it better of how one of the hardships being assigned to the bushes. :-)

Or perhaps other peacekeepers in other UN peacekeeping missions wish to share. Thanks.