For those of you been assigned to Monrovia, the name “Duala Market” must mean something. For those of you whose been here in Monrovia long enough, say.. 1 year or more.. perhaps over 5 years (like myself?), the said name must have given you a certain place in your mind. Some may say: “Duala Market? – Ah, man.. it’s bloody traffic passing through that place..” or perhaps some more cynical expression, like: “Duala Market? – congratulations.. you are at least spending 2 hours back and forth from that place..” and such expression goes on and on… What is this place? and what is so special about it anyway?. Well, it is a regular street-side typical Liberian market with chaotic traffic of standing taxis, bad pavements and street vendors cramming the side of the street. Just a perfect combination to provide extended frustration for motorist to go about from home to work and vice versa. To be honest, I may have more complaints to share rather than excitement when driving through this place.

To us, the UN expats, and perhaps to a lot of Monrovians, passing the road that goes across, this place must have given a lot of things to remember. Thanks to the police, indeed they helped motorist a lot to keep the flow of traffic moving, despite the fact that still it is not moving fast enough.

Often, folks shared me that they have to leave the house (for those of us, UNMIL Staffs, living in the Riverview Compound) by no later than 6.45 AM to safely pass the particular segment of road without being caught bumper-to-bumper for at least 30-45 minutes. This tells us that Monrovia’s economy is getting better, for introducing more cars to the streets among many other signs.

Looking at the reflection from visor’s mirror, the driver behind my car clearly showing a grumpy face, and the one ahead just rests his forehead on top of the steering wheel, while glancing the watch. I guess, I would not want to add the number of unpleasant motorist, so I decided to pay attention more on the people doing just about their daily life at the market. As the car moves few inches, my eyes was called to observe how a full crate of coca-cola bottle sits steadily on top of one lady’s head. She is no young, either.. gracefully crosses the streets without the two hands holding the crate, she passed by, and I wonder: How she did it? – I mean carrying that loads of stuffs with balance, and would there be a sore neck muscles afterwards?.

For me, when I try to do that perhaps, I’d be back and forth to the chirpractor’s office for neck or spinal misalignment.

Few feet advanced, the car I was driving then enter the unleveled pavements, giving me a kind of ‘reggae’ move due to the bumps and pot holes these wheels have been encountering. Then, an old folk with his wheel barrow, carrying heaps of load of charcoal packed in oversized sacks. Surely those sacks must be heavy, from looking at the drips of morning sweats coming out from the forehead. I am sure they do not need frequent gym-session to loose some weight, they do gym-kind-of-activities daily.

As I began to allow my attention to observe how life is rund within my surrounding, my level of grumpiness began to subside steadily, and somehow, traffic was kind to me as the rows of cars ahead moves a bit faster. Indeed, life is really moving forward in this slow-moving-traffic. There are many kids in the market, the ones with a school uniforms, rushing to get to school, as the younger one being held by one hand of the older sister. On the otherside, there was bunch of kids with plain-old-and-torn outfit, sitting under the morning sun, attending a big bucket nearly same of himself, filled with stuffs to sell. Gazing through the passing fellow with uniforms. I am sure they must be wondering how nice it is to be inside a class with books rather than out in the sun attending the merchandise.

These are some of the photo shoots of how life is run, here around Duala Market area:

I know, you guys must have thought and seeing things differently from these pictures above. Let me know..shout your thoughts here..

Learning from my surrounding, despite the fact that I still hate the traffic, I am grateful for the chance to learn from them.. and love the photos taken during the bumper-to-bumper ride. Looking forward to hearing and learning your morning drive. Hugs from Liberia, West Africa.