Construction Site across the street....

Out my office window I have been watching the construction of a second floor on top of a previously constructed building. Our office sits a top Crown Hill, the second highest point in Monrovia -  I watch these guys from my "a/c" office every day work in FULL HOT sun a top a cement structure from 8:00am until I leave at 4:00pm. And they never ever stop....It just makes me feel LAZY.

So today I decided I needed to see the operation up close and one of our drivers, Prince, agreed to help me  get on the roof. Of course, being in a suit and being an expat, (this is the euphemism white people use for white people) gained me access. Immediately, I realized this may be dangerous - the stairs to the second floor were outside with no banister and covered in sand and dust - and I was wearing leather soled shoes...so the fact that I am still alive sans broken bones, I believe is a testament to my balance.

I watched sweat fall from the face of one of the workers as
he picked up these cinder blocks

Once a top the structure, we met a short middle aged Americo Liberian woman named Merita, the owner of the building. Merita, in fact, just arrived from the US the night before and is in town for a month to supervise the final construction of the apartment she is building on top her store front.

Turns out, behind the structure on the hill slope towards the river is her Liberian home. (she declined to be photographed, but let me tour and photograph the construction site).

My office is on the top floor in the building across the street .
(On the left side of Photo)

Needless to say it was SO HOT - SO HOT that the men were dripping sweat like a waterfall - and yet everyone of them was a happy soul - all smiles and work. A great feeling to be around a bunch of hard working souls without complaint even in the HEAT and dust and dirt. I think having a visitor complimenting them and enjoying their product made for a good visit.