A little girl stood at the edge of the road, holding her father’s hand. Her brother sat on a high bench behind them. It was 7 am, and she was eating from a polythene bag. When she was done, she sneaked her hand behind her. I imagined what she was about to do. As it turned out, her father guessed too. She dropped the bag on the ground. Quick as lightning, her father rapped her on the head. It was a healthy, disciplinary clobbering delivered through her ‘fro. He scolded her and asked her to ‘pick it up’. That was a happy morning for me.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Medofo Pa
Oh Kojo Antwi, you made me cry this morning. In the thick traffic panic, I was seized by your poetry; emotions got clogged, eyes let go, as I sang along with a quivering voice.
Se ofiri adwuma eeba’a, mede amirika n’ebeko akohyia no, na ma ye no awawa tuu. Odo yewu w’aba aa tenase, na me nhwe w’aniwamamu, eno n’ema me awerekyekyere, me hu wo aa na me no ete me, ah odo yewu ee.
Dayum, I’m smitten.
Odo ni ho aa, medaa enda ... Odo ni ho aa, eni nsuo nkoaa ...
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
November
As November scampers by
And December’s wind is nigh
I think back to January
And this year’s changes in me
Mid year’s emotional meltdown
And how I learned to lose my frown
Learning to love myself again
Dealing with last year’s piercing pain
As November flies away
I’ve no real regrets today
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Breast-Slapping in the City of Accra
Office Female #2 said at lunchtime today that she was in a trotro 7 years ago, when a suckling baby decided that its mother's breast was not the solution to its crying. The choosy baby disengaged without warning, causing the milk to squirt freely over other passengers' shoulders onto Office Female #2's sparkling shirt. She says she was more upset by the smell than the stain (she says the smell of breast milk is not adult-friendly). Well, what did she do to mother and baby? Nothing. But she felt like slapping the baby quiet, and then slapping the offending breast back into the baby's mouth!
Cheer-Me-Up Music
Musica comprimida - Compressed Music
When life is just not ticking well for me, and I think music will provide the missing beat, I don't listen to only one genre. I hop from hip hop to hip life to country to soft rock to lover's rock, to jazz to classical. Then I get bored and find the 'clock' elsewhere.
When life is just not ticking well for me, and I think music will provide the missing beat, I don't listen to only one genre. I hop from hip hop to hip life to country to soft rock to lover's rock, to jazz to classical. Then I get bored and find the 'clock' elsewhere.
700
For the first time, I missed the milestone. I put up my 700th blog post today.
I'm feeling mellow about it all.
But thank you dear readers for coming for the ride.
<3
I'm feeling mellow about it all.
But thank you dear readers for coming for the ride.
<3
6 Things I'm Looking Forward to This Weekend
The creative-writing workshop on Saturday
Hanging out with Lil Girl each day
Hanging out with MsUnderstood on Saturday
Nani's birthday on Saturday
Writing Ch. 4 of my open secret
Sleeping in the daytime on Sunday
Hanging out with Lil Girl each day
Hanging out with MsUnderstood on Saturday
Nani's birthday on Saturday
Writing Ch. 4 of my open secret
Sleeping in the daytime on Sunday
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Exotic Cranberry Juice
I spilt a dollop of liquid soap in my juice jar. Before you think I was washing it, it was an accident. The problem with the soap in there was the cranberry was already there. Not expecting visitors, and working eighteen hours for money, I put the cap back on and poured myself a glass. The rest went into the fridge. It’s turning out to be exotic cranberry juice.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Reflections on the Arrest of an Infamous Criminal
I see two cops walking down the street. They stop to help a crying child. They cross the street with an old man. They stop a loafer to ask questions. They blow on a whistle and run in the direction of trouble. They arrest a pickpocket and push him into a waiting car. They caution a driver who’s driving too fast, and arrest another who took the hard shoulder. They hand over at five, and another pair takes over. As I go home, I see a bigger group patrolling my area, in the outskirts. I drive leisurely. I feel safe.
Not in Ghana. I wake up from my dream. Not the Ghana Police. Many of these things do not even take money to do!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Insist That The Police Do Their Work Well
I cannot tell whether the British structured our police force to be automatons carrying out orders instead of investigative thinkers. Case in point: a road accident is reported. They charge you with a provisional offence (couch investigations). Then they ask you to go away while they investigate. How could they have charged you with a provisional offence without even going to the scene of the accident? Mtcheew! It is our civic duty to insist on a high standard of professionalism from the police. Do not be afraid of them. Remember, the more they bully you, the more mistakes they make. The more procedures they breach. Keep your calm. Speak the truth. If they have done a shoddy job, the law will come to your aid (in court). I HAVE YET TO SEE A MORE PATHETIC SIGHT THAN A BUNGLING COP IN COURT.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Learning 'Oil & Gas'
In the greasy history of the Third World and oil, who normally benefits from the commodity? Why are so many learning 'oil & gas'? Black gold? Mtcheew! Try fool's gold!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Shoppers’ Shame
With just a bottle of body lotion in our hand, Lil Girl and I chose the shortest queue. It was not to be the quickest. A lost-looking man and his paying wife had bought a thousand little things which took some tallying. When the shop assistant said “175 Ghana Cedis”, he took off his purely gentrifying glasses, and checked the screen of the register himself. He broke into sweat for his wife had just 135. Between turning away and searching her frowning face, he spent two minutes looking like an Ass, and wasting our time (well, he did not, for everyone in the queue was laughing hard and freely). I’ll never understand two things. Why could they not do a rough tally of prices? Why could they not take out stuff when the amount was too high? After a while, he took a note from this pocket and another from that pocket until he got the 400. And then they slunk out of there, surely vowing never to return (or at least not with each other).
Monday, November 15, 2010
The Lies of Talent Shows
I read an article somewhere that Ghanaian comedian David Oscar couldn’t laugh even if tickled by a girl with a donkey face and tail, and callused human hands. It said that he approaches his stagecraft with similar sterility. I’ve seen him once or twice. He was painful, artificial. He did not even crease the corners of my mouth (unless you count my wincing).
It’s got me thinking about talent shows. It was such a contest that unearthed buried David in the limelight, although both he and the audience had Botox faces every week for nine. It’s been downright downhill since then. The question: do you have talent because so-called talent judges on a sponsorship-selling TV show say you do? Or must your work plead its own case?
As for David, I think the article writer was too hard on him. He does have a funny face when he appears on stage and begins to look self-important. If only he would hold it there and prance about without uttering a word!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Garbage Politics
Does politics mean we are fools? That we believe anything? So there is a cadre of the opposition take time out to litter the city with rubbish? RUBBISH!
Ghana News :: NDC organiser blames detractors for garbage in Accra ::: Breaking News | News in Ghana | politics
Ghana News :: NDC organiser blames detractors for garbage in Accra ::: Breaking News | News in Ghana | politics
Friday, November 12, 2010
Travel Warning – Ghana
No need to take too much care. In fact, you can nearly be reckless. It is still safer than most other countries. There are fewer attacks here. I have lived here all my life. I have not come within a country mile of being attacked by those undesirables. I’m talking about stray animals, ghosts, robbers, murderers and rapists in (con)descending order. So, please visit. It is warm (in people and weather) and as safe as a baby’s smile.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Sexuality in Football
African Women’s Football Championships. Equatorial Guinea quashes the Queens from Ghana. The Queens (beaten black-and-blue) impute titanic testosterone levels to ‘at least 3 members’ of the other team. You’d imagine they were ‘boobless’, pas-derriere, knobbly-kneed, square-jawed and slightly-too-smelly, marauding male beasts in the park.
I like women. I wish I could play with them all the time. Football, wrestling, swimming, rugby, badmingling – sorry badminton :-) - whatever. Equality. So 3 ’hangers’ featured in a game meant for ‘gapers’. Is that a problem? I’m not saying it wasn’t. Was that cheating? I am not saying it wasn’t. But I am not saying it was, either. I’m just wishing we could all play together.
Sexuality is insincere; a dubious construct. It’s just bodies. You brush against a part of mine, I rub against yours. The way the animals do. It’s nothing. We’re just playing. Bonding. Groping. Socializing. If we don’t elevate sexuality, then everything is fair game. It’s just bodies. Petty, physical things.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Don’t Let Anger Ruin a Friendship.
My twin always preaches: “When you’re angry, what do you do? Nothing!” Last week, I fell out with a ‘Huckleberry Friend’. She skidded out of her way to make me feel bad. She said we’d parked out of ‘Friendship Zone’ to ‘Pure Professional Zone.’ I admit (ssshhh) that I was hurt. I thought to tell her which part of my shoes she could kiss. But, I did nothing. Over the weekend, while I was alone (and cruising in my prescribed professional zone) my phone beeped. It was my ‘Huckleberry Friend’. She asked if I was home and resting. She said she’d see me on Monday. With those two lines, we were all Tom-and-Huck again. I am glad that I did nothing. I have my friend back. Driving in ‘Friendship Zone’ is a bit start-and-stop right now, but the engine will warm up soon, and oil all the moving parts. Friends are forever.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Remembering Club Citro
A fizzy, clear, citrus cordial in a 150-ml bottle, sold in the ‘80s, retired in the ‘90s.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Irregardless
What? Irregardless. What? Irregardless! I just caught a doctor from the WHO say "irregardless" on BBC. He wanted to say both "irrespective" and "regardless" at the same time. It happens irregardless of where you come from, no?
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Treat Your Hair Like a Football Field
An old man at the barber's shop took one look at me and said, “Son, treat your hair like a football field – optimal level all the time – and not like a sheep’s wanton wool – it grows, you shear it off. That’s the way of a well-groomed man.”
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