Goodbye Love Pariah......

In a crowd where people stare
And I'm seen as a love pariah
My eyes only seem to see
His face in a blank space

Even when the world is spinning around
And my thoughts are partially clouded
My every memory of him stays intact
Like yarns spun into a tight ball

Just when I was wondering
How long my mind would keep wandering
To the times we had fun as friends
And pretending that it didnt matter
If thats all we would ever be
He showed up at my doorstep
And says "will you be mine, exclusively"?

Hurray! the wilderness days are over
For finally, we've taken the next step
That every one wishes for
At one point in their life.

Self Medication in Ghana

Do you trust chemists, pharmacists or should I say... behind the counter dispensers with no qualification in pharmacy or medicine to diagnose your illnesses and treat them without first seeing the doctor?

Many Ghanaians are found self-medicating at one point or another. Check an average Ghanaian's home and you will find Aspirin, Paracetamol, Efpak, Cough syrups, lozenges, Valium etc. However, is it really safe to have these because they have been advertised on TV?

Last week I saw an Alhaji something van with herbal medicines in my area of abode. The advertiser, using a megaphone claimed that a bottle of herbal bitters to cure Piles, Dysmennorhea (mentrual cramps), Infertility (in men and women), breast cancer, gonnorhea, candidiasis etc. Ebei! Talk about a multi-tasking drug.....

Now this multi-tasking medicine got me scared. I'm neither a doctor nor a pharmacist but, aren't these drugs supposed to have a varying range of active ingredients? What if some agents cause severe allergic reactions or have side effects? I remember a time when my Mom took her pills with Green Tea; it wasn't good. And that was Green Tea.

Did I mention those who buy and sell drugs on the troski? There was this one man who said that the pomade he was selling could make hair grow and also remove unwanted hair (to whom it applies scenario). Talk about marketing skills....

I know our health system isn't the best and poverty also influences the decision of the masses to go to the drug store when there is a problem but, is that a good enough justification for self medication?

Your thoughts on the issue are most welcomed.....

Jump Rope Workout = Bodacious Bod

There is always an equation for doing things and in the case of weight loss, its

DIET + EXERCISE = WEIGHT LOSS

Unfortunately for me, after losing 13kg, a lot of stressful things occured in my life and I just lost the drive I needed to get up at 4am every morning to workout. That all ended today.

I woke up this morning and decided to continue with my jump rope workout (thats the only thing I can do continuously without getting bored) . It was a blast! After the first 200 jumps, I felt as if my heart was going to burst out of my chest. But I continued till I had completed 1000 jumps in 10 sets of 100 jumps and I must confess, it felt good to be working out again.

You see, some of us just hate to do varying stuff so the jump rope workout is perfect since it works every single muscle in the body. When I first started skipping rope, I noticed that my legs became more shapely and my arms became firmer.

So now wish me luck on my continued journey towards an extremely bodacious bod....

Ta ta........

PS.. Do tell about the interesting workouts you do.... Please......

Trapped By The Bunk Bed!

Okay. So I was sitting back reminiscing about the fun my mates and I had in Senior Secondary School and couldn't help but laugh out loud at one particular memory that still remains fresh on my mind. And if you think the title is figurative, please continue to read the story that follows.

It was a sunny weekday afternoon and students were rushing out of the dining hall after having their lunch. The weather was so hot that most of us couldn't wait to have cold showers as we were punished by the scorching sun en route to our dormitories....... Unfortunately, our plans to get a cold shower were put on hold by the sound of the ringing bell ( we all knew something was up).

As I slipped on my bathrobe and hurried towards the bathroom, the bell-ringer announced that all students were to proceed to the Assembly Hall for the handing over ceremony. Immediately I heard a Mtcheew (hissing of teeth) behind me. Arrgh! these people paa... what handing over ceremony isn't announced till the last minute?  Apparently, they wanted Form Three prefects to hand over their badges to the newly appointed prefects who were still in Form Two and guess what, attendance was compulsory.

Not too excited about the whole event, my friends and I; who were Form Three students, decided to boycott the whole event for this simple reason: the weather was really really hot and the last thing any of us wanted to do was sit through an event that was of no benefit to us.... Yeah, I'm sure you are thinking "this is deviant behaviour' but hey, there are days when good girls snap. :-)

Anyway, before we could even get to the bathroom, we heard someone shout "Teachers are coming" We all knew what that meant, Scatter! Some students ran out of the dormitories but yours truly, who prides herself as being the queen of hide and seek decided to hide and, so did some of my mates who had also decided not to attend.

So as I hid under the bed of a mate who had scattered books all over in her corner and, had lots of stuff under her bed, I knew I was safe (anyone who got there would assume that the person was packing stuff and had to leave for the ceremony). Smart, aye?

Toshie, my dormmate was not so lucky though. Till this day I still can't figure out why she thought barricading the doors with a trunk would prevent the male teachers from entering the dorm. As she hurried to hide under one of the beds, she chose a really low bunk bed. Wrong decision. See, Toshie was big, with a large backside so kindly try to visualize what happened next.

Yes! My dear girl got stuck. Her head and upper back were under the bed and her butt was sticking out. the worse part was that she could neither go under the bed nor come out. I struggled to muffle my laughter when the two teachers burst into the dormitory and whipped her stuck butt  as she screamed Oh Sir, Oh Sir Oh Sir.......

Anyways, we all had a good laugh as I re-enacted the whole show later that night after prep........

Got any interesting experiences to share? Please let it out.... I'm dying to hear them.....

Cheers....

Movies And The Ghanaian Audience....

There was a time when, if you wanted to watch a movie, the only place you could go to was the local cinema or those video shed that showed movies for token fees. Then came video, which meant that you could record your favorite movies from your television and watch them time and time again, until the tape wore out. Buying the movies on video cassettes also meant that you could watch many films anytime you felt like it.

Then, with the advent of advanced technology came Cable TV, DVDs and the Internet. Now, looking at the Ghanaian scene, one can clearly see the popularity of movies in the country. You find people selling movies everywhere in the metropolitan capital Accra; from video shops to small stalls and kiosks and, in traffic (which I consider to be a risky purchase by the way ;-) . There are also posh cinemas like Silverbird who show mostly foreign movies and premiere a few Ghanaian and Nigerian movies.

And of course, those who can't afford to spend huge monies on cinema houses also exchange movies with friends who spend a few hours at the cafe and are able to download about 5-10 movies at the end of the day; depending on the connection speed.

Yes, we can say without a doubt that movies are popular in Ghana. So why then, do we always hear news stories indicating that the Ghanaian movie industry is in crisis? Why are there always censorship issues when there is supposed to be a Censorship Board?

People always complain about the sex scenes and nudity in our movies these days. As I was having an argument with a few friends last night, I asked them this question: what prompts the producers to make certain types of movies? The answer is simple.... its the audience.

So I decided then to conduct a survey to find out about the viewing preferences of the Ghanaian movie audience and see if we can all find out what majority of Ghanaians want to see in a movie that they choose to watch.

Here is the link to the survey so, Please Click to tell me your movie preferences. Please.....

I would be grateful if you could answer these few questions......

Cheers...

Love Drug………..

Its 10pm

On a cold weekday evening

And raindrops are trickling down the glass louvers.

Johnny Gill’s “My My My”

Plays softly in the background

As you caress my cheeks

And leave a trail of passionate kisses

That send waves of pleasure

Along my already shivering spine

You smile in surprise

As my innocence blows your mind

And your attitude excites me.

Goodness! I’m addicted to you

Like a junkie is to heroin

And I don’t even need

A needle & syringe

To get me high

So baby, hold me tight

And take me to my happy place

Cus I’m ready for another dosage

Of this drug called love….

The One…

Its another weekday evening and whilst everyone else is probably sipping wine and relaxing after a long day at work, having dinner out with friends, or talking to their significant others about the hectic happenings that occurred during the day,  here I am, listening to JD’s discovery, Dondria’s single “ You’re the one”, and staring at the blank document page on my laptop.

Listening to the lyrics of the song got me thinking. Yep, my mind is simultaneously playing a constant roll of memories and trying to find reasons behind each memory.  How do you determine who “the one” is? Do we look for people who are uncharacteristically thoughtful, or people who are considerate of our feelings and continue to tolerate us when we are being selfish, mean and complete jerks at the same time.

I sometimes ask my friends, “How do you know that this one person is the one you are supposed to spend the rest of your existence on this earth with?” Are there specific signs or is it just a feeling that can’t be controlled? Well guess what, none of my friends have ever given any other answer apart from “You just know”.

Lets face it: My love life is pretty much a giant crap show. I’ve had my heart ripped out of my chest one too many times. So, after failed relationships which started with the conviction that those guys, at various points in time were supposed to be “the one for me”. I’m sure anyone can understand why I’m asking these questions… Or? What do you say, person reading this post?

I would sometimes lie in bed at night, hoping and praying that my ex would call and make a confession of remorse for hurting my feelings but, I finally realized that it was just a waste of time on someone who probably isn’t great for me. After all, it seemed he always had time for every other thing but me.

Personally, I believe that in love the other person must be your priority and vice versa. So why allow someone in your past to occupy a sizeable apartment in your brain? Totally pointless…

So for now, my heart is being be kept under lock and key… at least, till i find the “The One”.

Why You Should Wash New Clothes Before Wearing Them...

I remember loving the smell of new clothes anytime my Mom came back from her travels and opened her suitcases to give us whatever she had purchased for us during her trips.  Knowing that they were new, we always slipped them on without washing them first; after all, they were new. If only I knew how wrong I was then.

I saw the light one day while I was shopping for a new set of clothes. As I looked through clothes in the boutique, I saw one sweaty lady try on a blouse and then take it off. Now, what I saw shocked me cus as soon as the lady left the shop, the sales attendant just put the garment back on the rack... Yeah I know, disgusting! That was when I decided that I would always try new garments with my own clothes on. Can you imagine the kind of bacteria that lady could have transferred onto that blouse that she didn't buy in the end? And that was a blouse... Imagine if it were a pair of trousers or jeans that get close to your intimate areas!

I decided to then see what experts say about this issue and you wouldn't believe what I found on Good Morning America. A team of experts conducted some research by buying "new clothes" from various stores and tested them for germs earlier this year and found very disturbing results.

They found representation of respiratory secretions, skin flora, and some fecal flora on one blouse, discovered evidence of feces, skin flora and respiratory secretions, especially in the armpit and "close to the buttocks," on another jacket.

Oh! and the biggest surprise, according to the scientists came when they tested a silk blouse. Could you believe that they found vaginal organisms, yeast and more fecal germs? Quoting what one scientist said when discussing the results, you may understand why you should wash your new clothes before wearing them.

"Some garments were grossly contaminated with many organisms … indicating that either many people tried it or ... someone tried it on with heavy contamination," he said. "In a sense, you are touching somebody's arm pit or groin. So you want to be protected that's all". Gosh! Imagine what it would be like if it were a bra... Ladies, please take a cue cus that's kinda gross if you ask me.

So, in order to protect yourself from these harmful bacteria, please wash your new clothes and underwear before wearing them. And if possible, wear clothes underneath while trying on new clothes and wash your hands after shopping as recommended by the experts.

Stronger With Each Tear

There are no words or ways to show

All the thoughts I’m thinking of…

I reflect on my past actions

Oh! the crazy things I did

Just to show my passion

 

You were all I always wanted

Everything I thought I needed

I’m sure I reinvented the true meaning

Of what people call a yearning

 

But then you left

And it felt like the sun

Was taken from my sky

I must confess I’m still confused

And can’t help but feel used

Tell me why I had to pay the wrong price

For falling deeply for you

 

They say time heals the wounds

So why do mine still feel new?

Why does my heart still skip a beat

Anytime I hear your name

Why does my body spontaneously tremble

Anytime I  smell your sweet perfume?

 

I cried for many nights

Till my reservoir of tears was totally depleted

I prayed that you would come back

And fantasized for hours on end

About a love that wasn’t real

And a past, not  to be revived

 

But tonight as I sit in my quiet bedroom

Smiling and typing away on these little keys

I realize one positive thing

In this whirlwind of negative emotions…

That which doesn’t kill you

Makes you stronger

After the tears have dried.

Accessing Public Transportation after 5: A Make or Break Quest

 

Two days ago, my elder sister came home with the look I know so well. Being the concerned and inquisitive last born of the family, I quickly asked her why she was looking so downcast. After a short sigh, she said “Someone stole my purse as I was alighting from the troski at 37”. Oh!

Fortunately for her, the only thing she had lost was GH¢50, since she doesn’t put her ATM cards and IDs in her wallet. As we talked about her loss, I shuddered to think of what I would have done if I had lost my purse (it has my two ATM cards and IDs)….

Now this happened as she was getting down from the troski. Several people at the bus stop were struggling to get on, so as she squeezed through the fighting would-be passengers, someone decided to earn a bonus by taking my dear sister’s purse (which in actuality was my favorite 5 yr old Dior purse).

When its 5pm in Accra, about 95% of businesses in Accra call it a day. However, we all know that the day ends when we get to our places of abode. And of course, in order to get home there are three things you have to deal with: Traffic, shortage of vehicles and the fact that the every worker in Accra also wants  to get home. My brother, who goes through this ordeal every single day calls his struggle to get a vehicle a “Make or Break Deal”.

Why do we have to go through this everyday? As I tried to think of possible reasons for this troubling phenomenon, these were the few I could come up with:

1. Too many cars on single-laned nightmares
2. Inadequate roads
3. Too few buses
4. Lack of an efficient railway system
5. Faulty traffic lights

Do you have anything else to add? I’m sure there are many more probable reasons that have failed to travel through my mind at the moment.

By the way, have you noticed that some thieves have also taken this problem as an opportunity to rob already frustrated people who haven’t gotten vehicles. They act like they are also struggling to get on the bus when in actual fact, they are slipping their fingers into people’s pockets and purses.

Some perverts also take the opportunity to squeeze people’s butts (A friend just told me of her experience as I was typing this)….. Oh Chaley!! And the rains are not helping matters at all…

The funny thing that some people do is to board the vehicle before asking for its destination. Eiii!!! Nsem wo Ghana…… Why go through all that stress only to find out that the car isn’t heading to your destination?

My sisters and brothers, finding transportation in Accra after 5pm  is indeed… a make or break quest…..