THE COME BACK

 Just as the prodigal son returned home upon realizing the need to, so have I decided to come back home- to writing after almost 8 years of scramming. 

It took me a lot of strength and courage to be back and I’m even still wondering if I still got this, or if I’d eventually go back to ‘sleep’ this time around again if confronted with writer’s block, if I’d be consistent with my style, if I can carve a niche for myself in this saturated space and put out original content and of course attract new readers etc.

I’ve always wanted to get back on here but fear held me back. Like I said earlier, I didn’t have the courage and I feared I’d fail at it again. During these tough times, I realized I couldn’t even put together a simple, one page document. This freaked me out and I knew that was the the end for me because writing has been a part of me since childhood- writing essays, lying my way through (imagining and sharing made up stories) and of course getting high scores for my made up stories *wink* so I knew this was my thing and this heavily influenced my choice of courses I read at the secondary school level right to tertiary.

So waking up one day and not being able to even draft a one page document, let alone scribble anything was heart breaking and devastating. This happened as far back as my level 200 days thus, 2014/2015 there about.  It continued into my completion, my youth service days, job hunting days, after securing a job, getting married, welcoming my first child- and oh, she turns one today. Recounting this  has made me realize how long it’s been since I last visited my blog.

A huge part of me was willing but my mind was in fragments and as much as I tried to put my thoughts together, it was simply impossible and I became down trodden hearted, I mounted a lot of pressure on me to pick up (I guess that’s what made it harder) hence, my hiatus.

A few days ago,  my mind wandered and I questioned why I’ve not given blogging/ writing a shot again. So as usual, I dragged my feet and  procrastinated. “Ohhh, let me rethink this, what will I be creating content on or  writing about, blah blah blah”. Then I set up a challenge by giving myself  a deadline thus; to get the blog up and running by my daughter’s first. (I’m Still trying to ‘speck’ it)

So Tada!!!!! I guess this is what being back feels 

🥂 

YOUR FEETS MUSN'T HURT IN HEELS AT ALL; 6 HIGH HEEL HACKS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.

    You know by now every woman loves a fancy foot wear and would go every length to get one and won't even mind the pains so far as her feets are adorned with those lovely pair of heels  just for that special osccasion.


 Cute shoes are worth the pain  (please this is not necessarily true)  they say and suprisingly, I found out there was even a formular probably most of you didn't know *wink* it's only fiction and nothing serious thus; heels that pinch + sweat+ walking = OUCH!!!  hahahahaha   funny huh?


  This is gonna be history now as am going to share with you these hacks to make life easier, so you can rock those stiletos like no ones business.

NB: Please remember to always carry a foldable flat or a pair of slippers in your bag to rely on  if the need ever arises so that you don't  hobble or limp.

• TAPE YOUR TOES 

Remember to tape your third and fourth toes together using a nude or clear medical tape ( very flexible ones) as this helps take pressure off the ball of the foot. ( A bit of biology for those who are interested: There's a nerve right between these two toes, and the tape minimizes any strain).

• SWEAT - PROOF YOUR FEET

A tiny bit of moisture can cause ankle straps to slip and slide. Therefore, mist your feets with spray deodorant.

• STRETCH THEM OUT WITH ICE

This is a bit weird  but it helps break in new  pumps that pinch the toes. You need to fill plastic bags with water and smoosh them into the toe box. This is gonna blow your mind  put the shoes into the freezer overnight and as the water in the plastic bag freezes, the bags will expand and automatically stretch out your shoes a bit to make you comfortable.

• WEAR A SOCKS PREFERABLY, THICK WOOLEN  ONES

Put on a pair of thick woolen socks and stuff your feets into the too- tight shoes and stretch your toes. Don't forget to flex your muscles as you stretch.

A FOOT PETAL

• INVEST IN FOOT PETALS

These are  designed cushions that are placed inside the shoes to bring comfort to the feets. They are made from Poron  performance urethanes which help stop friction and prevents blisters and calluses from forming, protect bones and tissues and provide superior comfort.

• SAND PAPER THE SOLES

To avoid you skidding off the dance floor and any other floor for that matter this simple trick will give you extra grip: use a sheet of sand paper to gently rough up the bottoms of the heels of your shoe. NB: gently please you won't want to scrap off the soles of your LOUBOUTINS   HAHAHAHA


     Go girl!!!!!!! you can definitely  make it through the day in a pair of stilettos with a smile with these hacks. Enjoy.

AWAKENING A SENSE OF PATRIOTISM IN TODAY'S GHANAIAN YOUTH.

"And help us to resist oppressors rule with all our will and might for ever more" is the final line of the national anthem of the Republic of Ghana who turns 58 today hurrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaay!!!!!!!!!. 58 long years since we went solo and started this walk of freedom from colonial bondage. It hasn't been easy so far but it's been worth it. Freedom is a good cause to fight for and finally get hold of.  Freedom comes with lots of responsibilities such as proving yourself after fighting and demanding for the reigns of power from your master who reluctantly gives you the opportunity to  show him what you are capable of doing without his supervision or control.  What we know but fail to acknowledge is the fact that the peace, development and stability we enjoy today is as a result of a group of people who saw the need for change and were ready to lay down their lives to change the status quo.

These people - our forefathers decided to do things for our dear nation at the peril of their own lives for the good of  the nation and unborn generations. These brave men,  heroes and heroines - our forefathers projected into the future mind you they even had no technology, gadgets, platforms and opportunities we have today and saw the need for making certain sacrifices generations after will benefit immensely from. They gave their supports unflinchingly and never expected too much as they gave their all into building this nation in order to make her attain an enviable reputation amongst her peers in the diaspora.

To commemorate the declaration of freedom from colonial rule by the first president of the Republic Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, a parade is always held at the Independence Square or the Blackstar Square  every 6th March to remember his loud screams of freedom " At long last, the battle has ended.  And Ghana your beloved country,  is free forever" and to remember the important role he played in encouraging other African countries to demand for their freedom " The Independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked with the total liberation of the African continent". This is how far some of our forefathers went to bring us this far. What then is the Ghanaian youth aspiring to do for mother Ghana in order to continue the good work began by our forefathers?  Aren't the blame games enough? - always blaming people,  governments and the country for not doing anything for us? Have we  ever stopped to wonder what mother Ghana needs and what we can in turn do for her? Isn't it about time Ghanaian youths take initiative and right certain wrongs? No other person can do this for us except we do it ourselves.  Many of the countries we admire, love and hope to visit earned their reputations for themselves through hard work and perseverance.



I'll end my write up with a true story and one which spits out volumes of information. A good friend of mine told me about his two lovely kids who are 9 and 5 years respectively. The 9 year old was born when my friend was residing in the states and the 5 year old, when my friend returned to Ghana. He noticed their ways of thinking, their mentality and their attitudes were different and very interesting. He realised the 9 year old was always willing to help out and assist and asked questions like " Daddy, can I get you something? Is there anything I can get for you?" but much to his surprise the 5 year old is always like " Daddy can you buy me this or that?  Can I get this or that when you're returning"? But annoyingly he's the one who never assists anyone. Then it dawned on him that kids were being taught to be patriotic at a tender age in the western world and that is how come the 9 year old picked up that trait.  And also in the western world,  it's always about what  you can do for your country and not the other way round. And that has contributed immensely to their development politically,economically and socially.
 

In my opinion, my friend is right and we need to take a cue from this and teach our kids who will eventually become leaders sometime in the future the need to always think of what you can do to help develop your country and not necessarily what your country can do or should do for you.

It is about time our sense of patriotism which has been lying dormant is awakened and the sooner, the better. Let us "Arise Ghana youths for our country,  the nation demands our devotion.  Let us all unite and uphold her and make her great and strong.  We are all involved in building our motherland".

WOES OF GHANAIAN INTERNS.

    As the saying goes; in order to become a strong person,  you need to rub shoulders with strong or great people and also interact with professionals and moguls in a career or a chosen field of study you aspire to get into. This and many other reasons has made it necessary for students to go on 'attachments'  or internships to bridge the gap between what they study at school and how things are actually done practically in the job market. This  has made it essential for students to apply to various companies or organisations expressing their desire to do internship with them to enable them gain some work experience and see how work is done properly since they just know the theory aspects but have no ideas in terms of the practical aspects.
    But the main purpose of internships are being overlooked these days as students end up gaining little or no knowledge from the various organisations  they applied to as they become 'errands boys or girls' for the staff during working hours to get one item  or the other hence interns don't actually get the opportunity to see and learn anything as 'sending them on errands' prevents them from achieving their main purpose.
       A few interns I interacted with regarding how their internships went got me hearing the same things over and over. Most complained bitterly of how they had no opportunity to see 'everything' relating to how work goes on in the organisation to even acquire any practical knowledge which would enable them to further ask questions for clarification.  Others also complained about how they were ill - treated by some of the staff and also a few also complained about how some staff in the organisations they found themselves at shredded their day to day responsibilities since the interns were around to 'bail' them out. The worst of them all thought it was a waste of time and human resources without getting anything in return.
    Hmmmmms (sighing) this is just too much and needs to be reviewed. Internship is a necessary component of the educational process which gradually ushers the student in to the career or job market and also helps them to have a feel of a typical work environment so that they know what to expect when they find themselves in certain positions.
    Internships are an integral part of the educational process therefore measures need to be put in place to eschew any negative act that will discourage students from having hands on practical knowledge. I look forward to see an improvement in our educational sector which will further promote growth and development in all sectors of the economy.

IS ALL REALLY SET FOR GHANA TO MIGRATE FROM THE ANALOGUE TO THE DIGITAL TV PLATFORM?

The deadline for Ghana's migration from analogue to digital platform is December 2014 and it just dawned on me that the International Telecommunications Union(ITU)'s deadline for the analogue to digital migration is 2015. Which means that sooner than later,  all analogue tv's must be flashed out of Ghana and any other countries that haven't migrated yet. This has deemed it necessary to introduce set-top boxes or better still decoders into the Ghanaian market to enable tv viewers to never miss up on any of their favourite tv programmes. The migration is going to offer an improved  spectrum efficiency as compared to the analogue and also enhance the Sound and video quality and even increase program choices as well as  give Tv fans nothing but the best.

 This indicates that Tv viewers will  require Tv sets with the capability to receive digital television signals transmitted according to the set standards that is the Integrated Digital Tv (IDTv). But viewers who have got analogue tv's will require special set top boxes or receivers in order to watch free to air tv.
     The National Communications Authority (NCA) have released certain specifications and all television stations operating in Ghana with similar licenses will have to migrate before the deadline December 2014.

But come to think of it my main problem here is that although something of this sort is about to happen, no advertisements or any form of education is going on to inform the ordinary Ghanaian who has no idea about stuffs  like this or better still that man in a remote village some where in some rural part of Ghana get know or understand what is going on when the analogue system is finally 'switched off'?

A TRAVEL, BUT NOT A TRAVEL BLOG.

 An official on the ferry

The Adomi bridge which is a 'middleman' between Accra,some parts of the Eastern,northern and  the volta region was closed to enable renovation and servicing of the bridge. The 338 kilometres stretched bridge has been closed to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic because the bridge which  links the northern,eastern and volta regions to the south allowed movement of all kinds of vehicles ranging from saloon cars, , urvans, pickups,  long/heavy vehicles and buses of all sizes etc. and it is being estimated that over about 4000 cars of all sizes ply the bridge on a daily bases therefore,pressures from these automobiles as well as humans has deemed it necessary to renovate the bridge in order to prevent any unforeseen circumstances. Beneath the bridge is  no other than the largest man made lake (artificial) in West Africa, the volta lake with its serene environs and its rich aquatic life and beautiful landscape. Whenever one finds it necessary to getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city, of course lodging in one of the hotels or guest houses along the volta lake wouldn't be a bad idea. Before the closure of the bridge, most food crops and goods were been transported to the south and the north  respectively by means of the road thus; the Adomi bridge but due to the closure, the lake has become the major means of transportation In addition,the lake serves as a source of employment avenue for the indigens as they are mostly fisher folks. Also, since major staple crops in Ghana are grown in the north, they  are being  transported to the south after harvesting by pontoons or ferries via the lake and also crops grown in the south are also transported to the north via the lake as well. This explains how vital the bridge was till it's closure but hey! we need not fret because it's for a good cause.

         Although news on the closure of the bridge brought about fear, worry and confusion on the part of the hawkers as they thought  business will slow down and goods  won't be purchased by travellers  (travellers normally make stopovers at the Adomi bridge) drivers also had their fair share as they were unsure of the diversions or alternative routes the Roads and Transport Ministry proposed. But fortunately, it isn't as worse as they anticipated as a more convenient way has been introduced to convey humans, animals, goods and services and surprisingly vehicles too across the volta lake to ease the transportation problems - The Ferry!  It is such a wonderful sight to behold when the ferry is transporting passengers And iit's so awesome seeing about 10 vehicles drive into a ferry  and watch as it carries the vehicles as well as hawkers and  animals across the lake at a snap of one's fingers.Simply put, the ferry is 'standing in' for the bridge till renovations are over.  The  ferries dock at a town called New-Akrade therefore, vehicles approaching from Accra drive to  New Akrade and drive into the ferry with passengers still on board. 

        Unfortunately, there are  only two ferries currently operating and the question is can this two stand up to the demands of the people? Two ferries cannot service a very busy business district where over 5000 people cross to and fro to attend to one duty call or the other absolutely not. A quick measure should be put in place to suffice the situation.

  Aside the movement of commuters, goods and services, and the hustle and bustle,one can see families enjoying boat rides on the lake and just having a good time. In fact, New Akrade has become like a tourist attraction site as a lot of Ghanaians travel from their homes just to come see the ferry and to cross to the other side of the lake. Another thing that caught my attention was the proliferation of photographers who kept asking anybody whether they wanted a shot and an instant print of the pictures as it was so obvious the scenery was so tempting no one can resist taking shots near the lake. I was so fascinated that I forgot to find out more about the safety measures that have been put in place in case of an emergency. 

       Aside everything, my trip was very fun, successful and interesting. I even wish the two years time frame being predicted as the duration for the renovation can be extended a bit more so we can have and experience as many 'ferry rides' as possible.  Wait a minute! Am even contemplating on  calling my blog a travel blog. Hahahahaha.*wink*

Closed Adomi bridge

Traveller's on board

Ferry on the Volta Lake

FUFU POUNDING MACHINES USURPING THE MORTAR AND PESTLE.

Technology keeps advancing day in and day out making things that seemed impossible at first very possible now.

Not only has technology had impact in our businesses, industries, factories or schools but even in our homes and our foods; thus the introduction of The Genetically Modified Foods(GMO) and even on our crops; the plant breeders bill which is still being discussed by the legislature.

Ghanaians enjoy a great variety of delicacies some easy and less stressful to prepare but others very stressful and time consuming Hence, technology came in at the right time to ease the burdens and the stress.    One of the most loved and cherished dish  by most people here in Ghana and happens to be prepared during special events or occasions (not that it can't be eaten everyday) when friends and families come together is the Fufu. Fufu is a delicacy extracted from cooked cassava and is mostly enjoyed with light soup,palm nut soup or even groundnut soup. The only difficult thing  during the preparation of fufu is the pounding of the entire cassava into fufu.

 One must be careful enough and pound firmly else, the fufu might turn out lumpy and that won't make it appetising and attractive. Pounding the cassava is greatly disliked by many as it is stressful and requires so much strength and energy. It is such an irony that a lot of people dodge the pounding but prefer to do the eating lol.Thanks to technology, the fufu pounding machine has been introduced yeeeeeeeeaaaaahhh.

The first time I got to know of the  existence of the fufu pounding machine was about two years ago I was so overwhelmed and thought: this is really going to ease the  burden off fufu lovers since they won't have to go through the inconvenience of pounding.  I had never seen one and didn't even know how it worked though but I believed it was a good thing that had come to stay.
  Finally,I got to see a fufu pounding machine and it was on the day of my cousin's traditional marriage ceremony. Fufu became the most sought after delicacy by the guests although there were many other Ghanaian dishes. More guests kept trooping in and kept ordering for fufu. The people in charge of 'food affairs' decided to prepare more fufu so that more can be available for everyone to have their fill. Just when they were thinking of what to do, a guest approached 'the people in charge of food affairs' and suggested to them to transport the cooked cassava to a place where a fufu pounding machine is available so as to save time and energy.


   An arrangement was made and a car carried a whole basin of cooked cassava to the place. As nosy and curious as I was, I wanted to know  everything about the fufu pounding machine. There was a queue and we joined. Frankly speaking,  it took less than 15 minutes for the machine to crush the entire cassava into fufu. I was so impressed and kept beaming and grinning and stared ,gaping like a villager who had seen something fascinating for the first time.  It was our turn finally and our cassava was poured into the machine. I realised for the first time that the young man controlling the machine had to keep putting his hands into the fufu every now and then to feel the texture. Goshhhhhhh!!! what the heck???  All the smiles died from my face and suddenly, I became so  disappointed and stared in awe as he kept removing  the fufu without any gloves on from the machine into our basin. OMG!!! I lost appetite instantly and swallowed hard in discomfort. I couldn't wait to leave the scene and kept wondering if the machine was even washed or cleaned daily or from time to time. Could the fufu pounding machine be a blessing or a curse to us; inspite of the fact that it is convenient, can we trust it hygienically? Its up to us to either go through the  stress by using the mortar and pestle or go in for 'the convenient' one, the fufu pounding machine.

 I  don't mean to say pounding fufu in a mortar is more hygienic than the fufu pounding machine. All I want to do is to caution us when we are deciding on which of the options to go in for. I don't mean to scare or discourage anybody . I am just
alerting us all to take precaution.