“On the way coming” and other perplexing phrases from The Ginglish (Ghanaian-English) Dictionary

For the freshly arrived returnee, never-lived-in-Ghana Ghanaian or foreigner, communicating in Ghanaian English (Ginglish) can be quite challenging. One is suddenly confronted by a plethora of words, expressions and phrases understood only by Ghanaians. Some of these can leave you perplexed, worried and completely befuddled since the meanings are not always implicit. In her newspaper column and book The Imported Ghanaian , Alba Sumprim explored Ghanaisms with humour and cleared the fog for many of us. Anyway, here are a few Ginglish expressions I encounter on a daily basis:

• “On the way coming” [meaning]: I am as far away from where you are as humanely possible but will lie and say I have already set off to meet you. So let's say you have to meet Jack at the Accra Mall at 8am on a Saturday morning. When you call his mobile at 8:15am, He could tell you he is “on the way coming” which in reality means Jack is lying comfortably in bed at home with 1 hour to leave and a 2 hour ride in heavy traffic up ahead. Jack will show up at 11:15am and blame it all on the traffic.
  

• “Filla” [meaning]: gossip, news, rumour
  

• “Chop” [meaning]: To eat, enjoy, have. One can chop food or even money.
  

• “Chale”/”Charlie”: probably the most common hip Ghanaian expression but which does not really have any meaning….it is like adding “Dude.” To the start of your expressions.

• You are invited” [meaning]: I’m pretending to be courteous by extending an invitation for you to join me as I eat my food but if you come anywhere near me and food, I will skin you alive.

• “You, if anything, I’ll call” [meaning]: Stop harassing me with your calls! You are about to make me avoid you like the plague. Watch me never call you again.
  

• “You go come” [meaning]: I’m about to give you the biggest run-around of your life. Call me tomorrow and I will tell you to call me the next day. Call me the next day and I will tell you to call the next (next) day. This will go on and on and on until you get tired.

• “How far?” [meaning]: How much progress has been made on that thing I keep incessantly pestering you about?
  

• “Don’t bring yourself” [meaning]: Mind your own business

• “Don’t mind him/her [meaning]: Whatever him/her says ignore it
  

• “Try for me” [meaning]:I want you to do the impossible ….for me. Move mountains, turn water into wine and bend over backwards….just for me.
  

• “Consider me” [meaning]: similar to try for me. I want you to do the impossible ….for me. Move mountains, turn water into wine and bend over backwards….just for me.

• “That Abena she is another!”: this is one phrase that leaves me begging for more…Another what?! All I have been able to establish is that it is not meant in a positive light

• “She/he is someway” : Just like being another, this phrase leaves you on cliff-hanger…which way? It basically means I don’t understand She/he's behavior!
  

• “Vocabs” [meaning]: The English language repertoire that an individual has. Or can also mean ability to speak English.

• “Slang”: Don’t be fooled, this word is not referring to local jargons, patois, pidgin or creole, [meaning] To speak with some sort of a foreign accent which could be a locally acquired or a genuine foreign accent. Yes, when I first made my Ghana debut all those years ago, I was told incessantly that I had “slangs”.
  

Chale, I gradually got used to Ginglish and once everyone could understand my slangs I started chopping Ghana life and enjoying all the filla. Anyway fair readers, if you have other Ginglish expressions, Ghanaisms or feel my definitions are some way, please feel free to comment!

Ghana Election 2008: 10 days and counting

Election time is here again in Ghana! The importance of this election simply cannot be ignored. Politics is one thing that generates heated discussions in the fair republic of Ghana and I had written a very opininated blog posting about my take on election 2008. It was basically a lexicon of colourful characters and buzz-words associated with this election and politics in Ghana for the un-initiated.. *Alas* I have decided against the original posting since it was overtly political and likely to malign. So anyway, here are just a few buzz-words associated with Ghana election 2008....post editing:

• Ghana [definition] : A small Republic in West Africa that heralds itself as being the first black African country to be independent and thus its citizenry believe that they invented African politics. This country is made up of 20 million political commentators who sometimes double as 20 million football coaches. If you don't believe our coaching skills, ask the former Ghana national football coach of yore Ratomir Dujković. Heated political discussions can take place anywhere, in buses, bank queues, hair salons or even in public toilets. I heard on the Beeb that political discussions have been banned on Ghanaian buses because they distract drivers...mmm..
  
  

• Too close to call [definition] : how the BBC and every political pundit on this planet is describing the 2008 Ghanaian election. The real race for the 50% + 1 electoral votes is between the two front-running parties the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP). The real question this time around is how much damage a 3rd party force the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) will do to these two leading parties.

• Floating voter [definition]: people who apparently have not decided who to vote for (say whaa????). These individuals may swing election 2008 and so are being hotly pursued by all parties.
  
  

• Run-off [definition]: If no party is able to secure 50% + 1 votes, than the elections will have to be re-run at the end of December with the 2 leading parties from the first round. Such was the case in Election 2000. Some parties are dreading this while others are depending on it. One man's meat....

• Campaign T-Shirt [definition]: superior cotton t-shirt handed out to the masses at rallies solely during election time. NOTE: the number of t-shirts you see do not always reflect support for a particular party; it is all about the afore-mentionned SUPERIOR cotton!
  
  

• Ghanaian Radio [definition]: a plethora of stations where there is more talking than music. Some radio DJs/hosts let invited guests and callers spew half-truths, make allegations without proof and basically lie on air. *Alas* Ghanaian radio stations have mass appeal and can be heard in mini-bus taxis, offices, shops etc. The best action is usually between opposition gurus in one corner pitted against incumbent dons. This morning I heard wild wrangling on one station all about the price of public toilets in 2008 compared to 2000. If by any chance you are not interested in Ghanaian political discussions between 6am and 10am than I recommend you either leave the country or tune into the BBC, VOA or 4 or so other stations committed to music. If you are interested in political banter and bickering, there is an array of 20 other spicy stations to choose from.

• Ghana Television [definition]: Best political entertainment available.Lately, television has been the medium of choice for amusing mud-slinging between the two front-running parties. In the year 2000, I was struck by the glossy ads on TV launched by the then-opposition NPP depicting the plight of the common man on the street suffering under the evil NDC regime. 8 years down the line, I am struck by the glossy TV ads launched by the now-in-opposition NDC depicting the plight of the common man on the street suffering under the evil NPP regime. The more things change, the more things remain the same. I'm also told that the most entertaining TV to tune into is breakfast television. Two weeks ago, a member of the opposition had an on-screen show-down with a former member of the same party who is now a member of incumbent party. These two individuals traded saucy insults that would have made Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross blush. I would have skipped work, sat down with some popcorn and enjoyed the show!
  
  

• Ghanaian Newspapers [definition]: A collection of publications for daily reading that are not always fit for public consumption. When I first moved to Ghana, I used to buy about 6 different newspapers daily to get a wide range of views covering the vast political landscape. After a while this became a 'costive' [this word is actually IN USE in Ghana] and completely futile endeavour. I soon realised that many newspapers do not always take a factual approach to that thing called news and were basically a reflection of the political views of editors/owners. Some amusing cartoons in some though.
  
  

Election Billboards ...unlike MTN, these are everywhere you go



Wishing all Ghanaians a peaceful election. Be sure to use your voting power and use it wisely. Remember that it takes 50% + 1 vote. That 1 vote could be yours.



One of my favorite songs. The Rocky Dawuni classic from 1998 "In Ghana".

Bonding with James in Accra

This weekend, the widely anticipated 'Haitian Sensation' concert in Accra passed me by but I did take the opportunity to check out the new Silverbird Cinema at the Accra Mall. I was excited by the prospect of having the whole wide screen cinema experience complete with digital surround sound right here in Ghana. The last time I went to the cinema in Accra was during a family vacation back in '94 or '95. The mum, the big bruv and I went to see a B-movie out of Hollywood (or someone's basement) with some unknown D-list actors at the Rex or Roxy Cinema. Sadly, with the rise of the home box office
entertainment industry, all these cinemas died an unnatural death and were converted into churches. So the chance to see a new Hollywood blockbuster release that was not bootleg, was thrilling. So Quantum of Solace it was. My family has had a long-standing relationship with Mr. Bond. My dad was a major Bond fan-atic and apparently the big bruv cried the whole family out a movie theatre before I was born. They had gone to see Live and Let Die or the Man with the Golden Gun. I grew up in love with 007 (especially Sean Connery) and loved Roger Moore's humor-filled take on Mr. Bond. So on Sunday afternoon I made my way to the Accra Mall opting for the low-traffic 4:15pm show. Low traffic it certainly was...I coughed up the GHC 10.00 ($8.50)...*yikes* and a bag of popcorn.
The lobby was like any Odeon, AMC, Loews in the Northern hemisphere...complete with the concession stand. There were several other rooms showing other movies but our theater was impressive. Wide screen, lovely surround sound and fabulous seats. The movie started and we were transported with Bond on his adventure.
The drawbacks of the cinematic experience were the things going on in the room. There was a kid who decided to run up and down the stairs towards the end of the movie out of boredom and
the ushers were getting rather chatty just outside.
I also wished they had shown that "please-turn-off-your-mobile phone-and-stop-talking" advert before the movie since cell phone ringing was a popular distraction along with incessant chatter. A man in the row behind me let his phone ring and let us all hear his 2 minute conversation. Clearly brotherman had never heard of movie etiquette.
Ah yes, what about Quantum of Solace itself, I have come round to appreciate Daniel Craig as James Bond but this film was a little thin on the ground when it came to the plot...too many untied loose ends and more questions than answers. This Bond seems more brute than suave and the baddies were not like they used to make 'em.
The overall verdict: Okay Movie, great wide screen and digital surround sound , over-priced tickets and a serious need for clientele movie etiquette education.

To Wyclef or not to Wyclef: the 026 Zain Experience right here in Accra

It is offical: Wyclef Jean is performing in Accra courtesy of Zain; a new mobile phone company in Ghana clearly trying to make a grand entrance. At first I was a skeptic and a firm believer that this concert was not going to take place. After all, wasn't Michael Jackson set to perform a few years back? 'Ol Michael was a no-show but I hear he was beamed by satellite link right into the Accra Internationl Conference Centre...hence the skepticism.
Don't get me wrong. We do get big names down here in GH...After all Fat Joe and Sean Kingston performed earlier this year. Whoa! Sean Kingston, (I almost forgot) was another no-show. Apparently his mummy said he should not take yellow fever shots. I read somewhere that Master Kingston is being sued in a New York court by the concert organizers...is that true? I know Fat Joe was definately around since my boss boss sat near him on Delta Airlines back to the US or told us "Big Joe" was with him on the flight.
Ah yes, I do recall the big bruv quite enjoyed the Wayne Wonder + Kevin Lyttle concert some years back. Although he did admit that once Mr. Wonder started on a Forever Young cover, it was time to head for the door....A clear case of 2 hits between 2 artistes.
Anyway, I digress back to Wyclef.....I have been a fan of Wyclef, Lauryn Hill, Pras, the Fugees, Refugee Allstars etc. since The Score. It was actually in the first line-up of CDs I orderd in that too-good-to-be true Columbia house deal that many US college students fall prey to..."Buy 12 CDs for $0.99" I spent my entire time in college paying off the 12 CDs which ended up costing anything but $0.99!

Aside from the music, Wyclef is an icon in other ways. Right from the beginning, he has been a mouthpiece for the long-suffering Haitian immigrant in the US. Being Haitian was not always popular. When I was in college, one of my good friends who was Jamaican described her shock and horror when a Haitian woman asked her innocently if she was Haitian. "H--e---ll no!!!!" was her curt response. Wyclef and the 'Fugees made being Haitian cool. I remember seeing a news item on tv about Haitian-Americans kids in Boston who felt proud of their heritage for the very first time in their lives all because of the Fugees. My man Wyclef is also very active in humanitarian efforts in Haiti.

His first solo album the The Carnival is still a favorite in my collection. It was also obtained through the afore-mentionned longstanding bittersweet relationship with Columbia House. I still remain convinced
that everything Wyclef touches turns to gold. He has an uncanny ability to collaborate with the most unlikely people to produce masterpieces. He remastering Guantanamera with the late Cuban great Celia Cruz and that was a hit.
Or how about producing Carlos Santana and the Product G&B on Maria, Maria and then there is the unforgettable Hips Don't Lie with Shakira. I almost forgot the socially conscious Diallo with Youssou N'Dour. His latest album shows he is still has that popular appeal.
See how I can ramble and praise sing all about Wyclef...
Anyway, back to him and the 026 experience. Even though Wyclef has been my idol for a while....*alas* I'm having doubts about whether I should attend the concert because:

• Hustling with the whole Accra in an open air stadium in a mosquito-endemic country just does not seem too appealing
  
• Staying up beyond 3am is a struggle coz you know that Wyclef will only grace the stage after hours and hours of local artistes...
  
• Overtly corporate sponsored events just do not sit well with me...does this mean I have to have to have to get a 026 mobile line?
  

Apparently, it is not only Wyclef who is coming; there is Eve and Mario. Now, the only think I really know about Eve is that 'okay' TV series and it is not like she is coming for the acting. Mario?? Is that like Mario Winans who sang that song I Don't Wanna Know? That song that someone I REALLY would like to forget used to play in his car? Well, as I contemplate to go or not to go, I really would like to see evidence that Wyclef is in Ghana which may help me along with my decision. You never know, The 026 experience may mean beaming him out via satellite....did someone say Michael? Mmm...

What Black Men Think

I heard about this fascinating documentary What Black Men Think on the Voice of America randomly this past weekend. It basically tackles myths and stereotypes that revolve around the "Black Man" in America. The discussion of the documentary started with a startling statistic; 69% of African-American children born today are born out of wedlock. The man behind the documentary Janks Morton believes that the mis-representations of black men have left them marginalized which in turn has wreaked havoc on black relationships. The strain on black relationships has supposedly led to the fragmentation of "the black family" and community as a whole. I have not had a chance to watch the documentary but I find it thought-provoking. I wonder if it explores how Black men perpetuate the negative stereotypes in the media especially through gangster rap. I would also be eager to see if it looks at the role of the crack cocaine epidemic on the fragmentation of black communities which is examined in Crack in America and of course also in my fave The Wire. Why would I be so interested in this documentary? Aside from the fact that recently I have realised I have no clue what black men think..but that is another topic for another posting! The documentary reminds me of one of my favorite books White on Black: Images of Africa and Blacks in Western Popular Culture by a Dutch author Jan Pieterse. This book tackles visual representations of black people through the ages in western pop culture. So you have harmless blacks from the middle ages being servants to Saint Nicholas through to colonial images of savage Ashanti warriors leaving fair maidens (with strangely western features) tied to trees on the coast as human sacrifices. What?! Someone needed to tell these people that the Asantes were miles away from any coastline! But these were the fabricated images that were used to justify colonialism. Oh and the book also has the modern sexualized representations of blacks in western culture. When I say "modern" I mean contemporary for the mid 90s when the book came out! Anyway, excellent book but unlike the documentary does not really explore the impact of these myths and stereotypes on the African psyche or what Africans/Blacks think about these representations. But look at me casting judgment before seeing the film! On another note, maybe the election of America's first Black/African American president may lead to more positive representation of the Black man. Yes indeed. All roads lead to good 'ol President Obama!

Tales from 'The Field': No time for Procrastination

For the past 4 days I was away from my precious blog in what we call at work “the Field”. Hopefully this does not conjure up images of:

• Idyllic dancing amongst daisies
• Working the land with a cutlass
• Being a government operative working on an espionage case

*Alas* I was out and about doing high-brow medical research in a fishing area plagued by bilharzia. For me, field work basically means wandering through communities in the hot sun looking dusty and dishevelled, asking people for the oddest things like samples of their bodily fluids and usually in a language you do not speak. The field is always fun aside from non-stop work from 7am to 10pm and irregular eating patterns.
Kpong Power Station Statues...Ilustrious Workers

So, this past week I was the reluctant leader of a team of 10 right into the Volta River Authority heartland . The scenery was breathtaking, the locals extremely warm and our team, the biggest political debators on the continent. Well, I suppose this would be expected during political high season and an upcoming election that is supposedly too close to call. At some point there was way too much talky talky and not enough worky worky going on.

On our last night in the field we had a late evening breezy walk around 9pm with a torch-light and a megaphone distributing containers for samples. We went from house to house meeting perplexed people in their pyjamas. If I was them I would have had us rail-roaded outta town!

Pot Producing area.. Erm, clearly not the type you may be thinking

The community we stayed in was nice enough to put the 3 female members of our team in a guest house where we had electricity and running water. Of course our tranquility was disturbed by another house-guest in the person of a so-called “Evangelist”. I don’t mean to be critical of this man but judging by the level of music he was subjecting our ear-drums to, he must have been hard of hearing or not from this planet. He also had a fine collection of empty liquor bottles in the kitchen making him unlike any evangelist I had come across.

Mr. Evangelist was not a working man but was being fed and housed by the good-natured town people. He seemed to spend his days entertaining droves of people with the aforementioned unearthly loud music as well as Nigerian movies….winning combination for my ear-drums. Each night around 10pm, he went out to hold his evangelizing sessions and returned around 2am with a member of his flock presumably for a one-on-one session. Mmmm now here is someone who clearly needs to be railroaded out of town!

Tan and Tired: Resting in an enchanted forest

Death of a Musical Icon: Miriam Makeba (4 March 1932 - 9 November 2008)

I was shocked this morning to hear about the passing of Ms. Miriam Makeba. To me she represented all that was good about South African music and political activism. She was not only a musical icon for Africa but for the world. She collaborated with Harry Belafonte, was married to both Hugh Masekela and Stokely Carmichael at various points. Something I did not know was that she was a performer at the legendary Rumble in the Jungle bout and just seemed to fit right into musical history and the black consciousness movement. Having been banned by the Apartheid Regime in the 1960s, she was exiled from South Africa for many years and eventually made Guinea, West Africa her home. South African music is full of musical icons such as Brenda Fassie, Lucky Dube, Yvonne Chaka, Johnny Clegg, PJ Powers, Mahlatini and the Mahotella Queens, Ray Phiri, Lady Smith Black Mambazo, Arthur and Mandoza. But somehow Miriam Makeba just seemed to resonate more throughtout the world and dating back to the late 1950s. I will forever remember Miriam Makeba for Pata Pata, her version of Malaika and of course my personal favorite the Click Song. Miriam, Damrifa Due.

History in the Making and Weird Election Predictors

I was up all night this past Tuesday. Mind you this was not something I planned purposely but my bestest buddy El was calling constantly and sending text message updates on the US election as state after state fell to Obama. First there was Ohio, then Pennsylvania and then shockingly the old bastion of the American south,Virginia voted en masse for Obama. During our last phone conversation at 4am, it turned out we were both wathing the same thing on CNN. Who was that guy in glasses screaming hysterically into the camera? So, after I knew Obama was the man, I told El that I was heading to bed to get 1 more hour of sleep before starting the working day slog.
"Why?" He asked clearly confused "Obama has just become president of the US and you are heading back to sleep?"
Of course El is 4 hours behind me so I'm pretty sure he hit the sack soon after..Obama or not.
Post US elections, everyone is saying that the Bradley Effect indeed had no effect. Well, according to the BBC, less than 50% of Caucasian Americans voted for Obama. Mmm.. it could have been that the Bradly effect may have played a role but it was actually the non-white vote this time around that tipped the scale in Obama's favour.

I must say, what fascinated me the most with these elections were the weird predictors. I'm sure everyone has heard some of them:

1. Whoever wins Ohio wins the election
2. If McCain loses Pennsylvania he loses the election
3. The Washington Redskins Monday night Football game predicts the election results
   

The "Redskins Effect" is by far my favorite. It is basically that the outcome of the Washington Redskins American football home game played on the Monday night just before a US election correctly predicts the outcome of the election and has done so since 1936! If the Washington Redskins lose at home on the Monday, then the incumbent party will also lose the elections on Tuesday. If the Redskins win, then the incumbents also win. Alas...McCain must have known he was finished when the Redskins lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers the day before the historic election. To add insult to injury for poor John McCain, the Steelers are from one of the states he had to win in order to secure the election. Of course, one wonders why the team playing the redskins could not just be bought off by the incumbent government to throw the game! Wouldn't that just be easier? DISCLAIMER: Abena does not endorse match-fixing or election cheating of any sort!

Wednesday November 5th 2008 was spent by all Africans everywhere basking in the glory of Obama's victory. It was a good day to be African. On the streets of Accra, little booklets called "Obama: My story" were being sold in traffic and there were a number of Obama t-shirts all over town.
Alas, Thursday has come and reality has sunk in. Being leader of the so-called free-world is not easy and Obama faces a mammoth task up ahead. There is already talk about him not being able to live up to expectations given all the promises for change he made. Indeed, America's obsession with appearance has already caught up with the Obama family as Michelle Obama's dress choice for the Tuesday night election has already been scrutinized all over the blogosphere. *Alas*, it is not easy being the most famous person in the world right now.

Bat Invasion - Culinary Delights Part 1

Every day around 5pm, droves of fruit bats fly over my ‘hood heading north after spending the day in the centre of Accra around the 37 Military hospital. I really do not have a clue where these bats lodge for the night but aside from giving Accra an eerie gothic feel, they populate trees around the military hospital and occasionally pelt cars as well as pedestrians with their droppings.

If you pass through the 37 area during the day, you are likely to hear the eerie chatter of the bats..

The bats phenomenon has been around for years. Legend has it that these bats accompanied an ailing Akyem chief from a village in the Eastern region of Ghana when he was admitted to the hospital years ago. Unfortunately, the chief passed on but the bats are still waiting for him to be discharged so they can accompany him back home.Waiting for Godot. Over the years, there have been several attempts to drive away the bats. The military launched an assault that involved shooting at them as well as chopping up trees in the area. Alas, all to no avail because the bats still prevail!

Don't get me wrong, bats are not hated by all Ghanaians, apparently they are quite the culinary delight for some people in our fair country especially in the hinterlands from which I hail. Apparently, bat soup is quite the South East Asian delicacy. Although I have never had the pleasure of indulging in bat soup and would be a little wary of some the zoonotic diseases bats may harbour, the sunset migration of these strange creatures yesterday afternoon got me thinking about a number of extraordinary culinary delights I have encountered. So, I think I will spend the week chronicling culinary delights and of course avoiding work.

Palau Style Bat soup - Polynesian Culinary Delights