Busta Rhymes in Concert: When New York Comes to Accra....at New York prices?!

It is official: one of New York's finest sons, the hip-hop veteran Busta Rhymes will be performing in Ghana on September 12th. Well, at least that is what the spread in the Daily Graphic newspaper said. Sponsored by the telecommunication giants MTN, Busta Rhymes is bringing his unique brand of Brooklyn-infused hip-hop to Accra. Given his Jamaican parentage, Busta Rhymes could probably trace his ancestry to our fair shores but that is another matter. Anyway, according to the concert poster I saw, it will cost GHC 80.00 to attend. That is approximately $55.00. *Yikes*. This concert is clearly not targetting the "ordinary people" circuit but then again since when have concerts by international superstars targetted anyone but the elite? Even for the elite, isn't GHC80.00 a tad steep? As much as I love remnants of a past-life in New York and still lament not attending the Wyclef show last year, would I pay GHC80.00 to see Busta Rhymes in these current times? Would you?

Senator Edward Kennedy: The Sad Passing of a Political Don

Source: The Boston Globe 26 August 2009

When Fears come true: Car Trouble at Midnight

I think I watch too many television series involving psychopaths, serial killers, ghouls and demons. Two of my favorites series are Criminal Minds which revolves around a group of FBI profilers chasing the criminally insane while the other is Supernatural which has two brothers driving across the US in search of really scary supernatural forces. Interestingly, these two series have both featured similar scenarios where a woman is driving along an abandoned, isolated, rural road deep in the night. As she drives along, she gets a flat tire. The distraught lady tries her phone and for some reason it is always out of network coverage area. She is always forced to get out of the car and attempt to change the tire when either:

1. A hooded person emerges from the darkness with a long butcher knife
2. A strange car pulls up and offers help and that's the last time the lady is seen alive

So as I headed home alone last Friday around midnight, you can imagine my shock and horror when my car engine stalled after I hit a speed bump. It all happened when I was making the steep descent outside Can-West heading towards the railway line that divides Airport Residential area and Dzorwulu. I managed to reach the bottom of the hill and parked in the darkness on one side of the road. I started the car again and it would not spark! So I reached for my phone and realised that I deserved the 'Genius of Year award' because the whole day I had had silly conversations on both my mobile phones and completely run all my credit down. *Yikes*

I thought about leaving my car there overnight...the only problem being that by the next morning I would have been likely to find that my car had proved useful for anyone looking for free (well-worn) tires, a cellotaped-down dodgy car radio and a battery.

As I sat in the darkness contemplating my next move, a dark-coloured pick-up pulled to a stop in front of me. The images of my car being stripped down were rapidly replaced with picture of a dimly-lit room where my body parts were being cut into small parts and being separated into plastic bags to be sold for juju charms. Out of the car emerged a nice-looking man dressed all in white. White like an angel but I was still very suspicious. For this narrative we will call him 'Man X'. Man X asked politely if I needed help and I nodded desperately as my adrenaline levels started to rise. He tried my car engine and alas, it was very much still dead. He went over to get a rock to hold something steady but me being a little paranoid imagined the rock being the blunt instrument that was about to knock me out cold. So I moved over to stand by the roadside making a call with shaky hands as some woman on the line told me "You have no call credit!"

Man X went over to his truck and took out a short rope...At that point paranoia really took over and I found myself hailing down a passing taxi. The driver stopped and I realised what a ridiculous thing I was doing especially since Man X was trying to help me so waved him on. In the end, my good samaritan concluded that the only way to deal with the predicament was to tow me home. However...
Problem number 1: The rope he had (which was not to tie me up) was too short and not standard issue for towing.
Problem number 2: The Ghana Police Service night patrols may also agree that it was illegal to be towing a car with such a rope and would as we say in Ghana "worry us"

Man X tied up the cars and we set off...all I had to do was watch the brakes and steer...Problem Number 1 was okay and it was all working pretty out well when Problem number 2 set in. Very close to my home in Dzorwulu, Ghana Police Service officers were hot on our heels in full pursuit. They flagged us down full of glee. Man X got out of his truck and explained the scenario and informed the officers that he did not even know me. I confirmed that this was the first time I had set eyes on him and that he had actually saved me from a potentially dodgy situation.

The police were not having it. They said I should have called a tow truck. "A tow Wha??? At that time of the night??" I thought "Where the @#$#@%$@ is that number anyway?" After extensively searching my car, they told me that it was an offense so what was I going to do?...

In the end, the nice officers understood..Well, the understanding came after I gave them a small token for a soft drink. They allowed me to be towed home and were helpful enough to follow us from behind for the rest of the way. I just hope mini-buses brim full of armed robbers were not whizzing by as they provided an escort for me home.

It was only when I got home that I found out Man X's name. His rope was ruined but he refused to take any money to replace it., Last Friday night, this good samaritan really restored my faith in the goodness of Ghanaians. The most annoying part of the whole story was that after Man X had left, I started the car and it sparked without a problem! I wish I had tried the car earlier...before we ran into the cops!

Mayhem in Akwatia: Isn't Ghana ready for Electronic Voting yet?

Electronic Voting Machine. Source: USA Today

If you have been following the wonderful world of Ghanaian politricks, then you know that this past Tuesday saw the re-run of part of the 2008 election. Six polling stations in the diamond-enriched constituency of Akwatia in the Eastern region had to be done over. The final outcome of the election appeared inevitable even before the re-run since the ruling party candidate Mr. Baba Jamal needed to win over 80% of all votes cast at these 6 polling stations. This was because the opposition candidate was already ahead by over 3000 votes from 80+ other polling stations in the constituency. Unfortunately for Mr. Jamal the election outcome was not a case of 'third time lucky'.

What got me concerned about this particular election were the media reports of mayhem, loss of life, harassment, damage to property and divisive ethnic undertones that characterised the entire process. In the end, a curfew had to imposed on Akwatia. Such reports of havoc contrast the Ghanaian image garnered from the December 2008 election as the Beacon of African Democracy (BAD) . Speaking of Ghana Election 2008, it was actually stolen ballot boxes from the 6 polling stations in Akwatia that precipitated this August 2009 re-run.

So the question bothering me now is how to make elections freer and fairer in the BAD??? Why can't we be making moves towards introducing electronic voting in Ghana? What is electronic voting anyway?

According to the good people at Wikipedia (God bless 'em) electronic voting basically encompasses electronic means of casting votes and electronic means of counting votes.
This could be combined with biometric facial recognition software or finger-printing systems to register voters. This would supposedly ensure one voter, one vote. Electronic voting has been used in India, Brazil, the US and a whole bunch of other countries and I can't see why our government cannot start lobby the World Bank/IMF for funds to introduce such systems in Ghana?

Note: Electronic systems are far from perfect. In the 2000 US Presidential election, the infamous failure of electronic punch-card systems in the state of Florida may have affected the overall outcome of the tight race between George Bush and Al Gore. Then there was the weird and wacky satirical film Man of the Year starring Robin Williams that had the completely ludicrous candidate winning the US Presidential Election due to a software glitch in the tallying of votes.

Besides, the deservedly reigning Ghanaian champion of democracy, our electoral commissioner Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan does not think we are ready for biometric systems just yet. He made that point at a forum held at the Ghanaian Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), earlier this year. According to Dr. Afari-Gyan "the incredibility or otherwise of an election depends on multifaceted factors which include the
1. Expertise and skills of the Electoral Commission
2. Timely release of resources by government for the prosecution of the elections,
3. Free and fair reportage by media
4. Contestant conducting civil campaigns.
5. Avoidance of multiple voting
6. The protection of ballot boxes by the security services
7. Speedy adjudication of election disputes"

Dr. Afari-Gyan may have a point but I still believe that electronic voting could break down some of the barriers listed above. So what are feelings out there? Could we benefit from electronic voting in Ghana? Or are we just introducing more havoc to an already chaotic system?

Taking Time Out to chill in Accra

My friend El has now been in Ghana for exactly one week and for some reason thinks Accra is a cosmopolitan and vibrant city. He was even impressed that we had a branch of the world-famous Patchi chocolates. In fact, I had no idea we did but a visit to the Accra Mall confirmed that we do have a Patchi store as we found it tucked away to the left at the mall's Game entrance. Their chocolates are deliciously amazing by the way. I'm still hard-pressed to believe that Accra is so hip and happening but just being at the Accra mall on a Sunday afternoon amidst swarms of good-looking and vibrant people, has inclined me towards agreeing with my friend.

Finding a copy of Time Out Accra in a hotel store has further fermented my appreciation of the fact that Accra is definitely a place on the move. Back in my New York City days, Time Out New York was the definitive guide to all the happenings in the Big Apple; the concerts, the events as well as the best places to eat etc. It did great reviews and included how much a meal at a hot-spot like "The Russian Tea Room" was likely to set you back. So it was with much excitement that I bought my first copy of Time Out Accra full of glossy and colourful pages that really bring the city alive. Well, it was actually El that bought it for me but lets not get weighed down with technicalities! The magazine is filled with features, sightseeing options, what/where to eat , where to stay and where to be entertained.There's even an amusing section entitled "Pigdin Buster" that gives a few words in pidgin translated into English. So if you hear someone describing something as Awam or Azaa, you would know exactly what they mean! Time Out Accra is not only a must-have for visitors but also for natives of this fair city. Check it out!

Two Women of the Moment: Hillary and Aung San Suu Kyi

CNN International's early morning show today had the spotlight on two dynamic and very different women in their 60s. One piece of news left me sad while the other left me quite amused.

News that Saddened: The Case of Aung San Suu Kyi
The 64 year old Burmese pro-democracy leader, Ms. Suu Kyi has been found guilty of violating the terms of her house arrest by allowing an American who swam to her lakeside house to stay for 2 days. She received 3 years hard labour but was given a suspended sentence of 18 months house arrest. House arrest again? I'm beginning to believe conspiracy theories that the Burmese authorities may have allowed the American to undertake his mission because it provided the opportunity to keep Ms. Suu Kyi under house arrest since her previous sentence was just about to expire. The situation has finally become completely absurd. When is enough, enough? When will world leaders start putting real pressure on the Burmese junta for change?



News that Amused: Secretary of State (Mrs.) Hilary Clinton loses her cool

Source: Reuters. Mrs. Clinton in Kinshasa

There is someone I feel sorry for in the Democratic Republic of Congo today. That person is a student who posed a question for the US secretary of State (Mrs.) Hilary Clinton that was clearly 'Lost in Translation' from French to English . The student was (apparently) asking what President Obama's opinion was on Chinese trade interests in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The question came out as: "what does your husband think of Chinese trade interests in the Democratic Republic of Congo".
Mrs. Clinton was clearly riled up by the question and retorted: “My husband is not the Secretary of State, I am.” Although it was amusing to watch, one cannot blame Mrs. Clinton for getting a little hot under the collar. She is trying to do her job in her own right but is somehow still a little overshadowed by her famous husband. Of course, sensational reports of former President Clinton's recent mission to North Korea to negotiate the release of two American journalists hardly helped his wife situation. Apparently she was bombarded with questions about the mission when she arrived in Kenya. Additionally, Mrs. Clinton probably thought she detected some of the famed subjugation of women associated with the African continent when she heard the question. I still can't understand how "husband" and "President" could be mixed up in French?? Oh well!

So here's a thought: how about President Obama sending Mrs. Clinton to Burma to see what can be done about Ms. Suu Kyi? Now that would really be killing two birds with one stone; Ms. Suu Kyi potentially free and Mrs. Clinton really stepping out into the light in her own right. Plus it would make for a great Sister-2-Sister moment.

Celebrating the Best of the B.A.D.

My bestest buddy El will be landing at Kotoka International Airport in a couple of hours . This is his first visit to Ghana i.e the "Beacon of African Democracy (the B.A.D.). Despite maternal origins rooted deeply on this side of the continent, this is his first visit to West Africa. El and I go way back to secondary school in Swaziland. We met at (O-Level) Form 1 Orientation and 7 years later, we both had the dubious honour of being the only 2 members of our class that were boarders at the school from Form 1 Orientation right thru to international baccalaureate graduation. Anyway, through the years, El and I have been in touch constantly and his imminent arrival
has got me thinking about the things I love best about my country Ghana. In celebration of what I love best about the Beacon of African Democracy, I present to you the top 5 things I love about Ghana.

1. Mangoes. I know this sounds strange but I cannot get enough of mangoes. Small ones, gigantic ones...yellow or green, they all have my name on them. What I love even more is passing through mango country outside of Accra and getting my favorite fruit without the sometimes exorbitant middle-man costs. I crave mangoes outside and inside Ghana and my favorite time of the year is mango season.



2. Doing your Hair for Cheap. Any African woman who has just moved to the US or Europe is likely to have faced hair-related woes. Well, unless you are like my versatile and ambidextrous friend Lyd who can braid her own hair that is. When your hair starts to go all dodgy and brittle from lack of proper salon care and chilly winter weather then you will understand what I'm on about! When you find yourself hauling your butt to someones house in North London to be charged GBP 70.00 for a style that would have cost you GH10.00 (GBP 4.00) in Ghana, then you will feel the pinch.
In Ghana there are a plethora of good choices for your hair. These range from the kiosk by your house to more upscale endeavours. My own personal favorite place for hair-braiding is Auntie Alice's a.k.a Veterinary. You are likely to run into all sorts there from television newsreaders, politicians, bank ladies or even students of all kinds. because they are so good. Also, regardless of who you are, you wait your turn. The owner, Aunty Alice is forever affable and delightfully warm to all. Of course if you want to get a fabulous weave-on or a relaxer infused haircut, then look no further than First Choice with branches on the Spintex Road and Kaneshie. They are extremely efficient and professional. They are on the high-end in terms of costs but I find them worth every pesewa.

3. Fufu and other Culinary Delights: Let's face it, only in Ghana can you enjoy the perfect blend of pounded cassava and pounded plantain (fufu) accompanied by a delicious hot and steamy soup. Don't get me wrong, despite my paternal roots that should dictate differently, I only eat fufu about once or twice a week but having the option there is delectable. Living outside of Ghana there is always an abundance of fufu powders to try out but one has to admit that there is nothing like the real deal. By the way, Bush Canteen in East Legon is like fufu heaven.

4. Ghanaian Hospitality: *Sigh* Ghanaian hospitality is usually reserved strictly for foreigners and as a native of this fair land you are likely to be sized up by your fellow countrymen before you are deemed worthy of respect. However, I have to admit that Ghanaians are some of the most gentle and friendliest people in Africa.

5. No Substitute for Family: They say home is where the heart is. Well, for me being in Ghana means being close to my immediate family. Although this means being spoiled rotten and being rendered into a child-like state, once outside of Ghana you really feel the pangs of separation. Of course this is strange coming from someone like me who first went to boarding school for 7 years at the age of 11 and went to university thousands of miles from any family. I guess that is probably why I feel that having immediate family close is now something very important to me now . Mmm... extended-extended family are usually best kept at a safe distance though!

So I have a difficult task ahead. I have to infuse what I like best about Ghana into a busy schedule for my buddy El. Unfortunately, I don't think he is looking to do his hair, eat mangoes, hang out with my family or overdose on fufu so it will be hard. The best part about him coming is that 15 years ago, he asked me to take a picture of the Independence Arch so he could gaze at the Black Star and how much it meant for Africa. I never got round to taking that picture for him but I can do much better. now I can finally take him to the arch for him to gaze upon it himself!

El and Me in Washington D.C some years ago.

Panic Sets In: My First Swine Flu Phone Call

SOURCE: CDC- The H1N1 Virus

I think I mentioned I do medical research. Well, basically, in a nutshell, this means I have dropped my mobile number in almost every district of the Greater Accra Region in connection with some research study or another. A couple of minutes ago I got a phone-call from a frantic young man in Madina saying I came to his school some years ago. Really? Did I? My phone number was on a flyer he saved so I must have. It is comforting to know that the flyer was not used to wrap roasted plantain or something. The poor young man sounded very perturbed and asked me for the Swine Flu/H1N1 symptoms. So I have decided to get the symptoms handy on my blog. Well, it was really a comment by fellow blogger Nana Fredua-Agyeman that prompted me first!

According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC):

The symptoms of swine flu in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

I explained to the young man that if you have some of these symptoms it does not necessarily mean that you have H1N1. Also, if you have most or all of the symptoms it would be a good idea to just swing on by your nearest health centre/hospital. Towards the end of the conversation, the young man seemed reassured. He told me that he does not have any fever. I told him to call back anytime. Oh No...what have I just done?

The Arrival of the Inevitable: H1N1 Flu in Ghana

Source: Daily Graphic Newspaper 7 August 2009

It was inevitable. Like a long-anticipated visitor, Influenza A (a.k.a. H1N1 flu or also popularly referred to as “Swine-flu”) has come to town. It was only yesterday that a post by fellow Ghana blogger Maya alerted my attention to the fact that H1N1 flu was in our midst.

It has probably been around Ghana much longer than we think but our surveillance systems may not have picked it up earlier. Let's face it, we live in a dynamic world where people are always on the move. Besides, once Cote D'Ivoire was hit a month ago, it was only a matter of time.

We are no strangers to influenza pandemics. The Spanish Flu pandemic that started in 1918 killing between 50-100 million people world-wide, also reeked havoc in Accra apparently. Very recently, we had the avian influenza outbreak in Ghana but that eventually came under control. However, unlike avian/bird flu, H1N1 actually spreads by human-to-human contact so is alot more difficult to control.

I came down with a really bad cold last week and was just waiting for the H1N1-esque symptoms. After a weekend of hot soup and watching expletive-filled Deadwood Season 1-2, the cold cleared and I was relieved. Okay, that was probably more of an example of my legendary paranoia but one cannot be too careful.

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have some pretty comprehensive web-pages on H1N1 flu which I would recommend for all to review. Some of the CDC recommendations to protect your health revolve around basic hygiene:

* Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

* Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners* are also effective.

* Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

* Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

* If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making

They have a lot more to say so do check 'em out. We should all bear in mind that the H1N1 flu cases seen in the current pandemic have been mild for many and severe or even fatal for only relative few. I must admit that I’m pretty freaked out about infectious contagious diseases spreading in our neck of the woods since our health systems are already fragile and ill-equipped. We also have so many more opportunities to come in direct contact with large numbers of people for example in our crowded markets or even in Churches. I don't think I have to add that some of our hygiene practices in Ghana can also be classified under the banner of "borderline shady" at times due to the lack of clean water . So you can understand why I'm a little concerned. In the meantime, I’m off to look for some hand santizers for the family!

SOURCE: WHO. The Map shows the areas in the world affected by H1N1 flu as of 31 August 2009 (shaded in pink). Ghana was yet to be officially hit and just to think it was only last week!

The Curious Case of the Roaming Hypnotists

One of late father's favorite quotes was from the James Bond film Goldfinger in which the villain Goldfinger runs into James Bond way too many times and declares:

"Once is 'happenstance'. Twice is 'coincidence'. Three times is 'enemy action' "


Picture Above: 007 and Goldfinger at their upteenth encounter. By that time, Mr. Goldfinger was clearly ticked off with all the run-ins. SOURCE: www.cbanews.ca

The take-home message I have always held dear is that one has to be wary of things that come in threes. This brings me to the bizarre new breed of tricksters operating in Accra. I'm not referring to the much hyped so-called Sakawa Boys who according to some newspapers seem to engage in everything from internet fraud to turning people into snakes. Yes, you heard me....snakes. Nor do I refer to the confidence tricksters who usually manipulate their victims' religious beliefs to dupe them out of everything leaving them down to their last coin and underwear. What I'm talking about are a new garden variety of crooks that have been sighted at various points across the sprawling Accra metropolis. Here are three accounts I have heard highlighting their modus operandi.

Story 1: Kaneshie Market
A year ago my office-mate told us about something that had happened to a friend of his. She was at the Kaneshie Market when she was approached by a group of men in search of directions. She was not sure what happened next but before she knew it, she had chartered a taxi that was heading straight for her house in North Kaneshie. Upon arrival, she found all the mobile phones in the house, loaded everything up into the waiting taxi and sped off straight back to the market where the mysterious men were lingering patiently. Sometime after handing over the phones, she realised what she had done but unfortunately, the men had evaporated into the crowd.


Story 2: Tema/Sakumono (Not quite Accra but you catch my drift)
A month ago, a national service lady working with us ran into two gentlemen looking for directions. Before she knew it, she was leading these men to her house. She politely asked them to wait outside while she entered and retrieved her mother's and brother's mobile phones. She handed over the items to the men but not before adding her own phone. The grateful tricksters took off leaving the national service girl still in a daze.

Story 3: Somewhere in Accra
Just a couple of weeks ago, a prospective national service person who is currently interning with us was approached by two gentlemen very close to her home. Apparently, one can be described as short, very light-skinned with some sort of foreign accent (whatever that means!). The men were looking for some directions as usual. It appeared the light-skinned one was particularly taken by the young lady....at least that is the impression she got! He started to rub her hands while he asked her for the directions. Next minute, she was leading an expedition bound straight for her house. She asked her new friends to wait outside while she prepared a package for them; mobile phones, her new laptop and her ATM bank-card. She was sure to include her laptop password and ATM pin.

I've actually heard a 4th story but that would defeat my whole point about things coming in threes. What could explain these bizarre tales of crookery? Most people believe that black magic/charms/juju were involved but I'm a little more skeptical. Aside from the common thread running through the stories which is that that they all involve young women there is the fact that they were rendered into some sort of trance-like state by the tricksters.

I believe that these crooks are using hypnosis to make suggestions to their victims and getting them to steal for them. What is hypnotism/hypnosis anyway? According to the good folks over at Wikipedia:

Hypnosis is a mental state or set of attitudes usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a series of preliminary instructions and suggestions. Hypnotic suggestions may be delivered by a hypnotist in the presence of the subject , or may be self-administered ("self-suggestion" or "autosuggestion").
SOURCE: wikipedia.org

The Wikipedia article actually gives quite a lot of background to hypnosis.
I've only seen hypnosis in operation once. That was back in college at some entertainment events. I was a little skeptical then but when the hypnotist was able to get people to bark like dogs and do all sorts of crazy things I realised that there was much more to it. It did appear to work.

Alas, there is no way to prove that these criminals are using hypnosis but in the meantime, beware of people seeking directions and holding your hand while asking!!