Femme Power!

My daughter, the feminist. In a random discussion a couple of days ago about recent age-appropriate sites she'd been on, she was outraged and confused that one said site had informed her that she could not start a club called "Femenists" (sic). "I just wanted to start a club that would discuss female leaders and how they inspire women in society today." Clearly this was a bit too much for 'the site' moderators; after all, revolutions have started more innocuously.

Yesterday however 'the site' approved her Club and she was propelled again on her mission to recruit members and get the discussion going. A small win for an eleven-year old young lady, but today it was huge win for Femme Power as Christine Lagarde was appointed the IMF's first woman Managing Director.

Books: SHANGHAI TANGO by Jin Xing

Title: Shanghai Tango

Author: Jin Xing

Published: 2005

Genre: Memoir



This was a quick read in between the flurry of activity typical of this time of the year. Wishing I had an e-reader given all the books I want to read this Summer...Shanghai Tango is the memoir of a prima ballerina; Jin Xing who danced for the Shanghai Ballet and other prestigious Ballet Companies both in the US and Europe. It is a story told from a very detached voice about a young boy, who is recruited into the People's Liberation Army Dance Corps as a soldier and a dancer at the age of nine. He becomes a celebrated, internationally-acclaimed dancer who goes on to become the first person in China to undergo a full sex-change operation. 

Ewe Kente

I ventured out to Burma Camp; the Army Barracks in Accra last week, to seek out the weavers of Ewe Kente. I met with Ahiagble Bob Dennis who has written a book about Ewe Kente; The Pride of Ewe Kente and runs a small shop in Burma Camp.It's a large compound with about four weavers working on the intricate-looking looms the Kente is woven on.
The most noticeable difference between Ewe and Ashanti Kente is in the use of colour. Ewe Kente, can best be described as 'calm' according to Ahiagble, predominantly using muted colours; yellow, red, green, black, white and blue whereas Ashanti Kente; described as 'cheerful' in colour uses the magenta, yellow, bright green and red colours.
As with Ashanti kente, there is symbolism and meaning in the patterns of the woven cloth.

Declaration of Origin

Finding a good steak in Accra is no longer a case of playing Russian roulette in the culinary search. Restaurants have now caught on to proudly declaring the origin of their meat. Why? Because beef reared on fish produce, a very common thing in Ghana, cannot be labelled 'Surf and Turf' - just unpalatable.

This was not always the case though - a year and a half ago you pretty much went in blind when ordering a steak in a restaurant - wondering as you mulled over the filet on the menu whether it would taste of meat this time or have the slight whiff of fish as well. It took me a while to realise that the whiff of fish in my meat was not the chef using the same pan to make the sauce for my steak and frying the fish for my companion. The whiff was indeed in the meat.

Now restaurant menus have the source of their beef printed clearly and proudly...mainly you will find South African Beef and Argentinian and the odd Californian Beef. The French Restaurants; like Le Tandem remained partial to their home countries' produce, but now other nations' bovine exports are featuring heavily on their menus.
Unfortunately up until last month, South African beef had been off the menu in Ghana due to the latest outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) there. The Netherlands has been the main source for Stellar Catering- my trusted supplier of South African beef. Other restaurants that now serve South African beef are:

• Rhapsody's 
• Safari Restaurant
• The former El Gaucho Argentinian Restaurant in Osu.

Everything Art

The Letters from Africa exhibition which has been on at the Brazil House in Jamestown (Old Accra) comes to a close today. I missed it - not from a lack of effort - I went in the morning with a friend and found that it was only open in the afternoons...it was not an entirely wasted trip, the permanent exhibition is interesting also. The images recount the history of the Tabon people in Ghana. Returning slaves from Brazil. It is all explained; from the Portuguese names to the cuisine.

Alabaster Box...Musical Gentlemen

Photo Courtesy of: Alabaster Box

Alabaster Box,  sing what they call 'Afroppella', uniquely African sounds mingled with their perfect acappella repertoire. They are an all-male, gospel acappella music quartet whose sound is reminiscent of South Africa's very own LadySmith Black Mambazo. They are fantastic! For a group that has played to audiences all over the world and toured with world-famous musicians, they were pleasant, extremely humble and positively charming.

Books: THE MADONNA OF EXCELSIOR by Zakes Mda

Title: The Madonna of Excelsior

Author: Zakes Mda

Published: 2002

Genre: Fiction

I read this again right after I finished Chicago, and had just started on The Immigrant by Manju Kapur -  which I have yet to finish. I often find myself in a reading rut where I tend to read books with similar themes and in the same genre at intervals that are too close together. After Chicago, The Immigrant started off feeling similar, which is the reason I have put it down for  a while.

The Madonna of Excelsior is a novel set in pre-democratic South Africa,in the early 1970s, when the then South African government's apartheid state and all its accompanying discriminatory laws were in full force. The Immorality Act, was one such law that forbade sexual relationships between black and white people. Set in the small town of Excelsior in the Free State - and based on a real-life trial in which nineteen citizens of the small town; from upstanding white leaders and pillars of the tightly-knit Afrikaans community to the black domestic workers that worked for them, were charged with contravening the Immorality Act.

Champagne brunch?

I am loving the changing dining landscape in Accra. Three years ago, the dining scene was completely different from what it is today. Bella Roma, Pazzo, Red Chilli, The Lounge to name a few are recent additions to this constantly evolving scene.
The newest addition is the newly-built Mövenpick  Hotel in Accra - next to the Novotel, at the old Ambassador Hotel site. So new in fact that the official launch is only scheduled for October this year. The hotel has however been having a series of soft launches since last month...breakfasts, lunches and dinners. I had breakfast there last week and was fairly impressed. Today we decided on a Sunday brunch with the family and all I can say is...it has been a long time coming.

In Numbers

Maternal mortality remains one of the biggest killers in sub-saharan Africa. In 2000, the United Nations estimated that the number of women who died during pregnancy or shortly after birth at 529,000 (almost one maternal death per minute), of which less than 1% occurred in industrialised countries. These kind of statistics are often bandied around especially as relates to health care but with no real connection as to what they really mean. I'll be the first to admit that it's often just numbers until you break it down for me. As in maternal mortality kills 500,000 women annually around the world, next only to cancer or HIV-AIDS or similar.

Books: CHICAGO by Alaa Al Aswany

Title: Chicago

Author: Alaa Al Aswany

Published: 2008

Genre: Fiction

In the aftermath of the recent uprisings in the Arab world, this was an informative read. One of the members of my Book Club made a comment recently about Egypt that I found to be accurate- especially regarding the World's perception of the Arab states that have just experienced the 'Arab Spring'. 

"I feel like we have been lied to." She was referring to Egypt and I could not have agreed more. No, I do not  live under a rock and yes,  I was aware of the fragility of Egypt's democracy before the uprisings, but in relation to seemingly more despotic states, Egypt was at the periphery of wider political discussion. Or so I thought until the uprisings and subsequent resignation of Hosni Mubarak in February.

Gastronomy in Ghana: Roots Flavours

Roots Flavours is in the W.E.B Du Bois Centre in Cantonments. Varied menu from garlic bread and barbecue chicken wings, salads and a pizza menu. Then there's the Ghanaian cuisine, which is what we ended up having.

Wandering eye: Surrealism & Street Art

Taken in Montmarte on my way to Espace Dalí. A fitting quirky image on my way to see the art of a quirky surrealist painter.

Mexican on Parisian streets

Candelaria was one other place that was on my list of places to visit while in Paris. I constantly trawl Hip Paris Blog to get the latest on what's new and exciting in the city. Makes for a change from the usual - did not feel like having brasserie food another night.
I trudged the streets of the 3rd with a friend determined to find this place. We literally walked past it - it is one of those places that does not have a sign at the door - and you have to know where you're going. Getting to it feels very clandestine.

The big cheese at Espace Dalí

Again all in the name of venturing to the less well known...Espace Dalí in Montmartre was by far a different experience. I love Montmartre - it's lively, bustling and very artsy - bohemian all the way. Very different from the shiny Rue de Rivoli. Interesting exhibit - with the very hilarious commentaries and some of the quotations that have been attributed to this eccentric, Surrealist  artist.

The sweetness of Miss Cupcake

Along the way to Espace Dalí...literally happened upon Miss Cupcake - and could not resist. Hey! It was a long walk getting there, we needed to get fueled, and we had taken a rather circuitous way. Read: We got lost.
It gave me the chance to test out my new wide angle lens - great, but it distorted the picture somewhat,  still managed to capture the goodies on display though.

Miss Cupcake
22 rue la Vieuville
75018
Paris

Places in Paris: Musée des Arts Décoratifs

I decided to forego the usual tourist haunts...No to the Louvre and the crowds there to see the Mona Lisa; but Yes to the Museum of Decorative Arts.
This tends to have more contemporary exhibitions if you’re not quite up to the historical cultural experience. On currently is L’Art de L’Auto; with the entire first floor space dedicated to the vintage car collection of Ralph Lauren. Some people collect stamps, others…

Death by chocolate!

A popular breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea place, filled with both locals and tourists alike. It is more popular with tourists I think given its proximity to all the things that draw tourists to this city…The Tuilieres gardens are just across the road, the Louvre is on the same road, and of course Rue de Rivoli and its luxury shops.

I went for one thing, and one thing only – Angelina’s chocolat chaud. The hot chocolate is a meal in itself, truly. I’d missed breakfast so decided to at least eat something before I drank my chocolate.

Bound in Paris

I have written about Bound before and because it's familiar, the service does not disappoint and it has the best cheesecake in the world...okay moderation required...it has really great cheesecake, we went again- plus we had not made reservations anywhere else.
Good food as always, good crowd, friendly waiters. It was the whole having dinner at 11pm thing that threw me...at the cusp of those long European summers, it's strange when stepping out at 9:30 pm and the sun's just gone down. Long dinner, and to our surprise the metro had stopped running ahead of the scheduled time, so we walked a good part of the way back to our hotel...probably needed this after the meal though. 
Bound also serves sushi.

The ol' stomping ground

Back at the old stomping ground and taking back my words...Paris in the Spring can be quite dismal. Arrived to cold, overcast weather - although was assured by the very optimistic taxi driver that it would get better. Now that was a surprise, French optimism is not to be found everywhere. To his credit, it did eventually get warmer though.
Spent a good part of the morning re-acquainting myself with old and familiar haunts.

To a Genius with a Golf Club.

Source: www.golf.com

Last night I watched a Supersport tribute to Seve Ballesteros  who died on May 7th. Described as a Maverick! Daring! and Passionate!...not words associated with golfers by any means. Yes, the likes of Gary Player and of course Tiger Woods have had their fair share of hyperbolic compliments heaped upon them, and deservedly so, but Seve was...Bold! This was a player credited with words such as "It doesn't matter where you hit the drive if you make the putt" and other gems such as "The more you go into trees, the more you have practice".

Each time I step up onto a tee box, or contemplate a shot that requires safe play...I ultimately always reach into my bag for the most unlikely club with a whimsical, "Let's go for it...after all, fortune favours the brave!"  I only learnt last night that this was a phrase often used to describe his style of play.