'Long Walk to Freedom' for a five year old?

Two nights ago my husband questioned the merits of my reading Nelson's Mandela's 'Long Walk to Freedom' to our five year old son.

Gastronomy in Ghana: Thai Island Restaurant

Afrikiko Leisure Centre - adjacent to the French Embassy, just off Liberation Road is proving to be a gem of a place for good places to eat. Cafe Dez Amis is in the same compound and the latest addition is a restaurant with authentic Thai food ; Thai Island restaurant.

One big dust storm

This is my third year in Ghana and the very first time I have witnessed the harmattan we are experiencing at the present moment. The dusty haze, the "setting sun" my son enquires about each morning - even in the recesses of his four-year old mind this is a new experience. There is general consensus among those that have seen their fair share of the dusty trade winds that it has indeed been a couple of years since they have been this harsh.
The constant haze from dawn till dusk, the thin layer of dust that covers everything, bouts of respiratory illnesses, the dry air in the atmosphere and accompanying desert-like feel of the outdoors - I am having images of tumbleweed rolling by... on the positive side, the temperatures are cooler, a welcome respite from the thirty-five plus degree temperatures and oppressive humidity. On the eve I arrived back in Accra another flight coming in was diverted to Nigeria due to poor visibility, yes, for me this is the stuff of urban legend and definitely my first real harmattan experience. Indeed all very fitting with the bizarre weather phenomena being experienced by the rest of the world at the moment. So living through one big dust storm and singing along to my son's steady tune from  the back seat each morning, "Harmattan, harmattan go away..."

Gastronomy in SA: African Swiss Restaurant

This is a post that should have been my first of the New Year but alas...New Year’s Day and most restaurants were closed so we stayed close to home. The African Swiss Restaurant is in Hartbeespoort . It is rustic  - cast iron chairs, mosaic tables on the outside and solid wood tables on the inside; with a huge fireplace that gets lit in the winter seasons and a roof with visible rafters. It feels more like a farmhouse kitchen than a restaurant – but the food is not simple or country.

Gastronomy in SA: Bella on 66 Rivonia Rd

Breakfast with one of my friends almost turned into lunch. We ordered their cappuccinos, and slowly ate our way through orders of English muffins with scrambled eggs and salmon and crumpets with bacon, banana and syrup – more like dessert really. Calories galore with all the taste though. Bella on 66 Rivonia is just off Rivonia Road, a stone’s throw away from Sandton City.

Gastronomy in SA: So Yum

Yes, So Yum was ever so good. I could not have thought of a more apt name for a place that serves such delicious food. I met a friend for lunch and was delighted by the tasty duck samosas with a hoisin sauce that she had ordered for starters.