Gastronomy in Ghana: Melting Moments

It was one of the first places in Accra I went to that promised good coffee with ambiance. Melting Moments is a coffee shop cum cafe in Labone.

A ship in harbour...

I was on a warship on Monday night and it was quite an experience. Yes, it was docked and floating at zero knots - but I was on a ship that has been at sea for the past seven months - stopping at various ports around the world...the wanderlust in me was thrilled to no end.

Golf in the tropics

I was invited to play in a Golf Tournament this past Saturday. I have never played in as many golf tournaments as I have since moving to Accra.

Banking 101

I remember wondering whether banking in Ghana was really as bad an experience as some expat-oriented websites warned before I moved here. It all sounded very ominous and downright scary.

Places in Ghana: Marvels Mini Golf

The mid-term break came and went quietly and we were not for a moment stuck for things to do.  There is plenty to do in Accra with young kids, at least up until the tweenie age - just a matter of knowing where to go.

Conversations in Ghana: Nana Anoff - Artist

Affable, confident and relaxed is how I found Nana Anoff, the artist. He willingly allowed me to spend a morning with him discussing his art, how he came to be an artist and the things that refresh him creatively.

UN Day - Many Nations One Voice

Oktoberfest, Thanksgiving, Heritage Day (a.k.a National Braii Day) - all the typical celebrations in any expat community, in any country around the world, illustrating our differences,but to which we all gather in a bid to understand each other or just share a pint of beer or piece of boerewors. Whatever your take on it, it is a way we learn about one another.

Gastronomy in Ghana: Arlecchino Gelateria Italiana

Gelato in Accra! Ghana never ceases to amaze. My children, who have become my official reviewers of restaurants and places to go, and I have uncovered a gem of a place for real Italian ice-cream.

The Ghana-South Africa Business Chamber

The presence of South African companies in Ghana is growing by the day and the Ghana-South Africa Business Chamber is trying by all means to promote the potential bilateral business opportunities through a host of forums and social events.

The Pink Month

I have not been inundated with emails from friends, acquaintances or companies calling for my support of Breast Cancer Month and asking me to display, just for this month, my pink ribbon either on my screen saver, my being or anywhere really where I can be reminded of the global efforts in the fight against breast cancer.

I am rather dismayed by this. The rest of the world is complaining about Pink Ribbon fatigue, but Ghana is nowhere close to even raising levels of awareness to such heights.

Guilty by Association

The detention of the wife of Nobel Peace Laureate Liu Xiaobo; whose awarding of the Prize by the Nobel Committee this year has been mired in controversy, is further affirmation that when it comes to issues political, one can be found guilty by mere association as much of the world's history has illustrated.
Similarly is the company one keeps in the very small expat circles in Accra, which provide a microcosmic perspective of the world at large.

Gastronomy in Ghana: Mamma Mia's Restaurant & Pizzeria

Sunday in our house is and has always been the day we either go all out; making a Sunday lunch with all the trimmings or going out for lunch.

Pizza Sundays have become quite popular with us venturing out to one of Ghana's best pizzerias. They have an open kitchen where you can watch the entire process from the making of the bases to the baking of the pizza, and they use a wood-fired oven.
Mamma Mia's in Osu, Accra is a almost a cliche in the way it is so very Italian.
The gingham red and white tablecloths, the Italian flag at the bar (which I noticed was missing yesterday), its support of all things Italian and its very cheery Italian owner.

Charley...Do you chew fufu with a spoon?

Maaha (pr. Maa-ha) - Good Afternoon!
Now that I have almost lost the Obroni tag; I am now looking to have more than the basic Twi in my repertoire of languages.
I started Twi lessons again this morning. Our group was meant to use the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre, but we have now moved to a different venue. We're a small group of eight with a Twi teacher determined to have us writing theses in Twi before the year is out. Who said slave driver?

An injection of International culture

There is always something going on in Accra, whether it's a classical music concert or a car launch - yes I know, a car launch. I have also been invited to the launch of a new make of Fruit Juice by a very reputable bottling company...yes, right up there with the opening of an envelope....

Stand up and be counted! If you can.

The Ghana 2010 Population and Housing Census is underway and I have been counted!

Whipping that body into shape

Getting to the gym is the one thing in my calendar that I have to stay committed to. I make it a point to make it regularly - not just for my weight; which has been tipping the scales on the heav(ier) side since the holidays, but for my sanity.

Of Stationery and School Uniforms

Now that the school holidays are almost over and the madness of getting school uniforms and sorting out stationery kicks in it has hit me how convenience is not a word one can easily associate with living in Ghana. Yes, admittedly in as far as living in Africa goes, Ghana is 'Africa for Beginners', but there are constant reminders that convenience is hard to come by at times.

An injection of Ghanaian culture - Homowo Festival

I was invited to a Homowo Festival celebration yesterday. This is a celebration of abundant harvest after a famine that is celebrated annually by the Ga-Adangbe or Ga people of  Greater Accra every year in the month of August or September.

Root canals and power surges

My greatest fear is being in the middle of major surgery and having me re-gain consciousness on the operating table with my insides spilling out...Yes, I have clearly been watching too many episodes of Grey's Anatomy and House is great fodder for an already overactive imagination.

Being in the middle of a root canal procedure and having the power go off is also another of my many fears...and this is closer to reality for me given the unpredictability of Ghana's electricity supply.

Food lover or glutton?

It has been great, but I cannot contain my joy in returning to Ghana; back to exercise and eating healthily. Our last stop was Amsterdam and it has indeed confirmed my need to return home and start whipping this body into shape again. The fine line between loving one's food and simply gluttonous behaviour has been drawn, and I have walked it.