Thursday 22 March 2012

Christie Brown

October, 2011
When I was graduating from UoA last year (2010) I asked Aisha Obuobi to make me something to wear. She made a [seemingly] simple, chic dress. When I went to collect it I remember her saying it looked simple from the front but she had created some "drama in the back".
She wasn't wrong! Drama was right!! Everyone asked where I got my dress...and I happily told them it was a Christie Brown creation


I find it much more 'believable' when a  fashionable person is designing a line [as against a 'merely' creative person]. It makes it easier to trust the product because the designer KNOWS what she (or he) is talking about. That why I love Christie Brown: Aisha Obuobi knows and understands fashion.

update: November, 2011
And now that's oh so clear to the world!
On her 2nd trip to African fashion week in Jo'burg she's been featured on CNN!! I am so excited, one would think it was me! smh. But it's exciting to see authentic Ghanaian and African talent being recognized.

Helen Jennings of ARISE magazine was full of praise and described the line as "flirty" and "feminine". Read the full article HERE

update:
 I've found a youtube version of the video, as I couldn't embed the CNN one. Watch the Inside Africa feature here:



http://christiebrownonline.com/

Monday 12 March 2012

A Penis in Technicolour: Whose fault -The Flasher or the Broadcaster?

I hardly watch TV, so I am always at a disadvantage when it comes to issues that involve TV-watching. (Just yesterday I discovered there's a program called "Azonto and you"!!)
I usually discover TV programs while walking past the TV on my way to one activity or chore or another, then BAM! something catches my eye.
This time my attention was drawn to a TV show by picture I was sent  on BBM of Wanlov's "own lov" that was apparently laid bare on Delay's show. Soon enough people posted the clip on  Facebook so I watched it for myself.
O_o



As is usual of attention seeking antics it has generated a lot of talk (hehehe, I can only imagine what sort of questions some parents of some young children will have to deal with after this).
But why are people upset with Wanlov though? he isn't exactly known for "responsible" behaviour, so why saddle him with all this responsibility. He actually brands himself as an anything goes, feel-free, do whatever he pleases artiste. Just listen to some of his more explicit lyrics and you will just smile or shake your head. But you will "give up" on him when it comes to the 'responsibility' issue. Not to say that he should be allowed to do "just anything" but he didn't film it personally and out it on the net himself. Other people did. He was just being his usual attention seeking  controversial self.

I think responsibility lies with the Producer(s) of the show and the channel it was broadcast on. I don't watch TV often, but I have seen that show once and I don't remember it having a live audience or being a live show. That means the scene could easily have been edited; they could have blurred the man's bits so it didn't appear so vividly, clearly and in live colour on TV. But that is exactly what the presenter wanted.
I'm not yet sure if the presenter can be held (legally) accountable as she did egg him on quite a bit. She seems to court controversy though so that's exactly the kind of stunt she would pull. So why didn't anyone else at the TV station call someone to order??


The moral argument is a whole different ball game, ie should he have known better and refused? She should not have pushed the issue. Did he have to go so far? blah blah blah. (Remember that this is showbizness and they felt they had a show to put on. Nb. I'm in no way condoning it)


For those whose anger has tied their undies up in bunches, you can make a complaint to the National Media Commission. In fact, the National Media Commission is empowered to act on it's own in certain cases, so maybe they will act....or not.


Wanlov the Kubolor
But I'm just saying I think the one to be called to answer..no, let me put it this way, the to one to be held primarily responsible (legally, at least)  is really not the "flasher" (Wanlov)  but the one who broadcast the flash (whichever station the show is on) the entire world and the one who produces the flashing show (the producer(s) of Delay's show. (Please note that 'flash' is used here as a figure of speech, for that length of time that that penis was exposed 'pay per view' would have been more appropriate, hehehehe)

I just wanted to put that out there.

Let's see how this turns out more fire or if it will be a usual Ghanaian thing and die out next week.


Thursday 8 March 2012

Missing Ingredients and Unexpected Pleasures

I love cooking! I get a really good feeling from feeding people. I can't really explain it, but it is one of the things that makes me the happiest: when I cook and people enjoy it. I think I'm going to have very plump toddlers and my husband will need an intensive gym workout plan plus a personal trainer (I hate obese people). Maybe it makes me feel womanly (cue slurs from modern 'feminists' ,lol).  
The weird thing is that I'm not adventurous with things I eat, just things that I cook! I cook/bake quite a number of things but don't eat myself, because they're a little too risky for me!
Unbelievable, isn't it? But I usually have friends who are kind enough to perform quality assurance functions.

I want to moan about the lack of 'exotic' ingredients available locally. I have been looking all over for lavender and curd cheese for a while now *sigh*. I can be very determined in my ingredient quests, even waiting for months for what I want to be shipped, or for someone to come down and bring it to me. If I was this dedicated to my books I would be sweeping prizes into my hat. smh. (somewhere my dad is weeping,lol)
If you ever see me very excited and bouncing off the aisles of a supermarket it is probably because they have a product I've been searching for. I have even screamed in glee once; I am certain the woman next to me concluded that I was retarded. The sad thing is when after searching for aaaages you find the product you need and it is RIDICULOUSLY over priced -______- . These are the times it pains me that I'm not yet RRRRrich, I would rather hop on a plane to go and get it myself, than allow myself to be ripped off.  So through no fault of mine I'm now becoming somewhat of an expert at ingredient substitutions. 
*
When I'm in the UK a large part of my diet consists of KFC popcorn chicken. So when a branch of KFC was opened in Accra I was so chuffed; I would finally get popcorn chicken but nope, it was't meant to be 


I leave a note in the suggestion box when I go there asking for popcorn chicken.
Anyway,I was so determined to get my chicken popcorn that I decided to make some. I went on youtube and searched for a recipe for it....And there appeared the stumbling block number: at 1.36 of the video : Panko breadcrumbs, which the cook recommended for the best results.



I went on a quest and the panko breadcrumbs eluded me for mooooooonths despite my best efforts!! I have to admit, I gave up,n'adzzen?? Then I randomly saw them in a shop at Osu where I buy cake making supplies. Look!You simply cannot imagine my excitement!!  I had to contain myself or there would have been an impromptu acrobatic display. Isn't it lovely when you lose hope but secretly still wish and then BAM! it's there?
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!! moral: never give up! :D

I can FINALLY make my popcorn chicken! This weekend is as good as any, have a few engagements and a cake to bake but I will make time. I even intend to go back to the shop stock up on it, for future use.

I hate peeling and puréeing garlic, and would do anything to avoid it. Happened across some of this, which used to save me the trouble at MaxMart, 37:


I wasn't looking for the garlic but I was happy to see it. I can't wait to have another pleasant surprise. if all surprises were this pleasant I might start to like them. 
Have you been looking for some elusive 'ingredient', not necessarily for a meal but maybe even a pair of shoes to complete an outfit (don't get me started on that!) or a particular accessory or a computer cable or something or some special kind of paper or decoration?? It can be very hard to find 'particular' things in Ghana sometimes isn't it?!? So when you stumble upon it BUY it! shaarrrrp! ;)

Wednesday 7 March 2012

KONY 2012

I don't know about you, but I have never seen such a massive wave of support for a cause in Africa, as KONY 2012 has managed to drum up! especially a cause that doesn't have any economic benefit to the.. ahem, intervening state...(or is there??)
that's so impressive!!!!
Within these few hours I have read quite a few question marks about the Invisible Children, eg from the  Visible children (http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/) and http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/kony2012-and-its-critics-0022087 and http://ilto.wordpress.com/2006/11/02/the-visible-problem-with-invisible-children/ and http://goo.gl/gm6v6
But the focus is and should be Joseph Kony and making people aware of who he is and what he has done.
Don't let the doubts surrounding the Invisible children detract from that message.

If you want to join in: http://s3.amazonaws.com/kony2012/kony-4.html but be aware of the criticisms of the organisation and of the fact that simply arresting him, as the main figure (and the means through which this can be done) will not automatically mean peace and happiness and bliss (...points at Libya...should I point at others? )
If you want to support in other ways do a little research, but by all means, spread the word! It's so inspiring to see so many people united and speaking with a single voice.





ps. I bet a lot of politicians, including Ghanaian ones, are wishing they could latch onto the free global publicity
oops! did i just give them an idea?? lol

(did you notice how most of the people on the ICC indictment list are from Africa!!??? Is it a court only interested in prosecuting African leaders or are the African leaders are sooo bad they dominate all the top slots? hmmmmm...)

And how is it that I live in Africa and I didn't know this?? I obviously have to learn and inform myself a whole lot more than I have been doing!!! and I think you should too.

(sorry I keep updating this post, I keep finding information I didn't have previously)

Tuesday 6 March 2012

On this day in History: 6th March 2012

Today is: the Independence day of Ghana, we're 55 today! and my grandma's 90th birthday!
*cheers*

Unfortunately today Ghana lost a great actor: Godwin Kotey. I remember him from Inspector Bediako  but he went on to do many other thingsApparently he died at the Ridge hospital this morning :( 
 


Today felt like a Sunday to me, I lazed about for the most part of the morning, which is a welcome change. After all it is a holiday. Children have been at various grounds around the country, itching to show off their marching prowess at colourful march pasts and ceremonies. Even Google rolled out a nice surprise:

I logged onto facebook only to see a barrage of lamentations about how empty Ghana's Independence is. Complaints about how bad everything was and how nothing has been achieved since independence. This really upset me. I love birthdays, and if on a birthday the only thing you got was insults you wouldn't feel very happy would you? especially from people who have never given you a single gift. So I put up the following status on Facebook:
"It's really depressing to see people only pointing out flaws on a 'person's' birthday. Sure there are loads of problems but many have been minimized and effects mitigated. Sure there are loads of challenges but there's also been a lot of improvement. Sure you can complain all you want and you're allowed to but what have YOU done about it??? Any of it? Name one single thing. I bet you don't have much to say now, do yah? Kmt. If you haven't done squat, Shut up and enjoy the holiday. If you're have ,keep on Being positive and hopeful. God bless Ghana." 

I feel you can only really have a real cause to complain if you have actually tried to do something about the situation. I dislike idle talk. I am a very action oriented (when I can be bothered, that is). Why talk if you do not mean to do anything about it, especially when is within your reach? (This is part of the reason why Ghana is so hot, too may mouths opening and closing for nothing, letting out warm gases, smh)
My status caused a few debates about what the focus of the day should be, some as comments and some in my inbox. What should the focus be: how far Ghana has come? or how little things have actually changed over time. A radical or two went on to suggest that we were a failed/failing state (o_O). S

I was arguing on a completely different plane because I didn't think that was what the focus should be at all. I felt that the question we should ask ourselves, for once, is what have I done to change things? YOU! not anyone else. Not the government, not the Member of Parliament (MP), not anyone else...You.

It's so easy to talk about things happening other people, but when it's our turn we want the matter handled sensitively and tactfully.  So let's put the spotlight on you:
What have you done to help/ change something you dislike about Ghana? let's see, what do you complain about the most??
Is it the bizarre driving on some of the highways? are you a good, law abiding driver yourself?
Is it the poor level of education in schools? have you, with your good education, ever visited your community school or any school anywhere in Ghana to ask questions or offer any form of assistance? have you tried to set up a library or donate books or generally encourage children to read more, for example?
Is it the levels of corruption? have you aided and abetted by offering a policeman or public officer a bribe to cut short a matter or speed up a process? (i know I've gotten a lot of us with this! lol)

Are you a police offer or public officer or offering a service to the community? are you doing your work diligently without always asking people to "dash you something" and
are you doing your work in the best manner possible without being overly difficult so people have to "give you something small?" and
are you doing your work as quickly and diligently as possible?

Do you try to cheat the ailing, limping system every chance that you get?
Is your motto what does the government do for me anyway??
what do you do for your country?!?


Maybe if we all played our parts; the nameless, faceless government would be forced to work harder too

if we all held governments, MPs, DCEs, Assembly men and women etc accountable, regardless of partisan politics,
if we all did our jobs as if we worked for ourselves, instead of dismissing it as 'aban adwuma'
if students actually studied  and thirsted for knowledge to improve themselves and not learn by rote for exams....
if we eschew sycophancy and mediocrity...


....the list of issues is so long that I suddenly felt too weary to type it all out. that's how bad our situation is.

But thank God we are not where we were sometime back...even if we are not as far from it as we would like to be. There has been undeniable progress. The lack of imaginative and dynamic leadership has hurt us but all is not lost. Never. Every little helps, we just have to learn to help ourselves. Apathy and greed only hurt us in the end.
Field Ruwe of Lazy intellectual scum fame, is trying to lead a renaissance of Africans to shed off the 'lazy' legacy we seem to be building. The motto is : 
"Ours is a future of Innovation" 
So I hope on this day in history a group of Ghanaians are taking it upon themselves (after all we're 'honam p3 job anyway')  to actively lead the way and make this country a place everyone can be wholly proud of, in every sense of the word...a country where BBC and CNN can descend like birds of prey  to scavenge and have nothing newsworthy  cringe worthy to report, hehehe.
Ghanaians are trailblazers, after all we even invented democracy and taught everyone else (lol, joke) and this was waaaaay before we colonized the world with Azonto ;) .
It is about time we took back our place as the beacon of Africa by redefining our priorities and setting new boundaries. Boundaries unaffected by laziness and mediocrity or bludgeoned prematurely to death by corrupt officials and politicians. It's about time! 
 I hope...no we shall we pave the way to a new Africa, leading as Nkrumah always knew and hoped we would.
Starting now!
Next year, the question should be what MORE can we do for Ghana?
Happy Independence day!


Added on the 7th:
You see: I just read  Davida 's post on Independence: http://dramedies.blogspot.com/2012/03/ghana-firing-at-55.html the revolution has began already!

Monday 5 March 2012

Ivy League Azonto

Just when you thought Azonto was about to settle down...it gets an Ivy league education!




fab choreography!!!

songs:
Aboodatoi - Gasmilla
Kpokpo O Body -  Dee Money
Kolom - Buk Bak

Thursday 1 March 2012

Happy birthday Mummy!!

My mum's birthday is on the 1st of March. I used to make her french toast for breakfats on her brithday, so this year i decided to revive that and serve it to her in bed.
But my mum is not the mum of old, now my mum doesn't eat sugar and a lot of salt and a host of other things. (Makes living in her healthy house increasingly hard for this junk food lover)

Any way, I took the recipe for Simple French toast from La Petit Brioche and adapted it. ( i really should have done it prettily like she does but forgive I woke up at 4.30am to make sure I could finish AND get to school on time, plus i'm (mentally) slow in the mornings AND not a morning person) talk about hurdles huh? lol.
I replaced/ reduced some of the ingredients: used brown bread, 2 eggs instead of 3, I teaspoon of sugar,1 cup of milk but not full fat.
Took the pictures with my blackberry, so the pictures have a yellowish tinge when the flash is on, I have to correct that.
Eggs, cinnamon and vanilla

soaked in the mixture

frying..over a slightly higher head than recommended (wanted to speed it up a bit)

yes I burnt it a little.
Since healthy living wouldn't allow her to drown them in syrup I put a cherry on top :)  
Took it to her then she tells me she's fasting for Lent:
 -__________- 

lol, I love my mummy!