Papatya bitki cayi

I found a couple of tea bags (Dogadan brand :))in my kitchen cupboard this morning - it had Papatya Bitki Cayi written on them (and an English translation which read Chamomile Herbal Tea). It even had kullanilisi (instructions on them). :) I then realised they were most probably left by my Papa and Mama during their last visit. oh, I miss my parents! :)

My sunny Saturday in Hyde Park....

I started off by watching skateboarders hone their skills zig zagging through the little cones (while doing a few funky turns) on the walkways....it was fun seeing people having fun in the sunshine (with cool drumming in the background), doing things they enjoy while chilling out with their friends. I then located my own friends by the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. It was good seeing them after being away for a few months. We ate, played frisbee (which I was crap at!),teased each other, and then walked through the park to get to Queensway to do some bowling....A nice, chilled out afternoon for me, with people who make London special to me!

Obruni girl can dance...:)

Perhaps one of the biggest compliments ever from my Ghanaian brothers and sisters. :) But the funny thing is two Ghanaian friends confessed that they weren't great dancers, but enjoyed dancing nonetheless...it could be a family thing, they were distantly related.....or just maybe the bibini/obruni distinction isn't totally/always accurate...:)although in general I'll be the first to admit that Ghanaians do know how to dance/party (wherever they are - be it in the office at the end of the working day, or by the seafront in Osekan), and I have never had so much fun dancing in the last three months. Having said all that I think at the end of the day what matters is that we are all having fun dancing- that's what it is all about...:)

No one be like you...

"You are the finest,
you are the highest,
without you there is no possibility,
no positivity,
always negativity,
you are my everything,
you are my destiny,
this is reality."

Those are part of P Square's lyrics for Fall in Love. It could refer to the perfect other half, or God. Pretty awesome lyrics, chale.

they say love is blind-o

lyrics from dbanj's fall in love. but is it - is love blind? my sugar banana, my sweet potato, me i tell them say, you make my head scatter, i used to lie to myself i always be a player, but you make me fall in love. i don't know the answer to the question, is it a heart/head matter? a balance between the two?
either way, i want the nigerian no 1 wedding song played at my wedding, together with the spraying custom (money being thrown at me, stuck at my forehead etc). sounds good-o. and i want lots of dancing-o, lots of fun-o. uwese-o.

I Dey Mad Oh, I Dey Go Crazy

One step, two step do your ting....beautiful African lady. R2Bees rocks. Ghana rocks. I miss GH. Off to bed now chale. Moro.

High Scream...

This first attempt at poetry was inspired by a workmate who coined the phrase "high scream".

Here it goes....

There was a high scream
Arousing concern from the team
They thought perhaps I had been bitten by a Ghanaian chacu
or was practising some Malaysian juju

To their relief it was neither
It was just a lamp from the ceiling
dangling like a feather

My Mama...

My Mama is simply the best (yes, I know that every child would most probably say this, but she really is)!

I am sure I have driven her round the bend through the years. She has had to make changes in her own life through the years as I have grown and developed as a person. As a person, she used to worry a lot about me but my recent lifesytle which now seems to involve visiting other countries (which perhaps a more conservative Asian mum would not be happy for her only child to visit) for work, church and/or pleasure has necessitated a change in her outlook. Now, she just seems to get really excited for me (I guess she does not have much of a choice!).

She also is somewhat now used to my sometimes crazy schedules when I am home in Malaysia (she has also now witnessed my life in London - but I think she enjoyed it!). I am in the habit of trying to fit in quite a bit, but I realise I can never do that without the support of my ever-loving family. I am so blessed to have them. They have been and are so amazing. And I also enjoy whisking her away from her own busy schedule in Penang to the beach to enjoy the stunning sunset...

I should also mention I made her ride a bicyle through Jesus Green and Midsummer Common in Cambridge and I freaked her out on the River Cam with my not-very-good punting skills ....

Mum - you have been such a sport, thank you. May your all your years be super blessed and filled with His love.

God is there - all the time.

I had been looking forward to Nairobi and spending time with my two friends, R&S (they are siblings) and their parents. I usually enjoy time spent with friends' families - it is sometimes nice to be spoilt with yummy food and pampering that parents are so good at giving...:) And I knew although I had not met their parents, it would be as though I was home with my own parents (that was how I felt when I was in Benin City with Lady OG's parents). But for some reason, flight arrangements were not going as smoothly as they should/normally do and I felt I needed to decide whether to go ahead with travel plans or not soon as it would affect how next week would pan out. So I decided (with a heavy heart) yesterday not to go.

R just landed today (I was going to join him on Tuesday) and is having a great time there and his family wanted to know where I was. For a few minutes today, I wished I was going to Nairobi but then spent the rest of today just chilling out and planning what I need to do in my last week in Accra. Just a few minutes ago, I received a call from one of my close gal pals in London. She herself had just returned from Korea, to visit family. She was going out tonight to celebrate a birthday party hosted by two of our close friends. Talking to her was good, it was nice catching up with her and she confirmed she will welcome me in my flat when I return next weekend. As she rang off, she left me with a great piece of advice - to spend time with everyone I had met while in Accra and say goodbye properly.

Thinking to myself, I realised if I had gone ahead with my Kenyan trip, that would have left me with very little time to say my goodbyes. I have met so many beautiful people here in Accra, people who have made me feel so welcomed and people who were generous enough to say my Twi is passable (I know it isn't!). I know I will do Kenya sometime soon (and just planning the trip has enabled me to get to know my friends and Kenya better!). I cannot wait to visit Mombasa in particular. And for now, I am going to make sure I end my Accra stint on the best note possible. God, you are good and medasi for being so patient with this sometimes stubborn child of yours....I love you.