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.

An awesome week of partying...:)

My lao ban told a common contact that I was now back at the grindstone, head down, after a week of partying in Nigeria. I took me a while to realise he was right, I did have a super awesome time partying in Benin City, Abuja and Lagos. I got into Benin City on Easter Sunday and caught up with my close girlfriend's family. I started my Nigerian experience by boogeying to D'banj, the Kokomaster, P-Square and Rugged Man, trying to learn the latest moves from four gorgeous youngsters. The partying then continued in Abuja, where I was treated to jazz music from Sykes and Sam, which simply blew me away. They were amazing. I had so much fun. There was more partying in Lagos, chilling out with fun people and more boogeying with the same youngsters we saw in Benin City and another chance to perfect my moves. We were dancing in the car until it dropped us off at the airport. A friend in a nearby car actually saw us boogeying in the car, and he kind of did a double take, he looked at one of the youngsters and then looked at me in somewhat disbelief. But it gave me and my close gal pal a chance to spot him, get out of our car and exchange goodbyes with him. Little did my lao ban know that the partying continued in Accra over the weekend with boogeying to some cool highlife and dirty hip hop, with cool, cool people. Uwese-o, everyone, for such an awesome time! My partying days may have just returned and may be here to stay...:)

Enye nyame dzen/memories I will take with me..

Nothing is too difficult for God/enye nyame dzen (in twi) - seen on a tro tro in Accra.

"I am nothing without God. This is my story, this is my song, to give Him praise, all the days of my life." Words from the Methodist hymn book I used during my first visit to Ridge church in Accra (a great church to be part of).

On a separate note, I love the diversity of churches in Ghana - the different styles, languages - but all worshipping God. I was in Brennu Achim, a couple of weekends ago. I attended a Catholic church, the service was conducted in Fante. A few weekends ago, I went to an amazing Pentecostal church in Gboolo Kofi, a village in the Eastern region, near Mangoase. The message and worship were simply amazing. Church that day taught me to be so grateful for everything I had and to praise God with all my heart (through dance, songs and just praising Him aloud). It also drove home the importance of having a mission and vision. And back to my "home" church, Ridge church - the bible study during the youth fellowship on Sunday afternoons is so so sound. I learn so much each time I go there and the people there are kool! And ICGC, which I attended today is full of so so talented people!! Their Dramatic Arts performers (Spirit) totally rock!! Ghana, thank you for all this - great exposure, great opportunity to meet new people and form new friendships and awesome opportunity to grow.