A little over 2 years ago when burglars broke into my house, I thought my mom was being a worry wart when she had burglary bars fixed on all the windows and doors. Right now, it's so annoying stepping out of my house when I'm the only one home because I have to lock up all these huge metal gates. Feels like too much work when I'm not going anywhere important, so I just stay home. Honestly, I thought my mom was being overly cautious especially since I did not believe the burglars would come back (they got what they wanted the first time).
But yesterday, how proud I was of my mom and the decision she took and the fact that she didn't let my whining deter her. Burglars tried to break into my house again while we were away at church (I'm convinced the burglars either don't know Jesus or just don't care). No idea if they are the same ones from 2 years ago, thinking how easy it was the last time, or if they are new ones. They tried, but they couldn't get in because of the burglary bars.
The other thing that had me arguing with my mom about this thing was she had the bars installed on the inside of the house, making it difficult to clean the windows when they get dirty. Why did she do that? Someone told her if you install them outside, the burglars will come to your house just about every day to pour some acid on the bars. Then they strike when the metal corrodes. Well, these burglars had no idea there were burglary bars on the inside until they tore nets, broke windows and doors. All that work for nothing.
"The gods are not to blame" by Ola Rotimi. I read the play when I was in secondary school. So, a king consults a soothsayer after the birth of his son and is told the son will grow up, kill him and marry his mother. The king deciding to be too careful, had the baby sent away to be killed. The one to do the killing feels sorry for the baby and rather abandons the baby in the bush. The baby boy is found and brought up by surrogate parents in a different town. He eventually grows up, kills his real father, the king, and marries his real mother.
There are times when a girl meets a guy who obviously has a thing for her. She might feel the same but wants to be too careful (I guess to avoid the broken heart etc. etc.) so she treads extra cautiously. Or for one reason or another she feels the whole thing is pointless because the guy might be living in a different country or her parents don't approve of the guy or something. The guy keeps pursuing the girl, the girl entertains him because she does also kinda have a thing for him. At a point, the guy realises he's being strung along, advises himself and walks away. The guy could have been the one, but the girl will never know for sure since she never gave him a real chance.
Scenario 1 - my mom made a good decision in being too careful and I'm glad she didn't listen to me.
Scenario 2 - sometimes in trying to avoid certain situations, we end up causing those very situations to happen. I'm thinking the soothsayer should have added at the end of his prediction that all he had said will come true should the king listen to him and try to take precautions. But seriously, which child in their right state of mind, living with their parents, will kill one and marry the other?
Scenario 3 - it doesn't hurt to go with what you feel sometimes. I believe in taking chances (sometimes). What's the worse that could happen? Well, I believe God will never bring me to a situation He knows I can't handle or a situation He won't see me through, so even if the worse does happen, I know I got Jesus :)
We all can't be professional writers; we all can't have our own newspaper columns. This right here is my space. I get to be my own writer and editor and everyone else will just have to settle to be my critic.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Friday, June 27, 2014
The Aftermath
The Day I Haven't Exactly Forgotten About V
...one of my neighbour's found my hand bag 3 days later in her backyard. Most of the contents were strewn on the ground next to it. All the items in the bag were intact save for my purse and the mobile phone that had to be held by 2 rubber bands. Another neighbour found my purse in her backyard a day later also with its contents strewn on the ground next to it. Everything was there except the GH¢10.00 ($3.33). Unfortunately, the bag plus all the items found were soggy because of the dew (I guess) so I threw most of the items including the bag away and held on to those I wanted to like my drivers license and the GH¢150.00 ($50.00) mobile phone, which actually still worked. I'm guessing the robber missed it because it was in an all black case. The other mobile phone, the one with the rubber bands he must have seen and took. The guys who caught him in my neighbourhood mentioned there was a mobile phone on him, but I was too traumatised to go take a look at the phone. I have no idea who eventually ended up with that phone.
Turns out the car the robber used had been stolen a couple of days before the incident occurred (was a good thing one guy stopped the rest from damaging the car any further).
This incident could not have happened at a worse time for me. I'd just emerged from a rigorous selection process to be one of 12 finalists on the reality TV show, "The Challenge" (I call it the Gh version of Donald Trump's "The Apprentice"), which was to begin the very next morning. Fortunately for me, the morning was a televised visit to sponsors. I had to miss out on it because I was needed at the police station to give my statement.
With the drama of everything that happened, everyone, myself included, forgot I needed to put ice on my chin that night. Result? I woke up the next morning with what looked to me like a double chin. The second chin was blacker than the rest of me, I had bruises on my face, neck, arms and chest, and I was to be on television. Fortunately, it wasn't a beauty contest I was taking part in, but I didn't want the rest of the world (yeah, right), maybe the rest of Ghana that watched the TV station the reality show was on seeing me the way I looked. I was so self conscious that whole time especially when I had no makeup on and the cameras were in my face. Surprise, surprise, especially since I usually love the camera with or without makeup.
Thank God for makeup artists and thank God most television shows have makeup artists working on them. I had a long weave fixed, makeup hid the bruising, but my chin still looked weird (fortunately, just to me and to those that knew me). Thank God the very first task was a group one because though hair and makeup could cover up most of the physical signs of what I'd been through, none of that could help my psychological state. I was absent minded throughout most of the task, I couldn't concentrate or focus on anything (though I tried real hard), but my teammates were such gems. They just let me be and did all of the work themselves. When it came to presenting the results, they spoon fed me the easiest part to present (just so I didn't get kicked out for non-participation).
Aside the fact that the task for the next week was an individual one and I needed to up my game, I was determined not to let that incident mess up my shot at winning a postgraduate scholarship to the UK and a job in Gh upon completion.
No, I didn't win. I just didn't. Nothing to do with what happened (I think), but I got mad love for you guys, Nana Afia and Seth. You guys held me up during a very terrible time in my life, and thanks to you both, I made it past week 1 of "The Challenge".
...one of my neighbour's found my hand bag 3 days later in her backyard. Most of the contents were strewn on the ground next to it. All the items in the bag were intact save for my purse and the mobile phone that had to be held by 2 rubber bands. Another neighbour found my purse in her backyard a day later also with its contents strewn on the ground next to it. Everything was there except the GH¢10.00 ($3.33). Unfortunately, the bag plus all the items found were soggy because of the dew (I guess) so I threw most of the items including the bag away and held on to those I wanted to like my drivers license and the GH¢150.00 ($50.00) mobile phone, which actually still worked. I'm guessing the robber missed it because it was in an all black case. The other mobile phone, the one with the rubber bands he must have seen and took. The guys who caught him in my neighbourhood mentioned there was a mobile phone on him, but I was too traumatised to go take a look at the phone. I have no idea who eventually ended up with that phone.
Turns out the car the robber used had been stolen a couple of days before the incident occurred (was a good thing one guy stopped the rest from damaging the car any further).
This incident could not have happened at a worse time for me. I'd just emerged from a rigorous selection process to be one of 12 finalists on the reality TV show, "The Challenge" (I call it the Gh version of Donald Trump's "The Apprentice"), which was to begin the very next morning. Fortunately for me, the morning was a televised visit to sponsors. I had to miss out on it because I was needed at the police station to give my statement.
With the drama of everything that happened, everyone, myself included, forgot I needed to put ice on my chin that night. Result? I woke up the next morning with what looked to me like a double chin. The second chin was blacker than the rest of me, I had bruises on my face, neck, arms and chest, and I was to be on television. Fortunately, it wasn't a beauty contest I was taking part in, but I didn't want the rest of the world (yeah, right), maybe the rest of Ghana that watched the TV station the reality show was on seeing me the way I looked. I was so self conscious that whole time especially when I had no makeup on and the cameras were in my face. Surprise, surprise, especially since I usually love the camera with or without makeup.
Thank God for makeup artists and thank God most television shows have makeup artists working on them. I had a long weave fixed, makeup hid the bruising, but my chin still looked weird (fortunately, just to me and to those that knew me). Thank God the very first task was a group one because though hair and makeup could cover up most of the physical signs of what I'd been through, none of that could help my psychological state. I was absent minded throughout most of the task, I couldn't concentrate or focus on anything (though I tried real hard), but my teammates were such gems. They just let me be and did all of the work themselves. When it came to presenting the results, they spoon fed me the easiest part to present (just so I didn't get kicked out for non-participation).
Aside the fact that the task for the next week was an individual one and I needed to up my game, I was determined not to let that incident mess up my shot at winning a postgraduate scholarship to the UK and a job in Gh upon completion.
No, I didn't win. I just didn't. Nothing to do with what happened (I think), but I got mad love for you guys, Nana Afia and Seth. You guys held me up during a very terrible time in my life, and thanks to you both, I made it past week 1 of "The Challenge".
 |
| Eviction was worse than terrifying that week. I knew if my group came up for eviction, I'd be the one to go (there was no way I could convincingly fake knowing what that week's task was about) |
 |
| Thanks Nana Afia and Seth, you guys had my back the whole time and your hard work saved our group from coming up for eviction (I can so see that double chin in this picture and I'm so not imagining it) |
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Adventures in a Foreign Land - Support For Ghana
I was at work when the accountant walked into the office I shared with a lady from Ghana. He had in his hand a newspaper clipping of the Black Satellites of Ghana winning the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup by beating Brazil. Oh yeah, all the Ghanaians were excited about that and I was mighty surprised this guy even knew what football (aka soccer as football referred to a different sport for him) is and even more surprised that he cared. He congratulated us (myself and my office mate) and said how well the boys played (even I didn't watch the match).
Fast forward 2014, before the start of the World Cup and in a different country. I was with 3 Ghanaians and whenever we mentioned the country we are from, we instantly made new friends, the locals would gush, "wow! Asamoah Gyan", and go on to tell us how they feel Ghana will do well at the 2014 World Cup.
Congrats to the Super Green Eagles of Nigeria for making it to the next stage! Praying the Black Stars of Ghana will meet you guys there.
Go Ghana!
Go Black Stars!
Moral: it doesn't hurt to support your own country, but even if you don't, chances are, someone, somewhere is supporting your country.
Fast forward 2014, before the start of the World Cup and in a different country. I was with 3 Ghanaians and whenever we mentioned the country we are from, we instantly made new friends, the locals would gush, "wow! Asamoah Gyan", and go on to tell us how they feel Ghana will do well at the 2014 World Cup.
Congrats to the Super Green Eagles of Nigeria for making it to the next stage! Praying the Black Stars of Ghana will meet you guys there.
Go Ghana!
Go Black Stars!
Moral: it doesn't hurt to support your own country, but even if you don't, chances are, someone, somewhere is supporting your country.
Friday, June 20, 2014
The Day I Haven't Exactly Forgotten About V
The Day I Haven't Exactly Forgotten About IV
...they started to disperse, and one guy who couldn't believe the robber got away, got home, was about to turn in when he decided to get a powerful lamp he had and use it to sweep the whole street, just in case. His decision yielded some results. As he swept the neighbourhood with the lamp, the light from the lamp fell on the rooftop of someone's house and there lay the robber, quietly waiting for everyone to disperse.
The guy raised the alarm and everyone came back, even those that had got to their homes. Now, this robber obviously didn't know my neighbourhood that good because he jumped from the rooftop, I guess thinking he would land in the next house. But next to this house whose roof he had chosen to lie on, is a huge gutter. So into the gutter the robber fell, the guys in my hood literally pounced on him with stones and machetes, then dragged him out of the gutter onto the next street, where they continued with the stones and machetes.
The guys wanted my brother to drive onto the next street so I could identify the robber's lifeless body. We didn't know until we got onto the next street. I almost threw up when I saw the body. I couldn't even look at the body
I appreciate the guys in my neighbourhood having my back (God knows we had had it with these robbers). My condolence to the family of the robber. I know with what he did, I could have been permanently damaged or lost my life, and it wouldn't have meant anything to him. Regardless, I am sorry he died. That's the difference between me and him and that's why I am not a robber. Me feeling bad about him losing his life actually worsened when his uncle went to the police station to write his statement (about this whole thing), and stole a mobile phone. The uncle ended up behind bars, because he was caught (who even does that? steal in a police station?). Then I started to wonder if he being a robber was due to nature or nurture or peer pressure.
RIP Mr. Robber (I never knew his name).
Nope, that wasn't the end of it...
...they started to disperse, and one guy who couldn't believe the robber got away, got home, was about to turn in when he decided to get a powerful lamp he had and use it to sweep the whole street, just in case. His decision yielded some results. As he swept the neighbourhood with the lamp, the light from the lamp fell on the rooftop of someone's house and there lay the robber, quietly waiting for everyone to disperse.
The guy raised the alarm and everyone came back, even those that had got to their homes. Now, this robber obviously didn't know my neighbourhood that good because he jumped from the rooftop, I guess thinking he would land in the next house. But next to this house whose roof he had chosen to lie on, is a huge gutter. So into the gutter the robber fell, the guys in my hood literally pounced on him with stones and machetes, then dragged him out of the gutter onto the next street, where they continued with the stones and machetes.
The guys wanted my brother to drive onto the next street so I could identify the robber's lifeless body. We didn't know until we got onto the next street. I almost threw up when I saw the body. I couldn't even look at the body
I appreciate the guys in my neighbourhood having my back (God knows we had had it with these robbers). My condolence to the family of the robber. I know with what he did, I could have been permanently damaged or lost my life, and it wouldn't have meant anything to him. Regardless, I am sorry he died. That's the difference between me and him and that's why I am not a robber. Me feeling bad about him losing his life actually worsened when his uncle went to the police station to write his statement (about this whole thing), and stole a mobile phone. The uncle ended up behind bars, because he was caught (who even does that? steal in a police station?). Then I started to wonder if he being a robber was due to nature or nurture or peer pressure.
RIP Mr. Robber (I never knew his name).
Nope, that wasn't the end of it...
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Differences In Similarities
I was watching Tinsel last night, which is kind of a Ghanaian - Nigerian series, though I should say there's no Ghanaian left in it now because they either left or died or something. Anyways, so there's to be a memorial (for the last Ghanaian that was left and died) and one of the characters is discussing this with a bartender in the show (details of the memorial). The bartender asks the character about who handles what etc. and then he says, "what about item 7?".
The guy just made a mistake on television, but it doesn't seem he made a mistake because he repeated it, and the one he was having the conversation with seemed to understand him. I am watching and wondering, what are these people talking about?
Why did I think he made a mistake?
Item 7 refers to refreshment at a programme in Nigeria but the same thing is referred to as item 13 in Ghana. So no, he didn't make a mistake. It's referred to as item in both countries, but 7 in one and 13 in the other.
I just learned something new then.
All the best to the Super Green Eagles and the Black Stars in the 2014 World Cup. Hopefully one of them (of course Ghana) brings the cup to Africa :D
The guy just made a mistake on television, but it doesn't seem he made a mistake because he repeated it, and the one he was having the conversation with seemed to understand him. I am watching and wondering, what are these people talking about?
Why did I think he made a mistake?
Item 7 refers to refreshment at a programme in Nigeria but the same thing is referred to as item 13 in Ghana. So no, he didn't make a mistake. It's referred to as item in both countries, but 7 in one and 13 in the other.
I just learned something new then.
All the best to the Super Green Eagles and the Black Stars in the 2014 World Cup. Hopefully one of them (of course Ghana) brings the cup to Africa :D
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Miss You! Want You! Need You!
I'm listening to Ms. Naa this morning on YFM and her enquiring minds question for the day was, "what was the most inappropriate gift you ever received?"
Of course I was expecting to hear her read out totally hilarious tweets (and I was ready to lol) answering the question, but of course I knew I'd never received any such gift until she reads a tweet from a guy talking about a card he'd received and then it hit me.
I had received a terrifyingly terrible card too that made me just want to gag!
In secondary school, it was Valentine's season (I already don't even like the day for other reasons) and I'm not particularly expecting to get anything. The mail comes in and is being distributed, and my name gets called out. Before I could get out of my bed, my dear friend, CAROLINE! makes a grab for my package (wasn't really a package, was just an extremely huge brown envelop) shakes it, looks through and goes like, "it looks like a card, but its way too small to be in this huge envelope" (like the whole world hadn't already noticed). Does she hand it over to me? No! Caroline opens up the envelope and out falls this card, which I think had happy val's day written on the front. She opens it up and Oh My!
Inside the card was a drawing of a teddy bear and the words:
Miss You
Want You
Need You
Of course that's sweet right? WRONG!
Because the person (my boyfriend at the time) that sent the card signed his name at the bottom of the card after he had so obviously scratched out with blade, something that had been written (obviously another name) in the card. Made me wonder what happened to pen erasers anyways, smh.
The dude sent me a used card! and CAROLINE and HARRYETTE (my friend too) had a good laugh (instead of sympathising with me) at my expense and resolved to call me "Miss You, Want You, Need You", while making funny sounds.
Totally didn't find it funny then, but I think it could be funny now if I felt like laughing.
Seriously can't believe that dude. Who does that? Why? Is sending a val's card by force?
Just the thought that counts my *#~
Miss you gals (CAROLINE & HARRYETTE).
Of course I was expecting to hear her read out totally hilarious tweets (and I was ready to lol) answering the question, but of course I knew I'd never received any such gift until she reads a tweet from a guy talking about a card he'd received and then it hit me.
I had received a terrifyingly terrible card too that made me just want to gag!
In secondary school, it was Valentine's season (I already don't even like the day for other reasons) and I'm not particularly expecting to get anything. The mail comes in and is being distributed, and my name gets called out. Before I could get out of my bed, my dear friend, CAROLINE! makes a grab for my package (wasn't really a package, was just an extremely huge brown envelop) shakes it, looks through and goes like, "it looks like a card, but its way too small to be in this huge envelope" (like the whole world hadn't already noticed). Does she hand it over to me? No! Caroline opens up the envelope and out falls this card, which I think had happy val's day written on the front. She opens it up and Oh My!
Inside the card was a drawing of a teddy bear and the words:
Miss You
Want You
Need You
Of course that's sweet right? WRONG!
Because the person (my boyfriend at the time) that sent the card signed his name at the bottom of the card after he had so obviously scratched out with blade, something that had been written (obviously another name) in the card. Made me wonder what happened to pen erasers anyways, smh.
The dude sent me a used card! and CAROLINE and HARRYETTE (my friend too) had a good laugh (instead of sympathising with me) at my expense and resolved to call me "Miss You, Want You, Need You", while making funny sounds.
Totally didn't find it funny then, but I think it could be funny now if I felt like laughing.
Seriously can't believe that dude. Who does that? Why? Is sending a val's card by force?
Just the thought that counts my *#~
Miss you gals (CAROLINE & HARRYETTE).
Friday, June 06, 2014
The Day I Haven't Exactly Forgotten About IV
The Day I Haven't Exactly Forgotten About
The Day I Haven't Exactly Forgotten About II
The Day I Haven't Exactly Forgotten About III
..."get lost", said my brother (nah, he just told the officer to wait till a car was available at the station since the life of his dear sister is more important than a car or a robber at larger).
So off we went to the hospital. We called my aunt who is a medical doctor at this hospital, and she met us in front of the emergency ward. Now, she couldn't treat me herself because for one thing, her oldest patient would be a decade or two younger than me, plus there's the thing about family not treating family. She hands me over to one of her colleague doctors and oh my. In my pain, I was able to appreciate the beauty of God's creation and then he started talking and oh oh my. He had the most beautiful accent I ever heard, and then I actually started listening to what he was saying and then I'm thinking, like seriously? I couldn't even get excited about him touching my jaw. The dude was giving me a lecture on how wrong and dangerous what I did was and how it wasn't worth it etc. etc. (like I didn't already know). Boy was I glad to get away from him when he asked that I get an x-ray of my jaw and chest (we could have been such good friends but he messed it all up with that lecture, now I don't even remember his name and I'm sure it's all his fault).
Thank God, no broken anything or anything funny in the x-ray. I got some pain killers, the doctor filled out the form and I was out of the hospital. I couldn't believe I made it out of that whole thing with just some aches and pains, a few scratches on my neck and arms and a rather nasty sore on my leg (which I still have a not so nice scar of). Matter of fact, I still can't believe it, but it was by the grace of God, so I believe it. Of course I have learnt from my foolishness.
Let the bag go!
My brother and I get to my hood and a bunch of guys stop us just as he was driving onto my street. The guys wanted us to drive to the next street. Why?
After we left, the hunt for the robber continued and it turned out the robber was still in the neighbourhood, but basically jumping from one house to the next. I guess he was scared to get out of the area as he could sense the guys meant business. One of the guys involved in the hunt managed to slash the leg of the robber when he saw him hiding behind someone's hen coop. The robber however managed to get away. The hunt still continued. Eventually, the guys decided to give up since they figured the robber had probably escaped. Just as they were turning round to leave my street, one of the guys noticed that another one of the guys involved in the hunt was bleeding from his leg. Then it hit him. Then he raised the alarm. Oh my! Turns out the robber was involved in his own hunt!
The alarm raised, the hunt resumed with the robber back on the run and the guys in my hood determined not to let him escape. They however had to give up the hunt again...
The Day I Haven't Exactly Forgotten About II
The Day I Haven't Exactly Forgotten About III
..."get lost", said my brother (nah, he just told the officer to wait till a car was available at the station since the life of his dear sister is more important than a car or a robber at larger).
So off we went to the hospital. We called my aunt who is a medical doctor at this hospital, and she met us in front of the emergency ward. Now, she couldn't treat me herself because for one thing, her oldest patient would be a decade or two younger than me, plus there's the thing about family not treating family. She hands me over to one of her colleague doctors and oh my. In my pain, I was able to appreciate the beauty of God's creation and then he started talking and oh oh my. He had the most beautiful accent I ever heard, and then I actually started listening to what he was saying and then I'm thinking, like seriously? I couldn't even get excited about him touching my jaw. The dude was giving me a lecture on how wrong and dangerous what I did was and how it wasn't worth it etc. etc. (like I didn't already know). Boy was I glad to get away from him when he asked that I get an x-ray of my jaw and chest (we could have been such good friends but he messed it all up with that lecture, now I don't even remember his name and I'm sure it's all his fault).
Thank God, no broken anything or anything funny in the x-ray. I got some pain killers, the doctor filled out the form and I was out of the hospital. I couldn't believe I made it out of that whole thing with just some aches and pains, a few scratches on my neck and arms and a rather nasty sore on my leg (which I still have a not so nice scar of). Matter of fact, I still can't believe it, but it was by the grace of God, so I believe it. Of course I have learnt from my foolishness.
Let the bag go!
My brother and I get to my hood and a bunch of guys stop us just as he was driving onto my street. The guys wanted us to drive to the next street. Why?
After we left, the hunt for the robber continued and it turned out the robber was still in the neighbourhood, but basically jumping from one house to the next. I guess he was scared to get out of the area as he could sense the guys meant business. One of the guys involved in the hunt managed to slash the leg of the robber when he saw him hiding behind someone's hen coop. The robber however managed to get away. The hunt still continued. Eventually, the guys decided to give up since they figured the robber had probably escaped. Just as they were turning round to leave my street, one of the guys noticed that another one of the guys involved in the hunt was bleeding from his leg. Then it hit him. Then he raised the alarm. Oh my! Turns out the robber was involved in his own hunt!
The alarm raised, the hunt resumed with the robber back on the run and the guys in my hood determined not to let him escape. They however had to give up the hunt again...
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