Thanksgiving

Interestingly, last Friday, I was thinking about how confusing and complicated 2015 has been for me. Why? Because of one issue with minor related issues. I go to church yesterday, (we had a Thanksgiving Service to celebrate 2015) and the preacher, preaching on the theme: 'The Importance of Thanksgiving', says, "if you have nothing to be thankful for, be thankful you have life". And then I felt like the worst person ever.

During the last week of October, one staff in my office died. I have life.
A couple of weeks ago, this university graduate who has been without a job since he completed university (about 3 years ago) came to my house to check out an almost abandoned taxi. He'd rather be a taxi driver than stay at home with no job. I have a job, and since I completed university, I have never had to worry about being jobless.

These are two reasons for me to be thankful. There are countless others in 2015. The more than 3 times I drove into the cars in front of me, the one time a car run into my car, and all these times I wasn't damaged. My car was also not damaged. How could I forget? When I went on an all expense paid trip to South Africa to just go and have fun and relax. Mind you, this was my 3rd all expense paid trip to South Africa since 2013.

So, because of one incident, which will not mean much in a couple of months, I choose to rate 2015 as confusing and complicated? God please forgive my ungratefulness. Funny this should come from me because I am one person who just cannot stand it when she feels ingratitude coming out of anyone who should be expressing anything but.

Yes, bad things happen all the time, but so do good things. Come to think of it, more good things happen than bad, yet we choose to dwell on the bad. By all means, acknowledge the bad stuff that happen, which you can count, but never forget the good things you can't even count. Remember count your blessings, name them one by one, and see if it's possible to.

Joining in the Chorus!

2003, I'm super excited.
I just made it into the University.

I'm a bit apprehensive.
Time for lectures.

First week of lectures over, not sure what to think. I think my classes were pretty cool and the lecturers generally were alright.
Everyone else is discussing, and the conclusion was, 'as for Prof. Awotwi, his class is difficult'. So, me too I say, 'his class is difficult'.
As one of my course requirements, I had to take Prof. Awotwi's class from the animal science department, Biology of Farm Animals (honestly, what do I care about farm animals aside the taste of their meat?). My first impression of Prof. Awotwi, was, this man is so cool, funny and interesting. But everyone said his class was difficult, so it had to be. Fast forward to the end of semester, I write my exams, results come out the next semester and my worst grade that semester was in Prof. Awotwi's class (it was a very bad grade). Was I surprised? No, because I did not study, his class was difficult.

Second year in the University, and one of my classes was Human Physiology I. This course was also taught by Prof. Awotwi, but at least it was in my department and it wasn't about animals. People had already started grumbling because all of us had taken Prof. Awotwi's first year course. First lecture done and the general consensus was, 'this class is too difficult'. But I did not get it. The thing is, Prof. Awotwi gave us everything we needed to pass his class. He dictated notes, he drew diagrams and made copies for us. One thing he said in first year and again in second year was, he knows how things are at the University. The books are not available in the library, which wasn't our fault, (even if they were, I wonder how many of us would make it to the library), and since he doesn't want anyone to have an excuse to fail, he will give us all we need. We just have to study what he gives us, which is what I did this time round. I studied all the material he gave. It was a lot but it was everything.
Result? I was the best student in that class. I remember we had a mid semester exam, when Prof. Awotwi was done marking, he came to class and expressed his disappointment at the general performance. Then he says, there was however one student who performed extraordinarily. This student surprisingly almost scored the full marks. My heart is pounding, my heart is pounding, and then he calls out my name :D

Second semester of second year, I took Human Physiology II, same story. I was the best student in the class. By this time, I was in love with Prof. Awotwi.
Third year, no Prof. Awotwi in my department. So, I follow him to his department and take a free elective, Anatomy and Digestive Physiology. This was about animals, but I didn't care. As long as it was Prof. Awotwi teaching, one of the best lecturers the University of Ghana ever had (my personal opinion), I knew I would be fine, and I was fine. I was one of the best students in that class. Interestingly enough, some of the students majoring in Animal Science, who had to take that class failed the course, but I came from another department, opted to take that course and aced it.

Hmmmmmm... I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't joined in the 'Prof. Awotwi's class is difficult' chorus in my first year. No, I don't wonder, I know if there'd been a grade better that an A, I would have had it.

- in loving memory of Prof. E. K. Awotwi

Puppeteers

Airtel in partnership with Roverman Productions, Joy FM and National Theatre present:

"Puppeteers"

An original play by Uncle Ebo Whyte.

Does someone else control you?

Does someone make you do the things you do?

If yes, that makes you a puppet.

What would you do if faced with a choice to make out of two options? One choice would lead to joy and peace in the short term, but likely lead to turmoil and heartache in the long term. The other would lead to pain and suffering in the short term, but definitely lead to joy, peace and satisfaction in the long term.

Join Judge Moses, find out what he does, find out how he manages a puppet-like situation in "Pupppeteers".

Venue: National Theatre

Date: 28th & 29th November, 5th & 6th December

Time: 1st show 4pm, 2nd show 8pm

Rate: GH¢60.00

Tickets are available at all Airtel Shops; Shell Shops at Tema Community 11, Sakaman, Mallam, Dansoman, Achimota & East Legon; Joy FM; 37 Goil; Baatsona & Haatso Total; Frankies, Osu, Jane-Ann Supermarket and Motorway Supermarket, Tema.

Alternatively, tickets can be paid for via Airtel Money* at a 10% discount.

1. In the Airtel Money menu, select MAKE PAYMENTS/Dial *500#

2. Select PAY BILL/Select BUY GOODS

3. Select OTHER

4. Type ROVERMAN

5. Enter Amount i.e., GH¢54.00 for one ticket

6. Enter your name, show date & time as reference number (e.g. Efua Dentaa, 28th, 4pm)

7. Confirm payment details with your Airtel Money PIN

8. Present the confirmation text that will be sent to you at the gate for entry

*A charge of GH¢0.50 applies

Honking

You are at a traffic light, it's red, you wait for it to turn green. It turns green, and half a second later the car behind you is honking. Sound familiar?

It's funny but, I've seen the same cars I see in Ghana in three different countries, and I can't help but wonder if these cars were made without horns. Why? I never hear anyone honking!
Granted, some motorists in Ghana are just something (for lack of a nice word to describe them, I stick with something), and they just need to be honked at, but really, do we have to honk at everything?

This morning, I'm driving to work. I'm at a traffic light that isn't working because of dumsor, and there isn't a police officer directing. Suffice to say everyone's trying to be smart. Gradually, all the cars ahead of me manage to make the turn safe for the car directly in front of me. This car just wouldn't make an attempt to move. It's getting annoying, I'm getting impatient. Do I honk? No. Obviously this person ahead of me loves their car more than their time, or they just aren't going anywhere that important. So, rather than waste my time and pollute the environment with the sound of my honking, I overtake this car, branch onto the main road, and leave this motorist to wait for all the cars to just stop on their own (like that would ever happen) before moving. Problem solved, without honking.

Fast forward a few minutes later, I am at a roundabout. All the cars ahead of me try to give way to traffic on their left and manage to go their way (without me honking at them). Now, I am the first car. There are so many cars heading towards me from my left. I wait for an opening. Suddenly, the car behind me honks like there's a tornado heading towards them. I just don't get it. Why do motorists in Ghana like love honking so much? Don't motorists in Ghana get that all that honking is annoying, and chances are they are just going to end up confusing the motorist they are honking at, causing that motorist to make a dumb move, and end up in a rather avoidable accident?

I should add that a lot of the honking is done by taxi drivers and bus (trotro) drivers.

The Oxymoron of Our Presidency

An oxymoron is defined as a phrase in which two words of opposite meanings are brought together. Eg.
1. Clearly Misunderstood
2. Exact Estimate
3. Small Crowd
4. Open Secret
5. Happily Married (very debatable)

Writers often use an oxymoron to call attention to an apparent contradiction, and it does cause the reader to pause and think for a bit.
So, I have paused, and I am thinking...
Better Ghana?
I still don't get it. Ghana hasn't been better for me since 2012 (but that is what I was promised). Unless it gets better before the next election.
Has Ghana been better for you?

Now it's,
#TransformingGhana
#ChangingLives
and we haven't yet seen the bettering of Ghana.
But, transforming Ghana from what to what? Who put us here? Changing lives from what to what? Again, who put us here?

Where does the campaign team of President Mahama get all these oxymoron of campaign messages? These are just campaign messages. I don't want to get started on the messages from the government.

Honestly, I'm starting to think of another addition to the definition of an oxymoron (if there isn't already a word for it). A phrase/sentence should be thought of as an oxymoron too, when it is made by a particular person/group of people.

Nope, I am still not into politics.
That just means no one political party has convinced me beyond reasonable doubt that they are ready, able and willing to actually make Ghana a Better Ghana, Transform Ghana and Change Lives.

Like A Child

Lately, I spend a lot of time with my 5 year old niece and 2 year old nephew, and I must say, kids are just amazing.

No, I do not want to spend all of my 24 hours in a day with them, regardless of how amazing they are. 1 or 2 hours would be just fine.

Of course kids do say the darnedest things, but that's not what I'm talking about.
Kids can be annoying.
No, kids naturally are annoying and these kids have a way of working my last nerve, so I scream at them, I ignore them, I do everything to get them out of my way including telling them to get lost.
Sometimes, I scream at them so much that I'm sure they'd never speak to me ever again. But guess what? The next minute they are all like "Aunty Dentaa, Aunty Dentaa", like nothing ever happened. They are able to let go. And I don't get it. It's as if they understand I screamed at them just because of that moment, because of what they were doing then, and they understand that it doesn't mean I don't love them.

Wouldn't the world be so much more refreshing if we could all take a scolding like a child, if we could all see this world like a child, if we could all just chill like a child? My 5 year old niece, she's already growing up too fast and sometimes she wants to act like, "Aunty Dentaa screams too much, so let me stay away from her", but even she can't keep that up. As for the 2 year old, sometimes I feel like going like, "why are you still talking to me, why are you still hanging around me? I just screamed at you, remember?"

Is it a wonder then that Jesus said in Matthew 19:14 - "let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these", and in Matthew 18:3-4 - "I assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven. The greatest in the Kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child."

Children do not know how to bear grudges. We were all once children. So why do we grow up and become like this?
Let's just all chill and take things in a childlike way.
Mind you, I said childlike, not childish. There's a huge difference.

P.S. I patiently await the backlash from my big brother and wife, my mum and grandma, about the screaming, but please, please, please, remember I said I love them :D

The Good, The Bad or The Truth! Celebrity Stories!

Which celebrity story sells?

A good story?

A bad story?

A true story?

Celebrity stories increasingly tend to focus more on the bad, than on the good or true.

The reason?

People just like bad stories?

People just like to write bad stories?

Bad stories sell?

Question is, how are these stories obtained anyways?

I bet half the stories out there about celebs weren't obtained by actually interviewing or observing these celebs, and they were most likely gleaned from interviews done by others, twisted, turned around, until they sound nothing like the truth, and then published.

Why am I on about this?

Well, last week, I am there, I am right there when Ghana Gist interviews Juliet Ibrahim. Juliet talks about 5 things people don't know about her, Ghana Gist publishes a story with a video. Now, I am reading other stories online that are a complete misrepresentation of what she said, and I just don't get it. For one thing, these writers were not there, and they must have watched a different video featuring someone else (that's if they even watched the video at all).

For heaven's sake, THERE'S A VIDEO WITH JULIET IBRAHIM TALKING! WATCH THE VIDEO! If I hadn't been there, me too, I would be believing all these stories?

Eish! It is not easy being a celebrity at all!

Still, I maintain, celebrities really are human! Before you go writing a whole lot of hogwash about them, keep that in mind.