All WORK and NO PLAY makes AGGIE

So I realize that I made a promise to you and you and you that I would post updates on my trip TUES/THURS/SUN. Well Im down to my final full week and each day is taken. Most of the day I sit in ACCRA traffic trying to get from point A to point B. Today as I was sitting in Monday morning traffic I thought to myself.... I said'," SELF....." and self said, " Hmmm"..... I said," maybe I should give up on this blog. Im finding difficulty trying to express myself in certain ways." Then self said," There are 2 words you mentioned that we never abide by. Those words are 'give' and 'up'."

So after that convo I decided to rather update you once I return back to the states. I will have  few days to myself without any LIGHT OUT interruptions, so thats when I shall give you the 'FILLA' on my visit back home.

Have a beautiful day. DEUCES!

CHECK OUT THE VIDEOS & HAVE UR SAY.........

Kwabena and Sarah were married for 6 months when Kwabena decided to travel aboard in search of greener pastures for his family. He lived with a Ghanaian family. The length of Kwabena’s immigration process is 3 years and 2 years into the immigration process the husband and wife of the family Kwabena lived with filed for divorce. Now Kwabena is living with the woman and is a father-figure for the couples children. Kwabena didn’t inform Sarah of the couples divorce. She found out about it from her friends and is angry. Sarah wants the Kwabena to come back to Ghana so they can build their life together. Kwabena is conflicted because his immigration process is almost complete. As Kwabena what would you do? Would you go back to Sarah before your process is completed or would you stay and complete your final year? As Sarah what would you do if your husband decides to come home? What would you do if your husband decides to stay?

Blakk Rasta says that some Ghanaian music is losing its Ghanaian content and flavor and beginning to sound like Nigerian music. Do you agree?

Good day peoples….. Yea so you are probably thinking, ‘what happened to posting every Tues,Thurs,and Sun?’

Good day peoples….. Yea so you are probably thinking, ‘what happened to posting every Tues,Thurs,and Sun?’

Chale LIGHT OUTS and a BUSY SCHEDULE is what happened. I was greeted on my first night by LIGHT OUT and since then it’s the norm for me. For those scratching their heads about LIGHT OUT, please scratch no more. LIGHT OUT is similar to EARTH HOUR, but the difference is one is voluntary and the other involuntary and unexpected. LIGHT OUT happens to be the latter.

During my first week I’ve been interviewed on HITS 103.7 fm and co-hosted DRIVE TIME with BOLA RAY. I’ve interviewed BLAKK RASTA aka OG behind OBAMA SONG, attended DUST MAGAZINE LAUNCH& attended CHECKMATE movie premiere.

DUST MAGAZINE LAUNCH:

What happens when you take a piece of New African, ARiSE, VIBE, H.A.S., and Essence magazines? You create DUST MAGAZINE which is a free magazine about ACCRA, by ACCRA, for ACCRA.

While at the launch I grabbed a copy of DUST. While skimming thru it there was a question posed about what readers would like to see in an Accra-politan magazine. This response caught my attention; ‘I like going through newspapers and magazines but all the printed material in Accra is centered around politics. I’m sick of politics! There is so much to write about and I wish someone would take the time to write about something different. If DUST can provide new and interesting reading material and still remain free of charge, I think you’re onto a winner!’ Nana Akua Opoku

This response caught my eye because it voices 'THE NEEDS’ of Ghana’s new generation which has major influences from the Western world. Ghana is evolving and I believe our printed material needs to reach more than one specific demographic.

DUST is one printed medium doing such.

KUDOS to CRYSTAL SVANIKIER

CHECK MATE MOVIE PREMIERE:

Gone are the days of fuzzy films, noisy and interrupted sounds, and familiar story lines. Ghanaian(Ghallywood) movies are on the ‘come up’ (improving). In CheckMate, “Kwame has made all the right moves in his life; a good job, a beautiful devoted wife, an adorable child, and an impending promotion as a senior customs officer at the airport.

But what seems like a typical guys hang out on a weekend away from home in the company of his new friend and mentor, Kiki, turns out to be the one wrong move Kwame makes. After losing a game of Chess, he succumbs to a bet to seduce the attractive, sexy Caroline.

A few weeks later, the consequences of a dirty forgotten weekend pops up in Kwame’s life threatening to destroy everything he so dearly loves. But the games are just beginning when he realizes that Caroline’s demand for his love is nothing compared to the demands of a drug lord who will do anything to get Kwame’s assistance in smuggling drugs out of the country.

With his entire life hanging on a thread, Kwame must try to win the game or risk losing everything.”

While in the U.S. movies are watched in silence (supposedly, and can be a bore) this was different. The audience would comment (outburst) on certain parts in the movie which added more entertainment for our viewing pleasure. Kudos to Shirley Frimpong-Manso (director).

Videos of BLAKK RASTA’S interview and DRIVE TIME with BOLA RAY are posted. Make sure you read the post following this one too.

 

Ummmm well let me end off here before another LIGHT OUT occurs. Have a great weekend.

P.S. below is a page  from DUST MAGAZINE:

 "YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN ACCRA WHEN....." by Bill Bedzrah

1. 
   
   The Trotro mate feels more important than you, the passenger
2. 
   
   The taxi driver wants to cheat you because you're dressed nicely or you spoke English to him
3. 
   
   When it ains,80% of the roads become CHOCOLATE swimming pools
4. 
   
   The streets are chocked with child laborers,alias "PURE WATER" sellers 
5. 
   
   You can shop for everthing youd get in a supermarket witout leain your car
6. 
   
   You realise,"DANG!", only 20% of the traffic lightactually work
7. 
   
   The "YELLOW POLICE" aka KUFUOR POLICE literally jump in front of yor car signaling you hat you've crossed the red lights with re authority than the GHANA POLICE ( bwahahahahaha major)

9. The Ghana Police actually tand in corners discretely awaitng for you to comit an offence and then pop out of nowhere and saying...."MAKYE WU" (You're Busted) (bwahahahahaha major) 

Make sure you visit http://www.accradust.com/ for more articles

Its almost time: CHECK THIS OUT

So 5 mins away from the launch (yayyyyyy!)

BIG CONGRATULATIONS to KEVIN WOGHIREN. KEVIN has been accepted into a 2yr MASTER'S program @ PEKING UNIVERSITY in CHINA. ( I feel like a proud mama :o) GO KEVO!!!!!!!

Please CHECK OUT the NEW MISS AFRICA USA WEBSITE. (It's so nice :o) the website is: http://missafricaunitedstates.com/ .

Also while your on the web make sure you tune into Passport to a World's View hosted by  yours truly @ 2pm central time. Stream online @ http://www.wluw.org/ *** High and Hip life all the way.

DONT FORGET TO CHECK OUT MY SISTA BLOG: http://www.fligurl.wordpress.com/




Have a beautiful day.

1 more Pre-Post: JAMAAL APPLEWHITE

This is hopefully the last pre-post. Tomorrow is DDAY! And once again another pre-post before my 'About Me' section is completed. I haven't started yet. Well I've got a lot to say but I'm gonna cut it short because I've got 2 more days before I head across the Atlantic. Of course I've dedicated a week to suitcase shopping (SMH major). I needed new suitcases because I broke the wheel of both of my suticases on my way to Atlanta for the Miss Africa USA Semi-Finals ( not one but two, who does that!) I bought 2 suitcases and had to exchange both of them today. What shocked me was my 29in or 30in suitcase was about 20-30 dollars cheaper than the 28in suitcase, thanks to DEVON! Outraged? Of course but it wore of quickly because my suitcase dilema was no more.

I also joined the infamous TWITTER this week and cannot stop tweeting. Its like an addiction but its soon to wear off, because where I'm going, I won't be needing my celly (telly) unless I want to call the fam, etc.

So you may be thinking: What is the purpose of this BLOG?

Well, I am going to Ghana on Sunday and I would love for you to join me, physically. But if you did then you would have to pay roughly 1800 + dollars for a ticket and some more $$$ cause of spending etc...... Kinda expensive huh? So instead of you having to go into your pockets to enjoy Ghana, I thought why not enjoy it via the web. Like that? Its for the 'low low'= FREE!

This trip serves many purposes such as: visiting family and friends, experiencing Ghana after 50 yrs, going to Kpando (since 2001) to see the progress of VORIM and see 'what is what' and 'what needs to be' (inside language), etc. The purposes are infinite and I only have less than a month to explore//accomplish them.

I want you to experince this trip with me. I want to show you the things you will never see on the Discovery Channel and such. I want to show you all the postives Ghana has to offer ( NO KWASHIORKOR CHILDREN ON THIS PAGE! UH UH:shakes finger in disapproval: THAT IS DISRESPECTFUL!) But I would also like to show you the negatives because there are always 'good' and 'bad' in a balanced life/world. I'm gonna be on my JOURNALISTIC (Oprah/Trya) tip. 

As stated on this page: this blog is an insight into my life (whatever I am willing to share: I am a very private person). I probably stated in the last blog-post that the only truth on Facebook about me are the pictures and the university I graduated from. This blog will give you much more, even after the trip.

I recommend the best way to visit this blog is by your choice : you can either read the blog-post first and watch the video directly after or watch the video first and read the blog-post directly after. If you're really ambitious do both (LOL).  I will TRY and post each SUNDAY, TUESDAY, and THURSDAY. I will TRY and have videos for each post. Videos maybe of interviews or sightseeing, etc. Each blog-post is in-depth and in correlation to the video uploaded for the day.

So this is my last pre-post and lucky you its accompanied with a video made by my buddy JAMAAL APPLEWHITE. This video is called ON VACATE. It's about his 2nd trip to Africa and his destination: EGYPT ( yes EGYPT is an AFRICAN COUNTRY!!!) His 1st trip was to South Africa. I kinda fussed at him for not going to Ghana yet, but we kinda made a lil deal so we shall see. I admire JAMAAL for stepping out of his comfort zone and wanting to explore a continent foreign to him physically but spritually linked. I rarely find many people willing to do so, but JAMAAL isnt like many people. CHALE JAMAAL KUDOS.... *** he even added some tunes(music) for your listening pleasure ( warning : some explict language)***

If you read this all the way: KUDOS 2 YOU and Special Thanks. Have a great night and enjoy the launch of the blog tomorrow @ 3pm central time!!! (Whoop Whoop)

***IN LOVING MEMORY OF THOMAS NYAGAKA ONGIGE:
BORN INTO LIFE MARCH 25,1973 / BORN INTO ETERNITY FEBRUARY 18,2010***
WE LOVE AND MISS YOU.

Chick Chat and DETERMINATION

Just got home from work, and is it just me who thinks that there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything you planned on doing? That's probably why I'm a night owl. Anyways, this is my first ever blog post...YAY! But its a Pre-Post ( Guess you can call it that) because this blog is under construction until March 25 or 26. I'm pre-posting because I feel this is much easier to do than describing the blog, because I would have to let you know things about me and that is the hardest thing for me to do. I love to interview others and tell their stories, yet the challenge comes when it becomes about me. Can you diagnose the problem? Not gonna lie, I really dont care if you could :).

So yesterday I went with a few AfWiAm ( African Women In America) memebers to a networking event called, Chick Chat Soriee. All I can say is "WOW!" There were so many amazing and powerful women in the room. When we got there, we were given a name tag and we had to pick one quote which best described ourselves. The one I chose re-inspired me to get back on track by making 'the sky, the limit' (so many amazing things to come).

The quote was: " Some succeed because they're destined; others succeed because they're DETERMINED!" 

That's the word of the year: DETERMINATION. With that nothing nor anyone can get in your way of achieving your GOALS and reaching your DREAMS.

Stayed POSTED, some great things to COME.

By the way I just wanted to post the playlist I was listening to while blogging:

Currently listening to: One of my husbands: Lupe Fiasco "HURT ME SOUL" (if you havent heard this, JUMP ON IT!)

Before: D'Banj "FALL IN LOVE" ( my sugar banana)

Prior: "BOMBS OVER BAGHDAD (BOB)" ( This is straight middle school AVM: whoot whoot)

* Nat Brew: "WOGBE" (this goes out to all my borborbor girls and summer 2001)

*Jay-Z:"U DON"T KNOW" ( My first husband)

* Common ft. Bilal:"MISUNDERSTOOD" (One of his best allbums, and I've ran into Bilal while working on 53rd and Hyde Park, of course I would be the only one to spot him....SMH)

* Kelly Clarkson: "MISS INDEPENDENT" ( yes Kelly Clarkson, I dont discriminate and befor Lil Boosie's I.N.D.E.P.E.N.D.E.N.T spelling bee song, there was this)

* Unknown HipLife Artist: "BABY, I LOVE YOU" ( i think that is the title, but me and my hiplife: I loves it!)

* Kanye West, Twista, Jamie Foxx: "SLOW JAMZ" ( this song will never get old, it brings back so many memories from Junior yr @ RHS: whoot whoot)

Shout out to my lil bro bro Karl for the cd's. Tonight's gonna be major fun.