Friday 24 January 2014

The Green In Ghana

So on my 8th day here in Ghana I wrote this post on my other blog. I had seen Kwame Nkrumah Circle maybe twice before then and every time, it hurt. The beautiful fountain had disappeared. :(

Now, today, day 86, I read in the GSGDA 2010-2013 (a development plan) "To address the challenges posed by the lack of open spaces the following policy objectives will be pursued to: ensure that urban centres incorporate the concept of open spaces and the creation of green belts or green ways within and around urban communities; develop recreational facilities and promote cultural heritage and nature conservation in both urban and rural areas; foster social cohesion; and enhance the participation of people in leisure activities as a way of improving healthy lifestyles."

So to summarise, in their pursuit of more open spaces and recreational facilities, this government demolished the country's most loved fountain and garden. Yeh. That happened.

Tuesday 14 January 2014

My wakeup call - Ikenna Azuike at #TEDxEuston #rippleeffect

I'm keeping this blog alive with a video about a guy chasing his passion because my other blog documenting me chasing my passion is currently taking up all my time.  #rippleeffect

Wednesday 8 January 2014

KFC needs to hurry up and get to East Legon

In a little revert back to the original travellers vibe of this blog, here's a plea for KFC to do more in Ghana and if the other fastfood chains are reading this, I'll be happy to have you too, especially Subway. I have missed Subway. Being a foreigner without those little creature comforts is difficult. I love Ghana, don't get me wrong,  I even stopped my mum from shipping Heinz Tomato Ketchup because I didn't believe I would need it. I was adamant that I would only eat Ghanaian food. If it couldn't be bought at the local market it wasn't worth eating (with the exception of Cheerios).

So here's me, interning in East Legon, home of the rich and the foreign. There are restaurants around me. There's a Chinese restaurant and a Turkish restaurant, further away there is an Italian and a kinda local dish at foreign prices restaurant. I shan't complain, the choice is clearly there, except they are all restaurants-proper, so you've got to sit and wait for your food to be made after you've waited minutes for a waiter/waitress to acknowledge your existence and take your order. Then on average no meal will cost less than 20 Ghana cedis (we say "Ghana cedis" here like there are any other type of cedis in the world).   I spent 40-something cedis at one restaurant, just because I really had a craving for the food, but still that's just crazy for a lunchtime meal.

I just want Subway here so I know it'll take just a few minutes in and out to get my lunch. The "COMING SOON" KFC sign in Lagos Avenue is taunting me.