Public Service Announcement (PSA)…Loofah is not Sapo

Ok, so I am in need of a new sapo.  Sapo [for my Americanos or faking Johnny-Just-Comes (JJCs) aka the people who landed yesterday but all of sudden do not know what fufu is], is an Akan term for a net-like material that we use to bathe—it is reminiscent of the poof you get with some body washes but is a bit more coarse, is long enough for back washing, and gets the job of cleansing and exfoliating done more effectively.  We call it “sponge” but technically it is not actually a sponge.  In any case, we have been exfoliating way before it was called exfoliating ohhhh, we just called it adwariee (bathing); why do you think most Ghanaian and/or African women/people have such smooth skin.  You better ask somebody!!!  P.S. ignore the guy in your chemistry class with ashy feet; he is not a good example.  But I digress…so while I await my Sapo shipment, I decided to go to Wal-Mart and purchase a Loofah in the interim because I cannot neglect my exfoliation regimen.  Well, let me tell you, Loofah is not equivalent to Sapo.  Chaaley, talk about 419.  First of all, the thing swelled when I wet it and then when I tried to add soap to it, it just seemed to absorb the soap so I had to apply soap several times, wet the shege again, and then scrub quickly before the soap disappeared.  Bathing has never been such a production!  Then to top it off, I must have scrubbed too hard because my skin was burning after I finished (user error?!?!?).  Chaaley, I was heated.  Then what makes me even distrust that loofah shege even more is that it can stand up on its own.  Ehn?   Sapo is supposed to hang, supposed to exfoliate but not burn your skin, and is not supposed to stand.  Let me tell you, I was giving that thing the side eye as I stepped out of the shower.  So my people, if you need to replace your sapo, make arrangement prior to losing the sapo or before it becomes unusable, otherwise, you will find yourself in my crazy predicament.  Then again, you might be one of the people who just use a washcloth.  Ehhhh, America has helped you.  My friend, get a sapo and wash your body well (dwari yie ohhhhh) and stop the Abrofo Sem. 

P.S.S. I will post pictures when I get home so you can actually see that thing standing up.  

End of PSA!

© 2009 Akua B.G.

Mpreko Yariee (Swine Flu) Is Real Ohhhhh

Ok, I have to put on my public health hat now because I have seen some lax practices regarding this swine shege and I do not want my Yenkasa peeps to find themselves sniffling, shivering and/or feeling creaks in their bones unnecessarily.  Can you imagine people are still coughing without covering their mouths, shaking hands after sneezing into hands, infrequently washing their hands, etc.  My people please take extra precautions right now ohhhhh--- mpreko yar33 is real.

For my people who love to chop fufu with your hand and to scatter kenkey and fish with your digits, please take these precautions in order to lessen the likelihood that you will become a victim of the mpreko yar33:

• Wash your hands frequently
• As you wash your hands, the methodology you employ is important—take two pumps of soap, lather for a count of 10 then wash with warm water. 
• Carry hand sanitizer for the instances that you do not have soap and water
• Try to avoid shaking hand with people but if it means your in-laws will think you are disrespectful, please shake hands with them then sanitize as soon as possible
• Please sneeze into your sleeve rather than into your hands—the virus is less likely to survive on the fibers of your clothes than on your skin (you cannot imagine how many people I have seen sneeze into their hands then want to shake my hands during “hold somebody” at church)
• Get Lysol for your surfaces and spray them down as needed (ex. When that nasty visitor sneezes in his hands and touches your microwave to warm some jollof)

Here is some additional information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

Get vaccinated. Vaccination is the best protection we have against flu.  Seasonal flu vaccine is available now and initial doses of 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine also are available, with additional doses available later this year (Not sure how I feel about this advice but use your own prayer and judgment on this one).

Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people (Stop being so local and cover your sneezes and coughs--kai!)

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread that way (Ok?  Do you hear?).

Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them (The double shift can wait, your health is important--are you the only one that loves money?  Haba!).

Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures (You might have to miss that outdooring this weekend but don't worry, you know there will be other opportunities to wear your lace).

Find healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety (Go to church or read a good book and stop thinking about all the money you have to send to Paa Kofi thems).

Stay informed. This website will be updated regularly as information becomes available (Your friend Maabena is not always, the best source of info--maybe she is for news about who is stealing husbands--but for swine flu, check the CDC).

Call 1-800-CDC-INFO for more information (check previous fuschia note--do not call Maabena for this matter).

WE PUT MPREKO YAR33 UNDER OUR FEET...AMEN!!!

© 2009 Akua B.G.

The "Ka Wa Nu Tu Mu (Shut Your Mouth)" Award

Before I start, I would like to confess that I watch Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta and if you have a problem all I have to say is, "who gon' check me boo?!"  Ok, now that we got that out of the way, I have decided to start a new award for those with permanent "foot in mouth" disease aka always speaking out of turn, expressing nonsense opinions, or talking when nobody even called for your opinion!  Yenkasa's KA WA NU TU MU AWARD.  Our first awardee is none other the big-mouthed, classless chick known as Nene "see me see trouble" Leakes (Real Housewives of Atlanta) who seems to think she is refined yet, her bushness (lack of class) creeps out every time she opens her mouth.  The video below shows Nene lending her nonsense opinion in the most crass and overbearing way possible. Granted Mike Lohan is no saint but sheesh!!! 

So Nene, we congratulate you--you are Yenkasa's first "Ka Wa Nu Tu Mu" awardee.  You are mbuasem (nonsense, foolishness) personified!

Nene, your prizes are a long teeth kissing (tcheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew) and a roll of eyes (Ghanaian style--this roll is extra long and looks like your eyes are going to fall into the back of your head and is often accompanied by a synchronous turning of the head).  To my girls out there, whenever you find yourself in the company of someone like Nene, now you know what to do...lol

So to Nene, KA WA NU TU MU!!!  Oh hwo!

© 2009 Akua B.G.

We Have Started the Scatter-Scatter...Ghana Under 20 Team Mo Y3 Gy3 (You are all that)

Ok, so if you read my last post...I talked about Ghana's Black Stars, the adult group that is, going to South Africa in 2010 to scatter the place.  It seems I slept on the "under-20" team--the Black Satellites (I would have chosen a different name but let's go with it).  They have set off the SCATTERING in advance.  The Black Satellites have won the World Cup against Brazil (only one of the best teams in the world...well at least until they met the Ghanaians).  This is the FIRST EVER UNDER-20 FIFA WORLD CUP WIN BY ANY AFRICAN COUNTRY.  The score was 4-3 on penalties.

Here is the link from the official FIFA site for all the haters non-belivers.
http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/index.html

The link includes highlights from the game, as well as, an interview with the star of the game Dominic Adiyiah.  In conclusion, I thought this quote gave quite a nice summary of the level of this accomplishment:

"It was a heroic achievement for the Black Satellites, who held the South American champions at bay despite being reduced to ten men in the first half." (Fifa.com)

To sweeten the deal, please watch this video (this is the official celebration song, which I am sure is blasting everywhere in Ghana right now) and celebrate with the Black Satellites...The song essentially says, we will score for you so don't worry.  It's their version of "fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee."

Oh SeeeeeeeeeeeeeiYeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

Can't wait till the next level of SCATTERING in 2010!

© 2009 Akua B.G.

Ghana, Ghana, Ghana, Oh Seeeeeaaahhh Yeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaah

Ok, so I do not have much to say in this post, except to remind those of you who are living under a rock that Ghana is going to the World Cup in 2010. So to our opponents, get ready because we are coming to SCATTER the place.

OH SEAAAAAAAAAAAH YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

(To those who are living in the mountains of West Virginia, that is our battle cry).

Image courtesy of: Xinhua/Reuters, retrieved from english.people.com

BTW, Yenkasa will have a special guest correspondent, aka my younger brother, covering the game from the frontlines (ok, maybe the nosebleed section, but you get the point). Stay tuned for the blow-by-blow in 2010.

P.S. I know that the other countries were discussed but hello, this is Yenkasa so we sweat, love Ghana, thanks!

P.S.S. Either get on the bandwagon or get a ball to the dome from Essien, Muntari and Co.

Check the BBC story below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/8240811.stm

Ghana have qualified for their second successive World Cup after a 2-0 victory over Sudan in Accra.

The Black Stars reached the 2006 tournament in Germany under Ratomir Dujkovic and another Serb coach, Milovan Rajevac has repeated the feat.

Ghana's Michael Essien scored the winning goal against Sudan

Ghana knew World Cup qualification was in their hands when Benin scored an equaliser against Mali just a few minutes before the kick-off in Accra.

Sulley Muntari's strike early in the first half put the hosts in the driving seat.

Michael Essien made sure of the three points and World Cup qualification when he scored just a few minutes after half-time.

Ghana remain unbeaten in Group D.

They are top with 12 points, while Sudan are bottom with just one point.               


© 2009 Akua B.G.

Foodians Unite

Am I the only one who is a professed foodian? Foodian is a term often used by Ghanaians and perhaps other Africans to characterize a lover of food. It is sometimes used negatively but I am here to say that it can be positive...all foodians unite!!! There is power is numbers, so if you are a foodian be sure to leave your mark on this blog.

Ok, so here are some signs that you might be a foodian:

1. Good food give you tunnel vision until you have gotten your fill.
2. You get angry when someone interrupts you in the middle of a good meal.
3. You love food but not just any type of food, you are choosy and insist on exactly what you might be craving at any time (t)--if you went to school in Ghana, time (t) is a familiar concept.
4. You know how to cook because you refuse to depend on someone's good graces when you are ready to eat.
5. Many of your pictures include food as props.
6. Everyone who know you is aware that when you are hungry, you are to be fed or left alone until fed.
7. Thanksgiving is your favorite holiday--not because of the camaraderie and family.
8. Your first question when invited to a function is, "will there be food?"
9. You are a professional "takeaway" artist.
10. You love Costco

I think you are getting the idea that a foodian is...a connoisseur of food. It is an art actually, because one has to balance his/her love of food with the desire to wear skinny jeans, a tank top or leggings. Ok, I don't necessarily rock any of those with much frequency, but you get the point.

So I am guilty of some of the items listed but I am DEFINITELY guilty of #10. I love Costco. Where else can you get plantains, tomato sauce (for stew), chicken for nkrakra (soup), avocado for your ampesi, cornmeal for your kenkey, corned beef for your jollof, bread for your Milo, ginger for your sheto, and much more. Ahhh, then when your finish you can get gas for cheap. Costco is definitely a foodian's paradise!

So are you a foodian? Raise your fork or your fingers with pride!

P.S. check out the food footage while you salivate.

P.S.S I snuck a picture of Boris Kodjoe into the slideshow...I know he is not technically food but he is half-Ghanaian and he is " a tasty" as my sister would say so there you go.

Fashion Fights Poverty

So I had the opportunity to attend FFP this past weekend and let me tell you, I enjoyed papaapa (very much).  

There were six featured clothing designers:
Aidah Collection
Mirza Imperial
Nudie Jeans
Rene Geneva
ReneeQ Bespoke
Studio-D Maxsi by Afua Sam (she is also a Ghanaian "doing it" on this side of the pond, I did not shout her out in the last posting so to Ms. Sam--Cheers for repping the Black Star)

In addition, there were three accesories desingers:
Camille Gabriele
Cha by Chandra
JJ Singh
Lillybee by Simply Soles

The show was well organized and well-attended.  It was at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC.  BTW, the good people at this sheeshy hotel donated the space for this good cause so if you are looking for a hotel in DC, be sure to patronize them.  Also, shouts to all the models, gift bag donors, staff of FPP, makeup artists, stylists, etc. who all donate their time and resources to this cause.     Anyway, rather than talk about the show, I will let the pictures do the talking.

Oh yeah, I did not get a chance to meet (and by meet I mean ransack their clothes and purchase the pieces I was interested in) the other designers so I cannot shout them out at this part but I CAN shout out ReneeQ who was gracious enough to allow us to bumrush her hotel room in order to buy some pieces. She had to have been tired but she put on a smile while we tried on almost every piece.  Yes, I got some pieces...so when you see me out with my ReneeQ bespoke don't be mad at me...I was "stalkerish" enough to wait by the elevator so that I could catch her on the way up.  LOL

So to Elaine Mensah and Co...mua y3 ad33 paa (you did a great job!)

Enjoy and be sure to leave comments!!!