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Categories:  MotherhoodMarriageMadnessMusingsPhoto Essay FridayRHKOASay what??The South African SeriesUncategorizedGH2013
GH2013

The Reveal: How Photographers Shoot Anyone Who Isn’t Thin, Able Bodied & “Conventionally” Beautiful

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I set my beverage down with a gentle thud and smiled generously, grateful to be surrounded by the laughter and reverie of friends I hadn’t seen in years…some in over 20. Kwae Terrace, a swanky rooftop spot in Accra, offered all of the elements required for a memorable mini class reunion: Tropical drinks infused with […]

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Madness

Young, Famous & African is a Turbulent Ride. Better Buckle Up!

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Perspective: A few weeks ago, I took my family for a weekend getaway cabin stay in a coastal community called Brenton-On-Sea. The tiny enclave drips with opulence, generally, but not in such a way that is gaudy or ostentatious. It whispers old, confident money. New money screeches and yelps to make itself heard by any […]

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Madness

My New Filthy Obsession: Carpet Cleaning Videos

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Instagram is owned by Facebook, so it’s impossible to say with certainty what algorithm the company used to determine just why a 44 year old African woman living in South Africa might be interested in watching someone scrub filth from woven wool and scrape it into a hidden gutter off screen. Whatever the rationale, it […]

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Motherhood

My Tween Son Doesn’t Like to Bathe, So I Used the Seuss Method to Explain the Importance of Personal Hygiene

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My Boy turns 13 this Spring and just as he did during the toddler phase, he is hitting every single benchmark and milestone by the book. He’s moody, ill-tempered, keeps a filthy bedroom and only takes instructions from his father. I have been content to leave parenting of The Boy to my husband; because quite […]

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Motherhood

The “Mommy Wars” Have Made it to Africa, and They Are Uglier Than Ever

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They say fashion and trends recycle themselves every 20 years, so I suppose it should come as no surprise that the Mommy Wars – a dark and desolate time during the early days of social media – have reared its ugly head.  In the early 2000s when platforms like Facebook and Blogger were at their […]

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The South African Series

Gin and Gender: The Sexist History of My New Favorite Drink

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I have recently discovered South African craft gin and it has quickly become my go-to drink.  As an African, Christian and granddaughter of whom I have been told were two raging alcoholics, I wouldn’t say I have a “difficult” relationship with spirits and brew, but I would admit that it’s complicated.  First, I don’t believe […]

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Musings

The Trials of a Once Cheerful Giver

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We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is […]

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Musings

Soon Leaving Africa Voluntarily & Expeditiously: Part 2

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This story continues from Part 1 “I am Captain McGinty. I will be responsible for your arrival to your various checkpoints within the Federation of Industrialized Nations – should you survive the journey. These two men are my associates: Mr. Wong and Mr. Jenkins. They and their team will oversee your comfort.” Captain McGinty, a […]

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Musings

We Have Become Our Aunties

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My mother was a founding member of AAAG (the African-American Association of Ghana) in the late 80s/early 90s. They were the group responsible for bringing and hosting several African-American celebrities and influencers -before the term was coined- in Accra. Many of the members were entrepreneurs, thinkers and leaders in their own right, and as such […]

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