Mind of Malaka

5 days in Puerto Rico: Day 1 – Black Mold and Mofongo

Posted on May 20, 2021
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

I dove for my phone, trying to catch it before the last ring. It was my sister. Just as I prepared to hit redial, her text message flashed across my screen.CALL ME BACK NOW.Jeesh. What could be so urgent? We'd just spoken two hours earlier.…

Motherhood

I’m Co-Parenting with an Inherently Violent Man. I’m Fearful of the Repercussions for My Child.

Posted on May 7, 2021
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

I have shared 35 years of friendship with the woman sitting across from me. There are tears in her eyes and her voice is trembling. "Did I tell you I found my father, Malaka? I found my dad." A lifetime of muttered prayers - secret,…

Marriage

Should I Explore Astral Sex with My Husband?

Posted on April 19, 2021
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

By now most everyone knows that a part of my work is to write on sex and sexuality for my other blog, Adventures From the Bedrooms of African Women, which I started with my BFFFL - Nana Darkoa - almost 12 years ago. If you…

Photo Essay Friday

Photo Essay Friday: Garden Route Ink

Posted on April 16, 2021
by Malaka
with 4 Comments

Ink. Tat. Tramp Stamp. Thot Graffiti. Whatever you might call them, chances are you have strong opinions about tattoos. The art form has been around for centuries, with evidence dating back to 3370 BC. Their uses are myriad: as ethnic identifiers; beautification; to release healing…

Musings

Who Did You ‘Unbecome’ During the Pandemic?

Posted on April 5, 2021
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

It has been 375 days since our first lockdown order was issued in South Africa: Alert Level 5. You know the story. It was supposed to last for 21 days after which, like a hoard of butterflies we would emerge from our respective dwellings and…

Photo Essay Friday

PEF: The (Not So) South African Ostrich

Posted on March 26, 2021
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

In late 2019, I visited the village of Sabuli in Upper West Ghana to conduct interviews for a book I've been "working on" for seven or eight years. (Time is irrelevant now.) For Ghanaians, it is customary for a visitor to bring a gift for…

Marriage

Married to Mental Illness

Posted on March 21, 2021
by Malaka
with 3 Comments

Much has been written and discussed about the devastating effects that the pandemic has had on mental health outcomes across populations and demographics. Towards the middle of last year, pediatricians reported record spikes in kids suffering from depression and anxiety. In older populations – a…

Photo Essay Friday

Photo Essay Friday: Murals and Mosaics

Posted on March 12, 2021
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

The locals in my town have a saying: “If you don’t like the weather in George, just wait ten minutes.” Nestled between a mountain range and the south Atlantic Ocean, the city’s weather mirrors the mercurial nature and migration patterns of the denizens of the…

Musings

A Positive View: How Changing How I Look At Mental Health is Helping me Heal

Posted on March 8, 2021
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

“Amuga! Amuuuuga!” This is what the children would shout after school during our long treks homeward in the blistering Accra heat. When emboldened, I would sometimes shout the word with them, and if the spirit - or whatever force guided the actions of the intended…

Photo Essay Friday

Photo Essay Friday: Victoria Bay

Posted on March 5, 2021
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Hello and greetings. Welcome to my new project! The Western Cape of South Africa boasts some of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet. From azure blue ocean waters to mountains that rise suddenly from the planes like plumes hewn from ancient rock, there is…

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