Monday, 30 April 2012
Last day of April
It's the little moments that count, isn't it. Today, I was one of about ten percent in our office who went to the office. On a day like this, where there's a weekend, one working day, then a holiday, not many people bother coming in, they rather take the day off for a minibreak. I'm not judging, I'm planning on doing the same on the 18th of May, the Friday squeezed in between Ascension Day and the weekend. If only I'd find cheap tickets to fly somewhere, anywhere...
Anyway, I digress. I had a lovely working day, it's amazing how much shorter a 6 hour day is compared to the usual 8. Right now I am watching two 3-year olds play, Em and L (remember him?). In a moment of unusual kindness (probably caused by the fact I had just been given a lift to do my weekly shopping and a trip to IKEA), I offered to babysit L overnight! What was I thinking, what of my own 1st May sleep-in???
Well, it's all paying off in this moment as I watch the two cousins sit in the sunlight that's shining in on us, heads leaned against each other, Em teaching L how to lay the Peppa Pig puzzle. What a wonderful Kodak moment!
Of course, if I had a Kodak camera, or any functioning camera for that matter, I'd have captured it!
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Anywhere but here
To steal a quote from one of the telecom ads: I miss my blog like Harmattan misses pawpaw! Everyday I think I should be writing, mainly for myself as this is my journal of life. Without it, I have nothing to reflect what I've been up to.
So here it is: I spent two (incredibly fabulous) weeks in Ghana over Easter and have been back for the past two weeks. I am deeply slumped in post-holiday-exhaustive-disorder, which I may have made up, but nonetheless feels like a very real illness. I feel constantly tired, a bit down and missing my car!
Worst of all, since January, I've had my trip to Ghana to look forward to, nothing could really get me down as I knew come Easter time I'd be hit by the humid air at Kotoka International Airport! And now... there is nothing to look forward to. I am stuck in this Groundhog Day that is life. Wake up, go to work, come home, eat, sleep, wake up, go to work, etc.
So for the past few days, I've found myself scouring the cheap flights website, looking for a getaway somewhere relatively cheap in Europe. Nice, Marseille, Barcelona or Pisa, I'm not quite sure where I'll end up, but sometime soon you'll find me there over a weekend or so. Tips are welcome!
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Happy International Women's Day!
I have thought for over a week of what I would write today. There's too much to talk about, too many angles to tackle the subject from and unfortunately I don't have the time to think of something clever.
It is International Women's Day today and all over the world, including Sweden, supposedly the best country in the world for women to live in, we are still very far from equal to our male counterparts. I'm a huge fan of the Madeleine Albright quote (skip to 12:30):
There's a special place in hell for women who don't help each other”.
As with anything, together we're stronger and it is only together we can work to abolish the inequalities that mean women are perceived differently; traditionally female jobs pay less and women are still underrepresented in the executive bodies of corporations and governing bodies worldwide.
On that note I today want to wish a special happy International Women's Day to these persons:
1. Maya Angelou – an inspiration in life, art and willpower. I named my daughter (and blog!) after her and thinking back, it was even her time in Ghana that inspired me to attempt at living in my homeland.
2. Every friend of mine, whether real-life or virtual. Our paths are so different, our goals likewise, and yet I can't but be amazed by the strength and tenacity that leads us to manage three children, work and fulltime studies, single motherhood with a successful corporate career, pursuing entrepreneurial dreams while creating a family and caring for a sick parent, etc., etc. The list is too long to write out and here I am talking of my closest group of friends!
3. My mother – the most amazing woman in the world. I hardly praise her here. Why? No words can do justice to how wonderful she is.
Happy International Women's Day!
It is International Women's Day today and all over the world, including Sweden, supposedly the best country in the world for women to live in, we are still very far from equal to our male counterparts. I'm a huge fan of the Madeleine Albright quote (skip to 12:30):
There's a special place in hell for women who don't help each other”.
As with anything, together we're stronger and it is only together we can work to abolish the inequalities that mean women are perceived differently; traditionally female jobs pay less and women are still underrepresented in the executive bodies of corporations and governing bodies worldwide.
On that note I today want to wish a special happy International Women's Day to these persons:
1. Maya Angelou – an inspiration in life, art and willpower. I named my daughter (and blog!) after her and thinking back, it was even her time in Ghana that inspired me to attempt at living in my homeland.
2. Every friend of mine, whether real-life or virtual. Our paths are so different, our goals likewise, and yet I can't but be amazed by the strength and tenacity that leads us to manage three children, work and fulltime studies, single motherhood with a successful corporate career, pursuing entrepreneurial dreams while creating a family and caring for a sick parent, etc., etc. The list is too long to write out and here I am talking of my closest group of friends!
3. My mother – the most amazing woman in the world. I hardly praise her here. Why? No words can do justice to how wonderful she is.
Happy International Women's Day!
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Kony 2012
Got 30 minutes to spare? Well even if you don't, free up thirty minutes to watch this video!
Now I try not to tell others to donate money to a cause where I can't vouch for how the money will be spent, but I do think it can be worth spreading the message by sharing it on blogs, Twitter and Facebook.
I don't need to add anything to the message, it's all in the video, but aside from all it entails I am amazed by the fact that in the time I spent watching the clip, the number of viewers rose from 4,285,570 to 7,377,102. More than three million people watched the Kony video at the same time I did! I will never stop being amazed by the power of modern media and the powerful changes it can make.
Need I remind you of my favourite 2011 phrase - the Arab Spring?
Now I try not to tell others to donate money to a cause where I can't vouch for how the money will be spent, but I do think it can be worth spreading the message by sharing it on blogs, Twitter and Facebook.
I don't need to add anything to the message, it's all in the video, but aside from all it entails I am amazed by the fact that in the time I spent watching the clip, the number of viewers rose from 4,285,570 to 7,377,102. More than three million people watched the Kony video at the same time I did! I will never stop being amazed by the power of modern media and the powerful changes it can make.
Need I remind you of my favourite 2011 phrase - the Arab Spring?
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Overheard (in my head...)
Blog: Oy! Remember me?
Me: Who?
Blog: Your blog, Maya's Earth, which you're meant to update regularly?
Me: Oh right, sorry, completely forgot about you.
Blog: I realised as much, hmph!
Me: Look, I'm sorry, but I am kind of going through a lot at the moment, don't really have my mind in the right place to deal with you, but I promise, I hope to be back on track and back here soon. Forgive me, ok?
Blog: Alright, but that's what you say everytime...
Me: Who?
Blog: Your blog, Maya's Earth, which you're meant to update regularly?
Me: Oh right, sorry, completely forgot about you.
Blog: I realised as much, hmph!
Me: Look, I'm sorry, but I am kind of going through a lot at the moment, don't really have my mind in the right place to deal with you, but I promise, I hope to be back on track and back here soon. Forgive me, ok?
Blog: Alright, but that's what you say everytime...
Saturday, 21 January 2012
African Voices
I am so frustrated. As we speak, CNN is showing African Voices, in an episode that will feature a person near and dear to me, Herman Chinery-Hesse. I don't have CNN at home, but was fairly confident I'd be able to catch it online, so imagine my surprise when it's posted on the website as coming up next week, argh!
On a funny note though, a family friend in Sweden, called my mum in Ghana to tell her to tell us (my brothers and I in Sweden) to watch the program. She assumed my mum wouldn't have access to CNN in Ghana and was just using her as a messenger (extra funny: she's Ghanaian herself)!
So here I am in the advanced West, waiting probably another week to watch this show, whilst "third world" Africans are catching it on their up-to-date cable channels. Well, wherever you are, if you've got the CNN TV-channel, I hope you manage to catch it - African Voices is always inspirational and with H on it, I know it'll be a fantastic episode.
On a funny note though, a family friend in Sweden, called my mum in Ghana to tell her to tell us (my brothers and I in Sweden) to watch the program. She assumed my mum wouldn't have access to CNN in Ghana and was just using her as a messenger (extra funny: she's Ghanaian herself)!
So here I am in the advanced West, waiting probably another week to watch this show, whilst "third world" Africans are catching it on their up-to-date cable channels. Well, wherever you are, if you've got the CNN TV-channel, I hope you manage to catch it - African Voices is always inspirational and with H on it, I know it'll be a fantastic episode.
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Beautiful Ghana
My friend posted a link on Facebook which I wanted to share. For those of you who love Ghana, those of you who are proud of Ghana, those who'd like to catch a glimpse of Ghana...and those of you who are just tired of seeing starving children surrounded by flies, as the image of Africa.
It's so lovely to see the Ghana I know and love, roads I normally drive on, buildings I pass and even domestic houses I recognise.
Now what I'd really like to see is Nana Kofi present a similar slide show of Ghana, adding his usual artistic genius, and perhaps with a bit more focus on people and foods too? Then again, I guess that's what his blog does for us on a regular basis.
It's so lovely to see the Ghana I know and love, roads I normally drive on, buildings I pass and even domestic houses I recognise.
Now what I'd really like to see is Nana Kofi present a similar slide show of Ghana, adding his usual artistic genius, and perhaps with a bit more focus on people and foods too? Then again, I guess that's what his blog does for us on a regular basis.
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
New beginnings
New Job,
New Apartment,
New Friends,
New Projects,
New Routine,
New Laptop (woohoo!).
All I need now is new phone and I am all set for this brand spanking new year.
What's new for you in 2012? Is the year looking promising?
New Apartment,
New Friends,
New Projects,
New Routine,
New Laptop (woohoo!).
All I need now is new phone and I am all set for this brand spanking new year.
What's new for you in 2012? Is the year looking promising?
Sunday, 1 January 2012
Happy New Year!!!
What a lovely New Year's Eve!
Started the evening with a lovely turkey dinner at my sister's house. Then a game of monopoly, after which Virgo and I left the group to meet other friends at the Wheel of Gothenburg (it's like a small scale London Eye).
(Picture borrowed from the Wheel of Gothenburg website)
Thanks to perfect planning, we were at the top of the wheel when the clocks turned 0:00. As we toasted in the new year, with our complimentary bottle of (non-alcoholic) champagne and a 360 degree view of all the fireworks going off in the whole of Gothenburg, I thought, what a wonderful way to start the year.
2012 seems so exciting and promising for me, I wish you all the best for this exciting new year!
Started the evening with a lovely turkey dinner at my sister's house. Then a game of monopoly, after which Virgo and I left the group to meet other friends at the Wheel of Gothenburg (it's like a small scale London Eye).
Thanks to perfect planning, we were at the top of the wheel when the clocks turned 0:00. As we toasted in the new year, with our complimentary bottle of (non-alcoholic) champagne and a 360 degree view of all the fireworks going off in the whole of Gothenburg, I thought, what a wonderful way to start the year.
2012 seems so exciting and promising for me, I wish you all the best for this exciting new year!
Friday, 30 December 2011
Half full
I have had an absolutely lovely Christmas, I hope you have too. Unfortunately, I'm not at the computer where I stored my pictures so a full account will come later.
I have always known I am a positive person. Despite my sometimes cynic nature, I have a "glass half full" mentality and often repeat the mantra "PMA", or "positive mental attitude".
Nowhere was that more clear than yesterday, in the kitchen. After a marathon cleaning, I had just gotten the mop ready when Em's horrid cough lead to her throwing up, all over the kitchen floor. My thought? "I'm so lucky she did it before I mopped the floor".
Then, forty minutes later, when I had finished all my mopping, she came back, to the same spot and threw up two more times. Whilst I wiped up the worst of it, all I was thinking was: "Aren't I lucky that I still have the mop and bucket standing there all ready to go".
Now how's that for positive mental attitude! (And an insight into parenthood for those of you who are not there yet...)
I have always known I am a positive person. Despite my sometimes cynic nature, I have a "glass half full" mentality and often repeat the mantra "PMA", or "positive mental attitude".
Nowhere was that more clear than yesterday, in the kitchen. After a marathon cleaning, I had just gotten the mop ready when Em's horrid cough lead to her throwing up, all over the kitchen floor. My thought? "I'm so lucky she did it before I mopped the floor".
Then, forty minutes later, when I had finished all my mopping, she came back, to the same spot and threw up two more times. Whilst I wiped up the worst of it, all I was thinking was: "Aren't I lucky that I still have the mop and bucket standing there all ready to go".
Now how's that for positive mental attitude! (And an insight into parenthood for those of you who are not there yet...)
Saturday, 24 December 2011
Friday, 23 December 2011
Santa Baby
I am exhausted after the Santa Clausian task of wrapping Christmas gifts for my one child, five nephews and nieces, two brothers and a father, AND the same amount of gifts on behalf of my mum. What on earth was I thinking when I thought it would be a cosy thing to do on the night before Christmas??? Still, it seems Christmas this year will be great (fingers crossed).
Today's song, Santa Baby by Macy Gray, calmed me down during the busiest time in the central mall, Nordstan.
Now, an episode of The Good Wife, whilst I wash the last of the pre-Christmas dishes.
Goodnight!
Today's song, Santa Baby by Macy Gray, calmed me down during the busiest time in the central mall, Nordstan.
Now, an episode of The Good Wife, whilst I wash the last of the pre-Christmas dishes.
Goodnight!
Den här bloggposten innehåller nötkräm
”Det pågår en tyst katastrof. En katastrof som varje dag dödar 21 000 barn under fem års ålder. De flesta barnen dör av näringsbrist, diarré eller andra sjukdomar. De dör av orsaker som med enkla medel skulle kunna förebyggas. Det som saknas är vaccin, medicin, rent vatten och näringsriktig mat. Saker som UNICEF kan leverera. Saker som vi tillsammans kan leverera.
Den här bloggposten är mitt sätt bidra. För i och med att jag publicerar den här bloggposten blir inte bara fler uppmärksammade på den tysta katastrofen utan dessutom innebär det att re:member skänker sex påsar av den nötkräm som UNICEF använder vid behandling av undernärda barn. Tre påsar nötkräm om dagen är allt som krävs för att ett barn som lider av undernäring ska kunna överleva.
Har du också en blogg och vill göra något viktigt i jul? Hämta bloggmaterial här! Tillsammans räddar vi barns liv.
Ps. Vill du köpa fältprodukterna som räddar barns liv, besök UNICEFs gåvoshop. Du kan välja ett snyggt gåvobevis designat av bland annat Tove Styrke eller Elsa Billgren att ge bort i julklapp.
And here's an explanation in English:
Every year, 21.000 children under the age of five die, mainly because of malnutrition, diarrhea or other diseases. The Swedish division of UNICEF has launched a blog campaign aiming at raising awareness about this silent disaster and providing help to those who really need it.
If you have a blog and would like to support this cause, UNICEF asks you to publish a post about it, including some text snippets, photos and videos that they provide here (this campaign is targeted at bloggers writing in Swedish).
It’s the most important blog post you could write this year. And in addition to that you help raising awareness about this misery, re:member has partnered up with UNICEF and agreed to donate 6 bags Nutriset per published blog post. Nutriset is an oil-based paste of peanuts which is used to treat children with severe acute malnutrition (you can read more about it here).
After you have published your blog posts and included the text and media provided on this site, it is important that you ping Twingly about your blog posts (here is an explanation how to do that). By doing so, your post will appear in the blog feed on UNICEF’s campaign blog and become part of the campaign.
Let’s make sure that as many people as possible join the campaign and help the children around the world!
Den här bloggposten är mitt sätt bidra. För i och med att jag publicerar den här bloggposten blir inte bara fler uppmärksammade på den tysta katastrofen utan dessutom innebär det att re:member skänker sex påsar av den nötkräm som UNICEF använder vid behandling av undernärda barn. Tre påsar nötkräm om dagen är allt som krävs för att ett barn som lider av undernäring ska kunna överleva.
Har du också en blogg och vill göra något viktigt i jul? Hämta bloggmaterial här! Tillsammans räddar vi barns liv.
Ps. Vill du köpa fältprodukterna som räddar barns liv, besök UNICEFs gåvoshop. Du kan välja ett snyggt gåvobevis designat av bland annat Tove Styrke eller Elsa Billgren att ge bort i julklapp.
And here's an explanation in English:
Every year, 21.000 children under the age of five die, mainly because of malnutrition, diarrhea or other diseases. The Swedish division of UNICEF has launched a blog campaign aiming at raising awareness about this silent disaster and providing help to those who really need it.
If you have a blog and would like to support this cause, UNICEF asks you to publish a post about it, including some text snippets, photos and videos that they provide here (this campaign is targeted at bloggers writing in Swedish).
It’s the most important blog post you could write this year. And in addition to that you help raising awareness about this misery, re:member has partnered up with UNICEF and agreed to donate 6 bags Nutriset per published blog post. Nutriset is an oil-based paste of peanuts which is used to treat children with severe acute malnutrition (you can read more about it here).
After you have published your blog posts and included the text and media provided on this site, it is important that you ping Twingly about your blog posts (here is an explanation how to do that). By doing so, your post will appear in the blog feed on UNICEF’s campaign blog and become part of the campaign.
Let’s make sure that as many people as possible join the campaign and help the children around the world!
Thursday, 22 December 2011
Pressure
I know, I missed a day, but I am sure you'll forgive me once you hear what I have been up to. It seems technology and I will never be friends, despite all the effort I make. So in addition to my motherboard going into a coma, my work-email moved to a new server and all my emails were lost.
All my legal documents and communication that I was hoping to use as a backup, now I no longer have my laptop, gone! Luckily we got our IT guys to revert to the old server temporarily. After spending h o u r s researching whether I could forward a bunch of emails at once, it seemed there was an obstacle at every corner.
In the end I had to give up and go through, select and forward as much as I thought I needed of my thousand emails. Annoyingly, actually forwarding the emails manually took less time than I spent researching mass forwarding.
This morning, I dropped my phone and when I turned it on, message after message popped up in my inbox. Suddenly I got all those messages that friends and contacts had told me they had sent since last Saturday. Imagine the added wahala of having to deal with each issue that was in the text (still not done!).
Today's Christmas song is a twi Christmas song by Kaakyire Kwame Appiah. To be honest, I hadn't heard it until today, but I am hoping others will recognise it. Why this song? I recall that the last or second last Thursday Before Christmas is usually carols' night at the Ghana School of Law and the best songs are without a doubt the Twi songs. Come to think of it, for me, carols' night there, or at Ridge Church is when the Christmas spirit really sets in for me. I hope those of you in Ghana have had the chance to attend some this year!
Also, I'm in the Ghana mood as I made some omotuo and nkatiekwan (rice balls and groundnut soup) for dinner this evening and it was lush! It may also have helped upgrade my Christmas present from the hubby...
All my legal documents and communication that I was hoping to use as a backup, now I no longer have my laptop, gone! Luckily we got our IT guys to revert to the old server temporarily. After spending h o u r s researching whether I could forward a bunch of emails at once, it seemed there was an obstacle at every corner.
In the end I had to give up and go through, select and forward as much as I thought I needed of my thousand emails. Annoyingly, actually forwarding the emails manually took less time than I spent researching mass forwarding.
This morning, I dropped my phone and when I turned it on, message after message popped up in my inbox. Suddenly I got all those messages that friends and contacts had told me they had sent since last Saturday. Imagine the added wahala of having to deal with each issue that was in the text (still not done!).
Today's Christmas song is a twi Christmas song by Kaakyire Kwame Appiah. To be honest, I hadn't heard it until today, but I am hoping others will recognise it. Why this song? I recall that the last or second last Thursday Before Christmas is usually carols' night at the Ghana School of Law and the best songs are without a doubt the Twi songs. Come to think of it, for me, carols' night there, or at Ridge Church is when the Christmas spirit really sets in for me. I hope those of you in Ghana have had the chance to attend some this year!
Also, I'm in the Ghana mood as I made some omotuo and nkatiekwan (rice balls and groundnut soup) for dinner this evening and it was lush! It may also have helped upgrade my Christmas present from the hubby...
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Midnight melancholy
I promised Raine I'd post a mulled wine recipe. Right now I am getting a slight déjà vu feeling as I know I have posted one either last year or the year before. Unfortunately I am to lazy to search my own blogg, so here's a recipe I've tried before:
1 litre red wine
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of cloves
1 teaspoon of cardemom
3 tablespoons of sugar
Pour everything into a pot and heat. If you want to retain the alcohol content, heat to 75 degrees (Celsius), then leave to stand for 15 minutes before straining the spices. The amount of spices and sugar can be varied to suit taste.
I usually use this recipe for non-alcoholic mulled wine. For that I use a dark red juice, e.g. red grape juice or cranberry & rasperry juice. Whether I use juice or wine, I actually allow the mixture to boil for a few minutes, as I am not interested in retaining the alcohol.
Serve warm, in small cups with a sprinkling of raisins and almonds in each cup.
Today's Christmas song is one of my favourite remakes of a classic. I first heard it on an episode of Grey's Anatomy, and since I'm seriously missing my show (how long a Christmas break do those actors need??), I've had it on my mind. The eerie melancholy of the song really depicts the TV-show and is just...beautiful. So enjoy, It came upon a Midnight Clear by Sixpence None the Richer.
1 litre red wine
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of cloves
1 teaspoon of cardemom
3 tablespoons of sugar
Pour everything into a pot and heat. If you want to retain the alcohol content, heat to 75 degrees (Celsius), then leave to stand for 15 minutes before straining the spices. The amount of spices and sugar can be varied to suit taste.
I usually use this recipe for non-alcoholic mulled wine. For that I use a dark red juice, e.g. red grape juice or cranberry & rasperry juice. Whether I use juice or wine, I actually allow the mixture to boil for a few minutes, as I am not interested in retaining the alcohol.
Serve warm, in small cups with a sprinkling of raisins and almonds in each cup.
Today's Christmas song is one of my favourite remakes of a classic. I first heard it on an episode of Grey's Anatomy, and since I'm seriously missing my show (how long a Christmas break do those actors need??), I've had it on my mind. The eerie melancholy of the song really depicts the TV-show and is just...beautiful. So enjoy, It came upon a Midnight Clear by Sixpence None the Richer.
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