"Shopping Semantics" in Ghana, or a Tale of How MaxMart was Greatly Misrepresented

I won't apologise for the title, because this is part of what constitutes the colorful scenario of my lexicon!;-)

It's Wednesday again and time for some craziness: I fell over my chair yesterday night--laughing so hard because in an invite I had received from Facebook to some event, someone had said I could pick tickets up from...

MaRXMart

!

Now even if you're not a regular visitor to this blog, you might know that MaxMart [I won't be creating any links for them, you'll have to do a google search!] epitomizes all that is middle class plus in Ghana. Just check the picture out, and you'll know what I mean.

I believe you'll find them "running to the hills" --as my good British blogger-friend/actor, Daniel Hoffman-Gill would say--were the mere words "MARX" associated with them!

Where Do You Want to Go Today in East Legon?

East Legon, the area of my workplace, is a plush, verdant part of the capital. As these signboards show, plush is far from being tantamount to "organised";-)

Although the Accra Metropolitan Assembly needs to give permission before these signboards are erected, one would hope that they also help supervise where it is placed. It can look a tad chaotic at times!

Collective Tyre-Fixing in Accra

This is really not a regular feature in Accra, but the breakdowns of trucks like these are!

Suffice-to-say, the maintenance of such cars might be this side short of shoddy, hence scenes like these, such as that which I captured on the Tema motorway two weeks ago, are only as common as the number of huge trucks I see driving on the first lane on a two-lane motorway where cars should take precedence!

I believe that now that the road regulator -- National Road Safety Commission -- is under one roof on a Board, along with Board of Directors for the Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL), and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) Ghanaians will enjoy a more efficient road sector that will be safer for all.

Ghana's New Holiday--"Founder's Day" (21st September). Dr.Nkrumah's day!

Given that pictures paint the proverbial thousand words, I am going to leave a sampling of some of the headlines from Ghanaian dailies--(from top to bottom): Ghanaian Times; Daily Graphic; Ghana Palaver. I have begun creating a specific album for photo captures of Osagyefo Dr.Kwame Nkrumah, the Founder of Ghana. Monday began the 9-month celebration of the centenary of his life. He must have been something special to have a whole 9 months dedicated to his celebration. The truth?

He was!

He built our Tema motorway in the late 1940s. It still stands strong todqay. He built our Akosombo dam, which still gives us electricity--despite the fact that we are 22.5 million now as compared to 6 million in 1957!

Words are insufficient to explain the man, but the headlines--including the fact that he should inspire the youth--already attest to the greatness of the man. For non-Ghanaians, a quick google search will give you a good insight, but let me leave you with the fact that in 2000, listeners to no less than than British Broadcasting Corporation voted him the Man of the Millenium. Here is the quote back then:

Last December, BBC listeners in Africa voted Kwame Nkrumah, the first head of an independent Ghana their "Man of the Millennium". But although Nkrumah triumphantly led Ghana to independence in 1957, by February 1966 he had been overthrown in a coup and spent the remaining six years of his life languishing in exile.

Motorway Micturation in Glorious Ghana

Here's one for the weekend.

Only in Ghana will you find someone stop and urinate in full view of, erm, commuters on no less than...a motorway!

Good grief...

Picture has been made fuzzy to protect the innocent;-)

Happy travels for your weekend!

"Warning, Do Not Urinate Here!" (Ghana signs)

Could it ever be clearer enough?

I passed there the other day and noticed that in lieu of GHC20.00, should you dare challenge the message on the wall, you'll be charged GHC50.00!

Unless the originators of the message have mounted invisible cameras, or have deployed a standing force comparable to Gil Grissom of CSI-Las Vegas fame to take your urine sample for "trace" analysis, in order to determine who micturated, I am not quite sure how it will be enforced!

Students of CSI Tamale, take note!:-)

Accra Apartments...

...are a rarity on the landscape of the Ghanaian capital.

Given how much of Accra land is being utilised by investors for their operations, many of the residences--many of which, sadly, is mostly for the middle class--are being found outside the capital where getting to the capital is more than a battle of bottlenecks!

Regrettably, also, is the fact that many of these are bungalows. It would seem that apartments could be an answer, but are our policy-makers listening?

Demolished House in Accra

As the Accra Metropolitan Assembly courts controversy for its decision to pull down some slums in the heart of Accra, I thought it timely to snap this picture to convey the mood.

Welcome to Ghana's Parliament House!

I've passed by, been to, circulated in the environs of Parliament House many a time, but today I thought I'd bring it to you--even if from a "long-view" perspective, where it's seen from a distance.

Usually, entry to that august building is through the gates of the small structure, where the second (blue) car is entering the street from where I took this.

The picture shows a rainy day back in 2006.

I'll be sure to bring a more close-up picture of it when I get the occasion.

You might want to check out the website here: http://www.parliament.gh/.

East Legon--The Tunnel of No Return?

Not quite.

East Legon has this tunnel, which was never supposed to be used by cars--but by animals--but now has become a veritable tunnel to allow cars and dodgy trucks pass through north-bound and south-bound to the dreaded-Spintex Road.

Am I making any sense?

Neither does the inexplicable traffic that occasionally develops without reason. Had it not been for the guys at the mouth of the tunnel (check the figure in blue, wearing yellow on his head on the left) , the traffic would have been more than bottle-necks!

And, yeah: they're ALL guys. Tunnel-watchers haven't gotten gender-sensitive yet;-)

Ghana Off to South Africa's World Cup 2010

Sometimes a picture paints a thousand words. On the day after the evening before, it paints a wonderful combination of emotions that reside in the majority of Ghanaians for seeing their football team--the Black Stars--secure a historic win over Sudan, triggering their qualification STRAIGHT to the MTN World Cup in 2010!

Ode to the (Psychedelic) Ghanaian Tro-Tro

In my humble opinion, it is an article of decency for any tro-tro owner to make his vehicle as attractive as possible.

Like the ubiquitous taxi, there are tro-tros all over Accra. Many of us are quick to scoff, perhaps suck our teeth, at the insalubriousness of the drivers and the state of the cars they're driving, but there remain a few in the system that go the extra mile, as it were.

Tro-tros like these, which I boarded some two weeks ago. It wasn't only neat; it was also equipped with these psychedelic lights of blue and green fluorescent, which lent it a "disco-ey" feel.

Did I say "long live tro-tros!"?

Only when they're this cool!

The Curious Case of Ghana's National Identification System

Websites without regular updates are far from impressive these days. Especially when they are national agencies. So, I cannot help but wonder what is happening with Ghana's national identification system. To read on its very rudimentary website that the mass registration has NOT been suspended is great to read...

...but not so great if that was in January 2009!

The public's still at a loss to what's happening!

Ghana Welcomes New TV Station "ETV Ghana"

I snapped this while at Ring Road last Saturday. Given the size of the billboard, you would be forgiven for thinking that the brains behind this new station have quite a bit of money. You woul d not be wrong, for Global Media Alliance--responsible for the erstwhile "Sunday World" newspaper in Ghana--has teamed up with the South African counterpart to launch this free-to-air station. It already has a running website: http://www.etvghana.com.

Suffice-to-say, it is not pulling any stops either!