I have been blog stalking. There are a lot of expats in this country. They talk about the culture, art, music, there are people here doing volunteer work in remote parts of Ghana. My blog on the otherhand is about me is well is more about me getting my groove back. I was thinking about this yesterday, I should write about something other than the lights off and my wonderful uphill battle to find one decent man, but the truth is, my life before coming to Ghana was working Monday to Friday, the pub a couple of times a week and Borough Market once a month. I have got here, and it’s the same except I just don’t do markets here. However it has got me thinking, I need to get out more, to places where one can go and sit and it doesn’t look like she is there for business. I hear people are doing things here, whereas before there was the cultural centre and that was probably it. I hear there are art galleries and exhibitions where one can go visit, I might try it out and get me a bit cultured (said in her cockney accent).

We are having a workshop for the planners in the country next month. I wasn’t actually there for the meeting where the tasks were allocated but I saw my name on the list of things to do and an email stating ‘as we agreed at the meeting’ I so wanted to ask who agreed on my behalf, but I am learning to pick my battles. The marketing team are having their workshop in Dakar, we however are having it right here in Accra, one day at the Fiesta hotel, the rest of the time will be spent in the office. The person leading the this workshop, I will not name any names but will call her headmistress said we will have it in the office because she wants it to be a very hands on workshop. After every session the participants will be tested, I don’t know if the highest scorer will get a prize or a gold star, all I know is that it won’t be me as I will be the one at the back of the class sleeping with my eyes open (I have got that down to perfection with the amount of meetings we have here). As I said before, the marketing team are having their workshop in Dakar. We on the other hand had to make a decision as to whether we will fork out for water at lunch time or give the participants any juice. We settled on the juice, we have a water dispenser if anyone requires water. We will only have one break in the morning and lunch which will be provided by the canteen staff (going on today’s lunch, I better stock up at the tea break). Why am I so fussed about the food and not about the contents of the workshop. Because that is the highlight of any of these things. I so miss my business manager when it comes around to this time. Two years ago we had our workshop in Cote d’Ivoire, we worked very hard and he was on my case over stocks that had yet to reach Ghana, but we played just as hard. This was before the war and I have to say, of all the countries I have visited, Abidjan is one of the best. They certainly know how to enjoy life and our Ivorian colleagues really made sure that we had an enjoyable time for the 5 days we were there. Unlike the planners. They are more boring than accountants (no offence to accountants, and actually the accounts department here do know how to chill). It will be 5 days of SAP which will start at 8 and go on until about 7, system speak and acronyms will be the language the whole day, then off home to rest before the day starts again. On the last day they will go all out. Banku and Tilapia for lunch as opposed to the fried rice, potato chips, chicken or beef menu that we had to endure for the other 4 days and then a dinner in the evening. Dinner will be somewhere in Osu, most likely a chinese restaurant, why chinese, because other than the local dishes, this is about as adventerous as most Ghanaian colleagues can be about food. I suggested a Thai restaurant, that went down like a lead balloon. I am not even going to bother suggest sushi otherwise I fear I might get beaten.

I like to try out different restaurants, there is a Lebanese restaurant (I think, it might be moroccan) at the back of Citizen Kofi which I would like to try out. I forgotten the name of the place. I was going to go there the other week with my cousin but they were not open. I may suggest that, see what the consensus is. My only fear is that if it doesn’t go down well, my head is going to be on the chopping block. But I what I really fancy though is a nice Thai Green Curry, I have not had that in ages, and it is very difficult to get the ingredients here to make it myself, well I say difficult what I mean is expensive, so if I could find somewhere and put it on the company’s account, why not.

If we do end up at a Chinese restaurant then I will suggest Noble House. I have to say, that is the best Chinese I have tasted since I got here. Normally we go to Imperial Peking, and well I don’t really rate them much, they use Spaghetti instead of noodles and I find their sauces very bland, I have been to Palace which is ok, but nothing to write home about and Pearl Jasmine or something like that, close to Jerry’s in East Legon, I found that expensive for nothing. Noble House though, has won me over and restored my faith in Chinese restaurants again.

Today we went to see a colleague who gave birth to a baby girl a month ago. Naa Ayekor (she is a Fanti but her husband is Ga hence the Ga name). The little girl looks so much like her father but you can tell she will get her mother’s character already, she sure does like her food…lol. We entered the house and headmistress immediately lived up to her name. She practically snatched the baby from the arms of the colleague who was holding her and then was doing everything in her power to wake this poor baby up. When asked why she was trying to wake her up, she says ‘ah, but this is the reason why we came here isn’t it’. I just kept quiet. I didn’t want to spread my cold germs over the baby so cooed from a distance. Little Naa started crying, headmistress had got her wish the baby was up, what did she do then, handed her back to her mother. I’m thinking, poor baby, I hope she doesn’t come back again until she is like one and can at least crawl away. My colleague asked if I wanted to hold the baby, but because of the cold I said I shouldn’t. While the baby was in her mother’s arms though, headmistress takes out her Iphone and starts flashing away, the baby is only a month old, and this phone was like right up to her face, I hope her eyes were closed at the time, poor kid, what a start to life.

We stayed there for about 30 minutes and headed back into the office. We are on the way home and she said she hadn’t noticed that there were extra seats at the back of the 4×4 we were in. One of the guys then said, that’s why it is called a 4×4. NO she said very sternly. That is NOT why it is called 4×4. She then gave a lecture on why a 4×4 is called what it is. After she finished she said that is the end of the matter. Another guy then made a comment about the locking of the wheels or something, I wasn’t really paying attention as I was half asleep. Her response was ‘I thought I said this was the end of the matter and you are bringing the topic up again’. Wow sorry boss. I bet he wished he was sorry he made such a statenment. Headmistress wanted to buy a movie.When that We found a guy selling her particular film on the roadside, she pays for it, inspects the cover and says that it was not wrapped well, he should change it. That was his only copy, so she took her money back and gave him the DVD. We find another guy, the same thing. She says she will buy it at the mall, I think the journey back to the office was way too long even though in reality it was about half an hour. I will probably have more stories regarding headmistress in the coming weeks. This was just a teaser to ease you in. For now she has given me homework. I need to find the cost of the photographer for the workshop and give her the feedback by tomorrow. I also need to make sure that my KPI’s are updated if I don’t want a slap on the wrist tomorrow.

I’m off home now. Once again I have tried to get through all my emails and catch up on reports but it has come to nothing, but not from want of trying. At least I have sorted out my French ladies data issues.

Got my car back, didn’t get to do the servicing but the roadworthy is done. My cousin itemized everything he paid for, new tyre, roadworthy certificate, his lunch (he managed to get his lunch in though) was very reluctant to give me my change though. I did give him 10ghs for his troubles and he says he will be back tomorrow to take the car in for servicing. I do hope it gets done the same day. Insurance expires tomorrow so need to get that done. Looks like I’m going to have to put off dstv for another month.

Thank God tomorrow is Friday….