It’s been a while since I’ve updated my blog, sheer tiredness, and a bit of laziness, but hope to continue the flow now that I’m back.

Yesterday was May day, in Britain, they usually celebrate this day on the first Monday of the month, here it is celebrated on the first weekday of the month, it has it’s benefits and disadvantages I think. The main benefit is that it makes the week shorter, but I would much prefer the long weekend so I can do whatever on Friday night to Sunday night and then relax on Monday. Not that I do much, I lead such a boring life and my body has got so used to it that as soon as my head hits the pillow on Friday night, that’s pretty much it until Monday morning. I have tried to start exercising again, on average its been about 20 minutes of vigorous exercise 3 times a week, just before I head out for work. I am trying to get it up to 5 days and then an hour on the weekend, but we’ll see how that goes.

So how’s Ghana been, pretty much uneventful, for me anyway, no restaurants, no weddings, funerals or christenings, just relaxed my body and tried to stay out of trouble, although my life hasn’t been totally devoid of drama. Last week Sunday, I didn’t wake up in time for Church. Smother has kinda got used to the fact that I’m not a regular church go’er and I woke up to the sound of the washing machine as she did her laundry. I decided to take my car for a wash and waited at my spot with a bottle of soda water and lime while I waited. There a man, well if I can call him that, he was more of a drunken animal came up to me and asked me if I will buy him a fanta. At first I ignored him, and then he got up to sit by me. So I went and sat at another table. The thing I like most about this spot is that I get peace, it’s not crowded most days and people drink sensibly, but today I meet this drunken mess of a man who felt it was his right to get something out of me.

He followed me to the next table and asked me for anything, even if it’s a packet of biscuits. I’m thinking, is this man mad, has he done any work for me, and I voiced my opinion to the same. He then got quite angry and said “give me my money”, as he swaggered and swayed he’d obviously had more than enough to make his body fine. 9am in the morning, this guy was a pitiful state, I told him to get out of my face and then paid for my drink and scarpered, who knows what he had in mind after he didn’t get what he wanted. I stood by the guy who washed my car and gave him a fiver. It costs 3ghs but he said thank you. I’m thinking what is this, do I owe the world and his son money and didn’t get the memo. At least give me my change and if I feel like tipping you then so be it but to expect it because you feel it’s you’re right I’m sorry but it aint happening. I gave him 1ghs, because basically that’s all I had left, that is until I got to my gate and the security man asked “Madam, so this weekend”, the remaining money went.

I made the mistake of telling Smother my little adventure, turns out she thinks I’m a raging alcoholic who goes to the spot every morning to get drunk. I don’t know why I keep thinking that the next time I try to have a serious chat with her that she would not come up with a negative assumption about me, but I’m not surprised. We had a little tiff about that where I asked her why she always goes to the extreme like that and she said “it’s because she loves me”, fine, at least, I’m a bit of a light weight, if I’m drunk, it’s obvious, but I have never staggered home on a Sunday morning so why the assumption. Just because I happen to sit at a spot, they don’t just sell alcoholic beverages. She just walked off, and I went into my room. I could have quite easily have asked her how 6 bottles of beer and 6 bottles of Guinness have mysteriously emptied themselves out when I drink neither, but I didn’t want to cause offence. We didn’t talk for a while, until she needed to go to the supermarket, she asked me like we were the best of friends, and what could I do, she gave birth to me afterall, so I took her.

On Monday my dad arrived. It’s his yearly visit, he would have come over but didn’t want my sisters to spend the easter alone. This is the first time my mum and dad have been here together since my Gran died in 2007. He is staying by his brother, I don’t know why he won’t stay by us, but I guess he feels I should have my space. He arrived on Monday but came to spend the day with us yesterday. Smother was like a giddy teenager, she just kept talking, she kept jumping from one conversation to another and then stop and say how much she missed him, bless. She had made him his favourite meal and then went and had her bath and got changed. She was casual but looked quite hot whatever bad I say about her, she does look good for her age. He said he would get to mine by 10 but didn’t arrive until 11.30. He’s usually very punctual but my uncle was driving so I wasn’t surprised.

He came in, my dad, bless, he’s not a hugger, doesn’t do emotion, but smother is the exact opposite, I was out of the room at the time but I could hear her say, “aren’t you going to give me a hug or something”, I came in as he gave her a half hearted hug. That’s just my dad, you get used to it. We chatted, he went round the house, he told me all the things I need to do, I nodded thinking I hope you are giving cash with all this advice. He bought me a really lovely dress for work, that’s the nice thing about me being out of London, I’m guaranteed a lil something something when family come over. Smother said something like “your dad has more taste than you”, I decided to leave that battle, it wasn’t worth it.

I remember when I was in 6th form, I got a part time job and bought myself a mobile phone, T-mobile which was then one2one, free weekend calls for about £20 a month. My dad moaned for ages that I was wasting my money. Fast forward to today, my dad most have spent 90% of his time calling the whole world to tell them that this was his number, from Ghana to London to US, I don’t think that he left anybody out. If he wasn’t calling them, they were calling him. In all the years I have carried a mobile phone I don’t think I’ve used the phone that much.

At about 3 we sat down for dinner, and that’s when ECG said they had given us enough lights for the day and switched us off. I really need to buy me a generator.

After we ate we went to see my cousins who live on the other side of the estate, they thankfully have a generator and dstv, my aunt was also there visiting so even though the ECG had attempted to ruin my holiday it turned out quite nice. I went home when the lights came back and mum and dad went to visit some other relatives not to far from them. So I went back to watch the Grey’s Anatomy that a colleague has downloaded for me.

At close to 10 the oldies came back, I do worry about them, it’s like you reach a certain age and you become the parent and they become the kids. I don’t know why I bothered though, all I heard was, “bye, see you tomorrow”, she was off, to catch up with her husband. I’ll be having words with her when she comes home I tell you.

So that’s been me in a nutshell. At least it’s only 2 more days until the weekend comes round again. Then I’m off to Cameroon on Sunday, will let you know how that goes. I’m going to spend the next 2 days revising my French, the spirit is definitely willing, it’s just the mind that’s a bit decrepit that’s all.