Back to School Pt 1

I simply struck while the iron was hot.
There was a window of opportunity; I took it.
A long standing desire, it was not.
Surprise, surprise, I got it.

This is my little poem of how I managed to enroll for an LLM at UC Berkeley.
When I was called to the bar 3 years ago, I breathed a sigh of relief and I told myself that I will not set foot in a classroom for another five or so years, if ever at all.
But the opportunist and competitor in me did not allow this.
All of my formal education has been in Ghana.
I have quite a number of friends who had their undergraduate studies abroad.
I realised that their outlook to life is somewhat different from that of the average Ghanaian.
So I convinced myself that it had something to do with their education outside Ghana.
I decided if I want a piece of the pie they were having, I should also take steps to study abroad.
I simply searched for the top 10 law schools in USA, had a virtual tour and chose Berkeley.
There was no epiphany or some burning desire to go to school again.
There is no romantic story about it.
It was simply making use of an opportunity and being competitive.

President John Evans Atta Mills

Rest in perfect peace.
Sad day for Ghana indeed.

What are they learning in school?

8 March 2011, 2100hrs

Traffic moving at 20

Janelle Monae crooning from the radio

Cruising home

I catch a glimpse of people on the sidewalk

I look again

What?

JHS? pupils clad in their uniforms and backpacks

Looks like they are from school

I muse, what on earth are they learning till this late?

Unless 1 + 1 is no longer 2,

Unless ‘subjects’ and ‘verbs’ no longer have to agree

Unless plants no longer use photosynthesis

They are just skiving in school…for 12hrs.

28th February -v- 14th February

63 years ago -v- 1515 years ago

Happened in Accra -v- Happened? in Rome

Celebrating the beginning of a revolution -v- Celebrating er… love?

Revolution brought forth our independence -v- Er…er…ummm

One accurate account of events -v- Many inaccurate account of events

No mention of today until... today (on page 3) -v- 14^th February fever launches as soon as Christmas is over

I wish the Ghanaian media would make more of a fuss about our veterans and how they (servicemen) fought (and still fight for us) than they do about er… umm... 14^th February. 

Happy Veterans Day.

5 random thoughts about Wanlov, the Kubolor…

I was at a bazaar on Saturday with a friend. I saw this ‘obroni-ish’ dreadlocked man standing there barefooted. I surreptitiously scanned the whole area to see if I could see a pair of sandals (flip flops or afro moses, anyone) lying around. Nothing. Then my friend remarked, “Oh, that’s Wanlov.” I found out 5 interesting things about him that have occupied all my “floating thoughts” all weekend long…

Would he walk to town everyday if he lived at Prampram, Kasoa or Oyibi and not Arirport (or is it Dzorwulu)?

Does he walk on the (mirage inducing) scalding sidewalks at midday barefooted too?

What if his loincloth hooks on a nail and snags? Would we see a (maybe toned) pale behind?

Does he not feel too much air passing around his… um…private regions when he walks around without briefs?

Are his T shirts made in Ghana too?

I wonder…

The curious case of Mental Health in Ghana

She cooks them their dinner

They munch with delight

They don’t know it’s their last

For it is laced with poison

After they cross to the other side

She lines up the 5 limp bodies

According to age

Then calls Daddy to come for his clan

She’s clearly cuckoo

Yet in analyzing the situation

The ‘News Team’ calls a cleric!

So, where are the Ghanaian psychiatrists?