So here I am in the beautiful AlGarve region in Portugal. The area has come to be known as the area where Madeliene McCann went missing back in 2007, and that is all I knew about the region before coming. I have only just arrived so I haven't learnt very much of the town except it is a run-down fishing town which has been redone for British tourist who long for sun, sea and serenity in the summer.
This morning I went for a facial at the spa and am totally in love with the spa here!!! The facilities are so beautiful! There is two swimming pools, one indoor and one outdoor. Unfortunately, the outdoor is not heated and it is too cold to use but the indoor heated is situated in a glass home so I can't wait to use it.
I wanted to write a quick post to describe the facial because it was just so incredible. It begins by you being told to lie on "warm mud" and throughout this treatment the hot mud bubbles on your back and while this is happening they spray salty sea water on your face so it feels as if you on the beach especially as the sun-rays shine on you. All you can hear is the wind and it is a truly enjoyable experience!
The best time of the day is the evening here. Unlike Ghana where the "evening" time period seems to missing in Portugal it is an extended period of the day where the sky turns pink and the sun shines through. The pink is followed by purple which slowly becomes darker and turns into night.
That's all for now! See you soon :)
Saturday, 29 December 2012
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
The meaning of prayer
I have also been a spiritual person without knowing much about Sikh actual philosophical orgins or ethics - what I tend to know is the general norms and beliefs. This is quite embarassing for me to admit given my grandfather was a great Sikh philosopher.
I spent about four years studying Christianity as well as popular philosophical theories as you can see on my AS/A2 blogs. This took up the space where I should have probably spent understanding my own religion.
The reason why I am writing my post is I want to share some of my thoughts.
I came upon a type of hymn today and decided to listen to it - its called "tuhi tuhi simran" sung by Veer Manpreet Singh. It is the most incredible hymn in the world. It consists of about 4 actual words maybe and simply translates as 'your name your name I recite..... You you you you'.
Yet it has really had the power to move me. It makes me so emotional because it makes me feel so grateful for everything the lord has handed to me and I feel like I can't say thank you enough. I feel like I can't stop listening to it. It reminds me o of my recent trip to Africa that just threw in my face all I have. This one prayer has had the impact of inspiring me to do all I can for humankind and I just don't know how to express how thankful I feel. As I am writing, literally tears fall because I just want to share with you this feeling of unlimited gratitude.
Folk, life is not perfect, sometimes we find ourselves lonely when the planet is most populated, completely sober and depressed when we live in an age of the most alcohol and drugs use. Sometimes we find ourselves jelous that why does that person have it all and I don't get that or why do I have to deal with x problem not anyone else. Why do I have to become ill at the peak of when I need my health?
We can only make the best out of situations and the only advice I can offer is decision is better than no decision and that whenever you find yourself u happy, scared, lonely - just remember all youve had and have. Life isn't that bad.
I wish I said this too a close friend of mine who is no longer in this world, perhaps today he would still be here. We have so much and I am just so grateful - even that someone is reading this somewhere.
I spent about four years studying Christianity as well as popular philosophical theories as you can see on my AS/A2 blogs. This took up the space where I should have probably spent understanding my own religion.
The reason why I am writing my post is I want to share some of my thoughts.
I came upon a type of hymn today and decided to listen to it - its called "tuhi tuhi simran" sung by Veer Manpreet Singh. It is the most incredible hymn in the world. It consists of about 4 actual words maybe and simply translates as 'your name your name I recite..... You you you you'.
Yet it has really had the power to move me. It makes me so emotional because it makes me feel so grateful for everything the lord has handed to me and I feel like I can't say thank you enough. I feel like I can't stop listening to it. It reminds me o of my recent trip to Africa that just threw in my face all I have. This one prayer has had the impact of inspiring me to do all I can for humankind and I just don't know how to express how thankful I feel. As I am writing, literally tears fall because I just want to share with you this feeling of unlimited gratitude.
Folk, life is not perfect, sometimes we find ourselves lonely when the planet is most populated, completely sober and depressed when we live in an age of the most alcohol and drugs use. Sometimes we find ourselves jelous that why does that person have it all and I don't get that or why do I have to deal with x problem not anyone else. Why do I have to become ill at the peak of when I need my health?
We can only make the best out of situations and the only advice I can offer is decision is better than no decision and that whenever you find yourself u happy, scared, lonely - just remember all youve had and have. Life isn't that bad.
I wish I said this too a close friend of mine who is no longer in this world, perhaps today he would still be here. We have so much and I am just so grateful - even that someone is reading this somewhere.
Friday, 30 November 2012
The True Father of Economics: Adam Smith v Aristotle - Komilla's Theory
In this video I propose my theory that the true father of neoclassical economics is actually Aristotle. Adam Smith's division of labour theory is a mere economic extension of Aristotle's Virtue Ethics. In this video I explain why. This theory was developed by myself in 2010 and I hope by 2013 I will write a dissertation to accompany this.
Sunday, 25 November 2012
Clarifications on why I support Hayek on some of his economics
Following a recent status I put on Facebook which read "Hayek is the best, I am at the wrong university" and the responses I got, I just want to clarify exactly want I meant by this.
The first point to clarify that my status was written in an impulse after watching a documentary on Hayek (Masters of Money BBC) so I accept that it was misleading.
The second was that it was aimed at those who were aware that I had a place to study at LSE and at SOAS. I chose SOAS to question some of my so-called "right-wing" ideas and up till today, some cannot understand why this choice was made given my aspirations to work in the professional world. Furthermore, I don't think it is controversial to point out that most people do perceive SOAS as a left-wing university and LSE as a right-wing and (okay the scope might be limited) but this does affect our teaching.
Finally, I am a second-year student and my thoughts, beliefs and ideas are subject to change. Just like this was not an idea I supported last month. I am still in my thought development but regardless will share with you some of my ideas. Do not interpret these as Komilla's fixed absolute ideas.
Starting points....
The first point to clarify that my status was written in an impulse after watching a documentary on Hayek (Masters of Money BBC) so I accept that it was misleading.
The second was that it was aimed at those who were aware that I had a place to study at LSE and at SOAS. I chose SOAS to question some of my so-called "right-wing" ideas and up till today, some cannot understand why this choice was made given my aspirations to work in the professional world. Furthermore, I don't think it is controversial to point out that most people do perceive SOAS as a left-wing university and LSE as a right-wing and (okay the scope might be limited) but this does affect our teaching.
Finally, I am a second-year student and my thoughts, beliefs and ideas are subject to change. Just like this was not an idea I supported last month. I am still in my thought development but regardless will share with you some of my ideas. Do not interpret these as Komilla's fixed absolute ideas.
Starting points....
- Firstly, I stand put with Marx that societies go through transitions just as we transformed from a feudal society to that of a capitalist society and that there are future transitions ones we cannot imagine to follow. Capitalism is not the be all and end all.
- I am also in agreement that capitalism is the most productively efficient economic system seen to man today, if implemented correctly.
- I am also of the understanding that economics is not a science and can never be a science - an understanding proposed by Hayek. Being trained in philosophy for two years, I often find it hard to distinguish the boundaries between economics and philosophy (see my ideas on Adam Smith & Aristotle's Virtue Ethics) and actually all the great economic thinkers Aristotle (yes he is classed as an economist), Smith, Marx etc are philosophers and are often trained in other disciplines.
- Science makes predictions and offers methods in which to tweak our current environment. The key difference between science and economics to me, is that science is based on largely absolute rules which economics is not. Assumptions are more subject to scrutiny in economics than in science - (even though I do realise science develops by questioning our assumptions).
Why I show support for Hayek...
- Currently, (which makes since given the recent financial crisis) the debate seems to be around how much governments should intervene and how they can rectify the the current economic climate.
- What I want to learn more about is the role of government in boom times, because it makes no sense to adopt Hayek's theory right now given that in boom times we lived off government support too.
- I believe that to reduce the extremity of busts, booms need to be contained. Especially in regard to "developed" countries.
- Yet it seems from the boom that preceded our recent bust, governments did not contain the boom, in fact they maximised it - they sought ways to prolong it as to keep the "welfare of the nation". Which makes perfect sense as that is the so-called role of government.
- However, if we just imagined a boom time without the interference from the state or other quasi-political intuitions such as the central bank, one can perceive an economy with not so much growth.
- This is because as the economy begins to grow, demand for money increases several fold, interest rates rise - if no fiscal changes were made then tax revenues start to increase (particularly with progressive taxation as people become richer) and this is great because boom is contained and it is clear to see why the bust that would follow would be contained too. At the same time, this is an adverse effect because it means that the economy does not reach the levels of growth and development we saw then.
- So am I putting Hayek's policy prescription (or as some say no policy at all) forward as a cure to the current aliment of the economy? No.
- As I understand, for Hayek we should completely eradicate all state interference as quickly as possible.
- That would not work right not given that the economy was dependent on the government in its boom time. We need the government right now to bail out the banks etc just as the governments stimulated them in boom times.
- Furthermore, it would be very unrealistic for me to make such an argument. It is human nature that once power has been given, people do not want to let go of it. For example, take any parent from the time the child is a baby dependent on them they have power, so when the child grows up - most of the time they are reluctant to give this power up - it is natural to all humans. This implies that it would be unrealistic ever to reach the free market in Hayek's vision.
- I haven't got any new or amazing ideas of what will rectify our economy, when I have them I will be sure to tell you. Just Hayek's one is not one we should implement right now.
So what am I saying...
By the sounds of things I like Hayek's analysis and yet refuse to advocate his policy prescription and what has Marx got to do with all this?
- What I am saying is, i can see how leaving markets free without any state interference could possibly lead to a better regulated economy as well as a more economically efficient output.
- I think this pareto efficiency as it were is of absolute importance because on this attained, my prediction is society will move into its next phase as Marx suggested. Although I do not agree with Marx that socialism is the end, I think there would be further stages as tensions exist in every type of society because of finite resources and our infinite wants/needs.
- Why will this revolution and next phase kick in once we have this efficient output? Because this is when capitalism is fully maximised and the inequalities it causes are fully maximised too, causing enough individuals reason to support a revolution. Today there is simply not enough inequality to support this revolution - we might have our welfare state to thank for that.
- Largely, what I said is hypothetical and lives in the realm where we can have an absolute state-free economy.
- In reality, this is not possible and so I side with Keynes that our government has to step to regulate and tweak the society just as it had done in boom times.
- It is for this reason I do not know when capitalism will reach this "efficiency" level where it is maximised, when the next successful revolution is and thus societal transformation (as proposed by Marx) would follow.
I hope this clarifies my particularly vague statement. This is not sacrosanct and I am constantly questioning my theories and changing them, so if you ever speak to me in the future and I say this is nonsense then don't be surprised.
Everyday, we learn something new and it is on these perceptions we form understandings. However, perceptions are never reality and thus always subject to change. You are entitled to your views and I respect them even if they are not in line with mine.
Everyday, we learn something new and it is on these perceptions we form understandings. However, perceptions are never reality and thus always subject to change. You are entitled to your views and I respect them even if they are not in line with mine.
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Charlotte Street Adventures: Pizza Express Review
Dish : Piccante Pasta
Ratings : 3 star
Food
I had a Piccante Pasta £9.95 today for lunch and here is what I have to say about food at Pizza Express especially given as I have been there many times and tried their salads and pizzas too.
I found the food to be of not very good quality. The pasta used tasted cheap and rubber like. The Piccante pasta was described as spice, however, the minimal spice that was present was overpowered by a fake sweet tomato base. I had to put additional salt and chili flakes in order to give the pasta a taste.
I have no comments in regards to the meat and rocket used. The portion size is fairly standard. The presentation as you can see in the photo was decent but having eaten at places like Strada, it could be better.
Ultimately, had this pasta been £5 I would not complain, it is just not worth it for a tenner given Strada and Zizzi offer better quality for the same price.
Service
I have a few comments to make about the service. I did not like the fact that when a pizza or pasta dish is served they do not offer cheese to grate on top as a cheese lover I noticed this! The staff seem not necessarily friendly or rude, they were 'normal'. Food came relatively fast.
Decor
In terms of decor Pizza Express isn't anything special or unique. I did find the uniforms of the chef quite amusing. The uniforms are black and white striped tees with a black hat. To me , they looked like jail broken convicts! Given the simplistic and ordinary decor which is basically like their service and food just not price, it is not a restaurant I plan to frequent often!
Until the next restaurant....
Ratings : 3 star
Food
I had a Piccante Pasta £9.95 today for lunch and here is what I have to say about food at Pizza Express especially given as I have been there many times and tried their salads and pizzas too.
I found the food to be of not very good quality. The pasta used tasted cheap and rubber like. The Piccante pasta was described as spice, however, the minimal spice that was present was overpowered by a fake sweet tomato base. I had to put additional salt and chili flakes in order to give the pasta a taste.
I have no comments in regards to the meat and rocket used. The portion size is fairly standard. The presentation as you can see in the photo was decent but having eaten at places like Strada, it could be better.
Ultimately, had this pasta been £5 I would not complain, it is just not worth it for a tenner given Strada and Zizzi offer better quality for the same price.
Service
I have a few comments to make about the service. I did not like the fact that when a pizza or pasta dish is served they do not offer cheese to grate on top as a cheese lover I noticed this! The staff seem not necessarily friendly or rude, they were 'normal'. Food came relatively fast.
Decor
In terms of decor Pizza Express isn't anything special or unique. I did find the uniforms of the chef quite amusing. The uniforms are black and white striped tees with a black hat. To me , they looked like jail broken convicts! Given the simplistic and ordinary decor which is basically like their service and food just not price, it is not a restaurant I plan to frequent often!
Until the next restaurant....
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Reflections from Ghana
Despite sharing with all I have learnt about Ghana in my travels, I think what is more important is the things you learn about yourself and here are a few reflections I have decided to share with you...
1. Kids
The first thing I learnt about myself related to children. In London, I am never drawn to kids and if I have to be honest I never bother with them because I always said I didn't want to have kids. However, when I went to Ghana I discovered a maternal side to me that I never knew I had. I found myself whenever I had spare time going out talking to and playing with kids. I absolutely loved it. The lady I worked with when she introduced me to locals would say 'This is Komilla, she is from London, she loves children'. This is quite a shock to those who are close to me just because it is so unlike me but I guess Africa changes you because now I want kids!
2. Animals
However, bizarre this may sound for many years I was scared of animal particularly dogs. Some years ago I decided this needed to change and I managed to overcome my fears and I have been asking my parents in the last year or so to buy me to dog. When I went to Ghana, I was constantly surrounded by animals, as I mentioned before I lived with them and it occurred to me that I always wanted a dog because I wanted to prove to myself that I really have overcome my fear. And it was then I realised I don't need a dog to do that because I have already proved by being here in Ghana that I am a changed person and this was quite a revelation for me.
3. Flexible
Similar to the previous reflection, I learnt that I am quite a flexible person. Having to live with power cuts in dirt, cooking with ants even showering with ants I realised that I am quite a flexible person. I never thought I was because I just don't ever do things that I don't particularly like e.g. being a vegetarian. So it was nice for me to see that I do have this positive quality in me and if I want to continue my African studies in Africa its not an impossibility anymore.
4. Don't judge a book by its cover
I met loads of people in Ghana and established many relationships. The biggest thing I learnt is the age old saying about don't judge a book by its cover is true. Even after a week of knowing someone it is not sufficient to make a judgement because you can entirely and absolutely incorrect so I have learnt to have more patience and refrain from making judgements too soon about the people I want to be associated with and those I don't.
5. Privilege
I thought I knew what poverty was, as an economics student and having been to India. However, I was wrong, I believe it is one thing to see poverty and another to SEE it. When you live in 'poverty' you really understand it, just seeing a photo, video or a beggar really is ineffective. So coming back home has made realise how privileged I am, just the mere fact that there is hot water in the taps and that electricity never runs out has really made me appreciate the privileged life that I have.
1. Kids
The first thing I learnt about myself related to children. In London, I am never drawn to kids and if I have to be honest I never bother with them because I always said I didn't want to have kids. However, when I went to Ghana I discovered a maternal side to me that I never knew I had. I found myself whenever I had spare time going out talking to and playing with kids. I absolutely loved it. The lady I worked with when she introduced me to locals would say 'This is Komilla, she is from London, she loves children'. This is quite a shock to those who are close to me just because it is so unlike me but I guess Africa changes you because now I want kids!
2. Animals
However, bizarre this may sound for many years I was scared of animal particularly dogs. Some years ago I decided this needed to change and I managed to overcome my fears and I have been asking my parents in the last year or so to buy me to dog. When I went to Ghana, I was constantly surrounded by animals, as I mentioned before I lived with them and it occurred to me that I always wanted a dog because I wanted to prove to myself that I really have overcome my fear. And it was then I realised I don't need a dog to do that because I have already proved by being here in Ghana that I am a changed person and this was quite a revelation for me.
3. Flexible
Similar to the previous reflection, I learnt that I am quite a flexible person. Having to live with power cuts in dirt, cooking with ants even showering with ants I realised that I am quite a flexible person. I never thought I was because I just don't ever do things that I don't particularly like e.g. being a vegetarian. So it was nice for me to see that I do have this positive quality in me and if I want to continue my African studies in Africa its not an impossibility anymore.
4. Don't judge a book by its cover
I met loads of people in Ghana and established many relationships. The biggest thing I learnt is the age old saying about don't judge a book by its cover is true. Even after a week of knowing someone it is not sufficient to make a judgement because you can entirely and absolutely incorrect so I have learnt to have more patience and refrain from making judgements too soon about the people I want to be associated with and those I don't.
5. Privilege
I thought I knew what poverty was, as an economics student and having been to India. However, I was wrong, I believe it is one thing to see poverty and another to SEE it. When you live in 'poverty' you really understand it, just seeing a photo, video or a beggar really is ineffective. So coming back home has made realise how privileged I am, just the mere fact that there is hot water in the taps and that electricity never runs out has really made me appreciate the privileged life that I have.
Ghanian Weekend III : End of the trilogy
My final weekend in Ghana wasn't too adventurous as the other volunteer was flying out on Sunday and I was on the Monday.
I decided to go exploring the city as that was something I had not done yet and I always love cities, and that probably has to do with me from birth being a city girl.
I paid local person to show me around Accra and I guess the advantage with that is that I wouldn't have to go to Jamestown myself which is a slum and so crime is high. So where did I go on this tour and what did I do?
Before I start, just to set the scene a bit I thought i would tell you that the day before I had my hair braided into Cornrows!! So I looked like a true Obruni attempting to fit in.
We started by going to the National Museum where I learnt all kinds of wonderful things which I will share with you when I upload photos as I can't remember them at the top of my head. An example is that in ancient tradition when a woman could not conceived the chief mother would give the women a wooden doll which she had to treat as a child and prove that she had potential to be a loving mother and this would be followed by a pregnancy.
From the National Museum we walked to the National theatre, the walk was lovely because although we were in the city, we were in the government district called Ministry (our version of Westminster) so it was extremely quiet and clean. There were still red and black fabrics wrapped around everything in order to commiserate the late President Mills who everybody loved (I did not meet a single Ghanaian who didn't like him and Ghanaian are very political!).
I saw the National Museum from the outside it was a beautiful structure, very modern. It reminded of the Opera House in Sydney (although I haven't been there), it had a similar feel to its aesthetics. From there we walked to the independence square where I saw the wall of independence and the area where very year people congregate when the president makes a public address. When I went I also saw the ending of this Christian meeting that happens every third Sunday when people congregate there in the mornings to sing hymns and pray.
From there, we walked onto the beach of the city which isn't beautiful when you've been to the Volta region but regardless it is a beach! And as ever I got another few marriage proposals! We ended up leaving there quite quickly just to get on with the tour and also apparently according to the local person I was with it wasn't safe to be there too long with my big camera with the kinds of people that were around.
We then took a taxi to go to the infamous fishing town, Jamestown. Jamestown is a slum where all the people who live there are basically fishermen and women sell the fish. Over there, however, there is an ancient lighthouse which is pretty tall and allows you to get a beautiful view. On the one side you have the beach where all the fishing takes place and on the other the slum settlement. The lighthouse has an open balcony at the top however in order to go there you need to use the stairs to get to the top and then take a ladder which is half broken (you can see where they tried to fix it) and given I was wearing a skirt it wasn't exactly possible for me to climb. So I took pictures from the windows from where I standing and the local guide took photos for me from the balcony with my camera so I can't wait to show them with you all!
Following this we went to the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, he was the man who made Ghana get their independence from the Brits. It is located in a central part in the certain on a busy road. However, once you enter it is so peaceful. It has a beautiful layout of plants, trees and water fountains. I absolutely loved it! Also the structure in which his and his wife's tomb lays is so beautifully made. You can tell it is made with love.
I also went inside the museum where I got to learn about his life and see photos of the celebrations that took place when Ghana became independent. As usual I had another proposal and I also saw an absolutely stunning peacock just roaming about in the park.
Finally, we ended the day by going to Osu and going to one of Ghana's top restaurants called 'Mamma Mia'. It is run by an Italian couple and is full of Obrunis given the fact that it has European prices. The food is so tasty! I had a ham and mushroom pizza and sat in the cool AC, it was a good way to the day and the Ghanaian trip.
On Sunday, I went to the Arts Market - the Arts market is open on Sundays but not all the stalls so its the best day to go as you won't be grabbed by that many people trying to sell you things you don't want to buy. I bought a pair of African trousers and waistband which is said to give you a good body and an even better husband! Lets see if that actually works! I spent a good hour talking to the stall owners as they were telling their dreams of making it to Europe and America and how hard it is because of the average pay.
I couldn't resist so following this I made a quick trip to Accra Mall where I had a nice lunch at the Chinese restaurant again and bought expensive Mannos (owned by Paatchi) chocolates for the family. I went home and had to bid farewell to the fellow volunteer.
It was quite a sad time because (a) I was all alone in the house getting ready to leave for London the next morning and (b) it was my 20th birthday on the Monday and waking up on your birthday all alone is not a particularly nice experience!
And this brings me to the end of my Ghanaian adventure, can't wait to share with you stories from where I go next year!
I decided to go exploring the city as that was something I had not done yet and I always love cities, and that probably has to do with me from birth being a city girl.
I paid local person to show me around Accra and I guess the advantage with that is that I wouldn't have to go to Jamestown myself which is a slum and so crime is high. So where did I go on this tour and what did I do?
Before I start, just to set the scene a bit I thought i would tell you that the day before I had my hair braided into Cornrows!! So I looked like a true Obruni attempting to fit in.
We started by going to the National Museum where I learnt all kinds of wonderful things which I will share with you when I upload photos as I can't remember them at the top of my head. An example is that in ancient tradition when a woman could not conceived the chief mother would give the women a wooden doll which she had to treat as a child and prove that she had potential to be a loving mother and this would be followed by a pregnancy.
From the National Museum we walked to the National theatre, the walk was lovely because although we were in the city, we were in the government district called Ministry (our version of Westminster) so it was extremely quiet and clean. There were still red and black fabrics wrapped around everything in order to commiserate the late President Mills who everybody loved (I did not meet a single Ghanaian who didn't like him and Ghanaian are very political!).
I saw the National Museum from the outside it was a beautiful structure, very modern. It reminded of the Opera House in Sydney (although I haven't been there), it had a similar feel to its aesthetics. From there we walked to the independence square where I saw the wall of independence and the area where very year people congregate when the president makes a public address. When I went I also saw the ending of this Christian meeting that happens every third Sunday when people congregate there in the mornings to sing hymns and pray.
From there, we walked onto the beach of the city which isn't beautiful when you've been to the Volta region but regardless it is a beach! And as ever I got another few marriage proposals! We ended up leaving there quite quickly just to get on with the tour and also apparently according to the local person I was with it wasn't safe to be there too long with my big camera with the kinds of people that were around.
We then took a taxi to go to the infamous fishing town, Jamestown. Jamestown is a slum where all the people who live there are basically fishermen and women sell the fish. Over there, however, there is an ancient lighthouse which is pretty tall and allows you to get a beautiful view. On the one side you have the beach where all the fishing takes place and on the other the slum settlement. The lighthouse has an open balcony at the top however in order to go there you need to use the stairs to get to the top and then take a ladder which is half broken (you can see where they tried to fix it) and given I was wearing a skirt it wasn't exactly possible for me to climb. So I took pictures from the windows from where I standing and the local guide took photos for me from the balcony with my camera so I can't wait to show them with you all!
Following this we went to the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, he was the man who made Ghana get their independence from the Brits. It is located in a central part in the certain on a busy road. However, once you enter it is so peaceful. It has a beautiful layout of plants, trees and water fountains. I absolutely loved it! Also the structure in which his and his wife's tomb lays is so beautifully made. You can tell it is made with love.
I also went inside the museum where I got to learn about his life and see photos of the celebrations that took place when Ghana became independent. As usual I had another proposal and I also saw an absolutely stunning peacock just roaming about in the park.
Finally, we ended the day by going to Osu and going to one of Ghana's top restaurants called 'Mamma Mia'. It is run by an Italian couple and is full of Obrunis given the fact that it has European prices. The food is so tasty! I had a ham and mushroom pizza and sat in the cool AC, it was a good way to the day and the Ghanaian trip.
On Sunday, I went to the Arts Market - the Arts market is open on Sundays but not all the stalls so its the best day to go as you won't be grabbed by that many people trying to sell you things you don't want to buy. I bought a pair of African trousers and waistband which is said to give you a good body and an even better husband! Lets see if that actually works! I spent a good hour talking to the stall owners as they were telling their dreams of making it to Europe and America and how hard it is because of the average pay.
I couldn't resist so following this I made a quick trip to Accra Mall where I had a nice lunch at the Chinese restaurant again and bought expensive Mannos (owned by Paatchi) chocolates for the family. I went home and had to bid farewell to the fellow volunteer.
It was quite a sad time because (a) I was all alone in the house getting ready to leave for London the next morning and (b) it was my 20th birthday on the Monday and waking up on your birthday all alone is not a particularly nice experience!
And this brings me to the end of my Ghanaian adventure, can't wait to share with you stories from where I go next year!
Cure for Homesickness: Accra Mall
For those of you that know Ghana might find it a bit weird that I am writing a post on Accra Mall as it is an attraction it is just a shopping mall in Accra which has maybe 25 stores and largely Obruni customers. If they are locals then they are mainly land-developers and the elite societies in Ghana.
However, in my last week I became extremely homesick on Tuesday so much so I left work a few hours early and was given Wednesday off. I had to do something because being depressed is just not something I do. At Krokrobite I was described as sunshine by the Dutch guy as I am just always happy.
I read in some Accra Time Out magazine left behind by a volunteer that if you are home sick and fancy retail therapy make your way to Accra Mall. That is exactly what I did. I took a taxi there (I was in full spending mode) and almost burst into tears when I arrived. The mall was clean!!!! There was AC!! More Obrunis!! There was shops I had forgotten what it was like to go in a shop!! And this is what set me off into tears I found a Chinese restaurant, food!
I spent the day walking around; going into a every shop twice. There was a supermarket, I bought sweetcorn and oranges I missed Western fruit and veg. I bought a box of Kinder chocolates, I found wafers that they sell in Costa and cheese&onion crisps!
I ate a meal for two at the Chinese restaurant (however piggish that may sound) but it really cheered me up. I had delicious jasmin rice with vegetarian Manchurian with a glass of Savignon Blanc! This was followed by desert at a cafe where I had the most delicious black forest cake and green tea. I love my herbal teas so it felt so good to have that after such a long time.
Before, I left I indulged in one last but not least bit of pampering which seriously made me feel on top of the world for some obscure reason: I had a manicure! Living in a village, it is not exactly easy to stay clean so to have manicure really felt so good.
I really recommend when you are feeling homesick to go to mall even if you don't buy anything or indulge in self-pampering just being in a place which you can relate to home, it lifts your spirits. Following that my week went fast and before I knew it I was home.
It was also interesting being in that mall because again it gives you that comparison that not everybody in Ghana is poor. It is easy to go in as a volunteer and forget that not everybody life's without wifi, shops, restaurants etc.
However, in my last week I became extremely homesick on Tuesday so much so I left work a few hours early and was given Wednesday off. I had to do something because being depressed is just not something I do. At Krokrobite I was described as sunshine by the Dutch guy as I am just always happy.
I read in some Accra Time Out magazine left behind by a volunteer that if you are home sick and fancy retail therapy make your way to Accra Mall. That is exactly what I did. I took a taxi there (I was in full spending mode) and almost burst into tears when I arrived. The mall was clean!!!! There was AC!! More Obrunis!! There was shops I had forgotten what it was like to go in a shop!! And this is what set me off into tears I found a Chinese restaurant, food!
I spent the day walking around; going into a every shop twice. There was a supermarket, I bought sweetcorn and oranges I missed Western fruit and veg. I bought a box of Kinder chocolates, I found wafers that they sell in Costa and cheese&onion crisps!
I ate a meal for two at the Chinese restaurant (however piggish that may sound) but it really cheered me up. I had delicious jasmin rice with vegetarian Manchurian with a glass of Savignon Blanc! This was followed by desert at a cafe where I had the most delicious black forest cake and green tea. I love my herbal teas so it felt so good to have that after such a long time.
Before, I left I indulged in one last but not least bit of pampering which seriously made me feel on top of the world for some obscure reason: I had a manicure! Living in a village, it is not exactly easy to stay clean so to have manicure really felt so good.
I really recommend when you are feeling homesick to go to mall even if you don't buy anything or indulge in self-pampering just being in a place which you can relate to home, it lifts your spirits. Following that my week went fast and before I knew it I was home.
It was also interesting being in that mall because again it gives you that comparison that not everybody in Ghana is poor. It is easy to go in as a volunteer and forget that not everybody life's without wifi, shops, restaurants etc.
Ghanian Weekend Takes Two: Krokrobite
So our second Ghanian weekend took us to Big Millie's in Krokrobite beach. A beach which is about half an hour from Accra and is a known tourist destination.
Travelling there unlike travelling to the Volta Region was fairly swift we didn't have any problems. The interesting part about the journey there is when the tro-tro drops you off you have cross a slum in order to get to this over-priced tourist beach resort. You see two sides of life in the space of a quarter of a mile if not shorter. That for me was quite interesting because you see in London when there are council housing near expensive areas of land, the people in council hate the rich because why should they get to have all these things and the rich hate the council housed people because they don't understand why they are there in the first place.In Ghana however, there is mutual love and I would say appreciation for the two sides of life. The poor get on with there life and happy to talk to rich and the rich have no problem with the poor roaming about near them. There is a certain air of acceptance and I don't know yet if I think this is god or bad, are we too ambitious? I haven't figured out an answer yet.
Nevertheless, moving onto the weekend away in Krokrobite. I don't know if you've gathered with the tone of the post yet but the beach was not really for me. In terms of natural beauty after seeing the volta region I was disappointed. The sand wasn't as pure and the water was not glistening as much. But the main problem was that I was not comfortable. We spent Saturday sunbathing and reading on the beach. Apprantely a lot of crimes happen here by people dressed up as Rastas (which became clear in the night) and these men for some reason just stand around the beach staring at you and its not a nice stare like the kids in Pokuase give you! Furthermore, because of the crime levels I was not able to take many photos as on many occasions I was approached and warned about my camera getting stolen!
That night we went to Krokrobite Garden Restaurant which I have to say had absolutely delicious Italian food, I have never had ham and mushroom ravioli so fresh and yum (this is making me hungry!). Big Millie's is famous for its bar and Reggae parties which we as guests of Big Millie's were invited too. So we went to this party which had Reggae music which if I have to be honest I knew nothing about. I tried the West Africa's best Pina Colada, which I didn't like either (sorry this is so negative). They put fresh coconut and pineapple juice and mix it with African dark rum but it tasted too much like an alcoholic smoothie for me to like. At the top of this bar we had a pretty clear view of people stoned out of their heads dancing in the waterfront of the beach. Again, for someone who doesn't do drugs and can't relate to these people its not particularly comforting.
Then the party started and it became clear who were the real Rastas and who like the warning we were given were just dressed up to attract tourists. The real Rastas got into some kind of trance, saying basically Bob Marley was their God which is fair enough and the fakes stood there asking us Obrunis to sleep with them. It was actually really vulgar because one girl who has a serious relationship said no and the man kept on persisting and coming back and saying things like 'I hope your boyfriend is cheating on you, that's what you are worth' etc. Lucky for me I made sure this guy we met from Holland would not stop talking to me that way nobody would bother me! (I am a bit crafty)
I didn't stay too long at the party and at 12.30/1 left for bed. The following morning we lounged about on the beach a bit more but left pretty early as it got a bit boring and we wanted to go home and have some friend noodles, after paying so much for breakfast, lunch , dinner we decided it was time to hit home.
Wasn't such a great place but you'll find every guide book and website encouraging you to go to this beach but it wasn't for me to be honest. However, I did learn a lot including how to man up when essentially your all alone surrounded by men who want sleep with you or steel from you.
Travelling there unlike travelling to the Volta Region was fairly swift we didn't have any problems. The interesting part about the journey there is when the tro-tro drops you off you have cross a slum in order to get to this over-priced tourist beach resort. You see two sides of life in the space of a quarter of a mile if not shorter. That for me was quite interesting because you see in London when there are council housing near expensive areas of land, the people in council hate the rich because why should they get to have all these things and the rich hate the council housed people because they don't understand why they are there in the first place.In Ghana however, there is mutual love and I would say appreciation for the two sides of life. The poor get on with there life and happy to talk to rich and the rich have no problem with the poor roaming about near them. There is a certain air of acceptance and I don't know yet if I think this is god or bad, are we too ambitious? I haven't figured out an answer yet.
Nevertheless, moving onto the weekend away in Krokrobite. I don't know if you've gathered with the tone of the post yet but the beach was not really for me. In terms of natural beauty after seeing the volta region I was disappointed. The sand wasn't as pure and the water was not glistening as much. But the main problem was that I was not comfortable. We spent Saturday sunbathing and reading on the beach. Apprantely a lot of crimes happen here by people dressed up as Rastas (which became clear in the night) and these men for some reason just stand around the beach staring at you and its not a nice stare like the kids in Pokuase give you! Furthermore, because of the crime levels I was not able to take many photos as on many occasions I was approached and warned about my camera getting stolen!
That night we went to Krokrobite Garden Restaurant which I have to say had absolutely delicious Italian food, I have never had ham and mushroom ravioli so fresh and yum (this is making me hungry!). Big Millie's is famous for its bar and Reggae parties which we as guests of Big Millie's were invited too. So we went to this party which had Reggae music which if I have to be honest I knew nothing about. I tried the West Africa's best Pina Colada, which I didn't like either (sorry this is so negative). They put fresh coconut and pineapple juice and mix it with African dark rum but it tasted too much like an alcoholic smoothie for me to like. At the top of this bar we had a pretty clear view of people stoned out of their heads dancing in the waterfront of the beach. Again, for someone who doesn't do drugs and can't relate to these people its not particularly comforting.
Then the party started and it became clear who were the real Rastas and who like the warning we were given were just dressed up to attract tourists. The real Rastas got into some kind of trance, saying basically Bob Marley was their God which is fair enough and the fakes stood there asking us Obrunis to sleep with them. It was actually really vulgar because one girl who has a serious relationship said no and the man kept on persisting and coming back and saying things like 'I hope your boyfriend is cheating on you, that's what you are worth' etc. Lucky for me I made sure this guy we met from Holland would not stop talking to me that way nobody would bother me! (I am a bit crafty)
I didn't stay too long at the party and at 12.30/1 left for bed. The following morning we lounged about on the beach a bit more but left pretty early as it got a bit boring and we wanted to go home and have some friend noodles, after paying so much for breakfast, lunch , dinner we decided it was time to hit home.
Wasn't such a great place but you'll find every guide book and website encouraging you to go to this beach but it wasn't for me to be honest. However, I did learn a lot including how to man up when essentially your all alone surrounded by men who want sleep with you or steel from you.
Microfinance in Ghana
If you had asked me three years ago, when I first learnt about microfinance, whether it was something for me, I would have given you an absolute no. I thought microfinance was impractical and didn't have much potential in eradicating poverty.
How wrong I was.
In this last year, I joined Microfinance Club UK all by chance and I had really started to question my opinions and understandings. So I thought what better way to find out if it does work then to go and do some ground work. Really by just sitting in some fancy lectures in Canary Wharf, my opinion on this was never going to be justified.
That was my rationale behind going to Ghana and doing microfinance work. What did I actually do then? My responsibilities included taking in repayments, and recording the transactions. This would include providing a receipt, logging it in the personal spreadsheet of the beneficiary and the organisations account book. Every week, I would go visit the beneficiaries in a nearby town called Fise where I would collect money, ask them question and just generally check to see that they are not having any business issues. Also, as VPWA is planning to launch a micro-leasing scheme so I was involved in many discussions regarding micro leasing.
The Ghanian way of working is different and I was actually surprised by this because I thought when comes down to work they would be very Western in their manner.
The first different was as a mentioned in the other post, timings. The office hours say 8.30-3.30, my real timings were 9.15-3pm simply because at 3 you start shutting down!
Secondly, in Ghana life is public, privacy doesn't exist and why should it because you live in a community and everybody is out to help and support everybody. So when a beneficiary came in she didn't just hand the payment, she might stay there for 40mins just chatting about her personal life and things happening in the community to the lady I work with. I remember these occasions vividly because when they came in they would usually bring their baby and I would just play with the baby for ages while she discussed in Twi things to other lady I worked with. I was fortunate enough to work with a truly lovely girl she would translate and explain me everything being said.
No loans were given out while I was there as VPWA wants to launch the micro-leasing scheme with those funds as soon as all the repayments were finished. This meant I met a lot of ladies who had nearly, if not completely, finished the repayment were happy to reflect on how the loans approx £80 impacted their lives. One story which particularly touched me was a lady who bought a sewing machine with the loan and runs her living on being a seamstress. This has allowed not only to bring three school-going kids but including the fact that one had Down's syndrome. It is interesting because you actually don't see disability in Africa because it is often misunderstood so to see a woman like that it is really inspiring.
I was also able to interview a lady on my last day who wants a loan to start a business which will allow houses in Fise to have water in their house. Currently, families in this area travel to a nearby well every time they have to go toilet, have a bath or wash pots/pans. So I was ale to be involved in that. She wants a large loan about £300 and is an ex-beneficiary it will be interesting to see what happens. As when discussing with the owner a business like that has a social justification. It is bring development and water to houses, maybe it is better to fund this through private funding than a loan?
All this is not to say that this experience did not show me the cons related to microfinance, I saw that a lot of the time the loans is simply too small for women to kick start from scratch say catering/ food businesses. This is actually the reason why VPWA wants to do a trial run of microleasing as we postulate that this will have more impact as it encourage people to have their own business not just offering support for those who already want to. Another issue is given that on Fridays we go to see the women, a lot of the women just wait till Friday to make their repayment so that they can work Mon-Thurs. Thus leaves the microfinance office bare of work.
Overall, I can put faces and cases to microfinance and believe it is a great aid to development and such an experience has given me the authority to make an opinion like that so I am grateful to VPWA. However, I have to endorse the VPWA philosophy is using multiple methods not just one is going to eradicate poverty and boost development.
How wrong I was.
In this last year, I joined Microfinance Club UK all by chance and I had really started to question my opinions and understandings. So I thought what better way to find out if it does work then to go and do some ground work. Really by just sitting in some fancy lectures in Canary Wharf, my opinion on this was never going to be justified.
That was my rationale behind going to Ghana and doing microfinance work. What did I actually do then? My responsibilities included taking in repayments, and recording the transactions. This would include providing a receipt, logging it in the personal spreadsheet of the beneficiary and the organisations account book. Every week, I would go visit the beneficiaries in a nearby town called Fise where I would collect money, ask them question and just generally check to see that they are not having any business issues. Also, as VPWA is planning to launch a micro-leasing scheme so I was involved in many discussions regarding micro leasing.
The Ghanian way of working is different and I was actually surprised by this because I thought when comes down to work they would be very Western in their manner.
The first different was as a mentioned in the other post, timings. The office hours say 8.30-3.30, my real timings were 9.15-3pm simply because at 3 you start shutting down!
Secondly, in Ghana life is public, privacy doesn't exist and why should it because you live in a community and everybody is out to help and support everybody. So when a beneficiary came in she didn't just hand the payment, she might stay there for 40mins just chatting about her personal life and things happening in the community to the lady I work with. I remember these occasions vividly because when they came in they would usually bring their baby and I would just play with the baby for ages while she discussed in Twi things to other lady I worked with. I was fortunate enough to work with a truly lovely girl she would translate and explain me everything being said.
No loans were given out while I was there as VPWA wants to launch the micro-leasing scheme with those funds as soon as all the repayments were finished. This meant I met a lot of ladies who had nearly, if not completely, finished the repayment were happy to reflect on how the loans approx £80 impacted their lives. One story which particularly touched me was a lady who bought a sewing machine with the loan and runs her living on being a seamstress. This has allowed not only to bring three school-going kids but including the fact that one had Down's syndrome. It is interesting because you actually don't see disability in Africa because it is often misunderstood so to see a woman like that it is really inspiring.
I was also able to interview a lady on my last day who wants a loan to start a business which will allow houses in Fise to have water in their house. Currently, families in this area travel to a nearby well every time they have to go toilet, have a bath or wash pots/pans. So I was ale to be involved in that. She wants a large loan about £300 and is an ex-beneficiary it will be interesting to see what happens. As when discussing with the owner a business like that has a social justification. It is bring development and water to houses, maybe it is better to fund this through private funding than a loan?
All this is not to say that this experience did not show me the cons related to microfinance, I saw that a lot of the time the loans is simply too small for women to kick start from scratch say catering/ food businesses. This is actually the reason why VPWA wants to do a trial run of microleasing as we postulate that this will have more impact as it encourage people to have their own business not just offering support for those who already want to. Another issue is given that on Fridays we go to see the women, a lot of the women just wait till Friday to make their repayment so that they can work Mon-Thurs. Thus leaves the microfinance office bare of work.
Overall, I can put faces and cases to microfinance and believe it is a great aid to development and such an experience has given me the authority to make an opinion like that so I am grateful to VPWA. However, I have to endorse the VPWA philosophy is using multiple methods not just one is going to eradicate poverty and boost development.
Adapting to the Ghanaian way: 10 pointers
Having returned from Ghana last week, I can say that I absolutely loved it there! However, while in Ghana I didn't always feel like this especially at the beginning when one has to get accustomed to a different kind of life. In this post I want to discuss ten things I had to get used too; so if any of you are planning to go there you can mentally prepare yourself to be engulfed by whole new lifestyle, culture and attitude.
1. GMT = Ghanian Maybe Time
This was something I read about in the guide book but didn't pay much attention as being an Indian I thought I knew all about late timings (Indian Standard Time for all of you that know what I am talking about). However, Ghanian Maybe Time is lateness on a whole new level. My flight landed at 5am in Accra airport and I didn't receive my luggage till 6.30am. This meant unlike some of the other volunteers when I got out my driver was waiting for my with a VPWA sign. That morning I was given an induction presentation by the founder of the organisation and was informed that a 'Richard' would come to the house at 10am and show me around the area, where to have money changed etc. I waited till noon and he had not showed up and ended up falling asleep. When I woke up at 2pm, he just walked in and that is when I quickly understood the concept of time was different not just to the Western meaning of time but to the Indian too. Timing does not exist in Ghana so do not be upset if nothing arrives or is done on time. Actually, I embraced this and I lived with the GMT attitude myself because that is the best way or you'll spend most of your time furious at something which for the locals is the norm.
2. No Wifi?
This is probably due my own ignorance but I think it is important to point out as for any city dweller like myself, internet is so readily available. I was told before I go that when I arrive if I pay the organisation $40 then I would be able to have access to internet. I understood this as wi-fi availability so all I took with my was a Kindle (which confused every single local as they did not understand the concept of electronic reading) and iPhone. In my induction presentation I was given a blank sim and told top it up at any near by station and then make a payment of $40 and you can have access to a modem and the organisations computers. This really shocked and worried me. It meant no tweeting or Instagramming, what was I supposed to do rely on a sim? In general, wi-fi isn't readily available like it is when walking around in London. Personally, I found the first week went so fast that I didn't need the internet and in the last fortnight I found myself using an internet cafe near where I worked. It is cheaper and you can do what you need too.
3. Rice, Beans, Rice, Beans, Rice, Beans....okay you get it
Food. It was shocking to find out that Ghanian cuisine basically consisted of rice, beans, meat and chilli. That was one thing that even in the third week that used to annoy me but I did find a way around it. I guess I come from a privileged household where a different cuisine of food is served every day so eating such similar, if not the same, things everyday really took some getting used too. Another thing is that locals understand the term 'vegetarian' to mean you would like to have salad with your meat and rice so do not be shocked if you are vegetarian. Personally, I am not a vegetarian but found myself being on in Ghana simply because (a) living with chickens, goats, sheep etc and seeing that they are not clean, I mean even me it was hard to stay clean just because of the physical environment, so I could not and (b) the first dinner I was given was goat and it really smelt strong so it put me off meat. How did I deal with this? So one solution was not eating the fish and meat, but also I brought lots of food from London so I lived off that and I would have lots of Coke and 'Fan Milk' which is soft ice cream to give me energy. Also, for vegetarians, fried rice and noodles are delicious. 'Red-Red' is there only vegetarian dish but it gave me indigestion, I really liked Jollof rice but that has some meat essence. Fried Yams and Plantains are basically the vegetables eaten there and are available but I found them bland so I didn't eat much of them either.
4. Arctic Showers
As a Westerner I am used to power showers that can provide large amounts of hot water for on average 30mins. I associate such showers with cleanliness so going to Pokuase was quite something. There was no hot water and the water power was bare minimal. I spent the first week struggling to clean myself, literally putting one arm at a time in hot water and back! Oh that was just so painful even when it is hot climate. Furthermore, Pokuase is basically a village, most roads you are walking on are dirt roads and the office and tro-tros are not sparkling clean. So be prepared to have cold showers or like what I learnt to do from the second week is heat water in a stove and use a mug to clean yourself with that hot water.
5. Marriage/God
It is important to understand before you go that marriage and God is the foundation for life in Ghana. It wasn't too bad for me to get my head around this given my Indian ethnicity but for others this might seem bizarre. Ghanians believe that in the end its all going to be okay because if you pray to God with a true heart, He will help you. So any issues you discuss with locals this is the answer you will get. This religious side seeps into every aspect of life. Ghana is notorious for having religious named shops such as 'Jesus the Son of God Forex' and religious messages on billboards, taxis and tro-tros, e.g. one taxi I went in had 'Love thy neighbour' written across it. Radio stations and TVs will have Hymns and discuss things like how God created Adam and Eve and we should live in twos side by side. Marriage then is the second pillar stone. There is no point to your life is you are not married. So brace yourself to be time and time again asked about your marriage plans. Personally, I lied because the marriage lecture gets boring after a while so I would say that I am married and I showed photos of Russell Brand to prove it!
6. No make up?
Just like a Ghanian does not question going to Church on Sundays or getting married, I don't question my daily getting dressed ritual which has been altered since I have returned. Before I went, I would wake up every morning and without thinking I would change my clothes, do my hair and wear some light make up. In Ghana, this was not the case. First, we did not have a proper mirror so on our weekend trips away when I found a mirror I was always shocked to look at myself and my growing tan. Second I did do my daily routine the first two days I was there but quickly learnt that (A) make up just melts in the humidity and (B) people thinks you are absolutely weird for wearing make up. Moreover, being an Obruni (non-black person) I got a lot of attention so I didn't want t draw more unnecessary intention. Having not worn make up for three weeks or left my hair out even in a pony has in a weird way made me feel more comfortable with myself. When I first started wearing it, it was because my skin had got a bit of acne was not particularly nice and now the acne has gone but the habit has not. So not wearing make-up enhanced with the fact that I was getting marriage proposals on a daily basis has given me quite a self-esteem boost! So my advice is don't take make up it won't be used.
8. No evenings
I felt like the concept of an evening did not exist in Ghana which is something you have to get used too. At around 6pm the sun goes in the space of 20mins I think and you are left with darkness. There was no elongated evening time like in London. It probably doesn't help that you never see the night in London as there are always street lights, building etc and unlike in Pokuase we have no such thing as a electricity power cut! This takes some adapting because if you want to go for evening walks you need to take a flashlight as likely hood is you won't return while its still light and if you do thats a day walk not evening! A lot of your plans when you are there will be factoring in the fact that there is no evening light and thats something you'll notice while there.
9. Natural Alarm Clocks
I guess power cuts are not a big deal as locals have ways of dealing with things which don't require electricity. One example is alarm clocks. Now I didn't have to leave for work till 8.45am and given my getting dressed only included breakfast, change of clothes and plaiting my hair I didn't need to wake up till 8 but I did every single morning even on weekends wake up at 5am. The reason being two natural alarm clocks exist. One is fairly obvious the morning sun is extremely bright and despite curtains it manages to seep through and the second involves animals. I lived near a family who owned every single type of animal that existed and my room was at the front of the house which made sound extremely loud. Every morning at 5, 5.3.0, 6, 6:30, 7 and 7:30, the roosters/cockerels/chickens/hen (I am not sure which one) would go off, the chicks would follow suit. The goats, dogs, cats and even children would respond back and this went on the whole morning. Morning sleep did not exist. I would lie in bed for literally three hours unable to sleep, just chilling because of noise. Not sure I ever adapted or got used to it but be warned!
10. Danielle Steel or the Bible
In Ghana I found I had a lot of spare time, probably because of the lack of internet. As a result you find yourself reading more, so I recommend you bring enough books too last you including spares as books are not something you can readily buy. And when you get lucky and go into the city and find a book stall or shop there exists only two types of books (a) Danielle Steel which was fine as I love her books and (b) Christianity related teachings book. I even went to a book shop which was written in the guide book (there are only two) and this was in Accra Mall. The book store was largely based on religious book and books about Obama and a small book shelf dedicated to fiction where Danielle Steel did exist but there were a few other authors. Do not expect a large selection and say thriller is your type of book, bring enough to last you!
1. GMT = Ghanian Maybe Time
This was something I read about in the guide book but didn't pay much attention as being an Indian I thought I knew all about late timings (Indian Standard Time for all of you that know what I am talking about). However, Ghanian Maybe Time is lateness on a whole new level. My flight landed at 5am in Accra airport and I didn't receive my luggage till 6.30am. This meant unlike some of the other volunteers when I got out my driver was waiting for my with a VPWA sign. That morning I was given an induction presentation by the founder of the organisation and was informed that a 'Richard' would come to the house at 10am and show me around the area, where to have money changed etc. I waited till noon and he had not showed up and ended up falling asleep. When I woke up at 2pm, he just walked in and that is when I quickly understood the concept of time was different not just to the Western meaning of time but to the Indian too. Timing does not exist in Ghana so do not be upset if nothing arrives or is done on time. Actually, I embraced this and I lived with the GMT attitude myself because that is the best way or you'll spend most of your time furious at something which for the locals is the norm.
2. No Wifi?
This is probably due my own ignorance but I think it is important to point out as for any city dweller like myself, internet is so readily available. I was told before I go that when I arrive if I pay the organisation $40 then I would be able to have access to internet. I understood this as wi-fi availability so all I took with my was a Kindle (which confused every single local as they did not understand the concept of electronic reading) and iPhone. In my induction presentation I was given a blank sim and told top it up at any near by station and then make a payment of $40 and you can have access to a modem and the organisations computers. This really shocked and worried me. It meant no tweeting or Instagramming, what was I supposed to do rely on a sim? In general, wi-fi isn't readily available like it is when walking around in London. Personally, I found the first week went so fast that I didn't need the internet and in the last fortnight I found myself using an internet cafe near where I worked. It is cheaper and you can do what you need too.
3. Rice, Beans, Rice, Beans, Rice, Beans....okay you get it
Food. It was shocking to find out that Ghanian cuisine basically consisted of rice, beans, meat and chilli. That was one thing that even in the third week that used to annoy me but I did find a way around it. I guess I come from a privileged household where a different cuisine of food is served every day so eating such similar, if not the same, things everyday really took some getting used too. Another thing is that locals understand the term 'vegetarian' to mean you would like to have salad with your meat and rice so do not be shocked if you are vegetarian. Personally, I am not a vegetarian but found myself being on in Ghana simply because (a) living with chickens, goats, sheep etc and seeing that they are not clean, I mean even me it was hard to stay clean just because of the physical environment, so I could not and (b) the first dinner I was given was goat and it really smelt strong so it put me off meat. How did I deal with this? So one solution was not eating the fish and meat, but also I brought lots of food from London so I lived off that and I would have lots of Coke and 'Fan Milk' which is soft ice cream to give me energy. Also, for vegetarians, fried rice and noodles are delicious. 'Red-Red' is there only vegetarian dish but it gave me indigestion, I really liked Jollof rice but that has some meat essence. Fried Yams and Plantains are basically the vegetables eaten there and are available but I found them bland so I didn't eat much of them either.
4. Arctic Showers
As a Westerner I am used to power showers that can provide large amounts of hot water for on average 30mins. I associate such showers with cleanliness so going to Pokuase was quite something. There was no hot water and the water power was bare minimal. I spent the first week struggling to clean myself, literally putting one arm at a time in hot water and back! Oh that was just so painful even when it is hot climate. Furthermore, Pokuase is basically a village, most roads you are walking on are dirt roads and the office and tro-tros are not sparkling clean. So be prepared to have cold showers or like what I learnt to do from the second week is heat water in a stove and use a mug to clean yourself with that hot water.
5. Marriage/God
It is important to understand before you go that marriage and God is the foundation for life in Ghana. It wasn't too bad for me to get my head around this given my Indian ethnicity but for others this might seem bizarre. Ghanians believe that in the end its all going to be okay because if you pray to God with a true heart, He will help you. So any issues you discuss with locals this is the answer you will get. This religious side seeps into every aspect of life. Ghana is notorious for having religious named shops such as 'Jesus the Son of God Forex' and religious messages on billboards, taxis and tro-tros, e.g. one taxi I went in had 'Love thy neighbour' written across it. Radio stations and TVs will have Hymns and discuss things like how God created Adam and Eve and we should live in twos side by side. Marriage then is the second pillar stone. There is no point to your life is you are not married. So brace yourself to be time and time again asked about your marriage plans. Personally, I lied because the marriage lecture gets boring after a while so I would say that I am married and I showed photos of Russell Brand to prove it!
6. No make up?
Just like a Ghanian does not question going to Church on Sundays or getting married, I don't question my daily getting dressed ritual which has been altered since I have returned. Before I went, I would wake up every morning and without thinking I would change my clothes, do my hair and wear some light make up. In Ghana, this was not the case. First, we did not have a proper mirror so on our weekend trips away when I found a mirror I was always shocked to look at myself and my growing tan. Second I did do my daily routine the first two days I was there but quickly learnt that (A) make up just melts in the humidity and (B) people thinks you are absolutely weird for wearing make up. Moreover, being an Obruni (non-black person) I got a lot of attention so I didn't want t draw more unnecessary intention. Having not worn make up for three weeks or left my hair out even in a pony has in a weird way made me feel more comfortable with myself. When I first started wearing it, it was because my skin had got a bit of acne was not particularly nice and now the acne has gone but the habit has not. So not wearing make-up enhanced with the fact that I was getting marriage proposals on a daily basis has given me quite a self-esteem boost! So my advice is don't take make up it won't be used.
8. No evenings
I felt like the concept of an evening did not exist in Ghana which is something you have to get used too. At around 6pm the sun goes in the space of 20mins I think and you are left with darkness. There was no elongated evening time like in London. It probably doesn't help that you never see the night in London as there are always street lights, building etc and unlike in Pokuase we have no such thing as a electricity power cut! This takes some adapting because if you want to go for evening walks you need to take a flashlight as likely hood is you won't return while its still light and if you do thats a day walk not evening! A lot of your plans when you are there will be factoring in the fact that there is no evening light and thats something you'll notice while there.
9. Natural Alarm Clocks
I guess power cuts are not a big deal as locals have ways of dealing with things which don't require electricity. One example is alarm clocks. Now I didn't have to leave for work till 8.45am and given my getting dressed only included breakfast, change of clothes and plaiting my hair I didn't need to wake up till 8 but I did every single morning even on weekends wake up at 5am. The reason being two natural alarm clocks exist. One is fairly obvious the morning sun is extremely bright and despite curtains it manages to seep through and the second involves animals. I lived near a family who owned every single type of animal that existed and my room was at the front of the house which made sound extremely loud. Every morning at 5, 5.3.0, 6, 6:30, 7 and 7:30, the roosters/cockerels/chickens/hen (I am not sure which one) would go off, the chicks would follow suit. The goats, dogs, cats and even children would respond back and this went on the whole morning. Morning sleep did not exist. I would lie in bed for literally three hours unable to sleep, just chilling because of noise. Not sure I ever adapted or got used to it but be warned!
10. Danielle Steel or the Bible
In Ghana I found I had a lot of spare time, probably because of the lack of internet. As a result you find yourself reading more, so I recommend you bring enough books too last you including spares as books are not something you can readily buy. And when you get lucky and go into the city and find a book stall or shop there exists only two types of books (a) Danielle Steel which was fine as I love her books and (b) Christianity related teachings book. I even went to a book shop which was written in the guide book (there are only two) and this was in Accra Mall. The book store was largely based on religious book and books about Obama and a small book shelf dedicated to fiction where Danielle Steel did exist but there were a few other authors. Do not expect a large selection and say thriller is your type of book, bring enough to last you!
Monday, 3 September 2012
Ghanian Weekend Une
So here I am again at an Internet cafe excited to share details of my first weekend in Ghana with you all!
It begins on Friday where I sent much of the day walking around the neighbouring town to Amasama which is called 'Feces' in my broken shoes to collect money from debtors! Friday night I couldn't get myself to travel to the local pub with the other volunteers as my legs were killing from the traipsing around on dirt roads! This and the addition of power cut led to me sleeping at around 6pmwhich for the record is the norm around here!
The next morning a fellow volunteer and I commence our journey to the Volta region, the most beautiful part of Ghana where we booked into an environmental lodge for the weekend. Things did not begin smoothly at all! We had the journey from hell! It took us 7hrs without any food, drink, toilet or merely stretching breaks! At one stage we ended up at this ethical enclave kind of place called 'Tudu' which absolutely scared the life out of me. Masses and Masses of people all grabbing you, talking to you and begging you! Anyway 7hrs later we finally arrived at the environmental lodge next to Keta and it is the most beautiful place ever, can't wait to share the photos! This lodge had its own lagoon and a Private white sand beach on the opposite side absolutely gorgeous! We spent Saturday walking along the beach, playing with the hotels pet dogs and meeting the other guests! I will tell you about two of the people I met I think it is worth sharing it! I met a lady whom I vaguely recognised and it turns out she was on the same plane as me and cain as me! Can you believe in the whole of Ghana I bump into her on her last weekend and we actually remember seeing each other as we were the only two obrunis! Then I met a fellow local called Seth he is a musician and is circa 70 years old! There was a point at which I was left sitting with him and having spent a week in Ghana I knew what was coming next - The marriage question! So I slyly managed to put my ring on the marriage finger and quickly close the conversation by saying I am married. However, he was determined to keep at this topic. I was asked when I got married ? - last year What he does ? - doctor and what he looks like and this is probably the most funniest part I showed a photo of Russell Brand on my phone and said this my husband! I still got lecture though not a very long one about how I need to start having kids because otherwise I will only be left with 4 kids !! Oh what a tradegy!!! I cant help but lol!
Sunday gets better! First off I got a natural blow dry because it is soo windy by the water so I was surprised when my hair was dry in like 1hr!! (still getting used to showering in cold water though!) We took a boat trip on the volta river which is so vast and sooo clean - it is freshwater which I don't know why still shocks me! The boat rise was quite scary for someone who cant swim because you are on a low wooden boat which has an engine so goes pretty fats and you have water spraying you and at times because it is so windy feels like you are about to tip over! It was quite nice though the African drum band came along the boat and playedmsuic which added to the vibe of the place!
The boat ride was followed by lunch at a deserted beach which was so beautiful! I held a living translucent crab, had to pee in a small isolated part of the land and saw fish being caught just to name a few things. This was followed by a swift 4hr journey home. The most entertaining part of the whole day was that I was proposed to not once but twice! One guy called 'Bright' was so sure I would marry him that he went around introducing me as his wife! It was funny because the other volunteer had quite a thing for him! Also,it meant that I never had to carry my heavy bag or anything as he would. (I will be sure to upload my phohoto with him). It doesn't help that I am born on a Wednesday because that is the best day for a women to be born as it Wednesday people are rich, like to cook and are strong meaning they have potential to have loads of kids!!! It was sweet because as I got off the boat on the way out to go back to Pokuase he got the whole African musical band to sing 'Oh Komilla dont gokomilla' which further infurigated the other volunteer lol!!
The second proposal I got came more as a shock to be honest. At Ada, the town we were dropped off at in the volta region we found ourselves having to take plunge and go on this broken 'tro-tro' just to get out of the volta region. Basically as we wrere leaving turns out the guys charged us 10 pesos less and drove us to actually a really good location for getting back to Pokuase and negotiated with another tro-tro a cheaper price(although we disdn't actually travel on that tro-tro!) because he wanted to marry me. What happened is as we were approaching our stop he gives me his number and name - Richard - and says call me when you reach home I will be soo worried so I said yes yes as you do in Ghana and then he in the middle of the tro-tro which was filled with people asks me to marry him!!! It was truly bizarre. Its quite funny and you have take these things with humour when you are here I know past volunteers have got offended but I think you have to just enjoy it!
So I am absolutely exhausted today! recovering from the weekend. Hopefully I will be going to another beach destination this weekend Krokrobite and will have more stories to share. I am feeling a bit homes sick today but that is because the whole day in the office we were listening to BBC World Radio!!! Otherwise I am still really enjoying it and learning more and more about the culture everyday. I am still unable to eat meat or fish here just because I feel like I'm living with the chickens goats dogs cats cows and all kinds of animals so I just cant get myself to eat them! Don't think Ive been vegetarian this long before and I am actually quite enjoying it! See you tomorrow!
It begins on Friday where I sent much of the day walking around the neighbouring town to Amasama which is called 'Feces' in my broken shoes to collect money from debtors! Friday night I couldn't get myself to travel to the local pub with the other volunteers as my legs were killing from the traipsing around on dirt roads! This and the addition of power cut led to me sleeping at around 6pmwhich for the record is the norm around here!
The next morning a fellow volunteer and I commence our journey to the Volta region, the most beautiful part of Ghana where we booked into an environmental lodge for the weekend. Things did not begin smoothly at all! We had the journey from hell! It took us 7hrs without any food, drink, toilet or merely stretching breaks! At one stage we ended up at this ethical enclave kind of place called 'Tudu' which absolutely scared the life out of me. Masses and Masses of people all grabbing you, talking to you and begging you! Anyway 7hrs later we finally arrived at the environmental lodge next to Keta and it is the most beautiful place ever, can't wait to share the photos! This lodge had its own lagoon and a Private white sand beach on the opposite side absolutely gorgeous! We spent Saturday walking along the beach, playing with the hotels pet dogs and meeting the other guests! I will tell you about two of the people I met I think it is worth sharing it! I met a lady whom I vaguely recognised and it turns out she was on the same plane as me and cain as me! Can you believe in the whole of Ghana I bump into her on her last weekend and we actually remember seeing each other as we were the only two obrunis! Then I met a fellow local called Seth he is a musician and is circa 70 years old! There was a point at which I was left sitting with him and having spent a week in Ghana I knew what was coming next - The marriage question! So I slyly managed to put my ring on the marriage finger and quickly close the conversation by saying I am married. However, he was determined to keep at this topic. I was asked when I got married ? - last year What he does ? - doctor and what he looks like and this is probably the most funniest part I showed a photo of Russell Brand on my phone and said this my husband! I still got lecture though not a very long one about how I need to start having kids because otherwise I will only be left with 4 kids !! Oh what a tradegy!!! I cant help but lol!
Sunday gets better! First off I got a natural blow dry because it is soo windy by the water so I was surprised when my hair was dry in like 1hr!! (still getting used to showering in cold water though!) We took a boat trip on the volta river which is so vast and sooo clean - it is freshwater which I don't know why still shocks me! The boat rise was quite scary for someone who cant swim because you are on a low wooden boat which has an engine so goes pretty fats and you have water spraying you and at times because it is so windy feels like you are about to tip over! It was quite nice though the African drum band came along the boat and playedmsuic which added to the vibe of the place!
The boat ride was followed by lunch at a deserted beach which was so beautiful! I held a living translucent crab, had to pee in a small isolated part of the land and saw fish being caught just to name a few things. This was followed by a swift 4hr journey home. The most entertaining part of the whole day was that I was proposed to not once but twice! One guy called 'Bright' was so sure I would marry him that he went around introducing me as his wife! It was funny because the other volunteer had quite a thing for him! Also,it meant that I never had to carry my heavy bag or anything as he would. (I will be sure to upload my phohoto with him). It doesn't help that I am born on a Wednesday because that is the best day for a women to be born as it Wednesday people are rich, like to cook and are strong meaning they have potential to have loads of kids!!! It was sweet because as I got off the boat on the way out to go back to Pokuase he got the whole African musical band to sing 'Oh Komilla dont gokomilla' which further infurigated the other volunteer lol!!
The second proposal I got came more as a shock to be honest. At Ada, the town we were dropped off at in the volta region we found ourselves having to take plunge and go on this broken 'tro-tro' just to get out of the volta region. Basically as we wrere leaving turns out the guys charged us 10 pesos less and drove us to actually a really good location for getting back to Pokuase and negotiated with another tro-tro a cheaper price(although we disdn't actually travel on that tro-tro!) because he wanted to marry me. What happened is as we were approaching our stop he gives me his number and name - Richard - and says call me when you reach home I will be soo worried so I said yes yes as you do in Ghana and then he in the middle of the tro-tro which was filled with people asks me to marry him!!! It was truly bizarre. Its quite funny and you have take these things with humour when you are here I know past volunteers have got offended but I think you have to just enjoy it!
So I am absolutely exhausted today! recovering from the weekend. Hopefully I will be going to another beach destination this weekend Krokrobite and will have more stories to share. I am feeling a bit homes sick today but that is because the whole day in the office we were listening to BBC World Radio!!! Otherwise I am still really enjoying it and learning more and more about the culture everyday. I am still unable to eat meat or fish here just because I feel like I'm living with the chickens goats dogs cats cows and all kinds of animals so I just cant get myself to eat them! Don't think Ive been vegetarian this long before and I am actually quite enjoying it! See you tomorrow!
Friday, 31 August 2012
The Ghanaian experience thus far..
The Ghanaian experience thus far..
Today is day four of the Ghanaian experience I chose to embark
on for three weeks and today by far has been the best day. My working days here
consist of waking up at 7am getting ready and commuting to work. Commuting to
work every morning and afternoon is an adventure in itself. It involves me
walking through a quasi-forest, saying hello to the local kids who are fascinated
by my appearance and walking down a hill, where it is certain that I will be
hooted at by locals before reaching a bus stop where I get on a ‘tro-tro’ which
takes to a town called ‘Amasama’ where I conduct microfinance work with local
women. The ‘tro-tro’ is quite an exciting mode of transport because sometimes
you are 20 people squashed together (excluding kids!) and you’re moving at high
speed on rough roads. I have also had the privilege of travelling on one of
them which had no door; the experience is comparable to that of going on Tidal
wave! Okay my log in time has ended see you next week!!
Sunday, 5 August 2012
Outfit of the month...?
So I have a long standing passion and interest in fashion and that is pretty evident from the way I dress (or so I like to believe!). For sometime now, I have looked at designer outfits in magazines and recreated them so I thought I would start doing that on a monthly basis on my blog. I will aim to complete these £1000+ outfits in £40-50 price range! So watch this space!!
Friday, 27 July 2012
Visit to Baltimore/D.C. 2012
I recently made a trip to America which I feel has changed me in many ways hence the reason behind blogging about my trip. In fact, I was in the same parts of Baltimore just last month too for a wedding but this trip seems to have had more of an impact on me.
The structure of the trip was that my 13-year-old sister (Ria) and I go to D.C. where we would be collected by our Uncle whom we would spend the subsequent 5/6 days with in Baltimore before being dropped off to the Marriott hotel in D.C. where the RTS Share and Care conference would be held.
Often people look at little signs at the beginning of trip to predict how the trip would go and in our case these signs were optimistic. Our journey began with an upgrade to business class where we sipped champagne cocktails and fell asleep on our flexible beds. That was one hell of a positive sign especially given I was little worried about being responsible for someone else!
Once we arrived we split our relatives, visited the National Aquarium and Maryland Science centre. The aquarium was great, we saw a giant turtle who only had one arm but still managed to swim so well!! There was also a dolphin show one so we really enjoyed watching that too. However, I preferred the science museum because of the hands-on Human Body exhibition. We got to make cell membrane, see live video of food being digested, use the lie detecter machine, create an illusion and I got my sister to be lifted by a bed of nails!
The one thing though we managed to do every single day in different amounts was shopping! It was great because (a) the sales were on and (b) we benefit by the exchange rate. However, I did not enjoy it as much as I enjoy shopping in London. In many stores I found sales assistants were friendly etc but they just didn't seem to know much about getting different sizes or the store they worked for. This really started to get me towards the end of the try when we went for a bit of retail therapy because we both were feeling homesick.
Another thing I had a problem with was the food. I found everything to be too sweet even foods like salads or breakfast which was not supposed to be. This was reflected in the dire stomachaches I suffered with (God only knows how I will cope in Ghana where the food is so different!).
So going back onto the reason for writing this post, what actually changed me? It was the second half of my trip in the conference. My sister has a rare congenital genetic condition called Rothmund-Thompson Condition so when she was diagnosed with this at the age of two we found Texas Children's Hospital which was the only place worldwide to have albeit very little, but information on RTS. Following this we have seen much more research being conducted and the development of the Rothmund-Thompson Foundation.
This conference was then organised RTS Foundation and centred around the theme of sharing information about caring for those who are sufferers. It also gave an opportunity for people like my sisters to meet other people like herself which is not an opportunity that comes around often. The thing that hit me is that how happy and comfortable these kids are. In conference many parents shared the finding that often they look at make-up/different treatments to make their kids look 'more normal' and it is actually them who have more a concern or issue with their skin then the kids themselves.
Personally, my last few years have revolved around my dreams to establish a successful career for myself so coming to a conference like this hit me with the age old fact that there is more to life than studying and finding a decent career. I am a person who consistently worries that because I don't have a set idea of what I want to do in the future I might be missing out on crucial opportunities to make a success out of myself and so seeing these kids was kind of like someone telling me to take a chill pill and me actually listening.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip and time went fast. I don't think America is a place I could ever move to bur for holidays and short-trips its a great place. For those that haven't been don't rule it out as just another Western country because the American culture is miles apart from the British one!
The structure of the trip was that my 13-year-old sister (Ria) and I go to D.C. where we would be collected by our Uncle whom we would spend the subsequent 5/6 days with in Baltimore before being dropped off to the Marriott hotel in D.C. where the RTS Share and Care conference would be held.
Often people look at little signs at the beginning of trip to predict how the trip would go and in our case these signs were optimistic. Our journey began with an upgrade to business class where we sipped champagne cocktails and fell asleep on our flexible beds. That was one hell of a positive sign especially given I was little worried about being responsible for someone else!
Once we arrived we split our relatives, visited the National Aquarium and Maryland Science centre. The aquarium was great, we saw a giant turtle who only had one arm but still managed to swim so well!! There was also a dolphin show one so we really enjoyed watching that too. However, I preferred the science museum because of the hands-on Human Body exhibition. We got to make cell membrane, see live video of food being digested, use the lie detecter machine, create an illusion and I got my sister to be lifted by a bed of nails!
The one thing though we managed to do every single day in different amounts was shopping! It was great because (a) the sales were on and (b) we benefit by the exchange rate. However, I did not enjoy it as much as I enjoy shopping in London. In many stores I found sales assistants were friendly etc but they just didn't seem to know much about getting different sizes or the store they worked for. This really started to get me towards the end of the try when we went for a bit of retail therapy because we both were feeling homesick.
Another thing I had a problem with was the food. I found everything to be too sweet even foods like salads or breakfast which was not supposed to be. This was reflected in the dire stomachaches I suffered with (God only knows how I will cope in Ghana where the food is so different!).
So going back onto the reason for writing this post, what actually changed me? It was the second half of my trip in the conference. My sister has a rare congenital genetic condition called Rothmund-Thompson Condition so when she was diagnosed with this at the age of two we found Texas Children's Hospital which was the only place worldwide to have albeit very little, but information on RTS. Following this we have seen much more research being conducted and the development of the Rothmund-Thompson Foundation.
This conference was then organised RTS Foundation and centred around the theme of sharing information about caring for those who are sufferers. It also gave an opportunity for people like my sisters to meet other people like herself which is not an opportunity that comes around often. The thing that hit me is that how happy and comfortable these kids are. In conference many parents shared the finding that often they look at make-up/different treatments to make their kids look 'more normal' and it is actually them who have more a concern or issue with their skin then the kids themselves.
Personally, my last few years have revolved around my dreams to establish a successful career for myself so coming to a conference like this hit me with the age old fact that there is more to life than studying and finding a decent career. I am a person who consistently worries that because I don't have a set idea of what I want to do in the future I might be missing out on crucial opportunities to make a success out of myself and so seeing these kids was kind of like someone telling me to take a chill pill and me actually listening.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip and time went fast. I don't think America is a place I could ever move to bur for holidays and short-trips its a great place. For those that haven't been don't rule it out as just another Western country because the American culture is miles apart from the British one!
Thursday, 5 July 2012
Is it time to evaluate racism? Join the debate
Hi guys! Hope you guys are enjoying the summer.
I will be writing for The Manic Thought Society on a monthly basis.
My first article is all about the need to evaluate racism and change our strategies to dealing with them. Join the debate and let me know - is racism a problem? Are we oversensitive to racism? Has the nature of racism changed and Is it time to revaluate our attitudes and policies?
Below is a short video of me discussing the topic!
I will be writing for The Manic Thought Society on a monthly basis.
My first article is all about the need to evaluate racism and change our strategies to dealing with them. Join the debate and let me know - is racism a problem? Are we oversensitive to racism? Has the nature of racism changed and Is it time to revaluate our attitudes and policies?
Below is a short video of me discussing the topic!
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
To build or not to build?......Greenbelts
Today, I attended the LSE Event 'Ending the housing crisis: Should we build on the greenbelt?'. I found it incredibly useful and thoughts I'd share a few points.
The first is why I believe we should build on some parts of the greenbelt. The housing market ultimately is like any other good or service, it is determined by market forces combined with government regulation. This brings us to several issues that exist within the market, which can be to some degree mitigated by building on the greenbelt.
The first is that demand for houses especially ones with gardens, not flats or studio apartments is extremely high in London as young families find themselves either cramped in 2 bed flats or forced to move out from zones 1 and 2. Building on the green build would help to mitigate some of these issues as there would be space to build such structures.
The second is to do with supply. We have a problem that our house suppliers are inefficient in the sense of the time it takes to build and the cost that is associated. This means that it is harder for new developers to make the first move and develop there first bit of land. The second is that because lack of supply pushes up prices, developers create land banks and eventually come around to developing these. This policy/regulation issue exacerbates the disequilibrium in the housing market. I feel that building on the greenbelt would go some way in dealing with this because, increasing the availability of greenfield sites would go some way to reducing the raw cost of land and attracting new developers. If this teams together with policy reforms that make it difficult for developers to create land banks or continue purchasing land without developing pre existing land would completely transform our housing market.
I know that I have simplified much of the issues discussed in today's debate and haven't talked about social costs, social justice or the many other points put forward. But just from an economical perspective I feel that building on even 3% (as that was the figure given by Alex Morton) of greenbelt would help to go some way in dealing with our housing crisis in which the most pressing issue is the lack of housing which is demanded (that means houses not flats).
I was not at all impressed with Tony Burton, to be perfectly honest I felt his argument was contradictory and illogical. He argued that we do have a land scarcity issue in london so building on the brownfield sites would be sufficient to cope with the demand in London yet then he argued we should build on some parts of the greenbelt - a truly confused person.
I found that Anne Power on several occasions, made her argument by comparing the situation in London to America, the Netherlands and other countries. This did not appeal to me or help to accept her argument. These countries have completely different situations not just in terms of supply and demand, but their culture. Germans for instance cannot understand or reconcile with the concept of borrowing money and paying back. Their lifestyle is built around living within their means. This translates into their housing market comprising of a low demand for property owning housing and high for rental.
It is time we had a planning regulation reformation and started building on the greenbelt.
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The first is why I believe we should build on some parts of the greenbelt. The housing market ultimately is like any other good or service, it is determined by market forces combined with government regulation. This brings us to several issues that exist within the market, which can be to some degree mitigated by building on the greenbelt.
The first is that demand for houses especially ones with gardens, not flats or studio apartments is extremely high in London as young families find themselves either cramped in 2 bed flats or forced to move out from zones 1 and 2. Building on the green build would help to mitigate some of these issues as there would be space to build such structures.
The second is to do with supply. We have a problem that our house suppliers are inefficient in the sense of the time it takes to build and the cost that is associated. This means that it is harder for new developers to make the first move and develop there first bit of land. The second is that because lack of supply pushes up prices, developers create land banks and eventually come around to developing these. This policy/regulation issue exacerbates the disequilibrium in the housing market. I feel that building on the greenbelt would go some way in dealing with this because, increasing the availability of greenfield sites would go some way to reducing the raw cost of land and attracting new developers. If this teams together with policy reforms that make it difficult for developers to create land banks or continue purchasing land without developing pre existing land would completely transform our housing market.
I know that I have simplified much of the issues discussed in today's debate and haven't talked about social costs, social justice or the many other points put forward. But just from an economical perspective I feel that building on even 3% (as that was the figure given by Alex Morton) of greenbelt would help to go some way in dealing with our housing crisis in which the most pressing issue is the lack of housing which is demanded (that means houses not flats).
I was not at all impressed with Tony Burton, to be perfectly honest I felt his argument was contradictory and illogical. He argued that we do have a land scarcity issue in london so building on the brownfield sites would be sufficient to cope with the demand in London yet then he argued we should build on some parts of the greenbelt - a truly confused person.
I found that Anne Power on several occasions, made her argument by comparing the situation in London to America, the Netherlands and other countries. This did not appeal to me or help to accept her argument. These countries have completely different situations not just in terms of supply and demand, but their culture. Germans for instance cannot understand or reconcile with the concept of borrowing money and paying back. Their lifestyle is built around living within their means. This translates into their housing market comprising of a low demand for property owning housing and high for rental.
It is time we had a planning regulation reformation and started building on the greenbelt.
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Thursday, 24 May 2012
Passera a true Politician
Yesterday, LSE held a short presentation on "Austerity and growth: time to shift gear" by the Italian minister for economic development, transport and infrastructure Corrado Passera. This event was pretty much in line with what is going on at the moment, with Hollande coming into power and IMF changing its tune to how the budget deficit is apparently no longer important.
By occupation Mr Passera is a Politician and he stuck by his occupation. Perhaps it was the language barrier or just that I misunderstood him. Regardless. He presented his understanding of the four shifts that are absolutely critical for moving forward. The idea is that if we embrace these shifts then a new dawn will rise in the economic sphere.
Below I will out the four shifts briefly so you get an idea of what he was saying.
1. We must make a shift to credible austerity - so essentially do take some austerity measures so that markets begin to trust you and you have funds for whatever may befall you. He said that in Italy this is being done with the new pension and fiscal reform. At this point I thought there was a fair shift that has actually taken place already in Europe, at varying degrees. For a man who was CEO of four banks, I did feel it was largely generalised I mean anybody could tell you after the 2008 financial crisis shift has been to "credible austerity" to get market support.
2. Shift from pure austerity to sustainable growth. So essentially he tried to say that instead of having pure austerity, it should only be credible so any remaining funds can be used to initiate financially sustainable growth. Here he discussed how globalisation and opening up markets is extremely beneficial to countries. I got the feeling he was trying to say a financially sustainable growth is one which comes from exporting. Which is a fair comment for a country like Italy which has a range of possibilities for exporting. What he didn't say however, is how this sustainable growth was going to happen? And is it even logical, because he was saying these shifts in relation to all euro countries, that Eurozone countries make a shift to exporting. Absolute and Comparative advantage theory tells us otherwise. We cannot all be net exporters it does not work.
3. Now he wants to shift from austerity to growth but on the European level. Exactly same point but just that Europe as a whole can achieve financially sustainable growth through export. Which actually with opportunities becoming clear in India and China I can believe. The problem is just is it likely that Europe can be more competitive than South American or Africa countries? I think not. But a possibility does remain.
4. Now this shift was specifically aimed at LSE, did annoy me a but as a SOAS student as it is something that SOAS has always done and is the reason why I chose SOAS over LSE, it was the shift of top educational institutions to teach multidisciplinary subjects as opposed to pure economics. And of course with my 360 society I totally agree with.
So why was I so negative, what is my problem with him? First, he said nothing new, exciting or high level which he could have done given his tremendous career. Secondly, the shifts - can austerity be backed with growth through international trade? I am not convinced that international trade is enough. Thirdly, the forth shift was a little but unnecessary and seemed just a way to butter up LSE so to speak. And finally, when the Q&A session came his answers weren't clear, consistent or actually contained any content and these are characterises of a true politician, and given his background I expected otherwise. It seems there is no Italian equivalent to Vince Cable!
By occupation Mr Passera is a Politician and he stuck by his occupation. Perhaps it was the language barrier or just that I misunderstood him. Regardless. He presented his understanding of the four shifts that are absolutely critical for moving forward. The idea is that if we embrace these shifts then a new dawn will rise in the economic sphere.
Below I will out the four shifts briefly so you get an idea of what he was saying.
1. We must make a shift to credible austerity - so essentially do take some austerity measures so that markets begin to trust you and you have funds for whatever may befall you. He said that in Italy this is being done with the new pension and fiscal reform. At this point I thought there was a fair shift that has actually taken place already in Europe, at varying degrees. For a man who was CEO of four banks, I did feel it was largely generalised I mean anybody could tell you after the 2008 financial crisis shift has been to "credible austerity" to get market support.
2. Shift from pure austerity to sustainable growth. So essentially he tried to say that instead of having pure austerity, it should only be credible so any remaining funds can be used to initiate financially sustainable growth. Here he discussed how globalisation and opening up markets is extremely beneficial to countries. I got the feeling he was trying to say a financially sustainable growth is one which comes from exporting. Which is a fair comment for a country like Italy which has a range of possibilities for exporting. What he didn't say however, is how this sustainable growth was going to happen? And is it even logical, because he was saying these shifts in relation to all euro countries, that Eurozone countries make a shift to exporting. Absolute and Comparative advantage theory tells us otherwise. We cannot all be net exporters it does not work.
3. Now he wants to shift from austerity to growth but on the European level. Exactly same point but just that Europe as a whole can achieve financially sustainable growth through export. Which actually with opportunities becoming clear in India and China I can believe. The problem is just is it likely that Europe can be more competitive than South American or Africa countries? I think not. But a possibility does remain.
4. Now this shift was specifically aimed at LSE, did annoy me a but as a SOAS student as it is something that SOAS has always done and is the reason why I chose SOAS over LSE, it was the shift of top educational institutions to teach multidisciplinary subjects as opposed to pure economics. And of course with my 360 society I totally agree with.
So why was I so negative, what is my problem with him? First, he said nothing new, exciting or high level which he could have done given his tremendous career. Secondly, the shifts - can austerity be backed with growth through international trade? I am not convinced that international trade is enough. Thirdly, the forth shift was a little but unnecessary and seemed just a way to butter up LSE so to speak. And finally, when the Q&A session came his answers weren't clear, consistent or actually contained any content and these are characterises of a true politician, and given his background I expected otherwise. It seems there is no Italian equivalent to Vince Cable!
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