Ramadan Special (Day 1): Beyond Peace

Ramadan Kareem! The Holy month is here again, and started on August 1 for most of the world. This year's Ramadan is significant for me in a number of ways. Numero uno, it's my first Ramadan in 6 years with my entire family in Ghana! And by family I mean nuclear family. Previous Ramadans were spent with various 'family members' in the US, France, Senegal, and virtually. So now we're back to home base, Alhamdulilahi, and that also means there are some key differences, the least not being the fact that I actually eat properly during suhoor (dawn meal) and iftar (evening meal) thanks to mummy :)

I've probably mentioned on here how every year right before Ramadan something usually pops ups to mess with my equilibrium and then the entire month is essentially spent delving within and trying to regain my internal balance. So far there has been nothing of the sort. Alhamdulilahi I'm swimming in harmony; my family and friends are close, I have an interesting job, engaging with amazing peeps, Accra's traffic is tolerable, the weather is NICE! - Ok, I need to detour here a bit. The weather is so unlike Ghana! It's chilly and windy most times, not too sunny. Quite reminiscent of Fall. I love it and especially the fact that I can layer, but it is also indicative of how swiftly climate change is taking hold, which is worrying. I read somewhere yesterday that there are hailstorms in the US?? Right after a series of heat waves? God help us all. - Perhaps above all is the fact that there's so much to look forward to. I've been interviewing some exceptional young Ghanaians for the Visionnaire series and also as part of an innovative campaign by Real Peoples Company called "Hold the Future" and I hope to share with you all over the next couple of months. So, I guess this is what contentment feels like.

Seeing that I've entered Ramadan with a piece of peace, it looks like my experience of the month is gonna go to a different level. It's day two (already!)and the main thought on my mind is "I wanna do this right." Not that all my past Ramadans were defunct, I hope not, but rather I'd like to pay extra care to observing the recommended activities - praying, seeking Allah, reading the Qu'ran, learning about Islam, etc. So for instance, yesterday I listened to Enya most of the day because there's less of a tendency for swear words. Also, I'm guinea pigging myself to see if I can wear a headscarf - not necessarily a hijab, more like a turban - throughout the entire month. I've always believed wearing a hijab is more of a lifestyle choice and I'd like to see how this goes. It's something I've attempted it in the past, but never really went beyond a couple of days for whatever reason. So yeah, I'm giving it a shot out of sheer choice. Now if it starts feeling like an obligation handed down to me I don't think I'd be as open. Finally, I've decided to dedicate each day to praying for someone I know who's made an impression in my life. Unfortunately I can't share the list, it hasn't even been drawn up. I'm just gonna go with the moment and pray for whoever's name pops into my head most each day. And of course, I'll be praying for world peace and all that fun stuff too, hehe.

Bon, I guess this post goes in line with the first tip I gave to a friend who's fasting in solidarity with her Saudi friends - which, I think it's really admirable and fosters mutual understanding across religions: Figure out what you're fasting for/towards. As with any productive venture, you need goals. What are yours? Hope you have a blessed Ramadan! Massalama my friends :)

Lifestylz GH Interview: Sangu Delle

As part of Lifestylz GH’s interview series, we bring you our premier interview with Sangu Delle. Profile: Sangu Delle Sangu Delle is a senior at Harvard University. He was born and raised in Ghana, and is the youngest of five children in a bi-religious family (his father is Catholic while his mum is Muslim). He attended Christ the King Catholic School (CTK) and went on to study at the Ghana International School (GIS) until his O-Levels when he transferred to the Peddie School (a college preparatory school in NJ) on scholarship. His areas of concentration in academics are Economics and African studies, with a particular focus on development. Aspirations To be involved in the development of Ghana and Africa at large in some capacity. In the past, he was more involved in non-profit and development work, but has increasingly become active in entrepreneurial and business ventures; a testament to his belief that there should be “less foundations and more entrepreneurs” in Africa. In his own

Review of 'The Perfect Picture' & the Ghanaian Movie Industry

The Ghana-Naija movie industry saga. That's always a tough one where I'm concerned. On the one hand is my allegiance to Ghana - my motherland, homeland and basically where most of my formative years were spent. On the other hand is my undeniable connection to Nigeria - my birthland and the land of my ancestors. Even though I barely remember that much about Nigeria, I do joke about when I will "finally return to my birthland." Maybe it's this umbilical connection, that makes me slightly biased towards Nollywood when it comes to the Ghana-Naija movie saga. Truth be told, I barely paid Ghanaian movies enough mind when I was growing up. I was more likely to watch a Nigerian movie instead, and even then, I was picky. Ramsey Noah or Genevive Nnaji had to be part of the cast. Why this bias towards Naija movies? It's simple really; their acting was generally better. These days, I'm more willing to watch anything Ghana-related. For one thing, the surges of homesi

World Water Day: Water - Ghana's "Forgotten Oil"

NB: This post is part of a GhanaBlogging event to commemorate World Water Day (March 22) -- The word floating around in Ghanaian circles these days is oil. Since 'the great find' the hopes of numerous Ghanaians have been buoyed and politicians are having quite the field day using the 'expected oil revenues' as bargaining chips for one thing or the other. I don't share in that optimism, hence my delay in writing about Ghana's "oil miracle". Instead, I'm focused on another precious resource, one that has unfortunately become more of a commodity than a right. Water. Science tells us that water and oil don't mesh together. They just don't. But if what the analysts are saying is correct, the two might have more in common than we think. At the rate things are going, water is becoming increasingly scarce. So much to the point where it's expected that water could be the next oil : a precious element in the hands of few. Unless Ghana realign

Circumspecte

Search This Blog