A Fork in the Road

A Book A Week - The Host

2013-05-24T09:00:00.000+01:00

The Host - Stephenie Meyer

I've been avoiding this book. It's not that I didn't want to read it, it's just that it's, well, big.

One of the nice things about reading books on a Kindle is that it's hard to get a sense of how big the book is. Sometimes that's annoying, but when you're confronted with a book that is 618 pages long, it's almost better not to know. I shouldn't have worried. I finished the book in three days after being sucked into some long, late night reading binges, early morning reading binges and even a read-by-the-light-of-my-mobile-phone during a twelve hour power outage.

The premise of the book is really interesting - aliens have invaded earth. OK, that's not very interesting, let me rephrase. Worm-like aliens have taken over the earth by implanting their tiny bodies in the skulls of host bodies. Once implanted, the alien then takes over the brain functions of its host and lives out its long happy life. This all goes well for the alien except when the original host isn't keen on giving up their body/brain in a hurry. The novel is told from the perspective of one such conflict when veteran planet jumping alien - Wanderer - is implanted in Melanie - a feisty being who is not too keen on giving over her body. What's more, Melanie is hell bent on being reunited with her brother, Jamie and her lover, Jared. This makes for some unusual conflicts of interest, a meet-up with a gang of misfit rebels and a rather unique love triangle er, quadrangle.

On the downside, reading this book is a bit like visiting an aunt who is a lot of fun, but who has terrible taste in furniture. While the alien/host dynamic is really good and the personal dynamics are entertaining, I think Stephenie Meyer should try to keep away from science fiction as much as possible. The descriptions of the other planets that Wanderer has visited are bordering on puerile. The names of the planets are terrible as are the names of the other aliens. I found whenever the other planets were mentioned I started skimming ahead - Planet of the Flowers la la la la la oh look we're back in the caves THANK GOD.

And while we're on the subject of names, Ms Meyer, I was prepared to let Renesmee slip by - it was silly, but in the context, passable. But can I just say that Wanda is NOT a good name for a heroine on anyone's planet. (Of course, no offense intended to whichever family member you named her after.)

This is not a book that warrants great philosophical analyses. It moves at a good pace and the characters and their relationships are well drawn. The ending is mostly predictable, but well managed. On the whole it's a very satisfying read. Great for a long rainy weekend - or any other occasion when you don't feel the need to talk to the family for a couple of days.

A Book A Week - Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

2013-05-17T09:00:00.000+01:00

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Jamie Ford

I've been waiting a long time to read this book. Well, not this book exactly, but rather a well plotted, well written, keeps-you-hooked sort of book; one that never disappoints and remains consistent throughout. After reading many ok-but-a-tad-uninspiring books, this was a real treat.

Shifting between the 1940s and 1986, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet tells of a friendship between a Chinese boy and a Japanese girl as they navigate first love, family pressures and a nation at war. It's a story of prejudice and tradition, jazz and internment. And it's very well crafted.

Narrated by Henry - as a thirteen year old reluctant school boy and as a fifty-seven year old widower - this is a poignant and beautifully told story. The voice of Henry at both ages is consistent and authentic. The transition between time periods is very smooth and you can hear the remnants of the child in the man.

The supporting characters in the book are also beautifully drawn - Sheldon the jazz musician is the sort of friend every displaced teenager should have, and Mrs Beatty, the hardened canteen lady, is also well told. I particularly liked the unfolding of Ethel, Henry's recently deceased wife. For most of the book we know only of her death, but when she does appear as a young girl, it is in a very satisfying way. She fits seamlessly into the story and despite everything, you want to love her as much as Henry does. The only voices that I found slightly unconvincing were Keiko's parents, but Keiko herself is lovely, and the V-day crowd scene is heartbreaking.

This is a book I would love to see made as a movie. There are so many moments that you can visualise in your head - especially all the parts that I did/will cry through! It's a story I would love to see on the big screen and also a story that should be told.

Reflections: Seeing the things you no longer notice

2013-05-15T17:11:00.000+01:00

We had dinner last week with a friend who had recently arrived in Ghana. It was a chance to show her a small corner of town, but also the opportunity to see Accra through fresh eyes.

It is so hard to remember those days when everything was new, those first impressions; the images that caught your eye, making you turn your head for one more look. Did I really see that? Or the smells that are strange and not always appetising, Or worse, the ones that smell amazing, that call to your empty stomach from across a busy road, but then you see the rusting burner, and the dogs circling beneath and you hesitate because of all those warnings... All the weddings and gatherings that were a rush of colour and noise and new friends.The shouts of greeting and perhaps insult that you heard, or thought you did.

Since then I've been trying to watch, to look more closely. And stopping to look makes you realise what you take for granted, like the Bedouin man standing outside the supermarket - his head wrapped in a turban, his long shirt and pants hanging in soft folds. As the fighting continues in Mali, more and more northerners are finding there way into Ghana; their muted colours in stark contrast to the bold local textiles.

Or the random things that find their way onto people's heads to be carried for sale, or convenience: loads of washing basins or bras, all the makings of a sandwich or a suit. Or those who cater for all needs, like the man with two armloads of pirate dvds and a dvd player on his head.

And there are the men with guns; semi-automatic weapons slung casually over a shoulder so that you nearly collide in the supermarket. Or the guns laid out on the lap of a motorbike passenger, bouncing into the air at every speed bump. Or the men in traffic, and on street corners and in gardens, and tiny convenience stores who move their machetes out of the way to allow you to pass. They move freely and unselfconsciously as if there are no corners of the world where a machete is anything other than a tool of the trade.

And of course there are the goats. It's easy to become blase about goats, but then you realise that there are many countries were you don't see goats on poles, tossed into the back of an SUV, or standing on a street corner, on a leash waiting for the traffic lights to change.

And you smile and remember what it's like to see again.

photocredit: tungphoto/freedigitalphotos.net

A Book A Week - Tell the Wolves I'm Home

2013-05-10T09:00:00.000+01:00

Tell the Wolves I'm Home - Carol Rifka Brunt

We've come a long way since the 1980s, when television screens, in Australia at least, were filled with images of the Grim Reaper and his AIDs infected bowling ball. It was a graphic campaign. As men, women and children fell, the voice over threatened that more Australians could die from AIDs than during World War II. Prevention was the only cure and fear the primary tactic.

It is this sentiment that underpins Tell The Wolves I'm Home; the story of June, a young girl coming to terms with the death of a beloved uncle from AIDs. Set during the 1980s it tackles issues of homophobia and the uncertainty that surrounded infection and transmission. If this book achieves nothing else, it is to show how far we've come.

On many levels this is a powerful novel. Told from a teenager's perspective we are given the chance to explore motivations and behaviour without the overlay of adult prejudices and fears. The characters are well developed and given very raw emotions that convey the complexities of the issues. I found the book incredibly readable and finished it in a couple of days.

My one big concern with the novel is in the way the narrator and her sister are presented. There is something about the two girls' voices and perhaps even motivations that I didn't find entirely convincing. Maybe it's been too long since I was 14/16 but there was something about the two of them that isn't authentic. The older sister, Greta, in particular, is an odd character. I kept waiting for the big secret to be revealed, that would explain her behaviour, but the explanation is ultimately disappointing. As for June and Toby? I wanted to appreciate the relationship, but the way it's written, it just comes across as weird.

I enjoyed this book when I was reading it, but the further I step back from it, the less convinced I am.

Reflections: Kantamanto fire reveals cracks beneath the surface

2013-05-08T18:02:00.000+01:00

In the early hours of Sunday morning, a fire broke out in Kantamanto, Accra's extensive secondhand clothing market. With fire fighters struggling to fight a blaze that tore through the ramshackle and tightly packed structures, the market was destroyed in a matter of hours. The fire was a disaster not only for the thousands of traders whose livelihood was destroyed, but also for those who relied on the markets as a cheap source of clothing and household goods.

Conspiracy theories abound on the cause of the fire. In the very first reports, there was speculation that the fire had been deliberately lit in order to drive the traders off valuable inner city real estate. Coming in the wake of fires in Makola market and in Old Fadama, there are claims that this is yet one more attempt to free up land. Across the city, residential and commercial property is at a premium and existing infrastructure is struggling to keep up: houses in high density suburbs designed for one family may sleep seventy, slums built to accommodate 40,000 now house over twice that number. The suggestion, therefore that an unexplained fire was motivated by a desire for land, quickly gained traction.

While much finger pointing has been in the direction of city officials, it seems that the fear of external influences are also rife. Returning from a visit from South Africa, President Mahama was forced to reassure angry market representatives that the market had not been burned because the Government had sold the site to Chinese investors. It says something about the average Ghanaian's perception of construction and development that when bulldozers were brought in to clear the site, it was immediately assumed that they were there on behalf of Chinese property developers.

It was also interesting to see the level of hostility and suspicion that erupted between traders and government officials, with market stall holders burning tyres to prevent police and officials from cordoning off the market. In response the police allegedly fired bullets and tear gas, including apparently in an attempt to prevent mass looting.

Whilst much is made of Accra's ascension to middle class status, and the rapid development and urbanisation of the city, events like this serve to highlight the cracks that lie just beneath the surface.

Photo credit: freedigitalphotos.net/phanlop88

Dear Life: In support of Brave women

2013-05-06T12:52:00.000+01:00

Dear Life

Standing in a queue in a department store, my then three year old asked "Why don't we like Barbie?" Around us conversations dried up and shoppers and checkout attendants alike turned to look at me. For her, and their benefit, I explained my concerns about Barbie dolls - their insanely/inhumanely/genetically impossible figures and the impact of sex role stereotyping on children. Sure Barbie got to be President and an astronaut and all those other diverse careers, but why did she have to do them in six inch heels and a body shape that would have been crippling in a human?

Two years later my daughter was in a children's hospital for surgery on her foot. She'd been admitted in mid-November and then again the week before Christmas. The difference between the two visits was striking. The first time we had seen predominantly children recovering from accidents or those with illnesses like cancer. In the pre-Christmas period, the corridors were peppered with anorexic girls and boys. One of the nurses confirmed that they saw an annual spike in admissions for anorexia as soon as the school year ended.

It would be over simplifying a complex condition to draw a straight line between Barbie and anorexia, but there is no doubting the fact that images like this contribute to the distorted way that women of all ages view their bodies.

So why then raise this issue in a post usually reserved for pointing out the good in the world? Because I have such great respect for the people who work to highlight and transform those images.

Over the weekend, a wonderful website - A Mighty Girl - launched a campaign petitioning Disney to reconsider the way they have made-over Merida from Brave - before her 'coronation' as an official Disney princess. For some reason, Disney has felt the need to take a feisty young (self rescuing) girl and turn her into a sparkly, sexualised woman. I love the work A Mighty Girl does and I am proud to support their petition, follow them on Facebook and share the information and ideas that they promote. We are lucky to have organisations like this in the world. They highlight not only things like the Disney rebranding of Merida, but also the incredible women both past and present who should be household names for our children.

We're not big fans of Barbie, but we do like Merida, and Pippy Longstocking, and Hermione Grainger and Anna Beth Chase and Nellie Bly and Wangaari Mathai and Rosa Parkes and Georgia O'Keefe and.....

A Book A Week - The Man Who Died Laughing

2013-05-03T08:00:00.000+01:00

The Man Who Died Laughing - David Handler

Yeah, I know, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. But I do and I did.

This book came up in a suggested list when I was borrowing another book from the library. It caught my eye and when I went to the page I discovered he'd written a whole series - all with similar covers. The blurb sounded interesting enough and I figured that if he'd written a whole series then they must be ok.

My impressions were pretty spot on. It's an interesting cover and the book is ok, and that's about it.

Struggling author with an inability to recreate the brilliance of first novel is invited to ghost write the autobiography of a fading comic. Comic is ultimately murdered, author must discover who did it.

On the whole the book ticks over pretty well, right up until we discover the murderer and motive. I can't quite put my finger on what was wrong with the revelation - but it all seems out of character and stylistically just not quite right. The tone of the revelation also doesn't really fit the rest of the book - it'seems like a more sordid scenario than this otherwise light weight novel sets up.

An easy read and easily forgettable.

Reflections: Writers block

2013-05-01T21:27:00.001+01:00

Fear is a funny thing. Being scared of spiders, snakes or armed bandits is one thing, but a book? Turns out the object of our fear comes in many different shapes and forms.

I finished the first draft of my second novel a long time ago. I'm not sure how long ago, but a while. Given that the comments I got back from my test readers are dated around January, I could generously say that I finished it about six months ago, but I suspect in all honesty it was closer to a year. Since then I've done a bit of proofing. I've made lots of notes, cleaned up typos, but I have been reluctant, alright, afraid to sit down and do the rewriting required. I've been dismissing it as procrastination, but it's more than that.

When I start on a new work there's always that ridiculous fear that I'll never be able to write another book, that there aren't enough words left inside me. To me that seems understandable. The prospect of finding a [coherent] 100,000 words is challenging. But to be afraid of edits always seems odd. How hard can it be to tweak and rework what's already there?

Over the last couple of weeks I've finally forced myself to return to the novel. Each day I've been making a conscious effort to tackle the sections that I know need work. Not surprisingly it hasn't been a traumatic experience and has gradually got better, to the point where this afternoon all I wanted to do was to sit and write. And it seems that in the course of those edits, my novel has grown by about twenty pages.

I read a quote today that said you should write with your heart and edit with your head. Perhaps this is where the problem lies. When you edit you are forced to confront what has come pouring out of your heart. Some of that is powerful, some of it is painful and raw and some of it just needs to be cut out and thrown away. But all of it, no matter what costume you dress it up in, is you. And sitting down and looking at the contents of your heart (and imagining what other people will think of it) is not always a pleasant experience.

But it is a necessary process. There are characters that need to relax their grip, anger that needs purpose and love that needs to be grounded. In a few lines a character can change and grow and evolve - angst transformed into something more. And then there are the shadows that need to be filled; spaces around the edges of the action, where explanation and understanding lie. It's a place I've tended to avoid in my hurry to get everything down, but now I'm discovering a whole other world to be explored.

And like any irrational fear there comes that point where you stop and think, you know, this might actually be fun.

Photo credit: imagerymajestic/freedigitalphotos.net

When Life gives you oranges...

2013-04-29T15:26:00.000+01:00

Dear Life

So it's been a swings and roundabouts kind of day. The power is out (ahem, Mr President, when you said no more day time load shedding, did you really mean it???) but the generator is working and hasn't caught fire yet. The kid is running a temperature, but is in reasonably good humour and eating well. The oven is not working, but the internet is (after a week long sabbatical) and once again I have stumbled upon a great raw food snack recipe.

So now after a quick run to the supermarket I have a plate of lemon slice and a box of wild orange chocolate balls chilling in the freezer. The latter is a new find and required a bit of adaptation (I am not even going to begin to contemplate where I might find orange essential oil in Accra - a slosh of orange juice should achieve a similar effect if you don't know any better!) but so far so good. And yes, they're sugar free, gluten free and egg free.

I also almost pulled off a homeschool forensics cross-over as well as I managed to take the top off a knuckle whilst "zesting" a lemon (I'm sorry, but that's a really pretentious word and implies far more Nigella than was going on in my kitchen today.). My pleas to aforementioned kid for a bandaid were met with a microscope slide and a polite request for a blood sample. Unfortunately, however, the wound was not deep enough to be of any use. Maybe next time.

All in all, a good day.

A Book A Week - The Racketeer

2013-04-26T09:52:00.000+01:00

The Racketeer - John Grisham

By around 40% of the way through this novel I was totally hooked, and thoroughly confused. I'd read nearly half the book, and I still didn't know much more of the plot than had been revealed in the blurb.

Malcolm Bannister is a former attorney who has been sentenced to ten years in prison for money laundering - by all accounts he is innocent of his crime. Meanwhile on the outside, a federal court judge has been murdered. Bannister knows who did it and why, but revealing that information comes at a price.

In the first half of the novel we learn about Bannister, we learn about the federal court judge and we learn who Bannister has revealed as the killer.

And then we wait...because surely there has to be a twist. But there will be no rushing it. This is a plot held firmly in the hands of a masterful storyteller.

This is a very satisfying novel. It is well written, pulls you along and the twist, when it comes, is extremely well executed. Having read this book over a couple of days at the beach, I can confidently say that it is a perfect summer novel.

Reflections: The Boston Marathon Bombing - A good news story

2013-04-24T13:22:00.000+01:00

I have a real problem with the reporting of the Boston marathon bombings. Rather than the daily barrage of emotion and drama, I strongly believe that it should have been reported as a good news story.

How could it possibly be a good news story? Let's first agree that what happened to the victims of the bombing is awful. There's no refuting that. But from that point on, it was all pretty impressive. By all accounts the medical teams on the ground did an amazing job providing immediate relief. The injured were dispatched quickly and efficiently to the right hospitals. There was no overloading of any one hospital. The hospitals in turn coped exceptionally well. And at the site of the bombing, regular people stepped up and did incredible things, helping strangers, helping the injured.

Law enforcement agencies in turn worked quickly and effectively. They identified and apprehended the suspects within a matter of days. Again, ordinary people stepped in to assist, and Bostonians as a whole came together to support each other through the experience. All in all, the city responded efficiently and cohesively to the event, impact and aftermath.

So why should it be reported as a good news story? Because a terrorist's most effective weapon is not a bomb but the media.

At the simplest level terrorism sets out to achieve two things - 1) to shine the spotlight on a particular issue or cause and, 2) to use fear to pressure people to act in support of that issue. At its most effective, terrorism is about creating fear long after the attack is over. It aims to put the issue in the front of people's minds by making them worry about whether they are safe going about their day-to-day lives.

The reality, however, is that the average US citizen is more likely to die of Parkinson's disease or a heart attack, or cancer, or suicide, or kidney failure or a car accident than from a terrorist attack, But the media, needs victims, it needs fear and it needs panic. Fear and panic sells newspapers, as any terrorist worth their salt knows. And by feeding these, the media gives terrorists a rationale for proceeding. Take away the hysteria and you take away some of the value of a terrorist act. Highlight the effectiveness of the consequences and reaction to a terrorist act and you minimise its appeal.

Telling a good news story is also an opportunity to give back to the people. Through the simple act of being proud of the law enforcement and medical personnel who performed well, you reassure the average person that they will be well served in a crisis. And it puts the potential threat in context, allowing people to return to their daily lives without the shadow of impending doom looming over them.

Boston is to be commended for its response. That should be the story.

photo credit: bplanet/freedigitalphotos.net

A Book A Week: Living Dead in Dallas

2013-04-19T09:00:00.000+01:00

Living Dead in Dallas - Charlaine Harris

Waitress.

Vampire.

Louisiana.

Dead people (newly dead and long term dead).

Vampire sex.

Telepathy.

Werewolves.

More vampire sex.

Maenads.

Coffins.

Texas.

Vampire hotels.

People who don't like vampires.

More dead people.

Vampire suicide.

Humans behaving badly.

Vampire reconciliation.

Mindless.

Escapism.

Reflections - How to find books in Accra

2013-04-17T09:00:00.000+01:00

At a writing workshop recently, I was talking to a group of students about finding good books. For those used to finding a Barnes and Noble on every corner, tracking down books in Accra seems like a Herculean task. However, with a bit of patience, (and traffic tolerance), there are a number of good bookstores around. Following is my list of places to find books - listed in random order. If you have any other suggestions, please leave a comment!

1. New books

EPP – opposite Trade Fair
EPP – opposite Legon University (Above A&C)

As is often the case in Ghana, you need to go to different stores for different things. In my opinion, EPP is the place to go if you are looking for African themed children's books - including Kathy Knowles' wonderful series. They also have a good range of text books, cookbooks and novels. I have not had the chance to visit the Legon store, but I'm told it's excellent.

For novels the following three would be my main choices. All three have a good range of international novels, children's books and non-fiction. Silverbird used to be the mainstay, but since moving upstairs next to the cinema, its stock and turnover has been dramatically reduced. Sytris has an excellent range across fiction and non-fiction. Likewise, Vidya has a smaller but still good collection of books.

Sytris – Mark Cofie House (opp Smoothies), Osu and a second store on Spintex Rd.

Vidya Bookstore – 18th Lane, off Oxford Street, opposite Ivory Coast Embassy, Osu.

Silverbird Bookstore - Accra Mall

There's also a bookstore in Dzworwulu next to the Chocopain Restaurant. I have no idea what it's called, but I've had some great finds in the Scholastic range. Also in the "small and I don't know what it's called" category, there's a bookstore just opened in the entrance to Melcom on Spintex Road. It's a tiny store but has a really interesting and more eclectic range.

If you're looking for educational books try Mayan Books – No.4 Bamako Rd, East Legon - behind the Mensvic Hotel. Mayan is a stockist for Oxford University Press. The bookstore at Legon University is also apparently good.

There are also books available in the back of the Kingdom Books and Stationery Store on the Labadi Beach road. While I wouldn't make this a first stop for books, occasionally you happen upon some great finds - like cheap Tin Tin books!

2. Secondhand books

The best option for secondhand books is the Ghana Book Trust at IPS Junction, Legon. GBT receives container loads of secondhand books on a regular basis and sells them for Ghc2 each. The novels are current and in excellent condition. There's also an extremely large children/YA section. As with any secondhand store it's hit and miss as to what you find, but we rarely come out without an armload. But maybe that's just us... Ok, sometimes it's a box...

3. Places to find book reviews

Seeing as I'm sharing book finding info, I thought I'd pass on the following. One of the questions I get from students is how you go about finding books you might want to read. The following lists are a good starting point for trawling around for reading options.

Goodreads
Amazon (look out for “customers who bought this books also bought”)
Eddie's Sofa YA book reviews
Young Adults Book Central

Websites that suggest books you might like based on other books you like:

Website with free books you can download - especially good for classics.

Project Gutenberg

Any other suggestions gratefully received!

Photo credit: adamr/freedigitalphotos.net

Dear Life - Even the camels are smiling

2013-04-15T15:02:00.003+01:00

Dear Life

There's something I've wanted for a long time, somewhere I've longed to go.

It's always been there - a pull for no discernible reason, I've just known that one day my path would take me. A place where there are things that need to be found, and learned and discovered.

And yet despite the pull it's never happened. I've talked and dreamed but never acted: until now.

Now I'm going.

As all the best things are, it was incredibly simple. In a newsletter I've been subscribing to for years I discovered an application for a writers residency. I spent possibly an hour, maybe less on the application process. In fact the most time consuming part of all was trying to arrange to send a $20 processing fee. But even then my wonderful friends came forward with offers of help - more offers than I needed (but the love and kindness is always welcome!).

They reviewed my application (it took a week).

And today we spoke (for an hour).

And in January I will travel.

For eight weeks I will live in Tetouan in Morocco, participating in a residency with Green Olive Arts.

To use their term, I will be a 'global creative'. Or perhaps I am already.

I don't know about any other labels, but 'very, very excited' fits comfortably.

Photo credit: dino de luca/freedigitalphotos.net

A Book A Week - A Million Little Pieces

2013-04-12T09:00:00.000+01:00

A Million Little Pieces - James Frey

About a third of the way through this book I started to have a sense that I'd read about it somewhere. The plot wasn't familiar, so it wasn't a review, but I knew there was something. A quick search revealed that whilst I'd heard little of the detail of this tale of drug addiction and rehabilitation, I knew of the controversy.

In 2005, this story of one man's recovery from a life of addiction and crime made it onto Oprah Winfrey's desk. She was captivated by the story and invited author, James Frey onto her show. A few tears and revelations later, the book was on the top of the New York Times best seller list, where it stayed for another fifteen weeks.

Not long after, quite innocently, a website called The Smoking Gun, decided to see if they could find one of Frey's mugshots - he details many arrests in his book - to add to their list of celebrity pictures. It turned out those shots weren't easy to find and with curiousity piqued, The Smoking Gun went deeper. The upshot of their investigations was that despite being labelled a memoir, much of Frey's story was fabricated or embellished. Winfrey, not surprisingly was furious and recalled Frey to her show, (some have claimed ambushed would be a more accurate term) and she proceeded to itemise the discrepanices and pushed him to confess.

A part of me wishes I had made it through to the end of the book before learning of Frey's deceit. If it was an authentic memoir this would be an incredible read. The style is unique, the voice engaging, and the trials and tribulations are harrowing. But knowing sullies the story. You can't help feeling manipulated and any sense of compassion goes out the window.

But perhaps what struck me most about returning to the text after reading of the controversy is the one glaring fact that makes it apparent that it is a fabrication. Ironically, it's Frey's proclaimed honesty. He is honest about his addiction, about his guilt and the impact his actions have had on those around him. He's been to hell and back and (because he obviously lived to tell the tale) there's a gleaming redemption on the horizon. From the moment he walks into the hospital he makes no attempt to shy away from his culpability and that I just don't buy. Like so many addicts, he has told his audience exactly what they wanted to hear, and they bought every word.

Reflections: Marketing Colonialism At The Accra Mall

2013-04-10T19:01:00.001+01:00

If someone had come up to me a week ago and proposed using colonialism as a marketing tool for a clothing store in Accra, I probably would have laughed.

If I'd detected a hint of seriousness I may have laughed some more, and then perhaps pointed out the fact that Ghana was the first African country to throw off its colonial shackles. If pushed, I may even have mentioned the whole business with slavery which, let's face it, didn't really endear anyone to the colonial model.

But what do I know?

Clearly not very much if the people at T.M.Lewin are to be believed. Fresh from a recent refurbishment, T.M.Lewin - an exclusive shirt and suit retailer at the Accra Mall - has unveiled their new window displays. In what can only be described as "an homage to the heady days of Colonialism" (or "extremely bad taste" whichever you prefer), the display features steamer trunks and binoculars, leather wing-backed chairs replete with Union Jack cushions, and, just in case you're missing the point, antique globes, turned to Africa.

It's a style I could totally understand if the store was located in a snooty part of London. But here? In Africa?

I was tempted to just keep walking, but then curiosity got the better of me and I went inside and asked one of the sales staff whether it wasn't a tad odd to be promoting colonialism in their store window. He said he didn't think it was at all odd. T.M.Lewin is a UK brand and that is a "part of British heritage". He also said that their store was merely a franchise and they had to simply do what they were told.

So, just to be clear, colonialism is something to aspire to, and beside, what you think of it is irrelevant, because you have to do what the UK parent company says.

Am I the only one who sees the irony in this situation?

photo credit: ponsulak/freedigitalphotos.net

Dear Life - Someone to bury the bodies with

2013-04-08T10:08:00.001+01:00

Dear Life

There's a quote that does the rounds on social media every so often - a friend helps you move, a real friend helps you move the body. Whilst I certainly don't advocate a life of crime, or implicating your friends in your nefarious deeds, it's an interesting litmus test. What's funny though is not the fact that you can actually think of people who would be there for you with a roll of carpet and rubber gloves if you called (I came up with five) but how often you hesitate before calling - especially when it's something simple.

I ran into an impasse last week. I was trying to apply for a residency position. I'd completed the online application, I'd submitted all the necessary documentation and there was just one thing outstanding - $20. An awesome opportunity hinged on $20. I had the money but it had to be delivered via paypal and paypal I don't have. (Trying to paypal from Ghana gets tricky...)

Naturally I started with lots of complicated solutions, before finally it was suggested that I simply ask for help. It was a logical solution, but my first reaction was to hesitate, and keep looking for alternatives. Finally I put a call out on Facebook and within a couple of hours I had a list of friends, on three different continents, offering to help.

The person processing the application remarked on the lengths that I'd gone to, to secure the payment. I replied simply "I have awesome friends."

For all my incredible friends I am so grateful.

And I promise I'll never need to ask you to help move a body...

photo credit: michelle meiklejohn/freedigitalphotos.net

A Book A Week - Drive

2013-04-05T10:34:00.000+01:00

Drive - Daniel Pink

As a homeschooling, self employed person, this book didn't come as a huge surprise, but it is one that I really enjoyed. I suspect that's because this is a book that sets down on paper what your gut has been telling you for years.

Drawing on decades of research and numerous commercial case studies, Daniel Pink unpacks and refutes the notion that the carrot and stick approach is an optimal approach to management. Pink asserts that while financial incentives may provide an initial motivational spike, to achieve long term results you need to look to less tangible incentives like autonomy, mastery and purpose. He looks in particular at the business models that have emerged over the last decade that are throwing standard approaches out the window. While he asserts that people have baseline financial needs, business models like open source software or Wikipedia provide a window to a world where people are driven by a whole new set of motivators.

As someone who reads a lot about education models and approaches, much of what Pink has to say rang true. But what I found really interesting was the range of 'standard practises' that he, scientists and companies are now beginning to question because not only do they fail to motivate staff, but are being shown to increase attrition rates, and lower corporate performance - things like billable hours for lawyers and commission payments for sales teams.

What's inspiring about the case studies is seeing the evolution of ideas like working from home. Pink provides some fascinating research on the rise of 'homeshoring' by companies looking at alternatives to relocating their call centres offshore. Rather than looking solely at tapping into cheap labour, homeshoring looks to access a workforce that is effectively off the business grid - people like mothers, retirees, or those with disabilities who require a greater flexibility in their working environment. If you've ever been one of those off the grid types, you won't be surprised to hear that this new workforce is better educated - around 70-80% of homeshored customer service agents are college educated - and is consistently delivering a higher quality service than the conventional approach, whilst still being cost effective.

My only criticism of the book is that it is confined to conventional workplaces. There's considerable scope to take the ideas and research outlined here and explore them in the context of the current generation of entrepreneurs and self employed. The world of homeschooling also provides a whole other case study for a study of motivation. (It doesn't take a homeschooling parent long to realise that the threat of suspending a student from school carries little weight!)

This book is really worth a read, but if you would prefer a quick snapshot of the basic principles, check out Pink's Ted Talk on the subject.

Reflections: What's it like in Ghana?

2013-04-04T01:31:00.000+01:00

People say:

What's it's like in Ghana?

And I pause and wonder how to answer.

They say:

I hear the country is booming. It's a beacon of democracy.

That makes me laugh. People don't realise it but there's an irony in the choice of words: beacon, shining light...if only.

I shouldn't laugh. Tonight I am lucky. For the first time in days my world is peaceful because the generator has finally been turned off. Fifty hours of non-stop "light off". We have a generator, many don't.

Those who read the business pages remark:

I hear the country is awash with foreign investment.

Again I stumble over their words. Water hasn't flowed to the house in years. We are lucky that we can afford to pay the trucks to bring water to our home to fill the tanks: many can't.

They begin again:

Compared to its neighbours, Ghana...

I am reminded of a story I heard the other day about a business deciding how to respond to the news that one its workers was discovered on the premises raping a child. There was debate over the best course of action. Perhaps we don't need to involve the police, some people said, after all, it is not uncommon here.

So how do I answer?

There is no one answer, because there are many Ghanas.

In my Ghana there is light and water and internet. I eat well and as I want. I have the most wonderful friends; creative people, inspiring people, talented and imaginative and resourceful people who change the world around them each and every day. I connect with artists and educators and entrepreneurs and in them I see hope and opportunity. I buy books and see movies. I exercise and create and connect.

Wherever possible I avoid policeman and government departments and peak hour and long road trips and open drains. I let my face go blank when conversation turns to bribes.

There are so many Ghanas and I live in only one.

photocredit: domdeen/freedigitalphotos.net

Dear Life - Blessed are the rains

2013-04-02T13:29:00.001+01:00

Dear Life

Of course I am grateful for the rain in the early hours of this morning. With no electricity, hence no fans, and air as thick as soup who wouldn't welcome the respite of a dawn thunderstorm? But I want to give a special thanks for those few precious moments before the clouds open, for that second when you catch the first hint of the rain to come, when the breeze lifts ever so slightly, carrying ahead of the storm the smell of damp earth. And in that moment you forget the sweat that molds the pillow to your face, the mosquito that catches its wings in the hair behind your ear, or the sheet that wraps around your ankles as you twist and turn.

Now there is only the sweet promise of relief

Photo credit: happykanppy/freedigitalphotos.net

A Book a Week - The Light Between Oceans

2013-03-29T13:31:00.003Z

The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman

Over a thousand people on Amazon have given this book five stars. I am not one of them. For me this is firmly in the three star camp because I really am in the middle - there are lots of things I liked about it, and plenty that I didn't.

On the positive side, this is a story with lots of potential. When a boat washes ashore on Janus Rock, the lighthouse keeper is faced with a dilemma. Does he immediately report, as regulation dictates, the dead body and the (living) baby found in the boat? Or does he allow his grieving wife who has just buried her third baby, to take on the child as her own? The decision taken reaches both into the future and the past, binding families together and tearing others apart.

While the moral dilemma is at the heart of the story, so too is the work of a lighthouse keeper and this story delves into both the connections and dislocation the keepers feel. It is also a story that is rich in detail, describing a coastline that is both fierce and beautiful.

On the whole I enjoyed the premise of the story, however, it lacked something in the execution. Given that the novel is set in Western Australia where I lived for ten years, I'd expected to feel a closer connection. The novel, however, really feels like it was written for an international audience whose knowledge of Australia is grounded in the Crocodile Hunter. It invokes every possible Australian colloquialism and Australian animals, reptiles and insects are inserted liberally. Perhaps the language was appropriate for the era, but I just found it irritating. To an extent this may have been exacerbated by the fact that Stedman never seems entirely comfortable writing dialogue. Her descriptive prose is beautiful and lyrical, but the conversations are often stilted and jarring.

Stylistically there are also some weird things going on, particularly in the use of past and present tense. Every new section starts off in the present tense, and then invariably meanders into past tense. You don't notice it happening until you reach the next section and the present tense jumps out again.

Something odd too has happened in the overall structure. The first half is largely confined to two points of view and the suddenly there's a whole lot of random head hopping going on - often into the heads of characters who are never heard from again. There are also some random elements of back story that are introduced but never fully developed or explained.

Other reviewers have suggested that it reads like a book completed in a hurry to meet a deadline, and I understand that feeling. Perhaps this is true. Or maybe it was picked up by a publisher in its early draft form, and now bears the hallmark of a book that was recrafted to suit an international audience.

I didn't love this book, but I would definitely read the author's next. Perhaps with a bestseller under her belt and a bit of breathing space to write, we will get to see her considerable talent put to better use.

Reflections - An afternoon with some kids who hate reading

2013-03-27T21:43:00.000Z

I used to consider myself an advocate of teaching people to read, but now I'm not so sure that learning to read is enough.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still a big fan of literacy, what I'm not so keen on is functional literacy. I'm coming around to the view that we spend a lot of time teaching kids, and adults, to read, but a lot less time teaching them how to love reading.

I was invited to give a presentation last week to a group of high school students - lovely kids, very polite, clapped in the right places, didn't talk when I was being introduced, didn't throw things, basically what you want in an audience. But on a hunch, when the teacher stepped out of the room, I asked a simple question - "how many of you hate reading?". Close to half raised their hands.

The logic of literacy seems to be that you teach people their letters, then words, then sentences etc. You give them picture books and then chapter books and eventually reading just becomes something you do instinctively when presented with a page of words. By the time many kids get to high school, reading is simply another form of torture. Adults on the whole are not much better, although in the case of adults, reading seems to have become some sort of elitist time waster. Tell someone that you're going to spend five hours on the weekend playing tennis or golf and they'll be impressed. Tell them you're going to spend five hours reading a book and they'll react in a very different way.

I told the students a story about how I was once asked what sort of books I wanted to write and I replied - books you read in the bathroom. I don't mean the out of date comics that get left in the loo, but rather the sort of books that you tuck under your arm, sneak off and close the door behind you. (Ok, so maybe that's just me but I'm guessing I'm not the only mother out there who occasionally feels the need to lock herself in a small room with a good book for a bit of peace and quiet... ) It's what I want for anyone who learns to read - that incessant pull that ties you to a good book and makes you want to read on and on without distraction.

What was interesting about these students - and what gave me hope - was their reaction when I asked them to tell me their favourite book. I went around the group one by one, writing the suggested books on the board. At first there were those who refused to participate, professing to not have a favorite book, but by the end, there were hands in the air of those who had been passed over. And out of a group of about thirty kids there were only a couple of duplications. When I pointed out the fact that even those who had claimed to hate reading had nominated a favourite book there were many sheepish grins. If we achieved nothing else that day, I hope they were able to reconnect for a moment with that pull of a favourite book.

We talked a lot about how to find your next favourite book. We talked about how you need to take responsibility for connecting with those books, because they're out there. There are so many incredible books, particularly in the YA category, that I defy any kid not to be able to find something that they like. In the context of that presentation I put the onus back on the students to find their next book - I gave them lists of book stores and online resources. We talked about how to find books like the ones you already know you like. We talked about asking for specific books as presents, about telling parents and relatives what you want (especially the relative who always gives you the ugly shirts for Christmas).

While I told the students it was up to them, I think the responsibility lies with all of us to help people - adults and kids alike - to connect with the joy of reading. If you love reading, then share that passion with other people - buy them books, ask them what they've enjoyed in the past, dig until you see that flicker in their eyes as they remember what it was like to really get hooked. And if you're struggling to find something to read yourself then leave a comment below and I'm happy to make suggestions.

Maybe we just need to think about literacy as an ongoing process - we need to teach people how to read, then we need to teach them how to love reading, and then we need to reinforce that love, in them, and in ourselves.

photo credit: master isolated/freedigitalphotos.net

Dear Life - For these things I am grateful

2013-03-25T23:00:00.001Z

Dear Life

Today I am grateful for the fan that sits on my desk, for the breeze that blows through the window, for the power that runs silently through the walls and keeps the lights ablaze.

I am grateful for laughter and friendship, for diversity and tolerance, for kindness and consideration.

I am grateful for the seemingly small and for the incomprehensibly large. For a hospital on the other side of the world who this morning left a teddy bear on a new patient's bed to welcome her with kindness, and for the doctors later in the day who held that young patient's heart in their hands and set about making it whole.

And I am grateful for a moment alone in which to sit in silence and simply enjoy the gift of my own heart beating.

A Book A Week - Flight Behavior

2013-03-22T23:59:00.003Z

Flight Behavior - Barbara Kingsolver

I recently joined a bookclub.

That may not sound impressive, but this is a big thing for me, because the truth is I suck at bookclubs. In fact those sort of gatherings in general are usually not a long term plan - I've lost track of all the mothers' groups I dropped out of over the years.. There's something about them that just doesn't work for me. But this bookclub seems like fun - a good group of women, interesting life experiences, and so far I haven't been struck by the desire to run for the hills. It was different this time too - they found me after deciding to read my book and very graciously invited me to come along and speak about it.

Because they'd all been so nice and read my book and not hated it and asked me lots of good questions and then invited me to join the group, I really wanted to make an effort at the first meeting. And so I dutifully went away and read the book. I struggled a bit at first, but throughout, the thought of turning up without having finished, was a great motivator. So I pushed through including a mammoth session on the morning of to get it done. I even highlighted some bits I liked.

Turns out I was the only person in the entire group who finished the book.

I'm grateful though that I felt driven to read to the end, because I really enjoyed it. It's a classic Kingsolver novel - a family drama tightly interwoven with an ecological tale. Where Kingsolver's other novels have touched on more obscure subjects like saving coyotes, this one tackles the big ticket issue - climate change - through a tale of a butterfly migration that alights in a remote rural community. Using the plight of the butterflies as a central point of her argument, Kingsolver makes a strong case for the urgency of action, She takes the motto - Think Global Act Local - to heart, taking an issue that is often talked about in scientific tones about places far far away, and placing it squarely in the backyard of an American farming family.

The story is told from the perspective of Dellarobia; a young woman whose life has veered off down an unintended road leaving her married to a man she doesn't really love and tied to a family she doesn't understand.

But being a stay at home mom was the loneliest kind of lonely, in which she was always and never by herself.

The butterflies are crucial to Dellarobia's story in both a figurative and literal sense. In the forests above the town the butterflies move through their life cycle, while below the Dellarobia and her family undergo their own period of metamorphosis. Motifs of transformation (and at times, the lack thereof) run throughout.

Summer's heat had never really arrived, nor the cold in its turn and everything living now seemed to yearn for the sun with the anguish of the unloved.

What really kept me reading (apart from perfectionism) was Kingsolver's beautiful use of language. I lost count of the number of times during my reading when I thought "I want to be Barbara Kingsolver when I grow up."

She shivered again and hoped that was a pang of desire, not the chill of a wet day and a dread of tree fungus. Should it be so hard to tell the difference?

While I struggled to connect with the central character in the opening chapters, by the end I really cared about how things would turn out, and even shed a tear or two.

If you are prepared to commit to this novel for the long haul, you will be duly rewarded: don't give up!

Reflections - Apocalypse Update

2013-03-20T21:40:00.002Z

Given that I'm sure you've all been wondering, I thought it would be prudent to provide an update on my preparations for cooking during the zombie apocalypse. While an earlier attempt at raw lemon slice was not a huge success (the pumpkin seeds were so salty they made your eyeballs ache), tonight's efforts have been far more impressive.

Up first was an attempt at an egg free, sugar free, flour free, raw carrot cake. So far it seems to have turned out well, but we're waiting for it to freeze properly so the final assessment will have to wait, but initial samplings show great promise.

Now I know that there may be those who doubt the suitability of a cake that requires refrigeration in an apocalyptic environment, but can I just say that in my corner of the world there will be refrigerators. There is no way I am going through a zombie apocalypse without ice for my gin and tonic.

Next up was one of the true highlights of the evening - a pizza crust made with chickpea flour. If you've never had chickpea flour pizzas, you are missing out: they're awesome. Recipe can be found here. My only suggestion is that you triple the recipe and then you might stand a chance of claiming some for yourself...

Last up was a leek frittata with an eggplant and tomato sauce. At first I thought I wouldn't be able to claim apocalypse training credit for these, however, just as I started, the lights and fan went out in the kitchen so I had to cook the meal with a headlamp and dripping sweat: effective but not too glamorous. (No there are no pictures).

For added atmosphere the church down the road got fired up and contributed some lovely call and response moments. Imagine a charismatic preacher working the crowd at half time during an Arsenal / Chelsea match:

Preacher: JEEEEESUUSSSSSSS!
Crowd: HWOOOAAARRRRRRRRRRRRR!

That continued for about half an hour.

In the future I'm considering cooking with the headlamp set to the red setting. That should keep everyone at bay.

All in all I think it was a success.

Oh, and a big thank you to the good folk at the Electricity Company of Ghana for stepping in at the last moment to provide a bit of good old light off, for the sake of authenticity. My zombie training schedule thanks you.

photo credit:Carlos Porto /freedigitalphotos.net