Ghana 2009 Review

Jan 7

Prof. J.E.A. Mills and Mr. John Mahama are sworn in as President and Vice President respectively of Ghana, after a close run off with opposition party leader NPP's Nana Akufo-Addo

July 10-11

US President Barack Obama visits Ghana after attending G20 in Italy and addresses Parliament.

August

Chinese Ambassador donates Chinese language textbooks to University of Ghana, the privileged school to encourage teaching Chinese

Sept 6

Ghana national soccer team Black Stars beat Sudan team and became the first African nation to qualify for World Cup to be held in South Africa 2010

Sept 21

Ghana marks Centenary Celebrations of the birth of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the nation’s founder and first president after gaining independence in 1956.

Oct16

Ghana’s Black Satellites under-20 soccer team beat Brazil to win Africa’s first World Cup at the U20 soccer Championship held in Egypt.

Nov 10

MP runs his car into Parliament Speaker’s in an attempt to outsmart Accra traffic

Dec.

China tops Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) list for having the most registered companies in Ghana, but South Africa ranks the first in terms of the amount of the investment

U.S. Airliner Bombing Suspect Bought Ticket In Ghana

The suspected bomber of Northwest Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit bought his KLM ticket 10 days ago before he carried out the attack. On Dec. 16, he purchased the ticket from a sales office in Accra, the capital of Ghana. He is now facing charges in the U.S.


How bad is corruption in Africa? Ghanaian President John Atta Mills refused to accept Christmas gifts from people for fear that will be considered as bribery. Even such gift-giving customs, so called hampers, are common practice in Ghana. (ireportGhana News)


Could a execution of a Briton heroin carrier by China cause a Sino-UK relationship to sour? Both sides have no softening their tones and the emotional side of the story will certainly stir up a lot of black eyes towards China and its legal system in Britain. (Reuters)

Bang for Banku

Have you heard or even tried the Ghana national soul food, an equivalent of chicken noodle soup in the U.S.? The difference, the Banku is WAY heavy and starchy.

Banku is such a starchy food, you almost need to eat and sleep. A young Ghananian friend in his 20s, educated in the U.S. and once worked in China, told me that he has a guilt feeling for not being able to eat Banku for lunch at work, but he don't want to be found sleeping on the job.

Banku is a starchy ball made of plantine, maze and other local grown grains. The ball is then put in a soup source, usually a light soup(not light at all!), groundnut soup or palm soup. And then it is added with a piece of chicken or fish along with chicken or fish source.

I recently discovered an excellent article written by a Ghanaian about Banku, both informative and interesting. Enjoy!

items of Interest

China, Ghana explore new ways to further collaboration. The Chinese ambassador Yu Wenzhe told an audience in Accra, Ghana. (GBN News)


Obama handpicked Nanfang Zhoumo (Southern Weekend) for only interview with a Chinese media while he visited Beijing last month, and now the top editor of Southern Weekend had been punished for that. You bet some one in top is not happy about it. (Reuters)


Thiland finds a plane full of weapons from North Korea en route to a third country. (Reuters)


After 10 year hilatus, China, two Koreas and the U.S. will start new round of Peack Talks. (Reuters)
Is North Korea desperate or a gesture for liver branch in the year of soccer world cup where North Korea will be a part of after decade of absense?


Fake receipts are creating huge problems and posign grave threats to Chinese economy. (TBS News)


A rule of 30 day advance notice was broken when Chinese vice president Xi Jinping wanted to pay a visit to Japanese Emperior, and Hatoyama administration pressed the office of Emperior to receive Mr. Xi. Should the rule be bent for the Chinese? A debate is on in Tokyo. (TBS)


Hatoyama's right hand man Ozawa took a 600-puls delegate visited Beijing. With or without a 30 day notice, Hu Jintao sit down with Ozawa and the two shared plenty of plesantries. (TBS)


The U.S. and Japan agree to open each other's sky. (TBS)


Still want more Maguro (raw Salmon fish filet famous for making shushi), it may not be there tomorrow. Japan signs the first international treaty to limit the fishing of Maguro in Pacific occean. (TBS)

Half Baked

Upon arriving in Ghana, the first thing you will notice besides potholes dotted roads and aggressively driving cho chos are half finished houses.

These houses can be together in a housing compound, like some huge mansions or villas, or they may be just some random living spaces, but they are all similarly half completed.

I heard that it is so expensive to build anything that is solid bricks or adobe with a real roof, instead of palm tree leaves, that people will build them over a period of time. It could be years, or even decades. In a good time, it may be shortened as more materials can be purchased with less time; when people have to tighten their own belts, the housing will be delayed and pushed aside.

Although it makes economic sense, I wonder how the final project will come out if it is build over a prolonged time, especially if any changes take place and inconsistency appears.

Are there better ways to bake the cake in one short?