Convinced

So maybe Peru has made me a little loco, maybe its the idle time...either way I've convinced myself of a few things

Disclaimer: it may or may not all be true. 

1) When I sing, you can feel it like you feel Lauryn when she sings. All i have to do is close my eyes.

2) I can handle myself if anyone tries to rob me...even if they have a weapon

3) My soul was born in 1976

4) I can choreograph for the Alvin Ailey dance company. why not?

5) Politics will be in my future at some point (in some way shape or form)...so I should probably get my twitter life together

6) I can rap

7) I can rap in several languages

8) I need an MD,JD,PhD, MsGH 

9) You can lose weight by wishing with all of your heart...with no dietary change or physical activity

10) Animals are pure evil and developing a master plan to take over...thankfully we're human and superior. (yeah i said it)

11) Everywhere in the world with the exception of Africa many are either scared of black people or look at them as some sort of entertainment

12) I can make it the rest of my life without learning how to cook forreal

lastly...

13) I am quietly a hardcore thug. <-- but you already knew that.

Chef-boy-@Akoma

People always laugh when I tell them that I can't cook. Or admit they cant either. The fact of the matter is...i'm never lying or exaggerating. I literally do not know how to cook. I've never had a desire to learn because...i dont know why. 

Anyhoo, I figured being in Peru...in an apartment...I'd go ahead and learn how to cook. Better late than never.

I went to the grocery store for the first time here and picked up what I figured would be easy to cook...CHICKEN! I bought chicken, 2 kinds of spices, vegetable oil, and corn. I figured that'd be a good first meal.

The only problem was...I didn't know where to start. I decided to make the corn first. I turned on the stove and put water in pot and put the corn in. I was completely confused when the stove didn't light up or anything but I figured it might need some time to start up. The man who cleans the house was around and I didn't want to look like a complete fool...so I decided to let it sit while I went to my room to watch an episode of Cosby. 

It wasn't long before the man came and explained that there were no matches so he turned off the stove. I didnt QUITE understand why the matches/fire had anything to do with anything but I went with the flow. I later found out this was because it was a GAS STOVE not an ELECTRIC stove!!! I'd heard of gas stoves before...just didn't know what they were or how to work it. Anyhoo after a while I learned how to use it.

My first "meal" was chicken. I had no idea where to start...but we've all gotta start somewhere. So after posing a few questions to my twamilia (how to wash it, what to do w/ my ingredients) I began my journey. 

I washed the chicken...seasoned it...and lit the stove. So i thought...

I turned the gas on and used the lighter to light up the stove. Next thing I knew I was moving back from the stove in shock as the entire stove lit up and quickly turned off. 

This was enough to scare me for a day or so. The next day I asked one of my housemates, Gladys how to use it. annnnnnd i successfully baked my first chicken!! =)

Feeling like a hometown hero I started to smell myself a little....made another chicken dish and started lookin up recipes.

My mission: to make cornbeef stew, lasagna (the only thing i actually knew how to make before), tortilla espanola, and parmesan noodles.

Soooooooooooo I made my way to the grocery store yet again on a mission.

The result: EPIC fail.

They had no shredded cheese or cheese powder...which was needed for my lasagna and noodles.   I figured i could shred my own cheese but there was no pre-made sauce w/ meat in it ooor pre-packaged ground beef (i didnt know how to ask the butchers for what i wanted either)...So i gave up on the lasanga and noodles. Next, I figured, cornbeef stew. They had no cornbeef at the grocery store.

So...I ended back a square one. Went to the pollo section, grabbed some chicken and thought of what i could do with that.

I was, however, able to get the ingredients for tortilla espanola/tortilla de patatas/egg&potato omelet. I followed the step by step directions thanks to eHow.com and ta-da! I had a tortilla!! :-) It didn't exactttllyyy look like how it does on-line but that was due to a sticky pan that didn't allow for the flip to happen as smoothly as it appears on the internet.

 the internet image

 mine...when it was in the pan

me and my meal cuando he terminado de todo 

Overall...i'm learning. Baby steps. Next: Fried chicken! We'll see how it goes....

Oberservaciones sobre Ghana

Sooo since i didn't get to make any additional entries about Ghana...i've compiled a list of observations that I made....some of which you may have seen via twitter.

- A car without a horn [in Ghana] is like a seeing eye dog without eyes and legs. U need the horn for EVERYTHING! Changing lanes, saying hello to friends, yelling at annoying cars, speeding up, slowing down, rain, sports games, to buy things on the street, saying goodbye, annoying potholes, to tell people to get out of the way...dogs...and any and everything else u can imagine...and when you mean SERIOUS business, you add flashing your lights to the equation. #thuglife

- Black america needs to do some SERIOUS evaluation of the image that they send out to the africa, and the world for that matter, because I personally don't think Wayne is an accurate description or portrayal...BUT thats what people think

-You can probably buy anything short of  a career on street, and even that...i might have a hook up for you

-African comics beat any def comedy, bet, random comedy show...if you want....youtube some. I guarantee you will DIE in laughter

-Music is LIFE, real talk. We spent most of one weekend in the BUSH aka the VILLAGE aka What people think africa is all about...we got there at like 8pm....obvi there were very few lights on...buuuut the party was POPPIN! The radio was blasting "Hold yuh" by Gyptian was coming out of someone's speakers and all was well. that was hands down the most Unexpected thing ive seen in a LONG time. You clearly don't need lights or things westerners associate with comfort to have a good time and enjoy music.

-Where there is Reggae there is happiness. Where there is Reggae there is love. 

-Hazing is rampant in Ghana. They just call it discipline.

When I was getting my hair done right before I left, one of the girls was new to the shop and the way that everyone was talking to her...literally gave me chills...like they were talking to her like she was the scum of the earth...yelling, hitting her, making her do everything that no one would want to do...and no one said a single thing. Its the norm...sometimes the house people are treated similarly but much less extreme. 

Not to mention the boarding schools that most high schoolers go to...baasssssiccaaallyyyyyy...if you're a freshman your "senior" meaning everyone older than you...hazes you. Forever. lol but its cool the respect that everyone has for one another especially towards people older than them is definitely to be admired. America needs to step up their game. #asusual

-If i was in ghana...i'd probably be a banker...they get ALL the perks, lunch on the office (whatever it is they want even if its not on the menu), phone bills paid, money allotment for clothing, and a very nice salary

-In Ghana when you use your VISA card they take your fingerprint...in the mall anyway. Who needs a signature?

-Instead of casual fridays...they were traditional cloth (brought to you by alan cash :-] ) which is phenomenal because its a preservation of our culture that some people want to ignore and assimilate w/ the western world

-The roads are a disaster! point. blank. period. 

-We take education and opportunity for granted in the states. The avg person has to wait 1.5-2 years after they're done with his/her govt service (which is immediately after college) to find a job...which often isn't in their field annnnd to get a masters most places require that you be at least 30 years old with years of work experience.

----> needless to say the definitions of "youth" are a little different than that in the states

- The whole time i was there the Waving Flag- K'naan/world cup song is baaasicamente all that was played and i loved it. + ASEM radio lol

-You can bargain down EVERYTHING.

-Dogs and other animals are used as they SHOULD be...outside or on a dinner plate. Most "pets" are only pets when they're in training to be a guard dog or fattened to be eaten. My grandma has like 4 dogs...i was there for several days and didn't ONCE come into contact with them with the exception of one time when I came into the house late.

-Ghanaian's (well Africans really but especially Ghanaians) do the best hair in the world. I gotta a weave that looked like it was me in like 4 yrs w/o cuts. Americans need to get like that FORREAL

-Kyerematen's do it better. 

And that just about sums up my Ghana trip :-)

Now i'm Lima-chillin.

GHANA! GHANA! GHANA! GHANA! Airplane Ride

OMG! So I hope our journey here was not an indication of the rest of my trip...

It started out with my parents packing HELLLA late as usual [like it was 4:50 our flight left @ 6 but I found out our plane was actually later than I though so i was thinking that we would be free from trouble.

Shouldve known better

me and my sister only using one of our checked luggage alottment because we know th rest will be filled with other things...

next thing you know, although there are 4 of us, we're checking 10 bags!!

In preparing for my own baggage, I made 2 carry-ons for myself. BUT after we check our luggage there are several little suitcases and my cousins who came with us ask: is that being checked? My parents: NO, thats [me and my sisters] carry on. I'm sure u can imagine my face...and if not it was this -________________-

Its right about now that we also realize our flight is delayed a good 2 hours....and they also realize that they forget the video camera and a couple of other things. So they ask my aunt to go back to the house for the stuff.

I realize time is a ticking and i STILL need to flat iron my hair soooo i go into the bathroom and begin the process...

During the full hour it takes for me....I work on my sisters hair and two people feel the need to make comments: "MMMM, giiiirl me next? I smell it!" and "Wow 'COOL' now do you know where the security guard's office is'"

-___________-

^Thats all I have to say about that.

Sooo our plane finally comes....and i awwwwlllllreeeaadddddyyyy know we 'bout to be running. When we get to JFk...we have an hour until our flight leave. We're in terminal 8....we need to be in terminal 3 (according to someone who works there) so we run to try and find the train to get to the right terminal....which took 30 minutes. 

We FINALLY get to the Emirates desk...where we have to get a new boarding pass...only to be met with attitude and hostility. but you ALREADDDDDDDDDY now I was ready, willing, and able to provide the counter attitude and hostility that they so clearly desired in return. 

Obvi, I pop off at the mouth to the manager and quickly inform he that he is NOT the boss because he also must answer to someone and I'll be sure to find out who that someone is.

Johanna, some slow girl that works with emirates who also wanted to rush us is chosen as the one to lead us to the security checkpoint. and her a%%hole self is very quick to take the stairs after seeing us STRUGGLE w/ our carry ons [c'mon SON not to be stereotypical but we all know africans dont travel light especially when going to africa].....pero bueno...i went off on her too.

I began with...."SOOOO can you explain why you all feel as though its appropriate to give us this attitude and to talk to us in the way you did..."

and well i could go on about the rest of the conversation...but thats besides the point...

We finally get on the plane for our 12 hr trip to Dubai...

When we arrive in Dubai they inform us that the temperature is 32 degrees CELSIUS!! #hotasHAYDEES!! and very humid as well. But after a 12 hour flight + the stress of traveling + 40 lb handluggage...we were TIRED and ready to get to the hotel...

Only to find out Emirates deosn't have a hotel for us...

-_________________________________________-

At this point we're all just irked....naw PISSED @ emirates. After about 40 minutes, we finally get a hotel and go about our merry way.

Dubai is such an interesting place because it's smack dab in the Middle East and seeing people in the attire typical over here is quite a sight to see. The customs also are quite different...as we were leaving the airport my dad went through the business class line. Me, my hermanita, and my madre tried to follow him. We were quickly stopped and ushered to the economy line. After we explained to the lady that we were following my dad...she said "Yeah but he's a man!" We ALL had a #PAUSE moment and reminded ourselves of where we were and just kept it trucking.

The rest of our journey was fine...although I don't quite understand when it was time to board why everyone rushed to the front given that 1) we all are going to the same destination 2) there are assigned seats..... >____>  

Pero bueno...now i'm Ghana, camcorder-less, w/o our 10 bags, and EXHAUSTED, but happy nonetheless.