A MAG is a Modern African Girl, so no subject is taboo. My purpose is to share things which may interest a MAG.

This week's contributors: Lydia, Doré Fasolati, this week's subjects: Chic by Amakie, Not married, have a child, Should there be VAT on sanitary pads, Buffets are popular.

Chic by Amakie Chic by Amakie is an eccentric jewelry brand that focuses on unique yet affordable statement jewelry. Jewelry pieces range from gold plated to stainless metallic studs to acrylic to resin art to beads to fiber etc.

Amakie’s bold statement earrings are those earrings that are one step out of the boundaries of other style domains. They are items on their own. And not a pair of earrings that just accentuate a particular style. These earrings will be seen, they will make heads turn and they are unique on all fronts. They act like make-up bringing light to your face. There is no limit to creativity when wearing statement jewelry; they look curated and tasteful. Here are a few ways to wear your bold statement jewelry from Amakie. Sleek gold and silver styles in every size continue to be popular for everyday wear, while hoops embellished with diamonds take your ensemble up a notch. You can double up your hoops, mixing various sizes and textures to create a unique and fashion-forward look. Another great way to wear statement earrings is to let it be the only statement piece. In other words, don't wear any other jewelry that would compete with the earrings. This will allow the earrings to shine and stand out. For example, if you're wearing a pair of big, bold earrings, don't wear a necklace or bracelet. Avoid clashing with your bold pieces by wearing halter necks, collars, and detailing. When in doubt, choose neutral-coluored clothing for a chic yet elegant look.

Not married, have a child. Today it is not uncommon for a woman not to be married and have children all the same, either adopted or out of wedlock, or even from a surrogate mother and a sperm donor. Adopting has many advantages. You literally save someone's life. Up to 3-4 years old children don't remember much, so if you adopt you can take your time telling them that you are not the real mother, and if you adopt a child of say 4 you have a fair idea what that child is, boy, girl, healthy, active, smart, cute, etc. And you don’t have the hassle of carrying and delivering a child, your body does not suffer the pregnancy (often your teeth will suffer as well), and there is no guy who claims ownership, of you, and of the child, so you know where you stand. Another way to preserve your body but now have your own child, with your own genes, is the surrogate mother. You use your own egg and either your husband's or friend's sperm, or even the sperm of an anonymous donor, (but that could give totally unforeseen surprises), you fertilize your egg and plant it into a surrogate mother who now carries your child for 9 months. What people do for money...These days it is also popular to avoid labour delivery cramps and pains and have a caesarian. But mind you, no matter what they promise, there will be a huge scar for years to come. Ah, and the latest one is that Britain proudly announced it 's first successful womb transplant, (not the first country to do this), a woman with a misformed womb took the womb from her elder sister who already had 2 kids. This womb will receive an egg the woman had produced and which had been artificially fertilized (sperm origin not stated) and then frozen for later use. So don't despair, soon you'll be able to buy healthy babies in Shoprite.

Should there be VAT on sanitary pads? Someone started a campaign in the UK in 2014 to have the full VAT removed from tampons, pads, and the like, after all, these are necessary products and not luxuries. And the person somehow succeeded in 2021, though prices did not come down because retailers simply swallowed the extra margin. Anyway, we are not in the UK, we are in Ghana. In Ghana, sanitary pads are taxed at 54 % (yes, in fact, fifty-four point five two three five percent). That is VAT and import duty and ECOWAS Levy and Network Charge and Network Charge VAT and Network Charge COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy and Import NHIL and Network Charge NHIL and 1% Withholding Tax on Import and Special Import Levy and Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM) Levy and Ghana Education Trust (GET) Fund Import Levy and Network Charge GET Fund Levy and Inspection Fee and African Union Import Levy and COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy. Sounds fair enough, or? Time for a sex strike?

Buffets are popular. There is of course the Homowo or wedding buffet where we all queue and where you normally don’t go for a second helping. But there are also buffets in many of the upscale hotels where you can take what you want and as many times as you want. Ideal if you go with kids who can eat their fill and twice that as well at no extra charge, and anyway normally the kids pay less than the grown-ups. It's a great setup. You pay a fixed amount and if you are careful with the drinks you know what you are in for, which is far less than you would pay in the better restaurants. You don’t have to struggle through a menu where you need a dictionary or search engine to understand what you are trying to order. The choice is great, there are multiple starters and main courses, and you can eat what you would have eaten at home, some hotels even pound fufu on the spot, or you can try something foreign with an exotic name, or both. Desserts are also plenty, with cakes and puddings and whatnot. You sit in a posh environment where waiters constantly pick up empty plates from your table whilst you are taking another dive at another dish at the buffet. And in case you feel like talking to someone, wait till they get up to serve themselves at the buffet and then stand next to them and start conversing, about the food, of course, or the environment, and maybe about other things as well...The Movenpick Ambassador Hotel is renovating their restaurant so they now have the buffet in a big tent, their food is what you see at most buffets. The Lancaster (former Golden Tulip) has what I would call deeper African specialties, like wale and snails (which normally cost a fortune). As for the cakes, both are not my choice, I prefer those of Little Paris Bakery at Dade Street in Labone. Bon Appetit.

Lydia...

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