M.A.G. blog, signed by Lydia

Lydia's Weekly Lifestyle blog is for today's African girl, so no subject is taboo. My purpose is to share things that may interest today's African girl.

This week's contributors: Lydia, Pépé Pépinière, Titi, this week's subjects: Eid Celebrations, Tablets against menopause/climax effects, like heat flashes, Kotoka International Airport (KIA) out-prices itself, Copyright, and +233 Jazz & Grill Bar

Eid Celebrations. As we have approached the vibrant celebration of Eid in 2025, fashion enthusiasts everywhere have seen stunning styles that honor cultural traditions while embracing modern trends. Eid is not only a time for spiritual reflection but also an occasion for stylish expression. Let's explore the latest trends and ideas that shone brightly during this special festival. The Power of Pastels. Pastel shades have taken the fashion world by storm in recent years, and Eid 2025 is no exception. Soft hues like blush pink, mint green, and lavender can be beautifully incorporated into traditional attire. Think elegant Anarkalis or lehengas, paired with intricate embroidery or sequins that glimmer like the stars on Eid night. Sustainable Fashion Choices. With the rising awareness of sustainability, many fashionistas are opting for eco-friendly choices. Look for brands that prioritize ethical practices and sustainable materials. Organic cotton or recycled fabric can be just as luxurious when tailored into beautiful kaftans or kurtas. Not only will you look fabulous, but you'll also feel good about your contribution to the environment. Mixing Traditions. Eid fashion in 2025 celebrates the beauty of fusion. Mixing traditional outfits with contemporary pieces creates a unique and stylish look. Pair a classic sharara with a modern crop top or an embellished dupatta draped over a chic jumpsuit. The possibilities are endless when you blend styles from different cultures.

Tablets against menopause/climax effects, like heat flashes. Menopause we will all have one day, averagely at 50 years old, but 40 years or 58 is not uncommon, some even earlier. The symptoms can be very difficult to support, so if Doctor can please prescribe a pill? There's a new one now, fezolinetant by Veoza, but after less than 2 months on the market already cases of serious liver damage have been observed. Read the label carefully if your doctor subscribed it, and if you get any of the side effects mentioned stop taking it. They will want to get rid of existing stocks, so watch it.

Kotoka International Airport (KIA) out-prices itself. I soon have to travel to France and bought a ticket. I'll land or take off at a total of 6 Airports, 4 of them international (Accra in and Accra out makes 2), the Ghana airports charges a total of 1955 GHS (for 2 airport visits) the other 2 international airports and 2 local airports charge 1926 GHS. So if you want to complain about the high cost of an airline ticket don't forget to knock on KIA's door as well. No wonder a big part of the “tourists “who arrive here are in fact not really tourists, but relatives of expatriates living here, or friends and family visiting Ghanaian family members, not real tourists who specifically come to enjoy our beaches or wildlife or culture, they rather go to Kenya or Tanzania for beach and safari for 1651 euros including hotel, breakfast and transport rather than to Ghana for the same price without accommodation or local travel or anything.

Copyright. We don't encounter copyright issues much in Ghana and we happily show off our fake Rolex watch or our fake Hermes hand bag. Or copy each other's music, like Wiyala gained fame with her song “Rock my Body”, which was a straight copy of the Soul Sister's 1969 song “Wreck a Buddy” (Wiyala mentions that she was inspired by them), and in fact the Soul Sisters had copied it from Prince Buster's “Wreck a Pum Pum”, who had copied it from “Little Drummer Boy”, a Christmas carol. And Osibisa copied their international hit “the Coffee Song” from Frank Sinatra's 1946 Coffee Song. Louis Prima, The Andrews Sisters, Sam Cooke, The Smart Set, Rosemary Clooney, Eydie Gormé, Mike Doughty, Stan Ridgway, Soul Coughing, and Hildegard Knef also had a go at this coffee song. Internationally these things are quite common, and the original owner of the song gets a fair share of the royalties. (Most often not in Ghana). And if you deny that you copied? Van Cleef and Arpels, a French luxury jewelry company, makers of royal crowns with 450 million USD sales felt that Louis Vuitton, maker of luxury goods and jewelry with 9.2 billion USD sales had copied it's iconic Alhambra design with Louis Vuitton's Colour Blossom jewelry collection, introduced in 2015, whilst they, Van Cleef and Arpels already carried this design since 60 years. But as stated, the Van Cleef and Arpel's design is based on a design from the wall decorations of the Alhambra, a Moorish castle in the south of Spain, almost 800 years old. Van Cleef and Arpels however started a court case against Louis Vuitton which lasted 8 years and they claimed 15 million commercial damages. The courts gave Louis Vuitton a win that reaffirms the requirements for successfully claiming parasitism, namely, the burden on the filing-party to show intentional exploitation of its reputation by a competitor. Beyond that, the ruling also appears to limit the extent to which even very-well-known brands can claim exclusive rights over common design elements, with the court confirming that widely used design elements, such as metal frames and semi-precious stones, cannot be monopolized. Both parties must have spent a big fortune on this court case, but no damages were awarded. So if you are a designer and you feel you were copied, better be proud then quarrelsome and just continue designing. And in any case, are you sure that what you designed was not at least partly copied from something you had seen somewhere?

+233 Jazz & Grill Bar (Dr. Isert Street, North Ridge, opposite GBC, Accra), remains a treasure on thursday evenings with Chris and the zoom band and TJ on vocals. My guest had an egg rice which he said was good, I had my usual beef kebab (GHS 65, but worth it, it is almost a full beefsteak) and a Greek salad which has a reasonable quantity of black olives and feta cheese. Their Hamburgers are what they call them, a piece of fried minced beef meat between 2 warm half bread buns with some onions and tomato (some rather put tomato ketchup), just straight forward Hamburgers, rather than some of these overpriced full of unspecified leaky sauce things. (+233's is 160 GHS, but that includes a nice seating and live music). Pity +233's Hamburger bread is warm alright but not crunchy. And whilst all these culinary reflections were going through my head, TJ gets all on the floor with “Wooly Bully” (Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, 1964, 1 million copies sold, not downloaded, actual records sold).

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