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

This week's contributors: Lydia, Pépé Pepinière, this week's subjects: African Fashion: Breaking Tradition: Why You Should Skip Red on Valentine's Day, Abortions, Why is that branded handbag so expensive, The Afro Lounge at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Vinx.

Breaking Tradition: Why You Should Skip Red on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day—the day of love, passion, and heart-shaped everything. But this year, let's break free from the cliché and ditch the predictable red outfits. Here's why wearing red on Valentine's Day might be overrated, and I've got some alternative colours that will make you stand out in a sea of crimson. Silver: The Cool Alternative Silver is the unsung hero of Valentine's Day hues. Imagine a sleek silver dress with delicate lace detailing—the perfect blend of elegance and modernity. It's unexpected, eye-catching, and a refreshing departure from the usual red. Plus, it's a great excuse to repurpose those holiday season pieces. So, shine bright like a silver star this V-Day! Lavender: Subtle Romance Lavender doesn't get enough credit. It's soft, romantic, and oh-so-chic. Picture yourself in a flowy lavender blouse or a dreamy lilac skirt. Pair it with neutral tones or even a touch of pink. Lavender whispers love without shouting it from the rooftops. Trust me; it's in my top three for Valentine's Day vibes. Pink: Because Flirty Is Always In Pink—the flirtiest colour in the palette. Whether it's blush, bubblegum, or fuchsia, pink exudes playfulness and femininity. If not red, why not pink? Rock a pink sweater, a rosy scarf, or even candy-coloured sneakers. It's like a sweet love note to your wardrobe. White: The Ultimate Versatility White transcends seasons and occasions. Whether you're aiming for chic, laid-back, or sophisticated, white works. Picture a crisp white shirt, a flowing maxi dress, or tailored trousers. It's a canvas waiting for your personal style to shine. And hey, if you're feeling rebellious, throw in some ivory or cream—it's all part of the anti-red movement. Nude: Timeless Elegance (Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman) Nude—always a safe bet. Monochromatic nude outfits exude sophistication. Slip into a beige jumpsuit, nude pumps, or a camel-coloured coat. It elongates your legs, flatters your skin tone, and screams understated elegance. Trust me; you can never go wrong with nude. So, this Valentine's Day, let's defy tradition. Put away the red dress, step out in silver, lavender, pink, white, or nude. Be the trendsetter, the rule-breaker, and the one who turns heads for all the right reasons. Love doesn't need a specific colour—it's in the way you carry yourself. Happy Valentine's Day!

Abortions. For, against? It's a dicey subject where law, religion, human rights, and politics are forever intertwined. Law: in general laws do not allow killing of other humans, and the argument goes about whether an unborn fetus is a living human being. Many countries have settled on abortion rights if less than 3 months. Religion: Most religions do not allow killing of God's creations, some take this so far that they don’t eat meat, and some don’t even eat seeds. Human rights: Women should have the right to decide their own fate, thus abortions became allowed, but this clock is now turned back again in almost half of the states of the USA, of all places. Politics: they go with the prevailing opinions, to win votes. Why would you want to abort? Sometimes because it will not be convenient to your life, sometimes because you are not married and what will people say? So sometimes it is the parents that insist that their pregnant young daughter gets an abortion. And if the girl has been hiding it and she is 6 months gone? Then things become complicated, but money talks, and some doctors are known to abort well beyond 6 months, even 8! The medical file will say that the girl had abdominal pains, and the police cannot ask to see all the medical files of this specialist, there is something called medical secret...

Why is that branded handbag so expensive? Partly indeed because it is branded, the better known the brand the more expensive the bag. But there is another reason. Traditional bag manufacturers have been competed out of the market by cheap Far East manufacturers, mostly of poor quality. So now to get a decent bag of durable quality you pay for a niche product rather than a mass production product, and that is more expensive. A big part of that handbag will now be made of better quality materials, and at least the difficult parts will have been hand-stitched. And working leather requires a skill which takes years to learn. Today's workforce often doesn't have the patience and ambitions to learn a skill, to spend 3-7 years in training before being allowed to work independently, without supervision. So the big brands are now opening schools where the future skilled workers are being trained and pampered. And all that has a price.

The Afro Lounge at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel. I learned they now have a live band on Saturdays and I decided to have a look. Indeed, but I first went to their nearby indoor bar. I asked for their cheapest Vodka, which was their Grey Goose, at GHC 100 per tot. Whilst Grey Goose is one of the more expensive Vodkas. So I went outside to listen to the band, and there the cheapest Vodka was Smirnoff, at 50 GHC per tot, served from the same bar... With this sort of pricing, it is no wonder that I was the only guest at the bar. The lady serving me outside was very well endowed, on all sides, and she did show it, to the extent that I felt a bit embarrassed, this was more for a steamy nightclub where they serve more than just drinks, and not for our La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, one of our national prides, which is to give a good impression to our visitors from overseas.

Vinx performed last Saturday at the 233 Jazz Club and Grill, an unusual and remarkable artist, check him out if you've never heard of him. He had additional artistes as curtain raisers, but unfortunately I arrived late, and only saw our own DeGate Zion and Shelley Nicole. DeGate was OK but I would say “nothing new”, though his stage act was attractive, Shelley was another matter with a voice which made me duck away and finally put earplugs and a dress which even my blind grandmother would have refused to wear. And Vinx didn’t do much better with his dresss code. Maybe I am missing something here and not aware of a current trend, so much the better then. Our Ghjazz Collective did an absolutely great job accompanying these artistes, Ayeeko

Lydia...

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