M.A.G. blog, signed by Lydia

This week's contributors: Lydia, Dore Fasolati, this week's subjects: The Intersection of Fashion, Pâte à choux Restaurant and Bakery, Linda d'Or Restaurant in Koforidua, Soho Nightclub, Safari Valley Resort, and The Panama Canal

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The Intersection of Fashion: European Influence and African Resilience part 2. Challenges and Triumphs while Sourcing Materials Locally: One critical challenge faced by African designers is sourcing materials. While two-thirds of African countries produce cotton, over 81% of it is exported out of sub-Saharan countries. This export-oriented approach has hindered the growth of local textile and fashion industries. Designers like Oroma Cookey-Gam of “This Is Us” have embarked on quests to find locally produced fabrics. By partnering with other brands and advocating for sustainable practices, they aim to strengthen Africa's textile industry. Oroma Cookey-Gam The Eurocentric Gaze and Authenticity: In the past, African fashion sometimes catered to Eurocentric tastes. However, in recent years, creators and designers have doubled down on authenticity. They seek to communicate Africa's unique narratives, traditions, and contemporary expressions. Fashion is no longer about conforming to external standards; it's about celebrating individuality and cultural pride.

Pâte à choux Restaurant and Bakery (again), (Dade Street, Cantonments, Accra). Despite the unusual experience we had last time with the “no bread with the meal” we decided to go again on a Saturday evening after they had confirmed that they had lobster and a table for 2. It is good that we booked because the place was packed. but before sitting down we went to their bread counter and bought a French baguette to be partly eaten with our meal, and 2 different croissants for the next morning. When ordering the lobster we were told they did not have any so I asked to see the girls who had answered the phone and had confirmed that they had, She said that she was sorry, but anyway king prawns, which she suggested as an alternative) and lobsters looked the same, This was news to us but we decided to let it go, and indeed the grilled king prawns were nice, and again so were the goat cheese salad and the lemon chicken. but the bread was miles away from a French baguette, Difficult to get decent French bread here, I hear Maxmart sells half-baked, so you can finish baking yourself and have it super fresh. And the croissants? light years away, sort of English cakes, better called crescents to differentiate these English style cakes from French croissants (even more difficult to get) Croissants

Linda d'Or Restaurant in Koforidua (N.O. Hwedie Street Linda D'or Plaza, Koforidua) is a must if you want to dine out and the lights are off, it is about the only place with a generator. But it could have been an Indian restaurant with no beef to be found, no ice for the drinks either, and not much choice of drinks anyway, and no spring rolls. But then, man has to eat, so you eat, whilst the rest of the town is in the darkness.

Soho Nightclub (Marina Mall, Airport City, Airport By-Pass Road, Accra). On Saturday evening, they have “The Greatest Band” with swinging evergreens and 4 more or less dressed-up female singers who either back up each other or the male singer, or do solo. Impressive was Linda with “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” by Whitney Houston, displaying what I would call her greeting buttocks skills. The public is also worth watching, all sorts of sizes of ladies do their best to show their wares, not always with taste. Be careful with the menu though, If you order a drink and they don't have it, you may end up having something that is three times as expensive, go and argue it out when the music is so loud that any type of conversation is impossible. Tecno earplugs are recommended, the sound man needs some training.

Safari Valley Resort at Akropong, 55 km from Accra, say a 2 hrs drive, is an Eco park with accommodation, starting from 6000 GHS/night, or you can buy day tickets at 650 GHS (lunch included). These are stiff prices but may be necessary to pay for the numerous educated staff, the feed and veterinary care of the animals, etc. They have an interesting collection of exotic birds including some very strange chickens, zebra's, and some horned ruminants. One gets driven around in open electric carts. There is also a huge playground. All in all, we were a bit disappointed with so few animals and such a stiff entrance fee.

The Panama Canal, going through Panama, a country connecting North and South America, connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. This saves ships that want to go from one ocean to another about 15000 km. The canal is 77 km long and is at a maximum of 28 meters above sea level and today's value cost 8 billion dollars to construct. This was mainly paid for by the USA which had the most interest in this venture. The shortest distance from Kumasi to the sea is about 300 km, and Kumasi is 250 meters above sea level. Of course, we the youth want to be involved in politics and decide positively on the future of our country and necessary economic developments. But either someone does not know what he is talking about or someone is trying to take us for granted and thinks we don’t know what we are talking about. Speak out with Force!

Lydia...

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