Chronicles of a Ghanaian Commuter: In Praise of Walking

Many people believe that middle-class types like those who blog about and in Ghana are all car-drivers. It's like if you can string a couple of sentences together that sound cogent, then you must be so well-educated that your disposable income is bursting at the seams. Syllogically, you must be a driver.

I got news for you: not all "middle-class" bloggers drive; some of us still commute-either because we cannot afford it, or because we chose to!

If you can get past the exclamation mark, you can, I suspect, also accept that one of the wonderful things about being a Ghanaian commuter is the freedom that comes with it.

For example, as I stepped out of the office for lunch this afternoon, I was able to hiss at a taxi that stopped and brought me here to A&C shopping Mall in East Legon. Had I been driving, I would have gone through the whole thing about getting into the car, mirrors, reversing, looking at petrol gauge and all that;-)

Yesterday, as I walked to my office--some twenty-five minutes away--from A&C, I walked with my tongue firmly in cheek: many taxi-drivers were hooting like crazy, expecting that I would concede defeat and hitch a ride. I waved my hand in a manner that indicated I didn't want a ride, and they firmly moved on.

Once I got back to the office, I thought, "yeah, this is good!" Forget that I got exercise and all that--and just think of the fresh air I got from it.

My humble suggestion is to one of these days, park your car, and walk. I know when I get kids, I'll be driving them around more than I expected, so now is my time to enjoy the walks!

Driven to Distraction: Week 3, From Slow & Sure Spintex to Aggressive and Animated Airport

This week has been particularly interesting as far as driving on the road. After five hours, I was given a new instructor, who started last week. A DVLA-trained instructor, it appeared he was instrumental in saving the driving school from being another victim of the mass-closure of DVLA to root out bad and unregulated schools. His stories are not for here, except to say that he's a vivacious and interesting character whom I'd like to see more of to help train me further in my driving.

He wasn't particularly happy with the way I started the car. Though I was able to move with the clutch and accelerator in tow, he lamented my speeding, and the need to curb it.

The Steering wheel is another place he gave me grief for. He felt I held it too tough, as if I was going to war or something, so he's slowly and surely encouraged me to hold it lightly. The lighter I hold it, the more control I can get of the car. It's been my second week with him, and I can see the effects. It enables me concentrate more on the road and anticipate more--something both the folks and Joseph alike have inculcated into me.

On Wednesday, I was able to endure the infamous and legendary Spintex road traffic with a new instructor who stepped in in place of Joseph. The half-clutch/break combination was not easy at all! The more I do it, the better I shall become. On Tuesday, it had rained rather heavily. As such, it was darker than usual for that time of evening (around 6.15pm). The experience was useful in helping me get used to driving in those conditions, what with the potholes and all, and the badly-lit roads.

Monday saw me hitting the airport residential area--not by my own choice. We were to drop off a driving instructor colleague who wanted to meet up with his sister, so we passed through the infamous Tetteh-Quarshie interchange past the Polo Club, past Airport shell and back onto the road from 37 northbound to Tetteh-Quarshie. It would be the first time I ventured that side since I started practicals. The half-clutch was tricky, and the car went off a couple of times. My gear-changing has improved considerably, though Joseph suggested I drive without putting my hand near the gear as it distracts.

No driving today. But better things to come--for sure!!

My Mid-Week Madness: GBS Goes Gaga on Three; Driven to Distraction

Justbefore I disappeared for ten nights away from home for UNCTAD XII, I was anxious to see the new stations that GBS had promised.

After the three new channels -- G-Series; G-Africa; KidsCo -- "arrived", I next had a question for the ages: how on Earth did GBS procure Lipstick Jungle, which is an entirely new show on NBC in the States? How on Earth, when the show started airing only earlier this year?

It's clear that those are some of the insider secrets that only GBS staff would know--and would not be willing to divulge--no matter how hard I tried to interrogate them;-)

I have to say that G-Africa has been the bomb in the sense that it's exploded in our senses and--my God!--our minds and whatever else it can explode into. Sundays these days are to die for, 'cos there's only one station we tune to--and that's G-Africa. You've got your series and your Nollywood movies all vying for our attention--and plenty of attention they get from us!!! ([note to Editor: $100? for this plug? come on! you can do better than that!] I've had enough now--it's simply good! In all seriousness, it's hard to believe that you can even get a monthly subscription as low as GHC11.00!! (circa $US11.00)

Friends and acquaintances comparing DsTV to GBS have great basis of comparison in the sense that the former offers its proverbial so much more. Question is: how much MORE tv can I watch?? I struggle even with these 17 stations that GBS offers in that I cannot watch even half of them regularly. We generally watch SKY news to catch up news in the UK; G-Prime; and MGM.


Driven to Distraction
I'm being lazy in formulating new, funky terms to describe my going back to school to drive, so I'm stuck with the one above, which is also featuring on my Reflecting Eccentric World of E.k.Bensah II here.

Point is: I have started doing the theory on driving since the beginning of this week. I was a bit patchy on my memory of INFORMATORY; REGULATORY and warning signs, so I backed a bit this lunch-time. Will get back to you on how well I do, but I feel more confident today.

Keep yer fingers crossed, merci bien!

Cats and Dogs
How can I forget about the rain? I never said I was not yellow! Yesterday night proved how much so I was when I dodged into a corner to sleep (!) to prevent any lightning strikes come the way of my room!

I value my life too much, thankyou!