Ghana Blogger at COP15, Denmark.

I left Accra last night [11.12.2009] to attend the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change which is ongoing in Copenhagen, Denmark. The program started from the 7^th Dec and should be over with a "reached agreement" by the 18^th Dec, 2009. The temperature upon arrival was 2°C; I quickly have to change into proper warm clothes before stepping outside.

I arrived 0810 local time and had to wait for my host; Kwesi Asare Bekoe [a High School Mate from Presec, Legon] to come meet me. Exactly 0845, he quickly spotted me in my Ghana Flag wrapped around my neck. It was very nice seeing him after days of talking about my coming online.

Fast-Forward >> He explained the train/metro system to me which I already was familiar with but still have to pay rapid attention to. There was a COP15 bus been deployed to pick-up all those arriving for the summit at the airport to the Bella Center every 10mins. Since my host wanted to us to rush to his place [Copenhagen Business School, Campus] before going to the Bella Center, he bought ticket for us [I and him] for the trip.

Reaching the Central Station, I had to grab a SIM Card for SMS, Int'l & Local Calls. Kwesi advised I buy the "VECTONE Mobile" card since that's what he's using and it's relatively cheaper. True to his words, it's very cheap to call international from Copenhagen on this SIM Card.

Kwesi showed me the various stops on the Metro and where to do my switching of lane. We got to the stop called "FORUM", took the elevator up to the street level, crossed to the opposite to join the bus numbered A2 which goes to his apartment. His place is the last stop on the route so he advised we seat the rear of the bus.

Fast-Forward >> Got to his place, grabbed some food to eat and had to rush to the Bella Center to process my accreditation and Press/Buss Passes. It was very easy locating my stops both on the metro and on the bus lanes.

Arriving at the Bell Center, I saw this huge crowd of different people from different parts of the world all in a queue to get registered for all events till the 18^th Dec, 2009. The weather was very cold [temp at that time was -3°C]. I saw a few African Nationals really struggling with the cold because their clothes weren't helping at all. Some of the officials upon seeing how the weather was having a very bad effect on some of the people in the queue decided to allow us all in to the security area which was very warm.

Finally, it got to my turn in the queue. I have to loosen everything in my jacket before going through the metal detectors. I passed and all went successful. Not a single beep from the system. [Same happened in Kotoka Int'l Airport, back home in Accra].

I showed up at the UN Desk to confirm my accreditation and also process my Events/Transport Pass. The lady was having a hard time locating my name in the system. This went on for almost 1-hour and I just had to give up and come sort it out later. The same time I was behind the counter, that very time too; a Protest Match was going on in downtown Copenhagen, where demonstrators were matching from Christiansborg Slotsplads, or Castle Square, toward the Bella Center. [More on that in my next post]

I decided to go to the Fresh Air Center which is a rapid response digital media hub in Copenhagen for top global bloggers and digital campaigners. This place is been operated for free by the Tcktcktck Organization. The goal of the Fresh Air Center is to help civil society define the narratives coming from COP-15, encourage sharing and collaboration, and break through the noise by connecting powerful NGO, blogger, and independent digital media channels together.

I am currently sited in a conversation with Beka and Safaah over events for next coming days and also tweeting as usual…!!

Happy Thanksgiving Post From Takoradi

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow readers/followers in the United State and a Happy Eid-al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) to all my Muslim friends/mates and families. I know, I haven’t written on any subject since I started working in Takoradi, away from Accra about some weeks ago. Don’t know the exact dates but I’m sure, it is not been more than eight weeks yet…

So, I have been very busy with preparations for my trip to the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark somewhere from the first week of Dec, 09 and also working indefatigably coordinating with my fellow organizers [ Ato-Ulzen Appiah and Henry Barnor] towards Barcamp - Ghana ’09 which comes off in Accra, Ghana on the 21^st Dec, 09 under the theme: Leadership for our times: Cultivating Change Makers. Hopefully, we shall be able to organize another successful Barcamp in Ghana. Make sure, you bookmark the date and be there. Don’t miss out.

Guess who I met at my favorite Fufu [God Is Love Chop bar @ Pipe-ano] joint in Takoradi this afternoon. You won’t believe me but it is very true. Well, is it no other person than Mr. Rod McLaren also known as Nana Akwasi Amoako Agyeman II, Edubiase Nkosuahene. Does that name ring a bell? I am not sure in the case of the ordinary Ghanaian but most residents within the Sekondi/Takoradi city would have an idea. My Canadian friends should also be able to remember this name with ease.

Just sitting across our table at the Fufu joint was sited Nana and his relatives, I guess because he later introduced her daughter [Afua Sewaa McLaren] who’s the General Manager of the African Rainbow Resort in Takoradi, a Caucasian young-man and another gentleman [African-American] whom I am told plays Jazz music at the hotel.

There’s a saying that, before random people became good friends, there surely was an issue. I believed that saying right after lunch after my encounter with Nana. Before our food was served, we [I and two former colleagues from Skyy TV] were having a chat when I realized the waitress serving our food commented on why the African-American sited with Nana Akwasi Amoako Agyeman II was using his left hand to eat the Fufu. Something not accepted in the Ghanaian community. Who are you to say, it? Lol ;(

Immediately, I made the waitress understand, I don’t see anything wrong with it so she should just mind her business. Unfortunately for me, Nana’s eyes caught mine just after the waitress left and he angrily asked me; “Is there a problem, young man?” and I just replied, “No, Sir”, and there was peace.

After this incident, I enjoyed my bowl of Fufu together with my friends and upon licking the earthen-ware dry, my friends suggested I approach Nana and let him know, it was very wrong for the gentleman to eat with the left hand in Ghana. I boldly introduced myself to him as a blogger and there and then, he accepted his ignorance about the whole situation and apologized. That is one true virtue of a chief and an educated man. I liked that of Nana J

Even though his twi wasn’t sounding in the right directions, I liked the fact that he wanted to communicate with me twi. We had a great time discussing about blogging in Ghana, his book [Rainbow Round the African Sun] which is currently out and how delighted he will be if I would recommend his hotel to my friends in the Diasporas and beyond (something which I have already done long ago). I might be going there this weekend if I don’t make it Accra, though.

The African Rainbow Resort is located in the fishing village of Busua on the coast in the Western Region of Ghana. It has long been a destination for travelers because of the long crescent beach. It is one of the safest beaches on the coastline, and is also recognized in the international surfing community. According to of my friends from Germany who stayed at this hotel had this to say; [The staffs are great and their food is spicy and wonderful. The view of the Atlantic Ocean is spectacular.]

Well, a little bit of information for travelers and holiday-freaks heading to [Takoradi] this side of the Ghana. Crime rate is very low here but that doesn’t mean you should not care about your belongings and live a care-free life. Just be careful and be on the lookout always. If you are a nite-club/social bird like me, I will recommend the following places to hang-out with full security assured.

Champs Sport Bar just opened in the Oil city by the Stellar Group is located on the Shippers Road heading towards the Takoradi Harbor. There is a bar and restaurant which is open to the public. This is a branch of the same bar that has been operating in Accra for a long time and is very popular. The place is really new and really stunning with huge TV screens everywhere showing all the latest sports. It has rapidly become a really popular venue within Takoradi which is otherwise quite sleepy and is a fun place to chill at night. Try the trivia Games on Thursday evenings, the Karaoke evening on Friday nights and their All-You-Can-Drink Session for just GHC10.00 on Saturdays. This place offers great value for money.

For sometimes now, Paragon Nite-Club has been the very place where every party-addict would like to go and hang out after working industriously from Monday to Friday. Due to the influx of expat’s in the Oil City, there’s now a VIP Section at the nite-club to put some level of decency among nite-clubbers. There’s also the popular-stand which I sometimes refers to as, “the zongo” where those who can’t afford the GHC20.00 for the VIP section can just party their nite away till who knows when they will be tired.

LOU MOON LODGE is a very beautiful, posh place on the marvelous beach near Axim, definitely the best beachside accommodation on the coast. The price is very high, but it is worth spending at least one day/night. Plus, maybe the only place in Ghana where you can actually swim, protected from the ocean waves!!!

There is this fairly new and nice good standard restaurant located in the heart of Takoradi called Bocadillos Restaurant. They have many types of food, local (even some Nigerian) and international, pastries, French baguettes, cakes and ice cream. They used to have a bar where they showed African Movies and sometimes, do Live Band. Currently, they have a wireless hotspot access at the place where visitors have to purchase a time code and access the internet at the comfort of free fresh air and good music…

My brain just stopped thinking despite there is a lot for me to write. Lots of ideas but little time to write... I have to do this later. Ma brɛɛ... adɛn kraaaa (trans; I’m tired, what at all again ;) I have to do this after the holiday or frankly, later someday.

Meeting up Sompair Elias who’s in town for his alma-mater, Ghana Secondary Technical School’s 100^th Anniversary celebration. Oyaaa.. I'm done ;)

Climate Change & COP-15

Last night wasn’t a good for me as I had to deal with the heat that came about as a result of power-outage. Opening the windows for fresh air means, I’m opening the heavens-gate for the mosquitoes. I thought twice and just had to deal with it by sleeping in the heat.

Finally, I saw the early morning sun rays penetrating through the window at about 0534 which signified, it was morning. Come see my face. I can now open the windows for fresh air at least. Thinking the power was back; I switched on the light and to my utter dismay power was not restored. How on earth am I going to press my shirt for work? I had to cook up a plan B. [Wear a T-shirt and a pair of jeans] also allowed though.

I hear residents in Accra always experiencing the power problem every now and then without any info from the Electricity Company of Ghana. I witnessed it myself when I visited last weekend. For close to about 8hrs, power was off and we had to get fuel for the gen-set. What happens when other families in Ghana have no gen-you’re your guess is as good as mine. [They stay in the dark and their perishable items get bad…]

Do you all know that, power shortages are a real inconvenience to the regular Ghanaian? How would you describe the shortage amongst Ghana’s growing entrepreneur class?

I was very shocked to hear on the news about the uncontrollable power outages and the resultant load shedding exercise that hit the country a couple of years ago has started again. What at all are The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCO), the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Volta River Authority (VRA) doing about this menace? According to the reporter on the radio, he said the recent power outages were due to some technical hitches at the various ECG and GRIDCO sub-stations. Can we believe this story?

These power-outages have on most occasions, caused fire outbreaks in homes and had obstructed the smooth flow of individual businesses which depend on electricity. How do these businesses survive this low-shedding again?

Climate change in Ghana has become a threat to livelihoods. Drought and over flooding in parts of the Northern Region of Ghana has become a yearly worry to the people and government. People along the banks of the Volta River are constantly displaced, homeless and landless.

In the South particularly aquatic life is affected as a result of human activities and sea level rise that pollutes water bodies and the main economic activity which is fishing drops and this has affected the income levels of the people. The climate change impacts in Northern part of Ghana results in severe draughts in the...

With all the above flashing in front of me each and every time the issue of climate change is brought up, I’m always looking out for ways I can help. I was beyond joy this morning after going through my email to see; “The Official Invitation Letter” from the organizers of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) also known as COP-15 inviting me to be part of Climate Change conference which begins from December 7 – 18, 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

I have been approved of a stipend for my trip and currently awaiting media accreditation and other documents to enhance my visa acquisition at the Danish Consulate in Accra. Whiles at the conference, I shall be presenting my own Ghana Blogging Group, the Global Voices Community and other youth who couldn’t make it Copenhagen to raise a voice against Climate Change. I shall be very glad to be a part of this conference as we sign a deal to fight global warming NOW.

I will be updating my followers/readers and the entire Ghana Blogging Group from Copenhagen via my blog and through my twitter updates at MacJordaN. Follow me for me more updates on Climate Change.

Is Ghana Ready For Mobile Number Portability [MNP]?

What comes to mind at the mention of "Mobile Number Portability"? Have you ever wondered why you couldn't choose your own number and use it on any network? How would you feel, if you could now do so? A time is coming, when you can do all that… Hurray..!!!

For your information; the country's telecommunication service provider Vodafone Ghana, is pushing for the implementation of Mobile Number Portability also known as MNP in Ghana. Mobile Number Portability (MNP) enables mobile telephone users to retain their mobile telephone numbers when changing from one mobile network operator to another.

Unlike what Zain Telecommunication did upon arriving in Ghana a couple of months ago; when they enabled customers of other networks to register their numbers on the Zain network with the Zain's 026 prefixing, MNP allows a customer to move from Vodafone, for instance, with his 020XXXXXX number to Zain, still maintaining the 020 prefix.

Currently, Ghana has six GSM Mobile Operators and the implementation of MNP would give customers/subscribers the choice and flexibility to be on any network they want. That means, I can have a number [0244-101010] on MTN moved to the Zain network and still maintain the prefix and the rest of the numbers.

From my personal observation, I don't think the necessary equipments and technical skills are in place for the implementation of this unique service. Four out of the six GSM Operators in the country namely [Zain, Kasapa Telecom, Glo Mobile and Vodafone-Ghana] have openly declared their support for its implementation but only MTN is very mute on this subject and rather asking the National Communication Authority for comments on the implementation of MNP.

Why wouldn't they be mute when they know they would end up losing all their customers to the other GSM Operators? Even though, they are the market leaders with a subscriber base of about 5million Ghanaians, I think the news of the MNP is going to bring them crushing to the ground.

Major Don-Chebe, Head of Corporate Communications from Vodafone Ghana said; every mature telecom market in the world is implementing MNP and he doesn't see the reason why Ghana, with as many as six GSM Operators and a penetration level of more than 55% [55 per cent] of its population shouldn't implement MNP. He also stressed that, when MNP is implemented, customers who are trapped on other networks would now be freed and can now enjoy quality of service from any of the GSM Networks of their choice in the country.

This technology is not expensive as somebody would be thinking. The advantages outrun the disadvantages in many ways.

What do you think of this new initiative? Do you think, it should be pushed and implemented? Do you think, Ghana is ready for its implementation? Do we have the necessary tools, experts to handle this new idea? How would this help you when it's implemented?

Eyram Akofa Tawiah; Leti Games & iWarrior on App Store.

Programmers, Eyram Akorfa Tawiah from Ghana and Wesley Kirinya from Kenya are co-founders of Leti Games, a Ghanaian start-up building games for the iPhone and other gaming platforms is what Leti Games brings to the African gaming community. Their names would soon become a household one soon after their release of the iWarrior from Leti Games.

According to Eyram Tawiah [developer/programmer], the iWarrior is a casual game with great African art and sounds. With its simple intense game play, it puts you in the role of protecting your village from Africa's most feared wild animals. From the thundering Elephants, the camouflaging Lions, the swift Cheetahs, silly Hyenas and others, experience the wild on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Eyram is a product of the KNUST from Kumasi and Meltwater Foundation where he was a Teaching Fellow inspiring others and also working on his projects. I booked for an interview immediately I heard of iWarrior's release but couldn't get the chance as he was busy sorting other issues out. Luckily for me, I got hold of him online yesterday even though he seems busy; he was able to grant me this interview which answers all my questions about their [his] game release.

Below is the full text of my interview with Eyram Akofa Tawiah [EAT]:

Mac-Jordan [MJ]: What got you started in programming?
Eyram Akofa Tawiah [EAT]: It is funny but my love for games actually got me serious with programming. I wanted to make my own game for the comics I used to draw back in the days.

MJ: How would you describe your programming style / what languages you are ok with?
EAT: I'm very conversant with all programming languages for now. I work with programming principles but not the language. I design and implement in any language that I find can do the job right for me but I'm very comfortable in .NET (VB, C#), PHP, java and Objective C.

MJ: What software do you use most for your works?
EAT: I use Microsoft Office applications and the IDE's. I prefer the Mozilla Firefox and Safari browsers because they are very safe to use.

MJ: What would be the first thing I would find when I enter your room?
EAT: (laughing at this question) upon entering my room, you will find my girlfriend's portrait picture on the wall, a desktop computer on a table in the hall, my laptop [either in my bag or on the table].

MJ: What would I find in your laptop bag?
EAT: My MacBook Pro, my phones and if possible a PSP [PlayStation Portable]

MJ: Who is your best Movie Actor/Actress in Ghana? Have you watched any Ghanaian movies lately?
EAT: To be honest with you, I don't watch Ghanaian movies. No reasons for that though. I think, I watched "Perfect Picture" and I liked it. Apart from that, I can't say anything on movies from Ghana.

MJ: As a programmer, I believe you have a sense for music. What is your choice of music?
EAT: I have a wide range of music I listen to but on my heavy rotations; I have Classics, Hymns, Country music, Hip-hop & Hip-life. I'm beginning to have a thing for this generation of Afro-pop music coming from the youth of Ghana.

MJ: What books have you been reading over the past week?
EAT: As a matter of fact, I've been programming over the past week so I never got the time to read any books yet except lookups in some programming books and blogs online for info's and many more...

MJ: What particular challenges do you face as a programmer in Ghana?
EAT: Constant outage of electricity, slow internet speed and the most annoying of all, internal politics in organizations.

MJ: How do you see the future of Programming & Developing in Ghana?
EAT: [sighing] hmmm… I would say, very bright. Almost everyone is barely a programmer these days and I like the idea of helping friends out whenever they are faced with any challenges. Information Technology is fast becoming the order of the day so I see, developing/programming leading in all facets. I'm very active in the Ghana Developers Group and also share a lot of info to members.

MJ: Are you currently working on any projects?
EAT: Currently, I am working on 2 games due next month. The iWarrior and its j2me version [kijiji] are already out. There's another multiplayer game due next month.

MJ: Which other programmers inspire your work and why?
EAT: A lot of them do. I like programmers like John Carmack; CEO of ID Software, Erik Hersmann of Afrigadget and Whiteafrican… Locally, a lot of my colleagues inspire me. I learn from anyone and also share with anyone irrespective of sex, race, ethnicity, color or background.

MJ: What has been the best advice given to you by another programmer?
EAT: Don't be selfish at what you know; be willing to share. Sharing helps you to know more. The more you share, the more you know.

MJ: What advice would you share with programmers starting out?
EAT: My advice to up-coming programmers is for them to take programming seriously. They should do it for a good cause. They should be passionate about it, because after all they would see it as another language but not a curse.

MJ: How are iPhone users without App Store accounts supposed to get a copy of the iWarrior Game from Ghana?
EAT: Currently, you can get the iWarrior through the app store on iTunes. As a consolation, please consider signing up as a beta-tester for our next games and you will get the games to play pre-release. You can also download the game from iTunes App Store

MJ: Tell me something nobody knows about you and want them to know..
EAT: Games are a great way to relax. It is a continuous mind teaser, and is also a very profitable avenue for business in the world. Africans should not look down on it because it forms one of the biggest economy boosters in the developed countries. In the US, the game industry is bigger than the music and the movie industry combined. Africans can make it big in this industry. It takes determination and perseverance and a little bit of networking to accomplish though.

MJ: Your final words…
EAT: I wish to see more game developers in Ghana and Africa soon. It's fun to make games and a good way to understand programming faster. If anyone is interested in it and wants someone to talk to or share thoughts with, I'm always there to help.

MJ: Thanks a lot for your time and I really appreciate it loads.
EAT: You are always welcome, Mac-Jordan. I'm very happy to see Ghana Blogging Group going places and I know, you are very active on that. Keep it up and do feel free to contact me if you want to move your blog to your own domain. I'm ready to help anytime.

According to Erik Hersmann of WhiteAfrican blog, "iWarrior is an excellent first game on the iPhone platform from two highly talented and creative African game developers. I expect that there will be lot of good games and other applications coming from this team over time - both on the iPhone and other platforms. It's a game to be proud of and one that I hope a lot of others will buy."

Blog Action Day ’09; Round-up of blog posts by Ghanaian Bloggers

Blog Action Day codenamed by some tech-gurus and geeks as [#bad09] is an annual event that unites the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day. They aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion on that particular day...

Yesterday, the 15th of October, 2009 happened to be the Blog Day Action where bloggers all over the world wrote various articles on Climate Change. Ghanaian bloggers were not left out of the fun on writing about this subject on this day...

Below is a round-up of the various posts by members of the Ghana Blogging Group on Blog Action Day [#bad09].

Gameli Adzaho who is the author of The Gamelian World Blog presented his post on "5 Voices on climate Change" where he sampled views from five global leaders. In his opening remark, he talked about the significant of Blog Action Day and how "The phenomenon of climate has engaged the world's attention over the past decade, provoking debates in science, politics, business and technology." Among the five global leaders he choose to discuss about were 1. Former US Vice-President Al Gore 2. Noble Laureate Wangari Maathai 3. US President Barrack Obama 4. Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan 5. Former Cuban President Fidel Castro.

He ended his post by asking series of questions [What are your views on climate change? Is it for real? Is it a myth? In what ways do you think that the world can use its resources more sustainably? Can developing countries contribute to reversing climate change?], which he hopes to get to answers to soon.

Next blogger to post on #bad09 was; The African Women's Development Fund (AWDF) whose contributors are AWDF, Bisi and Roselyn. Their post was basically relating to 'Climate Change and Women". According to their blog AWDF the organization is an Africa wide grant-making foundation for African Women. The vision of the AWDF is for African women to live in a world in which there is social justice, equality and respect for women's human rights…

They started their post by not agreeing with Arun Agrawal in his paper on Social Dimensions of Climate Change which was prepared for the Social Development Department, The World Bank, Washington DC, March 5-6, 2008 in which he stated "Climate change will be pivotal in redefining development in the twenty-first century. How nations, societies, communities, and households respond to the impacts of climate changes and variability to which the world has already been committed will in many instances determine their prospects for growth, equity, and sustainability".

They described Climate Change as an environmental change, which is also driven by humans – it is fundamentally a human problem. The impacts of climate change are expected to seriously (and disproportionately) affect the livelihoods, health, and educational opportunities of people living in poverty. They also recommended a few ideas which I would be glad if you mind reading and sharing your thoughts with them on their blog; African Women's Development Fund.

Kajsa Hallberg Adu, co-founder of Ghana Blogging Group and also author of Rain In Africa blog had a lot to say on #bad09 but got shocked at how not current the topic is trending in Ghana. She mentioned how some organization/website is counting down to the UN Meeting and has no story from Ghana on their Climate Orb application. She even went to ask; "When was the last time [someone] you heard someone discuss climate change around here [Ghana]?

She also described a way to reduce Carbon dioxide emissions by suggesting, "We travel with public transport rather than individually in our own cars." She stated again how Ghanaians travel in packed tro-tros, shared taxis or "Kuffuor busses"[Metro Mass Transit busses] and hence do not emit too much CO2.

Finally, my great Ghanaian Blogger buddy; Edward Tagoe who is the author of Tagoe Blogger and also a software developer-cum-poet had a nice post on this great day. He decided to share an interesting website YOURENEW.COM with his numerous readers. He described how this website "is the perfect place for you to recycle or sell used cell phones, mp3 players, digital cameras and graphing calculators. You can also recycle and sell laptops, video game console, external hard drive, video game or DVD. If you can't find your device in our catalogue or we can't pay for it, you can always ship it for free and we'll recycle it safely. So look up your device today, go green and get green! So look up your device today and go green!"…

Also take note, October 24th, 2009 is International Day of Climate Action organized by 350.org

I have been a busy with providing on-site supports for my clients in the Western Region therefore I couldn't do any post on Blog Action Day. I wish I had done some post but I shall be looking out for new blogs and update this post as soon I lay my eyes on one. What are your reactions to climate change in the world and the steps taken by Blog Action Day group? Share your thoughts, comment and more here….!!!

Types of Hugs In Ghana

Have you hugged a stranger/friend recently? How did you do it? How did you feel after you hugged that girl/lady from the club/church? Have you wondered how many type of hugs or hugging exist in Ghana?

Yesterday at dinner with @Georgia and @Kajsaha [who is also the author of Rain in Africa blog] at the Afia Beach Hotel located on the High Street of Accra just a few walks from the Ministries, the issue of hugging and the various types of hugs in Ghana randomly popped up. Below is my take on the various type of hugs found in the Ghanaian communities...

Hugging is described by as a form of physical intimacy that usually involves closing or holding the arms around another person or group of persons. The hug is one of the most common human signs of love and affection. It is also a form of non-verbal communication. It brings people together in a feeling of mutual love, comfort and safety. Hugging is an act of giving and receiving support, moral and physical, and love.

In Ghana we have various types of hugs. Below you will find a few and their meanings as I came to understand them...

- Charismatic Hug:- This is the type of hug which is given without any negative thoughts. It is also given and all parts of the body are touched. The huger don't pull back whiles hugging but rather does it with a pure and a clean heart.

- The 'Hello' Hug: - This hug type is gender specific and differs between men and women. This is the kind of hug you would employ when greeting a friend, a friends friend. Used on a day-to-day basis this would lose its poignancy so this is generally reserved for times when it's been a long time since you last saw the other person.

- Side / Shoulder Hug:- This type of hug is mostly given by females either meeting a friend for the first time. Instead of 'freeing their minds' and giving a hug with their breast/chest, they rather do it with the shoulders… Look out for it next time you receiving a hug from a friend for the first time..

- The 'Comforter' Hug:- This is the hug used to comfort someone close to you and probably in times of a loss. In times of need nothing beats a good 'comforter'. When was the last you had such a hug? Can you remember?

- Pentecostal Hug:- This is the type of hug which doesn’t allow touching at all. In this case, it is only the shoulders that come into contact. It is not normally given by the "holy holy" people.. Lol.

I know you have friends, who'll like to read this. Share with them and let them know, you got it from Accra Conscious Forever. If you have any type of hugs been practiced in Ghana, feel free to share with us. You don't know, who might be benefiting. Your comments and more are always welcome...

DON'T DRIVE HOME ALONE!!! PICK UP SOMEONE!!!

I wouldn’t describe myself as been very religious but I worship and believe in God, I believe in Jesus Christ, I go to church when I’m less busy on Sundays. I worship at the Charismatic Evangelistic Ministry [CEM] but sometimes, I do worships also at the Action Faith Chapel International [Action]. So basically, I fall within a particular scoop of the Christian world. Maybe, [not-so-religious] group.

I know Christians to be very loving, open-hearted, kind, caring and all other positive attributes but one thing that always baffles my mind is this attitude of some of them.

We all know, not everyone can afford driving a car to church. Most people do commute to church in public transports [tro-tros and taxies]. Some well-to-do Christians also drive to church constantly...

My issue is; “Why can’t some Christians offer to drop their fellow Christians whom they attended the same church service with at some point? You’ll see some Christians come to church alone, got space in their cars and would drive away immediately without offering a free ride to others. It baffles me a lot.

Are these people really Christians? One would ask; “Do you buy the fuel for their cars?” Well, I don’t but in the spirit of Christianity, I think it’s very nice and pleasant when this offer is done.

Well, I found this notice [DON'T DRIVE HOME ALONE!!! PICK UP SOMEONE!!!] on a car which I’ll presume came not loaded and apparently the security men at the car park had to stick the notice to the wiper. I saw a couple of the notice on so many other cars which means, the church is trying to encourage others lending helping hands to their fellow Christians.

If you think, this move by the church is wrong or you don’t agree, feel free and share your thoughts here. Would you encourage such a practice in your local church? What does your church do that you think should be implemented in other churches?