Africa (apart from the flaws which we all already know about, I mean good grief)

I'm new to the blogging world; I'm sure that's quite obvious because I've only got one previous post. Now my main reason for starting this blog is to hopefully to shine a light in the minds of many of the people whose ignorance is causing them to only see war, famine, disease, and the like when they hear anything about Africa.

I am tired of not being able to have a satisfying conversation about Africa with my peers and fellow citizens here in North America without it turning to war in Sudan or Rwandan genocide or Ebola or AIDS. I am also tired of feeling and being made to feel like it is my responsibility as an African to focus solely on all morbid matters that concern Africa. Yes, it is good to acknowledge and be proactive about all of these, and I fully support those who are thus engaged (more grease to your elbow).

However, let's put it simply: even in childrearing, it is not good to only speak about the ills of a difficult child. You must praise the child when they are doing well, so to encourage them to keep on doing well. I really do not blame anyone who has grown up out of Africa if their only experience with Africa is gleaned from what the western media feeds them. Without going on too much about it, but when a high level educated newscaster on one of the top news programs in the world calls Africa a country, you really can't expect them to give or even know the full picture themselves.

I admire President Obama for doing just what I think was necessary to put Africa, and specifically Ghana, in a different light than it has previously been seen in. Now I'm not such an optimist that I think this means that the western media will flood into Ghana looking for all the good things that are there, but it is a ray of hope in a dark void that has been in existence for a very long time.

Now enough of my rant, I want to focus on the positive, if you wish to comment about the good things you know of about Africa or have personally experienced, you are more than welcome. I will concentrate on Ghana, because I love Ghana and it is my native country and the only place I've personally experienced in Africa. I would love to see contributions from people concerning other African nations, and by the way, anyone can comment, whether or not you are African or or even if you've never been to Africa but can appreciate something good about a country there.

Finally, you can write about big things or small things, because it is the small things in life that really make us happy. The big things come, make a huge impact and go and we don't see them for awhile, but the small things are always happening around us. Let me start by saying I love my country Ghana because back home, the red clay in my backyard used to make the most beautiful little sculptures. I find that Canadian dirt (yes, I am Canadian) does not form anything but a mess in my hands--at least where I live.

I loved dancing in the rain in Ghana; I'd have to be crazy to try that here. The rain not only felt good in Ghana, but was warm, here the rain feels good, but if you stay in it too long, your teeth will be chattering with cold, and you may end up in bed with a bad cough.

I love how Ghanians love all things football; by that I mean world (minus North America) football. I know it's called European Football, but let's face it, the Europeans can't hog that sport, and North Americans are the only ones who haven't fully realized the joys of football, so one might as well call it World Football.