Never accept no for an answer (part two)

It's my blog why not have fun!?!?! I was playing in the dressing room yesterday. A taste of what you will get if you make it to the fashion show this wknd. This is my Calvin Klein poise. I am still working on my Denzel glare, lol.

Sorry it took so long for me to post part two. I had a hard time getting the words out this time. However, I still hope by the end you guys get my overall point.


So I left off talking about the discovery of my greatest talent, critical thinking (click here for part one). Critical thinking is a pretty basic skill to boast about. After all, plenty of people think critically. How was I to build upon this talent so that it would be tangible to employers? And the ultimate question was how could I use it to catapult myself into the land of self employment? I figured the answers to these new questions would come in due time, but instead they came in the heat of the night (no pun intended). I woke up the next morning recalling the most amazing dream. I rarely ever remember my dreams these days and I recalled this one vividly. I dreamed, of all things that I was working on a computer program. I don’t remember what the code implemented, but I remembered the code line for line! It was like suddenly remembering how to fluently speak Spanish. To my amazement I recalled everything: variables, functions, loop, classes, statements and so on. Now I never really developed a love for programming. It took too much time, easy to mess up, and besides who wants to sit at a computer all day? However, there was no denying I was good at it back then, and in fact it was the perfect specialization for someone who enjoys analyzing every detail like me. At that moment I knew what had to be done. I was so excited to come to Ghana, and now all I wanted to do was leave. I had work to do, books to read, and jobs to research.

I had a little fire that was beginning to burn and I was adding fuel by the minute! It took me little to no time at all to connect programming to the most lucrative and fun career involving that skill. Telecommunications, mobile applications to be exact! Iphones and Androids, if there wasn’t an app for that I would build it! Here I was thinking big again, and with out the least bit of concern about the possible barriers! I found my mojo, lol! I loved it! I looked up what I would need to program for the iphone and quickly decided the cost and learning curve was too much for now (I don’t own Mac anything), but the Android OS was perfect! I could get an Android phone for cheap, the software was open sourced (free), it ran in windows, and it had the 2^nd largest market share (Crackberry is #1).

I was set! I was ready to take off with this idea as soon as I hit Saint Louis… and that was exactly what I did and exactly what I am doing now. I don’t know what the future holds, but no one will ever tell me no again and make me take the back seat in my own life. I take responsibility for my reality; I am taking full responsibility of my future. So God willing this will be the last time I ever ask someone to give me a job...

I feel like I should end on a quote and these are the two that come to mind (both Outkast)

"Take back your life or survive like a punk"

"Welcome to my life, I think it's time to take it back!"

Android software development kit and virtual phone. I made it through the tutorial and got it to put my name on the screen. Not much but I am on it!

Hail to the Chief!

The entitled video speaks for itself. The very last day I spent in Ghana I took some time to go back to the school. We had a huge 'goodbye' dinner the day before so I was taken by surprise when they decided to honor me with a plaque and literally made me an honorary chief of His Grace School Complex. Chief is actually just a fancy way of saying spokesperson which may mean nothing to you, but I was everything to me! I was sooooo honor, especially considering no one before me had ever been bestowed that honor! Here I was worried if they would really like me and they made me chief! That was hands down the most meaningful day I had there, and it solidified the quality of my work teaching the students (Shout out to Taneisha and CEISMC). Days like that make me wish I was still there. Pay no attention to the silliness, I didn't know the camera was on me lol.


I took this picture the same day! I was so proud of being a chief I didn't take off the beads for a long time.

2nd Annual Morehouse Men of Style Fashion Show Luncheon

This is a scholarship fundraiser that I will be taking part of Saturday, the 29 of May and you are all invited. I will be an ANTM for a full hour and if that is not enough you will see me accept an award (No details, its a secret).




Just in case you think I am blowing hot air. I did it last year (I just didn't tell anyone lol!) It was my first time and I was nervous, but this year I will be making love to the crowd!!! Plus I was on that rice diet in Ghana so the abs are locked and loaded! Think I'll keep the suit this year too.


I feel like I need to make this relevant to Ghana, I can't lol. However, when I got back from out the country the acceptance letter for the award was waiting on me. Upon reading the letter it reminded me that you never know who is watching you. I was nominated for an award during a time I felt I had achieved very little. I was not in school and I was out of a job, are you sure you want to give me a pat on the back for a job well done?! LOL, Anyway, I humbly accepted and took it as a challenge to make myself worthy of such an honor. I guess I just let the cat out of the bag on the award details. Oh well, I am not good at keeping secrets anyway.

I don't know what it was but I ate it too! (part two)

I didn't actually eat these, I just thought it was an artistic photo. The grapes were growing in the wild and they were looking delish!



So because I am American they took the head off for me lol. My first day teaching and I was so hungry by lunch time I actually considered eating the fish. That says a lot because I don't eat fish at all. The cassava and pepper sauce was devoured.



JUNGLE OATS?! WTH!!! I was offended but when you are starving for something familiar you will eat the most offensive of products. Its a freakin tiger on the oat meal box! Is that really necessary sir???

You see the slogan "oatso easy" classic, lol


Yeah I really ate this and I can prove it...notice half of it was gone before I took the picture. Hmmm Cassava leaves. If it was not cassava it was some kind of root plant's leaves. It tasted like a spicy spinach. It looks gross as if someone took the liberty of digesting it for me, but I did go back for round two. It was good...however not sure if I knew what else was in it.



I don't remember what this was but I ate that too. Everything was with rice. Looks like it was some onions and I don't know what else.



This was for everyone who says "Chris, you are too picky. How would you know if you never had it". LOL, I ate every last one of those beetle larve!!!!! Fried, dried, and I tried*



Its a rice ball and what looks to be chicken at first glance. uhhh, yeah it was chicken. I hope.



Frutelli was my friend! I did not trust fresh fruits so I would go to the corner store and buy this juice. The juice was like 3cedis (their dollar) so the lady would love to see us. Between me and the other volunteer we were paying her rent. To put the $3 into perspective, the same sized water bottle would be 0.20Pesways (cents) and we were buying them 3-5 at a time.



Chicken and thick than a mug bread. Bread came in loaves, unsliced, and you don't know how annoying it is to slice your own bread without ripping it.



After a successful month of teaching they had dinner in honor of me. I was nervous about the food but it was all good! And we had a great time laughing and joking. They loved to hear me say cow (nun-sh-e-way) because it was one of the many words that did not come out right when I said it. They would literally be rolling on the floor. I will try my best to never laugh at someone attempting to speak English again.



This was the meal. That red sauce was tomato based. Not like ketchup but like a combo between pizza sauce and really mild picante. It was tasty. The yellow wasn't potatoes or cassava but some other type of root that was fried. It was just like a french fry.



Sipping on hypnotic. That is the blue one right? or alize? IDK but notice the plates. They are completely empty. That day was the day I finally figured out what they were doing with the bones... they eat them. Not really a big deal, but I was puzzled for the longest because no one would ever have scraps.



*Well those are all of my food picture and don't worry, I did not eat any beetles. Those were actually tiger nuts. Not actual, actual tiger nuts but like walnuts, peanuts, tigernuts. You chew them for the juices and spit them out. I wish I had taken a picture of the black berry tree. They had these berries that tasted like now or laters!

Never accept no for an answer

Sometimes life can put you on the road less traveled and where very few can follow. As you look down that treacherous path remember the work you have done to get there and know those works make you more than capable to get passed there. No is not an answer.

I think back to my school days and remember the drive that I had. Often times it never occurred to me what I “could not” do. I lived a life of my own design. I set the limits. I set the boundaries. After I accepted my first job, I put my life in a compromising position and I allow a company to define not only my actions, but me. I had never been the type to just let things happen and there I was at this boring desk job just letting things happen. Anyone who knew me knew I did not consider my day started until after I got off work. Imagine that? I defined my job as the punishment I paid for doing the stuff I loved instead of it being included in those things. So when I was relieved of my positions back in November 2009 you could imagine how I felt. It felt like I was no longer being grounded by my parents or the man lol.

So what to do? What to do? I have money, free time, and the world is my play ground right? Well, since I had been in “time-out” a lot had changed in the world, and I quickly saw how far I had been left behind. My friends had been working to advance their careers and here I was abandoned by my job with basically the same talents I came in the door with. I had been in neutral for going on three years now. I was clueless. I could not remember the last time had a bright idea… partly because my job did not allow them, lol. Only cookie cutter solutions were acceptable to my previous employer. Where had my passion gone? My mojo?! My “can do” Attitude? I had lost it.

After months of thinking long and hard on what I should do next I decided to go to Africa. Maybe I could find my passion through volunteering abroad, and so I spent four weeks in Ghana waking up daily thinking “what do I want to do with my life?” After the first week or so I began to think about the actual question. It is not “what I want to do” but what am I good at? What my talents are? & How can I market them? I thought even longer and harder at the newer questions. I recall this being the troubling issue the night I was dazzled by the Ghanaian night sky.

No matter how hard or how focused I was on thinking this “what are my talents” question through I could not come up with a satisfactory answer. Oh it was the worst feeling ever. Then one day, to get the spotlight back on the current cultural experience, I played soccer with the kids. What a work out! I was exhausted and so hot. That night was the first time I actually enjoyed the cold showers I had learned to endure while in Ghana. I got in bed and slept like a baby. I woke up the next morning refreshed and thinking “Chris, you think waaay too much”. I immediately laughed out loud, “I think too much?!” That IS what I do. In fact, it’s what I do best! It was right in front of me the whole time. I had been rigorously using the best skill I had to think about the best skill I had, lol. I am a critical thinker! I-am-a-critical-thinker! On the mile walk to class I began to remember all the major life decisions I made. From college choices to women, my parents never questioned me, not even my choice to go to Africa alone was challenged! Why??? Because they have known me my whole life, and they know I never make an important decision with out thinking it through to the very last detail, lol. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I have made some bad decisions, but none without good reason…and good being relative to me of course :P

Man! Talk about a load off your chest, I was ecstatic about that discovery. I had finally figured out what my greatest talent was, but how would I apply it??? Later I will post part two (click here) and explain what came next. Thanks for listening guys!!!

Arrival and the first couple of day's activities

This was recorded maybe an hour after arriving in Ghana. I had no clue what I was in store for, however it was the trip of a life time!

So this is the Saturday of the week I arrived in Ghana. I was at the Ga tribe's religious ceremony. Yeah that's a goat in the background...or at least it was one.



I didn't eat the goat but I tore this cow up!!! With some thick gravy and rice, you heard me?!


It was a lot of breast meat that day! I think I did a great job of missing it with my camera. The old negro spiritual comes to mind, "swing low" and that's all I have to say about that :/


R.I.P. to the homies no longer with us


Aw yeah "po it uuup!" Double shot of jungle juice coming right up.


This was like the Ghanaian steppers ball, I was looking for African R.Kelly. "Ain't a stain on me!" You couldn't tell them nothing with those fresh white dashikis on.

BTW I got my dashiki!


That's not the "peace" sign they are throwing up. Notice the roman numeral two markings everywhere. Sorry, no explanation. It was too much going on and I did not notice in enough time to ask.


Edna and Prince. When I left in the middle of the ceremony to eat at papaye's (popeye's) Edna went with us.


I hate when I see people with Asian tattoo that aren't Asian, because they don't know what the tattoo means. I am officially a hypocrite!


The major downtown areas have nice streets and highways with names and stop lights. Outside the city is another story. I still can't understand how you have a street with no name, it is beyond me. AND DON'T THINK YOU CAN DRIVE HERE. YOU CANNOT, PERIOD!!!!


The Next day (Easter Sunday) Hayford took us sight seeing. Nobody told me where we were going. I thought I was in a slave castle. It was a light house. I was wondering why so many stairs?! lol, silly me.


Too close for comfort but I did it!


View of independence Square from the light house.


"Wonderful God", religion was integrated into everything. You could take the "wonderful God" tru-tru (van) to the "His blessings" corner store and buy some "Jesus wept" bread. I kid you not.


Goats outside their pin. Farm animals were common.


A view from the light house at some kids playing soccer among some "houses".


I believe this was a fish market or depo where they brought in and prepared the fish to sale.


Coastal view with some fishing boats in the background.


The further out you go the less "glamorous". By the time you get to where I was living the road was dirt.


Still getting use to the heat. Just having fun with my camera.


The stadium where the Black Stars play (Soccer)


Independence Square is where they first announced Ghana was free from colonial rule in 1957.




This picture is out of order. It was taken from the light house. There was an Easter celebration below us. Most holidays are done really big but of course they don't have any "mega church" size venues so they are typically outside.



Their coat of arms...no their emblem of... I don't know, it is the equivalent of our bald eagle. Sorry I don't sound college educated at all right now. That's okay I will just go touch my degrees lol.


So in certain places you just pull out your willie and let her rip where ever you want. In fact I had a dude in the middle of conversation "release the peace" and gave it a whiz right in front of me. I was so weirded out, but its nothing to them.



What do you call an African with out a drum? Sell out, lol. I am only kidding. These Ghanaian's had drums for days! No wonder we love to here the beat drop.



Megan doing her thing with the kids. You should know I don't deal with "chill-ren" that small because everybody would be in time out! "Sit down and shut up. Ain't nobody getting Popsicles today" :)




Hope you enjoyed the video and pictures!

Dancing machine

If you watch long enough you will see me do my thing at the end. This was taken on Easter Monday. I was at a Presbyterian church celebrating the holiday (He rose Sunday but went back to heaven on Monday). They were having so much fun it was hard to believe it was church. It looked like a super huge family reunion. I guess that's how it should be huh?!

Q&A #1

I went to the La Palm beach my last weekend in Ghana. I did get in the water but y'all know brothas can't swim...even your African Coastal Brothas lol. BTW Learning to swim is on my to-do list.

Anonymous,
I confess in so many ways I've been guilty of existing and not living and observing and not experiencing. What are some ways to transition from one to the other?

Simple…just do it! That is actually my slogan or mantra for 2010. We often let fear push us in the wrong direction, especially when we feel unprepared, or inadequate. I think you just have to take that leap of faith. Don't worry about what people say, or how it makes you look, just do it.

Ex. I am absolutely terrified of karaoke. If you want to do a scientific study on ball shrinkage put me on stage. Anyway, I had just told some one my slogan the day before I met up with them at …you guessed it …a karaoke bar. She made me eat my words. I had to get up there and do a song… I bombed! However, I DID IT and that is all that mattered. In fact I decided to have a rematch and I faced that same fear while in Ghana. Don’t you know your boy rocked the mic?! I swear I cranked it! I started the party! I was living and it was great!

You got me feeling like a life coach or something after that one :)

I've really enjoyed your blog and I am praying for your safe return.

And now my questions:

-It is often said that we are all the same. After this experience, do you feel it's true or merely a cliche?

We are definitely different! I think what people mean by that is you see some of the same characteristics in people where ever you go. I thought I would have a hard time being accepted since I was a Black American. Some times it was, some times it was not. However, there was this elderly lady who was a complete stranger to me; of all people she gave me the most sincere welcome and good bye. She was the motherly type and some personalities and characteristics are universal where ever you go. I felt like I had just hugged my grandma. She was not my Granny, in fact she was nothing like her, but the feeling was exactly the same.

-Did you find what you were seeking by taking this trip?

This is a hard one. To answer your question yes, but to completely answer your question you will have to wait on that particular post :)

-How has this trip changed you?

Let me count the ways! The biggest, most noticeable change is my drive. I think back to seeing how people were fighting for scraps and here we are sitting at the table with this large pie, scared...what are we waiting for?! GO FOR IT!!!

- Are there any misconceptions that you like to clear up?

LOL, quite a few. The first one that comes to mind is balancing things on your head is a skill! If you can master it your hands are free to do what ever you want. How many times have you dropped groceries trying to open a door or press a button? We have it all backwards. All these lower back problems come from carrying and lifting with our hands. Your back is perfectly aligned when things are on your head. lol

- What would you do if you lost your passport? LOL

I would have got a 2 dollar hair cut. No, really, that is how much they cost there. Speaking of misconceptions, here is another one. Dudes were on top of the hair cut game! Just like Black America there was a barber shop on every corner, every corner.

This was my last day in Ghana. We had a good time and took a couple of fun pictures. I had two classes I taught. These are most of the students from my 1st period.

New-mo and Princess

New-mo and Princess! I have been waiting to post this for a loooong time. I could make 3 solid post just off the stuff in this video. Check it out. It was my first weekend in Ghana and it was off the chain!!! Off. The. Chain. Again, New-mo is the Ga high priest I stayed with and this was during the Ga's religious celebration.

I'm on my way home

Just in case you were looking for the bearded man I shaved and got a hair cut. I don't wear glasses, I only tried them on for the look. I kinda like it.

My last day in Ghana was pretty hectic. So much so I did a lot with out thinking about it. I had errand after errand to run. I made a few purchases, saw the students one last time, and commenced the all night packing party. I woke up two hours later at 4am, and by 5am Hayford and I were out the door. I had said most of my goodbyes the night before so there was little to say on the ride to the airport. Plus it was 5am! My flight was scheduled to leave at 9am and after being searched and padded down at least four times I made it to the terminal. The excessive frisking was just part of their process for international flights but I would love to blame it on the fact that I had a bow and arrow in my luggage lol! My younger brother asked me to bring him one back and I finally found one the day before I left. The security people were quite baffled. They asked if my brother was a hunter. No, he is not; he doesn’t even know how to use it. You guys can thank me later when the new stereotype is don’t come to America they spill redrum with bow n arrows. (redrum is murder backwards for those not ebonically inclined)

Back to the story, I was sitting in the terminal and a local movie about the “Lost boys of Sudan” was on. Way more graphic than anything we would show, but the portion I saw was incredibly moving. They talked about the non-response of the world to the genocide and how France even sided with the government! I literally learned something amazing everyday while in Ghana. The overwhelming theme of that day in the airport and so many other days was this: You can not change the world if you have never lived in it. We are not blinded but we as Americans are shielded and strategically baby fed what is going on in the world around us. I won’t go further than that because I am still working on that premises as part of my final thesis :). What I will say is what we don’t know IS hurting us. I wish I could emphasis that more.

Moving on, along with the other passengers, I boarded the plane okay and was buckled in awaiting take off. 30 minutes go by. They turn the power off to fuel. Another 45 minutes falls off the clock. A total of 2 hrs and 45 minutes go by with us sitting in this hot vessel. It was so hot I felt like I was in Africa some where…oops, lol. Tell me why it took Delta almost 3hrs to get their flight plans together? Flight plans that should have already been prepared! As crazy as this next sentence sounds its true. The pilots knew we were flying to New York, but they did not know how to get there! WTH?! Of course it’s a bit more technical than that, but basically they were not sure which countries they were allowed to fly over…Come on guys, you fly here twice a week.

When we finally took off and got to the cruise altitude I felt that sigh of relief come over me...similar to that feeling after your last final exam of the semester. I had been up most of the night so I tilted my coach seat back and closed my eyes for a long nap. Pretty soon tears were streaming down my face. I am not telling you this to show my emotional side, its just what happened. I really don’t even know why my eyes were taking a leak. All I could think about was my Dad though. He is my measuring stick for success and adding him into this brew of feelings I guess was an overload. Everything that had happened, everything that I had laid witness to, everyone I had interacted with, every thing I had learned was right there whenever I closed my eyes. SO I GOT NO SLEEP!

What I did get was a belly full of food. I must have eaten four meals while on that plane. Turkey sandwich how I missed thee. I had the chicken dinner and then I had the beef dinner and then I had another turkey sandwich. I even ate the pretzels and crappy peanuts. Oh those peanuts were so pea-nutty lol. The flight landed in New York safely and they put me in a Hotel since they were at fault for my connecting flight. I thought I would go out that night, but I was exhausted. I went to sleep after watching a little TV and using the other modern conveniences that meant so much more now . (Check the video two posts down)

The next day I got up at 5am and prepared for another day of travel. I would get to Saint Louis by 3pm and I would finally walk in my Condo door by 4 that afternoon. And to my surprise…it was nice! I don’t mean cleaned up nice, I mean "can I really afford to live this well?" nice. It did not feel like my place. I thought I had the keys to some money tycoon’s player pad. In fact, a lot of things felt like that once I got to Saint Louis. Airport people look the same everywhere you go, it was not until I finally left the airport on the Metrolink train did things start to appear different. LOL, you know when Neo first woke up outside the matrix, saw everything for what it really was, and then went back into the Matrix??? That was my experience, with Africa being real and America the matrix. I took the red pill! I would see cars and then I would see CARS. I would see people and then I would see PEOPLE. The grass was even greener. The real world I had just left and now I was riding through this fictitious, matrix-like world. Go see the movie; I can’t explain it any better than that lol!

That seems like at really whack place to cut this story short but “cut!” Just a few of my thoughts coming home, don’t worry I have more. Since my return, I have been really busy on the job search. I am so hungry right now I can taste it! A friend made the comment that my blog title implied that I would talk about the world as I see it after my trip… maybe I will. After all, my life is in somewhat of an underdog stage and everyone loves an underdog.