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Hello Kuukuwa,

I have read your post more than three times today. Yesterday, I read it twice and the day that you posted, I read it once. Do you realize how it increased gradually? Yeah, I know you do. Your post has this guy ‘peaking’.

I wont make this long (my height will make up for that), like what those guys do, I come straight and correct always (Accra Aca trained me well), especially when it comes to women, and you are a woman, a pretty and ‘solid’ one. One who has an idea of what she wants and at the same time, is aware that man is not perfect, just like woman. What really got my attention was the last paragraph in your post, I can write a whole book from those 5 lines.

Anyway, I am a man who has been following you on twitter for a while now, yeah this is your handle, just so you know. ;). I have been able to realize how you think and see things, just by following you for such a long time, so I know all the points you gave are true. Remember, we have met a couple of times as well. I wont get into your physique now; I don’t want to be reminded of heaven. I am working on my humour and I hope to make you smile at least, when I finally get to meet you on a ‘professional’ level. I grew up with my mom and grandma so women will forever be very close to my heart.

Me dier, the long and short is that, we should hang out sometime so we get to know each other. Been longing to share my ambitions and passion with someone but I have searched and searched saa, whooteee!! It was good you wrote that post. Anyway, I hope you like jollof? If you don’t like it kraa the aroma of my jollof will make you taste and taste and lick your fingers. Yes you will lick your fingers!! Oh yeah, I cook, so prepare yourself well-well.

My lyrics all finish!! Accra Aca did not help me in that ‘sector’, but I know you will make things happen.

By Mutombo

This post is part of Blu’s LiveBlu Forum, a social commentary on work-life balance in Ghana. Join the discussion at: http://blughana.wordpress.com/ #LiveBlu #BeLieveUme or sign up here to try turbo-charged internet powered by Blu.

Hi Kuukuwa,

I love to laugh a lot, especially at myself. Not that I am a clown but I like to see the humor in situations where possible. As much as possible I try to learn something new every day. Not necessarily to do with my job but anything worth knowing and sometimes some random knowledge that make for good conversation. Sometimes, I love to pick the wrong end of a debate just to see how far I can go with its flawed logic. You can be sure you won’t be bored during a conversation with me.

I still believe in doing things like opening doors for ladies, paying on date, standing up when a lady walks in an that kind of chivalrous stuff. Not because I think women can’t do these things for themselves but because I actually enjoy doing these things. That might be because I’ve got three sisters or maybe because I grew up see a lot of that. Whatever the reason, these are things that come naturally to me. I try not to protest too much when a Lady insists on doing some of these things themselves.

I love to cook. So far no one has complained about my skills in the kitchen so I take that as an indication that I’m not too terrible. Hopefully, you will soon get the opportunity to judge for yourself. I’d love to prepare some “ampesi with abom” for you or something you really like. If I can’t cook your preferred meal, I’m sure you will be able to teach me. Hopefully when I will be a good enough student to make something that’s isn’t too terrible for both of us to eat.

I like a lady who can speak her mind even if I don’t agree with her. I find confidence and intelligence very attractive so you and I will definitely get along. I also love to go out to the movies, to poetry shows, to musical concerts and other stage performance so we definitely won’t get stale from staying indoors too much. I’ve not gotten around to night clubs yet but that’s probably because I’m a terrible dancer but we can always play some music indoors, jump up and down having fun.

I’m a Christian. Religious to the extent of having a relationship with God but not letting it overshadow logic. I believe God gave us brains so we make logical decisions. I attend church as often as i can (which isn’t a lot these days). I’m as open minded as they come these days. Sometimes i can be a bit stubborn when i make a decision but i believe that is a part of all ambitious people.

You and I are a good match. I don’t fear your fierce ambition, I love that it rivals mine. I don’t want a lamb of a lady. I want a Lioness, like you, together we’ll conquer the world and leave our prints all over it.

By Efo Dela

This post is part of Blu’s LiveBlu Forum, a social commentary on work-life balance in Ghana. Join the discussion at: http://blughana.wordpress.com/ #LiveBlu #BeLieveUme or sign up here to try turbo-charged internet powered by Blu.

“I change my mind so much I need two boyfriends and a girlfriend.” ― Pink

 What do I find attractive in a man? It depends… They’re all so different! They come in all shapes… and sizes… with different packages.

If I had to do a list of what I find attractive in a man at this very moment, here’s what I would put in it. So, in no particular order, here are 7 things, or combinations of things that I find attractive in guys [… and girls].

 Compassion + Action

Simply put, caring about the misfortunes of others enough to do something about it.

The Way He Sees Women

In this era of “real niggas”, you meet a lot of funny-guy misogynistic types, or less extremely and more commonly, guys that see women as beneath them. Luckily, most of these types are also pretty dumb, so that situation resolves itself. In the very rare situation where an attractive, accomplished, intelligent, brilliant man is sexist, that’s a deal-breaker.

Romance + Sweetness + Romance

Donnez-moi, donnez-moi, donnez-moi… a guy that’s into affectionate gestures, sweet messages, funny/ quirky gifts and more! Add weekend-trips, spur of the moment road trips, and we have ourselves a winner, even if he doesn’t shave his armpit hair.

 Ambition + Passion + Brilliance + Intelligence

“Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.” ― Salvador Dalí

Almost every single person I’ve been attracted to in my adult life [and by that I mean the years after 20], has a combination of these four elements. I’ve been known to be blinded to pot bellies, ear hair, and old age where these super four are at play. I think everything here is pretty self-explanatory, but let me hasten to add that being passionate about religion and nothing else but religion doesn’t count at all.

Humour + Intelligence + knowing what to joke about & when

“I think, for me, humour needs to be used like a strong spice – sparingly.” ― George Murray

Every girl, they say, likes a guy who makes her laugh. I guess that’s true with me to an extent, BUT, I am not looking to hook up with a Funny Face kind of person. Too many people I meet overdo it, and I’m left laughing out of politeness and trying to find an excuse to leave.

The Physical

I don’t think I have a type in terms of physique. A nice face + lips are important. I mean, I do need to be able to kiss a guy without getting nightmares. Also a fit body and personal hygiene are important for doing the kind of things I like to do, but I will not dwell on that.

The Spiritual

If he’s seeking to achieve a state where he is peaceful, truthful, and treats all others as equals, then it doesn’t matter what/who he believes in. It doesn’t matter who his gods are. I respect that.

In conclusion, realistically I’m not looking to meet a guy who is as put together as this. Frankly, if I did, I wouldn’t want to date him and be in constant awe of his perfection. And in relationships, both partners change a little to suit each other anyway. So as long as he’s working to get there, and has respect for women, I’m good.

THE END

By Kuukuwa Manful

This post is part of Blu’s LiveBlu Forum, a social commentary on work-life balance in Ghana. Join the discussion at: http://blughana.wordpress.com/ #LiveBlu #BeLieveUme or sign up here to try turbo-charged internet powered by Blu.

General Declaration
First of all I want to state that I admit there indeed are more men in influential positions than there are women. I admit some irresponsible men treat men as though they were second-class humans, and above all, I do admit history has not been fair to my great-grand mother and yes, the bible which happens to be the most influential book today, was written with a male-bias handwriting (due to the Jewish traditions and focus then). I side with many other women who push for a world which should be blind to gender and who put in effort to make sure there are EQUAL opportunities available to men and women. Am I a feminist if I believe in the above? No!! This is because many, if not all feminism groups have strayed away from the cause to create an equal playing field into what I now term as a neo-nepotistic agenda seeking group. Below are the reason why I do not support today’s feminist groups.

The Elitist Advantage ;Interventions in the form of affirmative actions and quota systems have been instituted for years (surprisingly by learned authorities) to bridge the gap between men and women in academia, however the gap still exists. This is because some of these interventions are snatched by privileged women who with little effort could have gotten access to such resources anyways. Have you ever heard of a quota for Kayayes in University of Ghana for them to study IT or a course which will give them some economic advantage? No! It is still accessed by the class of ladies who attended advantaged schools in Ghana but fell below the qualification score by a point or two. Such candidates still get into Uni through affirmative action policies or some kind of intervention, leaving behind the lady who attended senior high school in a village with no lights and/or water. I see and hear some of these interventions every now and then, and do you know who goes on to apply for such programs? The very women who drive in their own cars, or are being driven, the women who own their own companies and are thinking about starting their third one. Such interventions keep going to the women who are still privileged. And they are the ones who will push for such interventions because they benefit more, and that is why some of them support feminism, not necessarily because they are interested in travelling to the country side to visit widows suffering from archaic cultural norms which prevent them from meeting their goals. They keep accessing the programs which will get them to fly first class to New York and speak in 5 star hotels. That will definitely not bridge the gap! It only makes sure the advantaged women stay advantaged!

Contradictions : Have a chat with two or more self-declared feminists and you will see contradictions echoing through their claims. One group claims Feminisms is not just a fight for women, but men as well. Oh really? FEMinism. Perhaps I missed some French lessons in school, but as far as I know, the word FEMME, is more feminine than Unisex, so why not change the name of the cause? Another group even claims other Feminist groups are NOT Feminists! For the love of God, is it too hard to get a clear definition for Feminism? It is not uncommon to see some of the supporters of feminism holding on to their own personal definition. With such definition difficulties, it is just hard to be part of such a group! It is just too hard! One main theme which runs through their seemingly contradictory explanations though is the push against a Patriarchy world. As I mentioned earlier, I agree with them when they demand a gender-blind world. And thus I go on to ask, who are the first people to point to us when a whole panel is full of males? If indeed they were blind to gender, how on earth would they be counting men/women rather than human beings on a panel. And this is the bigger contradiction I find it difficult to deal with. Feminist are usually the first people to point to the skew in gender ratio in membership, how could they do this if they were gender-blind? How can you ask the rest of the world to be gender blind if you are not willing/able to be gender blind yourselves? I always say, when I walk into a room, I don’t see men vrs women, I rather see human beings. However the Feminism microscope will force you to look with binary goggles ie. Men vrs Women!

The Statistical Flaw : Most feminists will be quick to remind you of the need for different unisex societies and leadership groups to reflect the 51:49 female to male ratio (*The ratio is not totally accurate but any ratio with more women is close to the correct figure). Let me break it down for you. They claim because there are more women than men in Ghana/the world, it makes sense for there to be as many men as there are women in parliament, on different boards , in the Executive. They simply don’t understand why out of the many Presidents in the world, only 19 are women. On the surface, this sounds logical, but once you scrutinize this claim to some more rigid statistics, you find this theory crumble into pieces.

First of all, the above claim completely ignores QUALIFICATION and INTEREST as important factors. If there are 6 women and 4 men in the world. Out of which 2 women were qualified for University education and showed interest by applying, and on the other hand 3 men were qualified and applied for university education, the sample is not longer THE NUMBER OF MEN AND WOMEN IN THE WORLD, but rather the number of qualified and interested applicants. So at this point it is not fair for one to expect a 50:50 ratio.

If there is a ballot sheet and there is no female candidate on it, how do you expect the country to have a chance of producing a Female President? What Feminists should be doing is rather to focus on increasing the number of qualified and interested persons rather than expecting society to yield to their “we want more Female Presidents” theory. I presume a bottom-up approach will yield better results. In any case, who cares about what gender a professional is? Seriously, does the world need good female engineers or do we need good engineers? Does the world need knowledgeable parliamentarians or do we need knowledgeable female parliamentarians? Except in rare cases when I’d prefer to be seen by a male doctor to a female doctor for personal reasons, in most other cases, I don’t really care about what is the gender of my lawyer or tv presenter or banker!

In Ghana’s 1st parliament, did you know Kwame Nkrumah reserved 30% seats for ONLY women? Cruel huh? That meant that in our very first parliament, it was possible to have a parliament full of women, but it was NOT POSSIBLE to have a parliament full of men. And guess what happened. The 30% quota was not event reached! All one needed to do was to show interest as a female MP, and she was in! Yet, we still did not have the 30% quota fully subscribed.

And why on earth are they not pushing for a 50:50 representation in our Prisons? Are women only worthy to be in good positions and not in the bad?

The Biological Truth: From Day 1, our biological make-up makes us different. Of course, our differences do not make either one superior to the other, but we are DIFFERENT nonetheless. These differences push us to react to circumstances differently. Men are more aggressive than women, sometimes the aggression ends up getting us in the wrong place. When not channelled well, it sees more men committing suicide (and I don’t see any feminist acknowledging that), it also sees more men dying before age 12, and gets more men in Prison. These are some of the negative by-products of our aggression. There are good sides of our aggression though. More men stepping up to be part of every group they can handle, more men taking initiatives despite the consequences. Such outcomes may or may not be as a result of socialisation. They are just an exhibition of the inner hormones burning in us. Ever wondered why the fastest man did 9.58 sec whiles the fastest women did 10.49? When it gets us into trouble, we accept it, when it gets us into leadership positions, we are told it is not fair!!!

Blaming the wrong man : If I went to No.10 Downing Street and I knocked on David Cameron’s door asking him to give me back the many ounces of gold his great grandparents took away from the Gold Coast, do you know what he would say? He would say HE owes me NOTHING. I cannot blame the wrong white man for my or his great-grand parent’s actions or inaction. He is an innocent man, although he is benefiting from the end-results. It is for this same reason I think it is not fair for feminists to tell the 11th man that he cannot be President just because there have been 10 male Presidents before him. It is just not fair to tell a man that his grandparents created a man’s world and thus you are visiting the punishments on him, by making things easier for the ladies he is competing with. As a black entrepreneur, I feel there are more opportunities in the west than there are down here is sub-saharan Africa, but do I have to sulk and blame the white man for the 4 centuries of slave trade? No! I pick myself up and build capacity and train myself and find out how I can compete despite the differences in opportunities. The white entrepreneurs that exist currently cannot be blamed for the slave trade. Most of them don’t even know what used to be Gold Coast. It is the same way I do not think it is fair to blame today’s man for the patriarchal world created years ago. Today’s man has nothing to do with it. If anyone has to suffer for it, it should be our grand daddies who are obviously dead and gone. Let today’s man go through his education without being told ‘he is the cause of the woman’s predicaments’, because he is not. He deserves to get into school with the same grades his female counterparts will get in with.

It is a human problem, let’s treat it as such : When a man beats his wife, it is one man who has beaten his wife. It is unfortunate when it goes on to be captured as a ‘men beat women’. It needs to be made clear, that man does not represent all the men in Ghana/the world. So we need to be united as humans and address the issue where a few men treat their counterparts aggressively. If it is captioned that way I will join the fight and help fight against these irresponsible men as well. However they make it seem as though it is a ‘men vrs women’ problem and all men are bad and all women are victims, which usually is not the case. Humans have faced several problems in their quest to create a healthy world. Do you remember Polio? It was handled as the human race vrs Polio. Do you remember bird flu? It was also handled as a human problem, why are we handling this one as a ‘women’s problem’ and not a human problem? It needs to be a ‘humans vrs irresponsible partners’ battle and not a ‘men vrs women’ battle. The latter won’t get them much support.

Let them count their blessings, men are cursed too : You know about maternity leave right? Ever heard of paternity leave? (I know there are a few forward-thinking organizations which are introducing paternity leaves, but is not common, so I will not assume it exists). You know about mother’s day right? It went viral in the media, whiles father’s day went unnoticed. At 11pm, on a any day, a lady stands a higher chance of getting a lift from a driver who plies that route than a man does. Yes, true. Because black young men at midnight are very risky! So there are many other instances where women rank higher on the benefit scale than men do. Yet, they do not highlight those blessings. If I applied for a job as a receptionist, the woman stands a higher chance of being selected. You know why? Because she will give the organization a welcoming feel, and I won’t. They’d rather use me for a Black Horse energy drink ad. Every aphrodisiac has a display of a black man’s muscular physique. Is that all I am good for? Sex? Both sexes suffer in one way or the other, and that is why I think it is best it is treated as a human problem. There are many instances where a woman would use her glamour and sensitivity to beat a man, in such situations they do not admit their gender helped. But when their gender gets them elsewhere, it is the man’s fault all of a sudden!

A woman with a begging bowl is not a nice scene : How would you feel as a woman if you were told you are currently occupying a high position in society as a women only because there was an intervention or because men were prevented from applying for that position. How would you feel if you turned out to be the best student as a lady just because the board had acknowledged there had been too many best students who are males and now want a woman? I am not a woman, but I assume such persons would feel some low self-esteem. If you are occupying a position you need to occupy it as one who is qualified as a competitive candidate and not as one who got there because the world was tired of seeing men in that position. I have had the chance to work with some amazing women, and these are women determined to make a difference despite their challenges. It was not difficult for me to believe these women currently occupy their positions not because of their gender, but rather because they know their trade. We need to train the new generation of women to become the kind which will not use their gender as a weapon, but will rather use their brains, skills, interest and experience as their advantage.

Will there be a day when we will see a man occupy the seat of the Ministry of Women and Social Protection?

Going to Jamestown almost always creates mixed feelings for me, for different reasons. First of all, it is supposed to be my hometown, yet I never visit the area or go there to find out what shape my great-grandparents’ house is in. Extending this argument may lead to a very important discussion about what should be defined a one’s ‘hometown’? But that is a discussion we should delve in onto another day. The second reason behind my mixed feeling situation is the explosion behind the major event which has been held there since 2011; Chale Wote 2013.

On Sept 7th and 8th the 3rd annual CHALE WOTE Street Art Festival takes place in James Town . The festival is produced by ACCRA [dot] ALT in association with The Foundation for Contemporary Art – Ghana, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Institut Français, Alliance Française, Dr. Monk, No Limits Charity, Absolut Vodka, CitiFM, BloggingGhana and The Attukwei Art Foundation.

I was touched by the previous Chale Wote Festival where Generik Vapeur and his team of blue-faced French masqueraders drummed barrels in a rhythmic fashion of the streets lining the James and Usher Forts. It was a unique and an entertaining version of what I usually see on Tv. So when the Accra dot Alt organisers mentioned this year’s Chale Wote Street Art Festival would go beyond a day….oh boy was I crystallised in happiness. As a member of one of the partnering groups, BloggingGhana, I was also tasked with documenting this historic event on the popular social media platforms. We recounted the happenings of the event on twitter, took photographic accounts and posted them on Google+, Facebook and Instagram. Though I was on duty, my responsibilities never stopped me from consuming and enjoying the exciting bits of this art festival, and that makes the work of a blogger more enjoyable!

Frankly it was just too touch to taste and experience all the many pockets of art and entertainment spots scattered on the Attah-Mills Highway right by the sea. There was al lot attendees could benefit from. From the line-up of local accessories and designs at the bazaar to the lighthouse with an overview of Accra. I liked every bit of it. The part which got me wanting more was, the People I met. After every step, there would someone you knew or who knew you who would offer to catch up on an old conversation or just say hi. For me as always that has been the icing on the Chale Wote Cake considering all the 3 sessions I have attended since 2011.

I also admired the way the organizers made a conscious effort to offer the cross section of attendees something interesting. At the light-house end of the highway was the Children’s village set up to engage the younger generation, there was a beach jam in the evening of the second day to appease the twerk-loving folks. And oh yea, there was an opportunity for individuals with talent to exhibit such gifts in many different ways, from artists to entrepreneurs. Such events were mixed with discussion points, sports, music and dance.

Finally I feel the Art Festival would have been a lot for amazing for many more if we had found a way to control the over-energized kids whose community we had invaded. Some of the got so interested in the event they started engaging some of the visitors in a way a few of them were not too comfortable with. I see this to be a major challenge the Accra dot Alt team would have to go round, especially because they have the same right to be a part of the event as anyone else. I feel the next Chale Wote will reduce some of these Challenges and see Chale Wote rise to become a national Festival if not an International one.

For see more from the Festival, Check our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+ Pages.
If you were at the event, share with us, let us know what you think.

If you were on Twitter this past weekend and following tweets from Ghana, my bet is you saw one or two photos, vines, tweets or retweets from Chale Wote 2013. Chale Wote is a street arts festival organized annually in Jamestown, Accra and brings art, music, dance & performance out into the streets & public spaces.

When Edward and I talked about attending Chale Wote 2013, I didn’t know what to expect. Haven missed the last two, I was full of expectations and it didn’t disappointment. I was totally blown away! The art, installations, music, level of detail kept a smile on my face.

Day 1 was fun–packed with all the murals going up on the walls. It was really amazing that from the Old Kings Way to Ga Mashie Development Agency (GAMADA), there was art everywhere; on the walls,on the streets and on the gleeful faces. The installations were fascinating and it was even more refreshing to see the children of Jamestown help with the murals and other activities. Nii Thompson’s art stole the show for me and got me thinking and taken the conversation beyond the two days. By looking at the the pictures below, can you guess what story the artist is trying to tell?

Highlight of day 2 for me was the Talk Party series with Blogging Ghana. In the words of my cousin, “I didn’t just have fun, I got educated.” The panel moderated by Kobina Graham was as real as it can get. The honesty in their submissions and the knowledge shared is worth sharing with others. Mae-Ling Lokko even went ahead to suggest a pocket park which she built had failed and she had taken lessons from it. That is not something we hear often at events.

I cannot forget the street boxing on Day 2. I kept nodding and saying to myself; so, this is how old world champions Azumah Nelson & Ike Quartey started. It really brought out the crowd and the young lads had the thirst to be the street champions.

Not even the rain on Sunday could stop Chale Wote. It actually added to the fun bringing back memories of when we used to play in the rain growing up. That make it a lot more fun for me. I never get to walk in the rain as much as I would like to.

Like all other events, Chale Wote has a lot of room for improvement. ACCRA [dot] ALT, organizers of Chale Wote can look at providing (more) trash bins. Although a company was contracted to clean up, I think having trash bins all over would be a better option.

Just as Seton Nicholas on the Talk Party panel remarked, we shouldn’t be surprised to see people from the sub-region and beyond jump on planes and buses to come see Chale Wote in the coming. I can’t wait for what the organizers got coming next year. Chale Wote is indeed an international festival in the making.

Check out BloggingGhana’s images from the event and see you at Chale Wote 2014.

Its possible to turn your hobby into an income earning job. That is exactly what I did 3 years ago and by turning my love for crafting accessories into a fashion accessory business.  Whilst browsing online, I came across some lovely fabric brooches and a thought came to me on how these would look lovely in African print. I also got thinking about how there were less fabric fashion accessories on the Ghanaian market and how cool it would be for every Ghanaian woman to own one of these in their jewellery collections.  I then researched on how these were made and got started. My friends loved it! After giving most of it away as gifts, I realised the potential of turning this into an income-generating hobby. I got started by building a Facebook Page and uploaded quality photos onto the page. Within weeks my fanbase quickly grew. I then realised that creating an online shop would be so much better for better management and also for the fact that I had a full time career going on. I attended a Google Plus event organised by +GoogleGhana and I heard of a new Google product called GetAfricaOnline where small businesses could sell & display their products. I signed up that evening.

My products are all handmade fashion accessories. They range from brooches, hair accessories, Peter Pan collar necklaces, pocket squares to unique gifts like journals. Gradually, I am adding more lines to the products such as throw pillow covers and journals. I envision a home where the African fabric is celebrated in various ways imaginable. I market my products via the web using Social Media. My current tools are Facebook Pages, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest where I update and upload content unto these platforms whilst engaging with my fans and clients. I use my personal blogsite www.Ganyobinaa.com to also market the products and to blog on how the products are to be worn etc.

I have been managing this online business for almost 2 years now and I have employed an intern to manage the client database and enquiries. My plan is to train the local porter women to enable them to gain the right skills to earn a better living.  

The challenges I am facing involves the cost of shipping to international markets and online payment services. This challenge however will soon be overcome by a partnership the business is entering with ShopAfrica to assist businesses like mine in shipping and payment services.

The business was awarded Innovation Hero by #InnovationGhana an initiative of the Ministry of Trade & Industry in recognition of businesses using technology to promote their business this year in May. The future looks very promising as more Ghanaians continue to purchase quality Made In Ghana goods to support the local industry.

Focus on ‘young professional’ and you’ll be fine on the harem bit (you naughty naughty reader). But it is really a get-away space, this Sytris coffee-lounge. It is an unusual name, but it is also an unusual space in a zone that is known for its formidable and sometimes perturbing cluster of premium brands, names, and services – the Oxford Street of the Osu, of Accra.

I recall describing it to my best friend in what was definitely an exercise of imagination (she is so particular about details), and I will attempt to share it with you: entering Sytris is like indulging in your first ever fruit-burst bubblegum. Right after the tinkle of the wind chime at door greets your entry, you are assailed with the gifts and souvenirs section, then immediately after by the rich variety of magazines they have on sale by the cash counter to your right …and your left. As you force yourself to casually saunter onwards so as not to appear like a Johnny-Just-Come, the cozy children’s books section captures your attention, and your foot freezes in mid-air and refuses to work. Never mind that you do not have children, nor the budget to buy a book for your favourite niece, nor the intention to even look at children’s books. You find yourself wheeling over there like a New Age zombie, stumbling a little at the edge of the story-motif carpeting lining the floor, in uncertainty over whether your shoes ought to come off or stay on. But oh well, on you go and soon find yourself looking through the kid’s reads and other monthly magazines and comics, asking yourself, why did I never get all these to read when I was a kid?

Finally, your grown-up self floats back into your body, and you feel the call of the rest of the room (a.k.a. the great hall). Ahead to your left is a wide expanse of book shelves on wheels, filled with the book-candy (lots of it); to your right is the coffee-lounge, starting with this absolutely appealing sink-into-me set of sofas that most bookworms and small meet-up groups call home. It is semi-detached from the dining area that follows it, but you wouldn’t notice it unless you’re told … or a nit-picker. But that fact quickly evaporates from your mind as you notice the high-bar area right beyond the dining space area, which permits you to perch on that barstool and gaze down like a god/dess onto the busy, sometimes chaotic hustle and bustle below on the street. Aaah, home. Harem. Haven. Call it what you want, but it hits the spot, and you’re taken.

Now, Al Green starts crooning in the background over the surround stereo system, dropping all those notes and falsetto moments like peppermint drops on your tongue on a hot day, and you just want to sing along with him, “I’m so tired of being alone, I’m so tired of being on my own, aaaaaaaah….”. Of course, none of us here at the lounge will mind, because we’ll be right up there on that high with you. Those tapping away at their laptops, blogging and catching up online, those taking a moment away from it all to have a quiet healthy lunch/brunch, or to work, or meet up with friends and colleagues for an hour or two; then in the evening, those who come to grab a cocktail or bite and huddle over at the high bar area or the sofa section and gaze out onto the headlight-lit street in a semi-surreal state of peace of mind; or music-infused happy hour moments.

More soul music and afro fusion pieces keep the atmosphere vibing. The menu rings with drinks, cocktails, bites, bakes, and grills. The books on the other side of the room fill you with an awe only books waiting to be explored can, and the savvy people strolling in and out assure you that the outside world may suck sometimes, but inside the coffee-lounge, all is momentarily right with the world once again.
Sytris Coffee-Lounge & Bookshop …. can you see it now?