The Vim Views & Versions - Blogs of a MIghTy African

March 6 is a very important date for me . I think you know why. March 23 is also very important. You might not know why. It's not because it is the date I am writing this blog post . It is because it is 23-3 , the date. You get it now? 233. #233moments . This is the date within #HeritageMonth that I chose to write about what I did on the date for which March is also called #GhanaMonth . I had a memorable day.  I wanted to go for the #HeritageCaravan this year. But even though I carved out the time; time, chance, expenses, responsibilities happened to it. I remember how I shouted "No, No, No" when I heard on the Citi Breakfast Show one morning in January that it was sold out. I'd come back to that in another blog post. I spent the first weekend in March in Elmina due to family engagements, great way to start the month actually. I kept wondering what I would do for Ghana's birthday . I was not going to attend the parade, I listed many reasons around that in an...

I really got to know a lot more about Kenya when I first went to MIT. Two of my best friends during my time there were Kenyan,  +Eric Mibuari  &  +Edward Mabonga . We used to do homework together. We were not concerned about competing, we were concerned about succeeding. We'd help each other, together with other African students, with our homework. The Kenyan students were together a lot too, they'd have their Kenyan shindigs with their Harvard friends and they had their own mailing list. Many of the Kenyan students were studying computer science and electrical engineering while the Ghanaian students were studying different majors. Today, Kenya's ICT industry is ahead of Ghana's and is seeming to stay so. The very first concert I ever went to in my life was by Kenyan musicians.  +Samuel Gikandi ,  +Chilongo Mulanda  and co were going to a Nameless-Wahu-Mr.Lenny concert in Worcester and I tagged along. By the end of the night, I was saying wha-who! ...

Today is the 50th anniversary of Kenya's independence. #KenyaAt50 has been trending on Twitter today. Kenyans on Twitter can get it. #KOT ! I've changed my name on Twitter to David Ochieng Mwangi, my Kenyan alter-ego in honour of Kenya's big day.I wish Happy Jamhuri Day to all Kenyans! #Twende ! Here is a selection of great tweets which capture the day! 10 minutes past 2:54pm in #Ghana . Joining my #Kenya friends to celebrate 50 years of independence & growth. #Twende ! #kenyaat50 #254moments — David Ochieng Mwangi (@mightyafrican) December 12, 2013 "I'm coming home, home where I belong! . Narudi nyumbani!" #KenyaAt50 #Twende ! David Ochieng Mwangi loves Kenya! http://t.co/ASOecZP4kN — David Ochieng Mwangi (@mightyafrican) December 12, 2013 2:33pm in #Ghana . #Kenyaat50 is trending. #Kenya is already pretty awesome. Kudos to all making it a better #African country. #233moments — Ato Ulzen-Appiah (@Abocco) December 12, 2013 ...

Ghana is 56 years old. The age doesn't really matter. Liberia is like 231 years old. Hong Kong is . Mzansi is 23. South Sudan is 1. Catalonia is yet to be born. We've observed Ghanaian birthdays over the years with less pomp and pageantry because the gifts are not forthcoming and the "lifestyle" is still the same. You and I know what the problems facing Ghana are, no need to repeat them here. If you don't know what they are, clap for yourself. I'll like to focus this independence post on the solutions to our problems and what you the reader can do. If there is a politrician reading this blog post, learn a couple of things. Johnny Digital Mahama, I hope the blog post renders well on your Uhuru. If you are not using that device, I have no words for you. So yeah, the rest of us, let's decide we will make Ghana better than what it is today okay? Cos deciding for our president, parliament and government hasn't made us feel like 56 years old. I'll star...

Today was the worst day of my life . I will never forget it because it was also March 6th. The birthday of one of my favoritest things - Ghana. Late last night, after Manchester United had been bundled out of the Champions League by Cuymet Cakir, former employee Cristiano Ronaldo and almost hire Luka Modric, I was disappointed. The next day was a holiday, I just wanted to go home and listen to some happy music, think about happy things and figure out getting my internet to work so I could enjoy a holiday at home. It would be Ghana's 56th birthday and I would write this blog post. But the events of today have caused me to write this one too . The worst day of my life. I started 6th March by arriving at the Accra Sports Stadium to attend the Chris Brown Hope City Concert, sponsored or paid for by RLG. Yeap, the one in which RLG paid Chris Brown $1million for. The concert that was to help launch the $10billion technology city that would be completed in 3 years near Kasoa. Roland Ag...

Ghana's 54th birthday happened this past weekend. As expected, it didn't have as much fanfare as four years ago. President Atta Mills gave a speech . The nation's teachers threatened to remove any single spines of any celebrations. Ghanaians all over the world found an excuse to party. Folks wore Ghanaian colours when they normally wouldn't. Others learnt how to recite the Ghanaian pledge and sing the national anthem again. Many things happened. How did I spend/celebrate/reflect upon the 54th anniversary of Ghana's independence's weekend? Let's find out. I woke up late on 6th March, Sunday , to watch my team, Manchester United, versus Liverpool. I was over 30 minutes late and I was greeted with the punishment of a two goal deficit. Ah, if I had woken up early! Like all of Red Devil nation, we all believed MANUtd will make a comeback but it was not meant to be . So I congratulated Liverpool on their win and because the heavens were impressed with my honesty/...

Ghana's 54th birthday happened this past weekend. As expected, it didn't have as much fanfare as four years ago. President Atta Mills gave a speech . The nation's teachers threatened to remove any single spines of any celebrations. Ghanaians all over the world found an excuse to party. Folks wore Ghanaian colours when they normally wouldn't. Others learnt how to recite the Ghanaian pledge and sing the national anthem again. Many things happened. How did I spend/celebrate/reflect upon the 54th anniversary of Ghana's independence's weekend? Let's find out. On Friday March 4th, like everyone other Friday, I wore an African shirt . After finishing school work, etc, I watched some of the Chicago Bulls-Orlando Magic game. Y'all know Dwight Howard aka Superman aka Chocolate Shoulders is Ghanaian right? Yes, because people say we look alike. I left the game to the Black Grad Students Association meeting with a couple of things on mind but the primary one being ...

Today, 6th March, is Ghana's 54th birthday and independence day for all Ghanaians. So a lot of Ghanaians and lovers of Ghana on Twitter have been hoping for Ghana to trend on the social network and on Google Trends. This hasn't happened and we could sit here and debate why that hasn't happened. Funnily enough, I got something of 'mine' to trend and unfortunately, it's not even about Ghana. It's about the Manchester United game that was played today. Ghanaians love football (soccer) and many love the English Premier League. So when Manchester United and Liverpool clashed at Anfield, a lot of us were watching. Some of us were tweeting about the game and posting updates on Facebook . My team, Man Utd was 'destroyed' and as a good fan of the game, I congratulated Liverpool, who also happen to our bitterest rivals. Sorry, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal. I posted this tweet after the 3-1 defeat. "Congrats #Liverpool. Well played. While #Man...

This is one of my favorite speeches to listen to. It gives me goosebumps every time. The speech Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah delivered at midnight 6th March 1957 as he declared Ghana's independence. It has a lot of soundbites, Kwame Nkrumah was an excellent orator and bits of the speech are repeated till this very day and will be forever more. Download below the Independence speech delivered by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first president on 6th March 1957. The Midnight Speech At the Old Polo grounds in Accra. Enjoy. Provided by the GhanaThink Foundation File - [6:56 minutes (6.35 MB)] http://www.4shared.com/audio/TTNSQTXs/Kwame_Nkrumah_-_The_Midnight_s.html Here is the speech transcribed for you. "At long last, the battle has ended! And thus Ghana, your beloved country is free forever. And yet again I want to take the opportunity to thank the chiefs and people of this country, the youth, the farmers, the women who have so nobly fought and won this battle. Also I wa...

I wrote this poem for March 6th, 2007, on the occasion of Ghana's golden jubilee. I made a slight modification for the occasion of Ghana's 52nd. It's titled "It's about time". Happy birthday Ghana and Happy Independence day to all Ghanaians! He knew himself before they knew him He moulted into the face they wanted for him But inside he wanted to remain the same He fought as he reddened He sold as he yellowed He destroyed as he greened He shined as he blackened He paced as he faced occupation He led as he fled domination It was about time Pregnant with positive action United as one at one Completely free at three Borders were not very sexy at six Divided came to a head at ten Went to pride land at twenty Happened to be thirsty at thirty Life had already began at forty Showing he is nifty at fifty About to be about that time It's kind of funny that He shaped his movement to Jacko's steps Before he knew what made Daddy move It's kind of funny that He ...