happies

i just learned last week that the term 'happies' is a southern thing. i have a friend who said she had never heard a little present given to someone called a 'happy.' I'm sad that my camera is broken because I would take a picture of how many happies I'm packing! I'm leaving TONIGHT for America and I have two suitcases full of happies!!!!

Seriously....I might have to pay customs because I look like a container of african goods!

I would like to share my proudest gifts though that I'm bringing for my family to enjoy!

I am taking some maggie cubes (ghana's version of bullion) for my mother since she's a FABULOUS cook, some Shito (no that's not a bad word here...it's hot sauce), Milo (like hot chocolate...made in Ghana of course) and some Laughing Cow cheese (our version of cream cheese....that's right no refrigeration required :)

I am very excited to see family and friends tomorrow in Memphis!!!!!!!! Sad news...I'm leaving Ghana in the COOLEST month of the whole year to go to Mississippi where it's in the upper 90's and humid! Ugh.

Alright so hopefully next blog will be posted state side!!!!! wooooohoooooo

love to all
m

girl talk. men i think you'll agree.

Ok I have a friend named Sherri from Chicago (you have to accent Chic aaaaa go) because she's midwestern. Her brother has coined what might be the 'best' termi have ever heard explaining the way women communicate.

Now folks this 'way of life' is bred into Southern girls from the time they are born. Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about.

Let's say you're married. You're husband comes in the kitchen where you're feverishly cooking dinner. You're sweating because your spagehtti noodles are boiling over and the garlic cheese bread is burning in the oven. So as you put your dirty pan in the sink, with your back to your husband, you say "wow the garbage sure is full."

Now this my friends is what we call 'girl talk.' Sherri's brother has coined this phrase so I can't claim it as orginal, but I sure do agree with everything it implies. We as girls, master manipulators that we are trained to be, say one thing while implying a whole structured sentence. For example, "wow the garbage is full" isn't just an expression of the realization that you turned around and low and behold there is some trash overflowing. That is a full on hidden meaning saying, "Hello! husband don't you see that the garbage is overflowing and I need some help here in the kitchen since I'm busy. So you should really take that out right now..... please :)" We just know how to put things .... nicely.... or should we say manipulate our way into getting what we want, thinking we're doing it nicely!

Here is another example of how young we learn our 'girl talk' technique. Sherri's 6 year old niece was in the kitchen with her mom as mommie was baking cookies. Six year old niece goes over to the cookies and says to her mother, "these sure do smell nice." Mom replys, "well thank you honey, that sure was nice." Then six year old girl says again, "mom- these sure do smell nice, you're a GREAT cook." Mom turns around to see the look on her daughters face and realizes, she's girl talking for, i sure do want one of these cookies and i'm going to flatter you until you give me one!

So, know if you come to Accra, you will be busted for using girl talk as we now know what to term it!