LIMELIGHT: NANA AKOSUA ADUMEA, TRAVEL BLOGGER | Anas Munira

Nana Akosua Adumea is a travel blogger who is passionate about telling the stories of places through her travels. She describes herself as a storyteller, foodie, minimalist and zero waste advocate. She recently went on a solo backpacking adventure through all 10 regions in Ghana in 32days which she believes she may be the first Ghanaian to ever have with the sole purpose of exploring! This week on Limelight she tells us all about her escapades.  

1. I’ve always been curious about your former IG handle, why Chefinskinnyjeans?

Changing the name as cute as it is. I was big on food blogging and the word play was cool. Lol, there is this saying “don’t trust a skinny chef” it inspired it. I felt it was limiting, I got a lot of chef related questions so I changed it to my name Akosua Shirley

2. What inspired you to be a travel blogger and particularly go on this adventure exploring Ghana?

Every time I would speak to someone well-travelled, I loved how informed they seem to be and how they made references. You would only find that with people who read a lot or travel. I think the more I travel the more I learn about myself. I really love Ghana and I want to know as much as I possibly can. Its not everyday google search, sometimes find out for yourself. lol

3. How challenging is it being a Travel blogger especially in Ghana?

Its hard. Travel isn’t cheap. People don’t get it so thereisn’t a lot of opportunities to make something out of it. Thankfully whether I was blogging about it or not, I would be travelling. It’s important to me.

4. What were some of your memorable moments so far on the journey?

My favourite day was in the Brong Ahafo. The tour guide at the Kintampo waterfall was fantastic, he took the best pictures and videos; shout out to Robert. Then I went to Buabeng monkey sanctuary, the monkeys were so friendly, too friendly and the story around the appearance of the monkeys was amazing

My most epic moment was climbing down adfadjato whiles it was raining.

My scariest moment was when I got food poisoning. Also zip lining in Kwahu. That was scary fun. 

5. Did you prepare or plan for the trip or you just made the plans along the way?

I planned a little in terms of what I wanted to focus on during the trip. I wanted to visit all the capitals and as many places of interest as possible. I planned my general movement in terms of which region I would go to first, second, etc. I made a few accommodation arrangements in advance. I used “couch surfing” a lot, budget hotels and family & friends

6. What are some of the challenges you’ve faced and what motivated you to keep going?

Lack of information or contact for some tourist places was really frustrating. I would get there only to be told the tour guides were unavailable, gone for funerals, today is their day off, something isn’t working well. If there was information online I wouldn’t have gone all the way. My motivation was I’m going through this now so someone doesn’t have to.

7. What’s the one thing you can’t travel without?

My phone! Lol. A source of light like a torch light, really helpful

8. How do you pay for your travels?

I have multiple streams of income, most of my businesses are online. I financed this recent Ghana tour with the money I got from selling my puppies. You should do a lot of travelling when your responsibilities are small.

9. What is your favourite destination and why?

Western Region. It’s beautiful and there is a lot to see and do (swim, surf, skate, forts, lighthouses, hotels, beaches) I like to tell people it’s a lifestyle destination…you can chill literally.

10. What are your top 5 travel tips?

• In Ghana, wear a skirt when travelling long distance; bathroom breaks might be in a not so covered place.

• When searching for ticket prices remember to do it in the private/incognito window or constantly clear cookies

• Get onto platforms like couchsurfing.com, hostelworld.com, tripavisor.com for cheaper easiertravel experience

• Take the necessary medication. In some countries it isn’t so easy to get off the counter drugs as you would think and sometimes language barriers. Picture demonstrating stomach upset to a French pharmacist and everyone guessing what you are trying to communicate.

• Keep your money in different places and have photocopies and emails of all-important documents

You can check out Nana Akosua on all social media platforms @akosuashirley!
                                                                                               
                                                                                                         Love, Neera.

TALK IS CHEAP.... By Sammi AB

"TALK"... truly is cheap; there is a big difference in talking about doing something and actually
putting your words into action. When this year began, I am sure most of us had some New Year resolutions written down and we were so eager to achieve all of what we had written down; some of us must have started the year well and right only for us to crash along the way, because life hit us with some realities.  Don't be discouraged or beat yourself up, just pick yourself up and continue from where you left off.  We are in the month of October, we have 2 months until the year is totally over, so don't give up or throw in the towel just yet, you can still make it.

        Yesterday there was avery big UFC fight that went down, between  a very famous and loud-mouthed Irish boxer Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov; before this much anticipated boxing match, there was a lot of 'talk' from McGregor, the Irish man had a lot to say to the Russian-Muslim and  he even called his manager a 'terrorist'; he even offered Khabib alcohol one time knowing he is a Muslim who doesn't drink. If you are familiar with how boxing matches work, there is always a hype period where the boxers basically get their fans all fired up for the big day. There are lots of press conferences and also lots of 'talk'. But with this particular match had way too many disrespectful 'talk'. McGregor lost the match and was jumped by Khabib's camp after the boxing match; everyone seems to be upset with what happened to McGregor but they are refusing to see the fact that the two opponents are from very different cultures and backgrounds and some words when used can be taken as a personal attack on the person.  Khabib on the other hand spent less time getting his fans all wild up by being disrespectful to this opponent; he understood the task at hand and fully concentrated on getting his fans the win they need from him; Whiles Khabib was putting his words into 'action' McGregor was busily 'talking'.It is one thing to get your fans fired up for the match and its a whole different ball game when you get religion and cultural differences involved; if you 'disrespect' someone's religious beliefs and basically trash everything they believe in, you are asking for a personal attack from everyone who shares the same belief as the person you spoke against' especially if you are in the public eye. McGregor did all that talking and still lost to Khabib, maybe the story would have been different if he spent more time in the gym preparing for the match.
     Life doesn't get easier, we just get better at dealing with our mishaps. And it will get more easier if we spend more time doing what we can to get our lives in a good shape instead of just talking about what we should do and do nothing about it. Don't talk about going on a diet; Go on that diet.. just don't talk about loosing weight, get into a gym and get on the treadmill, you gotta start from somewhere, the process wouldn't be easy.. but slowly and steadily, you will get to where you have to be. Don't give up no matter how difficult and impossible it might seem or look. You got this, Less talking.... More doing!!! Talk really is Cheap.. Actions aren't.
                                                                                     xoxo,
                                                                                Sammi
 

Seven Steps To A Long Lasting Relationship |Akido Wijayarathne

Forget what you’ve been hearing all your life about how relationships need “work”. Relationships don’t need “work.” It isn’t the Bar Exams or Rocket Science. What makes a relationship last and strengthen are key added values on each side.
I am bringing you seven steps to take your relationship from that level to the ultimate.

01) Trust.

I know you’ve been hearing it everywhere, well, they are right. Without trust between the two of you, let’s just say you could be two mismatching socks, or a stuck gear setup or an orange shirt worn with purple tights, a brutal clash. Where there is no trust, comes doubt. Where there is doubt, fear advances. Where there is fear, jealousy docks. Where there is jealousy, arguments converge.. Where there are arguments, over-the-top fighting and breakups approach. Where there are breakups, relationship land is barren. The metamorphosis is comically true.

02) Employer / Employee Rule

I’ve constantly noticed that relationships with this string tend to go south more often than not. There are no driver and passenger slots in a relationship. It’s a team effort with both of you pitching in, ranging from emotional availability to mutual respect to financial provisions to romantic involvement and everything in between. Avoid the “that is your job, not mine.”s and “He/She is supposed to do this”s. You aren’t in a legal contract,  the bat swings both ways.

03) Keeping Score

“He did that to me, now it’s my turn to give him a dose…..” Oh, no, honey, you are turning your head, waist and feet, very much the wrong way. The moment your relationship starts becoming a slave to a scorecard, the relationship starts becoming a game. But you see the catch in the relationship games, there are no winners and losers. Either you both win or you both loose. Each of you feast in the “dosage.” Unfortunate side effects of relationship revenge.

04) Garbage In, Garbage Out

Much like the computer talk, the rule works for your relationship. Bring crap to the table and you’ll walk away with crap. Crap comes in all sorts of baggage, constant complaining, dissatisfaction,  lasting arguments, ego, comparisons, the past. I can go on and on. Dish out what you are ready to receive. Stop and think for a second, “will I be okay with this if our roles were reversed?” If the answer is no, refrain from throwing it at your partner’s face.

05) Pride and Ego 

Sign a contract with pride and ego, my dear your relationship will become a court order, forced and tiring. Learn to say sorry regardless of whether you turn out to be correct or wrong. Bend your head, lie low and accept responsibility. At the end of the day, is it your partner that is more important to you or is it your mountain of pride? If you have an honest answer to the question, you’ll know where you stand.

06) Privacy.

Yes I know ladies probably like discussing everything from last night’s dream to the broken button on the red skirt to how good Gary was in bed. That’s where your gossip mill should make a stop. If Gary is more than your “special friend”, keep what happens between you two to yourself. Arguments doesn’t have to reach Miss I Am All Ears’ workstation, your future plans doesn’t have to be advertised on Facebook and his Bedroom Fuckup can be a private joke.
07) Communication.

Well communication is what lubricants are to metal works or cartilage to bones, to a relationship. There is no smooth run up hill without it. You are angry, she is upset, neither of you knows what is making each other grumpy. Always talk it out, come to a compromise, hear each other out. There are endless merits in terms of strength in a relationship where good communication drives the mill.

With much love,

Akido.

Get That Glow! | Anas Munira

Don’t you just hate when you ask someone with beautiful skin their secret and they go Drink water and mind your business. Then you are like, Ok I probably drink more water than you but whatever. Well worry no more. Today we are talking about some of the things you can do to get clearer skin especially if you are dealing with hyper-pigmentation and dark spots.

First you need to find what works for you and build a regimen around that. Consistency is key when it comes to maintaining clear healthy skin. So don’t be afraid to try new products. Remember it may not have worked for the first person but it may work for you. 

Which brings me to the second point. Don’t be afraid to include chemicals. These days we all want to go organic which is all well and good. But organic products may not be your solution. Not all chemical products are harmful and sometimes to get rid of those spots you need them.

Once you find what works for you, you need to build a regimen. Again find what works for you. For some less works better, for others more works best. But generally, you need to cleanse, exfoliate, mask, tone and moisturize.

When picking products for your regimen, you need to consider ingredients geared towards solving your skin problems. 

For Cleansing and Toning, you need to focus on products that will take the dirt off and not further clog your pores. Also avoid products with alcohol as they tend to dry out the skin. 

When it comes to exfoliation, exfoliants with AHA(Alpha Hydroxy Acids) such as glycolic acids are good for dark spots.For acne-prone skin you can consider exfoliants with BHAs(Beta Hydroxy Acids) such as salicylic acid. Vitamin C also works amazing on hyperpigmentation. Masks are a great way to further nourish your skin. Whether it is drawing out toxins using clay masks or feeding your skin through hydrating masks, they are an excellent way to keep your skin healthy and radiant.

Lastly a very important part of skincare is moisturizing. With moisturizers, the key is to get products that actually give your skin the moisture it needs. You need to focus on products that hydrate your skin. And of course never forget your sunscreen. Your skin problems will not get better if you keep exposing your skin to even more damage.

At the end of the day, in order to get clear skin you need to identify what skin problem you have and then find a solution that works for you. With a vast number of options available nowadays, you just need to do your research and you will find something that caters to your needs.

INTENTIONAL SUICIDE? BY SAMUELLA A-BOATENG

This blog post has been on my mind for sometime now, since Demi Lovato overdosed on Heroin  and had a near death experience. Drug Addiction is a Universal canker; it is no respecter of  person, it kills the rich, the poor, man, woman and even innocent children who come into this world through drug addicted parents.  According to statistics, in the year 2014, 14.5 million adults aged 26 or older battled with a drug related disorder in  the United States alone. So many of the celebrities we know and cherish so much are on a drugs and have had a couple of stints in a Rehab Center in the bid of getting clean but majority of them have a problem staying clean after Rehab. Drug Addiction can range from Marijuana, Cocaine and even prescription Medication.
    Why do people get addicted to drugs? Why do people even do drugs knowing it's bad for them? Believe it or not, Substance Abuse is genetic. Genetic Vulnerability is the first cause of substance abuse; Some people get on drugs because genetically their passed down the drug addiction trait to them, they dud even have the option to not do drugs, they were born with it, so at their first try of any drug they are most likely to become addicted. Culture attitudes can also attribute to drug addiction, the value a person attaches to drugs is strongly influenced by the community they find themselves in. Self Medication is also leads to addiction; most people addicted to prescription medications don't start of as addicts; they get addicted through self medication; thus taking more than the required dosage and then find themselves addicted.
       It is really sad to see great talents been lost to drugs. The war of drugs is not for the government and Anti-Drugs groups only we all have to be involved in the fight for drugs. When you see a family member, a friend or a loved one  taking pain pills when he or she doesn't need them, kindly make it a priority to help him or her put the pill bottle down. American pop culture recently lost one of it's icon to drug overdose.Mac Miller and American rapper and the ex boyfriend of Ariana Grande died from substance overdose. The whole country and world was shocked by his death; he was only 26 when he died; and he was a very talented and loved rapper. Whitney Houston who was world know died from drug overdose too, her daughter Bobbi Kristina died the same way her mum died and her best friend died a year later. That's what drugs does to families; Drugs destroys families, before you think doing drugs is cool and trendy; don't forget that it will destroy you too.