I'm going through denial, pain, anger bargaining and guilt and they keep recycling in any order.
No, you damn text books, you don't grieve in steps. They are all muddled together and coherent thought is near to impossible right now.
When I saw the message on twitter, I went looking for the public figure Desmond Kabbah. I was thinking, "who's this person who shares a name with the sweet young man who helped me out with my chemistry?" Of course, it couldn't be MY Desmond @blackstarsfan was talking about. So I went on google and typed in his name and received the shock of my life.
I've crossed myself several times and the article is still the same. Someone has taken the life of this young man whose PURPOSE has been to save lives. Des KNEW he was going to be a doctor. It was his whole reason for coming to Legon and signing up for the biological science class. I'm so sorry to hear that this perpetually happy guy is no longer with us. It hurts. I'm not even direct family but it hurts. My lunch left my stomach ages ago and I think I've run out of tears.
I'm not going to write about what was done to him. I can't. I know I'm usually able to distance myself and dissect but today, I'm going to allow someone else to break things down. I will put my faith in the police to sort this out.
I've been bargaining, as is normal for one to do. Dear God, why couldn't you have made him sick, so we'd know this was coming and could have said goodbye? Why did you allow something so terrible to happen to him? And I've been angry. Really angry at the person(s) who could do such a thing. I know it's unchristian of me but I hope there's a place reserved in hell for the people responsible.
My heart goes out to his family. It's bad enough losing your child but to have them go in such a terrible manner? The police have got to handle this properly. Whatever happened, the bottom line is, the perpetrators must be brought to book.
I'm going to be saying lots of prayers for the Ghana Police Service for their detective skills to be enough to figure things out. I'm also going to ask that anyone who may have any clue as to what might have happened, contact the Ghana Police Service. I know some people saw Des leave his room either thursday or friday night (not clear on this yet as friends have been too distraught to be sure). Did anyone see him after he stepped out of his room? Had his behaviour changed before this happened? Did he voice any concerns to anyone about something bothering him? Anything you have, please send an anonymous note to the Police if need be but help the cops get the people responsible for this.
~Daixy~
Monday, 28 May 2012
Thursday, 12 April 2012
BVR
Yes it's an Acronym.
No it does not stand for Beyond Visual Range.
BVR or Biometric Voters Registration is a newfangled system of registration that the Electoral Commission of Ghana has undertaken for the 2012 Elections. Basically, the old voter's register is being tossed out and a new one taking its place. The cool thing about this new register is that it won't just have your demographic data and a simple photo like the old one. Oh no, This register is bigger and better than that! It's going to have your biometric information.
What's biometric, you ask? Such a big word for a simple thing, really. Biometric information is simply your physiological information. In this case, the EC is taking fingerprints and high resolution photographs of voters for storage in a giant database.
Perhaps I watered it down a bit too much. What the EC is really doing is scanning your fingerprints on a sensor (it's not placing your fingers in ink and pressing them on paper for some archaic forensic expert to go inspect with a magnifying glass) and storing the resulting computer image for later matching. Even better is the facial recognition aspect of the registration process. Yes, those high res images of you are not for nothing. They're so that a computer programme will be able to match your facial features to that of the image. Pretty cool, huh?
One thing that has to be made clear right off the bat is that there isn't going to be biometric voting this year. There isn't any such thing. Rather, what we're going to have is a biometric registration (collection of your usual biodata and fingerprints plus facial image) and on the day of voting, biometric verification. That means, that on the d-day, the EC is going to check to make sure that the holder of the card is truly who they say they are. Your fingerprints won't disappear (unless you end up losing your fingers in some freak accident or go to war with some local gangs) and unless you're tossing acid in your own face or planning some major reconstructive surgery, your face won't either. So, instead of having someone look at your card and say you've gained too much weight so it can't be you in a photo or that your id card has faded so they can't be sure that it's you, the EC is going to let the computer do the talking. And the resulting ID Card? Why, surely it's going to have a microchip that will contain all your information, just like a biometric passport.
*cough cough* That's what you would get if we lived in a CSI world. It's all one big misconception! I was really excited when I heard about the BVR and being somewhat of a forensics fan, I ran through several possible scenarios involving computer algorithms and highly trained agents. That, my friends, is not the case in this BVR.
See, I have various issues with the ongoing BVR. Eight hours in a queue (and only because I was ushered into the express lane on account of I had been there the previous day).....hours in the baking sun; tired and hungry and afeared for my safety on account of the arguing and browbeating that is oft to occur in heavily populated areas like mine, and what I experienced when I finally had my turn was a smudged substandard fingerprint scanner which I had to insist on cleaning myself. I figured it was very clear. Just as you can't see out of your spectacles with streaks of oily prints on your lens, the scanner will be hard pressed to capture a lone print with several overlaying it. Perhaps I should mention that the scanner being used is an optical one. It behaves as a camera (and therefore an eye) should.
Even after wiping down the scanner, it couldn't pick up the prints on my last two fingers. Mind you, I'm not a wrinkly old woman. I have not lost any fingers. It took someone else holding my fingers down for them to finally get all my fingers scanned. And the photograph? Eugh they shouldn't have bothered. My last one (a black and white photo) of me unwashed and sleepy cuz I'd been dragged out of bed at 4am was much clearer than the image these search and peck typing Agents captured. There is no way in high heaven that the image they captured can be used to identify me later on.
And then we can talk of my new card. My word for it is not recognised by the oxford learners' dictionary. SHOCKPRISED!!! That's a mixture of shock and surprise. In this case, I was also extremely disappointed. In the first place, It was a flimsy sheet of paper produced by a simple HP OfficeJet printer. A lady waaaay at the back cut it out (crookedly) for me with a pair of scissors and laminated it. I have shaky hands. I have never been trusted with a pair of scissors (least not more than once) and I can assure you that I would have done a better job than she did but I digress.
This ID card is the flimsiest I have ever had. My university of Ghana ID was way better. The same can be said for what the National Service secretariat gave me. Even the previous ID card was more sturdy than what they gave me. There is no magnetic strip and after speaking with someone, I discovered that the cameras being used for the facial images and supposedly to permit facial recognition are simple 2 megapixel cameras.
Really? 2MP cameras? My 10MP camera would not allow for 50% accuracy. What on earth makes them think that a 2MP will do the job? There is a Barcode, however. Perhaps that will be used? I shudder to think what would happen, if they attempted to use these dodgy gadgets to identify people before letting them go join the queue to the ballots boxes, come election day but that will be discussed in another post. The idea of a scan-able card sits better with me than the idea of them trying to match the data they collected, seeing as how dodgy the equipment has turned out so far. When the EC Chairman spoke about the exercise back in February, he was not really clear about how they would verify voters. I quite got the impression we were on the same page. Ah well...We'll just wait and see what happens.
Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan, the current EC Chairman stated last year, that we were not ready for BVR. The politicians called him a fool. They insulted him left and right on every platform they could get a hold of and so here we are, a nation undergoing an exercise which in my humble opinion, we are not ready for.
None-the-less, it is an exercise being undertaken nationally and without participating, one would not be allowed to vote, come December 7, 2012.
As discouraging as the registration process has been so far, Ghanaians have impressed with their turnout. The EC claims that about 6.5 million out of the expected 12million Ghanaians have registered so far, and that was after 16 days into the exercise.
Hopefully the rest of the eligible population will also come out to register. Yes, the queues are long and the sun blazing. Yes, it's going to feel like a waste of time but one thing should get people out to register. It's the same thing that had me stick in the queue, and that's the fact that no responsible and eligible Ghanaian should abstain from the exercise, no matter how tedious it is. It is up to US to choose our future leaders. Sitting on our thumbs and letting others choose for us, then complaining when they install someone incapable is unacceptable behaviour.
We live in a democratic society. We have been given the right to choose our leaders. It is our responsibility to exercise that right and no amount of frustrations should stop us from doing just that!
I'm still excited about the idea of biometric registration. I can't wait for a time when we will be able to vote by simply scanning our eyes and swiping a single finger to get access to a polling booth. Perhaps that's more Star Trek than CSI but hey, a girl can have high hopes for the country she loves. 2020 elections perhaps?
~Daixy~
No it does not stand for Beyond Visual Range.
BVR or Biometric Voters Registration is a newfangled system of registration that the Electoral Commission of Ghana has undertaken for the 2012 Elections. Basically, the old voter's register is being tossed out and a new one taking its place. The cool thing about this new register is that it won't just have your demographic data and a simple photo like the old one. Oh no, This register is bigger and better than that! It's going to have your biometric information.
What's biometric, you ask? Such a big word for a simple thing, really. Biometric information is simply your physiological information. In this case, the EC is taking fingerprints and high resolution photographs of voters for storage in a giant database.
Perhaps I watered it down a bit too much. What the EC is really doing is scanning your fingerprints on a sensor (it's not placing your fingers in ink and pressing them on paper for some archaic forensic expert to go inspect with a magnifying glass) and storing the resulting computer image for later matching. Even better is the facial recognition aspect of the registration process. Yes, those high res images of you are not for nothing. They're so that a computer programme will be able to match your facial features to that of the image. Pretty cool, huh?
One thing that has to be made clear right off the bat is that there isn't going to be biometric voting this year. There isn't any such thing. Rather, what we're going to have is a biometric registration (collection of your usual biodata and fingerprints plus facial image) and on the day of voting, biometric verification. That means, that on the d-day, the EC is going to check to make sure that the holder of the card is truly who they say they are. Your fingerprints won't disappear (unless you end up losing your fingers in some freak accident or go to war with some local gangs) and unless you're tossing acid in your own face or planning some major reconstructive surgery, your face won't either. So, instead of having someone look at your card and say you've gained too much weight so it can't be you in a photo or that your id card has faded so they can't be sure that it's you, the EC is going to let the computer do the talking. And the resulting ID Card? Why, surely it's going to have a microchip that will contain all your information, just like a biometric passport.
*cough cough* That's what you would get if we lived in a CSI world. It's all one big misconception! I was really excited when I heard about the BVR and being somewhat of a forensics fan, I ran through several possible scenarios involving computer algorithms and highly trained agents. That, my friends, is not the case in this BVR.
See, I have various issues with the ongoing BVR. Eight hours in a queue (and only because I was ushered into the express lane on account of I had been there the previous day).....hours in the baking sun; tired and hungry and afeared for my safety on account of the arguing and browbeating that is oft to occur in heavily populated areas like mine, and what I experienced when I finally had my turn was a smudged substandard fingerprint scanner which I had to insist on cleaning myself. I figured it was very clear. Just as you can't see out of your spectacles with streaks of oily prints on your lens, the scanner will be hard pressed to capture a lone print with several overlaying it. Perhaps I should mention that the scanner being used is an optical one. It behaves as a camera (and therefore an eye) should.
Even after wiping down the scanner, it couldn't pick up the prints on my last two fingers. Mind you, I'm not a wrinkly old woman. I have not lost any fingers. It took someone else holding my fingers down for them to finally get all my fingers scanned. And the photograph? Eugh they shouldn't have bothered. My last one (a black and white photo) of me unwashed and sleepy cuz I'd been dragged out of bed at 4am was much clearer than the image these search and peck typing Agents captured. There is no way in high heaven that the image they captured can be used to identify me later on.
And then we can talk of my new card. My word for it is not recognised by the oxford learners' dictionary. SHOCKPRISED!!! That's a mixture of shock and surprise. In this case, I was also extremely disappointed. In the first place, It was a flimsy sheet of paper produced by a simple HP OfficeJet printer. A lady waaaay at the back cut it out (crookedly) for me with a pair of scissors and laminated it. I have shaky hands. I have never been trusted with a pair of scissors (least not more than once) and I can assure you that I would have done a better job than she did but I digress.
Really? 2MP cameras? My 10MP camera would not allow for 50% accuracy. What on earth makes them think that a 2MP will do the job? There is a Barcode, however. Perhaps that will be used? I shudder to think what would happen, if they attempted to use these dodgy gadgets to identify people before letting them go join the queue to the ballots boxes, come election day but that will be discussed in another post. The idea of a scan-able card sits better with me than the idea of them trying to match the data they collected, seeing as how dodgy the equipment has turned out so far. When the EC Chairman spoke about the exercise back in February, he was not really clear about how they would verify voters. I quite got the impression we were on the same page. Ah well...We'll just wait and see what happens.
Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan, the current EC Chairman stated last year, that we were not ready for BVR. The politicians called him a fool. They insulted him left and right on every platform they could get a hold of and so here we are, a nation undergoing an exercise which in my humble opinion, we are not ready for.
None-the-less, it is an exercise being undertaken nationally and without participating, one would not be allowed to vote, come December 7, 2012.
As discouraging as the registration process has been so far, Ghanaians have impressed with their turnout. The EC claims that about 6.5 million out of the expected 12million Ghanaians have registered so far, and that was after 16 days into the exercise.
Hopefully the rest of the eligible population will also come out to register. Yes, the queues are long and the sun blazing. Yes, it's going to feel like a waste of time but one thing should get people out to register. It's the same thing that had me stick in the queue, and that's the fact that no responsible and eligible Ghanaian should abstain from the exercise, no matter how tedious it is. It is up to US to choose our future leaders. Sitting on our thumbs and letting others choose for us, then complaining when they install someone incapable is unacceptable behaviour.
We live in a democratic society. We have been given the right to choose our leaders. It is our responsibility to exercise that right and no amount of frustrations should stop us from doing just that!
I'm still excited about the idea of biometric registration. I can't wait for a time when we will be able to vote by simply scanning our eyes and swiping a single finger to get access to a polling booth. Perhaps that's more Star Trek than CSI but hey, a girl can have high hopes for the country she loves. 2020 elections perhaps?
~Daixy~
Monday, 13 February 2012
Dealing with Scoliosis: The Foot Chronicles
From the very moment I was diagnosed with scoliosis (back in high school) two things were knocked into my head. One, that I should get used to the constant pain and inability to stand straight, and two, that I should forget about wearing high heels. It really didn't bother me much, not being able to wear heels, and as I've always been a "tall girl" and was going through a sort of tomboyish phase (can't be a real tomboy if you're not sporty), I turned my attention to sneakers.
I remember my mom's constant battles to get me to wear flat granny shoes (which I considered to be school marmish) and out of the jeans, baggy shirts and sneakers combo. Even when she could get me into a sexy spaghetti top, I'd pull on a pair of baggy jeans and one of my brothers' or dad's long sleeved shirts to cover the top. My entire university education was spent battling my mother on what to wear (as a proper young lady).
Eventually, I hit a phase where I said "screw you" to my orthopedic surgeons and chiropractors/ physiotherapists. I'd finally reached the point when my feminine instincts rolled in and I wanted to look as glamorous as the next chic. So I began my heel collection. It's nothing much, I assure you and consists mainly of peep toe pumps and sandals. It didn't take long for me to realise one thing though, the docs and all were right: I can't wear my gorgeous heels for too long or I end up spending days laid out in bed with heating pads and liniment to keep me company. My solution? Carrying around a pair of flat slippers or in recent years, comfortable flats.
No not these
You know, like these? They're beautiful and not marmish at all!
These are so comfy! And fit easily under my seat in the car (or in my handbag) and on those days where I can't deal with the woes of a high heel but have one problem. Unlike my sneakers where I wear socks which absorb any sweat off my feet (I live in Africa, people), my flats are impossible to wear stockings with. They are simply cut too low to accommodate them. What makes it worse is, they do not come with removable inlays. As embarrassing as this is to confess, my ultra comfortable shoes have plagued me with one problem.
I can't clean the bloody things!!!
There. I've said it. I have found it impossible to care for my flats. I'm not the only one with this problem. Yes, I've aired them like I air my sneakers but they do not smell like new shoes anymore. I am told the slightly vinegar-ish smell is normal for leather shoes but I refuse to wear shoes that I cannot clean!!! My feet smell absolutely fine. They smell nothing like the shoes do. The second my feet are out of them, they smell fine. I've had a shoe maker remove the insoles so I could scrub them without ruining the shoes. I have to agree that the smell isn't bad but the thing is I've never had this problem with sneakers! To me, it's simple. Shoes are shoes. Canvas may breathe differently from leather but I simply refuse to accept something that isn't natural to me, especially when none of my leather heels have this effect.
So I set out to do two things. Learn how to avoid or minimize my back pain when wearing heels and also how to take care of my troublesome flats. I discovered the following:
I also discovered that you can take away the tomboyish clothes but you can't take away the walk. I'm practicing in my heels every evening now for fifteen minutes a day. Hopefully I'll be a pro soon and quit injuring myself every time I wear my stilettos.
Finally, I have devised a way to deal with my need to have my shoes smelling like roses. First, of course was removing the cloth lined inlays from the shoes so I could clean them. Then I discovered odour controlling inlays that could go into the shoes, on top of the inbuilt ones. I refuse to use deodorants (why mask a smell? I always say to attack the problem head on) and as I've become a bit of a home remedy junkie, I decided to find something in my home which would work as well as the charcoal inserts suggested by a friend in the USA. My solution works well with the fact that I like to clean my inlays and have thus ripped them out. My solution? Baking soda! Every time I take off my flats now, I toss in a teaspoon of baking soda and shake it about. I leave it in there when I dry them in the sun and pour it out when I'm ready to wear the shoes. Just tap gently and it all pours out. I wipe the insides of the shoes with a cloth and slip in my stockinged feet and away I go. Comfort, Pain-free and absolutely sure all moisture is taken care off.
It's been a strange journey, finding a way to deal with scoliosis. The teasing all through primary and high school, the awkwardness of growing into my body and finally finding a "me" I'm comfortable with, and finding a way to look and feel beautiful without sacrificing my health and comfort. I believe I've reached my zen foot-wise. Now it's down to proper exercise and diet to keep my weight stable and myself pain free.
What's your story with shoe care or walking in heels? Is there anyone else out there with back pain who dares to wear heels?
~Daixy~
I remember my mom's constant battles to get me to wear flat granny shoes (which I considered to be school marmish) and out of the jeans, baggy shirts and sneakers combo. Even when she could get me into a sexy spaghetti top, I'd pull on a pair of baggy jeans and one of my brothers' or dad's long sleeved shirts to cover the top. My entire university education was spent battling my mother on what to wear (as a proper young lady).
Eventually, I hit a phase where I said "screw you" to my orthopedic surgeons and chiropractors/ physiotherapists. I'd finally reached the point when my feminine instincts rolled in and I wanted to look as glamorous as the next chic. So I began my heel collection. It's nothing much, I assure you and consists mainly of peep toe pumps and sandals. It didn't take long for me to realise one thing though, the docs and all were right: I can't wear my gorgeous heels for too long or I end up spending days laid out in bed with heating pads and liniment to keep me company. My solution? Carrying around a pair of flat slippers or in recent years, comfortable flats.
No not these
You know, like these? They're beautiful and not marmish at all!
These are so comfy! And fit easily under my seat in the car (or in my handbag) and on those days where I can't deal with the woes of a high heel but have one problem. Unlike my sneakers where I wear socks which absorb any sweat off my feet (I live in Africa, people), my flats are impossible to wear stockings with. They are simply cut too low to accommodate them. What makes it worse is, they do not come with removable inlays. As embarrassing as this is to confess, my ultra comfortable shoes have plagued me with one problem.
I can't clean the bloody things!!!
There. I've said it. I have found it impossible to care for my flats. I'm not the only one with this problem. Yes, I've aired them like I air my sneakers but they do not smell like new shoes anymore. I am told the slightly vinegar-ish smell is normal for leather shoes but I refuse to wear shoes that I cannot clean!!! My feet smell absolutely fine. They smell nothing like the shoes do. The second my feet are out of them, they smell fine. I've had a shoe maker remove the insoles so I could scrub them without ruining the shoes. I have to agree that the smell isn't bad but the thing is I've never had this problem with sneakers! To me, it's simple. Shoes are shoes. Canvas may breathe differently from leather but I simply refuse to accept something that isn't natural to me, especially when none of my leather heels have this effect.
So I set out to do two things. Learn how to avoid or minimize my back pain when wearing heels and also how to take care of my troublesome flats. I discovered the following:
- Ultra Low Foot liners by Minicci
- The Proper Way to Walk in Heels
- How to take care of flats the Daixy way.
I also discovered that you can take away the tomboyish clothes but you can't take away the walk. I'm practicing in my heels every evening now for fifteen minutes a day. Hopefully I'll be a pro soon and quit injuring myself every time I wear my stilettos.
Finally, I have devised a way to deal with my need to have my shoes smelling like roses. First, of course was removing the cloth lined inlays from the shoes so I could clean them. Then I discovered odour controlling inlays that could go into the shoes, on top of the inbuilt ones. I refuse to use deodorants (why mask a smell? I always say to attack the problem head on) and as I've become a bit of a home remedy junkie, I decided to find something in my home which would work as well as the charcoal inserts suggested by a friend in the USA. My solution works well with the fact that I like to clean my inlays and have thus ripped them out. My solution? Baking soda! Every time I take off my flats now, I toss in a teaspoon of baking soda and shake it about. I leave it in there when I dry them in the sun and pour it out when I'm ready to wear the shoes. Just tap gently and it all pours out. I wipe the insides of the shoes with a cloth and slip in my stockinged feet and away I go. Comfort, Pain-free and absolutely sure all moisture is taken care off.
It's been a strange journey, finding a way to deal with scoliosis. The teasing all through primary and high school, the awkwardness of growing into my body and finally finding a "me" I'm comfortable with, and finding a way to look and feel beautiful without sacrificing my health and comfort. I believe I've reached my zen foot-wise. Now it's down to proper exercise and diet to keep my weight stable and myself pain free.
What's your story with shoe care or walking in heels? Is there anyone else out there with back pain who dares to wear heels?
~Daixy~
Thursday, 29 December 2011
I Know What I Did This Christmas......
I got a lot of cooking done!!!
Actually, I got a lot more baking done than cooking. Unfortunately, my camera was misbehaving so I couldn't record the instructional video I had intended this to be. At the last minute, I found an old camera and got a few shots of my yule log. So, to make my readers hungry and to get some of you in the kitchen, here's my recipe for a Christmas log. It's essentially a swiss roll covered in frosting. I chose to go a step further and make it look more authentic.
Ingredients
Chocolate log
300g self raising flour
400g sugar
50g cocoa powder (don't be stingy: get the good stuff like cadbury's)
10 eggs (separated)
1tsp almond essence
Filling
1/2 cup whipping cream
100g baking chocolate
Frosting
300g chocolate
1cup whipping cream
1/4 cup icing/confectioner's sugar
Mint sprigs and cherry (optional)
Making the cake:
When you're ready to frost the cake, cut off about an inch off both ends of the log. One of these can be used to make the large bump. Now cut 1/4 of the cake off (make sure to make a diagonal cut (you'll thank me later). This will be your branchy thingy.
Now for the frosting.
Next, with your trusty fork of truth, lightly score along the cake. I thought this would make it look more woody and it did! Remember you have to work fast as the frosting doesn't appreciate heat.
It will now look like this.
I chose to place chocolate chips on the log to make small bumps.
When I think of a christmas log, I imagine snow for some reason. So I dusted some icing sugar onto the log (this can be messy if you do not have a small sieve. I need to buy one of those)
Next, place a few sprigs of fresh mint (I used three as I had small ones) and place a cherry in the centre.
Actually, I got a lot more baking done than cooking. Unfortunately, my camera was misbehaving so I couldn't record the instructional video I had intended this to be. At the last minute, I found an old camera and got a few shots of my yule log. So, to make my readers hungry and to get some of you in the kitchen, here's my recipe for a Christmas log. It's essentially a swiss roll covered in frosting. I chose to go a step further and make it look more authentic.
IngredientsChocolate log
300g self raising flour
400g sugar
50g cocoa powder (don't be stingy: get the good stuff like cadbury's)
10 eggs (separated)
1tsp almond essence
Filling
1/2 cup whipping cream
100g baking chocolate
Frosting
300g chocolate
1cup whipping cream
1/4 cup icing/confectioner's sugar
Mint sprigs and cherry (optional)
Making the cake:
- Preheat your oven (I turn mine on to gas mark 5) and line your baking tray with wax paper.
- Start off by separating your egg whites from the yolks. I put the yolks in the mixing bowl to go with my heavy duty mixer and the whites in a glass bowl so I could whip them with my hand mixer.
- Add your sugar and almond essence to the eggs and mix them till the mixture gains a yellow frothy consistency.
- Add your flour and cocoa powder and mix. You should have a nice rich chocolaty goop now.
- Beat your egg whites with the hand mixer until stiff peaks form (like you're making a meringue)
- Mix a bit of the egg whites into the cake mix then fold in the rest of the egg whites. (you want to conserve as much air as possible
- With your rubber spatula, spread the cake mix onto your paper-lined tray and pop it into the oven.
- Bake for 10 minutes (you'll know it's done when the cake is firm to the touch but feels spongy. don't burn it!!!)
- In a double boiler, melt your chocolate. let it cool a bit, then;
- In a bowl over ice water, whip the whipping cream till stiff peaks form.
- Mix a bit of the whip cream in with the chocolate (this way, you ensure the chocolate ends up at about the same temperature as the cream) pour the chocolate into the cream and fold.
- Spread the filling onto the inner layer of the unrolled cake. make sure to avoid spreading it to the edges of the log. You do NOT want it spilling outside the cake.
When you're ready to frost the cake, cut off about an inch off both ends of the log. One of these can be used to make the large bump. Now cut 1/4 of the cake off (make sure to make a diagonal cut (you'll thank me later). This will be your branchy thingy.
Now for the frosting.
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and let it cool a bit. You do not want to pour HOT chocolate into the cream. That would make it curdle.
- Over a bowl of ice water, whip the cream till stiff peaks form. Add the icing sugar and mix well.
- Mix a bit of the cream in with the cooling chocolate then fold the chocolate into the cream.
Yeah, I know it's not pretty
Next, with your trusty fork of truth, lightly score along the cake. I thought this would make it look more woody and it did! Remember you have to work fast as the frosting doesn't appreciate heat.
It will now look like this.
When I think of a christmas log, I imagine snow for some reason. So I dusted some icing sugar onto the log (this can be messy if you do not have a small sieve. I need to buy one of those)
Next, place a few sprigs of fresh mint (I used three as I had small ones) and place a cherry in the centre.
And Voila! You have one very yummy Yule Log to amaze your family with. It looks and tastes wonderful and much as I was reluctant to cut it, it looked even better as it was being hacked at. Remember to keep it refrigerated on account of the cream. Oh and if you can avoid having a messy board like I have, you have my adoration.
Happy Holidays, Darlings.
~Daixy~
Saturday, 19 November 2011
Amor
 |
| Image Source |
What I love about you
I can't quite explain
There's a thrill that runs through me
at the mention of your name
A tremble in my belly
And a shiver down my spine,
It's the whisper of your voice;
Asking to be mine
It's the tickle of your fingers,
I can't quite explain
There's a thrill that runs through me
at the mention of your name
A tremble in my belly
And a shiver down my spine,
It's the whisper of your voice;
Asking to be mine
It's the tickle of your fingers,
As they tangle in my hair
The trail of tender kisses,
that leave me gasping for air
The trail of tender kisses,
that leave me gasping for air
It's that welcome intoxication
Brought on by the smell of you;
Of earth and pine, and good old hard work;
An essence that has become, unmistakably, you.
It's the way you look at me;
Hungry
Thirsty
Longing for more.
In your eyes I see a promise;
To love, to cherish
Protect and adore
You truly make me wonder
What else love has in store
And I cannot wait to discover
It all with you, amor.
Of earth and pine, and good old hard work;
An essence that has become, unmistakably, you.
It's the way you look at me;
Hungry
Thirsty
Longing for more.
In your eyes I see a promise;
To love, to cherish
Protect and adore
You truly make me wonder
What else love has in store
And I cannot wait to discover
It all with you, amor.
~Daixy~
*You know who you are*
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Most Troublesome Network......
Last Thursday, I was sitting in my office when this number (054-430-2037) called me. A lady by the name of Patricia informed me that she was calling from MTN, thanked me for my patience in advance (if only she'd known I was having a bad day and in a foul mood) and then went on to list the benefits of porting to MTN. I have to be honest, I do not recall the supposed benefits but Samuel Dowuna sums things up nicely here.
I've got to say I was surprised. I'm an Airtel customer; have been from the very second they landed on our shores and I'm very happy with their service. I did not get why or how MTN had the brass bits to call me on my cellphone and ask me to port to their network. I told Patricia I wasn't interested and that I wasn't impressed by this aggressive advertising. She thanked me and we said our goodbyes.
After reading the daily graphic however, I figured out why they were doing this and had a real good laugh. MyJoyOnline posted the article the next day "MTN, tiGO lose market share". Out of curiosity I called Patricia back. She insisted that yes, she was an MTN employee and could be located at the head office. Yes, I should come over there and ask for her, I can confirm that she does indeed work there. She informed me that she has been provided with a list of Airtel numbers and has been tasked with dialling them up and informing them of the benefits of switching to MTN.According to Patricia, all the Telcos are using this aggressive method to get people to switch to their services. MTN has simply decided to lay back and relax so while the others are putting up posters and making noise to the general public, they target individuals. "Oh you don't have to come to our office", she says, "we'll meet you anywhere you want and do it for you".
Seriously? Provided that Patricia isn't playing some silly game with a supposedly endless supply of credits her cocaine dealer sugar daddy has provided her, MTN in my opinion has gone too far. Invading on an individual's privacy to advertise your services is not right. In their minds, they think it's tele marketing and legal and therefore right. But I disagree with them. When I was in Memphis and had people calling my house, it wasn't that they'd identified me as a member of the competition and wanted me to switch services, it was simply them calling and asking me if I used a particular service say, "water" and what did I think about water? Would I then be interested in trying out "milk"? No one ever called my house saying, "I know you're a coke sniffer but let me tell you that crack is better and you should switch to that".
I really feel that MTN has gone too far with this campaign of theirs. Airtel isn't calling up MTN subscribers on their cellphones and asking them to port. I can't vouch for tiGO and Vodafone as I do not use their services. I think it's a low down dirty game they're playing and have to say this clearly. MTN GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER!!!! I see now why you've not been spending money to advertise porting to your network.
There's a reason why they're called the "Most Troublesome Network" and they've just gone and proved it once more. Is this the same MTN that said they were committed to Mobile number portability and wouldn't make trouble? I get it, you dropped a couple of points on the market and want to redeem yourselves. Someone on top said "fix this" and someone went overboard and gave the order to hit 'em where the sun don't shine but I can't excuse this sort of behaviour. It's not ethical!!! It may be legal but it's most unethical! It's time MTN played this game right. God protect them if Glo should get their shit together. If MTN cannot face healthy competition from Airtel, how are they going to handle Glo, which has already cleared them out of one or two West African countries? MTN has already received a warning for their ambush advertising. I figured they'd learn from that.
I've reported this incident to Airtel (given them the name and number) and this is my two cents thrown into the fray. I think that it's only fair that they know what their competition is doing. I also think that it's time that the NCA checked what these TELCOS are up to. Never mind that it's legal, I haven't had to deal with telemarketers in Ghana and am damn happy for that. I insist that we keep things that way.
Have you had any telco call you up and ask you to switch from your network to theirs? Please let me know. Just drop a comment down below. I especially want to know from other networks if Airtel is lying to me. If MTN or any other network has pulled this stunt on you, let me know. As always, there's two sides to a coin. I'd like to know what's happening on the other team.
~Daixy~
Sunday, 18 September 2011
The Adventures of Ginger Rayne Maxen.......
Naughty Ginger stole some fish
Silly Ginger got his dish
Dessert was best served with a bone in his teeth
That he couldn't dislodge with his hands nor his feet
So Mama Daixy called the vet
Together they chased down the frightened pet
Fished the bone out from mouth agape
Finally let him make his escape
Now Ginger lies curled up on mama's bed
Quite the adventure he has led
Perhaps now he will learn his lesson
And stop stealing meat from out the kitchen!!!
~Daixy
LOL. I wrote this one crazy evening when I got called in from work to help with a kitty emergency. Somehow, despite my insistence that I didn't want any more pets, the cats in the house (dogs too) have become my responsibility. And I have to say that my little Ginger can be quite the handful. From peeing on my bed (and me) on his first day, to stealing chicken from my dad's dinner, the little bugger has now taken to mewling outside my window at 5am (on the dot!)
I know the poem is cheesy but I couldn't resist making fun of him. Oh and the picture is of him as a kitten, tucked up in his basket. He still pulls such contortionist positions when he sleeps ;)
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