Benewah Diaries: Lunch at Osu

Eating is a big deal. Trust me,

To continue living on planet earth you’ve got to eat.  However, eating can be a controversial issue. You would have thought just getting something to eat meant, pop an edible morsel into your mouth, chew, swallow and you are done. Not quite so.

Some of the comments I get while eating banku or fufu with a spoon-“What is that?  Benewah It’s a taboo.”

If I buy food in a Styrofoam pack; – “Money come.”

If I decide to have an appetizer, eat the main meal and have dessert, “Wow, I couldn’t eat all that!” (In other words don’t be a glutton)

Don’t eat that, don’t eat this. ..This is good for you…. that is bad for your health.

I decide to drop the fat laden dishes and sugary drinks to eat healthy, then it becomes, “Benewah you’re living large.”  Because eating healthy will cost an arm and a leg in GH.

Aden? Why can’t eating be simple?

As if, dealing with such comments on an individual level is not enough, there are countless eateries vying for your attention. Temptations.

On the famous Oxford Street, you’ll come across countless food joints like Smoothy’s, Papaye, Frankies, KFC and Chicken Republic. Even Shoprite, a grocery store,   is begging not to be left out. All adding to the drama of eating.

One hot sunny day, I found myself on the Oxford Street. After frying in my jalopy in the slow moving traffic, I head towards the Osu Mall to get some lunch.

Underground parking spaces can be a test of driving skills- that I remember when I try three times to park exactly within the lines.   After parking, the decision to take the stairs or the elevator is to be made. After waiting for a while I decide to take the stairs, only then do the elevator doors open.  I rationalize unhappily that I would be in good shape if I took the stairs although panting at my destination.

Curious to see the eating places in this building, I check out a floor. Eating places that looked posh I shun. Lest I had to part with more than 150% of my budgeted lunch money.

I finally settle on what looks easy on my pocket. The waitress gives me a menu and after a cursory glance, I realize looks are deceptive. I could only afford a snack on my budgeted lunch money. So I reluctantly order French Fries as I calculated how large a hole I had created in my budget.

As I wait, I observe an Asian at the- point -of –sales.

He is to generate receipts from the PC on the counter.

He clicks on the mouse a couple of times and stares at the computer monitor.

At first it was just confusion written on his face then he freaks out. He runs this fingers through his jet black hair frantically and swears.

The machine had just messed up and he had lost some very important data.

I figured the price I paid for the fries included entertainment.  I prepared for the spectacle.

“Where is the too baa?”

He turns to a bewildered waitress, “What did you do? Where is the too baa?”

It was a mini tantrum. He is swearing and furiously clicking away on the mouse in vain.

“Where is the too baa?”

I was enjoying the scene- I had to get my money’s worth.

But then a well-meaning customer who needed a receipt badly had to spoil the show. He graciously ended the guy’s misery by showing him how to get the tool bar back in view.

After receiving my fries, I head to Shoprite to get a more filling meal that would create an even bigger hole in my budget.

I half –hoped it would also come with entertainment.

Who said eating couldn’t be fun in spite of all the wahala?

By Benewah Gyekye Bannermann

    (Beanie-waa, Jie-chi, Banner-mann)