LifeStyle of Sunday, 7 February 2021

Source: braperucci.africa

Musings of a millennial: We used to do these 5 things in Ghana in the 90s but we find it odd today

File photo: Certain old childhood practices have now been branded as 'old-fashioned' File photo: Certain old childhood practices have now been branded as 'old-fashioned'

Let’s face it, we really have come far, conventions have become memories.

We can only look back and laugh at certain experiences from when we were young.

When we say to the younglings; “times have changed”, we know what we talk of. Remember every home had that bowl mum dished food in for our neighbors?

Those were days finger-licking good moments were not from KFC but from the pots of our mum's chicken stews.

Eating out was only for some special occasions, even with that, our mums did well to sometimes carry some food in flasks.

To see buffet settings at parties now, we don’t enjoy the meals like we did when we were young. Remember every auntie brought food to the party and we had lots of options to pick from? We were better judges and could tell which auntie made the best and worst food. Time has flashed before our not so innocent eyes and mind.

How did you preserve milk when you were young?

Our milk tins had paper wraps for a purpose, it was a method of preservation, be sure to receive some scolding for forgetting to cover the hole you made on the milk tin with the paper wrap. For those who didn’t have fridges at home, a bowl of water always did the trick. Easy-open you say, don’t crack me up, get me a knife to open my milk, please.

Now it’s common to hear in every household, “I’ll just warm that in the microwave”

Finally, our silver and black based crooked pots with lids that don’t fit can rest. The stress from heating food on gas and coal pots are done. But I really miss the “kanzo” I got at the base of my pan every time I warmed my food in a pan on the stove.

You can imagine my shock finding out some people couldn’t cook rice in a saucepan.

I am still laughing out loud. Thank God for rice cookers, now your mum and aunt won’t threaten you with not getting a husband because you burnt their pot of rice.




The only drinks the kids are not allowed to drink now are those with alcohol.

When Malt was in that fat bottle, we knew it was the drink meant for the parents.

The lucky kids got some Fanta or coke and for the others, maybe some squash.

Malt was synonymous to the elderly, so sad how malt has lost its value, now we just share it like water at parties in plastic, TRAGIC!!

The only drinks the kids are not allowed to drink in Ghana now are those with alcohol.