Rats nests.

Curiosity continues to get me into big, fat rats nests. Let me cure your wonder and explain exactly what brings me to saying this statement. Most people that have known me, know that I’ve fantasized about getting dreadlocks for a good while now. When I came to Africa, I was educated about the fact that most girls here plait their hair on a normal basis (braiding extensions into their hair). This regular activity that they do intrigued me… in fact, it struck my curiosity nerve! I had to do it, to experience what they experience every few weeks. And plus, it’s so close to getting dreadlocks… without the permanent factor! ;) this excited me. So, from two months ago I planned to get my hair plaited right before I’d go, to surprise everyone back home! On Saturday, this plan took flight. I had the coffee brown (stuuuupid) extensions, and the pro plaiter lady ready to go. Six hours of pulling, and what felt like the ripping of my scalp, my braids were finished. I took my excited self to the bathroom to check out my cool, new dew. HAHA! When I reached the mirror, I wished I hadn’t. the regret flooded through my entire being as I stared at this foreign reflection. It was, to say the least, completely horrendous. Now, of course I couldn’t have a break down… I held myself together and tried to make what was a face in horror, one of surprise and glee as I thanked the lady who slaved away on my head for six hours straight. But, the truth was, I looked like a balding, pale monkey. Despite my feelings, I had to humble myself and continue with the days activities. I had to walk to church to meet with the kids! Each step of the way, I had to tell myself, that I just wasn’t used to it yet as each person I passed by stared at me like a purple elephant was standing before their eyes. I finally reached the church, self confidence still far below sea level. But when reaching, I had to find the truth from someone I could rely on to give it… because, after 4 months of living within this culture, I know better than to believe every compliment I received, saying how good it looked, and how “smart” I was! So, I went to someone who I trusted would be blunt and honest despite my feelings; a muzungu man, named Justin. I approached him with a devious smile, first thing he said was, “what did you do?”, that simple phrase told me a whole lot, but what really brought me over the edge was the rating he gave me… a 5! Oh goodness, I didn’t care at this point how long it took doing these braids, all I cared about was getting these babies out! So, with the help of the kids at Zana I started deplaiting my freshly plaited hair! This had to be one of the most painful experiences I’ve ever experienced. My scalp took the braiding pretty well, but THIS was almost unbearable… I just had to squeeze my eyes shut and bite my fingers holding back the screaming that was on my lips. It felt as if there were a multitude of birds attacking and pulling at my already raw head. After about an hour of this torture, the last extension slipped off my hair to the ground. My hair was a BIG, FAT rats nest now. But nothing could bother me at this point, my hair was exactly how it should always be; natural, extension-free, and blonde! Never have I been so thankful to have the hair I have now! God knew what He was doing in giving me this blonde color. It fits my skin perfectly, and it explains why I do such things like these. Hahaha.

Lets just say, I’m not too thrilled about getting dreadlocks now…