Hair Drama

My last blog was about  me and my natural hair. This week I had another thought on hair when I read a friend-sister-in-Chirist's  Facebook status update. Yaya was relating how she went to campus and felt she looked HOT and made a comment that "it must be the straight hair." Now that got me thinking... Did she feel hot coz she was hot or was the fact that she straightened her hair what was making her feel hot? It made me think of myself too because, to be honest, when my hair is straight I feel I look good as opposed to when it is in its Afro state. My husband likes it long and straight as well even though he won't say. My son definitely likes it. He can't stop playing with it. That got me thinking... Am I brainwashed into thinking straight hair = beauty? Or... Is it just a preference?

I spent a whole month not being able to wash my hair. I literally had it tied in a bun the entire month. I didn't even comb it. In fact, I couldn't comb it because it was thick and tangled. I couldn't handle it anymore. At the end of last week I eventually washed it. Now, what usually takes two hours to do took me two days. TWO days! That's because I have a little one as I said before. I tried to get my neighbour to plait it but our schedules clashed. Eventually yesterday I asked my other neighbour  if she could please just flat iron it for me because it would make my life a whole lot easier. So she did and this is what it looked like yesterday.

                                  

Of course it felt so light and all and all and all, and combing it today took like less than 5min. Do you know how GOOD that felt?! Then I started thinking again... Do I stop being me now coz my hair is flat ironed? Have I stopped being natural? I haven't added chemical or anything but I have added heat. Am I no longer naturally me?

As my neighbour was doing my hair yesterday her husband was saying how back in the day black people would iron their hair to make it straight to look more white therefore more accepted. Is that what I was doing?

What is natural? Some people say in its most natural uncombed state. Some say that is untidy you should comb it out. Some say plaited like cornrows. Some say dreadlocks or sister locks. What do you say? More importantly though, above what people may think or say is what God thinks or says of me... In having my hair like his have I moved away from Him?

Eish, this whole hair thing is soooooo tough! I would love to write more, I really would, but my son just woke up and if I don't post this now I never will...

And so the hair drama continues... Until next time...

                                 

Naturally Me

I love braids! I really do... They're the perfect get up and go type hairstyle for me, especially with having a baby and all. I've never really been good with hair, even when I had relaxed hair (Americans say perm) and so managing an Afro is a nightmare. Well, this wasn't a problem when I lived in the southern suburbs because my friend Jane would know exactly what to do with my hair and she would do it for free. If she wasn't around then my hairdresser Evelyn would do my hair and she was great!  Until she quit her job at the hair salon... Now she's busy coz she's studying and probably has side jobs somewhere... So you see my dilemma.

So I found someone who can braid hair (I won't say who coz it's not a good story) and  it looked GREAT. The only problem is that I was in pain for almost a week after the braids were put in. A week! Then to make things worse the braids fell out WITH MY HAIR! Guess where... Yup! Right in front... Great! Anyway, I got over it, that's not what this blog is about. What I do want to talk about though is how much hair falls out after removing braids. Am I the only one who experiences this?

And that's just what fell out in the bath tub. Nevermind the hair in the toilet or in the plastic bag... But in all this I learned I have a lot of hair! Lol! So after this experience I'm thinking maybe I won't braid my hair again. Hubby doesn't like braids anyway. So even though I look fab with braids he never compliments me coz it's not my hair... Oh the joys! I considered doing dreadlocks but hubby doesn't like those either. I like to twist my hair but hubby doesn't like that either coz he says when I do it myself it looks like dreadlocks so I must get a "professional" to do it. Talk about being picky! So I SERIOUSLY need to learn how to take care of my fro and  I need to do that fast. And I need to learn what hairstyles I can do coz I've had my hair in one style all week.

Yes... Boring... I know. And don't think I took it out... No, no, no... It's literally been tied like that all week and maybe brushing the front and the back so that the hair lies flat... THAT'S how BAD it is folks... I REALLY don't know what to do... My trusted friend Google is quite helpful... Now if only I had the time. If you have any ideas, please do share. For now I guess this will have to do. At least for Sabbath I don't have to worry coz I have to cover my head anyway... That helps... No stressing over hair! But as difficult as all this is I think I like the idea of staying naturally me!

Chinese Yummies

It's been a while since I last blogged...Years actually... Three to be exact. I know, it's terrible! So much for wanting to be a blogger.  Well, I'm back (fingers crossed). It's been crazy; but I'll blog about that another time (hopefully not in another three years). And, of course, my opening blog is about food! I mean, what else would it be about? My love for food hasn't changed...

This past Sunday hubby and I (oh yes, I got married. More on that in another blog)... As I was saying, hubby and I went out for some Chinese food. Having been so disappointed at what was once a beloved Chinese hangout of ours I remembered one I used to go to when I lived in Rondies (that's Rondebosch for those who don't live in a Cape Town, and for those who live in the northern suburbs).

                                         

The restaurant looked quite different from when I last went. Actually, it was so long ago I wouldn't be able to describe it anyway. But we didn't go there for the look, we went there for the food. So we got down to business...

The starters

What would Chinese be without veggie spring rolls, right? So of course we had those. I didn't take pics coz they're spring rolls but I must say they were golden and crispy outside and so soft inside. And they weren't oily as is usually the case with spring rolls. I was pleasantly surprised. It was a chilly day on Sunday so we ordered soup. There was an option for a small or large portion and because we were sharing we opted for the large... It was HUGE! It could've fed  four to six people. I guess you get value for your money. The tofu and veg soup was quite a delight. Hubby had to remind me to take it easy as more food would come and I'd be too full from the soup. Yes, that's how much I enjoyed it.

                                                  

The Mains

We LOVE tofu so we definitely had to have some. I couldn't remember the tofu dish I used to love there so I called my friend Samba who had recently gone to the restaurant and she suggested we get the Three Cup Tofu. My oh my was this delicious! Hubby and I each had a portion of this and then we shared a portion of veg fried noodles. These were just as amazing. I left feeling more than satisfied. I was so happy we went.

             

      

Dessert

I don't remember seeing dessert on the menu but we probably wouldn't have been able to eat it anyway because it probably contained cow's milk or something or the other that we can't eat. That's why it's great to have friends like Jane who bake on request. So dessert was at Jane's place and she made us some ginger bread. It was lovely. I didn't take pics because we literally gobbled it up.

So... Guess where we were today... Yep... We went back for more of these goodies. We will probably  go back until we have tried everything we can then we'll disappear for some time until we miss eating whatever dish we loved the most there... That's generally our pattern.

Today we tried some hot and sour soup... Very... interesting...but it went down. For mains we tried

some spicy tofu, which to me really had a more Korean taste to it, and we had some egg plant in brown sauce... It was nice but it ain't got nothing on Simply Asia's 408.  As for dessert, well, Jane was away so no impromptu baking unfortunately. We had to settle for Appletizer.

  All in all the food was just super and I would really recommend it. They have quite a good selection of vegetarian/vegan dishes so you won't be disappointed.  They are on campground road. You can call them up for the exact address.

Most people go there to get take out. It's not exactly fancy. But, like I said, we went there for the food and that gets a definite "A" from me. I hope you get to go and enjoy the food as much as we did.