Adventures in Henna

We met some women in the market the other day that wanted me to get “henna’ed”, because that’s what married women do here, mostly on their hands/arms and bottoms of their feet. So we went back on Thursday, and had a crazy experience. Upon arrival at the market, each of the ladies, Zenaba and Hawa, spoke in very rapid Arabic to us, that we did really catch and then called a rickshaw (these three-wheeled, little moto carts that look a bit like ford model-t’s and go about 10 miles an hour, like something from Thailand, that somehow found it’s way into a desert, non-paved road community.), and shoved us into the back seat. We were then driven down little tiny roads, through little alleyways (where’s the video camera when you need it!) and taken into someone’s house. The “house” consisted of mud brick walls, a dirt floor covered by plastic mats, and a few stools. Our original “market lady friends” left and we were left there with the henna lady in her house and were pleased to find the room also filled with about 6 or 7 other girls/women that were also getting henna’ed. One of them was getting married that day and the others were her sisters.
Despite the oddity of the experience, it was really fun. It reminded me of getting a mani-pedi in the middle of the summer in LA; tons of girls sitting around giggling and getting their hands and feet worked on. Once everyone got their henna done, we all had to sit there with our hands and/or feet up in the air so as not to get the wet henna to touch anything. Friends standing by would help get money out to pay so that we wouldn’t mess up the new “do”. Margit even had to help one girl get her laffay back on because she was still wet and it had fallen off. No UV lights to speed up the process, but people waved hand held fans over us. At the end, the girls stood up, and while bargaining the price, mentioned that they were going to the hair dresser next! We had a fun time for about three hours just sitting and chatting with these girls. They actually had a Chadian father, and French mother. They were very beautifully colored, and a lot calmer/timid than normal Chadians. The henna lady, Zara, actually made us laugh a lot. She was very Chadian! So, yes, as I type, I have beautiful (jet black) henna (actually black hair dye) all over my arms and hands (which you can see above)…I chickened out on the feet, so now everyone thinks I’m not married, oh well!

On the way back EVERYONE commented on it, and the ladies in the market went WILD. I doubt they’d ever seen it on a white person before, and of course it stands out a lot. The lady did a beautiful job. It was very intricate, and I love it, although I have to admit that now, four days later, I often look down at my hands and thing, hmmm, not wearing off yet, eh? I guess I’m not a good candidate for a permanent tattoo!

I've attached a few other pictures just for fun (sorry they're small this time, the connection isn't so fast today...The one of me and Rob is from our Halloween party, still in N'Djamena, then then henna room, then me and Kirsten in N'Djamena at her 31st birthday brunch!),
More next time…my adventures in Chad!