Journal Entry 14: It's Just Hair

My roommate and I with new hair dos.
(Her dreads were just finished)

I have been wanting to get my hair braided since I first arrived in Ghana. I knew it would make my life easier and would be a good way to start using my natural hair (as I stopped perming it last August). I finally got the chance to head to the Bush Canteen with my roommate who was kind enough to tag along. The Bush Canteen is a nice size market place on campus where you can buy supplies, music,  get your hair done, and more. Getting my hair done there was a very interesting experience, and the stylists worked a lot faster than I was used to. There were usually three people working on my head at one time, braiding and tugging, but the results were worth it and it wasn’t painful at all. As they were braiding my hair, I said to my Norwegian roommate, “You should get your dreads!”. She had been contemplating whether or not to get dreads for about five years now. She pondered for a while (as the hair dresser consistently pestered her to see whether or not she would do it). She finally called her boyfriend (whose been wanting her to get dreads as well) and the decision was made.  “After all” she said, “It’s only dead skin cells”. She continued to convince herself it was not a big deal. “It’s okay, it will grow back”. I felt very accomplished. I persuaded my roommate to make a life-altering decision that she will have to live with for a few years.
After all, it’s Ghana! Just go for it!