There has been a BLOWOUT!

Literally, a blowout.

So, we went on safari this past weekend (I will post my thoughts on these adventures after I come back. Reflection on these take time) and I wanted to look good for all of the pictures we would be taking while on safari (can one still be vain in Kenya? Yes, just ask Dan and Hugo). Of course we wouldn't be taking pictures of all the amazing animals we would be seeing on safari (including lions eating zebras, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, the wildebeest migration), we would be taking pictures of the group, so I needed to look my best for this massive photo shoot.

So, I went to the local salon- ha ha ha, yes, the local salon in Bungoma- and got a blowout. This was by far one of my favorite times in Kenya. I walked in and told the woman I would like her to wash and blowdry my hair. She nearly fell to her knees thanking the Heavens for such an "opportunity." I blowdry my hair often in the States and don't feel quite the same way about this "opportunity." Chore/hassle might be a better choice of words for my blowdrying.

She immediately brought me to the backroom, took out my ponytail holder and petted- I am not kidding with this verb; it is the PERFECT description- my hair. Then, she told me she would disinfect the sink for a myzungo. As I was waiting for her to do this, 3 other women came in to see and touch my hair. Here is the converstaion:
Woman: "Why is your hair different colors?"
Me: "Oh, I dye it back at home."
Woman: "All myzungos don't have blonde hair?"
Me: "Hahaha! Well, not naturally."
Woman: "How do you get it blonde?"
Me: "I use peroxide."
All Women: "Hahhahahaaa! On your hair??! Oh my! Oh my!!"
Woman: "Why do you have hair in the front of your head?"
Me: "You mean my bangs?"
Woman: "Yes, why do you have bangs? Those are...hmmm."
Me: "They are in style in the States."
All Women: "Oh! Oh! In style! Okay! Bangs then!"
Woman: "Why do you have a bob haircut and then long hair? Why is there short hair in the middle of your head and long hair underneath that?"
Me: "My layers? That is so I have body in my hair."

Then, everyone touched my layers. They also wanted me to get braids (called plaits out here) and they wanted to be the ones to braid it. I lifted my bangs and informed them of my large forehead (and, by the way, this means I have a large brain...).

So, I went to the sink and it was DISINFECTED! There was so much Pine-Sol used I was worried it would damage my hair. After three shampoos and one deep conditioner treatment (and quite the intense scalp scrubbing!), I went to the back for the blowout. I brought my own bristle round brush for the stylist to use. She took the brush to "comb out" my hair after she washed it. More-or-less, she raked through my hair and then took out a blowdryer with a comb device attached. She disinfected that with a liquid and then used it (rather than the brush...) to blowdry my hair. When she was done, my hair was parted on the wrong side and I had no bangs- they had been brushed back in a combover-like fashion behind my ears. Otherwise, the look was perfect! :)

I showed her how I normally fixed my hair and she sat me back down when I was done. She asked if she could use oil on my hair. I said no. She asked if she could use spray oil on my hair. I said no. She asked if she could use olive oil on my hair (apparenlty different from regular oil). I said no. She asked if she could use spray olive oil on my hair (apparently different from regular oil, regular spray oil, and olive oil). I said no. She asked if she could set my hair then spray it. I said no. She really wanted to coat my hair. I said no. She gave up.

So, for 4.00 USD, I experienced my first Kenyan blowout. I hope the lions liked my mane.