Happy Easter!

The Phenomenon of Henna

About a month ago (yeah, I know, I said a month ago), I had henna done to celebrate Jeremy's return from Lebanon. It is very customary for a wife to do henna when her husband returns from traveling. It is considered beautiful, even...sexy. So, since we are adapted (or still adapting) to North African culture, I thought it would be fun to do henna with my friends. I decided to pay the extra $4 to have the professional henna ladies come to my house. To get it done in the marketplace I am sure is a very cultural experience, but I am not brave enough. As you can see from the above picture you must twist & turn in various positions. A white woman getting henna done can be a very interesting and exciting event in the life of the marketplace (so I am told from my foreign friends). One can draw a significant crowd, therefore, I opted for a more low-key henna experience from the comfort of my own home. It takes about 4 hours from start to finish, so you must block off some time. Joy decided to join me at times, making it even more interesting to keep all of it from smearing while it was drying. The patience & time pays off because you are left with some very pretty designs on your hands & feet. Henna stays on for about 3 weeks.