27 Oct. 2010
As some of you may know, back in April/May I got dreadlocks (just to let you know, it’s a painful process, but easy to manage when hair is longer and working in the woods over the summer…) Anyways, here in Mozambique with dreads:
I was thinking dreads would be good for Africa. My guess is they would be common here and they kind of are, but braids are more common. But, just like in the states, having dreads can be associated with drugs. The name here for dreads is rosta. The name for drug users is rosta…I guess it can get a little mixed up…
Anyways, Peace Corps (or as known here Corpo de Paz) made me quite paranoid about showing my hair. And I have this feeling it’s because I am white and with dreads, but in the end, I’m not really sure. Ever since I’ve left our initial hotel in Maputo, Mozambique, I have had something on my head to cover my dreads. Even for the first week, I did not show my host family my dreads. They kept asking me about it, and I was honestly worried they would not like me or judge me in the wrong way… Really, too many wrong ideas put into my head about it. Yes, I should be aware of the judgements that can be made, but that happens in the states also. My family here actually loves my hair. . . But, yes, I will use my best judgement and feel the people around me before showing them…just an added experience to my PC experience overall! Perhaps after a while, I’ll cut them out and get different hair braided in…that’s popular here! J
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