l

Monday, September 18, 2006

Decadence

This weekend Naheed cut my hair: a proper layering in her backyard. I’m nominating her for Peace Corps South Africa Stylist certification.

It was the first time I’d given much attention to my appearance in a while and it kinda inspired me to concoct a DIY spa treatment. (Well that – and homemade hair treatments have been the subject of the last two PC newsletters, a not-so-subtle indication that the PCSA office staff think we need to beef up our hygiene practices).

So I took a proper bath (no bucket), adding a large bowl of oatmeal and four cups of tea (or an infusion) of cinnamon, cloves, vanilla essence and peppermint from my garden. And what good soaking is complete without a cocktail?* I massaged a mixture of eggs, mayonnaise and vanilla essence into my hair, secured this mixture with a plastic bad and eased into the tub, with nothing but a pair of cucumber slices between me and the Soviet décor of my bathroom. When I’d had enough, I washed out my hair with a bottle of beer and a dollop of shampoo. The cucumber slices were not terribly cooperative about staying on my face; there was not enough hot water to fill the tub; and I got a healthy dose of oatmeal in my belly button. But now I have incredible volume and shine. Plus I smell like a cookie.



* Bacardi Razz (thank you, RoboTom) + Lemon Juice (thank you, neighbors down the street, a god-fearing people who lost some lemons from their backyard tree while attending church) + Spearmint (garden)

Friday, September 08, 2006

Duck Season? Rabbit Season?

I awoke last night to a rustling of something on my nightstand. It sounded like it might be a mouse chewing the keys off my cell phone. I got out of the other side of my bed and slowly crept to the light switch, kinda dreading that I’d have to illuminate the culprit.

Imagine my relief to find a two inch cockroach rustling around in a piece of paper next to my pillow.

It’s getting warmer now and the overcast skies portend the coming rainy season – which means it’s roach season again. It’s not a matter of filth or poor housekeeping; come a certain time of the year, every household accommodates these huge roach inhabitants. I could probably set traps, but who am I to kill something cause it’s ugly and creepy? I’m pretty much inured to them by now anyway. Except when they show up in my coffee – which happened twice last week. Seems they like espresso as much as I do.

In any case, I’m just happy it wasn’t a mouse chewing my cell phone.

Or a three inch long scorpion, a recent night visitor of Naheed’s.