THE LONE AFRO IN EGYPT

I am completely unfamiliar with the texture, color,and curl pattern of my OWN hair. I do not recall the last time I had the luxury of running my fingers through my OWN unprocessed hair... EVER, not until I went natural just a couple of years ago. I have had processed, permed, box-braided hair and sew in extensions for nearly all of my life. I believe my first relaxer dates as far back as kindergarten. I chopped off my over processed hair two years ago, and in its place sits a thick mass of tough coils and curls. To be honest I have no clue what to do with the mounds of hair that sits slumped upon my head lol. I barley know how to comb this mass of hair without breaking bristles or what oils to feed it to keep my fro glimmering in this dry Egyptian weather. It's all a learning process for me, and a rather slow one at that.

Unfortunately, I coinviently decided to embrace and reintroduce myself to the natural me in a country that has rarely, if ever, seen hair of this texture before.

The stares, the comments, the head turns, the pointing , and the giggles from children and adults is all enough to make me want to throw on a hijab (Muslim women head covering)and borrow a new identity for the remainder of my stay, just to silence their eyes.

...but I won't.... and my pride says I can't ...

My hair is just another portion of me that Egypt and I will just have to get use to.