6 MONTHS!

I made it to 6 months of locking freeform. When I first started, I wasn't sure I would have them in for that long. And now I realize that 6 months is such a short time, and I'm looking forward to the years to come. Anyway, here are the few pics. Oh, by the way, yes, the smile is fake, but believe me, I look much better smiling.

I was trying to show in that last pic how much of my hair is locked. Maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of each lock is locked. I still see lots of afro, but it's obvious to all by now that my hair is locking. Do you think that if I say that I'm being patient enough times, my hair would actually start to look like locks from the front?

Separation - Video

I made a video of myself separating my hair. The video is only 5 minutes long. I didn't write a script for it or anything, so I'm not sure if it's clear what I'm doing. I didn't explain in the video, but to remind everyone, I started locking by just washing my hair. I separate to somewhat control the size of my locks. Anyway, this should give those who might not know a feeling of how one person separates their hair.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF5P8Zgc15I

Jamaica

I recently went to Jamaica for the first time and I LOVE THAT PLACE. I went to Negril with a couple girlfriends of mine for 5 days (not nearly enough time). One of my friends is Jamaican, which was good because she speaks the patois, and also knows how much stuff should cost so we don't feel like we're getting ripped off too much. But anyway, here are a couple of my thoughts and experiences.

What is up with Jamaican men? Please tell me so that I can know. My friends and I got hit on CONSTANTLY. Wherever we went, at least 2 out of the 3 of us would get hit on. I can also say that each of us has stopped traffic in Jamaica. My friend got hit on by the policeman that stopped her for speeding. And they're persistant, too. I told one guy that I'm married and he said "What happens in Jamaica stays in Jamaica". One of my friends showed a guy her wedding ring and he said "I have rings too". We went to Mayfield Falls one day (which is amazing, by the way) and this dude stopped his tour to yell across to my friend that he wished he could lay across her butt, and use it as a pillow. Maybe the first day it was flattering, but it got old really quickly. If you want to feel wanted, though, go to Jamaica.

Man, I got so many compliments on my hair, it was ridiculous. People were calling me Ras or Rasta all over the place, lol. Seriously. No one really thought I was a Rasta (at least I don't think so), but that's what I was called half the time by the locals. Probably because I am locking my hair the Rasta way. One day on the beach, there were a couple Rastas painting and selling their paintings. The guy complimented me on my hair. I was flattered, of course. It's almost like validation, getting complimented by Rastas, I can't explain exactly why. Then I asked him how he locked his hair, and for advice and they both started talking. Saying that the ocean water is good for your hair. Also, just to wash it a lot and let it air dry (no towel). I swear, they sounded just like RasTai, they said the same things he says. However, there was one Rasta that I met that asked me "are you a Rasta or is that just a hairstyle?" I didn't exactly know how to answer that. Of course I'm not a Rasta, but my hair is coming to mean more to me than just a hairstyle. He also asked me if I knew about King Selassie, and I guess what I said wasn't what he wanted to hear, so I got some lecture about not knowing my culture. But anyway ...

So many of the Rastas that I met were really nice. Also they were trying to tell / teach me about their religion and culture. I'm not sure why, maybe I look receptive to it (which I am). One Rasta I met at Mayfield Falls was telling me about his diet and natural living. While I was in Jamaica, I ate some ital food (more on ital food) which was delicious (I haven't eaten meat for 2 months and don't plan to eat any anytime soon).

Okay, I could go on and on about Jamaica (I loved it and I have so many stories I could tell, i.e. this club called The Jungle where a few of the women really had their stuff hanging out for all to see, and some drunk spring breakers letting guys do stuff that I'm sure they would regret in the morning). But I'm sleepy and I think I will let this be.

5 months in

Nothing to say, here are the pics!