Second Quarterly Report

Submitted on February 3, 2007

Second Quarterly Report –
“Braiding: Traditional Art, Esthetic Service or Cultural Expression?”

"Six months down, six to go – it’s crazy how time flies! I feel like I just finished submitting my first quarterly report but obviously, three months have passed already, and a lot has happened since then – I wrapped up my second month of research in India, spent six weeks in Egypt, and now I find myself in Senegal!

As I mentioned in my first report, my Indian contacts fell through, so I had to figure out a new game plan. I ended up staying in Bangalore for another three weeks, during which I frequented Chik Mik Beauty School and “worked” as a volunteer hair braider at the Casa Del Sol Fun Fair. At Chik Mik, they taught me about day-to-day Indian hair care and plaiting and also introduced me to the different types of hairstyles that Indian women wear for special occasions. During my second visit, I had the privilege of experiencing an Indian bridal makeover, which allowed me to experience the adornment and hair plaiting ritual first-hand. The funniest part of that whole experience was when the girls were trying to figure out what to do with my hair! Let’s just say that it was a learning experience on both ends!

Volunteering at the Casa Del Sol Fun Fair was a great opportunity for me because I got to braid hair for Indian girls (and grown women) as well as the daughters of some European expats living in Bangalore, so I finally got the chance to really talk to them about how they feel about their hair and about braiding. During our conversations, I learned that Indian girls have many of the same hang-ups about their hair texture (and skin complexion) that Black women do, which I found very interesting.

During my last week in Bangalore, I was introduced to Manjunath, a young Indian clothing designer who has gained celebrity status because of his hairstyle – he has dredlocks. In addition to designing fabulous clothing, he now graces billboards across the subcontinent, modelling everything from clothing and to beverages. I had the privilege of interviewing him (and his hairdresser Florence, a Ugandan expat) and he told me that he wears locks as an expression of his culture and his faith, since Indian sadhus (Hindu priests) wear their hair in that fashion. However, the general population still considers dredlocks taboo – they think that they’re dirty and weird – which is why Manju is such a rarity. Nonetheless, as a result of popular culture, the trend of wearing braids and locks is catching on with young Indians, so perhaps in a few years Manju might actually have some competition for the modelling jobs. I spent my last week back in New Delhi, to give myself time to get my Egyptian visa.



I must say that my second month in India was a lot easier than the first, and by the time that I’d finally adjusted to life there, it was time to leave! Although I had some pretty rough times, and my research didn’t turn out as expected, I think that my stay in India was definitely a learning experience, and I think I’m stronger now because of it.

My next stop was Egypt for six weeks (November 28 – January 10) for the historical portion of my research; I wanted to search for archaeological evidence of hair braiding by the Ancient Egyptians and figure out what motivated them to start the practice. I also wanted to learn about hair braiding in the arts, namely belly dancing.

During my time in Egypt, I conducted research at the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) in Cairo, and visited museums, temples and tombs where I photographed (or sketched, where photography was not permitted) the braided styles I saw. At the ARCE, I learned that braids, wigs, and hairstyles, in general, were used by both Ancient Egyptian men and women to denote social and marital status, or just simply for fashion – the Ancient Egyptians loved to look good. However, women specifically used hair braiding for seduction purposes, and as part of a purification ritual following childbirth.

As for modern-day Egypt, most Egyptian women wear headscarves, but hair braiding is still used for young girls, and I did manage to get two street interviews – one with an Egyptian guy with locks and the other with an Egyptian girl with extensions. I also got to interview a belly dancer, and she explained to me that hair braiding in belly dancing follows belly dancing fashion trends - that wearing braids and braided wigs was quite popular in the 60s and 70s in the art form, but nowadays, belly dancers typically leave their hair free-flowing.

Things were great in Egypt…until the Holidays rolled around and, I must admit, I got really homesick and lonely. Even though I’d made friends in Cairo, I wanted to be at home with my family in Toronto, but I survived. Now that I’m in Senegal, I’m certainly not lonely anymore though - I’m living with a host family and sometimes I miss the privacy I had living on my own. Nonetheless, it’s really nice to have home-cooked food again (and for the first time in a while, I don’t have people staring at me anymore)!

Everything was going quite well - I had started “hair school” at a local salon, where they have been teaching me how to braid “à la sénégalaise,” the weather’s been nice, I’ve been practicing my French, and trying to learn Wolof (and Portuguese, in preparation for Brazil) – and then I caught malaria a few days ago, which put a damper on things. I cried at first because I was really scared (and I also couldn’t understand why I’d caught it since I’ve been taking anti-malarial pills for months now, but apparently they’re not effective here). My host dad took me to the hospital, where they gave me medication, which was effective, so I’m better now! Getting sick is all apart of the Watson experience, I guess…

This report marks the halfway point of my Watson journey, and what a journey it has been so far! My global quest to learn more about hair and braiding has allowed me to see and visit places that I’d only dreamed about just a year ago, to meet interesting people and make great friends, to gain a better understanding of the world around me, and, most importantly, to learn SO much about myself that I didn’t know before, like my latent strengths and weaknesses! I realize now, more than ever, that I’m a work-in-progress, and I plan to use the remaining six months as an opportunity to improve on my new-found strengths and work on my weaknesses. I will keep you posted on the developments…"