the pain, tears (and failure?) of identification

One of the believers in the mehale is making herself a living as a ‘beautician’ and she wanted very much to attend to Kathryn and my faces! After about a month without a mirror, I figured I needed it, but Kathryn was a little more reluctant. Like me though, she felt it was a tangible way to encourage our sister, plus we couldn’t really wriggle out of it! 

Yesterday afternoon was the big occasion. First we each had our eyebrows plucked … lying on the floor with our head on N’s knee! It was certainly painful, and she had my neck in an uncomfortable position, but otherwise things went smoothly. Then the waxing! The wax was held over a hot plate to soften, then I was ordered to lie down again, this time with the comfort of a pillow. I knew it would hurt of course, and it did, but I’d psyched myself up for it and coped with a stream verbal banter (with Aydin, who sat on the floor beside me, intrigued) interspersed with heart-felt ‘ouches’. On and on and on and on and on it went, wax on my forehead, on my cheeks, neck, jaw, lips, nose … surely she’d done every mm of my face! …. but no … wax up BOTH my nostrils AT ONCE!!! I’d reached the end of my ability to endure, sat up and said ‘enough’, not realising how much I was actually crying. Of course N was bewildered, and distraught to have me in tears, plus confused because of all the noise I’d been making. Kathryn didn’t know, but the Millet women have every mm of their face waxed (willingly) every 10 days or so, without a sound! Oh dear, what a faux pas! Of course the cultural blunder made me more upset and N still had shiny eyes, looking most concerned for me, when we had to head home as it was after dark. Although Kathryn got out of the waxing yesterday, I don’t think she’ll be able to avoid it forever

There were photos, but not for public exhibition :p

~ by rjp0103 on January 25, 2009.