Henna

Tonight I had henna done for the first time.  Usually women have their hands decorated in Henna before holidays or weddings. There was no particular occasion for my henna but the family was very insistent and it was quite fun to partake in.  Henna starts out as a green powder and is mixed with water and perhaps some other ingredients and mixed until it makes a pasty consistency not quite as thick as toothpaste. They put the henna in a syringe and then paint lace like designs on the backs and fronts of hands and sometimes feet. After the design is painted on you have to sit for about 2 hours for it to dry and really soak into the skin. After two hours you can scrape off the dried henna and underneath is a beautiful pattern. It starts out bright orange but quickly fades to a light brown. Henna is really pretty but it lasts up to 2 months. I think most people really like it for about 2 weeks and then tolerate it for the next 6 weeks.  When I had it done I sat on the couch with my arms above my head for a couple hours. I was trying to take a nap but every time I was about to doze off my host sister would yell at me and say that if I fell asleep my hands would fall down and hit the couch or my clothing staining them and destroying the artwork that was my hands.  It actually turned out really well and my family wants to add more for swearing in, in November, when I become a legit PCV. I have a feeling however that this henna will still be there.