A Dominican Day

I am typing this post by the light of my headlamp as the April rain has seemed to bring an increasing number of transformer explosions…and I think the power is going to be out for a while.

I went to the salon today and like most regions with afro-roots (haha, ok bad pun), salons are permanent establishments in neighborhoods that are frequented weekly – in this country, pa'ponerle liso (to make your hair straight).

I went today out of sheer disgust for my mop and desire to "chop it all off" – but emerged having made new friends and with a legit tubi (pronounced too-bee) where your newly striaghtened hair is swirled around your head and clamped down with so many bobby-pins that you'd set off a metal detector just by sneezing from 20 feet away (the reason you have a tubi is to avoid to lurking frizz that comes with all this humidity here). See picture above.

I should have known better – it being April and the weather likely to change without a moment's notice – but had left my house without taking an umbrella with me. Usually I am the one who chuckles at my Dominican friends who – the second it begins to jariznear (lightly sprinkle)– frantically search for plastic bags, newspaper, jackets – anything to keep their hair dry. And now – the tables were turned, as my hair slowly began to surrender to the hairdresser's magical touch and get all purdy and straight – it started to pour. I waited and waited until it let up to a sprinkle – and with tubi and plastic bag in tow – made my triumphant march home.

I honestly couldn't keep it together – imagining how odd I must look to my neighbors and I'm pretty sure cracked up the entire 3 block walk home. (One man in particular decided to comment on how good he thought I looked which made me let a peal of laughter – to which he stared confused at me – like he didn't get the joke.)

And having returned home only to have the transformer blow & my power go out, really seals the deal. I'm embracing this totally Dominican day, tubi, power outage and all.