No country for lazy blogging so no video post/paste today. I haven't been sleeping well lately so at the end of this incredibly long day where I did not tweet a single tweet - I leave you all with an ode to my love of beads. It definitely would have been a lot easier to fall asleep as soon as soon as i set foot at home, but no ....
The STASH!
Onto the beads: I love beads and anyone who knows me in real life or has followed this blog long enough probably has an image of me wearing beads readily pop up in their head. Most of them I got in various African countries and a few from flea markets in the areas. I will tell you about one of the places I got a good number of them though ---- TANZANIA :)
My mom used to live there a couple of years ago and as such when I was "going home for the holidays" that's where I would end up.
Kipepeo Beach Resort about an hour away from Dar-es-Salaam
Fancy seeing some nuns walking and enjoying the beach too
Beautiful narrow and winding streets and alleys of Stone Town on the Spice Island
The island has a very rich and tangible history due to its geographic uniqueness and strategic location and the blend of African, Arab, Indian, European (Portuguese, English)
This Anglican Church used to be a slave (not trans-Atlantic since this Zanzibar is on the Indian Ocean...) market
Zanzibari doors are very fascinating and if you thought there can't possibly be anything interesting about a door then you haven't been to Zanzibar [or Tunis]. Just do a google image search for "Zanzibar door" and you'll be oohing and aahing for a bit :)
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Read [it's FUNdamental).
AH-mazing art for very decent prices and unique styles as well
view from the restaurant where we had lunch - those canoes can be hired to go to another secluded island
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Tinga-tinga paintings galore!!
A lot of the shop owners are of different ethnicities (Arab and African, just Arab, just African...) and I met this guy selling Maasai jewelry. I was fascinated by HIM and his store. His English wasn't that strong and my weak Swahili had him laughing at me. He had all the typical Maasai jewelry you see at markets and stands, but he was wearing some LEGIT (because HE was donning it and I'd never seen anything like it) pieces. Now for a disclaimer, in all my travels, there is one thing, especially in Africa, I try to avoid and that is buying the stuff the muzungu tourists buy. I want the stuff that the people themselves wear and in this case I LITERALLY wanted what he was wearing. It was almost like an inverted suspender but made of beads with some silver chained circles attached to it. I fell in love immediately and nothing else in the store mattered. He tried to show me this and that and tell me how nice it looked on me and I was just flying over my head. After much laughing and amusement in our being lost in translation and some haggling since he didn't even know where or how to price something he had never even been asked about....Needless to say, after some negotiating [expert on my part], we reached an agreeable price, I hugged him and was so excited about the piece I wore it out of the store. I DID buy one of the more popular touristy round necked pieces, but this was the buy of the WHOLE trip. To date I have only worn the piece out at most 3 times and that's totally ok - it's special (even though apparently it's for men - i say androgynous)!
The last time being a couple of weeks ago...
attempting my mid-air kick per usual...
If I could find that guy I would love to send him this picture to show him that his treasured jewelry is in good hands and amazing use!
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*@afropolitaine*
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