Me: ... "nothing."
South African male: "I mean, are you going to wear it like that all the time?"
Me: "Yeah. Do you have any suggestions for how I should wear it?"
South African male: "You could straighten--"
Me: "No!"
"What are you going to do with your hair?" ... Ha! This question really bothers me. Especially since I do not understand why I am being asked this question. Its as if because I have "natural" hair and choose to wear it in an Afro people consider it undone like it needs to be fixed. *rolls eyes*
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In America long, straight hair is considered the standard for what is attractive and acceptable, and relaxed hair and even hair weaves are definitely more desirable than my 1970s afro hairstyle; however, I was not expecting this to be the case when I arrived in Africa. Much to my surprise South Africans uphold the same standards of beauty that we Americans strive for each day. From hair, to skin complexion, to body image.. they admire the more slender body type over the curvier body, and the lighter skin tone over a darker one.
This saddens me because I wonder What happened to the AFRICAN standards of beauty? Apparently they no longer exist. They've been wiped out and replaced by these European standards that nearly no one, except model type chicks, compare to.
For me, it makes no difference whether I'm in America or Africa or Antarctica, I choose to exude beauty from the inside-out and accept myself for who I am from every nap and kink in my hair to every ingrown toenail and corn on my feet (just kidding, but you get my point!). I just wish that more people understood that being BEAUTIFUL is more than just living up to superficial standards of one's physical appearance made by man. Being beautiful exists through radiating confidence, self-esteem, and self-love, and appreciating the way God created you.