Hair Braiding, My first plait.
Since I arrived in Belize I had seen many people with beautifully braided hair, and often looked on enviously. Having been brought up in the Cotswold's in England, a pretty middle/ upper class white area, I had never really seen hair braided before and seeing the intricate colourful styles on a daily basis in Belize still remains a novelty. In August 2007 on a trip to Gales Point, Malantee I decided to finally get my hair plaited for the first time. Gales Point is the oldest Kriol village Belize with very ancient traditional practices and roots stretching back to Africa. If I was going to get my hair braided anywhere, then Gales Point was the place to do it. Knowing that in San Ignacio a plait could cost anywhere between 10 and 15 BZD I was rather shocked to hear them charge 40BZD. It was explained to me by a friend who lived in Gales Point for many years, that the income in this particular village was mainly from subsistence farming and tourism. The main draw for tourism in Gales point, apart from the beautiful scenery and nesting turtles, was Emmet Young's world famous drum school.Emmet Young's Drum School, Gales Point
As Diana used her faithful black plastic comb to part my hair into neat rows, I realised that I had made a good decision in only getting half of my hair plaited, I can not describe the pain that I felt during the process. The pulling and twisting of my thin hair my toes curl, literally. It was excruciating, yet from as young as two years old Belizean girls have their hair pulled into the most intricate of styles. Maybe it is a type of pain the body grows immune to, or maybe it is a pain that you endure in order to comply with social norms within the family structure, if your grandma, mum, aunts and cousins can all cope with the pain, then you should be able to! I sat there, on my chair, trying not to flinch as Diana masterfully wove my hair into tiny plaits with such speed it was over in a matter of minutes, a fact I am eternally grateful to her for. I was so pleased with the finished result I was more happy to hand over the cash, knowing that not only had I bought myself a nice hairdo but I had a memory of Diana and Gales Point that would last long after my plaits had worked themselves loose.

Hair Braiding; It's not as easy as it looks!
Hair Braiding; It's not as easy as it looks!
I have always credited myself with a basic ability when it comes to hairdressing, I mastered the favourite hair styles, pigtails, ponytails even the odd french plait at an early age, but I never had the opportunity to add the "cornrow" to my portfolio. The first victim of my burning ambition to learn how to braid (cornrow) hair was Indira, my friends eight year old daughter. Luckily I managed to strike up a deal that most eight year old girls (and me) would be happy with, I would practice plaiting her hair for an hour, and she could do whatever she wanted to mine for an hour. Now, to say there is a fundamental difference between mine and Indiras hair is a bit of an understatement. I have fine, limp hair, and not much of it, whilst Indira has a crop of beautiful curly thick hair, the kind of hair I have always dreamt of having. Plaiting hair like hers was very different to the times I had tried to practice on my own hair. Her hair kept slipping out of my hands, the parting would constantly 'unpart' itself and I would continually drop my comb (it was of little use anyway) on the floor, bend over to pick it up and lose my place in the current plait. I have never met a child with so much patience. After about an hour of trying, with my burning ambition ever so slightly dampened this is what I had produced

A rather thick looking, loose looking, wonky looking cornrow. But for a first attempt I was satisfied, surely I could only get better. Unfortunately I had to wait a year or so for my next model, this time my beautiful step-daughter Shaniqua. Shaniqua has a different type of hair to Indira, though equally as beautiful, it is long, thick and black but very straight, what some may call 'spanish' hair. Getting Shaniqua ready for school in the mornings enabled me to practice plaiting on her hair, it was my favourite part of the day, me on the sofa and her sat between my legs on a cushion on the floor, sleepily chatting to me about what the day had in store. Slowly I started to try different styles out, and although my cornrows leave much to be desired, at least I can send Shaniqua to school knowing her class mates won't laugh at her hair. One thing I have learnt is that hair braiding is not as easy as it looks, so now I have an even greater level of respect for the women that can do it so well, and the little girls who learn from them.


The Front

The Back

Some chunky plaits
I have always credited myself with a basic ability when it comes to hairdressing, I mastered the favourite hair styles, pigtails, ponytails even the odd french plait at an early age, but I never had the opportunity to add the "cornrow" to my portfolio. The first victim of my burning ambition to learn how to braid (cornrow) hair was Indira, my friends eight year old daughter. Luckily I managed to strike up a deal that most eight year old girls (and me) would be happy with, I would practice plaiting her hair for an hour, and she could do whatever she wanted to mine for an hour. Now, to say there is a fundamental difference between mine and Indiras hair is a bit of an understatement. I have fine, limp hair, and not much of it, whilst Indira has a crop of beautiful curly thick hair, the kind of hair I have always dreamt of having. Plaiting hair like hers was very different to the times I had tried to practice on my own hair. Her hair kept slipping out of my hands, the parting would constantly 'unpart' itself and I would continually drop my comb (it was of little use anyway) on the floor, bend over to pick it up and lose my place in the current plait. I have never met a child with so much patience. After about an hour of trying, with my burning ambition ever so slightly dampened this is what I had produced

My first attempt at braiding hair
A rather thick looking, loose looking, wonky looking cornrow. But for a first attempt I was satisfied, surely I could only get better. Unfortunately I had to wait a year or so for my next model, this time my beautiful step-daughter Shaniqua. Shaniqua has a different type of hair to Indira, though equally as beautiful, it is long, thick and black but very straight, what some may call 'spanish' hair. Getting Shaniqua ready for school in the mornings enabled me to practice plaiting on her hair, it was my favourite part of the day, me on the sofa and her sat between my legs on a cushion on the floor, sleepily chatting to me about what the day had in store. Slowly I started to try different styles out, and although my cornrows leave much to be desired, at least I can send Shaniqua to school knowing her class mates won't laugh at her hair. One thing I have learnt is that hair braiding is not as easy as it looks, so now I have an even greater level of respect for the women that can do it so well, and the little girls who learn from them.
Independence Day Hair
The Front
The Back
Some chunky plaits