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My night with the PalestiniansPosted by Lauren on September 26, 2001 at 17:23:45: First, I gotta thank you all for all the nice stuff you said aboutme. Anyway, I was supposed to go to the house where they're staying at 7, but got a call during the day to say they were visiting relatives until 7:30 and could I come at 8. I try to go to bed by 9, but having told them that, we decided it would be worthwhile to go and do what i could int he time I had. They're leaving this week so this would be the last chance. I got there as they were saying goodbye to some of their relatives. They asked why I was there and when the hosts told them I was there to do henna, they got that question-mark but-you're-a-white-american? face and immediately started asking friendly questions. I think I may have a lead on some new business after the lady with the headcloth came and looked at my hand :) We came in and sat down and I gave them books to look through. as it turns out, they speak almost no English, and nobody there spoke Arabic, either, so we did a lot of gesturing and smiling. I did the little girl first. She looked through CCJ's book for most of the length of it, then jumped up and started chattering and pointing excitedly. One of CCJ's arabic-word designs is the same as the little girl's name, Marwa. She wanted THAT ONE. She was all happy and excited that HEr name was in my book. I used the arabic but did the rest of the pattern in my own designs. It was at this time that I realized that I'd made the mix too thin. I had to do some thicker lines than I'd intended, and even then it smudged and almost ran in places. She was very good at keeping still, though. I did her mom with an across-the-palm-and-up- on-finger rose design that turned out fairly well, then lemon-sugared the little girl, then her mom, and wrapped them in cotton then plastic wrap. Apparently, the words for lemon and sugar are much the same in arabic. I had brought along some Palestinian embroidery that I'd done, to ask if I was putting the dress right, and I;m not sure but I think they were impressed. The mom gave me a piece of cross- stitch she'd done that's the face of a clock that you add the mechanism and arms to. It's modern and europeanized, but I'm pleased to have it. I think they were pleased overall, even though they were disappointed that i didn't have the energy or time to do more for them. I've been invited to their going-away party on Friday and I think I'll go. I took pictures. I think I'm going to try the Yahoo picture service and see if I can put them up since the damn website doesn't seem to be doing anything. I'll let you know.
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