two tales, one tail

and over a month later...goodness!  why does it get so stinkin hard for me to post on my blog...i just don't know.

anyway, i promised an ethiopia story and two ethiopia story i shall tell...i'm feeling very generous today.

story number 1.

third day in ethiopia, becca's (who i went to visit) landlady wanted to put henna in my hair...you know the stuff they draw with on your skin and it's like a rust color.  well, being the free spirit that i am, i said sure without a second thought.

exhibit a of why being a free spirit (aka. foolish...second thoughts can be very very wise) is not always a good idea: 

yeah i know, great pic, but what can you do.  look at the cute little coffee cup!  okay, so this totally does not do it justice, but let me point out one thing.  that lovely little purple scarf is very discretely covering the brightest of the bright, which in this picture would look more like the brighter of the not so bright, but oh well.  here let me try to give a more accurate depiction of what i actually looked like...

now we're talking...

okay, so when i got home i promptly scheduled a hair appointment to professionally color my hair...where i proceeded to throw up halfway through the dying process.  yeah, i'm pretty sure i had malaria...but i'm better now, just suffering from a little wounded pride is all, but now, my hair is on the mend, slowing working it's way back to my natural color (of course i found out that henna is about the most temperamental thing you can put in your hair...go too light and you'll be pink.  yey!)

story number 2.

one night becca and i were in a hotel (note, if your picturing something as nice as motel 8, take it down about 50 notches and you're there) and i suddenly heard scratching behind the headboard.  not a good sign.  the whole scene played out something like this...

me: becca!  there's something scratching!  what do i do! (consumed with mind numbing fear)

becca: go to sleep i'm sure it's fine (completely not caring)

later...

becca: now it's on my side! (surprised but not at all afraid)  oh well, just go to sleep.

me: are you sure? (still consumed with mind numbing fear)

becca: yes

later...

becca (quickly sitting up): it's in my hair!!!! (very surprised but not at all afraid)

me (seeing something dark fall out of her hair and scamper across the floor):  what was that!?! (paralyzed with mind numbing fear)

becca: i don't know...it's fine just go to sleep (flops back down and falls asleep)

me: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (shaking and hyperventilating as i proceed to wrap my hoodie as tightly around my head as possible and cover the rest of my face with my hand so nothing, absolutely NOTHING can touch my head!)  

needless to say i didn't sleep that night, but here's a picture of the room with me blissfully unaware of what's too come...

by the way, we later decided that the perpetrator was probably a little mouse...let's hope