It would appear that either claims of the suspiciousness of the Somali community have been greatly exaggerated, or my girl has quite a way about her. Probably a bit of both, methinks.
Yesterday Marnie had a girls day out with her Somalis in Mayfair. She met her friend Sahra at her restaurant (her home) and got to help in the kitchen. After going for her henna tattoos, the ladies went to purchase a scarf and skirt. Marnie had wanted to have just her feet painted, but her request was lost in translation, and she got a bit more than she bargained for. I think she comes across as more gypsy than Somali in her outfit, but cute nonetheless. Naturally the sight of a white woman done up in henna was quite the hit on 8th in Mayfair, and Marnie quickly had a group of admirers following her.
Far from struggling to find women to interview, Marnie is awash in Somali women eager to tell their story. They desperately want people to know what is going on in the community. For instance, the night before Marnie visited, the police came to the restaurant and rounded up five Somali men. They released them- after they had collected about a thousand rand. They could complain, but to who? And if something actually happens to the officers involved, the informants become targets themselves. This, unfortunately, is just the tip of the iceberg of what these people endure.
Gloom and doom aside, Marnie had a blast yesterday. I understand the henna will fade away. Eventually. I hope.
Hellooooooo, Gorgeous! A word of caution, Dan--I can see that it might be hard to keep those Somali men at bay:-)
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that Marnie is doing well in her rapport with the Somali women!
ReplyDeleteMarnie, I love the henna. It looks beautiful as do you. You know, I agree with Dan...Perhaps there is more than a bit of Gypsy in you.
ReplyDeleteDan, you are a wonderful writer and I enjoyed catching up on your blogs.
Thanks for the invite!!!