Nigeria turns 50 ~ so PARTY TIME for us!!

Since I have a few Nigerian friends we are aware of the 50 years of independence of Nigeria to the UK. So that means party time for us!

Dunke, one of my good friends threw a Nigerian party, with Nigerian food like Suya (my favorite) Jollof rice, Peppersoup, Masa = rice cakes, Zobo = hibiscus punch, black beans and some other goodies.

Then of course the THE.MUSIC, Nigerian music and some real African butt shaking, these women can shake their booties!! Like the Middle Eastern ladies shake their bellies, the African women shake their booties!! WOW! I was impressed how just the bootie was shaking, and not the rest of their bodies, it was amazing and so much fun to see. JJ and Jezz looked out their eyes, they tried it at home, but of course they couldn't do it... LOL

And another fun part of the evening: everybody got to wear a Nigerian Head wrap ~ a GELE.





We had so much fun to try this intricate head gear on, it is quite the art to tie it. Of course after a few drinks all the non African ladies were also willing to try. The fabric is quite stiff, it almost feels like paper and it makes a lot of noise when they are wrapping it around your head and it squeaks in your ears like you are getting a tooth pulled! But the end result is fun and amazing!! So learn first a bit about this Gele and below I will show you some pictures of our party.

"Gele" is a Yoruba {Nigeria, West Africa} word for a female headwrap. A " headwrap" is a long piece of cloth that you tie and tuck on your head to create wearable art, as African women showcase their unique Masterpieces. "When a Man turns his head to take a second look at a woman, it is probably her Gele Headtie that got him hooked" There are no two exact styles of Gele headwrap. Gele may look similar to the eyes, but on close examination, each Gele has its unique twists and turns creating an elegant look of an African woman.

The head wrap or headgear plays an important part in Africa's fashion styling, specifically in West Africa. There is a saying that "an attire is not complete until it is topped with a headgear". There are different styles of head wrapping. Even an intricate-looking style starts with a basic procedure.



And here are the 'White Africans' having a great time with a Gele. From L to R: Tehmina, me, Candice and Marta.



The Nigerians know how to party, but above all, how to dance and shake that bootie!!
A fun night, thanks Dunke & Matthew!!

PS: If I get more pictures I will post more later...
Love, M