My help was the first black hair care (dot) com before it disappeared and reappeared as something new. There was also naturally curly (dot) com which had a small section for us with tighter, coily and kinky hair. I muddled my way through and lived on those boards until figuring out how to do my hair.
Now I often forget about my hair. I am shocked at times when I get a compliment or a stranger asks me about products or techniques. I could care less about shrinkage or how long it looks on a particular day. I have been featured on hair sites and I enjoy reading about hairstyles but am usually the last to spend money on a new product.
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After typing all of that maybe that is the reason I was majorly disappointed in a recent curl girl meetup with Mizani. I plan events, which makes it difficult sometimes to just relax and enjoy them but this one....my people, my people.
They asked that you RSVP and it made it mandatory that you add a friend to the list. I was fine with that because I was taking a dear friend and fellow dancer because she still has hair questions.
We arrived 10 minutes before the event began and stood in line, outside, in the freezing cold, wondering WHY the doors were not open when it started at 7? About 10 minutes after that we became really annoyed when they continued to take photos of the ladies in line, obviously freezing with feet hurting as they begin to rethink their wardrobe choices for the night.
We made a few friends while standing in line as we discussed being stuck in line and what products we use (strangely enough none of us used the products by the sponsor of the event) and laughed as the line finally begin to move. Sometimes you just gotta laugh because after they checked our ID we were just ushered into the relatively small space without anyone checking the mandatory RSVP list.
About 5 of the 8 or so booths were reserved for the "guest speaker" which left little to no seats for the crowd and we were wondering just how many people one person could bring with them to take up FIVE booths?!? Well, we went to check out the upstairs area and met a few more curlies who were talking about their disappointment of the venue. Apparently the place has great pizza, we had to take her word for it because there was no food being served. No appetizers and no menus to order your own... at a restaurant.
They did do a short intro of the who's who of people including the "guest speaker" who said three sentences and headed to the photo area by the door. We were instructed to pick up a goodie bag and "talk and meet your fellow curlies to talk about hair and products" during the event.
Maybe I expected too much. Maybe I expected an event to not hold people outside in the freezing cold. Maybe I expected for the "guest speaker" to be at the event when it starts and not arrive 45 into an event that only lasts for 2 hours. Maybe I expect hair demos to be demonstrated throughout an event that advertises hair demos. Maybe I expect to not see the people scrolling through songs on Pandora while they are showing a video on the projection screens.
Maybe I EXPECT too much but now I see why certain businesses are in the position they are in.
I do enjoy reading the blog of the "guest speaker" and have enjoyed it since it's inception but I think I will skip the next time she "shuts ish down" in my city.
We waded through the crowd waiting to take photos with her at the front door and left to go to a restaurant that was serving food...and had a beer!
Until Next Time,
Peace & Blessings...
Uhhh, more information, food, and fun would have been had at one of the local meetups scheduled on Nappturality. You're right about this, that event should have been much better.
ReplyDeleteI would suggest you and I do our own hair thing since we've been at it for so long, but I really don't have the patience to talk hair stuff with ALL these resources available. We had nothing back in the 90s and made it work. Folks these days have no excuse.
LOL! Shea, you are right. There is a TON of info out now and TONS of natural hair products. People just have to research a little to find it. I remember you were the reason I grew my perm out. Trying to be like you! ROFL!
ReplyDeleteI use to do the Nappturality meetups too. That was the next site I used after black hair care. Everyone migrated there. She kept changing and updating it and my username would stop working. I eventually tired of asking to have my username reset and stopped visiting the site.
That's the EXACT same reason I stopped going. I do have an active account now, but I only pop in when I'm extremely bored.
DeleteSounds very disappointing. This was something you paid money to attend? Wow. I keep reading bad things and hearing bad things and I don't understand. Where are the people of excellence? What happened to that?
ReplyDeleteGorgeous_Puddin,
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the Storm! I must admit it was a free event and I have also learned from a few other blog postings that the bar was an open bar sponsored by a Vodka company. I guess you had to go to the bar and ask for that tidbit (we did not).
I think it was mainly an event to help Mizani with their naturals hair line and help the "guest speaker" sell more books? There were a ton of people there who were waiting for photos with her and wanting her to autograph their books.
I have seen a few people say they left because it was way too crowded which makes me defer back to the mandatory RSVP list that was not at the event.
Oohh I hate when you get excited for something and it pans out as a waste of time.
ReplyDeleteWell you have learned a lot about your hair through the years... invite a few sister over and compare notes AND serve food, and drinks!
I'd come :)