7 Comments// Posted in Life, Random by Nielfa Hanifa on 03.30.09.

I went to a bridal shower/ladies evening on Friday past. We had belly dancing for entertainment and an indoor pool to our disposal. The highlight of the evening though, was when the ladies were supposed to undergo an Arab custom, the name evades me but it involves “smoking” a sandalwood fragrance into your skin that leaves you with a bit of a tan and apparently irresistible to your husband.

Obviously, the bride to be had to do this first. The process went something like this, before everyone arrived a fire was made beside the pool, by the time the belly dancer packed herself up and left, the flames were slowly dying. Some of us took a dip in the pool and when the flames were out and the embers started glowing, they were thrown into a clay pot. Bride to be was rubbed with a fragrant oil, made to sit over the clay pot and pieces of sandalwood was thrown into it. She was completely wrapped up with blankets with her head sticking out on top and the process of “smoking” continued for about 15 to 20 minutes. She came out positively glowing… so totally Ms. Eager me, decided to go next.

By that time, the embers had heated the pot up quite a bit so I couldn’t bear sitting there, wrapped in blankets, for more than 5 minutes. Let alone my fear of passing out of smoke inhalation. When I seriously couldn’t take the heat anymore, I jumped out of a massive cloud (not puff,) of smoke and I wasn’t only glowing, but glowing ORANGE!!!

I smelt like smoke, looked like I over did a self-tan and felt like a complete idiot for trying something I had no clue about. To add to my embarrassment, later that night Zeen was making fun of me saying that Arab men must like their women to smell like chips because I smell like Fritos BBQ. Gosh!!! TMI now, I know, but in the end, I did prove irresistible to my husband, smelling like Fritos or not.

Then this morning I woke up with a fine rash all over my skin where the oil was applied. Now finally when the orange in me is fading out, I’m having an allergic reaction, three days later.

As far as being irresistible to my Zeen, I’m sure I don’t need to this again, I mean he wouldn’t be my husband if I wasn’t irresistible to him. So, to hell with suffering for beauty, I’d rather be ugly!

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