Strong, long nails, How?

Loitokitok market

Image by Kerri Lee Smith
I got to go to the market in Loitokitok today. I’ve actually never been anywhere in Kenya other than Nairobi and out in the big parks. Today was my first time visiting a town and it was wonderful.

While I was there, a friend in camp arranged for me to have my first-ever pedicure. This was an incredible experience. First I had to go to a stall in the market that sold sandals and buy a pair of Hello Kitty thongs for .40. Next, I was taken to a room that was about the size of a master bedroom that had three plastic patio chairs and two, very narrow benches along the walls. Two of us were having work done – my pedicure and the other client was having her hair straightened. In addition to the two of us and the two women working on us, there were three women, a teenaged girl and two little kids – I’m not sure why they were there. The "spectators" watched this poor woman clean, scrub, scrape and massaage my feet and then polish my nails for two hours and 45 minutes – no exaggeration. Two women watched over my shoulder and the teenager sat at my side and all had this look of fascinated horror and couldn’t look away, not for a second. The woman having her hair straightened and her stylist both took a 20 minute break to watch the procedings and to talk and laugh. People were enjoying this – much more than I was – I was just trying to keep from crying because my feet were being scraped raw and they hurt. By the end of my pedicure, as my nails were being polished (I asked that the color and art be a surprise) there was standing room only. I’m sure it wasn’t because of me, people just stopped in the doorway to chat with the women in the room, but once they saw this seemingly novel sight, they stayed. The results of all that hard work are posted below. My feet have never looked more festive or been more tender. Oh, and for almost three hours of hard work (she was actually breathing hard at one point) the cost was .86. I left a good tip.

Next it was lunch time and Nkii took me to a Hotel (almost like a fast food place) where we got served approximately 90 seconds after we walked in the door. It was a tiny room packed with tiny tables. We took the last two seats at a table with two men already eating. One was wearing a business suit and the man sitting across from me was in full, traditional Maasai clothing – the red shukas and lots of beaded jewelry. Lunch was a large plate of beans and cooked cabbage and a kale-like dish served with a large chipati. It was delicious, fast and cost $ .70.

Finally, Nkii and Gideon finished buying all the groceries and supplies for camp and I bought worth of junk food.

It was such a fun, colorful cultural experience for me and I was just dying to take about 200 pictures. Everything I saw was something I wanted to photograph but it never felt right to take pictures. Besides not feeling right, Nkii, Gideon, Raph, Ben, Longida and a gentleman riding to the market with us all politely suggested that it would not be a good idea to take pictures, especially with my large camera (oh to have a little point and shoot). I will have to rely on my memory rather than phototgraphs to remember this day.

SOOC

Question by Lilac Lady: Strong, long nails, How?
I want to grow my nails long but when they get to a nice length they always split at the sides, is there a treatment I can use?
I’ve tried all of the hardening nail polishes and they only do so much. Please help.

Best answers:

Answer by alwayzatemptation69
prenatal vitamins work wonders! im takin them and my nails look great!

Answer by Mac
I hear lots of girls wear false ones – nip to the hardware store and buy some six inch flat tops – they will look simply fabulous!

Answer by lozzielaws
vitamins, eat healthy, or try Sally Hansen nail hardener if you havent already. I tried it and its worked really well.

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