Wow, it has been a while since I have given a proper update.

The past 6 months have just been a whirlwind of craziness. I've just had non-stop work in terms of school, French Honor Society, National Honor Society, the play, music concerts, AP exams, graduation! After graduation I had some friends from other countries visiting, so that was really busy as well. Plus I've got to go around and say goodbye to everyone - am leaving for Australia on the 18th! - and I've got to sort things out like my student visa, packing for Australia, getting courses, learning how to cook :| etc. So I have been really busy!

It's nice to get back into the long hair world, though, for more reasons than you may think. While trying to learn how to cook, I searched online for vegetarian recipes and found VeggieBoards. It was very good in terms of recipes and tips on vegetarianism, and ... well, I don't know how to say this without sounding awfully rude, which is not my intention. I guess I was just so used to the friendly atmosphere on the Loom that I was a bit surprised to see people fighting and attacking each other over trivial issues. I am NOT saying that any of the members are "bad" or anything else. I am just saying that it reminded me how much I like being at the Loom . There are two ways to make a point: the nice way, and the rude way that makes other people feel bad.

Anyway... back to hair. I haven't measured in ages - I think since the end of May! I am washing on Saturday morning, so I will try to remember to measure then.

Considering how busy I've been, I still had tons of time to read, for some reason! In June, I finished...

Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper
Three Black Skirts

(above two were from Olympia for Christmas )

Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Right now I am reading The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. I'm also reading a book on Raja Yoga by J. Donald Walters and have been doing yoga and meditating for almost 2 weeks now, every morning.

I've got some cousins who flew in from Pakistan, so I have to go take a shower and get ready this morning before I call them and make plans. I wonder what recipe I should try out today... I haven't cooked anything Indian in a while, so maybe I will today. Perhaps some paneer shahi (cottage cheese in mace-flavored tomato gravy)...

Love,
~*Leia*~


Pic from April 26, 2006

2bMiii
Current length: 40.5" on May 27 2006
Goal: As long as it will grow and still stay healthy!

Growing since January 2003; found TLHL at the end of June 2003 and was at 25". I am 5'4.5".

Leia's Hair Journal

Last Updated: July 6, 2006

Okay, I know this is supposed to be a hair journal, but it's MY journal so I can post recipes if I want . Umm... chickpeas have protein in them and protein is good for the hair. There we go, I made it hair related, hehehe.

This is the first successful Indian meal I have ever cooked, and what's even better is the fact that I didn't have to use a recipe! I looked at about 5 different recipes online and in cookbooks that describe this dish, got some ideas, and then made it myself. That is the beauty of Indian food. To each her own.

Chana masala (chickpeas in sauce)
Category: Main Dishes

Suitable for a vegan diet

Ingredients

1 cup canned chickpeas (drained)
1/2 onion, chopped (I used half because our onions are strong - feel free to use more)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala powder (available in Indian stores)
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tin chopped tomatoes (or fresh if you prefer)
1 tsp chana masala powder
1 garlic clove, finely chopped or minced
1 tsp ginger powder
1/2 cup water
vegetable oil
salt to taste

Instructions

1. Heat some vegetable oil in a saucepan. When it is hot, add the chopped onion and fry. The amount you fry the onion depends on taste. Sometimes I fry till transparent, sometimes I prefer them brown. Caution: Do not over-fry and burn the onions.
2. Add turmeric, garam masala, cumin, coriander, garlic, chana masala powder, salt, and ginger.
3. Add tomatoes and cook till they are soft and the mixture begins to thicken and the smell of the masala powders have lessened.
4. Add the chickpeas and half a glass of water. Stir to combine.
5. Cover the mixture and let it simmer until the tomato paste is of the consistency you desire (about 10 minutes).
6. Take off the heat and spoon into a bowl. Serve with bread (chapati, naan, paratha), rice, or on its own.


Additional comments:

Indian food varies a lot depending on taste. You will notice that I didn't include chili, while it is often cited in Indian recipes. I didn't add it because I don't particularly like it, but feel free to add chili powder or chopped green chilis if you want! The same goes for all the ingredients - add, subtract, and adjust according to your taste!



Love,
~*Leia*~


Pic from April 26, 2006

2bMiii
Current length: 40.5" on May 27 2006
Goal: As long as it will grow and still stay healthy!

Growing since January 2003; found TLHL at the end of June 2003 and was at 25". I am 5'4.5".

Leia's Hair Journal

Last Updated: July 6, 2006

Yup, my hair is growing backwards. Hehehe. Actually, I had a big trim in between. In January I was 42", and at the end of May I was 40.5" ... so in about a month I've had 0.5" growth. That seems fair to me!

Hmmm... I think I need a new hair picture. I'll wait for it to dry, then take one.

Love,
~*Leia*~


Pic from April 26, 2006

2bMiii
Current length: 41" on July 8, 2006
Goal: As long as it will grow and still stay healthy!

Growing since January 2003; found TLHL at the end of June 2003 and was at 25". I am 5'4.5".

Leia's Hair Journal

Last Updated: July 8, 2006

I thought it would be good to make a list of everything that I use, because even I sometimes forget what I have and don't make use of it!

Moisturizing
- Baidyanath Mahabhringraj Oil
- EveryDay Hair Growth Oil
- L'Occitane Ultra Rich Hair Cream
- Lush Fever Massage Bar
- Lush Shimmy Shimmy Massage Bar
- Lush Snake Oil Scalp Massage Bar
- Lush Arabian Bright conditioner

Herbal
- Lotus Powder Plus
- Shikakai powder
- Sandalwood powder
- Henna powder
- Neem powder
- Bhringraj powder
- Reetha powder
- Amla powder

Cleansing
- Lush Karma Komba shampoo bar
- Lush Cinnamon and Spices shampoo bar
- Lush Dr. Peppermint shampoo bar
- Body Shop Honey Moisturizing Shampoo
- Timotei 2 in 1 Cucumber Shampoo and Conditioner
- Pure Roots Shikakai with Amla and Bhringraj Shampoo for dry & damaged hair
- Pure Roots Henna, Amla and Reetha Shampoo for normal hair

Some notes:
* I hardly ever use the massage bars, though I probably should
* The herbals are a regular part of my routine (though henna and Lotus Powder Plus are used much less often than the rest)
* The Lush shampoo bars are used usually for traveling and/or scalp washes
* The Timotei is gentle and used only for mid-week scalp washes
* The Pure Roots line I couldn't find online; it is an Indian brand. They are both great for cleansing the hair and not leaving it too heavy, and I don't use any conditioner afterwards.
* I have a lot more products than I thought I did!

Love,
~*Leia*~


Pic from April 26, 2006

2bMiii
Current length: 41" on July 8, 2006
Goal: As long as it will grow and still stay healthy!

Growing since January 2003; found TLHL at the end of June 2003 and was at 25". I am 5'4.5".

Leia's Hair Journal

Last Updated: July 8, 2006

I took a new sig this morning after doing a quick comb-out from my nighttime braid.

Love,
~*Leia*~


Pic from July 9, 2006

2bMiii
Current length: 41" on July 8, 2006

Growing since January 2003; found TLHL at the end of June 2003 and was at 25". I am 5'4.5".

Leia's Journal

Last Updated: July 9, 2006

For those readers of mine who don't frequent the Loom, here are some posts I made about university news: http://www.network54.com/Forum/441285/message/1153615085/Thank+you+everyone%21+Quick+update... http://www.network54.com/Forum/235232/message/1153967324/Australia+update+%28OT%29

The crazy, hectic university search continues!

And now for my summer hairstyle - gets it all out of the way, and still looks cute! I couldn't really get very good pictures so I experimented with some angles. I hope the style can be seen clearly in them!



Close up


Top view


The style is basically a modified swirly bun. In the last step, while grabbing the tail, what I do for this style is just not pull the tail all the way through. I pull it through enough so that it can be properly secured with a stick. If it is pulled all the way through at my current length, I can let the extra length hang down for a short ponytail, or I can wrap the length around the bun and secure for a neat and tidy bun.

Love,
~*Leia*~


Pic from July 9, 2006

2bMiii
Current length: 41" on July 8, 2006

Growing since January 2003; found TLHL at the end of June 2003 and was at 25". I am 5'4.5".

Leia's Journal

Last Updated: July 28, 2006

I used one of my favorite deep conditioners,L'Occitane Ultra Rich Hair Cream. After wetting my hair last night, I slathered it on, put on a shower cap and towel, and slept very soundly . Then this morning I rinsed it out - I'd say it was in for about 9 hours - shampooed my scalp with my Body Shop Honey shampoo, and let it airdry into extra-ringletty waves. It is VERY soft and smells heavenly. Slightly overconditioned, but that is the case with all store-bought deep conditioners when used on my hair. It has been a while since I've done an all-natural deep conditioning, so maybe I'll do that next time. The only downside to those is the smell... even with lots of essential oils added I can still end up smelling eggy or yogurty.

I'm off to London on Monday morning! On August 17th, I will be able to see what universities have places left open, so I will be on the phone all day long! I really, really hope that I get to start studying this September. I don't mind working for a few months, but right now I'm in "study mode" and I'd just like to get the studying over with before I start properly working. sigh I hope everything works out for the best!

In other news, the Bangladeshi government seems to have cancelled all the cable television till the 31st. Apparently it's been poisoining the minds of the Bengali citizens, and the eventual plan is to have it cancelled altogether! It's of no HUGE consequence to me, since I'm not a great TV fan, but it does mean that I'll miss Desperate Housewives this Sunday evening . Oh well, I guess I'll have to catch up with it later.

Off to dive back into _Gulliver's Travels_ - can you believe I haven't ever read it?! Better late than never! - and then have a good night's sleep!

Love,
~*Leia*~


Pic from July 9, 2006

2bMiii
Current length: 41" on July 8, 2006

Growing since January 2003; found TLHL at the end of June 2003 and was at 25". I am 5'4.5".

Leia's Journal

Last Updated: July 29, 2006