Yesterday was the day. I was invited by Real Sranan to give a presentation and demonstration about afro hair. In the context of Keti Koti, the football club had put together a program full of inspiring entertainment.
The invitation was extra special to me because my father, Desi Liong-A-Kong, was one of the founders of this club and because my brother Jeffrey has been on the Marketing Committee for over a year. Three years ago, I was able to make a small contribution by doing the layout for the booklet “60 years of Real Sranan,” but yesterday was the first time in my life I entered the club, and I immediately felt at home.
Not only because my father is also in the black-and-white photo of the founders' team, but just the atmosphere, the warm people, and especially the laughter. I tell you, when Surinamese people laugh, the world can't end. I always feel that a deep, bubbling Surinamese laugh can save someone from ruin.
I couldn't have imagined a warmer welcome. Once people heard my name and knew I was Desi (Liong)'s daughter, a smile invariably followed, accompanied by stories. A lot of stories that my dad had often told us, his three children, came to life.
Now I can barely imagine it, but my father left for the Netherlands by boat after he had saved 300 Dutch guilders. A journey that, I believe, took at least a month. Once there, he worked hard and studied, and remarkably enough, his love for football didn't suffer at all.
That he could literally perform just as well on the icy fields, coming from warm Suriname, at that time, is beyond me. Back then, you had no heating, maybe sometimes a small stove, and when I hear those stories about the harsh winters, I realize again and again how much he endured, without even realizing it, to make things so much easier for me, his daughter.
As for the program, I was in good company. I had the privilege of sharing the stage with, among others, Aspha Bijnaar, whom I admire not only for her beautiful afro hairstyles but also as the author of “Kasmoni” and “Kindje aan de ketting.” Furthermore, I had the pleasure of meeting the super talented Zarayda Groenhart, Mrs. Isselt Dankoor who carries the history of Surinamese headscarves with her, and the versatile multi-talent Yvonne Ristie who charmingly hosted the evening.
The program ran a little late, but I had just enough time to explain the connection between Slavery and Afro Hair while the models demonstrated different hairstyles.
Melanta, the Easy Twist out, Anna and her mother the Twist Out, and Gail Olf, the Kumba Out. All three had received the Twist Out Hair Creme and the Curl Keeper beforehand, and I was just as curious about the result as the rest of the audience.
All three were surprised at how good the products were. Gail had thought her hair would feel very dry, but nothing could have been further from the truth. Anna's mother said she had tried a Twist out before, but the result had never been so beautiful, and Melanta also found that the products made her hair unbelievably soft.
So for me, it was a super successful evening. Besides Jorgen Raymann, my sponsor, the models, and my brother who has been taking great care of me since I've been here, my special thanks also go to Director Edwin Lieveld, from whom I received not only a warm welcome but also a beautiful bouquet of flowers, my ancient friend Moreen Dors, a gem of a woman who is always there for me, Guillaume Ellis the treasurer who was so kind to take recordings for me, and last but not least the charming Jerry Mcintosch who ultimately included me in the program.