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00:25:09
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00:25:09
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Transcription: {SPEAKER name="Lisa Chickering"}
[00:25:09]
The most amusing aspect, though, of the entire dress is the hat.

[00:25:14]
In most places in the world the mood of the woman can remain a mystery indeed, but not here.

[00:25:21]
The way she ties her headdress in the back leaves no doubt to the onlooker, as each style of tying has a name that clearly indicates her thoughts and wishes for the day.

[00:25:34]
For instance, each of these girls' moods vary quite a bit. This young woman seems to be in a provocative mood, this style of tying is called, "Wait for Me on the Corner". This one, "You'll See me Again".

[00:25:53]
Her mood is a little more demure. This style of tying is called, "I Feel like a Butterfly".

[00:26:00]
Often women are faced with just another humdrum day of housework and at such times no special message is intended. So this style - why, I don't know - is simply called "Dog Tail".

[00:26:14]
This signifies a flippant, "go to... that certain hot place".

[00:26:21]
Here's a direct appeal, "Hug Me Tight".

[00:26:26]
The older women have their say too, only the message is quite a bit more sedate. This one means, "I'm fine, thank you".

[00:26:34]
Here's a bold one, short and to the point, "Follow Me".

[00:26:40]
And it looks as though her message got across.

[00:26:44]
A plaintive plea from a market woman says, "Please come home".

[00:26:49]
And another one that says, "I don't care".

[00:26:53]
But of all the different ways of tying these headdresses, I think the most explicit one is this, "Keep your distance!". [[laughter]]

[00:27:06]
No matter where one goes, most girls are usually interested in clothes and some of them here with a definite flair for style asked us if we'd like to see some of the newer type clothes they're wearing today.

[00:27:19]
So we were delighted when they put on a little fashion show for us. One of the girls explained to Jeanne, how the styles, although modern, are inspired by and patterned after the traditional forms of dress worn in Suriname, such as this one, based on a Hindu Sari.