Spotted on: a banana break in Oakland, CA
Occupation: Telemarketer
What does your name mean?
Ayanna means beautiful flower in Kiswahili, Mahal George means love and earth worker. I can really relate to the term 'flower child.' It just fits, you know!
Tell me about your accessories?
My earrings are from the Ashby Flea Market in Berkeley—but they came from Kenya.
The necklace is a sunflower, my favorite flower. I got it for my high school graduation from Ashby Flea Market as well. Most of my jewelry is from there. It’s really personal, you know—you make a connection with the person you’re buying things from. It’s silver so I like taking it out and charging it like it’s actually like a sunflower. My bag is straight from Mexico. Someone I know made it for me and brought it back.
Your sweater is great—what’s its story?
This is actually a dress that I cut into a crop top. I like it much better as a sweater.
You have lots of flowers on, that’s awesome! Can you tell me about your skirt?
It’s actually a dress. I didn’t like the top part so I put the sweater on it. I do feel so flowery!
And your boots?
DSW. I think these are men’s shoes. Men have great shoes, since they don’t have many clothes options. Girls can switch it up all the time: jeans, skirts, pants—but shoes, men got it down!
Tell me about your piercings?
I got my first piercings in the 8th grade. These ones, snakebites on my lip—I just put a needle through my lip. [Owah! You did it yourself? Did you do your nose yourself too?] This one, yeah. I had it on the other side when I first got it done, but it came out snagged, so I just pierced it myself on the other side. [Doesn’t that hurt?] Yeah, it does for the nose. It’s cartilage and it hurt way more than the lip. I did it slow and I didn’t numb it—that probably would’ve helped.
Do you do your hair yourself too?
Yes I do! I dye it and I don’t style it, clearly—and I just woke up. It’s sort of like strawberry lemonade, that’s what I call it.
Where are you from? How long have you been in the Bay?
San Diego, I have been in the Bay for about three and half years now! It’s colder out here. I always have to wear a sweater or a jacket.
What did you come for?
I wanted a change in scenery. I lived in San Diego for my whole life and I had heard so many things about the Bay. Here's there’s a lot more community and there’s always something to do. San Diego is more like a tourist spot—especially when you live there. You get over the beaches, you get over the tourist things to do and then it’s just idle after that point.
What’s your favorite fruit, since you’re eating a banana?
Mangos! I just eat them whole [you can eat the skin?]. Yeah. I do. You can eat the skin of all fruit. I suck on the seed until it’s nothing. Try it out, it’s messy but it’s so good.
What do you do besides sit and look fabulous and eat bananas?
For work, I’m currently doing this crappy telemarketing crap, crap, crap. It’s such a scam, but it’s just for the time being. For fun, I like finding new recipes. I’ve been a vegetarian since I was nine and I am trying to become a vegan. I like to sew, I like yoga, hiking, drawing—pretty much anything that’s artistically expressive.
