After bearing witness to the disastrous results of several mzungu friends’ salon (often spelled “saloon”) attempts, I tried to avoid this for as long as possible. I also knew it was an eventuality, and so tried to be pro-active. To strategize. This usually took the form of stalking strangers with good hair in public places. “Excuse me…can I ask you a random question? Did you get your hair cut here?” The answer, invariably, “No.”
After eliminating several mzungu hair stylists based on aforementioned catastrophes, it came down to one, the woman that has cut Meredith’s hair for the last three years, without incident. Her hair is longer than mine, a little straighter, and thus slightly harder to botch, but still, her past successes inspired a certain degree of confidence. On Friday, I took a deep breath, dialed, and made an appointment for the next day.
Saturday, 3pm. Standing outside, I was encouraged by the sign announcing it was an Afro, Asian, and European hair and beauty parlor. Upon entering, I was further reassured by the bright, colorful walls reminiscent of Grapevine back home and the stylish Indonesian woman doing the cutting.
And I’d say that’s where the good vibes ended. It all went downhill when I got in the chair.
Stylist: “You want to keep same style, or something different?” Me: “Same style, just a trim, really.” Stylist: “Ok, I give you new style. How much you want off? This much?” [Indicates ~2 inches]. Me: “Yes, that much.” Stylist: “Ok.”
Thwack.
Six inches, on the floor.
Gulp.
This continued in the same fashion. Me: “Could we layer it a bit?” Stylist: “Oh yes, yes.”
Thwack.
Another inch and a half to the ground.
Me: “Could we angle my bangs?” Stylist: “Oh yes, yes.”
Thwack.
Straight across the front of my head.
(Somewhere in the midst of the thwacking, the stylist proudly noted that one of her American clients thought she was so good, she recommended she go to the US and train all our hair dressers. I am wondering if this is the first hair cut that person ever received.)
Despite the fact that I advocated for my usual scrunch and curl approach, she proceeded to blow dry my hair straight – with the added touch of little flips on the bottom.
It was at the end, when she spun me around to face the mirror, a beaming smile stretched across the face that was bent over my own, that I realized she had given me the same exact hair cut…as herself. I’d been bobbed. I am now…
your 1950s housewife.
Confirmed, by the way, by Rachael and Miquel while over for dinner at their new place immediately after, and by Sarah, Scott, Danny, Doug, et. al when the new do went for a spin at Rouge. New house, house music, housewife…close enough.
Now where’d I put that apron…?
Thwack.
Six inches, on the floor.
Gulp.
This continued in the same fashion. Me: “Could we layer it a bit?” Stylist: “Oh yes, yes.”
Thwack.
Another inch and a half to the ground.
Me: “Could we angle my bangs?” Stylist: “Oh yes, yes.”
Thwack.
Straight across the front of my head.
(Somewhere in the midst of the thwacking, the stylist proudly noted that one of her American clients thought she was so good, she recommended she go to the US and train all our hair dressers. I am wondering if this is the first hair cut that person ever received.)
Despite the fact that I advocated for my usual scrunch and curl approach, she proceeded to blow dry my hair straight – with the added touch of little flips on the bottom.
It was at the end, when she spun me around to face the mirror, a beaming smile stretched across the face that was bent over my own, that I realized she had given me the same exact hair cut…as herself. I’d been bobbed. I am now…
your 1950s housewife.
Confirmed, by the way, by Rachael and Miquel while over for dinner at their new place immediately after, and by Sarah, Scott, Danny, Doug, et. al when the new do went for a spin at Rouge. New house, house music, housewife…close enough.
Now where’d I put that apron…?
Posts
2 comments:
Ooooh, I totally empathize with you. Finding a good hairdresser you can trust is so hard! A good one is worth her weight in gold.
i think i need to see a picture of this!
Post a Comment