Can I just confess something? I HATE going to the hairdresser. Really, I hate it. I hate the stupid chatter and the "relaxing" head massage (don't know about you but I never feel relaxed when a stranger is rubbing my scalp whilst my head is being forced back unceremoniuosly into a sink), and most of all I hate having to look at myself in the mirror for up to (and sometimes over) an hour and having to face up to the fact that I have an undeniably round face. Honestly, there is absolutely NO hint of cheekbone. (But I prefer not to dwell on it if not in hairdresser's chair if it's all the same to you).
So imagine my profound depression as people from all corners of my life began to comment on my hair...I hadn't been to the hairdresser's for almost a year and it was getting quite noticable. I have no regular hairdresser here in Rome which makes it worse- if there were a pushy receptionist making me my next appointment as I sloped out after a cut then it'd be out of my hands. But I'd found my experiences here so far uniformly terrible I hadn't made repeat appointments.
Until now! I was taking a walk in the Vittorio Emmanuele area trying to avoid looking at my hair in shop windows when I walked past a Chinese hairdresser and a rare bout of motivation inspired me to open the door.
"Er, hello, do you have an appointment for today?" I asked.
"No appointment. Appointment now. Go to shampoo!" Barked a chinese man at me.
Right! Decision taken out of my hands! I go to shampoo.
"Go to him" directs shampoo boy after brief shampoo.
Go to cool-looking guy with asymmetric-type cut that you see in gel adverts and leather jacket.
"Cut?" he asks
"Yes" I reply
"Layers?" he asks
"Okay!" I reply
And that is the end of our conversation. I sit in blissful silence for a half hour and trust him to give me a good cut (he has asymmetrical 'do so must know what he is doing, reasoned).
He gives me a good cut! And as if the experience couldn't get any better I was charged only 12 Euro!
I may still have a round face, but if I could make an appointment for next time I would!
You too can get a stress-free haircut from an achingly cool Chinese boy at: Via Carlo Alberto 39B. Vittorio Emanuele area.
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I am so with you on the hairdresser thing. I think it's more akin to going to a butcher shop! I finally broke down and went because I was getting the homeless person look. But now that I'm in Belgium I have to start all over finding someone halfway decent, at least London is close!
ReplyDeletehahaha such a good post! I also dread the hairdresser and my hair is starting to house live animals.. and I think my boyfriends mom is in thetre somewhere too.. jokes aside.. it takes me FOREVER at the hairdresser because as they told me i have the double of hair of a normal person ( which means I pay more too ) so 3 hours later ( for simple color and cute ) Im outta there ....
ReplyDeleteat least they didn't give you a mullet!
I have a great hairdresser here in Rome. He's English and not terribly chatty so I can read magazines and drink (real English) tea while he does his thing. Not cheap though unfortunately. He does a great job and I enjoy going there but the problem is that i get highlights so it takes hours and I feel guilty not spening that weekend time with my toddler since I work FT during the week. I think it's been 6 months since I've been to the hairdressers come to think of it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your hairdressing tales and tips.
ReplyDeleteJess- glad it's not just me who feels this way. I am all too familiar with the homeless person look!
GG- o dio, 3 hours! How can you stand it? It's rubbish that you have to pay more too...does that mean if you have really fine hair you pay less?! I doubt it. How can they justify that?
Kataroma-It's a shame you feel guilty if you actually enjoy it. I can't imagine how stressful and guilt-inducing it must be trying to be a mother and FT worker.
But 6 months isn't so bad...a while until you start getting the 'homeless person looks'!