A Trip Down Haircut Lane

Saturday was a day at the beach. Weather was good, and I'm really pale. For some reason, my pale parts just don't tan.

Yesterday, I went to a hair salon and paid the most I've ever paid for a haircut: $720NT / $22USD. (Okay, that's not really true: I paid $25 for one in Oakland once, but never went back again, because neither the cut nor service were any better than my regular $10 place.)

As a kid, I got my haircut in the back of the garage on a MDF stool seated atop an old pale-green chair, with my dad manning the electric shaver.

It was there, huddled under the single lightbulb illuminating the garage in a dim glow, that all three of us kids got our haircuts, well into high school. (Yeah, even my sister, until Mom wouldn't let Dad cut her hair anymore, and insisted she take Nel to a commercial hairstylist place.) When us three kids were done and off showering, Dad would take the seat, and Mom would give him his haircut.

It was also there that my dad and I had basically 20-30 minutes of uninterrupted father-son time. It was a clean stretch of time where he could impart his thoughts and plans on us, teach us things that don't conveniently come up in conversation, and pass on a generation of knowledge.

Some time in university, I started going to a place on Main Street, and the haircut didn't come with any useful conversation.

I guess some of the best things in life are for free.

9 comments:

Cindy said...

I'll do for you FREE! I'm very good at it! Ask my husband, he'll tell you!

Anonymous said...

It's amazing how you and I have completely two different hair experiences - my mom is a hairdresser, so growing up she was in charge of my long, stringy, often tangled mass of hair. She had no mercy. When she came at me with a comb, I would cringe.

I can still remember her voice, "Either let me get the knots out, or I'm cutting it off!!!"

I let her yank out the knots, because living as a young girl with a boy's haircut would have hurt me much more :)

Ben said...

Momcy, if I know anything about the dynamics of a married couple, I know that Mr. Momcy has no choice but to tell me that you do a good job.

Taj, it would be incredibly difficult for me to get knots in my hair; just doesn't happen often with a crew cut! Yeah, I had a crew cut pretty much until Grade 11, sometime around then, I can't remember.

Even now, as I try to grow it out, I don't get knots in it unless I've put that hard wax in it, wore the helmet for 30 minutes, and then tried to get my fingers through it again and clean it up before going into the office!

Kevin said...

just to fill in some gaps...

... remember the part where we'd strip down to our tighty-whities for the haircut? nothing like standing around in your undies waiting for "your turn".

i'm not really so willing to do that for haircuts anymore.

but really, if you think about it, it's far better than getting hair all over your clothes. i never get a haircut before going out somewhere. most places i've been to don't successfully get all the cut hair off your face/neck/clothes. to me, it always makes more sense to get a haircut, go home, shower, and get dressed to go out. besides, if you need to do any last fix-ups on the hair, it's usually easier to see clearly after the hair's been washed.

Master Bull said...

Obviously, none of you have ever paid for a haircut in Hong Kong!

One, all the hairstylists are in their 20's, they are flaming gay and have crazy hair styles and sometimes look like they haven't had a haircut in a year.

Two, you will get your hair washed with shampoo close anywhere from three to five times while they massage your head and temple. Keep in mind, that you are receiving this from a gay guy and it's a very unsettling experience if you are straight. I avoided this problem by washing my hair before I came to the salon so as to feel less violated.

Third, regardless of whether you get the multi-shampoos or not, you will spend $250 HKD.

Cindy said...

At least, if I give Ben a haircut, he wouldn't have to strip down to his tighty-whities!!! Ha Ha!

Ben said...

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Anonymous said...

...For a second I thought that guy was a friend of yours...hahahaha

Ben said...

Heck, no. I know many religious people and that's totally fine by me. But I don't normally associate with people who try that hard to push their religion on you.

It's a personal choice in my view, and one that, if you wanted, you would move forwards naturally. After all, who wants a worshipper who's been strongarmed into it?? That's not really faith so much as it is fear.

And I need that like I need a bad haircut. Or a bad hair day (which occurs rather often with a scooter helmet).