the $2 haircut

this post definitely goes out to dave warrick and teddy lloyd.

we have a famous joke in the warrick household. in shanghai, you can get a $2 haircut! the problem is, when they are finished, your hair looks like $2. in recent weeks, my hair has gotten a little out of control... but i avoided the salons here because (1) they can be brothels, drug dens, and generally places of no-good, and (2) i fear awful haircuts in america. you can only guess my dread at the prospect of a haircut in china. but this week, my friends pointed out that i am going to be here for a while. i can't avoid haircuts forever, and when i am sweating liters each day in sichuan, it might be nice to have a lighter head. PLUS, right now i have sue, my most precious asset when it comes to these things.

of course, sue had a friend that has a salon near here. so we planned to go right after school today. like many stores in china, because labor is so cheap, there were a bunch of young guys with crazy hair styles and colors sitting around doing nothing. sue's friend was super friendly, a really funny guy with a little daughter who was playing around behind us. at first i couldn't stop laughing, because here they wash your hair while you sit in the chair! they pour a bunch of shampoo onto the crown of your head and then lather it around slowly, while adding water bit by bit, until all your hair is soapy (but somehow there is no soap on you!). it's an amazing scalp massage. also note, you bring your own shampoo. only then do they take you to the sink to rinse your hair out.

it was easy to explain that i didn't want any layers, just a trim. 剪头发！i showed him what length and he began working very quickly, all the while joking with me and sue, interrogating me as to whether she has a boyfriend right now or not. when he was finished, he started blow drying my hair, but we both agreed it was way too hot for that so stopped short.

et voila! 15 RMB or 2 USD later... i am happy as a clam