Haircuts
February 12, 2007
Strangely enough one of my least favorite things to do in Japan is to get a haircut. It is one of my more uncomfortable events that I have to put up with once every one or two months depending on my level of laziness.
The salon I go to is just around the corner from where I live and they have this hip and trendy feel to it. I am the antithesis of hip and cool. More obvious is my non-native use of the language. I’m still having trouble understanding the kinds of questions people ask in hair salons simply because they’re so low frequency. Also, the guy that usually cuts my hair tends to speak rather quietly – just adding to my list of worries.
When he whispers and asks me how I want my hair I usually just tell him “the same as before” but sometimes he doesn’t understand and then proceeds to show me the hairstyle catalogs and questions me on length of each hair that I’d like. Usually I can tell him what I want but end up feeling so embarrassed in the process. I then start sweating like I’m about to get an enema and the vinyl sheets they use to cover people up isn’t exactly the best conductors of embarrassment heat.
Just as my body runs out of water to sweat out, the ordeal ends and the best part comes next. I pay my expensive dues and give my thanks and at that point is the longest possible amount of time before my next visit to the hair salon.
February 13th, 2007 at 03:19
i totally understand….i don’t enjoy getting my haircut in china either. i’ve basically mastered the phrase “i want a haircut” and “short”.
because i’ve moved, i can’t visit the lady i used to go to. there it cost $1.50 to have them wash my hair twice and cut it. of course some of the basic equipment was a little primitive…usually a soft brush of some sort is used at the end to wipe hair off your face and neck, however this place used dish sponges.
February 13th, 2007 at 06:56
I have it totally the opposite. The guy has a utility belt!
The place is called “Art Wark” though. I’m still working on telling them.
February 13th, 2007 at 14:41
I, too, despise haircuts. You should do what I do to avoid them…
February 13th, 2007 at 17:28
I cannot keep growing a bigger head.
Although I am trying to perfect the technique of mentally willing the hair back into the follicles. So far not so much success.
February 14th, 2007 at 02:53
Dude, this is nothing a large bowl and handing Eri a pair of scissors won’t solve! And it’s a reusable skill! One day you will have kids and by golly if we had to live through the embarrassment of a bowl cut then, so will they!
Actually if you did a little research before walking in and just bring a photo of your ideal haircut (usually a photo of a movie star – although a photo of yourself right after your haircut 2 months prior would probably work too??), it’ll save you a lot of talking.
February 14th, 2007 at 06:52
I think I’d look good with a Jason Alexander cut actually. It’d fit well.
February 24th, 2007 at 18:06
Oh, Jerry-san,
it’s not a matter of your ability of Japanese-as-a-foreign-langauge! I myself hate to talk with hairdressers because they don’t explain anything. A hair salon is a place of miscommunitation for me. At that one, Art Wark, one lady hairdresser recommended me to get hair color after I asked her to have my hair cut very short. I said no, and she said “you would look like an elemenary school girl with that black color.” I stopped going there. Speechless.
February 24th, 2007 at 21:46
Yuko-san, where is this Art Wark that you speak of… in fact, the very hair salon I go to is called… Art Wark!!!
February 26th, 2007 at 16:27
Wait a minute. What’s wrong with the Japanese elementary school girl look?