Sunday, April 29, 2018

Another haircut

My hair was becoming unruly, after more than two months away from Amanda, my beloved haircutter in Napa. Since I won't be seeing her again for several weeks, I decided I'd try getting a trim here in Fidenza. Pam recommended a little shop on our street, run by two Chinese brothers.

They don't seem to take appointments; you just go in, sit down, and wait your turn. There were kids getting haircuts, women having their roots colored, men getting buzzes. I didn't have to wait too long until one of the brothers summoned me to the shampoo bowl and washed my hair. Then Brother Number 2 sat me down in the barber chair and asked me what I wanted. His Italian was as limited as mine, so mostly through sign language we established that I just needed a little bit taken off all around.

He did a meticulous job, working intently and quickly. He was very un-Italian--no conversation--although all the Italian customers made sure that the room wasn't quiet. While he worked I studied the smock he'd wrapped me in and realized that the logo emblazoned all over it wasn't Calvin Klein, as I'd originally thought, but Galvin Klein. Perhaps unfairly, I assume the smock also came from China.

My Chinese haircutter did a very nice job, and the cost was...wait for it...14 euros. Irrationally, I feel this balances out yesterday's debacle with our debit card. You lose some, you win some.

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