homes. You come home from the haircut and you stand without touching
anything in the house, not unlike a quarantined patient. And then
after the bathroom is set up for you, you walk in, again without
touching anything and get "cleaned" and only then are you fit for
human interaction. And if you happen to go with, say, your dad then
you have to stand motionless while your dad finishes his shower.
I'm told Reliance wants in on the haircutting business. They'll be
offering good quality at slightly higher prices. This of course has
the mom-and-dad stores in an uproar. Merits keeping on eye on.
Anyway, today at this store near our house I sat down in the chair.
The guy wraps the sheet around my neck. I was keeping an eye on the TV
as I wait for him to get ready. Next thing I know this guy has both
his hands on my shoulders, leans in close to my ear and whispers, "Do
you want it short?" I was startled! I know I've gotten a lot more
squeamish about personal space since I left India but this had to be
inappropriate even for Indian standards. I said, "Medium" and sat up
very straight. The rest of the haircut went on without any incident.
Except, after he finished, he leaned in again and asked, "Do you want
an oil massage (for your scalp)?" "No thanks!!!!".
1 comment:
Hey, I love the whole orthodoxy about haircuts. It's a great excuse to get Aparna to prepare the bathroom for me and hand me my clothes. Say what you will about personal space, the haircuts in India are amazing - including the massage.
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