So, it's been 9 months since we moved into Shanghai, and I've done pretty well at timing my need for new-do's, but let's be honest, 5 or 6 months in between cuts and colors leaves me with less-than-adventurous color choices, and some grown-out layers that need attention... bad. My girl, Brooke, has done me well though, helping me work it out until I returned to America again. But I'm getting to that point, where I'm realizing that a) "I live in China," b) "I'll be here for a while" ... and (drumroll) c) "We aren't coming home for Christmas this year." Which all leads to: d) "I need to buck up."
And if you are at all familiar with my hair experiences, you'll know that I like to try new things, but it's a MUST that I know that you know what you're doing. Take my post on Lesson #438 for instance... I just can't handle cheap haircuts by inexperienced people. I've learned that paying the cash for a upscale style is well worth it. And, with that, good ol' Harry (coincidentally, a very humorous American name for a Chinese hair stylist!) was recommended to me by a close friend who's hair is naturally curly with gorgeous highlights, so I thought I'd give him a try.
First, they opened up shop an hour early, because starting at 10 a.m. would never get me out of there by noon. It was so "early", according to China-time, that the stylists, themselves, were still getting ready, adding borrowed product, and drying and styling their own hair. The man with the fro-ing mohawk sits me in his chair, while his clothes and breath reek of the cigarette he just inhaled. I showed him a picture of what I'm thinking, to which he calls over his wife to interpret. They ramble back and forth a little, and then she asks me how old this color really is on my hair. Yes, I understand that five-month-old color isn't exactly the fad, but it takes a lot to convince me that China folk know what they are doing on Western hair. So, bear with me.
The two of them together take down my rat's-nest-pony-tail (because who, really, does their hair prior to an appointment?) and attempt to slide their fingers through it. Oh, I almost gave them a fair warning that my hair hadn't been washed in three days, but I let them figure that one out on their own. Soon, after about 2 combs and 3 different brushes, they got it combed out to be a clown's wig and we were ready to start the color process. Three of them worked together on my head. I seriously felt like I was a super star!
God only knows what they did to my hair, but after a couple washes, foils, color, and a 35 min wait process, they opened the foils and began taking a tissue (as in a Kleenex) and wiped the color out of my hair that was wrapped in the foils. I about flipped! I'd never seen the process of each block section being wiped off with a tissue, and she must have been able to see my pure concern because she quickly explained that the bleach was taking too quick to my roots. Oh hell!!
As I sat there in panic, wondering if I should rinse and run like the wind, I hear the Frozen soundtrack being played. Over and again, I hear, "Let it Go! Let it Go!" Was this a sign? I fiddled on my phone a bit more and tried to be patient, but I was shaking in my seat. Three hours had gone by and I was nearly late for my daughters picnic lunch at school. I asked them to hurry through my final wash, and they finally wrapped up the style marathon.
Then it was time to pay.
My total was nearly 1800RMB!!!! For all you currency-conversion-virgins, that is 300USD! I've never paid that much for my hair. Oh my good golly gracious. I didn't even have enough cash on me. And what was Jarin going to say? I felt like such a cheap tai tai. I paid for half, ran to the ATM and came back to pay off my balance. What a dip shit move!
I quickly texted the hubs to give fair warning. (Yes, SMS is often my medium of bad news. It seems to cushion the conversation a bit, give him time to inhale my expense, and me time to say I love you on repeat.) His first question was, "do you like it?" Do I ever! How could I not!?!? The color was perfect, and exactly the fun, light, summery 'do that I was hoping for! And the experience... well, that was just another China-ism. It's days like this that make you laugh at the life we're living here.
We'll see if Brooke approves this summer :) Enjoy the selfies.
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