Please don't give me bangs!

Yesterday I ventured into one of my favorite and most terrifying places in Lhasa...the hair salon. It never fails that if I go alone, disaster may ensue. If I take a translator, good things are on the horizon. Yesterday I took one of my favorite students, Kison. She doesn't have the best writing skills, but her oral translations are spot on. We ventured out on the 111 (best bus in town, mainly because it is the only bus that stops on my street) and two stops later were at my regular place asking for #2. Yes, #2 cuts my hair. Everyone at the salon is assigned a number, perhaps by skill or tenure, I'm not sure. I was asked if I wanted #1, but no, I like #2. He's cut my hair several times with great results (minus one major mis-communication). He always remembers me, he knows my hair is naturally curly, and he knows what to do. With some savvy translation help, #2 understood what I was looking for and sent me back to the hair washing girl.

One of the best experiences in China is getting your hair washed. For years I have enjoyed the 15-20 minute shampoo-massage-rinse-shampoo-massage-shampoo-massage-rinse-massage-conditioner-massage-rinse-massage-rinse pattern that is a Chinese hair washing. It leaves your head relaxed and hair super soft. However, a great realization came upon me yesterday. Most folks here don't wash their hair all that often, especially in the winter. Yet I had just washed my hair that morning. Perhaps the thoroughness of the wash is because this gal assumes I haven't washed my hair in ages and I need a good thorough scrubbing. Maybe it's not a luxury treatment, but out of necessity for some of the ridiculously dirty hair that walks in.

On to the haircut. Thanks to Kison's mad translation skills I was able to effectively get just a trim. I was also able to get a lecture from #2 once he figured out how good Kison was. In no subtle terms he told me that I should not use a straightening iron on my hair every day, I should try to blow dry more "feathers" onto the left side of my head because this is attractive, I should leave my hair curly because many Chinese women like perms and that he gets confused when he doesn't know why I laugh sometimes during a haircut. (I'm laughing because I have know idea what he is doing or saying and I feel completely powerless!)

So, yesterday was a good haircut, Kison and I got to chat about girly things, a sweet young Tibetan girl scrubbed the heck out of my scalp and #2 got to say all the things he'd really been wanting to share. I'd say $4.51 well spent.

Ah, look! The bangs of my youth!