A Load Off My Mind

My first ever haircut abroad. As has now become usual over the last 4 months, it's the little differences that stand out.

I've only ever had my hair cut in four different places (no, not fringe, top, back and sides, the other kind of places) - a barber in Burscough, one in Ormskirk and two in York. Even when I was at Uni, I used to go back to the same place in Burscough to get it done - always easier when you don't have to describe what you want doing, and can just say "The usual, please."

Firstly, the barber (and, I assume, his wife, who was also cutting hair in the place) was foreign. And not just foreign like me, really foreign (I'd guess Polish or Czech from the language and how they looked). This reminded me vaguely of the first of the two places I went to in York, namely the Mediterranean Barber's on Goodramgate. Given this guy had a beard, I didn't expect to be offered a blowtorch-based shave like I was in York.

The conversation on sitting down in the chair began as normal. Didn't follow quite its usual path though :

"How do you want it?"
{describes desired haircut}
"You want it cut with scissors?"
{pause} "Yes please."

At this point, he pulled a few sheets off the toilet roll that was sat at the back of the chair, and wrapped them round my neck, then covered me with the usual tent-like thing to protect me from my own hair.

A significant plus point in his favour was that he didn't attempt to engage me in conversation. I'd prepared myself for the expected gregarious Aussie, with enough innocuous and inoffensive chatter to see me through 20 minutes or so of haircutting. Not needed for this dour Eastern European - he spoke only to clarify a few things in terms of how I wanted my hair doing.

Looking around, needing something to do with my eyes, I spotted the ultraviolet steriliser and the macassar hair oil. Yes, I had been transported back to the 1950s!

After I'd said I was happy with the cut, two odd things then ensued.

Firstly, he got a metal comb/brush contraption out and started to rub it quite hard through my hair while pointind a hairdryer at it. This was somewhat painful - he was pressing quite hard, and it was quite sharp - but I think it worked quite well. Very few bits of hair left over when I walked out - usually I'm still finding bits of hair around my clothes the following day.

The other piece of weirdness, something I still don't understand, was he put some powder onto a brush (shaped like a giant shaving brush attached to a milk bottle) and proceeded to rub it quite hard into the back and sides of my neck. Any ideas?

The prices were also somewhat 1950s - I think it's about 10 years since I paid that little for a haircut. $17! (That's less than £7.)

And last but not least - as a result of my haircut, temperatures have now fallen around Victoria to a pleasant (but not haircut-inducing) 22C. Autumn is nearly here.