Korean Haircut

I've been needing a haircut for quite a while. I got one right before we left to come over here and with my hair as damaged as it is I feel as if I need a trim more often than people with normal hair. There is a salon like 20 steps from the front door of our building called Hwamiju, or as Al likes to call it, "Haircut Heaven". He's gone twice now to get his hair cut there and considers it to be the best experience of his life. I've been meaning to find out what all the hype is about but, really, I hate getting my hair cut and feel like it's a neccessary evil of life and a waste of $25 that could be better spent on a Mexican dinner...so I've been putting it off.

I finally made it down there yesterday. I go in to a very beautiful salon (yet still very normal looking) and they take my coat and purse and put it in the closet and return with a pretty, green silk rob to wear over my clothes. I'm not exactly sure why because it's just over my sweater; it's not extra comfortable or anything. Then I'm asked if I would like coffee, tea or juice so I choose a green tea. I sit in my now extra layer of clothing and drink my tea while I flip through a Korean fashion magazine. After 30 minutes or so a man comes to take me back to wash my hair. When the seat is leaned back and I put my head down on the sink he puts a warm towel over my face and eyes. I really felt more like I was being attacked with chloroform but I suppose it's meant for more relaxation? Or possibly to simply block water from splashing on my face? Not sure. He very gently washes my hair and then the man who Al claims has magic haircutting fingers comes to take me to his station. He has very good english and keeps a flow of simple conversation going including my favorite, "Your hair is very light yellow". All the while a woman stylist just stands and watches while he cuts and it's slightly creepy so I just ignore her. After he's finished trimming I find the reason for her hovering: blowdrying! Both of them work together with two dryers on my hair until it's dry. She leaves and he puts the normal salon goop in my hair and sends me on my way. All this came to the whopping price of about $13.

Al might think he is the hair God but I really wasn't that impressed. I've had better haircuts. He didn't even fix it for me. The whole experience was interesting, though it kind of stressed me out a bit with the tea and the gentleness of him washing my hair. Part of me just misses an in and out trip, fresh-out-of-beauty-school 22 year old with purple streaks in her hair at Hair Inc. complaining to me about her baby daddy. None of that here. All in all, of course I will keep going back but maybe they'll skip on the robe next time.