The Haircut

Looking back at my last two posts and some of the comments, I think I’m coming across as overly negative on the place. But, I don’t mean to be. I really just wanted to point out the weakness of local building codes and maybe comment on why some regulation is a good idea. We’re really pretty happy and feel reasonable safe.

I got a haircut a while back at a nearby shopping mall. Another expat sent me there. He told me they were used to foreigners and could understand English. Oh, and they use fresh razor blades with each customer. I’d been there a few times, but on my most recent visit I think I sat in the chair of the master.

I’m not sure about the language ability. I think he understood “short”, but nothing else. It was a quiet haircut and he did a pretty good job with the actual cut.

The amazing part was the massage afterward. Part of the package at this place and many barbers here, is the massage after. It’s just a chair massage of the neck and shoulders.

Now, I’ve had only a few massages, but none quite like this. This guy worked me over from behind my ears to the middle of my back. Deep tissue does not describe it. He was trying to give me a breast exam through my shoulder blades.

At the end he takes a towel and wraps it around my neck, followed by his arms. Being in a small degree of pain, I’m not really aware of what he’s doing. The he whispers something that must have been “Relax!” and then RIP!. pop...pop..pop..pop...pop. I came out of the chair wondering what just happened. Nearly all the vertebrae in my neck cracked.

Then he moved around to the other side to do the same thing, but now of course, I’m aware of what is going on and I prepare myself. “Please don’t hurt, please don’t hurt, please don’t hurt!” Sure enough, my neck cracked again. I felt half an inch taller and a great deal of energy was radiating up and down my spine.

As a finishing touch, he plucked the skin between my eyebrows and slapped his hand and I felt a last pop at the top of my head. I swear some chi dribbled down my chin.

All this for 10 bucks.