Barbershop

[Anecdotes from our Chinese New Year holiday in Malaysia]

First item on the agenda of our Malaysia holiday: a trip to an old school barbershop to get trimmed up for the upcoming Chinese New Year festivities.

I have very vivid childhood memories of visiting an old school Chinese barbershop like this. Sitting up on those black leather chairs that go up and down--on one of those small wooden planks propped up between the armrests. Breathing in the distinct barbershop smell of wet hair, shaving cream, talcum powder and aftershave.

One barbershop. Two very different reactions to the experience.

Grace thoroughly enjoyed the entire ceremony. She took it very seriously and sat very importantly up on the seat, following the cues of the lady barber to angle her head this way and that.

Nathan’s was a nightmare experience. He told me afterwards that he was terrified that the lady barber would accidently snip his skin with the scissors and draw blood.

Afterwards, the lady barber kindly rewarded them both with a couple of lollies. So that was a sweet end to the experience. Lollies always make everything alright in the end.