a 76 cent haircut?!

open for business

Well, Ronnie has managed to beat his own record this time, and by quite a bit! He’s long prided himself in finding cheap haircuts and it’s been a point of contention between us for years. I’ve never advocated him getting a stylist or getting his hair cut at some high-end salon. But I always thought he could do better than the Asian “walk-in welcome” businesses along 1960 that are his normal MO. There has to be something in between pricey cuts and the $3.99 Vietnamese special!!

 

barber asked him to choose style

It’s not that I’m against bargains; in fact I love a bargain as much as the next person. But the truth of the matter is, some things you just don’t need to get bargains on. Keep in mind, too, that Ronnie has enough hair on his head for 3 people! It’s very thick, which is one thing, and extremely fine, which is another. Together, they are a barber’s nightmare. This is why I’ve urged him for years not to let “just anyone” cut his hair. Sometimes he’s had better luck than others and at home his haircuts typically range from fairly decent to disastrous (IMHO). He never seems to be upset no matter which way it goes. He comes home, combs it and shrugs while I fuss.

we suspect the barber lives (sleeps) behind the curtain

 

Since we’ve been in Indonesia I’ve talked him into getting his hair cut at my salon a few times. By standards here, it is really quite nice and there is a young man who works there who has done what I think has been an excellent job at a reasonable price. Though he doesn’t charge $3.99 (I think his price is more like $12 US) he’s done a good job so it’s been a win/win for both of us.

little boy watches bule through storefront glass

But a week or so ago, Ronnie noticed that a new “barber shop” has opened down at the end of our street. So all week he’s been threatening to get his hair cut there. I guess at this point in my life, I’m just tired of fighting it. I tell myself that we are on the opposite side of the world and no one who knows us will see him anyway. And he is the one, after all, who has to stand in front of a room full of college students and lecture through their stares. And last but not least, I always console myself with “it’s just hair and it will grow back.”

getting down to business

Ferry with 2nd barber

all done - 87 cents including tip

7,000 rupiah = 76 cents (US)

So today we did our part to support the local economy. Ferry drove us to the barber shop which was handy since the barber spoke no English. Ronnie’s bahasa Indonesia is good enough for basic conversation but I thought it safer to have Ferry do most of the talking and ask him to take off about 1½ centimeters. Of course there was no shampoo bowl in sight – just 2 barbers, 2 chairs that were not a day under 50 years old, a comb, some scissors, 2 small bottles of oil and a spray bottle. I had my doubts and prepared myself for the worst. Fifteen minutes later, I breathed a sigh of relief. His hair didn’t look half bad. He’s gotten far worse cuts in some of the shops he frequents at home. I just hope this doesn’t mean that he will never pay more than 76 cents for a haircut again!