Barbershops abroad: not for the timid

If you’re like me (and somehow I doubt many of you are in this particular case), getting a good haircut is nearly impossible. So impossible, in fact, I was forced to memorize my exact response to “how are we going to cut it today?” from eight years ago—my last successful haircut—in hopes of duplicating the results. Sadly, it hasn’t worked since. I always end up standing in front of the mirror at home wondering what went wrong.

The Washington Post recently featured a humorous article from Wayne Lionel Aponte on more worldly hairdo issues—one many long-term travelers and expats experience: the foreign haircut.

“As I stood before a rotating barber’s pole in central Tokyo and looked at myself in a mirror, a wave of fright swept over me … For months, I’d been trying to convince myself that I didn’t really need a haircut in Japan.”

Whether it’s the language barrier or the wildly different hairstyles found throughout the world, getting a haircut in a foreign country can either be a really good decision or a really bad one, depending on your prospective. If you’re traveling long term, you probably don’t have a choice either way. The experience will undoubtedly produce a good story for everyone back home. However, there’s always the chance you’ll get a horrible cut and find yourself in front of the mirror like I do. Either way, it’s only hair—it’s bound to grow back—so take a chance, have a seat, and hope he or she understands what the hell you want them to do with your hair.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any excuses—my barber speaks my language.

Check out the rest of Mr. Aponte’s article here.

Posted by | Comments (1)  | October 17, 2006
Category: Notes from the collective travel mind


One Response to “Barbershops abroad: not for the timid”

  1. casti_boy08 Says:

    im 35 years old,, almost 17 years in BARBERSHOP haircut , i, want to share my my talent, i know how to DRAW a NEW HAIR STYLE