The Haircut

My trip to Korea would not be complete without a haircut from a Korean salon. My hair was getting shaggy and weighty by my standards, and hair laying flat on my forehead only brings trouble (acne), so I seized the day. Little did I know that this simple errand would result in a very memorable encounter!


I went to a salon I found on the web, and was greeted by a very friendly staff. My stylist was a tall, slender man, also very friendly. The service at this salon was very similar to the Korean salons I've been to in L.A., except for 2 things. Similar were the hairwash before and after the cut, but here, the guy washing my hair gave me the deathly hallows scalp massage. I thought the plates of my skull would break. He probably played piano. But hellish as it was, I liked it. 


What was also different was my stylist at one point applied a disposable clear adhesive visor on my forehead to keep the hair from getting in my eyes and nose. Brilliant! AND, I temporarily joined Visor Nation!


The highlight of the haircut though was the talk I had with the stylist. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him I'm a therapist. He said, "Really? I think I really need some therapy." As we talked, he pretty much poured out his heart, as I (and eavesdropping staff) listened. I won't get into details about what he shared, but all I could do was empathize, and sincerely so. I got the feeling that empathy is something he's not used to getting in his life. He also said that Korea does not have many therapists, but wished there were more. 


As he finished my hair, I asked him if he could tell me the way to my next destination. He not only told me, he walked me out to the street and showed me haha! He gave a deep bow and said he hoped we would one day meet again. I hope so, too. 


Before:

After:

By the way, I really like it when one keeps it real. Drinks no exception.