Haircut

I got a much needed haircut today. The gentleman who cut my hair was a well-seasoned Afrikaaner who has lived a full life. It was fascinating to get the local scoop on the Pick-n-Pay (large grocery store chain) strike, hear about the bird that is stalking hummingbirds in his wife's flower pot, learn about the best beaches to visit on the Elephant Coast for our trip in December and get his recommendations on places to visit in Swaziland. He told me there is a bird that spears its prey onto the large thorns on a certain kind of tree to feast on later and that the crocodiles are very dangerous at night in a certain estuary having recently eaten several people. I enjoyed our conversation very much.

Perhaps the highlight of my day though was the experience I had while getting my hair washed at the shop. The woman scrubbed my head (not the quick dab on some shampoo, smear it around a little and then barely rinse it out treatment I am used to at my local hair salon back home) but really scrubbed it, then she combed in conditioner and then gave me a full head massage. This lasted a full 15 minutes. It was decadent and I left her a large tip...even more than I left the guy doing the cutting! I think I may need another hair cut next week.

Deb