Singapore: Getting a Haircut

One thing that I was a bit apprehensive about in moving to Singapore was where I was going to get my hair cut. There is a certain amount of trust you place in the person who cuts your hair. A waxing of the legs gone bad can easily be hidden, but when the top of your head is fully exposed 24 hours a day, there is no way of concealing a bad hair cut save dying it pink and claiming that it was your intention to have it look that way all along. Once you find a good hairdresser, it's difficult to break the cycle. You fear that some other hairdresser will simply not have the same understanding and familiarity with your hair that your regular hairdresser would. The very thought of exposing your hair to a pair of alien scissors is simply unfathomable, as the prospect of a failed haircut seems all the more likely by a pair of hands you have never seen.

This is partly why I essentially shaved my head prior to leaving Singapore. I really didn't know what to expect, as Asian hairstyles for men typically fall under two categories: the immensely hairsprayed, teased, and aerodynamic 'anime' style, or the simple, no-fuss combover. I figured that I would postpone the inevitable for as long as possible, thereby giving me the opportunity to scope out the barber scene a bit and see what my options were. Besides, with living out of a suitcase at the Copthorne Orchid and settling in to our new apartment, worrying about getting a haircut was really the least of my concerns. That being said, it seems that my hair seems to grow a little faster here than it does back home, so the time came this morning when I realized that I had passed the point of no return. It was time.

I had seen a few barber shops and "salons" among the HDB buildings by our apartment on several occasions, some of which actually looked quite respectable. Trading in respectability for character, however, I decided to spend my hard-earned cash on a haircut at De House Barber Shop, a quaint neighbourhood shop consisting of two chairs, filthy floor and faded decorations from a long-forgotten Chinese New Year. De House boasted it's low rates on a less than flashy yellow sandwich board just outside its doors: $8.00 - Haircut, $10.00 - Haircut and Shave, $12.00 - Haircut and Wash, and $16.00 - Haircut and Ear Cleaning. Although the last price option intrigued me to say the least, I decided to pass and go for the budget package.

The elderly Chinese man who greeted me at the door motioned me to sit in the battered chair, making his directions clear by quick grunts and a motion of his hand. It was clear that this was a barber who meant business. He was so good that he didn't even bother to ask me how I'd like my hair cut. Instead, he went strait to work, attacking my scalp with a number 2 razor like he was shaving a prized ham. Before I knew it, most of my head was shaved, apart from a section of hair at the front and to the sides. As he began pruning the remainder of my hair, it became clear to me that the last time he'd cut the hair of some unassuming Westerner was back in good ol' 1956. Luckily I had the foresight to stop him when I did, for I really had no desire to go into work the next day looking like Kirk Douglas from Falling Down.

All in all, I'm quite happy with the haircut. It's simple and requires little to no maintenance, and I think the old man at De House is similarly satisfied that despite his limited knowledge of 'Western' hairstyles, he was able to send a customer off happy.