Barbers in India….Hajmaayee….

I have been going to this barber right from childhood. When we were children, me, my brother, and my dad, all of us used to go to this guy. He used to be only guy those days in this area I suppose. He was very popular with the adults those days. When I was a teenager, I changed loyalties and used to go to this guy nearer to our house. This was because, this new barber was nearer to our age and had all these filmi magazines lying around, and was ok with us smoking in the shop. :) This was our main reason. Filmi magazines and Smoking. Then I left for the US and then whenever I came back, still used to go back to this guy. Then for some reasons, just stopped going to this guy and went back to the original barber shop.

Now this barber from my childhood, he thinks, no, not thinks, he is convinced that we have to listen to him since he knows us from childhood. So he is the quintessential authoritative figure we keep encountering in India and all over the world. And now, his son is also a part of the business and does most of the work, with the old guy watching over him. He corrects and scolds the kid so much in front of the customers, I am now sort of afraid to go when both of them are in the shop, and the kid attending to me. I fear that, if the kid has a knife in his hand (which he does most of the time), at one idiotic moment of rage, he might just cut up the customer. And me, I love getting my shave done at a barbers’, and after the shave a light massage with the Navratna oil they all use. This is one of those things I really miss in the US. Getting a shave!! :)

And this ‘Original’ barber, the old guy, he feels he has a proprietary hold over (atleast) my hair and my beard. Today I went to get a haircut done. And the kid was attending me. I was like the first customer of the day. The dad comes in to the shop, as the kid was about to start on me. And he says, where did you get your last haircut? It is so bad. Don’t those idiots know how to properly do a haircut and so on. Come on!! What can I say? I just go to a barbers’ shop and ask for a haircut. Close my eyes and open them, and Lo and Behold it gets done. Yeah, most of them are fresh out of Barber school, but that’s the way most of the chain places are. If we are lucky, we get an experienced person, if not, a green horn, thinking if they have to use a scissors or a machine? Should they cut it a bit, a lot and so on and so forth. It did pain me getting a haircut in the beginning when I was new to US but now, I am just used to it. If it is done bad, will bear it for a few days till the hair grows back rather than argue with them.

Then the kid starts my haircut (finally!!), and after he is done a quarter, the ‘dad’ starts, this the way you do?? You are going too short? Early in the morning, still sleepy, I was really pissed. :( I was about to give him a piece of my mind, but he went off to get some tea and I was left in peace.

But still on the over all, I love going to a barber shop and getting a shave and a light massage.