Haircuts and Back Alleys ~ Back to School
After weeks of low level chaos over the festive period, the theme of chaos continued today, again in 35C heat, which honestly makes everything seem worse. I needed to cut the boys hair for school and being a little, um, unconventional, I took them to two separate hairdressers in the perceived dodgier area of town to get the best styles for the best value for money.
The red chair is from the 1950's and the white chair is from the late 1960's.
My first stop was at an Indian barber whose family has been cutting hair for 100 years in Newcastle. Two brothers and two sons run the place, and due to their value for money they are very popular, even though they are hidden away in a warren of alleys. I always enjoy taking my boys there, as I like the atmosphere of the place, and I love their vintage barber's chairs. I took my younger son to them because due to his exceptionally curly hair, the only hairstyle that seems to work for him is short at the sides, with a little volume on top. I paid R35 ($3) for the cut.
My 10 year old son getting his hair cut.
Alleys to be negotiated to find the barber.
The area between the two hairdressers.
My older son is 13 years old and he needs something a little more fashionable. He has difficult hair and I despaired of ever being able to do something with it, until @joshuabaxter, my daughter @yogidream.scapes boyfriend told me about The Master. To cut a long story short, my son had his hair cut at a salon who caters to black people. We got a few weird stares, but the haircut was amazing. The Master (he asks to be called this!) is very talented, and his attention to detail and clear obsession with perfection belong in a more upmarket salon. The haircut cost R60 ($5) but due to the amount of time he spent on it,I felt bad to pay that, so I paid him R80 ($6,50).
This place is very busy, there were no more chairs left to wait, so the boys sat on the floor. Even just sitting, the bond between them is heart-warmingly obvious.
The Master in action.
The Master and other hairdressers in this very busy salon.
A haircut at a mainstream salon would have cost R150 ($12) for each boy, but it is not the cost that drove me to the back alleys (though I do love to save money) but the utter lack of style and slapdash jobs I have experienced in the past at the mainstream salons. I have ventured into areas most white people don't even though I am aware of the dangers of our crime ridden country. This has proved to my advantage, but I think my experience of working in a shop in town for 25 years has made it easier for me than most.
The view outside the salon door.
@onetree
