After writing a smart aleck blog on expensive haircuts, you might think I must be really stupid to go in for one.
Yeah, I went back to Bounce. (it’s the same link as above, he he!)
I got my hair cut and coloured.
For 650 bucks – 250 for the haircut, 400 for the colouring!
If I had let him, the chink would’ve ripped me off another 700 bucks for “highlighting” … for streaks of colour. Coming to think of it, paying 700 bucks for that is as embarassing as streaking (run naked) in public! Bounce is probably the only stylist in the world where they would recommend you to go in for highlighting BEFORE your haircut!
Maybe I looked stupid before the haircut. Not that I did look any different after it.
Anyway, first things first. Why did I go in for it?
Well, last time, it sounded like sour grapes. Making fun of something just because you couldn’t afford it. After that blog, I was tempted to find out. Can a professional stylist really make your hair look very different?
So I went back. This time, fixed appointments carefully – a hair colouring session at four and a haircut at seven because they didn’t have a slot for a haircut after the colouring session.
I wore the best clothes I had and walked in like it was home. You must check out the respect they give you after you tell them you have an appointment. “Sir, we have another slot for a haircut soon after this. Would you like to finish both?”
Now, it was my time to play busy. “Sorry. I have another appointment lined up at 4.45.”
Then, the chink who cut my hair asked me what I wanted to do. I told her to feel free to do what she wants. “You are the expert. You tell me.”
So she suggested I do this dark brownish golden colour which would do well to blend with any grey hair that you have (and I had quite a bit!). Then she introduced me to another fellow chink — a guy, who in the course of the colouring kept cracking jokes in Mandarin to his assistant who was holding the bowl of colour.
Okay, I won’t exaggerate. The session wasn’t too bad. These guys really treat you like a king. First, he asked me if I wanted to have something to drink. Then, he brought me three magazines. One was an imported magazine with pictures of plenty of hot chicks, another was Autocar and the third was our good old Week.
Whether they really work or just pretend is hard to tell cuz they always have a serious look on their face — both these chinks.
After the colouring, I met these friends of mine who encouraged me to take the very next slot for the haircut. Since Neha had her camera with her, they took pictures, which I will soon post.
The chinky babe who cut my hair for some reason, spent more time running her fingers through my hair than actually cutting it. So much, that my friends suspect that THAT was quite the strategy to keep customers happy. Pamper them, caress their hair, feel them up adequately and delicately, so that they are like: Wow, this is such a professional job!
So after the haircut, just as my colleague had warned me earlier, the babe used plenty of hair-gel. And that’s when we took the after-haircut picture.
After the next bath I had after my night shift, I stood in front of the mirror and find someone strikingly familiar: The same guy before the haircut, but with lesser hair of course. All that hype just went over my head. It was a bouncer of course.
You know the next thing I did: Bought hair-gel. Loreal. Damage: Another 335 bucks!
Next time, you take a look at my head, remember it costs 985 bucks. Contribute generously, if it entertains you.
But having said all that, will I go again to Bounce? Of course. For that princely treatment, for that chinky to play with my hair again and for feeling good and rich, of course, at the cost of a movie and/or a nightout. Only the haircut, of course. At a limited budget of 250 bucks, I would get it chopped once in two months.
Colouring? Na, my friends have offered to do that for me the next time!
Off topic update:
I’m off to Hyderabad in six hours for a day. I’m going to meet the CEO of IMAX and they are also gonna screen The Polar Express starring Tom Hanks, directed Robert Zameckis. I love that combo that gave us Forrest Gump and Castaway. So yeah, I’m excited! 🙂
I love my job.
MADRAS INK. 
quite a different post.
welcome to Hyd.I think u r referring to the CEO of Prasad’s IMAX.This IMAX is a perfect example of being first in the market and gaining bcos of that position.Hope there are a few competitors soon.otherwise tickets prices will skyrocket.
The polar Express… Great movie. Had a chance to watch it thanks to my teacher friend. Mind blowing animation. Read the book too. The scenes are exactly from the book. Starting from the camera position till the lightings. I loved the movie, thanks to the creators Tom and Robert.
Boy, my hair (not that there’s much!) stands on end seeing the cost – 1000 bucks? No wonder you complained some time back about (journalists) being underpaid! 🙂 Ravi