Roots
Kwentong beauty parlor
By Marifi Jara
AMIDST the frenzy of coming home, one of the first things I always do is get a badly needed haircut.
Not that there aren’t any beauty salons in Mozambique. In fact there are many. Hair parlors are quite aplenty in African countries as getting a ‘do’ is one of the luxuries that women there indulge in. With their kinky hair, they are very daring with the use of hair extensions or wigs, getting a straightening or big curls, or having intricate braids. Oftentimes I would have problems remembering women I have previously met because they would more often than not be sporting a different hair color and style the next time I see them! There were of course some women I met who simply kept their hair very short and just maintained it that way, though I suspect they also had or have their daring days.
Me, I was a coward through and through.
In the beginning, my fear about going to a salon there was borne out of a story from a Pangasinense who knew another Filipina who apparently asked for a bit of a hair trim but instead ended up with just a bit of hair left on her head! It might have been some miscommunication arising from her bad Portuguese or it could have been confusion on the part of the beautician who was not used to handling non-kinky hair. Whatever, I decided then that I would just trim my own hair. How hard could it be? Then I sort of got comfortable with it and never felt the need again for a trip to the parlor. I even bought a pair of good quality hair scissors to get some semblance of an expert job of a stylish shaggy look. But of course, even with my best efforts, I would always come home with quite a nasty jagged mane which would freak out professional hairstylists.
I’m not finicky about my hair and I don’t mind simply stepping into the first most convenient place. But wherever I go, the one common thing I noticed is how hairstylists love to chat you up while they work wonders on the crowning glory.
This time, my hair redeemer delved into the execution of the three Filipinos in China, one of them he did not know was actually our kabalayen. He said he felt sincere sympathy for their families for such a heartbreaking situation but at the same time he does not condone the drug trafficking crime that the three were convicted for.
“Life is hard, we know that,” he said as he was chopping my hair with flair, “but they were convicted, drugs is really bad, they should not have gotten involved in that.”
My feelings exactly.
Whoever said that beauty parlors are mere venues of vanity?
There — as I would like to believe in most parts of the country — political, economic and social awareness is thriving. And it was inspiring to hear that there is discernment beyond the pain of a real-life drama.
It’s a sad, ever challenging period for the Philippines. But it’s always good to be home. And what a delight to have a proper haircut.
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