My first Hungarian haircut

note in the picture - the pants in the window... deceiving...

I can’t believe I skipped right over my afternoon activities to the internet… see – I was obsessed with getting an internet connection.  Anyhow- I had decided (after several days of doing my hair and having it totally fall after my walk to school in the humidity and rain) that it was time to get a haircut.  This was going to be interesting… as everything is in a foreign country.  I told my colleagues that I was interested in getting my hair cut and they pretty much just wished me well.  I asked Gabi to write down a statement saying that “I would like to get my hair cut” in Hungarian.  I showed it to some of my students and they told me it translated to “I like my style, but it’s too long” nothing specifically about a haircut, but I guess if you are in a hair salon that’s obvious?  I like my style… ok – well some of my students tried to explain where a hair salon was, and I thought I had it down.  Two of them offered to come with me, but I thought it would be a better adventure if I went alone.  Besides, my hair will grow back – right?  So off I went.  I tried to find the place they described for me – behind the Mexican restaurant, upstairs - go through the garden to get there.  Well, I found a courtyard which might be translated into a garden, and there were several staircases that lead to an “upstairs.”  So now what?  I tried each staircase, and nothing emptied into a hair salon.  There was a Thai massage place… several apartments – a dentist… no hair salon.  Ok well, I decided I’d go into the restaurant and ask if there was a hair salon near by, and they looked at me like I was from a foreign country or something.  How dare they?  So I continued on, and tried to find one in town… keep in mind that it was 2:30 on a Friday afternoon, and knowing the Hungarians, who close things at 2 on Saturdays and AREN’T open on Sunday – the odds of finding someone to cut my hair were slim to none.  However, I found a big window that had the word for hair salon painted on it.  Ok- jackpot, except when I walked in, there were clothes.  Hmmm… so I slowly backed out… and reassessed the situation.  I had my dictionary in hand, and yes, that was the word for hair salon.  What the hell were pant suits doing in a hair salon?  Ok… so maybe it was upstairs too – and this was an advertisement for it?  Well, there weren’t stairs to be found.  I headed back to see if I could get in from behind, passing the office of the Socialist party, and rounded to the back.  There was no way to get in from the back either.  What the hell?!?!??!?!?  So – I headed back to the pant suit collection and peered in again, looking to the left.  This time, sure enough, through a door behind the pantsuits, there was an additional room where there were people getting their hair cut.  So I confidently approached and asked if anyone spoke English.  When they said no, I showed them the paper about my style and she gave me the “no way jose” sign.  Ok –now what?  She then took me by the arm (seeming to escort me out) and took me through the pant suits to the opposite end of the place and another door that lead to where WOMEN were getting their hair cut.  Apparently I was where the men got their hair cut.  Oh seriously.  OK- so I busted out the sheet again, and this time I got an “ok ok.”  Score – we’re in!!!  This woman (with shaved sides of her head and a stylishly zshuzshed  mohawk) took me back to shampoo my hair.  I’m pretty sure she was using peach suave – or some cheap peach shampoo with a particularly potent smell, but we got the shampooing and hair cut done with out any words except “ok” which, in Hungarian is “oke.”  She did a nice job, as I am sure her colleagues agreed with – they all stopped everything they were doing and watched her every move.  She even thinned it without me asking – not that I know how to – but I am pleased.  I am pretty sure that she used two cups of mousse to style it, but whatever.  I gave her a generous tip in the hopes that she’ll recognize me the next time I go in for a hair cut.  We’ll just have to see.