Haircut

Got my hair cut this week too. 

Sitting in the barber's chair in a hip salon near my house, the guy cutting my hair asked where I was from - 

"America" I said. 

"Ahhhh, Obama! That's great." he replied. 

I smiled and sighed.

Much better than the Bush years. That conversation usually went like this:

Random person: "Where are you from?"

Me: "America"

Random person: "Ah"

pause.

Random person: "This Mr. Bush likes too much war."

Me: "Yes. I know."

awkward chuckles and a sigh.

Of course, we'll see what people say about Obama in the years to come. Will may be right - he may just get a free 4-year pass due to his popularity. 

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Anyway, the haircut was good, although minus the thorough hair washing and head and neck massage with accompanying warm cloth over my eyes, like I got used to in Japan. Now those were salons - for a decent price, too. 

There's something different also about walking out of the salon, feeling great with a new 'do, and passing by an old haggard, soot-covered woman begging on the street. No pretty haircut for her. :-(  What a different world. But then I'd bet she'd enjoy it just as much as I do if she could have one.