I couldn’t take it anymore so I learned the word for “hair” (toufa) and cut (“gien”).   I walked down the street to the barber shop / salon that I saw the other day.   I live in one of the more expensive parts of town which is also know for having the highest percentage of expatriates.   So, I was expecting to get “ripped off”.   Well, I needed a baseline for prices and I was desperate for a cut, so I bit the bullet and went.   I ended up paying 120 RMB (Yuan)…

I walked in and said, “Hello, hair cut please!” and made liberal use of my “I don’t understand.”   But I got the gist of it.   I followed a woman to have my hair washed and was prompted to lie down on a small platform, much like a massage table, where my head was positioned above a sink.   Now, whenever I had my hair washed, it was in an uncomfortable chair that I had to slouch in and cock my head back so far that it wasn’t uncommon to have a neck ache when done.   Plus, the shampoos were strictly utilitarian and lasted maybe two minutes.   This washing was maybe twenty minutes and including neck and scalp rubs.   Wow, fantastic.   Afterwards, I went back to the barber’s chair and while I waited for the barber, the woman rubbed my shoulders which were incredibly tight.   The day before, walking around Huaqiang Bei, I started feeling sharp pains in my shoulders, so…good timing.   As soon as the barber showed up, he paid very close attention to the haircut, taking plenty of time, and did an excellent job.   Afterwards, I went back to the table and had my hair rinsed followed by a shorter rub down.   I was glad to pay the 120 RMB – about $15.   I found out later though that haircuts can go as low as about 65 cents.