loryces online

Thursday, August 19

Of Haircuts and Subservience

I loathe going to the salon. I never had a haircut that I really liked. I never had much of a choice because special haircuts tend to have special prices and all I can afford back then was a haircut in the P50-100 range. For years, back in the Philippines, I used to go to this hair specialist who thought I was a dyke. He always gave me these short, boyish cuts when I specifically told him that I want it layered. Ugh I hated it and I hated him. He must have thought I am one because I didn't wear strappy sandals or short skirts or even make-up. Why should I? Papagupit lang naman eh. Anyway I got my hair cut today and quite frankly, I didn't like it. I want my hair to be of shoulder-length but it didn't happen. She just trimmed it, a mere inch off my long hair--parang di ako nagpagupit. Mahal pa ang binayad ko -- $15 plus $5 for blow-drying. That's one more thing. How can they charge blow-drying??? Kala ko libre, wala kasi sa price list nila tapos sa Pilipinas, wala naman bayad yun ah. When the hair specialist asked me if I wanted one, I said sure. Paying for it didn't cross my mind but I should have known. Everything here has a price... damn. Nevertheless, what bothers me most is the fact that I didn't say or do anything about it. I just sat there, quietly seething but smiling sweetly at the hair specialist. Di ko alam kung bakit di ako nagsalita. I should have told her to cut my hair more. I should have complained about the blow-drying fee. I would still pay for it, I know, but I should have said something... anything. Damn this Filipino trait, this subservience. For centuries, sunod lang tayo ng sunod. Never fighting back, always following orders. We can't seem to break this habit; most of us anyway. I guess I just didn't want to be embarrassed or be labeled "difficult." Sigh.

I really have to stand up for myself don't you think? In order to survive, I know I have to stand up for myself. How come it's so hard?

LORYCES @ 8:42 PM | COMMENTS

6 comment(s)

6 comment(s):

At 11:59 PM, Unknown commented...: you should have stood up for yourself and voiced your thoughts. that's one trait of most Pinoys, tahimik lang kahit naaapakan na. para lang walang gulo o away. I've worked with Americans for sometime now and they don't think that way. Andyan ka na rin sa territory nila, don't let them trample you. =)

by the way, hingin daw ni liza yung bag. hehe!
At 2:21 PM, Dr. Emer commented...: That's the Filipino stereotype. Uncomplaining, always sacrificing. Yun pala masama na ang loob, di pa nagsasalita. Ganyan din ako dyan nung bagong salta. Then I learned that the Americans were pretty straightforward people: they complain when there's something to complain.

Mahal ang gupit dyan, loryces. Dapat magsalita ka because your wish is their command when you pay for that service. The good news is your hair will grow long in a couple of weeks, and because you said it was hardly trimmed, papagupit ka ulit. This time, be more demanding. Syempre, in a nice way din naman. Tapos barbers there also expect tips. But since di mo naman nagustuhan yung gupit mo, I guess its ok na di ka nagbigay.

Ang favorite barber ko dyan --- Romanian --- he's in Supercuts in Chicago, S. Michigan Ave.
At 2:48 AM, loryces commented...: galenlondeien: i know i should have done or said something. di ko tlga alam bakit ako natameme... again. ewan. :(

doc: thanks for the tip! yun nga lang medyo kalayuan kasi sa city na tlga yan eh. i'm sure super mahal pa! eek! but thanks. :)
At 2:23 AM, Ina N commented...: i don't know if it's the same where you are, pero dito kung ayaw mo yung gupit mo, and you come back to the salon within a week or so, they'll fix it for free. *shrug*

usually ang problema ko sa salon, more of hindi ko alam kung anong haircut ang bagay sakin!
At 7:49 PM, loryces commented...: Sarah: onga eh. sometimes it's such a pain in the ass if you are being too nice. grrr.

Ina: hay buti pa dyan. then again, i dont think i have the guts to do that. eek! :(
At 3:03 AM, Anonymous commented...: that sounds like the stuff of a short story, tipong Philippine Lit in English, or Latin American lit. :P on a happier note, i've gone to the same hairdresser for about four years now. it helps if you tell your hairdresser how you want to look, how it should appear when dry, how you take care of it, if you want it low-maintenance. maybe you should bring a picture of the hair you like and tell the hairdresser? and yes, don't tip if you're not satisfied!

-- rej