Haircutting is fairly similar between HK and Australia:

• the lack of decoration above the wash-basins
• the pointless staring at myself as if watching a masterpiece unfold with each cut of the scissors
• a stock of gossip magazines or the more up market Vogue
• the hairdressers mainly wear black
• there’s an overwhelming and slightly intimidating aray of colours to chose from

The differences are what makes the experience in HK a more relaxing one:

• no inane chatter from the hairdresser
• no hard sell for any product that apparently would make my hair sit better even if I did it at home
• at least two hair washes

It’s the last point in particular that I particularly like.

There is no sitting upright with my head bent backward to try to reach the basin. I am lying down on a couch at a 180 degree angle with the basin adjusted to reach my head. I am supported from head to toe and as my hair is washed, the hairdresser holds my head up (no effort required on my part) to make sure that she does the back properly and rinses all the shampoo or conditioner out.

On top of this, two hair washes means two head massages. Given that I’m already lying down, you can imagine how relaxing this whole experience is.

It also explains why typically a hairdressing appointment for me in HK is at least double the amount of time the same treatment was when I had it done in Australia. I’m not fussed, I’m still relaxed.

* Thanks to Twentieth Century and Percy Jones for the title to this post. Apparently this song was first published by Twentieth Century in 1946 in an article by Percy Jones