Free haircut
By Denise
@petatonicsca (7070)
Japan
August 14, 2020 3:33am CST
I decided I should get my shaggy hair trimmed before school starts next week, so I went to the little old lady down the street. She and her husband have been running their own salon (for men and women) probably, from the decor anyway, since the 1960s. They only charge ¥1000 (about 10 USD) as opposed to most salons, which charge over ¥3000, usually more like 5000. She is also very good, the place is totally not fancy but very comfortable like going to my cousin's on the farm.
So they didn't have any customers today when I dropped by and immediately took me. I sat there getting the haircut and all of a sudden she accidentally got a bit of my ear in her scissors. I jumped and so did she. She very carefully finished, by which time I had totally forgotten that she had done that, but after combing and blowing out my hair she put some medicine on it and apologized. Then she leaned down and said, "Since I did that, today is free." I objected, no no, it's a little thing, please let me pay. We had a little fake argument and then I took out my wallet. She shoved my hand and the wallet back into my purse very firmly and said absolutely it was free today. So i gave in, because Japanese people are really strong on saving face and now she "owes" me nothing. (She didn't owe me anything anyway.)
But I'm not sad I got a free haircut. Did anything like that ever happen to you?
7 people like this
9 responses
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
14 Aug 20
i've never had my ear cut yet - knock on wood!
here, you can get a haircut for a dollar, too. "parlors" are plentiful.
but yes we also have pricey ones at the malls where it costs $6.
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
14 Aug 20
@petatonicsca some raised their prices because they lost earnings because of the lockdown
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
14 Aug 20
@hereandthere I was surprised mine didn't. Or maybe I'm not. I think they are on pension, which isn't a whole lot, but they cut hair partly to supplement that and partly because they enjoy doing it.
1 person likes this
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
14 Aug 20
A dollar is probably what my mom would have paid in 1946.
1 person likes this
@cherriefic (10399)
• Philippines
14 Aug 20
Not really. There was a time when I had a haircut and the lady keeps on almost cutting off my ear. I told her to stop because I might lose my ear already. Then I still have to pay for the unfinished haircut but they fire her because of it. That was too harsh though. I just want her to stop cutting.
@cherriefic (10399)
• Philippines
16 Aug 20
@petatonicsca Hopefully, it's really annoying when she keeps on insisting to finish it. I almost lost my ear!
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
14 Aug 20
@petatonicsca
That really is a cheap haircut. What is important is that she is good. That is great that she would not take anything for her mistake. I had a printer once and they could not fix it so they gave me another one to replace it and I had it for many years.
@Nakitakona (56486)
• Philippines
14 Aug 20
It's good. It's serious for it's just a small cut. You're lucky not the whole ear of yours had been cut off.
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
16 Aug 20
I think it actually just got pinched with the back part of the scissors.
1 person likes this
@Nakitakona (56486)
• Philippines
16 Aug 20
@petatonicsca I thought it's a cut. It's just a scratch I supposed.
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
14 Aug 20
It was really a very small thing and I would have been happy to pay.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342099)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Aug 20
It's nice you got a free haircut. I can understand her wanting to save face. I really must make the effort and get mine cut soon. It's getting past a joke.
@simplfred (20641)
• Philippines
14 Aug 20
I think you deserve a free haircut not only for the day but for a month... I have not tried being cut in my ear...
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
14 Aug 20
Since I only get my hair cut once every six weeks or two months I guess I already have this.
1 person likes this
