October 20, 2006

A Barber Story

By P.B. Masdal |

Posted In : Personal and Family

ONE THING I CAN SAY ABOUT MYSELF is that I have this strong inclination to stick to many things that I do routinely or regularly or to things I take in either into my stomach or into my brain. Like for example, I am not comfortable using any other shampoo except that one brand that I have been using ever since I was in college. When that particular specie of shampoo somehow went out of stock, or was taken out of the market by its manufacturer, I felt like I didn’t want to use anything else anymore on my hair whenever I take a splash in the bathroom; as if any other shampoo wasn’t worth the effort of scrubbing my fingers slowly, and then vigorously through my hair and then through my scalp. That could be the reason why I often have bad hair day these days. I think it’s time to learn to be comfortable with other brands of shampoo; those that I often disregard on grocery shelves and there are just too many of them—- shiny black kind of shampoo for shiny black hairs, those with honey on it ( they must taste good as well I guess), those that can be use on the body also, the one that says “Gee your hair is this and that”, and there’s even that shampoo that is so minty that you could feel your scalp “mentholized” for the rest of the day after using it. You name it and they got it.

And when it comes to the things I eat for example, its chicken adobo that I always look for when I really want to eat huge, like eating after not eating for nearly a day. Whenever I crave for food while on the road, I won’t be looking for any sleek fast-food joint or any high-end diner for most of the time, they won’t serve the one thing I’d be looking for. I’d be hunting down along small alleyways and narrow streets for carinderias where usually they have the stuff that I needed or wanted.

And this strong inclination for the usual things also goes well with the barbershop where I have my hair cut, and of course the barber that should cut my hair. When I was a child, my grandfather had always brought me to the same barbershop over and over again; that however foul-smelling it’s surrounding was (it was in the area of the public market that was near to rows of fish vendors), I couldn’t help but feel good reminiscing about it.

When I was in high school, me and a classmate would most of the time pass by this barbershop downtown even when we were not to have our haircut. It was mostly because Holiday Barbershop serves the coldest bottles of Coca-Cola in town and also because while we were sipping that glacial soda slowly and pleasurably, caressing that shapely bottle as we enjoy its content, we get to read recent issues of Time and Newsweek magazines. Situated on the ground floor of the still-standing Evangelista Building, it was the only place in the city back then where the reading materials (while you wait for your turn on the barber seat) were international weeklies. In fact, I could not find a place right now where one could just walk-in and read latest issues of Time magazines. Now, that’s what I do not mean by progress.

And because we were regular customers there, me and Tony almost knew every barber in Holiday and somehow we often get into their conversations and daily routines. We even know when some of them were fighting and we knew when some of them were not feeling good with the way things were going in that place. And of course, we often knew when no sort of politics was wrangling the whole army of barbers in that place and this happens when everybody there seemed to be laughing easily for every morsel of humorous comment made and joking around every so often and smiling right at the very moment we step into the front door of that barbershop.

Even when we were already in college, Tony and I often do that routine every once in a while, sipping ultra-cold bottles of Coca-Cola while reading international magazines and of course having our hair cut there exclusively. But when we got older and got married and had children, we finally mellowed down on that barbershop and went different ways. Tony began liking the services of saloons with the kind of stylish haircut one can get in those places while I remain privy to barbers to handle my hair necessities. I still went to Holiday after that but when they have increased their prices to a level that wasn’t the regular at that time and when they had changed location, I ventured into a far smaller barbershop but one whom I have gotten so comfortable with over the years. And for almost ten years, I never went back to Holiday for my haircut needs.

Some days ago, I was feeling so much like I really needed to have my hair cut immediately like in a jiffy or ahora mismo. I was driving around town but the barbershop where I used to go now had no available parking space in its front area so I had to drive further until I reached this one barbershop where there was no parking problem whatsoever, the one in front of Lantaka Hotel near the seafront in Pettit Barracks and the moment I stepped into the front door, I immediately recognized a face from years ago and I just asked if how much was the price of a haircut (some barbershop here charged real steep prices) and the familiar face answered that it was in the regular amount. So I sat down in one of the seats there (there were only two barber seats in that small place) and asked him if he was a barber before in Holiday. He looked so much older and moved more slowly like age had encapsulated his whole body. But the way he looks and the way he wear his clothing was as if nothing had changed at all in his person. And so the man with the familiar face said that indeed he was once a barber in Holiday and that in fact he had recognized me the moment I entered the front door that day. And so we talked of old times a bit and the one thing that he told me that day was that everyone else in Holiday has already died—-one after another—-and that he was the only one remaining alive and that now he had already changed barber shop because Holiday now is already so much different from what he had gotten used to. I asked how did that happened when most of the other barbers from Holiday were just his age or was even younger than him. He told me that perhaps a barber’s life was just too prone to health problems because of an almost sedentary work routines and endless afternoon naps on very comfortable barber seats and then endless nights of drinking alcohol after that. I siad to hi that it must have been that way and that could have been the reason.

I felt sad that those faces from yesteryears have all died except for one. Like they were brothers in arms all, warriors of the same rank, samurais plying these urban jungles and that now, only one of them remain standing and still fighting the same battle that they all fought together in years that had passed.

I wanted to tell the old barber after he had my hair cut how gleeful I was to see him again and be able to be reminded of a happy bygone era in my life but I just couldn’t express it. It was like it was too corny to say those things. I just said to him that maybe next time, I’ll be back there again to have my hair cut.

How time passes us by. How small is a world. How our past remains in us and had not really gone away all these times….

41 Comments »

1. Sidney says; October 20, 2006 @ 4:55 pm

   A nice story beautifully told. I feel the same… I don’t particularly like changes…

2. Abaniko says; October 21, 2006 @ 7:26 am

   This is both a heartwarming and sad story. No doubt, nostalgia hit you hard, bai. I believe it’s common among us to stick to a favorite barber and haircut. Most men don’t like to venture much when it comes to hair style.

3. bw says; October 21, 2006 @ 10:43 am

   When I was a kid, my grandfather who doted on me used to go the same barber, had my hair cut like his. I looked like a miniature Al Capone, with my hair combed upright. I was gramp’s boy, his first grandson and he used to lavish me with toys and gifts. I used to watch these barbers massage their patrons in the arms, neck, head, oftentimes twisting their heads until you hear a cracking sound.. LOL.. There was one barber who massaged his customer’s face and when he came around his mustache, his fingers went straight into the man’s mouth.. turned out the guy took his false teeth off! he he..

   Nowadays I’ve finally decided to have women cut my hair. I like haircuts minus the razor scrapes and one that isn’t linear looking and makes you look like Col. Bogey. All one needs is to thin the hair and trim the sideburns. Besides, women’s hands are much softer..

4. atticus says; October 21, 2006 @ 2:05 pm

   i sometimes wonder why when we were kids, we wanted to grow up fast and do what grownups do.

   then when we are finally grownups, we pine for the things of the past.

   methinks it’s because those faces, scenes and smells remind us of those days we felt safe, nurtured, taken care of. and we want to drink from the same well every now and then.

5. Major Tom says; October 21, 2006 @ 3:08 pm

   To sidney: Thanks for the commendation. For me changes has its good sides like those who don’t change are said to be those who remain in the past. But there are just certain things or aspects of my life that I like to be as it is right now.

   To Niko: Maybe that’s the main reason about us men sticking mostly to same barber or number of barbers. Maybe we don’t want surprises, like “hey, this new guy has some unusual way of doing haircuts”, and then it’s too late to complain…Often, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

   To BW: Oh, that false teeth incident is just eeky if I must say. The barber must have been taken out of sorts.

   You know, when I had about a year’s sojourn in another city for study purposes, like one year, I had my hair cut regularly by a woman and indeed, I like the way she did my hair back then and with extra care at that like; like she was so concern about me even farther beyind the parlor area. She always advised me to use this kind of shampoo, not to stay too long in the sun, massage this and that part of the head often. I wish I’d be able to have a hair cutter like that again but in this place, women barbers are so rare. They just often do the fingernails…

   To atticus: I bet you said it real right; like smack to the point. It should be one major reason that we often feel good reminiscin bout our younger days because back then, we felt so free and cared for, like we don’t have older people problems and hurdles. Unlike now where we sometimes feel like we are carrying the whole world on our shoulders…

6. ipanema says; October 21, 2006 @ 4:26 pm

   Love this post Major Tom. Like you, I hold on to tradition, to what is routine and even the same hair products. I just loosened up when I moved around. I had to try other brands. Sometimes I don’t want to let go of things. But it’s just impossible. Like what they say, the world is turning. We go along with it.

7. ladybug says; October 21, 2006 @ 5:26 pm

   I feel the same way too major tom. When I got used to a particular hairstylist, I did not know what to do anymore when I heard that he left the salon that I usually frequent. Ngayon, palaboy na ako. Paiba-iba na ang gumugupit sa akin.

8. melai says; October 22, 2006 @ 1:22 am

   uhmmn madalas I stay with the hair saloon I frequented and stay with one hairstylist in that saloon … kaya lang napapansin ko nawawalan ng opportunity na gumanda pa ang buhok ko kung mananatili akong ganoon .. so if i want to look different (hair ko pala) triny ko naman yung katabing hair saloon nalaman ko mas mura pang di hamak at mas magaling ang hair stylist.

9. niceheart says; October 22, 2006 @ 12:40 pm

   That was a touching memoir. I’m also like you. I stick to the same brands and when the stores discontinue them, I’d have that longing for that brand, but of course I have to find a new brand that would suit me, and often, I do.

   I also tend to stick to the same haircut and hairdresser for a long time. I’ve had my current hairdresser for about 8 years now and I hope she doesn’t move far from our place.

10. eric says; October 22, 2006 @ 4:54 pm

    Very nostalgic piece.

    After my childhood days at my father’s barbershop, I’ve practically become adventurous when it comes to getting a haircut—I’d try out various haircutters in the city. Same with personal products; I sort of enjoy the changes.

11. Major Tom says; October 22, 2006 @ 6:37 pm

    To ipanema: Tradition gives us that sense of security and stability but somehow as you said, it is hard to avoid change. Maybe it’s better to be able to hold on to what we like and adhere to changes in those we resent.

    To ladybug: Ganun rin aku ngayon. Siguro ika nga talagang totoo ang kasabihan that there is no permanent in this world but change.

    To melai: Ang ganda naman ng situation mo; that’s what we mean when change is good and its certainly for the better.

    To niceheart: It was always like that even in the kind of peanut butter that I adore. I take some other brands na lang kasi I don’t the groceries often. But if I have time, I know the brands that suits me and its still the same ever since I was such a young lad.

    To eric: That’s when being adventurous has its merits. I tried to be that way before but you know, I was not that lucky on changing barbers; they were always not at par with the ones I frequented to before. Pero ngayon, the new and young ones are getting better. It seems na meron na silang professional training; unlike before na mas madalas hands-on learning lang ang mga barbero.

12. cruise says; October 23, 2006 @ 12:29 pm

    bloghopping…

    magaling ang blog mo, natuwa ako sa picture at sa kwento mo. kuha mo yung sa barber shop?

    minsan talaga hiyangan lang sa paggamit ng mga bagay at kapag nakasanayan na hirap maghanap ng kapalit. minsan nakahanap ako ng body liquid soap sa ibang bansa, tuwing pupunta ako doon, isang gallon ata ang inuuwi ko kasi dun lang ako nakakita ng ganun. sa barbershop naman kahit saan ako mapadpad binabalik balikan ko ang akinig barber. kaya nakaka relate ako sa kwento mo. cool blog, keep it up!

13. bing says; October 23, 2006 @ 9:46 pm

    hi, major tom. how are you?

    feeling nostalgic? have a kitkat. (joke)

    well, i am not the kind of person who sticks with a brand that does not do me any good. i like to try new things. although i am one of those ‘loyal’ people, i have the tendency to leave a brand, or not use it anymore, if it failed to meet my needs no matter how much time i have been using it.

    as to hair cutters, it is normal for men, i think to stick to their barbers although nowadays men prefer cuts by gay and women hairstylists.

14. Major Tom says; October 24, 2006 @ 5:53 pm

    To cruise: Salamat sa mga magagandang salita…I did and do appreciate it a lot. Ganyan talaga and nadarama ko; mahirap na maghanap ng iba…

    To Bing: A little nostalgic Bing if I must say. New things are also good to me; many times in the past in fact. Yet, mas madalas talaga na I hold on to the same things for reason that I can be as nostalgic as ever.

15. Toe says; October 26, 2006 @ 11:14 am

    Wow, kuwentong barbero talaga Major Tom! But seriously, I like this story very much. I could just imagine you and your friend in your younger days at the barber shop with that red and blue barber thing, drinking ice cold Coke and reading Time magazines.

16. rudyman says; October 26, 2006 @ 11:17 am

    i remember just this year when i had my hair cut and that familiar barber asking how my father is, and how am i and my 2 other brothers, and howcome it was only now that i have come to their barbershop…so i remembered how small i was and young i was back then when my father used to bring us all in that same barbershop almost every other week… and now that i almost look as old as the barber, i wonder how the barber feels

17. duke says; October 26, 2006 @ 11:31 am

    kalungkot naman yan. parang nakikinita ko in black and white yung portrait ng barbero na yun. hehe.
    ganun talaga ang buhay. lalo na pag galing ka probinsya at lumaki doon, pagbalik mo ang dami mong gustong makita ulit, yung dating pamumuhay, yung dating mga tambay, yung dating plaza, yung dating palengke, yung dating neighborhood, yung village idiot…pero lahat sila nawawala. lahat sila memories mo na lang.

    tae.

18. Major Tom says; October 26, 2006 @ 7:48 pm

    Kwentong barbero nga…oh, those were good happy days of yore. Sabi nga nila, highschools days are irreplacable..

    To rudyman: Buti na lang they are all still alive…In my case, only one remain standing, ika nga.

    To duke: Ganun nga talaga ang buhay…parang life…

19. Ellen tordesillas says; November 1, 2006 @ 3:34 pm

    It’s heartwarming.

20. Major Tom says; November 5, 2006 @ 12:16 pm

    Thanks Ellen, I really appreciate the good note.

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