The ritual of getting a haircut - Hindustan Times
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The ritual of getting a haircut

Hindustan Times | ByRakesh Pandey, Chandigarh
May 02, 2014 09:31 AM IST

'Don't ask the barber if you need a haircut' wrote Warren Buffet, the legendary investor, I recalled as I went to the barber to get my remaining hair trimmed. There is something unique to the little friendly neighbourhood barber shops that has withstood the onslaught of modern plush salons; Writes Rakesh Pandey.

'Don't ask the barber if you need a haircut' wrote Warren Buffet, the legendary investor, I recalled as I went to the barber to get my remaining hair trimmed. There is something unique to the little friendly neighbourhood barber shops that has withstood the onslaught of modern plush salons; these shops survive because they are ubiquitous and offer quick and cheap service and because these barbers have built a personal relationship with the clientele.

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I remember in the 80s when I was a kid it used to be a Sunday ritual where you had to wait in a queue to get your turn unless you were an early riser. These days, barber shops have mushroomed everywhere.

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One thing unique to these shops is that you are sure to hear the loud music being played or some Bollywood film being played at full volume. I got scolded if I played loud music when I was a teenager and the usual question asked was, 'Is this home or a barber shop'?

Once I was enticed by a smooth-talking barber, who had little business at that time, into getting a facial done. On another occasion, Golu, my current hair artist, commented on my receding hairline and thinning mop, and I simply put the blame on the hard water of Patiala.

The time when you are getting a haircut could be used to indulge in small talk, catch on the grapevine or even do meditation. I stare into the oblivion as thoughts flash by. Sometimes I observe school kids who insist on their hair being cut in a certain style.

Once I was getting a haircut and the tea arrived; the person getting a haircut on the next chair was a student of history. He talked about how the tea was discovered in China when some tea leaves accidentally fell in a pot of boiling water.

When the time came for the most dreaded thing -- taking your kid to get a haircut for the first time -- my wife asked me to do the job. Life had turned full circle as I remembered my dad taking me to the barber shop when I was a kid.

I resigned to my fate and took my son, Devansh, to a barber shop. Like an animal about to be slaughtered, Devansh got a whiff of the impending disaster and raised hell. The barber refused to do the job.

I took him to another where he got through the ordeal with heart-rending cries amid my promises to give him candies. I finally found a new barber who had a way with the kids. Life became a little easier; now, that he's six he has come to enjoy these trips and insists it to be topped up with fun under a shower.

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