RA RA MONEY

When I moved up here from the coast, I needed a hairdresser.  In Vancouver I went to a salon that was almost all Vietnamese beauticians.  And let me tell you, Vietnamese hairdressers are magic.  They, by far, not only do the best job but they will DO it.  Other hairdressers don't.

So I have gone twice to the nearest beauty salon.  I usually pick a salon geographically.  There are no Vietnamese ladies hairdressing in this town.  I phoned ahead of course and confirmed there was a hairdresser there that does spiral.  I know, so eighties, but thats what works for me.  And its super hard to find a white person that can do, or rather will do, spirals.  But I did find one.

The name of the place is Ra.  I didn't think it was possible to find a totally pretentious,   millennial infused, quirky for the sake of being quirky, workplace such as is this one in Kamloops.

Its all black and chrome and mirror.  They have specialty brewed coffee and tiny fufu candies wrapped in shiny colourful paper.  The place has multi layered floors, curving artsy stairways.  Worst of all it has little DOGS!!!!!  Chihuahuas no less.  They have got to be the ugliest most unappealing dogs on the planet.  I hate them.  There were at least three that I could count.

When I arrived I was cooly greeted.  It was clear that fat frowzy haired old lady customers were not really fitting into their demographic.  I was taken by a technician to the back and after a short consultation she refused to do it.  She told me my hair was too dry or something.  I said I know but please do it anyway.  That this was normal for me.  Nope.  "We can't have you walking around with dry frizzy hair.  Its a bad advertisement for Ra."  JEEZ!!  Give me Annie please, I want Annie!!!!  (My awesome Vietnamese hairdresser in Van.) I stomped out.

I had no choice to go back a couple of difficult months later....to a different technician.  In I went. I gave them a huge cheezy smile, said all the right things, made a few innocuous jokes, a couple of well placed compliments and I was in.  They overlooked my age and stage.  Sigh.

My technician came up to the greeting space and welcomed me, and hot delicious coffee in hand, I was led into the sanctuary to a shiny black swivel chair in front of a massive art deco mirror.  I had to wait for ten minutes for one of the TWO sinks to be free.  Seriously?  Two?  Anyhow, long story short, I came out of there with the perfect perm.  By Kamloops standards it was very expensive,  but compared to Vancouver prices the cost was right on par.

An aside:  The other day Taylor, the gal who lives downstairs is new to town.  She went there for a 'dusting'.  She is trying to grow her hair long (she is young) and needed the barest barely there trim.  Fifty bucks!  She almost died.  They are a very expensive salon.

Anyway all of that was way back months ago and now, thanks to all the vitamin D I take, my hair has super grown and is now at an impossible state.  I need it done, asap.  Especially before I go on the Oregon trip with Cookie on July 17th.

So, last month I call my technician, who I am now facebook friends with.  Hairdressers have a knack of changing work venues and I wasn't about to lose track of this one. I tell her I am desperate.  Keep in mind she is the only one within three hundred klics that does a spiral.  She tells me that one day, at work, she turned to go get something, tripped over one of those asinine Chihuahuas, fell and broke her wrist!!!!  And she would not be able to do my hair until the end of July! Ahhhhhhh!!!  I do not like dogs!!!   Crap!!!

And so I picked up the phone, called Select Salon in North Van, asked if Annie still worked there, I haven't been there for almost four years,  was told she does and made an appointment for the day before we are to leave on our trip.  I think that this is what I will do from now on.  I can always fit a vancouver trip in, see my girls and get my hair done.

Sorry for the long hair spiel.  TTYL