And it's hot out, sister. Just let me rinse your head in cool water. My hairdresser introduces herself as Mrs. Jiu from Guangzhou as I lean back over the basin. Well, I might as well wash it now. She leaves me with little say in the matter, as my head gets a good, hard massage.
Cold water is the best.
You should stop taking hot showers. Mrs. Jiu decides to take four inches off and to add a few layers. And as she pins my hair up, she and the lady next to her, like true Chinese matrons, start in on the questions. It's just for the air conditioning, the fancy music and the people who serve you coffee in your seat. Worried that I don't work full-time, she points to a small picture of a woman with black ringlets, a cheongsam and a Vanna White smile.