In every extended absence from your home town, there comes a time when you have to take on the really tough assignments; and finding a hairdresser falls squarely into that category. (Men, I know this does not really apply to you, but among my women friends, most of us are convinced that there is only ONE person who can really understand our hair, and that is the person in the salon we currently go to…even if we just started going there in the last year.)
In Tel Aviv, the anxiety around seeking out a new stylist is amplified by the sheer number of hair salons that are sprinkled liberally throughout the city. Mike and I sometimes amuse ourselves as we walk about, by doing a running count of the number of hair salons that we pass by. Recently we walked around Medina Square, and I think we got to 10. (Okay…it was a quiet day). But really, you cannot walk more than a block or two anywhere without seeing one and often you will see three or four in quick succession. There is even one in the Shuk, and at the beach! Note the scissors.
You would think, from this example, that the streets here would be full of “beautiful people”, or at least people with beautiful hair, but I can’t say as this has particularly struck me.
After much research, (complete with the requisite horror stories), I finally obtained a recommendation that struck me as safe, and I phoned for an appointment. Being flexible with my time, I asked for something mid-week… on a Wednesday…any time during the day. What could be easier to fit in? In Toronto that would be a piece of cake…but here…Nope…fully booked. But they did have time to fit me in… at 4:30… on December 31!!! Nothing on Wednesday, but on New Year’s Eve, no problem. (Well, Toto, I guess we’re not in Kansas anymore.) This, if nothing else, will prove the point that New Year’s in Israel is totally a non-event.
While the abundant supply of hair salons is indeed striking, the real story is the evolution of the humble barber shop. In Israel it is “de rigueur” for young men to sport a handsome beard…and a beard must of course be groomed on a regular basis (or it quickly gets biblical). So there are a number of specialty places that have sprung up to attend to this very need. Our son Ben, has done the research, frequents one of the coolest of these establishments “Barberia”…and now, not to be outdone, so does Mike. Fear not, even though he is again a student, Mike has NOT grown a beard. This place will also trim regular hair, boring as that may be. But I call your attention to the ancillary services!
And these shops have a fifties beer fridge, a ruggedly masculine interior, and a logo to go along with it…the perfect companion to the one at the beach. Needless to say, this has proven to be a winning concept and the chain is popping up all over Israel.
I went along with Mike to his appointment to see it all this was really as advertised, and the proof is below. Mike, beer in hand…and then coming out the doors. And check out the door handles… this barber shop would fit nicely into Northern Ontario “Lumberjack” territory!
So in the hair department, I think the men have the better deal…herbal tea simply does not cut it next to free beer. However, for anyone who might be interested, Highlights, on Yehuda Maccabi is an excellent salon. Really, I can’t imagine going anywhere else.
