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Tim Lau

LCA 101
A bell clangs out into the din of the hair salon as Dai walks in. One man snaps his head to
look at the source of the sound. Haircut? Dai nods anxiously. Sit down. Zhang xiao jie! Ke yi
bang ta ma?1 Very busy right now. Somebody come help you in few minutes. Dai clutches his
cellphone that displays three different hairstyles in his right hand, as if it were his lifeline.
After four years of the same long, shaggy hairstyle, his friends had told him it was time
for a change. He was comfortable with it, and besides, it didnt look too bad, he told himself.
However, his friends had convinced him. The three haircuts he had on his phone were the
product of hours scouring forums and Google images, using search terms such as modern Asian
male haircut oval face, shave patterns in hair, and 2017 hair trends Asian.
Stop. Fidgeting. Sophia stepped on Dais foot. You already picked out your haircut.
You just need to tell them to cut it.
Doesnt this one seem nice? Dai pointed at a picture of a man with short-cropped hair in the
magazine he was holding.
I didnt drive you 45 minutes out of town just so you could get a normal haircut.
Sorry, Im just not sure that these haircuts will look good on me. Dai scans through a
couple more pages. Maybe theres a better one in here. Why is this so hard!
Dai looked around. Sophia was the only non-Asian person in the barbershop. But, unlike
Dai, she spoke Chinese, having taken over 10 years of it at the local Chinese school.
Hey. Shes calling you. Dai looked up from the book he was holding. There looking at
him with her arms crossed was the lady had responded to the rapid Chinese earlier. She had her
own hair in a high ponytail, with a lollipop stick bobbing up and down.
Lai! Gen wo.2
Shes telling you to come quickly and follow her.
Dai dutifully puts down the book, takes a deep breath in, and forces himself to stand up.
He dutifully follows her to the chair, where he quickly is fashioned with the standard bib.
Yao jian she muh?3
Uhh Sorry what? I dont speak Chinese.
Tch. What style you want?
Dai looks sorrowfully over at Sophia. This was the question he had been dreading. In his
anxiety, he hadnt come to a conclusion. Responding to his despair, Sophia slowly plods over to
the station. The hairdresser looks at her through the corner of her eye, not turning to face or
acknowledge her presence.
What do you want?
Ke yi bang ta jian duan yi dian? Hao xiang zi ge zhao pian.4
The hairdressers eyes open. She slowly turns to completely face Sophia. Her face slowly
breaks into a smile and her whole demeanor opens up. Dang ran ke yi!5
This is all blather to Dai. By his name and appearance, he was as Chinese as you could
get. People always expected him to know Chinese, and he understood a couple words here and
there. But here he was, being outspoken by some Italian girl.

1 Ms. Zhang! Can you help him?


2 Come! Follow me.
3 What style do you want?
4 Can you help him cut it a bit shorter? Like this picture
5 Of course you can!
Tim Lau
LCA 101
Stop! I can handle myself. I dont need your help, Sophia! Dai looked straight at his
hairdresser and eked out, Wo yao jian tou fa.6
The hairdressers mouth hardens into a flat line as she glares at Dai. Haaaaa... She
probably thinks Im a fool. What was I thinking trying to speak Chinese
After what seemed like an eternity of being left out, the hairdresser finally turns her
attention to Dai. Snip. Snip snip. The shears sang a happy tune as they danced in time to the tune
that the hairdresser was whistling. Sophia had somehow excavated this radiant diamond of a
smile from the cavern that clouded her face a few minutes ago.
Ok, you are done! Such handsome boy!
Dai looked at the mirror and felt uneasy. Did I merit this compliment? Or is it because
Sophia mysteriously drew out the best in the hairdresser? If I had come alone, would I have
gotten the same results? Darn it Sophia
The hairdressers face grew tight again before exploding out in rapid English. I dont
know! But I cut very well, dont you think! So handsome!
Dai felt like everybodys eyes were on him as he walked down the lone runway of salon
chairs. He paid, mindlessly picked up Sophia, and left unsure of himself. Sigh.

6 I want haircut

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