The Hair Raising Adventure!!!!

It has been five months, which means it was long past time to get my hair done. I decided to ask my friend, Minnie, who works at the gym for help. Her English is ok (not really the greatest) but her friend was a hair dresser, and Minnie’s great, so I decided... why not?
Minnie met me at my school and we walked together to her friend’s tiny shop. It was cute and plain ... a couple hair dressing chairs... some mirrors... nothing special but nothing scary. Well I told them how I wanted blonde highlights... first of all blonde is not a colour... it is called “yellow” to most Koreans... hahah... ok so I want ‘Yellow” highlights. The little hair dresser is playing with my hair all the while talking back and forth with Minnie... while I wonder 'what on earth' they are saying. Minnie tells me that this hair dresser wants to do a “test” on a piece of my hair. I say sure... so she proceeds to cut... yes that is right ... CUT a chunk of my hair off the back of my head... like a long chunk at the base of my scalp... AHHHHHHHHH she then wraps it in tinfoil with dye (ie bleach). “Ohhhh dear where on Earth am I???” are my thoughts... but I tell myself it is only hair... “It will be fine.”
So the “test” piece works and turns a nice colour. But the idea that I want highlights all over my head is not really working out for me. She (the hair dresser) keeps grabbing the red underneath... a layer of colour I have ... and talking Korean. Apparently I will not be getting Highlights!!!... Ok so Minnie tells me we will make this “yellow.” The hairdresser then puts the colour all over the previously red chunks.... she then wraps it in tinfoil and pins it up... and finally throws a piece of saran wrap on my head... hahahahhahah.... makes sense to make it hot... but not what happens in Canada!
By this time 2 more Korean girlfriends are hanging out too. They are nice girls and one of them also works at the hotel (where my gym is) but I don’t know her as well. So time is up and we unravel and check the colour... well when I saw it I was like AHHHH this is too much "blonde!!!" I started thinking about how I will look like a skunk so I started to change my mind. It is too ‘punk rocker’ almost... like not the pretty highlights I had first envisioned. I then start trying to explain lets just “re-dye it red”... I don't like the style anymore... everyone thinks I just don't like the colour of the blonde... which of course I don't... it is actually yellow (not Korean 'yellow'... Canadian yellow!) with red patches!!! At this point all the Korean girls are freaking out... I am actually calm I am just trying to communicate what I want but no one can understand me or seems to be listening... they are discussing the problem colour of my hair amongst themselves.... ohh and there are these electronic dictionaries out... and I mean it is clear that the colour of “yellow” with orange patches looks horrendous in everyone’s mind so we all know something has to be done. Well because the language barrier is getting me ‘no where fast’ I end up letting the hair dresser add more bleach. The Korean’s have decided that the colour just needs to be ‘fixed’.... meanwhile I am thinking ‘gawd this is gonna suck to try and cover up’... because I know that bleach strips pores which means the colour I am already planning on putting in at home to 'fix' it won't hold... so ya it ends up looking awful.. I smile to the poor hairdresser and say ‘it’s fine’...then go home... I think maybe if i just add some red I have in my apartment it will cover up some of this ‘yellow’ so then the colour is not so overpowering. I then proceed to add a couple of streaks... well the streaks are bright red and look like Barbie got shot in the head... I then put my hood on walk to the market and buy 'black' dye! The box hair dye is of course all in Korean and not just a regular looking bottle of mix. So I pray I mix it right and then proceed to cover up the top half of my hair in black... most of the blonde but not all... all the while praying my hair doesn't fall out... and my bathroom looks like a war zone... Now that the dust has settled and the bottles of dye laid to rest, I now have mostly black hair with yellowy blonde streaks underneath... ahhahahaha it is a little ‘skunkish’ but much less than before!!!! ohhhh kOREA KOREA!!! Korea has now taught me that I don't look good with yellow (but who does?) or black hair!

ok lots of love... I hope you got a laugh
and BONNIE (the best hair dresser ever!!! Who works at Wired) I miss you!!!
XO me