GETTING A HAIR – CUT

GETTING A HAIR – CUT

Mr.Verma goes to have his hair-cut at a men’s hair cutting shop in the market near his house.

Mr.Verma Good evening. I want a hair-cut please
Receptionist Right Sir. Would you please sit in that cubicle?
Mr.Verma Can you give me an oil massage, too?
Assistant Certainly Sir. It is a very good practice to oil one’s hair regularly. A gentle message helps to tone up the hair. It helps the blood circulation in the scalp.
Mr.Verma Ah! This is wonderful. So relaxing.
Assistant I notice you don’t wear your hair long? You have almost a military cut.
Mr.Verma I don’t like this fad of men keeping long hair. These days one can’t make out the difference between a boy and a girl. In any case, all these fashions are for the young and not for me.
Assistant But you are a young man yet, Sir!
Mr.Verma You are quite diplomat, aren’t you?
Assistant I think I’ll have to wash your hair first, before I cut it. Please bend forward. There you are. Do you want it dried before I cut it ?
Mr. Verma What do you recommend ?
Assistant May be, I’ll cut your hair first and then dry it if necessary. How would then dry it if necessary. How would you like to have your hair cut. Sir?
Mr.Verma Short. You know one has to look dignified at my age?
Assistant Right Sir. Do you want the hair cleaned off your neck, too?
Mr.Verma Yes, Please.
Assistant (Finishing the hair-cut and holding up a mirror behind Mr.Verma). Is that all right, Sir?
Mr.Verma That’s fine. Thank you. I don’t think I need to have my hair dried, do you?
Assistant Perhaps, I’ll dry your hair with a hand dryer. It is cold outside and you might catch a chill.
Mr.Verma All right, young man. Use your dryer. In olden days one never heard of hair dryers in a barber’s shop.
Assistant These days everyone has to use a hair dryer, because the haire are kept long. Long hair for men are set into shape with a hand dryer.
Mr.Verma You would hardly be doing any business. Not many must be coming to have their hair cut.
Assistant On the contrary. Men with long hair have to send a lot of time setting their hair and they come to is often to have their hair washed, trimmed and set
Mr.Verma Do you dye hair, too?
Assistant Yes, we do. For hair like yours, which are just beginning to turn grey, we recommend the use of henna (mehendi). This dyes your without any ill effects and is also a good conditioner .
Mr. Verma Mehendi or henne is a very old method of dying hair and was used by my grand parents.
Assistant To-day, the value of herbs lotions, oils, creams and beauty aids used by our grand mothers are being rediscovered. There you are, Sir. Your hair is all dry.
Mr.Verma Thank you very much. I enjoyed my chat with you. (gives him a tip and leaves).

(B) Meanings

cubicle a small room for dressing or sleeping
tone up improve the quality
scalp the skin on the head
fad crazy ideas
diplomat one who is a member of the Foreign Service. A tactful person
recommend suggest
henna a yellowish red dye made from mehendi leaf powder.
herb a medicinal plant
barber a man who cuts men’s hair and also shaves beards.

(C) Study the following responses:

1. Women’s beauty shops have come up with women’s obsession with beauty. But what was the need for men’s hair dressing shops?
Responses : The ladies and men’s hairdressing shops are not entirely a faddish idea. These shops cater to a need of the population. In large urban centres, the old fashioned barber (Nai) cannot function any more. So people have to go somewhere to have their haircut. The haircutting service has become institutionalized in the form of shops. As with other businesses, more and more facilities are provided to attract customers to these haircutting shops.

2. Do you think that people should wear wigs, if they are bald?
Responses : It is natural for a person, man or woman to want to look nice. In case a person has lost his or her hair prematurely, then there is no harm in wearing a wig. A man’s full head wig is called a topee. Ladies wear wigs as a fashion aid. Some ladies are too busy to spare time to have their hair dressed at hairdressers, so they wear wigs which are done up at the hairdressers. Ladies also use wigs and switches in addition to their own natural hair to make some of the more complicated hair- styles. There is no harm in wearing wigs if a person feels like it.

(D) Make suitable responses:

1. How would you like your hair styled?
Response _____________________________
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2. Terrible weather we are having this week, aren’t we?
Responses ______________________________
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