Yet it was time to join the hairdressers here in Doha. For quite a while I haven't been to one, so I decided to get the experience over here. Looking at a proposed project duration of almost three years I would have to go anyway.

Directly next to the hotel there are many tiny shops, dealing with everyday's needs. Amongst them is a hairdresser, Indian owned, with three chairs inside. Opening hours are not published, on request you are told that they are available from 8am to 11.30am and again in the afternoon up to almost midnight. I asked if it was possible to get a haircut and was immediately invited to take a seat.

The first guy to take care of me had some problems to fit the paper towel around my neck. Somehow the adhesive parts were out of service. But different to Europe, over here they take the collar of your shirt and fold it to the inside to prevent cut hair to nest on it and be a pain in the neck afterwards. He then watered my hair with a spray and combed it completely.

Then the figaro himself, the Indian boss, arrived. He re-fixed the paper towel and the cape the first guy tried to fix. Then he offered me a tea. With milk and sugar. No chance of refusal. Before he could begin his work, his mobile rang. "Oh, call from India, New Delhi", he said, answering the phone in hindi. After ten minutes the call was finished and he started working on my head.

Ok, my right ear in fact. For a good 15 minutes he cut the hair around it, trimming like I was a film star, always trying to improve his last results. In between he had to answer two more phone calls, this time the landline. Also the news on tv had to be increased in volume. Anyway, at some stage he also reached my left ear, cut here and there but not my skin and left a quite nice looking guy in the chair.

Then he offered me a face massage which I tried to refuse. No chance. At least he did not start shaving, but this was offered, too. Guy number three then was assigned for the head and face massage, which included also parts of the back and both arms. All done without looking at me, because the news in hindi were more interesting.

When it came to the point of paying, I asked how much it was. "Whatever you like" was the repeated answer. And this is the part I don't like. How much do you give for this service which is heavily extended to what you experience in Europe? (Or at least what I normally experience?) The more you give, the more you spoil those people. The less you give, the more you insult them.

So I decided to pay 50 Rials which is most probably far too much, but compared to Europe still very cheap.

I was not beaten when I left the shop.

Did you find out in the meantime whether the amount you paid was adequate?
Personally I started to grow my hair since I was off work and haven't been to a hairdresser's since - and I'm not planning to have my hair cut until I finally go on old-age pension .... by then it will probably reach the lower back considering the rate of growth. Once it is long enough I'm planning to wear it pig-tail-like - and I will post a picture in my own weblog from then on every four weeks - to demonstrate continuing growth ....

(As almost everyone is considering older people to be strange - why not feed the monster? At least I am not going to have a problem with my looks ....)

that the amount was not adequate. Late, but not too late.

One of my colleagues who is living in this country for quite a while told me that Indian hairdressers normally take around 15 Rials. He himself knows a Turkish hairdresser that takes something in between 25 and 30 Rials, excluding massages. So next time I will know what to give if the answer on my question is "whatever you like".

And regarding ponytail like hair: it is definitely not my style. And additionally I doubt that my hair will grow that long. But I never tried. Maybe I need to grow old and buy a Harley to find out.

But then I will also need the Harley knickers.

ach gott... warum schreiben sie denn nun auf englisch? da muss ich mich ja beim lesen anstrengen!!
wieviel sind denn 50 rials so ungefähr in euro?
ich persönlich habe tatsächlich 55 tacken beim letzten frisörbesuch gelassen... man hatte mir strähnchen aufgeschwatzt. aber dafür gabs kaffee, frau im spiegel und gala umsonst. hat man ihnen auch die ohrhaare ausgebrannt? da gucke ich immer so gerne zu wenn ein ahnungsloser tourist in diese falle tappt :-)