Day 23 (145 days left) of my study abroad program in Baguio, Philippines.
It often rains in Baguio in September. Even so, it doesn’t rain all day long, but usually comes down in short surges between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. I’ve gotten used to avoiding it. The daily minimum temperature is a comfortable 18 degrees Celsius and the maximum is 26 degrees Celsius, but the humidity is 70-80%. I would say it is about as comfortable as May in Japan.
It has been three weeks since I arrived in Baguio, and my hair is growing even in a foreign country. As expected, my hair has grown quite long, so I decided to go for a haircut. I am not particularly particular about my hair, but in Japan, I always had my hair cut at about 9mm because I had to wear a hat in my job.
When I was in Cambodia for work about 5 years ago, I went to a store owned by a Japanese owner in Hiyoko, but in Baguio I went to a local store run by local staff. I would like to review the restaurant immediately.
This time, I visited Kwentong Barbero Barbershop.
The barbershop I visited this time is more like a barbershop than a barber shop. It is located near the city center, about 2 minutes walk from the famous “Good taste restaurant” and near Burnham Park.
The rating on Google maps is 4.4 Stars (78), which is a safe number. I didn’t have any information about haircut shops, so I chose this one because it seemed to have a good reputation.
Here is a look at the outside and inside of the store. It was as clean and beautiful as its reputation. There are six reclining chairs in a row, just like in Japan, and three men on staff to cut hair. When I went there, two of the staff were working on other customers, and an available staff member guided me right in.
Under the large mirror stand, there are about 5 types of scissors, clippers, hair irons, hair dryers, and other assorted items.
I ordered a cut, but…
At the beginning of the cut, I showed them an old picture of me and ordered a cut like this, but to my surprise, they did not understand English. I was quite worried at this point, but he said “◎△$♪×¥○&%#? OK?” I had no choice but to reply “OK.
The only thing left to do was to trust the finished product. I ordered it with the image of the length as shown in this picture.
Just like in Japan, a towel is wrapped around the neck and a cape covers the whole body. At first, the clippers began to carefully trim the hair from the fringe to the collar. I thought, “I don’t like it when this place gets jagged,” but I was willing to accept everything.
However, they did not cut it very short, not insanely short to the touch, but cut it just right. Next is the border with the skin around the ears, where he applies cream and shaves carefully. The rest of the hair is scissored smoothly from the side of the head to the top of the head.
The hair was not wetted, so the cut was natural, but a clump of hair about 1 cm in length fluttered down. He seemed very familiar with the process and was very pleasant during the cut.
Completion! ~Before and after~.
The hair was not wetted, so it was a natural cut, but clumps of hair about 1 cm in length were fluttering down. He looked very used to this and was very pleasant during the cut.
It was not as bad as it sounds, in fact, he made it look rather nice. My hair is soft and straight, which I am often told is a bit difficult, but they did a beautiful job.
The price was 250 pesos (about 625 yen) for a cut only. It was so cheap I almost flipped over. I really wanted to try the shampoo, but the only conversation I had with the receptionist was “Hair cut?
Summary
As a result of having a haircut in Baguio, Philippines, I was [very satisfied]. I had the impression that many local people waxed their hair tightly, and I thought there would be few people who let it flow smoothly, so I was prepared for an unfamiliar haircut, but my fears ended in vain.
When I told the doctor later that I was very satisfied with the result, he said, “250 pesos, that’s a little expensive. The doctor told me that a haircut for a woman usually costs about 200 pesos, so it seems that this barbershop was a little more expensive.
There are many barbershops in town that have no door at the entrance and leave the door open. I guess it would be cheaper there, but for 250 pesos for this quality, I was totally satisfied. If I decide to go to an even cheaper barbershop, I’ll write about it then. See you soon!