It has almost been a year since I have had a haircut. With the heat here in Ghana, I never wear my hair down. My hair is thick and has gotten so long it sticks with sweat to the nape of my neck. Why should I keep washing so much hair?
I sit and talk with some women in town who braid and style hair. I decided to ask one of them to cut my hair. She only speaks Mampruli, so it was a good language exercise. Knowing that her lack of experience with “Sulminga” hair may lead to a less than ideal result, I decided to take a chance. I brought my own comb and scissors. They brought out a giant mirror. I sat down in the chair, showed her how much I wanted trimmed and she was done in about 3 minutes. I tried to pay her for the service, but she said it was free because I was her friend. Even if I realize I need to have the haircut “cleaned up,” it was still a fun experience in language and culture and friendship.