A Conversation with a Hairdresser

Written by Helen Sneha 

*Names have been changed to protect the individuals' privacy.

     Not too long into our stay in Iloilo, we discovered a salon at SM City Mall, our favorite haunt only minutes away from the UPV campus, that would shampoo and blow dry your hair for only PHP100, half the price than the same would cost in Malaysia. Naturally, after the first two visitors from our cohort had been there and passed the word around, they were visited by a couple of our travellers from Malaysia almost every other day, as we went in twos and threes to get our hair done. One hairdresser in particular would invariably strike up a conversation with the person waiting around for their friend to finish getting their hair dried. He was inordinately friendly and remembered most of our names, even though many of us had only been there once. Following a particularly long discussion with him one day, I decided to interview him and document some of his experiences and thoughts on current issues.

  Mr Lorenzo is thirty-nine years old. He is a father to four sons, the eldest of whom has just started high school. Aside from hairdressing, he is currently pursuing a teaching degree. This article includes how he became a hairdresser, why he selected English as his major in university, and some of his views on current affairs. 

On becoming a hairdresser: 

    Mr Lorenzo initially studied criminology for two years, beginning in 1987. However, he did not enter the police force as he said the government required a minimum four-year course for that to be possible. By the time he was eligible in terms of qualifications, he had exceeded the maximum age limit for joining, so he could not become a policeman. Having turned thirty and gotten married by then, he enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education at the University of Iloilo, pursuing a major in English. As he put it, he was glad that “no age limit exists on education here in the Philippines”. 

     Typically, Mr Lorenzo attends classes from 7 am to noon every day, and then works as a hairdresser from 1 pm onwards. He described his time management as “divided” between university and work. Hairdressing was something he said he picked up while he was still a child at home, in fact, since he was three years old and began practicing cutting his own hair. The skill has continued till now, and he says that it is the “source of [his] livelihood and [his] study haircutting”. 

On becoming an English major: 

    According to Mr Lorenzo, he never spoke English even through high school. However, he perceives fluent English to be a major asset in today’s world and calls it “a second language, internationally”, which is why he selected it as his major in university. He does, however, keenly feel the loss of native languages as individuals pick up English and other more globally relevant languages. Mr Lorenzo comes from the province of Jaminadam Capiz, where a language called Aklanon is spoken. However, returning to his province after 10 years, he found that the native language had changed from what it was when he was last there. He understands this to be part of the “dynamic nature” of language and says that “native languages for individuals often are lost or change when new languages are introduced”. 

On current affairs: 

     Despite being “the kind of person that doesn't really like long travel – in fact, not even short trips to Boracay or Manila”, Mr Lorenzo believes in staying well-informed and is a self-described “fanatical reader of newspapers”. He often uses the internet to communicate with people about news and feels that reading the news equips him with “important information”. He is well-aware of issues surrounding poverty and cites it as the main reason behind why millions of Filipinos leave the country to go abroad every year. Extreme poverty also leaves the door open for a vicious cycle of crime, corruption, and extortion, he feels. 

    We concluded our discussion amicably, and he wished me good luck for the rest of the study trip and my stay in the Philippines. When I wished him well for the rest of his teaching degree, he smiled and said, “Well, that's my passion. I like to teach. I am happy when I'm teaching."



Blogger Profile
Helen is a third-year Bachelor of Arts student, double-majoring in Writing and International Studies. She is hopelessly interested in tennis, funky rings, dinosaurs, and the human hand.