Fernanda’s High Hair Styles

I am a balding man. I don’t need fancy haircuts. Any haircut makes me feel young, sexy, and fast (yes, fast). I have been loyal to Fernanda for several years now.
I like the fact that her son runs a reggaeton and Latin pop CD shop in the store’s doorway. Drunks on the street mistake this soft spoken young man for a bouncer and stay out. I always have the same conversation with Fernanda’s rotating cast of helpers.
«You India. No, you Arab.» They try to guess why I don’t speak Spanish.
«Yes. Yes. Pakistan» I acknowledge
«You know Eddie at the corner store? He is also Palestinian. Your women are so beautiful. Move and dance so sexy. Long straight hair shine like silk.»
I accept the compliment. They are all my women. Pakistani vs. Palestinian is a useless distinction. Pakistani women spend a fifth of the national GDP on shampoos and leave-​in conditioners. They deserve their Latina admirers.
They let me get away with not knowing Spanish, or the kind of haircut I want. I shrug my shoulders and say things like «todos bien» to all technical haircut questions. In the end they insist that I specify the shape of neck trim. I don’t care, but they don’t accept that. Over the years I have learned to say «cuadrado» (square) and «redondo» (round). Knowing one of these words is the key to getting over this ridiculous impasse.
I never see any white people or Mission hipsters here. I suspect that the hipsters are convinced that the no-​cut shag look can only be achieved for free in the kitchen sink, or for $ 120 at fancy salons. I bet these talented and meticulous women can handle it for about $ 8 – 10.