Don't be deceived! Ever been to a place that kept laying on more and more products without telling you the price? In this country there are things that that barber stores offer that wouldn't be offered in the states. A massage, something I thought was normal with a haircut here, plus a few other features ended up costing me what a normal haircut in the US would be. I'm a bit upset. Granted, when I think about what all I got for 20 bucks I'm pretty happy if I think in US terms, but here it felt like highway robbery.
Here's the story...
I wanted my hair cut a certain way, not too short, but cleaned up. Wow, it happened perfectly. I'm quite happy with this, moving out to the next question, "Do you want conditioner?" Seeing that it looked like some sort of a hair gel, I thought that it was a conditioning gel that I'd walk out with. "Okay, sure, why not?" As he applies this... "You have an awful lot of blackheads, do you want a facial?" Okay, so this sounds a bit weird, but I have been shaving with just a razor since July, since January I have used shaving cream about 10% of the time, and I never have aftershave. I also haven't put on any moisturizer since July. My face needs something. "Okay, sure." As all of this is going on, I'm thinking of how much this might cost, never thinking it will get beyond 500 taka ($7.15 roughly). The massage starts as well, this is something that I've had done before and never really have asked for but never really felt that it was expensive. However, this massage was really awkward and I had to remind myself that this culture has a different idea of what personal space is. I mean, it was basically just a little too close for comfort.
Now throughout this entire thing there were a lot of things I was really not asked about (hence the large fee) but there were a few things. Aside from the normal questions about my hair the other questions were "hair dye?" "No." "milk in tea?" "No." Then very quietly he asked "you want someone to come to your home? (prostitute)" "WHAT? NO!!!" I was in a barbour shop, not on a rickshaw, and I was being offered this? Well, needless to say my opinion of this barber changed as did my opinion of this barber shop. At this point, I was on my way out. Thinking that the worse was behind me, but oh now, I had yet to see the bill. As I generously began to take out my 500 taka bill I saw 1400 taka ($20) on the calculator. I was outraged. I had not been shown the prices for most of these things until now. I said "no, you didn't even ask me if I wanted some of these things." I didn't have that amount of money on me either. I got him down to a discount of 1300 taka...still 600 taka more than I had on me. Okay, so what happens now? He came with me to my apartment building. This creepy barber whom I no longer wanted anything to do with and whom I was ready to yell at was following me home. I said, "I'm not happy, you didn't tell me the price, good work with my hair, but I am not happy about the price." We get to my building, "wait here" I tell him as he stands by the gate to the building. I go upstairs, not taking the elevator so he wouldn't know what floor I was on. I come inside my apartment. I am feeling more upset and ready to go back the states more than ever before when I realize that this man hasn't overcharged me, I just fell into a really good con. I thought to myself, "What would 20 bucks get me in the states? Not this!" Feeling somewhat better I came down stairs and paid the man. I told him we had a misunderstanding and he left happy.
Overall I feel that I've learned what to do and what not to do when going to get my haircut in Dhaka. I am reminded of college when I once went to a place and had a great haircut for 4 times what it should have cost me. I was fooled then and I have been fooled again and sadly enough I am guessing that I'll be fooled at least once more in my life.