Chapter 76
Haircuts
You would think that something as easy as getting a haircut would not be a problem. It wouldn’t be if you could speak Chinese but when you can’t, then it’s a problem. The first year that I was in Luoyang, one of the teachers took me to a place to get a haircut close to the school. After that, a couple other friends took Justin and I to different places so we didn’t have to worry about anything.
The second year, I went back to that first shop by the school that I was shown and went there from then on. There was the lady (Lu Yanling) that was the owner and I think there were three other girls there. The owner would give me the haircut and one of the girls would give me what I guess you could call a massage. I would sit in the chair and she would massage my shoulders, hands and arms. That was really nice. It cost ten yuan extra, $1.20, and it was worth it. The shop was a small place just like many of the stores on the streets. Maybe ten by twenty feet.
The second time that I went to Luoyang I had a friend take me to the barbershop that was a block from where I lived. It was a bigger place, had maybe ten chairs. The barbers were all men. There were a couple of girls there also that did things like taking care of towels, supplies, money, did the bookkeeping, washing the customer’s hair and other things that needed to be done in the shop. After being their once, they would remember me and what to do.
The second time that I went to Luoyang I had a friend take me to the barbershop that was a block from where I lived. It was a bigger place, had maybe ten chairs. The barbers were all men. There were a couple of girls there also that did things like taking care of towels, supplies, money, did the bookkeeping, washing the customer’s hair and other things that needed to be done in the shop. After being their once, they would remember me and what to do.
Like always, I was the only foreigner so it was easy for them to remember how to cut my hair. We couldn’t talk to each other. They were very good at cutting my hair and it was so close to where I lived. It cost twenty yuan, $3.50, for washing my hair, cutting it and washing it again afterwards. Much cheaper than here in the US.
When I went back to Luoyang that second time in 2010, I went to where Lu Yanling had that shop on Xing Xu Lu by the Number One school to see if she was still there but it was a different business now.
When I went back to Luoyang that second time in 2010, I went to where Lu Yanling had that shop on Xing Xu Lu by the Number One school to see if she was still there but it was a different business now.
Chapter 77
Deodorant
This may seem like a strange topic to write about but as you read it you will understand. This story is about the first time I went to Luoyang in 2002-2004. I think I took three containers of deodorant along. I figured that would be enough to last for awhile and I could find some in Luoyang.
After I'd been there for some time and had gotten used to things, I would look around in stores for deodorant as I walked around but didn't find any. When I had one container left, I thought I should get serious about finding some. I asked one of my Chinese friends if she would help me. When I told her that I wanted to find some deodorant, she didn't understand what it was. She didn't know this English word. I explained it to her and what it was for and then she knew. We went to different stores that she thought may have some. I think we went to six stores before we finally found some. And to my surprise it was an Avon store. I was so happy when they had it. The containers were small so I bought several. But at least I could get it when I needed it. There were Avon stores here and there in Luoyang. There were also a few Amway stores. Two familiar stores from the US.
There is more to the story. The reason that my friend didn't know much about deodorant is because many people in China don't use it. There is a reason for that. They eat Chinese food and their bodies don't smell like Americans do because of the difference in the food. We eat junk food and other kinds of food that the Chinese don't and that is why there is a difference.
There is more to the story. The reason that my friend didn't know much about deodorant is because many people in China don't use it. There is a reason for that. They eat Chinese food and their bodies don't smell like Americans do because of the difference in the food. We eat junk food and other kinds of food that the Chinese don't and that is why there is a difference.
I had been there long enough and I was used to eating Chinese food that my body had changed over from eating American food. I thought I would experiment. I would go 2-3 days without using deodorant and I didn't stink. I took a shower every night of course but I didn't use deodorant and I was fine. I was so used to using deodorant all my life that I felt uncomfortable not using it so I continued to use it but not as often. Maybe I could tell one other thing that would go along with this story. The Asian body has only half as many sweat glands as we do. That may make a difference also.
When I went back the second time to Luoyang, 2010-2013, I could find deodorant more available in stores.
When I went back the second time to Luoyang, 2010-2013, I could find deodorant more available in stores.
Chapter 78
Squat Toilets
Yep, they are just what the name signifies. Here in the states we have western toilets. The name doesn’t really signify anything just that they are from the western world. Squat toilets tell you what you have to do in order to use them. When you go into a place to eat, shop or a bathroom in a park, you will find these. Usually if you go into hotels and restaurants, especially the nice ones, you will find western toilets. As the years go on, more and more places have both. Apartments in the older buildings have squat toilets. The new buildings have western toilets.
A squat toilet is usually a hole in the floor with a porcelain fixture around it, you do not sit down like on a western toilet, you drop your pants and actually squat down and go. There will be a tank above and you pull a rope to let the water down to flush it. The Chinese, maybe most Asian people, are brought up this way and they are used to squatting down and it is no problem for the legs to bend so you get low to the floor.
For us western people, we sit on the stool and don’t have to drop way down and bend our legs like for the squat toilets so it is very difficult for us to use them. I always dreaded being somewhere and having to use one. During the five years that I was in China, I only had to use it two times. One was in a restaurant and the other time was in school. There was a bar in the stall and I hung onto it to let myself down but I did twist my back and I hurt for a couple of days.
One time I was walking at Luopu Park and had to use the bathroom. I walked in and there were four stalls. Three of them had squat toilets and the fourth one was a western toilet. On the door of the western toilet was a sign that said, “for the handicapped”. I laughed and laughed. I was always going to stop there again when I had my camera and take a picture but I didn’t.
As long as I am on the subject of toilets, maybe this is a good place to talk about something else that is related. When you have to go to the restroom in China, you don’t just walk into a store and find one. There may be a public restroom, there may not. There aren’t convenience stores on every corner like here. So then what do you do?
One time I was walking at Luopu Park and had to use the bathroom. I walked in and there were four stalls. Three of them had squat toilets and the fourth one was a western toilet. On the door of the western toilet was a sign that said, “for the handicapped”. I laughed and laughed. I was always going to stop there again when I had my camera and take a picture but I didn’t.
As long as I am on the subject of toilets, maybe this is a good place to talk about something else that is related. When you have to go to the restroom in China, you don’t just walk into a store and find one. There may be a public restroom, there may not. There aren’t convenience stores on every corner like here. So then what do you do?
The first time when I was there I would be out walking and noticed signs on the streets that said there would be one ahead or a sign with an arrow pointing to the right or left. I learned and remembered where these places were because they can be a very important place when you need one. At that time, there was an attendant and you would pay to use those facilities. It only cost a few cents in our money. If you needed the small packet of tissue to use, you paid a little more.
The second time I was in China, it was easier to find them and they were free. By the time that I left in 2013, I could find a group of them in places on the streets. It was like a small building where you walk in and there were four rooms that you could go into and shut the door. I guess they would be comparable to our port-a-potties.
If you are in a restaurant and need to go, you could just ask someone that worked there where the WC is. This is a British term. It stands for water closet. Everyone knows what those initials stand for. If you go to China, make sure you remember those two very important initials.
Something funny to go along with this. There was a computer game that was popular when I was in China called War Craft. I do not play computer games but I was aware of this one because I had heard people talk about it because it was so popular. Sometime later War Craft III came out. So one day in one of my classes, I made the comment that the computer game WC3 had come out, that is how it was advertised, and asked how many played it. Just as I said it, I realized what I said and of course everyone laughed.
If you are in a restaurant and need to go, you could just ask someone that worked there where the WC is. This is a British term. It stands for water closet. Everyone knows what those initials stand for. If you go to China, make sure you remember those two very important initials.
Something funny to go along with this. There was a computer game that was popular when I was in China called War Craft. I do not play computer games but I was aware of this one because I had heard people talk about it because it was so popular. Sometime later War Craft III came out. So one day in one of my classes, I made the comment that the computer game WC3 had come out, that is how it was advertised, and asked how many played it. Just as I said it, I realized what I said and of course everyone laughed.
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