During my primary school years in Hong Kong, my dad used to take me to an old back-alley barber in Mong Kok. The place was run-down and uncomfortable, and the barber uncles were not exactly the gentle type. I remember reading the free Lo Fu Gee (Old Master Q) comics while waiting for my turn.
At the time, my parents liked me to have a botak-style haircut, so the uncle basically just had to shave my head. I didn’t like the electric clippers, but they also used a razor blade around the sides, and strangely, I liked the sensation. I remember one uncle warning me, “This is a knife, so don’t move or it might cut your skin.” Meanwhile, I was hoping he would take his time, as I was enjoying it.
Like a typical child, once I became a teenager and had the freedom to choose my own hairstyle, I never went back to such short hair.
Time passed. I’m less averse to short hair now, and I’ve found a place that also uses a razor blade. As a bonus, the haircut comes with a little head and shoulder massage. I get my hair cut once every month or two. It has become another one of those small pleasures in life that I treasure.
P.S. This is probably the kind of “small stuff” Ian Bogost refers to in his book. Here’s a podcast.
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