Razor Ramblings
Taking from my friend Nick, who rates tiffins and teas on his blog, I figured I'd rate the quality of the barbers here in Goa. I usually get a shave close to my house in Panckula, but now that i've ventured away from that place, I've had to place my trust in a complete random. That might be hard for someone, but I'm inclined to believe that having someone else shaving you with a straight-edge is safer than me shaving myself. Anyways, here's the report.
Location: Palolem Beach Goa
Number of Nicks: 0
Rating: 4/5
On a hot day, there's nothing worse than sweating under a towel while some guy drags a razor across your face, so I have to give the guy props for putting a fan above the chair. The lather was decent, although he didn't create enough foam with the horsehair brush. This can be done by dipping it in water throughout the lathering process. Not that this was a big problem, though. After about 2 minutes with the lather on my face, I noticed it had some RUB A535 properties, i.e. it started to tingle. A new experience for me, and not necessarily an unpleasant one.
If I were rating the guy's razor technique, probably would've given him a 2 or 3. He probably had years of experience, but he seemed a little anxious. Maybe I needed to remind him that this was not like peeling a papaya....
Second go-around with the lather and razor was about as uneventful as the nightlife in Chandigarh. It is necessary, however, for that close shave.
What really won the guy bonus points was the "after shave" facial I received. First, I had peppermint-scented cream applied to my face. Next, a pink napkin pressed up against it with a whole poked in the mouth for breathing. Third, he brought out the aftershave...not sure of the brand, but it smelled nice. Finally, he brought out some yellow cream and applied that. No idea what it was, but every little bit of cream helps, I suppose.
I was asked for a face massage, but declined, thinking that my face had experienced just about enough manipulation for one day. Besides, it still had to deal with sunscreen, the sun, and aloe vera.
All-in-all, a good shave. Came out with my face feeling smoother than a baby's bottom (to quote the familiar saying). If you're ever in Palolem, make a stop by if you've been travelling for a while and need a good shave.
posted by kent @ 8:24 p.m.
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2 Comments:
Hope you don't mind if i add my own review.
I also go to the same place as Kent for a shave in Panchkula, although while i was in Rishikesh i was due a shave, so had no choice but to cheat on my regular guy.
The prospect of letting a stranger take a knife to me seemed kinda fun to me (and cheating on my regular guy made it kinda naughty!), but i wanted to make sure i went to the right sort of establishment. I was thinking somewhere small and cheap enough for the experience to feel as if i was taking a risk, but professional enough to think if i did get cut i wouldn't die of infection.
Fortunately, such a place offered itself to me just outside the hotel we were staying at, so after some breakfast designed to settle my stomach for what could be an experience that would take me running down the tunnel with that faint light at the end, i went and faced the demon.
so,
Place: Rishikesh Market
Nicks: <5 (but they were only really spots of blood)
Rating: **/5
After some haggling, i managed to get the price down to my regular 15Rs and i sat down thinking "was it such a good idea to annoy the guy with a razor in his hand over 5Rs?!" Fortunately any spitefulness he had towards me was regularly broken up before it got to a serious level by his constant trip to the side of the road to 'clear his throat'. So now i was thinking "i'm going to catch some crazy disease" and "why don't they put some newspapers open on the ceiling for me to read".
I didn't get any creams, just the soap that stings your face, and some cheap aftershave. and some warning about when he was going to spay water/aftershave in my eyes would have been nice. his rating could have been lower really, but to be fair to him, he got the job done, and i barely felt the blade on my skin. If only he could improve the ambience of his establishment.
Do you know what time it is, Ryan?
Time for you to get a blog.
Solid rating, nonetheless. I also felt a bit naughty cheating on my normal guy. Not sure if I should get a shave in delhi today or wait until tomorrow morning when I can have a familiar 7 AM shave at the corner.
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