Natural Day

I've always had this fascination for parlours, I mean hair spas not anything else. It stems solely from the fact that I had never (note usage of tense! :P) been to one, till today. I went to Naturals at Cantonement in Trichy this afternoon to get a "makeover". My cousin's marriage falls on the following Sunday, so I wanted to look my best! *toothy grin* So I woke up at around 9 a.m. and left my college by, around 10 a.m. after enquiring with my day scholar friend, +Veena Swaminathan as to the whereabouts of Naturals in Trichy. I knew that there was one at this place called "Cantonement" but I didn't know how to get there and I wasn't very sure about the name of the place either. So I asked her where there are Naturals salons in Trichy and I found out that there were two more in Trichy - one in this place called "Kattur" and another in "LIC Colony". The latter was much easier to pronounce but she said it was better if I went to Kattur cuz it was closer to college and I had a direct bus to that place. I wouldn't have to switch buses to get there. But woe is me. This conversation happened over text and I didn't really get how to pronounce that. :P So when I alighted upon a bus outside college, I asked the conductor if it would go to Kattur (with an emphasis on the 'tt') and he replied in the negative. (Later found out that it's supposed to be pronouced 'kaatur' :P) Taking this as an opportunity to explore the city of Trichy on my own, I bought a ticket to the main bus stand and decided to find out if there really was a Naturals at Cantonement. The bus journey was fairly uneventful except for a baby that wouldn't stop bawling and a reckless conductor giving advice to some guy to get off a running bus so that he could save energy by not having to walk all the way from the actual bus stand to his destination. (The wise youth declined the conductor's offer!). I eventually got off at the main bus stand and boarded another bus after enquiring if it would go to my desired destination. That bus had 2 very talkative policemen who had me engrossed in their conversation. I eventually reached this place called Thillai Nagar (which is like 2km from my destination). The person sitting beside me, on being questioned about the location of Cantonement, told me that I had missed it. So I got off immediately and switched my mobile internet and GPS and keyed in the variables and presto! Google Navigation™ directed me to my destination. It was a sweaty walk but Lindsey Stirling accompanied me! :) I finally reached the purple doors of Naturals and walked in, for the first time in my life. It really was not worth all the hype I had created in my head. They had a reception, which wouldn't be there in my usual "Topaz Saloon" (which, I must add, gives me amazing oil massages for just 1/3rd the price I was to pay here). I was quite disappointed by the front office people. They didn't even know how to explain what they had to offer. All that guy could say was, "1947 offer, package, coupon". What was I to make of that? :P And then when he realized he wasn't getting through to me he asked me to wait a while and came back with some Filipino lady (or dude, I really don't know!). She/He explained what they had in store and etc, etc... The general routine, deciding which one to pick and all ended soon and I was shown into the salon. One more "this doesn't need so much hype" moment. It was just your usual barber shop. I sat down and relaxed with WhatsApp while the guy at my service bustled around collecting things he would need. Then started the professionalism. The last time I had that velcro tape thing put on my neck before the drape was cloaked over me was in Dubai. It stops the hair cut from your head from falling all over your body. Nice. Then he spent like 30 minutes cutting my hair. Nothing new, nothing extraordinary. His work was good though. I got what I wanted! ;) :) Only after that was the awesome part. Free shampooing with the haircut. I was flabbergasted! I always had this notion that this would happen only in movies and that nothing can save me from having a bath after I got back from a haircut. This did! :D That done, we moved on to some weird "hair spa treatment" thing. He said he would put some unidentified cream on my head and some other potions and lotions. I didn't wanna look too excited so I just sat back and opened Facebook on my phone. I didn't want to give away my being new to that place to some random stranger. He got back with his concoction and proceeded to apply it on my hair with meticulously boring care for the next 10-15 minutes. Now this is where I gave away my "noob"ness. :P He brought in that dome thingy they use in parlours for steaming your hair (I've never really known why but I had always wanted to be in one of those) and I think the expression on my face gave it away! :P After he had set it up and placed it over my head, he asked me if this was my first time to which I said, "Yes". I couldn't answer otherwise! *oops* The rest of the session went by without much event. Another round of shampooing followed after which I was done. I got back to my hostel soon enough after my first visit to a "hair spa center"! :D ;)

P.S. I blew like 4 times the amount I would normally spend for similar treatment at Topaz Saloon but I guess once in a few years is fine! Wouldn't you agree? ;)

My new hairstyle B|