Loving Life in Edinburgh

Are you ready to smile? Check out this bit of news about the Haymarket Train Station in town. It just so happens to be the closest station to our flat.

Also of note, I had my first Scottish salon experience today. Having been warned by a fellow ex-pat American -- before I moved -- that I would be unable to leave a salon without a bit of Brit in my hair, I've been avoiding ... and well, procrastinating ... going to the salon. There are several reasons. Everyone knows the U.S. dollar is about as low as it has been against the Pound since my birth -- so the price of a haircut here has encouraged my avoidance. However, the price has very little to do with it. My main reason for avoiding the salon is the product most salons turn out. You'd really have to be here in person to see it (think: you're sitting in your local salon flipping through their book of all the different hairstyles and you don't see one hairstyle anyone on this side of the Atlantic would don). Since I would feel incredibly rude asking random people on the street if I could take a picture of their hair, I will do my best to describe the "looks" with words. Actually, I'll allow a local hairstylist to describe one particular local look:

"I am a hairdresser at charlie miller in frederick street edinburgh, they are hosting auditions for their young artistic team this week and i am wanting to apply, for this i need to present a cut and colour model in front of a panel of judges. Unfortunatly i haven't found any one yet and am looking for someone who is quite funky and will be willing to have their hair quite short. The colouring will be blonds coppers and pastels preferably but cant be changed, in return the model will have there hair done free of charge for 6 months." - Edinburgh's Gumtree

Hence, my avoidance ........

However, all went well today. My new friend, T , did a fabulous job of keeping my "natural" look. He served me peppermint tea and I flipped through a British fashion mag and he shared with me that he was going on holiday in Miami next year for 24 days. Holiday means vacation. One cultural observation: salons here aren't gossip galas like they are back home. I was literally the only customer in the entire salon talking to my hairdresser. Anyways, Mission Salon is now accomplished. Now on to the bigger and better missions.