My flight back to Lisbon is cancelled, by the airline. So is my long looking forward trip back to Lisbon. Before shits hit the fence, when I told my friends and co-workers that I am leaving china for vacations in Europe end of June, most of them were worried that I may not be able to come back and advise me to stay in China where it is currently supposedly the safest place.
To do, or not not to do?
As a foreigner local living here for a year and 8 months now, I seem to be constantly reminded, in sort of an uncomfortable way, the impossibly ridiculous, back to ancient times, inexplicable and unnecessary hail storm of bureaucracy and paper works. All I want to do, as a good resident,
Hair Salon
Cefalu, Thursday 23 July 2015
The one shop that this touristic town has most in number, apart from souvenir shops and gelataria (ice-cream shops) are hair salons/barbers. We know that the Italians love their hair, and Italian men and women are obsessed with the look of their hair. After soaking in the unbearable heat and humidity for 2 weeks, I gave up doing my hair as there is absolutely no point nor hope to revitalize it, I have decided to give it a try at one of these many hair salons. Usually I cut my own hair, at home. But I guess when in Rome! The visit to the salon is quite an interesting experience. The one I went is a small cute family-run parrucchiere on one of the main streets of Cefalu. Orchestrated by father and son, it is a whole stage for social interaction and entertaining. Now I understand why salons are so popular here, apart from the ‘hair’ thing. It is an important part of their lives! Sitting on the salon chair, the mirror becomes the screen broadcasting live entertainment show within this set-up. How regulars enter the salon, doing their rounds of kissing the hosts on the cheeks, Umberto and Serge, father and son, starts their performance cutting hair, trimming, shaving, mixing colors, perming, steaming, while the whole time chatting and talking with their hands, like the true Italians, with the scissors and comb and shavers waving on top of our heads at close distance, but never really at risk to the customers, just nervous, for the untrained heart. When done, Serge the son asked me proudly, ‘you like it?’ eager for recognition of his satisfied work. And in fact, yes I do, I answered. It was quite a pleasant and interesting experience. Felt almost like back to the past in the 80s, but on stage.
Noisy with the Locals
Cefalu, 19 July 2015
Next time, as cute as local as convenient as they are, remind me not to rent an apartment in Sicily in a narrow alley where the good old Italian neighbors are 2 feet apart and loves a good sometimes passionate (agitated) group chit chat talking across their balconies early in the morning, where the sound of a little stroll or roller luggage dragging down the street is amplified as if via a loud speaker right into within the walls of the apartment, where the proud-to-be-loud Italian gas scooters va-vroom their F1 arrival across the street, where the old-fashion fisherman/fishmonger with the strongest lungs broadcasts his catch of the day the whole town could hear him, and where you could hear baby crying, people talking, shower water running, washing machine working, tv showing and telephone ringing.
Setting up Internet Connection at Home
Cefalu, 2 June 2015
I have been trying to set up Internet connection at home for days.
First day, "impossible to activate connection as one of your codes are incorrect". Second day, "shop is closed" (weekend). Third day, "shop is closed" (weekend). Fourth day morning, "shop is closed" (closed on Monday morning). Fourth day afternoon, he gave me the 'correct code' but it still couldn't work, so he said "try again tomorrow". Fifth day, "impossible for to activate connection as your SIM is not connected to our system". When I called the hotline guy, he said, "TRY AGAIN TOMORROW".