"Ingrid, he's smacking your hair" / our trip to the hairdresser

Ainsling and I decided to be brave and to try a trip to the hairdresser. We had been given the name of a place that Tynessa had been to. We should have known that it would be one laugh after another.
We got there, and no-one spoke English, other than "hello", and "waiting please". The main stylist wasnt there, so they rang him, presumably to say "help, two foreigners, come quickly!".
He turned up in a sparkling shirt and scarf, jeans, and cowboy boots. We were relieved,because we all know that good clothees = good hair stylist.
One of the many assistants then got me ready. Either the assistant was trying to impress me or the boss, because everything was done with a flourish, albeit very slowly. He spent AGES making sure the cape thing it was on perfectly straight. then instead of washing my hair, he sprayed it with water, and put what i can only hope was detangler in, and then HE STARTED SMACKING MY HAIR! there was no other explanation for it. Ainsling watching the whole procedure, giggling away, and I was trying not to laugh. Then i had my haircut, and then they washed my hair. and the whole time there were at least 4 other assistants watching. AND, one assistant had the job of making sure no cut hair fell on my face, and if it did, he delicately removed it with a sponge. what an important job: the sponge man.
After we were both finished, we had to have a photoshoot with the hair-stylist. I would like to think that it was because of our amazing good looks, but Tynessa also had the same treatment last week, so it was probably more because we were white. Or, Tynessa, Ainsling and I were ALL amazingly goodlooking.