I confess.  I color my hair—often.  Have been for decades.  It grows rapidly and this becomes a problem when traveling as I am not fond of the “skunk” look along the part.  The search for a solution generally begins about two weeks into any trip.  Where does one find hair coloring?  This is not a problem in the US.  Our “drug” stores carry everything from salads to sewing supplies.  Not so in other countries.  Drugs are what they sell.  I have learned to say “color” and “hair” in multiple languages attempting to locate the right place.  Sign language is also a handy tool.  Get the words wrong and you may end up in a hardware store.  The European countries are easiest.  The right color and brand are readily available once the type of store is determined.  Not so the Asian and African countries.

Western Kenya was the first site of failure in the search.  After a frantic run to a store guaranteed to have just the right brand and color—frantic because the store was closing in ten minutes and the bus was leaving early the next morning—no luck.  Well, not exactly.  Color they had.  All of it varying shades of red.  Dilemma.  Go red or skunk.  I go for red.  After all, it’s only hair and it grows fast.  With that experience in mind, a new solution was in order.

The solution?  Visit the local hairdressers!  Women throughout the world want to look good and it all starts with hair so there is always a hair salon.  What an amazing way to engage in a culture and get an entirely different perspective of a country .   The hairdresser in Saigon who took years off my life with a perfect, straight bob and color with only a hint of red.

The lovely ladies in Lombok who shared all of their family secrets—one divorced, one widowed, several with boyfriends, another looking—and curious about my story.  The coloring process took hours and worth every minute.  The struggling woman in Columbo, Sri Lanka who wasn’t willing or able to pay the price for getting recommendations from the hotels.  She was raising a handicapped son on her own.  A proud and determined individual with a devoted clientele.

And, most recently, Myanmar, at the beach, where the language barrier was great but smiles and gesticulations carried the day.  With lots of suggestions from all who wandered into the shop and those who worked there, the end result was most satisfying.  Next, South India!

So, about the hair, go local and never look back.