So after avoiding the barber or hairdresser for six months, this is how I looked like now.
I know I look like crap here. I’m still tired from yesterday paintball games and my face is slightly sunburned. Sydney’s furnace temperature of 34 degrees Celsius is making things worse.
Anyway, here’s the moment of truth:
This is the longest length I’ve kept my hair. I did have long hair before but the length was previously slightly below the ear while it is now touching my shoulders.
I tied up my hair before but I usually tie up the back of my hair because my fringe was not that long enough. So this is the first time tying up my fringe and top part of my hair.
It took me 30 minutes to get it right. Even then, it looks very, very haphazardly done.
My fringe is a lot shorter than the back and sides so I’m planning to get the back and sides shorten to even it out.
When I get back to Singapore, I know the reactions I am going to get:
Twin Brother: “Wow, that’s a damn cool hairstyle”
Sister: “You look weird.” or “Wow, long hair.” or “Hey you can tie your hair!”
Parents: “Can you please cut your hair? I’ll pay for your haircut.”
Grandma: “It is very untidy, go get it cut.”
Relatives: “AIYOH! Long hair! You look Japanese.”
Friends: “Wow, cool hairstyle.” or “Funky style.” or “How long did you not cut your hair?” or “You look Japanese.”
Army Buddies: “WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS???? WHY KEEP LONG HAIR?? CUT YOUR HAIR!” or “You look Japanese.”
I’m used to these reactions by now. I got them when I kept my hair long previously, but this is the longest my hair has been. So the reactions will probably be multiplied ten-fold.
My answers to all the negative reactions?
Ignore them.
For my parents, I have a tactic. You see, my Dad kept his hair long when he was my age. So I can use that against him. Hehehehe. I can tell him that Singapore does not ban long hair anymore and guys with long hair are quite common nowadays.
It is very ironic that my Dad kept long hair back when the Singapore government banned long hair and was cracking down on youth who had long hair during the 1970s. The reason for this ban and crack down was because the Singapore government associate long hair with drugs, hooliganism and social disorder.
Guys with long hair = Rock and roll, sex, drugs, hooliganism and social disorder = BAD Western influences.
Yes, it is a very draconic and foolish law. In fact, my Dad told me that all bands/performers/singers with long hair had to cut their hair short before coming to Singapore to perform. Of course, no bands wanted that and most band avoided Singapore. The Bee Gees were the last long-haired band to perform in Singapore.
Not only that, the police would go around catching guys with long hair because it was assumed that these people were drug addicts. These guys would then get a haircut from the police force weather they liked it or not.
Just imagine, policeman going around catching long-haired guys and giving them haircuts. And this was the period when triads, gangs and the criminal underworld had a very strong presence in Singapore. Instead of catching these guys, the police went around hunting civilians with long hair.
Anyway, sometime during the late 1970s or early 1980s, I can’t remember when, the Singapore government finally lifted the ban on long hair and long-haired band/performer/singer could perform in Singapore.
But all guys, including me, still have to endure being bald and keep short hair for two years in our life.
We call that National Service.
Well, so that’s a short snippet of the history of Singaporean guys’ long hair.
Anyway, I am going to get my hair cut when I return to Singapore but only to even out the length. I’m planning to keep my hair long, probably shoulder length. After all, who knows how long I can keep my hair long? Life is short, so we should make the most of it.
As you can see, I have facial hair too. I know, I know, it doesn’t suits me and my facial hair is not thick enough to grow a proper mustache and beard. In fact, my army buddy, H, said I looked like a hobo with my facial hair and long hair.
I actually like that. I’ve always wanted to look like a hobo for some apparent reason.
He also said I looked like a Japanese. I get that comments many times and a lot of people always mistake me as a Japanese. How exactly do I look like a Japanese? HOW?
As much as I want to, I can’t shave my facial hair. I am in this competition called “Movember” and in this competition, participants are not allowed to shave or trim their facial hair. It started on 1st November and it is now 23rd November. So basically I have not shaved from the past 23 days. I am looking forward to 30th November when this competition ends.
Here’s a snapshot of the competition:
I know I am going to lose, so wish me luck and curse my competitors. I hope my competitors loose their facial hair overnight in some freak miracle. Seven more days of facial hair!
I’ve just watched Wedding Crashers and I found it hilarious. It was my first time watching it, well, not exactly first time, I did watched bits and parts of it on HBO but it was my first time watching the full length of the movie.
I must say, Owen Wilson and Vince Vaungh are great in the movie. Their acting and jokes really complement each other.
And I have a new crush on Rachel McAdams. I did watch her movies Mean Girls, The Hot Chick and Red Eye but never really gave a second thought about her. I did find her hot but didn’t really take notice of her until I watched Wedding Crashers. The three previous movies I mentioned, I watched it because of the other actresses/actors. For example, The Hot Chick was a Rob Schneider’s movie and it provided me some entertaining laughs during a boring afternoon. Besides, the pirated DVD was cheap.
Same reason for Mean Girls, I watched it because of Lindsay Lohan and Lacey Chabert and as for Red Eye, I was a fan of Cillian Murphy at that time, after seeing him as Scarecrow on Batman Begins. Yet during these movies, I’ve never took notice of Rachel McAdams until now.
For the record, I have not seen The Notebook.
I like this song that was played at the end of the movie:
That is going into my iPod, if I can get my iPod fixed.
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