Turkish barber lit my ear on fire.

So each time I go to the gym I pass a barber shop. They tell me it is 15 turksih lira. I tell them I'll do it for 10, and when they say "no" I just pass by the next day.

Well today the barber shop had no clients so on my way home I held up 10 figures to the window. This time they consented, grudgingly.

I tried to make happy small talk to cheer up the barber, and also for the sake of a good hair cut.

He did a great job and I was impressed. Then terror struck!

Muhammet the barber grabbed a lighter from a small compartment lit it and put it to my ear! I heard the hair on my ear singe and I winced and drew back in defense.

He was as shocked as I was., and gave me a look to calm down and let him finishing the ear hair singing portion of the turkish barbershop experience. I consented and set my face like flint, as the flames licked my lobes and singed the peach fuzz from my tender ears.

Ahh... Crisis averted, and to the befit of silky smooth, slightly smoldering ears. But wait...

The barber unrolled some string from his lighter and went for my check. I felt a stinging pain as he somehow used the string to unroot the peach fuzz from my rosy cheeks. Honestly, I thought he was going to floss my teeth with that string. He did both cheeks but quickly realized the pain was too much for me and switched to a straight razor - only slight less terrifying.

Then, of course, he trimmed my nose hair (of which a Turkish friend told me I needed it trimmed anyways). While he trimmed I grabbed his lighter and stuck it to my now like I was going to use the same ear singing technique for my nose. He grabbed my arm, " NO NO NO!" It's the only way I could get him back...

He then washed my face and hair. Unbelievable!

If that wasn't enough by the end of this royal treatment I had to go potty. So I told him and he said that there was no potty in the shop. He then grabbed my arm and escorted me across the street, arm in arm, and the down the street to a night club. He was frisked, but made sure I was not. Then he got me free admission to the boys room in the dance club! FREE!


Well, I decided he earned his 15 lira, and so in the end everyone was happy!



On another note. This guy makes us dinner EVERY day. He speaks no english but we have somehow become good friends. Funny funny guy. I told him I liked his shirt so he started taking it off, then I took mine off to and couple of bare bellies at dinner swapped shirts. My hooded shirt was waaay to big so I went and fetched him this one to trade. I think we are both hapy with the exchange. My ear is still on fire a bit.