The day Ellis got a 5 Leva haircut

I had passed the barbershop/beauty salon many times on my way to work. I had seen men getting their haircut there, but there was always a line waiting for the scissors. The opening hours were posted on the door - from 07:00 to 19:00. Today, on my way home from work, I bravely stepped in.

"Dobre vecher," I said. I knew how to say "Good evening." I followed that by "Ne gevorya Bulgarski," informing the entire room that I didn't speak Bulgarian.

There were three women working in the shop, and none of them spoke English. But under a hair drier, her hair rolled up in curlers, one customer knew English. She stood up and asked me, on behalf of the staff, what sort of haircut I wanted.

"Kus," I said, proud that I had learned the Bulgarian word for "short" in preparation for my visit.

"How short," the lady in hair curlers asked. "1, 2 or 3?"

I hadn't realized that there were these variations of the adjective "short." Maybe it was a Bulgarian thing. "Very short," I replied.

Language barrier or not, women barbers the world over know how to use an electric razor and my excess hair was soon on the tiled floor. Not a bad job, even Jodie agreed later.

How much? I indicated as I stood up to leave.

"Pet Leva." Five Leva. That works out to 14.50 shekels.

I paid her and thanked her with a robust "Blogodariya". Thank you!

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