05.02.07

First day at the Barbershop

Posted in Barbershop at 9:34 pm by Benjamin Ross

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It is 9 pm and I am sitting in a smokey Internet bar after my first day as a trainee in a Chinese barbershop. So far, things are going well. I showed at the barbershop at 9 am, to somewhat surprised looks from the other employees. I am guessing they probably figured there was a 50/50 chance as to whether or not I would show up for my first day. I had gone in to the barbershop with Chinese girlfriend last night, and talked with the boss in person. The boss was dumbfounded, to say the least, when I told him I wanted to be a xue tu (trainee). After Melody explained to him how Americans sometimes like to do crazy things like this, and that I was simply doing it for the experience, he got the vibe, and agreed.

However, this morning the when I showed up for work, I was told the boss would not be in until the afternoon. Not wanting to waste the entire morning, I asked the other employees to give me some responsibilities, and their first insistance was for me to just “watch and understand” today. I wasn’t sure if this is the usual protocal for a greenhorn on his first day, or if they were just reluctant to boss me around, as I wanted. One of my main goals for this project is to experience life as a Chinese worker, so my biggest fear is to get any special treatment on account of my “special circumstance.”

The other workers told me that in the morning there really isn’t much to do, so I could sit and relax. At first, this command seemed to reek of preferential treatment, but after two hours and only two customers later, I realized first hand what I already know about Chinese jobs. You do a lot of sitting on your ass. In China, most jobs calculate salary monthly. Hours and working days are prearranged, so there are no hourly rates. The result of this is that shops are often over-staffed, and managers have no reason to send anybody home early, since they are paying them the same salary regardless. I think this will work out nicely for me since one of my goals is to gain an understanding of the working environment, my colleagues, and the customers, and not being constantly busy for 11 hours straight gives my brain time to work.

My work so far is quite simple. I am starting at the lowest possible position, so my responsibilities include collecting used towels, sweeping hair, and bringing cups of hot water to customers. I have about fifteen colleagues, they have all been friendly and helpful, if at first a bit confused with what I am doing. Most of them come from small cities in other parts of Fujian, and have come to Fuzhou to seek opportunities for a better life. My short term goal is to win their respect by showing that an American can also sweat out 11 hour days, and to learn all their names, which in China is always a challenge.

One thing China has taught me is that first impressions rarely come true when examined over time. That being said, here are some of my first impressions and initial thoughts.

I think it is going to be intersting to observe the divide between the locals and the outsiders. The divide is obvious. Everybody working a the shop, boss included, is an outsider. Most of the customers are locals. I have already experienced several times the degrading language and looks from the Fuzhou people directed toward the employees who are not local. Again, it is too early to make any kind of assertations or judgements, but I am interested if this pattern will continue, and whether this rude attitude has anything to do with the fact that the employees are outsiders, or if it’s just the typical way to address somebody who makes 1000 RMB ($120) per month.

I am also interested in finding out more about my colleagues daily lives. They all work 11 hours a day, 27 days a month, and most of them live together in a multi-room apartment, which serves as the barbershop “dormitory.” With time split between the barbershop and the dormitory, it would seem impossible to have any kind of privacy whatsoever, and a sexual relationship is certainly out of the question, unless you have a tendancy towards exhibitionism. Yet people are people, and I am reluctant to accept the blind idea that my colleagues are all asexual. Sexual relations aside, this ability to live in such communal conditions is certainly a skill that Americans are not accustomed…and no, in case you are wondering, I will not be living in the dorm. More to come tomorrow. It’s already 9:30 and I have to be up tomorrow at 8. I need some time to unwind and relax.

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