Moveover Dewal, hello Daisy !

With the ramadan festivity catching up and some social visits in the horizon, I decided to go to the local beauty parlor. Of course, several new parlors have sprung up in the last few years which I didn't notice until recently.

I decided to go back to Daisy, the delightful, talented yet unassuming beautician in the area whom we know for over 15 years. I strolled into her parlor in the evening assuming that I would have to re-introduce myself and explain clearly what I wanted. But to the contrary, the middle aged, chubby Daisy recognized me instantly - "Taal Ya Habibi ! (come here my dear)... when you come from Amriki" she said in her accented, broken Lebanese-English. Before I could answer she made me turn around a few times, ruffled her fingers through my hair... "Aiwa Ya habibi, you grow very fat, why this?.. you ate too much fi Amriki!!"..she said decisively.

Our conversation varied from then onwards, she talked about how her life had changed in 15 years, how too many competing beauty parlors had opened in the area ... "but all come, stay two years and khallas...GONE.... except mine, I still do business" she said with a sense of pride.

Of course, we discussed the traffic situation in Dubai "Naat Goot" she said "I old now...no drive anymore...and betrool expensive"...."Yeah..but" I argued, "petrol is expensive in America as well". "Aiwa??" (really?), she said broodingly "too much proooblem everywhere, fi Lebanan, fi Dubai, fi Amriki...everywhere, we not go Beirut now too much prooblem"...

Poor Daisy, it suddenly occured to me that she was smarter than I thought she was. A fighter for sure, she sure is a shrewd businesswoman (she cut my hair and simultaneously calmed down an annoyed customer on the phone - and did both to perfection) with a plesant demeanor and a sense of nonchalance that actually works in her favor considering her line of business.