Today was the day I redeemed my gift certificate by getting a haircut and a pedicure. It was so nice! Not only was it nice, but it was very educational and even comical at times...
Chicago is full of different ethnicities and cultures. In some parts of the city, there are various cultures, peoples and languages all mixed together. Then there are some pockets in Chicago which are like mini countries - Chinatown, Little Italy, Greektown, Ukrainian Villiage, etc. In these places, it can really feel like an international experience on American soil. I love it!
The salon I went to was right in the middle of Ukrainian Village. From the moment I walked in, I knew this was going to be a cultural experience, and I was looking forward to it! The woman who owned the store was Ukrainian, but was fluent in English. Everyone else (who worked there and came in as a customer) was not fluent in English, but rather Ukrainian. I felt immersed in their culture for a short time and I enjoyed this time to learn.
I was able to get to know Sasha, who has been in the States for only 1 year. Her two daughters are still in Ukraine with Sasha's parents. She's getting established here in the States, and will hopefully be reunited with her girls soon. Wow, it must be so hard for her to be apart from them. Micah and I have only parted for one night! She showed me pictures of her girls, their visits to Chicago, as well as the various nail designs that she's done. She is good at what she does! My favorite design was an ivy/leaf design which I saw in her photo album.
While getting my nails done, I glanced up at the window and saw the funniest sight of my day. There was a man in a green sweatshirt peering into the salon. And it wasn't just a look as he walked by, but a complete nose-against-the-glass stare at those of us inside and he had this grin on his face. I pretended I didn't see him, but when I looked up a moment later, he was still there! Ha! When he finally left, I could still see the fog mark on the glass from him pressing up close to it. Oh wow, was I laughing inside. Who knows if he was a friend of the owner, or just a stranger?
My time at the salon was coming to a close, but Sasha said, "I will do something fun - for free." She then proceeded to do the ivy design on my nails. It was so sweet of her! She had remembered that that was my favorite design from her portfolio nail album, and she gave it to me for free! For a single mom in the States, trying to get her girls back with her, money is precious, yet she was not concerned about that at the moment. She just wanted to give me, a young mom, something "fun" and shiny on her toes.
I don't know if I'll ever make it to Ukraine in person, but I was able to get just a taste of this rich culture during my night at the salon.
3 comments:
You should put a picture of the design on your toes.
Isn't this a great reason to live in Chicago! That's why I love it here so much! Whether its going to the grocery store, taking a swing around a park, or getting your nails done, everything is more than it seems!
Loved this post!
PS- you can go to my blog if you want, i recently limited entry, so just let me know, and i'll add your email to the list
Post a Comment