I hate to culturally stereotype, but let me tell you one thing that Latinos do better than maybe anybody else in the world: aesthetics!
(And I meant to say Latinos to mean men and women and not Latinas to mean only women.)
Today, I went with two friends to my favorite salon here. The salon just moved to a new location a few days ago and this new place is super-chic. Very modern, very hip, spacious, with a fireplace and a crystal chandelier with little red accents, a garden out back... In fact, I could probably live there.
We got there at 11am for 3 haircuts, one coloring, one manicure, and one pedicure. The place was hopping and our guy - Giovanni - was running from one chair to another, serving different clients.
Now in the US, people are so rushed all the time and they get upset if they have to wait too long past the appointment time (or maybe that's just me), but here, it's an experience that you need to be prepared to sit back and enjoy. You talk to other people in the salon, and people are constantly asking if you want coffee or a Coke. It's very civilized and you don't even notice the passing time because it's so enjoyable. And ultimately, you know that once it's your turn, you're not going to be rushed through, that the people behind you will just going on chatting and drinking coffee.
For relaxing into a 2.5-hour salon experience and not being the uptight American tapping her foot (my usual MO) and for leaving with a fabulous haircut and red fingernails, I am truly thankful.
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