You know that girl from school with ever the perfect hair? This blogger was never that girl. In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever be completely happy with my hair. People think I’m stubborn, but wait till they meet the strands of dead cells sprouted out from my scalp.
It all started in 1997, the year I entered secondary school. I remembered being really thrilled. The change of uniform, the change of environment, bigger chairs and desks (I was pretty tall for my age), getting into Class 1 A 1 (I loved how the classes were named cause I’m such an elitist bitch, even then) and better canteen food (turned out that was a lie).
All was well until this untalented cow from Hong Kong named Gigi Leung made it to local televisions. Long story short, Gigi Leung was the Jennifer Aniston in the world of SMK Pandan Indah. Everyone wanted her hair, including me. I begged and begged my mom to let me chop off my locks (which were manageable and fuss-free up till the year 1996). My mom tried to talk me out of it as would all mothers who know better. But I won in the end, as would all rebellious daughters.
Gigi Leung some time in the late 90s.
Mom took me to a nearby salon where she had regularly gone to since we moved to the area in 1986. I loved the owner of the salon, she let me read all the stash of Lau Fu Tze comics whenever my Mom was trying out a new hairdo. A petite lady, quite pretty….I would describe her as a Paula Abdul, post-singing career. Lets call her Ms. Hairwrecker (HW).
I never once doubted her capabilities as a hairdresser as her salon was always packed with customers. At that age, I didn’t realise that the customers were made up of mostly women still stuck in the 80s (sorry Mom, to your defense you were a young housewife then!) or perverted men trying to get in Ms. HW’ pants.
I asked Ms. HW whether she knew who Gigi Leung was. She nodded enthusiastically and soon enough the entire filmography of Ms. Gigi Leung was narrated by Ms. HW. Finally I asked if she’s aware of her latest hairstyle and she nodded enthusiastically again and started on how many of her customers had asked for the same do and she’s done them a million times. I was satisfied.
I sat down and let her performed her magic. 10 minutes later, tears were welling up in my eyes and I was trying not to bawl.
Kelas 1 A 1, 1997. Spot me?
I spent the entire year trying to gel my hair down and clip them to the back of my ears. Everyday I prayed for my hair to be longer so that I could tie em up. Boys older than me insulted me during assemblies and even my own form teacher laughed at me :(
It was daunting and I can’t imagine how I could still go to school everyday without fail, when a few years later I skipped almost a full year due to “bloatings”. Sorry, I digressed.
The year after, I tried another hair salon and I asked them to salvage my hair. Ms. HW had managed to butcher my hair so bad, that even after a year they were growing in all directions and was completely unmanageable. The new hairdresser suggested to me to cut them off in order for them to grow out properly. I had a deja vu, it was freaky. But the lady was very reassuring and I allowed her to fix my hair.
Kelas 2 A 1, 1998. Spot me?
I think I finally got my Gigi Leung hair but I was not happy. I felt like a boy! What was wrong with me…why did I want to look like a boy so bad? Most of all, why did boys then want to marry another boy????
Anyway, the year was 1998 and I never had a major haircut till 2006 :P. Talk about paranoia.
Here’s something to remind you of what I look like now :P
Kelas Atas, 2008.
Did you really read all of that? Hehe. Since you’re here, I just want to know whether you managed to spot me in my class pictures??