When we got there, she pointed to the tall man in a flatcap.
"He's your hairdresser."
He greeted me and I said "Hello." He disappeared and I wasn't sure if I should follow or not. Dani took my coat and bags and then a young woman came for me and Dani told me that she would take me back for a shampoo. As soon as I sat in the chair, the comfortingly familiar plastic sink my neck was resting on and the warm water made me relax completely.
After the young lady washed my hair, she took me back to the room where they actually cut the hair and pulled out a low swivel chair for me to sit in. The hatted hairdresser returned and began speaking in excellent English.
"Dani told me that you would like . . . um. . . levels?" he indicated different lengths of hair on my head with his hands.
"Yes, I'd like that."
"How do you usually do your hair?"
"I usually blow dry it with a curly, um, round brush and it goes straight, but I wear it curly sometimes, too."
"Ok, I have to ask because it matters to how I cut your hair."
Snip snip snip.
I relaxed as a master began working his magic.
"Is this your natural color?" he asked as several of the women in the salon chatted in Bulgarian. They were suddenly silent as I answered.
"Wow, what hair. They are all jealous," he laughed.
He pulled some of my hair across my forehead and raised his eyebrow at me in the mirror and shrugged one shoulder.
"What is this called?" He indicated to the hair on my forehead.
"Bangs, or fringe if you're in England." He nodded when I said the word fringe, remembering it.
"What do you think?"
"Oh, I've tried it before by my hair grows a little oddly there." I pointed to the cowlick that caused my widow's peak.
"Yes, like a plant. OK, No fringe." He laughed.
When he finished cutting, he called the young hair washer back to dry my hair.
"We will dry it and then I will finish cutting it to make sure it's perfect."
My hairdresser grabbed his jacket and started for the door. I admit, I panicked a bit until I realized that he was just taking a smoke break. As soon as my hair was dry, he came back, added some finishing touches and then styled my hair.
When I went to pay, the lady at the desk said what sounded like 80 lev ($46 ish) to me. I was expecting it to be pretty expensive, since the last non-Great Clips salon I went to was $37 for just a cut without the wash, I was ready to pay it. Dani stepped up when I asked the price again (just to make sure) and she said, "Lizzy, it's 18 lev.) So I got an amazing haircut for just over $10. Feel free to come visit me next time you want a haircut! :)