Red Panther Barber Shop, Singapore

A wall at the Red Panther

It has never been my fantasy to have my hair done by celebrity hair stylists. I know I lack ambition (especially for my appearance) but for some reason, I'm fascinated by your neighbourhood barber shop and HDB flat hair stylist - and that not just for the price. Though S$10 for a haircut instead of S$50 at Jean Yip probably did have something to do with it.

I've always had my hair cut at some place all aunties go to. While they get their (often thinning) hair permed, I would have my hair cut and listen to all the neighbourhood gossip, and once even got to enjoy a marvelous exchange of ghost stories. For a few years now, I go to this young lady living opposite my parents' block and I do so because she's the only one so far who knows how to cut my hair. I don't have much of it and I like it simple.

Barber at work

I send the boys to this Muslim barber called Red Panther at Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre and these guys are amazing. They are very fast with their scissors and shavers and could also trim your eyebrows at no extra cost. In their shop they have an interesting collection of movie posters, car number plates and other signs and have probably cut the hair of generations of males from the area. Even Hub goes to them each time he visited Singapore.

In Singapore they have imported this Japanese concept of cheap and quick haircuts that could now be seen all over the island - but this looks so impersonal to me it has never once crossed my mind to try it out. I like going to a person who remembers what my last haircut (and tummy size) was and who could tell me about the last conversation she had with my mother. Age does weird things to people, I agree.