Do You Enjoy Luxury? Los Angeles Peluqueria, Part Deux

Who doesn't enjoy luxury? Whether it be the luxury of owning a Peruvian Hairless dog, the luxury of eating an extra skewer of beef hearts, or the luxury of driving the finest motorcar in the world, I believe everyone can appreciate the finer things in life. I read an article today which detailed the findings of an elite team of luxury scientists (they may have just been normal scientists, the article wasn't entirely clear on that point.) studying the effects that various purchases have on lasting happiness. Using a double-blind technique and the Schweitzer-McCall Luxury Matrix (they might have just asked a bunch of people. Again, the article was very vague about the details.), these luxury experts determined that spending on experiences contributes much more positively to enduring happiness than spending on more permanent luxury items. For instance, a luxurious trip, meal, or concert can have greater emotional returns than a Ethan Allen mauve couch, an Irish Setter sweater, or a Jaguar convertible. I decided to put this theory to the test tonight at my monthly haircut session. And let me tell you, after the luxuriousness of all I experienced, I might have to make my haircuts a bi-monthly occurrence.

Let me start with some background from my day. Today was the first day that I was running the Buena Voz show. Was it harder? More stressful? Unluxurious? It was actually none of those things. I realized that being the bossman afforded me a much better view of all the tasks associated with Buena Voz. Once difficulty with working with Melissa (through no fault of hers), is that our communication is not what I am accustomed to in the US due to the language barrier. Therefore, I struggled to understand everything that was going on with the program and the ways I could be most useful. Sometimes I wasn't even clear why I was doing what I was doing. In one day I suddenly felt much more comfortable because I was forced to be involved in every aspect of the program. This was definitely a good start to the day and to the month of Melissa's absence. Of course, wouldn't it be ironic if everything unravels tomorrow? Well at least I would prove Melissa's value to Susana that way. See? She is irreplaceable! The day only got better when Susana and I went to lunch at one of her favorite beach restaurants. We drove down the coast for ten minutes and parked by this startlingly turquoise blue cove. Set against the steep, desolate cliffs, it was really a striking spot. Plus, the sun was finally out and the waves were especially frisky, so it felt quite summery. We ate at La Mesa de La Herradura, a sort of tapas/ceviche hybrid. We had three different bites of ceviche all served on scallop shells, a couple different varieties of cause, a lomo saltado with shrimp and steak (surf and turf is most definitely luxurious), and a few other seafood dishes I am hard pressed to remember. It was a tasty lunch, and the seaside setting really made it special. Unfortunately in Lima, there seems to be few restrictions about building near the water. The benefit is that you can eat and drink in some breathtaking locales. The downside is these locales could be enjoyed by many more individuals (including animals) if they were just left undeveloped. Sigh.

After a taste of luxury (not a great pun, but I'll give the pun alert) during lunch, I knew that I was hooked and needed more in my day. After work I made my way to my favorite salon named after Los Angeles (remember there are two. Therefore having a favorite is meaningful!). This time, however, a 28 year-old (lady doesn't sound quite right, but girl sounds too young. Female? Too impersonal. Chick? Not respectful enough. Brawd? Not sure about the spelling. Not guy? Winner, winner, chicken dinner!) not guy was free to cut my hair instead of the bad-age-guessing guy from last time. I'm not going to say he burned a bridge by believing I was 39, but he certainly did conflagrate a wooden river crossing. She took great care to ensure equitable hair length (since I ask for as simple a haircut as could possibly be asked for), and her neck and mustache grooming was clearly the product of years of study and practical application. I was about to stand up and leave once she dusted me off, but then she offered to wash my hair. I really enjoyed myself during the haircut, but I wasn't quite ready to drop some extra bills for the mane and tail routine. Let's face it, there isn't a whole lot to wash on my dome. I was about to refuse when said it was included. Now THAT is a luxury I couldn't refuse: getting your hair washed when there really isn't any hair there to wash. Isn't that so indulgently purposeless? Don't confuse that with porpoiseless, since we all know that a good level of luxury necessitates the possession of porpoises. Now get this, she washed my hair three, count 'em, three times. I have absolutely no idea what she was working on up there, but you didn't hear me complaining. As I write this I am still savoring the opulent luxuriousness and luxurious opulence of my haircut and triple wash, and I can personally vouch for the scientists results. They could have saved themselves a lot of trouble and expense if they just came to Peru for a nice haircut. Hindsight is 20/20 I guess.