Barber shop
Barber shops have been sprouting all over the city lately, and so have beauty salons. Surprisingly, some of the barbers from my youth are still around plying their trade, notably Allied Barber Shop which had their shop at Gomez Street fronting Tap Commercial years ago, but now have been relocated to a space behind the small alley.
I still remember the smell of the talcum powder and the horsehair brush they use to brush hair off my neck and face after a haircut, and they still use it to this day. The regular cut then was the white side wall, which meant shaving the whole back and sides of the head, leaving only a tuft of hair on the top. A barber’s straight edge razor was heavily used then but these tools have now been replaced with disposable blades for health reasons; some barbers were really old and their hands did shake a lot, leaving their customers with a lot of nicks on the head. The leather strops on which the straight edge razors are sharpened are also gone, and so goes the amazement in watching the barber masterfully work the razor and the suspense of thinking whether you’ll get out of the barber shop with both your ears intact or in your pockets. That is more than three decades ago and those days are gone now as I have no reason to visit the barber shop except to bring my son for his hair cut once every while. Aside from that, nothing much has changed, except maybe for the price of P50 per head, which is quite reasonable considering that the shops now are fully air-conditioned, and one gets a very brief massage before leaving.
A walk with my camera 
the way the man is looking at the television while holding on to that poor boys head, wonder if he shaved it right. Haha
the boy’s hair will grow back… but the ears will not 🙂
i have watch all your photo entirely. i was impressed . pro – quality. i suggest makes them in printed form — book . your one of the best work i ever seen for a photographer from pinas , specially from tacloban like me. i started photography in the late 50’s , but your the best. do i know your parents?
thank you very much, Jack. I’m sure you know my dad, Ben Seng. I remember having our betamax player sent to you for repair when I was a kid, and Dainty Bakery along Salazar St. It sure would be interesting to have an old photograph from that time.
For historical reasons also take a picture of the barber just behind Washington Trading who plies his tried right on the street. He may not last very long 😛
i have an old photo of one barber there, will look it up, or just take another one of these days. Thanks