Japanese Man Asks For A “S’pore Style” Haircut, Thoroughly Amuses Viewers With The Process
With all of us stuck at home for so long previously, haircuts were probably something on many of our minds.
For some, fades are the go-to hairstyle, while others may go for bobs or even crew cuts.
Never before though, have we heard of someone asking for a “Singapore Style” haircut. How does a “Singapore style” haircut even look like? Well we’ll find out with YouTuber Ghib Ojisan who asked for just that.
Found a hairdresser tucked in the heart of Chinatown
In a video uploaded on 11 Jun, Ojisan tells us of how his hair has grown “out of control” — a relatable sentiment for all of us fresh out of long periods of staying home.
Walking through People’s Park Centre, Ojisan wanders around trying to find a hairdresser. During his hunt, he explains in a mix of English and Japanese that he will only answer the hairdresser with “Singapore Style” pertaining to the type of cut that he wants.
Telling us that he hasn’t cut his hair in 3-4 months, Ojisan jokes that he can save on shampoo after this. You can tell he’s genuinely satisfied with that notion too.
After walking around for a bit, Ojisan finally stumbles upon a hair salon called “Ten Dollar.com” and decides to go for it.
The “most awkward haircut” experience
Immediately upon walking into the salon, we hear loud, traditional music playing in the background. The interior has a pretty minimalist aesthetic, with surrounding white walls and a simple setup.
Right from the beginning, we realise that there is a language barrier between the Chinese-speaking hairdresser and Ojisan. Even his subtitles are speculative of what the hairdresser is saying to him.
When he’s first asked about how he would like to cut his hair, true to his word, Ojisan simply replies “Singapore style”. Clearly confused, the hairdresser goes silent for a bit before attempting to clarify what he meant.
Trying to communicate through a mix of broken English and hand movements, Ojisan consistently maintains that he simply wants a “Singapore style” haircut.
Probably still unsure of what the YouTuber wants, the hairdresser gets to work anyway.
What happens after is probably the epitome of problems caused by language barriers. Ojisan tries to spark conversation with some small talk, asking if there’s “good business”.
To which the hairdresser replies, “Vietnam”.
He tries asking again how many customers she sees everyday. She pauses a little before answering that she only speaks a little English, which in polite translation means she doesn’t really get what he’s saying.
Then in his broken Chinese, Ojisan stammers the words “每天” which means everyday. It appears as though there’s a glimmer of hope to this conversation, until we realise that Ojisan doesn’t know how to go on from there.
Finally whipping out his smartphone for some translation assistance, their conversation gradually stumbles along.
We’ll leave you to watch the rest of the conversation on your own, but we’ll just say that some moments left Ojisan staring blankly into the camera.
What a “Singapore style” cut looks like
Finishing up the haircut, the hairdresser dusts Ojisan’s stray hairs off with a sponge. Yes you heard that right — a sponge.
He’s clearly just as amused.
After a bit more cleaning up, Ojisan gets what he asked for — a “Singapore style” haircut.
And for some strange reason, it really did make him look “more Singaporean”, as seconded by some in the comments.
Many, however, are just as perplexed as to what exactly a “Singapore style” cut would mean, or if one even existed.
Some suggest going to Malay or Indian barbers, local heartland shops that might offer something closer to a “Singapore style” cut.
A handful of people point out a specific style that could possibly be THE elusive “Singapore style” cut.
An entertaining experiment
Regardless of what people think, the entire experience Ojisan went through was thoroughly entertaining to say the least.
From the will-they-won’t-they conversation to the anticipation of the end result, it definitely was a wild ride.
Catch Ojisan’s video on his channel here.
Featured image adapted from YouTube.
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