Beauty Parlours

Beauty parlours.
Kodak Portra 400
Penang, Malaysia.

I peek in over the pink saloon doors of this non-gentrified shop and like a film scene from the 60’s. I first spot large perm machines – ones my late popo 婆婆 uses at her salon, and then old fashioned combs and accessories scattered around. There are two old ladies also with perms – the elder one gives me a very strange stare, the other, still with red curlers in her hair, turns around and looks at me. 40’s Shanghai music is playing from an old radio. I’d like to think that they were catching up with local soap operas, but they were probably waiting for customers of their demographic and taking shelter from the hot sun outside. I am almost mesmerised with fascination at this place – I smile and head on.