Singapore Adventure

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Eyebrow Threading
by venitha

Voilà the newest addition to my list of things cooler than sliced bread: eyebrow threading.

Years ago, an Indian friend in the US described eyebrow threading (she was threatening her husband's ) but did not demonstrate (to my relief, given her target). It sounded strange. But intriguing.

My first outing to Singapore's Little India revealed threading shop after mehndi shop after threading shop, complete with frightening pictures. Intrigued anew, and thinking of my duty to my blog readers, I started working up the courage to give it a try.

Then came the bad bad haircut and Jim's bad bad massage, and my faith in Singaporean trade schools understandably took a nose dive. At a tiny back-street salon in Jaisalmer, India, however, as Jim and I awaited, respectively, a massage and a henna tattoo, an eyebrow threader went to work.

Intrigued once again, I stood to get a better view while the female client giggled under my attention. Lie back in the chair, use the fingers of both hands to pull your face taught, and then let the eyebrows fly! It doesn't hurt, at least, not much, and it's all over in a matter of minutes.

"Jim, you've got to see this," I beckoned, not considering that a strange man witnessing a woman's body hair removal might make the woman just a wee bit uncomfortable. Before Jim caught a glimpse, all hell broke loose.

Eyebrow threadee: [much screaming and hysteria]

Eyebrow threader: [standing back with amusement, keeping clear her weapon, a spool of white thread]

Jim: [retreating quickly] "Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry! So sorry! Sorry! Really sorry! I'll just sit down now. Sorry! Over here! I'm not looking! Sorry!"

Venitha: "Can I be next?"

*****

I've been perusing my local community center's course listings, and, oddly enough, they teach eyebrow threading. My new career? I doubt it, but it does have me cocking an intrigued and beautifully-shaped eyebrow in the direction of Jim's monobrow.

venitha