Some middle schools and high schools in Korea used to regulate students’ hair length. Most schools today allow any length now, but back in the days, girls’ hair had to be shorter than 2~3cm below the earlobe. Otherwise, the students were penalized. The intention of this policy was to prevent students to hang out in prohibited places. With the most simplistic hairstyle, their status as students were easily distinguished.
Out of this long time traumatic restriction, it is very unusual for a Korean woman to have a simple bobbed hair with no perm or no dye.
For some reason, I’ve been wanting to get my hair cut like the days in middle school. May be I was homesick. May be I missed the days when I was a girl with so many dreams and desire. May be I wanted to start everything all over again. May be I was getting tired of pioneering my lonely journey and wanted others to determine my way.
My housemates offered me to give me a hand. Skdddddk, skddddk, I heard the metal hands of scissors make frictional sound against my hair. Long, black, silky pony tails dropped on the cold concrete floor. I could feel the autumn night breeze swish my neck. And I got my hair cut just like that.
Donnabaat, Sarah.
고마워요, Suki unni.