A 9-year-old’s travel blog: Getting my hair braided in Bali

BRAIDING HAIR

We entered the beach and saw a quite nice-looking mini-market.

“Can we have a look?” I asked without hesitation.

“Sure,” said Dad.

So we did. We looked around for a bit, and then Dad said that we should go to the beach and then we could go back to the market. So we wandered the beach for a bit. I noticed that there was a lot of rubbish. But that wasn’t my problem (not that I didn’t care).

After a little longer of walking along the beach, I started to get bored.

“Can we go back now?” I asked.

“Ok,” said Dad.

So we did. When we were back, we went to the back of the market. I saw something I wanted to do so bad.

“Dad, can I please get my hair braided?” I asked.

“Ummmm, I don’t know,” said Dad.

“Oh ok,” I sighed, knowing what was going to happen.

“Oh all right,” Dad sighed back.

He walked up to the stall that done hair braiding and asked, “How much?” he asked.

“500,” the lady said.

“Sorry Sofia, it’s too much,” Dad said as he walked back over.

“Uwww, come on,” I said, feeling upset.

“Sorry,” Dad said again.

“Try haggling her,” I said, now feeling desperate.

“Umm,” Dad said.

“Please,” I said, feeling so desperate now that I thought I might start crying.

“Fine, but only three on each side,” he said.

“Ok,” I said, happy with anything and feeling relieved.

Dad walked up to the stall for the second time.

“350,” he said.

“No no no,” said the lady, taking it as too cheap.

Dad groaned.

“Um, $399,” he said, now worrying that he couldn’t do it.

The lady shook her head.

“Ok look, $350 or nothing,” he said to the lady.

“Ok ok,” the lady said finally giving in.

“Yay!” I cried, making the lady jump.

“Come sit,” the lady said, just as Mum and Alex came from a stall selling food.

“What’s going on here?” she frowned.

“She’s getting her hair braided,” Dad said, pulling a face.

“For how much?” she said.

“$350,” Dad said back.

“Here Sofia,” Alex said, passing me a wafer.

I smiled gratefully, taking it from him.

“Thanks,” I said, “but I can’t have it now, I’m getting my hair braided.”

“Oh ok,” Alex said, slightly hurt.

“Sorry,” I said back.

“It’s ok,” he said.

“Come sit,” the lady said.

I walked to the chair and sat down. I waited for her to get her things.

“You chose colrr,” said the lady.

“Um, I don’t now what she means,” I whispered to Dad, looking at him.

“She means colour,” Dad whispered back.

“Oh,” I said.

I looked at the smallish-big-ish bucket and chose three colours: purple, pink and blue.

“Yes,” said the lady.

“Yes,” I said, smiling, trying not to giggle.

When she started, I couldn’t help feeling embarrassed as people walked past me looking and pointing at me (I bet they were thinking about getting their hair braided but I thought they were all pointing at me).

I waited a while till the lady said “all done”. I smiled and got up happily.

“Happy now?” Dad said.

“Yes,” I replied.

Dad paid and we walked on the beach way. I had my wafer.

“Thanks, Dad,” I said happily. “I hope these braids stay in for ages.”

And guess what? They did.