THE KIM GIRLS

When I was growing up, about once a month, my dad took us to Fred Barnes (not the political junkie) barber shop. It was a little shed like structure and to this day I can smell it. Fred had no concept of hygiene and the cut and discarted hair just stayed wherever it fell for days, maybe weeks. My brother, Raz, would tell stories of how Fred would simply take a bowl and put it on the person's head and cut around it. Throughout the community, there was no doubt who had been to Fred's barber shop. Could be, Fred was way ahead of his time, especially as it relates to the "bowl" cut. The Marines have adopted it whole hog. And, if you have paid any attention to the venerable leader of North Korea, he is also a Fred disciple.

My barbers of choice in San Francisco are the Kim girls. They are pretty remarkable as persons. First of all, they are incredibl2 barbers. I guess they could be called "hair stylists." I think they are good to great. Kim and Lynn have been in America more than twenty years and have embraced the culture. Charming Is not half ot it. They remember people's names, families and asked about children and always appear to be hanging on every word. Truefully, they understand about a third. The Kim girls have mastered the basics of commo. If you don't understand, pretend you do. The vast majority of customers simply fall at their feet. I love them. They were raised in peasant families. Teenagers during the war and were part of the great amada of boat people. They are part of the great migrant success story. The Vietnam are probably America's greatest successes. LOL. The Kim girls love America and that's pretty refreshing.