Crappy bullets of random

• Today was haircut day and as a counterpoint to last time's swanky salon I decided to try slumming it at the local polytech's training facility, where I booked myself in for a $12 haircut and $30 colour.*
• Hairdressing students do the "tragic accident with a bunch of chemicals" look really well. I didn't spot a single hairdresser-to-be who didn't have the results of ten or so different experimental hair-styles plastered all over her head.
• Hairdressing students don't have the Bad Hairdresser Attitude that has made all my other haircut experiences so traumatic. They actually listen to what you want, and tell you what they are doing. And more often than not, the two things coincide!
• That place has such a unprofessional casual and relaxing atmosphere. I love it. The students try out the various products on themselves and each other (stealth hair attacks) while working.
• Although the haircut I ended up with wasn't 100% perfect, it was way better than the less-than-ideal haircuts I have had at places that charge five times more.
• $12 haircuts! In fact, mine was $10 because the receptionist didn't have change. And I discovered they do $15 facials, $15 manicures and $18 pedicures, too ($28 for the manicure/pedicure combination). I might finally be able to afford myself some pampering!
• Getting a haircut involves a lot of opportunity to stare at your own face in the mirror, which led me to the realisation that without my glasses on I look like a total vampire right now. All big hollow dark eye-holes in face that has taken on a nice died-last-Tuesday pallor. Maybe I'll pretend I'm practising my Hallowe'en costume. Or start biting people.
• When did hairdressers start including head massages as part of the service? Or is this an Australian thing? I don't remember ever gettting one at a hairdresser's before I came here, but every Aussie haircut I have had has included a 5 or 10 minute head massage. (Not that I am complaining.)
• When getting a head massage from a total stranger, what level of appreciation is it appropriate to express? Presumably moaning with pleasure and writhing in the seat is frowned upon, but sitting silently and pretending it isn't happening is kind of weird too. And do the rules change depending on whether it is an opposite sex or same sex person bringing your hair follicles to orgasm?
• Looks like I'm not so good at bullets of random, since these all ended up themed. So here's a totally irrelevant point to help balance things out: The plasterer (who after thorough prodding by our landlady finally plastered the hole in the ceiling about a month ago but still has to put a second coat on it) cancelled today for the fifth time. This time his (unasked for) excuse was that he was "helping children with leukemia". Is it just me, or is that the most bogus sounding excuse ever? "Hmmm... how can I come up with a reason for cancelling that the tenants can't possibly complain about without sounding like hard-hearted arseholes? I know, I'm helping sick people. Or... even better! Helping sick children! Yes, children dying of a fatal disease! Poor, poor innocent children."
• Even if he was off doing good deeds for sick children, what exactly was he doing that was so helpful? Plastering them?

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* Australian dollars. That's $9 and $22 for you Americans!