barber shop
The Barber Shop
Vocabulary
| hire | assist | resume |
| bridge | salary | maintain |
| wage | whole | opportunity |
| excel | prepare | encourage |
| tuition | part-time | take out a loan |
| chief | relocate | meet up |
| average | classmate | recommend |
| bench | break up | used to (2) |
| fill | re-fill | bill (2) |
Resumes and Interviews
After months of searching and sending out resumes, Andy finally got invited for a job interview.
It was for a construction company.
If hired, he would assist senior engineers in building and maintaining bridges. His starting salary: $46,000 a year.
School and University
Andy had prepared his whole life for this opportunity: studying hard at school and university. He excelled in math … physics … chemistry … computers.
His parents and teachers encouraged him a lot.
To help pay for his university tuition and living costs, he worked part-time and took out a loan from the bank.
Now he was relocating to a different city where the company was.
On Thursday, he would be having an interview with the chief engineer.
The First Barber Shop
But first, Andy needed a haircut.
So he went to a barber shop next to his hotel. It was Monday.
It was new and nicely decorated. “Hello, how much is a haircut,” he asked two barbers sitting inside, reading newspapers.
“$50,” replied one of them.
“Okay, thanks,” he said and walked out.
Recommendation
Later that evening, Andy met up with his friend Stella. He explained how he wanted his hair cut and if she could recommend a barber.
“I can take you to a barber shop I know,” she said. “I think it’s cheap.”
So they walked over there. Along the way, Stella explained how she and the barber had been classmates in high school.
Since he had below average grades, he became a barber.
“Actually, he used to be my boyfriend,” said Stella. “But we broke up because I saw no future in him.”
The Second Barber Shop
Andy and Stella came to the barber shop and opened the door.
Ten men turned to look at them.
The barber shop consisted of a plain, medium-sized room with one barber chair and two long benches.
The barber was cutting the hair of a customer, while eight others sat waiting.
“Hi Peter. How much is a haircut?” Stella asked the barber.
“Hi Stella. It’s $10,” he replied.
“Oh, that’s okay,” Andy said. “But I think I’ll return another time when it’s not so busy.”
Before they left, he noted the opening hours sign on the door: “Monday through Friday, 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 19:00. Closed for lunch 13:00 to 14:00.”
Tuesday
At 10:15 the next morning, Andy returned to the barber shop.
He opened the door and saw six men sitting on the benches while the barber cut the hair of a customer.
Andy went back to his hotel room.
He wondered if he should just go the barber shop next to the hotel.
Wednesday
The next day at 13:30, Andy left for the barber shop. This time he would wait because he really needed a haircut for the interview on Thursday.
When he got there at 13:55, he saw a line of seven men standing outside the barber shop.
Just then the door opened from outside. Another man walked in.
Then at 14:00, the barber began cutting the hair of the first man. It ended at 14:10 and he began cutting the hair of the second person. Just then another man came into the barber shop and sat down.
Finally at 15:10, it was Andy’s turn.
By this time, the room had been re-filled with seven new men.
At 15:20, the barber finished cutting Andy’s hair.
He gave the barber a $10 bill, said good-bye and left the barber shop.
“This is the best haircut I’ve ever had,” thought Andy.
Questions
1. Was Andy in his hometown or was he in another city? Why was he in another city?
2. Did he just decide one day to apply for an engineering position?
3. What did Andy want to do before the job interview? Where did he go? He had a haircut at the barber shop near his hotel. Is this correct or wrong? Why didn’t he have a haircut there?
4. He found another barber shop online. True or false?
5. How did Stella describe the barber? What did she say about the barber?
6. On Monday, Andy had a haircut at the second barber shop. Yes or no?
7. How do you compare the first and second barber shops? Do you think Andy will return there? Will he become a steady customer?
8. Is there a moral or lesson to this story?
A. Are you or any of your friends a barber or hairstylist? What do they say about their profession?
B. What is the average price of a haircut or hairstyling in your city? What is the price range?
C. Do you have a favorite barber shop or hairstylist? Why do you like it?
D. What is the most popular barber shop or beauty salon in your city?
E. Are barbers and hairstylists poor, working class, middle-class, upper-middle class or rich?
F. I want to be a (highly paid) barber or hairstylist. Yes or no?
