Monday, May 14, 2007

Hair Thieves

Just fancy that! This is an Associated Press (AP) story. Just a Monday morning read as you try to get over the blues.

YANGON, Myanmar : Women in Myanmar (Burma) not only have to watch out for pickpockets when they're commuting, shopping or walking down the street, but also hair thieves, a weekly journal reported Sunday.
Long-haired women in crowded areas have fallen victim to surreptitious hair snippers who steal their hair to sell, the Burmese-language 24/7 news journal reported.
"My long hair was cut while I was on my way back from the office. I found out only when I got back home," an unidentified female bus commuter was quoted as saying.
The woman said her friend's tresses were cut while she was walking down the street and she only noticed when some remaining strands fell. Another woman's hair was cut while she was shopping at a roadside store, the journal said.
Many women in Myanmar have waist- or knee-length hair which they wear in a ponytail, making it easy for thieves to snip off the hair and sell it as extensions.
Women are also approached by hair traders who ask to buy their long hair, the journal quoted the bus commuter as saying.
The report said the price of hair has increased as demand for hair as an export or raw material rises. A viss (1.6 kilograms; 3.5 pounds) of hair is worth between 400,000 kyats ($320) and 500,000 kyats ($400), it said.

Oh, dear. Hope this has not made you feel blue-er and down-er!

14 comments:

Jorji said...

Now i know where my fren got his extension dreadlocks!!

i'll demand him to return it back to the burmeses.

Daphne Ling said...

Hi Pn Nuraina,
Oh dear...This is indeed terrible...How can people be so cruel? Do they know how long it takes to actually grow the hair? It's sad that people don't respect one another anymore, so much so that something so personal too is robbed. I don't know how long your hair is, but for this, I'm grateful mine is short...Teruknya...

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

jorji: YES! do that...

Daphne: oh dear, daphne, now i've got u all so sad.
let's hope people don't get ideas here and start snipping off people's hair..
Goodness, I am thinking of Rocky's long hair. Hmmmmm.... that's not such a bad idea...be doing him a favour, me thinks. and use the money for charity.

Pi Bani said...

Eeeww... a hair auction charity drive?!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Pi, don't let me scare you....

Mat Salo said...

Hmmm... another place I used to work many moons ago, where the women with the divine slender necks tie their tresses up in a 'tochang'. And I'm not talking about the "Karen" tribe either. Sad place that. There was a time when I easily got a work visa there when even UN's Razali Ismail (with Kofi's letter to boot) failed to secure entry. The women there are very strong, the way I like 'em. Ena, remember your roots... Ha, yes laa potong laa Rocky's rambut for a good cause!. Actually, I'm just jealous, he does look good in that ponytail...

Keanorlinsya said...

Eeeeee...cuba bayangkan rambut berkutu. yuck!

Daphne Ling said...

Nooooo, Pn Nuraina...

I erm, like Rocky's hair (or maybe The Star's photographers know how to take it from the best angle)...

It stands out...It's...Cool...

Hehe...

mob1900 said...

alrite, Im keeping mine, then sell it to them when it's 'harvestable'.

Walski69 said...

This is perfect explanation why a certain Works Minister has never made an official visit to Myanmmar...

J.T. said...

Pi makes me laugh... hair auction charity drive. hehe
Poor Rocky, he better defend himself soon!
But that is sad. Now women are not even safe with their long hair.
If that is happening so rampantly, maybe the women there should start putting up their hair into a bun or something. Or wear their bun under a hat. Or do some kind of "siput" hair pattern. Anything rather than leaving their tresses down to attract hair snippers. sigh..

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Mat salo: is there a difference in price for straight and wavy hair? hmmmm. rocky's hair is a little wavy.

daphne: photogenic, you mean?

kea: ada ubat kutu, kea.

JT: i read that in eastern europe, the poor willingly sell their hair because there is a huge market (in the beauty industry) in western europe. u know, victoria beckham et al... using hair extensions.

Mob: u sure about that? hey, dont worry, yr hair will grow. i kept telling that to rocky!

walski: now that you've mentioned it...

Anonymous said...

LOL! @ Mat Salo's "Ha, yes laa potong laa Rocky's rambut for a good cause!"

Dengkinya! :D

***

Dear all,

Not that I condone what the Burmese hair pirates are doing, but just sharing...

The huge market for human hair is not just for the vain. It is also for cancer patients who went through chemo.

Many salons where I live participate in donating hair to such a cause. Clients tired of long do's and want to go short for the summer may express wish to donate if they like. The shorn locks have to be a certain length though.

Apandi said...

Learned a few things from this post. I thought rambut palsu is actually palsu, not made from real hair ? Its all down to supply and demand I suppose.