A blue rinse, please, and some silver shampoo to take home

It’s about time I did a serious post, I said to myself earlier this week. I even started drafting one, it was going to be an attempt to sum up the big themes emerging during this fieldwork that is drawing to a close in just 10 days! How quickly time has flown, such a cliché, but so true.

However, the fat lady hasn’t sung yet and thus far I have fixed two interviews for the ultimate week, and have 3 more pending confirmation, plus two site visits. The battle of Helsinki isn’t over yet, but we are definitely approaching the final throws.

On the other hand, the battle against grey (hair) has ended. At the tender age of 32, I have thrown in the towel and it is now time for a blue rinse and stocking up in silver shampoo, or so my hairdresser advised me today.

Depressed?

Far from it, the invasion of grey hair has justified me going, well, blonde(ish). Trying to hang on to the brunette look has meant persistent and very noticeable snow white roots beginning to glisten in my parting in about 2 weeks after a colouring. Frustrated, I noticed that my brother has a near identical tendency to get grey hair, but his fairer base colour means that his greys hardly stand out. (Not fair!) The morale of the story is: don’t conceal your grey hair, rather camouflage them! No more attempts to dye my hair brown (for information, grey hair doesn’t really soak up colour very well, nevermind what it says on the tin), it was time for some creative thinking and drastic action.

As I’m typing this post no one I know has actually seen the new look, so the jury is out I guess…. You can make your own mind up, here it is - a world premiere - on my way home from the hairdresser's. (Yes, it is central Helsinki in the background, and no I haven't got a clue how I'm going to re-adjust to the concrete and red brick jungle that is Manchester)