2010/04/27

The Greater Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii) or Eilseeschwalbe

This seabird in the tern family looks very much like one of the many victims of freaked out barbers you can see on the streets of Sydney. Especially young male Australians don’t seem to care about the crimes that have been committed to their scalp hair, on the contrary, one could believe that they are pretty happy with their appearance. I’m sure that Australia is the only country in the world where that ridiculous mini-cockscomb made popular by underwear model Dave Beckham is still en vogue and other even more laughable artwork by the masters of the scissors and drier can be seen everywhere, especially on Saturday evenings near clubs and bars. Very common is the spiky hedgehog like haircut or alternately the version which looks like there is a constant wind blowing from one side and my personal favourite which I would call the “half sheared sheep”. It’s obvious that that these creations include the use of a big amount of hair gel and other care products. I can assure you that I’m not accidently describing a punk gathering, the cuts in question come with neat carefully ironed shirts and shiny shoes. I am very sure this is some vicious practical joke that the barbers play on these blokes and probably they have a secret competition to outdo each other with new even more ludicrous creations. Just to be on the save side I myself stay away from all male barber shops, with it’s selection of men’s magazines and small talk about sport, trusting the able and merciful hands of a female coiffeur. And, thank you, no hair gel today. 

Next week: The Rainbow Bee-eater or a African in Australia.