Some thoughts inspired by a hairbrush.
Part 1.
I was in my friend’s bathroom one day washing hands when I noticed a very nice looking hairbrush. It was so nice that I got tempted to brush my hair with it, to see if it was as soft and lovely as it promised to be. I glanced around, the door was closed and nobody could see me.
'Go on!' a voice inside my head said, 'Try it. She will never know!'
But I stopped. Some instinct told me it would be a very chushka thing to do. I felt there was something too personal about a hairbrush. And, very often, they are not that tempting to use, with hairs stuck in bristles. This one, however, looked clean and new.
All the same, I resisted the chushka urge. But, the beauty of that particular brush got stuck in my sick head, and, when I came across it in a shop, I bought it, despite the ridiculous price tag.
Now, I was a proud owner of a posh hairbrush.
Because I love it so much, and because I have a thing about dirty hairbrushes, I try to keep it clean. Which means pulling my long dark hairs out of it on regular basis.
So, imagine my reaction, when a little while ago, a friend commented, coming out of my bathroom, that she loved my hairbrush.
I looked at her. This friend is one of my most sophisticated friends. Someone with style and elegance that I, admittedly, would love to possess.
No, I thought to myself, she just means it looks good. She would never! use someone else’s hairbrush. Surely not. She is too much of a lady to do that.
But then she added ‘It feels soooooo nice, really massages your scalp, doesn’t it?’ and she patted her hair happily.
Well, there was no doubt she tried it. She had no problem admitting she tried it, and she clearly did not think it was inappropriate.
Later on that night, in the bathroom, I inspected my precious brush for foreign hairs. However stylish and sophisticated this friend is, I still think that was a slightly chushka thing to do.
What is the moral of this story?
Even people you think are more of a lady than you are occasionally let their deeply buried chushka urges shine through. And really, there is a bit of chushka in every single one of us. Even the sophisticated ones.
I was in my friend’s bathroom one day washing hands when I noticed a very nice looking hairbrush. It was so nice that I got tempted to brush my hair with it, to see if it was as soft and lovely as it promised to be. I glanced around, the door was closed and nobody could see me.
'Go on!' a voice inside my head said, 'Try it. She will never know!'
But I stopped. Some instinct told me it would be a very chushka thing to do. I felt there was something too personal about a hairbrush. And, very often, they are not that tempting to use, with hairs stuck in bristles. This one, however, looked clean and new.
All the same, I resisted the chushka urge. But, the beauty of that particular brush got stuck in my sick head, and, when I came across it in a shop, I bought it, despite the ridiculous price tag.
Now, I was a proud owner of a posh hairbrush.
Because I love it so much, and because I have a thing about dirty hairbrushes, I try to keep it clean. Which means pulling my long dark hairs out of it on regular basis.
So, imagine my reaction, when a little while ago, a friend commented, coming out of my bathroom, that she loved my hairbrush.
I looked at her. This friend is one of my most sophisticated friends. Someone with style and elegance that I, admittedly, would love to possess.
No, I thought to myself, she just means it looks good. She would never! use someone else’s hairbrush. Surely not. She is too much of a lady to do that.
But then she added ‘It feels soooooo nice, really massages your scalp, doesn’t it?’ and she patted her hair happily.
Well, there was no doubt she tried it. She had no problem admitting she tried it, and she clearly did not think it was inappropriate.
Later on that night, in the bathroom, I inspected my precious brush for foreign hairs. However stylish and sophisticated this friend is, I still think that was a slightly chushka thing to do.
What is the moral of this story?
Even people you think are more of a lady than you are occasionally let their deeply buried chushka urges shine through. And really, there is a bit of chushka in every single one of us. Even the sophisticated ones.
may be the moral of this story is: to be chushka not too bad?sometimes,of course
ReplyDeleteMaybe the moral is: feel free to be chuska, just don't admit it.
ReplyDelete:D
Funny thing: in Peru, chusco/chusca means "someone with no manners". From what I understand, the meaning you give here to the word, although with a K, is similar.
¡Saludos!
It could be worse: she could've used your toothbrush ;)))
ReplyDelete@Gabriela: You never said! That is so funny...almost the same word with the same meaning? I never found out the origins of "chushka".
ReplyDelete@Adrineh: True,true. Hairbrush is not such an obvious personal thing, I guess.
Next time she comes, hide your personal hygiene stuff:-) I know I would. These things are called personal for a reason.
ReplyDeleteBtw, some of those"posh" English ladies have nits! Some even think it is funny. Oh, Lilly keeps bringing nits from school...I am trying hard to be openminded, but nits at this day and age? Yuck!
There is chushka in all of us! Ye, oh ye! I suppose the word chushka originates from choshkA -one of the words that Azeris use for a "pig".
ReplyDeleteI miss having lots of hair.
ReplyDelete--Mark
Which hairbrush (brand) was it? ;-)) LOLx
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: Yes, head lice at schools, I hear, are quite normal. Also, despite the common belief back home that they only stick to dirty children, it sounds like it is quite the opposite: they love clean hair! So I guess, it is just something that has to happen at some point...We have not had any yet, but I am waiting.
ReplyDelete@sofisticos: I did not know that either! :)
@Mark: At least you wont ever have my problem, as nobody would use your brush (if you dont have one?)
@Anonymous: Aveda. Here it is. Highly recommend by both me and my elegant friend. :))
http://www.aveda.co.uk/templates/products2/spp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT9754&PRODUCT_ID=PROD76220
@Sofisticos:,yes,chushka means huge pig,but this word came from the Ukrain ;-)
ReplyDeleteUK is such a depraved society that a simple Aveda brush is considered posh and turns classy ladies into "choshkas". You should move to US :)
ReplyDeleteHow about correcting hairs to hair :) It is a singular noun :P
@Anonymous: When you asked the question, I did not realize we were entering an international competition on which brushes are posh enough and which are not. And it is not what brush it was that made me think of a chushka behavior, but the behavior itself.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the "hairs" correction. I guess what you are saying is that Americans also speak better English. But what would an Azeri chushka like me know about cultural stuff, eh.
Ones I was going from Sheki to Baku with bus. On the way bus stopped at the one of the village station and there was fight between local driver and bus driver which I was on about client. The head of station came up local driver and said you yesterday's "chushka" are you fighting with me too?! I allow him that is it! I asked my mam he meant that chushka and my mam replied "chushka" means here, child of pig :-)). which I found more funny.
ReplyDeleteOne thing is for sure, my hairbrush needs a major cleaning:)
ReplyDeleteActually, "Anonymous," it's very obvious that you are not a native English speaker, yourself ;) "You should move to US" should be "You should move to THE US." You have to use an article, otherwise you sound like someone who can barely speak English.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, I think you meant "deprived," and not depraved. Look up the difference in the dictionary ;)
Finally, "hairs" would be correct, and so would "hair," at least the way Scary used this particular noun. You can brush your hair, or you can pluck/tweeze individual hairs.
The UK surely isn't a "depraved" (LOL) society, but YOUR society certainly seems to be deprIved of proper ESL classes.
;)
@Karina: I want to be your friend!
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me. Many Azeri guys felt that their job was to educate Azeri women on the ways of the world. Often in the most tacky & tasteless ways. If they went to school or more often served in the Army somewhere in Russia and met few local girls, they had to bring back the grooming tips to share with the rest of the population. I think it's hilarious for a "cultured" man to make a remark about a hairbrush, or nails, or perfume, and keep a straight face. Great example of chushka behavior :):)
ReplyDelete@Nata: I have never met an Azeri guy who would dare to attempt to educate me. :)
ReplyDeleteThe guy at uni was 50/50 french/arab. Not that it makes his comment any less chushka. :))