Barber Shops as spaces of transnational belonging, as the barber from Gujranwala in Pakistani Punjab started speaking in Urdu but then narrated his migration journey across Oman, Dubai and Malaysia where he has run barber shops.
His knowledge of Oman really impressed me as he ran a shop in Buraimi under an Omani Balochi Arbab and worked in Deira in Dubai for three years.
He has been in Malaysia for fourteen years and is a repository of information in many languages including fluent Arabic. He spoke about Honda Road in Ruwi, where I spent many Fridays in my teens getting a haircut.
As with all migration journeys it has not been linear, with segments in Pakistan such as during the pandemic.
I got an Arabic style beard done at Habibi Salon at Bukit Bintang adjoining Berjaya Plaza, where I entered at a whiff.
Change Thinker 