My husband and my son went out yesterday to find their new barber. It was the second occasion in which we find a place via Siri and show up only to walk right back out again. Perhaps I'm a bit spoiled after living in Stepford for 6 years. Regardless, I won't have a dentist work on me when his waiting room smells like urine and my boys won't get their hair cut in a place where you may want to duck for fear of a drive by.
It is funny that the second choice for my boys was a place where profanity is apparently just what you should expect. My son commented that he knows not to repeat that kind of language. It is interesting to me that he will likely experience that and more in this little piece of swamp paradise. He is used to Asian John asking, "handsome boy want haircut?" I miss that sweet barber in Stone Ridge. Hearing the F-bomb spouted every other word is not the type of place we were looking for.
Those are just two bad examples, however. Our first days here were spent with kind and friendly people who were more than willing to offer viable suggestions and have a genuinely intriguing conversation with you. After a horrid experience with that stinky urine smelling dental waiting room, we found dental Xanadu and will be returning there for the remainder of our dental needs. My husband is very clever to remind me of our realtor's suggestions and those are the ones we'll stick with.
Word of mouth is not something to ignore. In a place like Northern Virginia, you'll likely find what you need whether someone suggests it or not. There's competition for the best review. Down here, you just have to speak to people to find the actual deal with places of business. My new dentist gave us a ton of suggestions for good food. His recommendation for Big Al's seafood was a winner! I trust this dude and was tempted to invite him over to make him my new best friend, but that is obviously inappropriate. Though I'm not sure it is out of the normal realm here.
We took a suggestion from a lovely saleswoman and discovered a fun time at the local Convention Center. The kids got to hold a gator! This is just a smidge of the fun they had at this summer kids' event. Where else would you find a kangaroo in a diaper? We also grabbed a free emergency preparedness package provided by Terrebonne Parish. Oh the fun in the bayou...
The New Yorker lurking in my sub-conscious will not allow this place to become LOSE-iana. Any new place will seem strange and time for adjustment is necessary. This place will eventually feel like home for all of us. Though I don't know how comfortable I will ever be in a place where tiger print daisy dukes are an "okay" fashion choice.
No comments:
Post a Comment