Burlesque brothels and Chinese massages

Rose's is the tiny, family-run hairdressers tucked behind Tokyo Diner in Chinatown where I had my hair cut today. The main reason I keep my hair long is so I don't need to cut it so frequently and, despite spending £40 on face cream, I spend less than £2 on shampoo. So Rose's offer to wash, restyle and blow-dry my hair for just £13 made my resolve to grow my hair to my knees crumble. After the hairdresser threw in a head and shoulder massage and didn't speak to me once throughout the entire cut (preferring to gossip about the Chinese soap operas she and her colleagues were watching on the video above my head), I was completely sold. So now I have layers (actually, Farrah Fawcett flicks because my hair is naturally wavy, but a friend assures me they'll calm down in a few weeks), a fringe, and my hair is several inches shorter.

Afterwards, I met up with friends, sheepishly clutching their Gap and Liberty shopping bags, at the World Fair in Holborn to buy some ethically-traded Christmas stocking fillers. Raging headaches and thirsts then led us to the nearest bar, which happened to be Belgo. Belgo is a bit too All Bar One-ish for me, but their drinks menu wasn't bad, and they had comfy sofas to melt into.

Finally, we tumbled down Drury Lane for dinner. Sarastro is like dining in a burlesque brothel: all high camp decor, operatic soundcapes, karma sutra on the toilet walls and godawful food. But the rudeness of the waiters, the hen party histrionics of the diners and the Moulin Rouge reject props all around kept us entertained for several hours.

View Sarastro photos

Other links today:
+ Geri Halliwell quote of the day 2: One of the reasons she returned to the UK from the US was the food - "I just love a burger and chips". Via HolyMoly.

+ Family of Frank Sinatra admits he was employed by the Mob for 20 years. Well, duh!

+ "18- to 34-year-olds are far more apt to log on to the internet (46 percent) than watch TV (35 percent), read a book (7 percent), turn on a radio (3 percent), read a newspaper (also 3 percent) or flip through a magazine (less than 1 percent)." Wired.

+ "Today, few food shoppers are nonplused by grocery aisles piled with sashimi from Japan, Irish steel-cut oats, and Mexican chorizo sausages." Has the melting pot melted?