Make Beauty

If there is one electrical gadget that I cannot live without, it would be a hairdryer. Without it, my hair goes 'kebaboom'.

That is why I bring a hairdryer everywhere with me except when I know I will be staying at a decent hotel which would provide one. However, while holidaying in Reunion Island with the Queen last year, I realised to my absolute horror, our (crappy) room does not come with a hairdryer. I freaked out big time.

The Queen asked me to go request for one from the Reception Desk. When I begged her to come with me, she refused. "But I can't speak French!" I wailed. The Queen said I should learn to do these things myself (tough love!) So I mentally weighed what is more embaressing: Speaking bad French or going out with kebaboomed hair? The latter is by far, a hundred times more daunting.

Armed with a few basic French words taught by The Queen, I proceeded to the Reception Desk cautiously. A kindly, older gentleman was manning the counter. He flashed me a ear-to-ear grin when I approached. "Bonjour Mademoiselle," he greeted.

"Bonjour!" I replied. "HAIR-DRY-ER s'il vous plaît?"

He didn't understand me. I figured some gesturing might help so I held an imagery hairdryer in my hands and swished my hair about.

"Ahhh.....," he got it as he whip out a big-ass hairdryer from somewhere below the table. I heave a huge sigh of relief and thanked him profusely. Merci! Merci! Merci!

"You go dinner?" he asked.

"Oui" I replied.

"Ahhh....," he said. "You want to.. er...to ...ahh...make beauty for dinner??"

"Voilà!" I squealed.

Giggling, I ran back to the room to tell the Queen about making beauty. I daresay it is one of our favourite phrases henceforth. There is nothing like broken English to make my frivolous habit of blowdrying just that much more hilarious. Oui! Make beautiful hair!