How I got the shit insulted out of me by a hairdresser in Kosova and why YOU need to hear this no matter what type of business you run

I want to tell you a quick story about my visit to Kosova in 2002.

I was 21 and it was my first visit since 1987. Yep, it had been a while. My cousin, Zyrafeta (we call her Teta), invited me to come along with her and her husband to Nahid Hasani’s wedding. They had told me about his history, how he had just been released from jail after being falsely accused by Serbs during the 1997-1999 Kosovar war. At the time, I was excited to see everything and anything Kosova had to offer and it was being held in Prizren, so I thought why not. (FYI, if you’re ever in Kosova, Prizren is one of the most interesting cities to see. It’s beautiful, old and has more historical things to see than any other place in Kosova.)

Teta was getting her hair and makeup done at a hair salon in Rahovec and suggested that I should come along as I could get by hair done as well (by the way, Rahovec is where my father’s family is from).

So, here I was a girl born and raised in Australia thinking, Ok, a hairdresser, cool, why not, she’ll definitely be able to do my hair better than me. And what I wanted was simple. A half up hairstyle with the top part teased so it had a bit of volume to it.

However, when I told the hairdresser this she said to me, “Don’t worry, I know a good style and grabbed my hair half up and started to pull big chucks out on either side and I was like “Noooooooooo (shaking my head side to side). “

And then said awkwardly, “This isn’t what I want.”

She said to me, “Trust me it will look good.”

And again, I said, “No, this isn’t what I want.”

She then gave me an ultimatum.

“Do you want me to continue or do I just leave it?”

And so I said, “Leave it.” And I got up.

Then the hairdresser said to me in the rudest way possible, “You obviously don’t know what modern is.”

When an Albanian says this to you, what they are really saying is, “You’re nothing but a bogan (white trash) piece of rubbish that wouldn’t know a good hairstyle if it bit you on the ass.”

So, not only did I not get my hair done but I also got the shit insulted out of me. Not what I wanted. And the experience really put me off dealing with hairdressers in Kosova. 

Obviously, what my cousin thought was a good hairdresser, I didn’t. Now I know that things have changed a lot since 2002, but it’s for this reason you need to register your business on MyDasma.

It’s for all those diaspora Albanians, who just like me in 2002, know what they want and want to organised things themselves without having to ask all 58 of their first cousins.

Let them find you on MyDasma.

Let them look at your images and videos.

But most importantly of all, let them read your reviews from other diaspora Albanians.

This means so much. For a person that isn’t related to you to provide a positive, honest review. There isn’t a bigger compliment.

It means so much to know that we will get what we want and enjoy the whole experience. 

Take your business to the next level and register with MyDasma today! Simply click here.

Mimoza Cena-Sokoli

Co-founder of MyDasma

P.S Do you have any family or friends that have a wedding business in Kosova, Albanian, Macedonia or Montenegro? If so, do them a favour. Tell them about MyDasma.