#1: It's Okay to Gossip With Your Clients
Vanna is Vietnamese and often exploits her mastery of the language with her staff. As most Americans are aware, Vietnamese salons are infamous for talking to one another while their non-fluent customers hope the chatter isn't about them or their talons. Vanna, however, loves to involve her English-speaking clients in the parlor's latest rumors. If Vanna likes you she will translate the conversation and tell the full story, complete with varied voices, hand gestures, and props. I like to think she only gossips with me, and never gossips about me. Alas, I think that's wishful thinking.
#2: One-Night Stands Rarely Last One Night
Every week Vanna asks me the same question: "You have new boyfriend yet?" The answer is invariably, No, not yet, but I'm going out. She looks at me with her beautiful, almond eyes and says in a very serious voice, "No sleeping with boy first date. Bad, bad news." She proceeded to tell me about a client whose son's former fiancee went to Vegas for her bachelorette party, came back pregnant, and gave birth to a black baby boy. Both the bride and groom were full-blooded WASPs, so it became pretty obvious what had happened at her hen party. What happens in Vegas? A really good reason for a pre-nup.
