Men, Women & Hair

A seemingly silly question this evening, sparked a greater level of curiosity than I ever anticipated.

The question: Are men more intimidated by women with long hair than women with short hair?

The story: A woman (who is also my roommate) has been peer-pressured to alter her look - a shorter hairstyle. Her insistent male friend claimed women with long hair are more intimidating than women with short hair, and that quite possibly, she may acquire more phone numbers from interested males if she was less intimidating. He might have been joking, but the idea caused both of us to narrow our eyes and ponder. Really?

Obviously, this concept intrigued me. Thus, I quickly cruised online and signed onto Facebook to see whether or not my male friends had a similar sentiment. I spoke with four friends (well, actually five, but that's another story) and all seemed to have a few similarities.

1. In general, men tend to be more attracted to women with longer hair - the ability to run their fingers through hair is appealing, perhaps even seductive.

2. If a man was, in fact, intimidated by a woman with longer hair, he has bigger issues to worry about.

3. Certain hairstyles work better with certain people (i.e. shorter women with short hair and taller women with long hair)

4. Men are more likely to be intimidated by women who are taller, more intelligent and funnier, which I already knew.

As each conversation progressed, I became more and more curious and fascinated at the thought of something as simple as hair length affecting a man's interest/appeal. Ergo, I have created a list of my own questions; and for fun, a little poll. See above!

(These questions are for men only, thank you.)

1. What attracts you to a woman?

2. What characteristics or features of a woman do you find intimidating?

3. Hypothetical question: You walk into a bar and glance around the room. Do you tend to notice the blondes or the brunettes first?

4. Is it difficult for you to walk up to a woman in a bar and engage in a conversation?

5. If it is difficult to meet someone at a bar, why go? Hope of finding love? Fun flirtation? Fascinating conversations?

Of course, women generally have their own thoughts of men and hair. Again...all are merely generalizations.

1. Tall, DARK and handsome - ring a bell?

2. Scruffy beards, not Santa Clause.

3. Clean cut. Doesn't mean avoid shaggy hair, just controlled - which tends to be true for men and women.

4. Sure, baseball caps are fun, but let's not make it a daily addition to each outfit.

Keep in mind, all this is light and fun - just looking for some insight from the opposite sex. Cheers!

The Big Apple

It's been a little over a week since I moved to Brooklyn. Every morning I wake up from my eight-hour sleep and it feels as though I am waking up in any other place I've lived in before, if that makes any sense. It's not until I walk down the three flights of stairs, pass through two doors, place my earbuds into my ears, take a deep breath and gaze at Park Slope's scenery that I realize...I am living in New York City.

The quick, two-block route to the metro is plenty of time to listen to at least two great songs or one rather long song, a Beethoven classic for instance. Yes, I do still like the classics. My latest is the Cello Suite No. 1, which is probably most memorable from the poorly-directed film, The Soloist. For me, cellos are like bagpipes. Please don't be to quick to judge yet. I consider both bagpipes and cellos to be particularly difficult to play; thus, it takes incredibly talented musicians to surpass such a challenge. Once surpassed, it's hard for the audience to avoid such a magnificent sound - all the reason why I've listened to Cello Suite No. 1 at least ten times in the last two days. Huh...I may be obsessed.

Anyways...I tend to get overly excited when it comes to instrumental music. Case in point I suppose.

Back to NYC.

Obama's motto for the presidential elections was change. Well, as I wait for the Q or R train to arrive in the metro, I tend to gander from side to side, looking at the real New Yorkers - those who have lived in the city longer than a week. Based off of the 30 seconds it takes me to look at those nearest and farthest from me, some things never change. Black is still New Yorkers' preference of color and fashion sense...well, let's say it never ceases to amaze me.

One aspect I love most about the city is its unpredictability; whether it's the unique passengers aboard the metro trains with dual personalities (ask and I'll explain) or whether it's the latest fashion trend - which hasn't yet hit the wee cities in Michigan.

Undoubtedly, I still have a lot to learn about this culturally diverse city; however, there is one thing I already know...I love it here.

Note to readers: writing more often is on my agenda, so please stay tuned for my future excursions and unexpected events in the Big Apple.