The hairdresser

6:30 a.m. First hairstyle

Hairdresser Marion Esser begins her day by styling her own hair. In front of the mirror in her bathroom, she blow dries her blond locks. As she's also a cosmetician, she's also very handy at applying her make-up afterward.

She sometimes has make-up free days, too, says Esser. "I only put on make-up when I'm in the salon with customers. When I'm on vacation, I don't wear any make-up."

Marion says she would like to have more time with her children. But she doesn't, nor does the family take longer vacations. Marion and her husband own their own hair salon, so they have to be present.

Marion wears only black in the salon. Why? "Our customers are king, and that's why they're the stars. We want to be in the background," she explains. With a grin, she adds: "It's also quite practical, as you can hardly see stains from the dyes."

8:30 a.m. In the salon

With the car, it's just a 10-minute drive from her home to the salon. As the head of the hair studio, Marion Esser spends her whole day here together with her husband.

At 9:00 a.m. on the dot, she starts work with her first customer. A nice, talkative young man has come to have her cut his hair. After him, she has several female customers who want their hair colored. With a friendly smile, she converses with her customers. "We talk about our kids and exchange stories. Sometimes, we just talk about the weather."

One customer wants a technique known as hair painting, and asks Esser for a consultation about which colors would suit her. Marion mixes the dyes in a small adjoining room. With a paint brush and a paint comb, she divides the hair into U-shaped triangles and brushes the hair with color.

Marion also has to work the cash till and keep an eye on her staff, of course. Although she's the boss, there's no job too small for her. "I also sweep up," she laughs.

She helps customers hang up their coats. "Then, I usually bring them a coffee and a magazine," she says. "Many of my customers have been coming to me for years."

2:00 p.m. Finishing work

Normally, Marion Esser is at the salon until 5:30 p.m., but today is Friday, so she leaves work early.

In a nearby shop, the devout Catholic buys fish and potatoes. "On Fridays, we always eat fish," she says. "We only have a warm meal in the evening."

After shopping, she goes inline skating with her daughters. "I only started inline skating because of my kids, but now, I'm the one who skates the most. And I have to really motivate them both to get up and come with me," she says with a laugh.

In addition to inline skating, she likes to read and paint in her free time. "If I'd done my Abitur (secondary school degree), I'd have studied art and become a painter, for sure!"

4:00 p.m. At home

Arriving back at home, Esser first sorts the family's post. "All the bills go to my husband. I open my mail, and there's seldom a bill in there. I don't like bills, but then, who does? They have to be dealt with," she says.

Marion Esser is busy in the kitchen. She peels potatoes, puts them on the stove, and looks forward to the evening meal together with her family.

Finally, the family is gathered around the nicely set table. They fold their hands in prayer, then join hands and wish each other "Guten Appetit!"

The shared prayer ahead of the meal is their family tradition. "We pray before the meal, and sometimes afterward as well, although mostly we forget to do the post-meal prayer," she says, and smiles.

Author: Ali Almakhlafi (dc)
Editor: Rina Goldenberg