Where We Are Going Today: Head & Co.

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Updated 26 November 2025
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Where We Are Going Today: Head & Co.

After several weeks of navigating the early stages of postpartum life, travel wasn’t an option for me this year. Instead, I turned to my own city to find a moment of rest.

That’s how I discovered Head & Co., a Korean head, body, and soul spa newly introduced to Jeddah, offering treatments rooted in Korean wellness traditions.

I booked their well-known Gyggy spa treatment, popular on social media and widely sought after by women in South Korea, especially new mothers seeking specialized postpartum scalp care.

Located on King Abdulaziz Road in Al-Mohammadiyyah, the spa has a warm, calming atmosphere. Soft fabric lanterns, natural wood accents, light walls, and touches of greenery set a peaceful tone. 

Upon arrival, I was introduced to the creator of the treatment, who developed it during the COVID-19 pandemic to help alleviate stress. 

Her research into scalp neurology identified 15 pressure points that, when stimulated, promote relaxation throughout the brain and body.

I was invited to choose one of six flowers, each corresponding to a hidden flavor in a drink. Mine turned out to be a blend of vanilla and floral notes; the taste was acceptable but not my favorite.

Next, I chose a session “mood” through an aromatic profile. My choice, lemon and lemongrass, symbolized calmness; other options include trinity, happiness, and confidence. 

Inside the treatment room, earthy tones, ceramics, dried botanicals and minimalist decor created a soothing environment. A tray of sensory tools — wooden instruments, cups and herbal elements — was arranged like a ritual station for the experience.

Before the main treatment, I stood on a tray of dried mud balls, gently rolling my feet to stimulate circulation and encourage grounding. 

The practitioner then placed an eye cover to help me disconnect. The session opened with a gentle scalp detox, cleansing the scalp of toxins and salts using 13 natural ingredients at specific temperatures. 

The warmth and botanicals activated pressure points and encouraged deeper relaxation. This was followed by a shampoo and scalp treatment made with vitamins and natural extracts, creating a mild tingling and cooling sensation for oxygenation. 

The experience continued with a shoulder, neck, arm, hand and chest massage using heated herbal compress balls that release their benefits through heat.

After the treatment, guests may choose a blow-dry, styling, or braids. I opted for braids and was offered a cup of herbal tea to conclude the session.

The session costs SR490 ($130), which is higher than some full-body spa treatments. I also found the practitioner’s complete silence slightly confusing at times; a brief explanation of each step would have been useful without disrupting the calm atmosphere.

I highly recommend this treatment to new mothers needing a restorative break or to anyone seeking deep relaxation. For more details, visit @headandco.sa.


Book Review: ‘The Penguin Book of Polish Short Stories’

Updated 05 December 2025
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Book Review: ‘The Penguin Book of Polish Short Stories’

  • In 39 stories spanning the last century to the present day, this collection gathers short stories by writers who lived in different eras and different worlds

 

If there was ever a book published in 2025 that encapsulates the spirit and diversity of Polish writing, it is “The Penguin Book of Polish Short Stories,” an anthology edited and translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones and published by Penguin.

In 39 stories spanning the last century to the present day, this collection gathers short stories by writers who lived not only in different eras, but in literally — and figuratively — different worlds.

From the oldest story in this book: “A New Love,” by Jaroslaw Iwaszkiewicz from 1925, to the newest: “The Isles,” which was written specifically for the anthology in late 2023, by Dorota Maslowska, the collection spans and expands to various timelines and moods.

The impact over the 100 years is huge. The book offers different political, legal and ideological systems.

The book had a herculean task to fully understand the context and nuances of the various eras; the First World War, the Second Polish Republic — the 20-year period of Polish independence between the two world wars — the Second World War, and beyond.

This anthology is curated in such a way that it covers the growth of a country that had been drenched in horrors, but also in joy — and everything in between.

The introduction explains: “This is a book for any English-language reader who likes short stories, and who is interested in exploring Polish short stories in particular.”

It goes on to explain that no previous knowledge of Polish literature is required in order to comprehend and appreciate the stories contained within.

Polish literature, and especially fiction, had not been “very familiar” to English-language readers, the book states, despite three Nobel prizes and literature since 1980. 

The critically acclaimed 63-year-old Polish author and activist Olga Tokarczuk — perhaps most known for winning a Nobel Prize in Literature in 2018 — wrote the preface.

“You may have random and unrelated cause to remember these stories many years from now, even if you’ve forgotten the names of their authors, and the impressions they leave will allow you to see Polish literature as an integral, rather than a peripheral part of the world’s humanist-and-cultural heritage,” Tokarczuk writes.