This story is about the second best hairdresser in the world.

We’ll look at some different sayings and also how to use ordinal numbers.


ZOE DANIEL: Friday morning in funky Fitzroy and the world's second best hairdresser is at work.

Caterina di Biase is a colourist and her personality matches her choice of profession.

CATERINA DI BIASE: So we need to come through and reshape this, so that we can stop this, you look a bit like the flying nun at the minute.

ZOE DANIEL: Thanks, mate.

CATERINA DI BIASE: Sorry, darling.

ZOE DANIEL: She's just back from Italy where she was named number two out of the world's top ten in her field.

CATERINA DI BIASE: I screamed the salon down, 'cause I thought, "Oh, my God, I made it", which I just couldn't believe it. I sort of had to pinch myself a few times to find out there was only 10 finalists and then once I got the list of who they were, that's when I really thought, "Oh, my God, we are, I'm really there."

ZOE DANIEL: Caterina was the only female finalist in the international Next Look Hairdressing Awards with this African theme. Did you think, " I've got something here?

CATERINA DI BIASE: Yeah, absolutely, it's a bit like you know, you get this twinkle, this gut feeling and I looked at it and I thought, "Wow, this is strong",

ZOE DANIEL: And while she came second, she's not beaten.

CATERINA DI BIASE: No, I didn't win, it was won by the local Italian boy, which, you know, but I was the only female, I was standing on stage with nine other male finalists. I was proud to be there, being Australian and to be the only female, and yeah I'll be back.

ZOE DANIEL: For the moment, though, it's back to Melbourne, and back to basics. What's the attraction of the colouring in particular?

CATERINA DI BIASE: The change. Just playing with the colour palette, I guess that's one of those artist things. Some stylists don't like to play with the colour palette, I love to play with the colour palette. Colour makes the world go round, everything is colour and I just love it.

ZOE DANIEL: After its success, the HeadingOut team was asked to open a salon in Italy but Caterina resents any implication that life and work in Melbourne may be a little slow after the glamour of Europe.

CATERINA DI BIASE: Melbourne is home, Melbourne is my passion, I love Melbourne. People say to me, "Why don't you move to Sydney or, you know," and I say, "No, Melbourne is us, and Melbourne is me and this is where we want to stay."

Basically all done now. As you can see just bringing out the layers through the bottom, just really, really soft, lost your flying nuns!

ZOE DANIEL: Lost my flying nuns …

CATERINA DI BIASE: Lost your flying nuns, darling.

ZOE DANIEL: I quite liked those.

CATERINA DI BIASE: The next step is colour.

ZOE DANIEL: OK.