Reason Number 322 Why We’ve Got a Pretty Sweet Deal Going Here

My nose hairs have never had it so good.

When I go to the barber in this country, it’s an hour-long event, complete with multiple kinds of clippers, razors, scissors, brushes, powders, and antiseptic liquids of undetermined origin and purpose.

The goal of all this is to produce the skinhead look that I’ve decided is practical here. In theory, the whole job could get done in under five minutes. But Thais take their hair care seriously.

By the time we’re done, my whole head has been trimmed, not just my scalp. Thus the nose hairs, ear hairs, chin hairs, and even eyebrows have all gotten attention. If I’m lucky and there aren’t too many people waiting, a shoulder rub might get thrown into the deal. It sets me back two bucks, including tip.

A friend of Chao’s cuts Jip's hair. She comes to our place, and does both Chao and Jip in less time than I spend in the chair. Then again, Jip doesn't have nose hair issues like I do.

It seems never to be too late for a haircut here. On almost any street, you can find a barber open after dinner. Yet many people consider it bad luck to get clipped on Wednesday. This week, I forgot about that taboo. Could that explain why our evening caregiver failed to show up yesterday? Or why, as I write this, thousands of tiny ants are pouring out of my computer modem? (I really wish I was making up that last bit.)