haircut day

None of the boarders were happy the barber
was available for a house-call

I have gotten two haircuts while in Nepal. A great man by the name of John Stifler told me that getting a haircut in a foreign country is one of those experiences you don't think about until it happens but then never forget it. I think this is true. For my first haircut, I walked 2 minutes from the school to a second floor room which didn't have a wall facing the street. It also lacked much else--only a desk, two chairs, a coat-rack, and a mirror furnished the concrete room. Even the desk drawer was lacking--some gel and a buzzer with three attachments. I asked for the buzzer as I always do in America. Fortunately he didn't have the attachment I wanted. I say fortunately because he held the buzzer like it was a banana he was supposed to cut hair with, and because I then got the best haircut ever with a pair of scissors. Scary at first because Nepalese barbers wield scissors like Edward Scissorhands, but with the nonchalantness of a schoolkid twirling a pencil. When the jointed blades aren't cutting your hair, they're cutting the air around your head and ears. I now realize this is widely practiced. After the slicing and dicing, I was thrust back into the chair after attempting to leave and given a head massage. This is also widely practiced, even among the street barbers (possibly pedestrians with scissors and a stool. Do your research first.) I call it a head massage now, but then I half thought it to be some shamanic post haircut ritual, knuckles ringing my skull and fingers twisting my scalp to purge demons and loose hairs. Yes it was a bit ethnocentric. But I ended up looking and feeling great. And it was a dollar (I gave twice what was asked.)

My second haircut was at the school. Barbers commonly do house-calls apparently. It did not live up to the first. I do not like being gawked at mid-haircut, nor being the bibbed, hair-covered proverbial water-cooler.

and photo-shoots should happen after the haircut

I'm not as excited about my new 'do; the head massage seemed cut short while my hair could've been cut shorter (third world problems, ya know?) But he did have to cut the hair of ten boys living at the school, the principal, and me, so I guess it's understandable.

but really, how'd you even get my camera

Ways to get a feel for a foreign country: eat food from someone who only speaks the native language, play a pick-up game of anything, and get a haircut. Any others? leave a comment if you feel so inclined