A CLOSE SHAVE

I have often enjoyed getting my hair cut in the nation of Thailand. Here old-school barber shops are on nearly every corner. What I like the best is the amazing price that these guys are willing to ask for their services. Usually this is between 40 and 100 baht, depending on location. So between 1 and 3 dollars. I go to a place with no air conditioning, and sometimes not even any power. I was once getting my hair cut when a heavy rain began to fall. The power went out and cast the shack-like room into darkness. The sun had just set because of the rain clouds it was a near impenetrable darkness. After a few uncomfortable minutes, mostly because the barber had cut the left side of my head and not yet the right, my barber explained that he would be right back. Shortly he returned with a box of candles and a friend of his from around the corner.

He finished my cut by candle light. His friend, smiling at the oddness of the situation and from the two or three beers he'd just drank, was very careful to keep the candle out of range of my hair while close enough that the barber could see.

When I arrived at a party later that night, most people complemented my haircut. When I told them it had been done by candlelight I believe they thought I was being humorous. No, I don't joke when it comes to getting my hair done, but I also don't want to spend more than a dollar fifty.

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