Thursday, November 11, 2004

" a poised blade at the throat to start your day "

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you're leaning back in a barbers chair and he's holding this 4-inch blade to your neck at an angle just so. the lather he carefully brushed on your face is soothing and cool, and smells of lemon. in the background, the television is quietly skronk-ing the latest soap opera news/gossip through ancient speakers.

six twirling panning fans gently blow a soft gale on the landscape of your shoulders; the cool breeze momentarily displacing the fear of being cut across the open plain of your throat.

the first stroke comes and goes, and the sound of the metal sliver cutting against the coarse hairs on your face, slowly develops from a scratch to a long drawn-out scrape.

with each following graceful movement, he proceeds to shave the rest of your shadow off. his fingers move slightly with each decision, and plant themselves in a confident passiveness.

getting a shave by a barber with a straight razor in thailand costs a little over a dollar, and the visceral experience is really engaging. i suggest if you have a beard or a 'stache, to fly here just for a shave. unless you're a person with no facial hair.

that being the case i would suggest some of the delightful street food. either activities is just a swell thing to do before you begin your day.

with a blade at your neck and a small bag of treats, you walk into the world and the sun is shining.

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