White Like Flour!

After going in for the morning to the school to sit in on a classroom, Sherry picked me up and we went to a barbershop to get my beard trimmed. I have never had facial hair for more than a week or so, and was looking really ragged. Sherry tells the barber in Nepali what I want done, and I sit down in an old chair that I barely fit into. The guy starts to comb my facial hair, and begins to trim away. Everything is going well at this point, aside from the barber's ripe armpit being shoved into my face numerous times and it smelling like B.O. mixed with B.O. After the trim, he tilts my head back and beings to lather underneath my neck. Having never had my throat area shaved before, I was nervous, but once he started everything went fine. By this point, three other men have crammed into this tiny shop and begin conversing and laughing in Nepali. I am 100% sure it is about me (as Sherry was laughing too), but maintain my tilted position to avoid my jugular or throat being sliced. Once he finished, he removed the towel and I stood up to leave, but he put me back into the chair and started slapping my head as if it were a drum. Some slaps were light, and some actually hurt. He then went on to abruptly pull my arms behind my back to pop my shoulders, and proceeded to crack each individual knuckle in my head. This is apparently common, but I more it to be more painful than relaxing. After we left, I made Shehrish translate what was being said by the men:

"Oh my god, so white, how does he go out into the sun?"
"He must be Irish to be that white, there's no sun there."
"He is white like flour! God must have blessed this one!"

However, the trim/shave was great and only cost Rs. 40 (approximately $.60), so I plan on never shaving while here and going back to be laughed at again.

Not much else new has been going on. I have started to shadow classes at the school, and the kids seem well-behaved. We met up with friends in Thamel (again) for a dinner party and ate Malaysian/Nepali food. I ate fish head for lunch today, and nearly threw up. It was jelly-like and really fishy, will not try it again. All the best to everyone.