Of getting lost
Surviving a shave
What is the Vietnamese word for 差不多？I was just commenting yesterday at an old Asia hand’s post that some experiences in Vietnam remind me of time in China in the early 2000s. Today I walked into a neighbouring hairdresser to get a shave. The girl did not have a razor, but that did not stop her, she just unpacked a safety razor blade, wedged the blade between her fingers, and went on to give me a shave.
In 2002, I was at the Indian consulate in Shanghai, renewing my passport, and I realized that I needed a clean shave for a new photo. I walked into a small saloon in the next building. The girl there too, made short work of my facial hair with bare fingers and a blade. The girl later told me that I was the first male customer who had walked in asking for a shave. No one says no to an economic opportunity in China. 
What am I doing here; close shave in Shanghai