Borat gets a haircut

If I am going to function in this country as more than just comic relief, I really need to become a better communicator.

That means being able to express basic needs, such as telling the taxi driver: "I want to go to the mall." And then telling another taxi driver, "I want to go home now." Or ordering food from a menu that does not have pictures I can point to, or asking: "Where is a barber shop?"

Because I don't have the words, I do the snip-snip, fingers-to-hair pantomime for the clerk at the shopping center. She leads me over to the scissors, and even helps me find the right pair. I thank her, wait until she's out of sight, and then bolt out of the store.

Finally I do stumble across a ladies' salon that does the job. Many giggles. But also two luxurious shampoos, beginning and end, plus meticulous attention. About 8 bucks.

Today I re-read my Thai for Beginners book. And then read it again.