This past week, we had a great week in the hospital. Dane scrubbed on some cool surgical cases, including an open total gastrectomy. I did my first C-section as the primary surgeon. It was pretty awesome. We are both especially loving our time in the OR, which is very affirming, since we have both chosen surgical fields.
Each week, we learn a little bit more about what it is like to live in Bangladesh. There are many questions we didn't even think to ask until weeks in to our trip. One very important question was, "Who cuts your hair?" The responses have been varied. Some, like Stephen, cut their own hair with a buzzer. Some wives trim their husbands' hair. I haven't ventured into this arena yet, but my mom has cut my dad's hair for 39 years, so I know it is a viable option. Some people don't trust anyone but American stylists and wait to have their hair cut when in the States on furlough. But some people are a bit more daring and visit a Bengali barbershop. Dane has been needing a haircut for the past few weeks. He, along with two other short termers, wanted the full Bengali barber experience. So one afternoon, we headed across the street to the barber.
You can see from the picture above that the barbershop is not large. It is comfortable when the fan is running, but once the power goes out, that place becomes very toasty! And the power is almost guaranteed to go out during a thirty minute haircut. In case we haven't commented on that enough, the power in Bangladesh is quite sporadic. Cities tend to have power for 70-80% of the day, but in the more rural areas, there may only be power half of the day or less. The power goes on and off about 50 times a day.
The picture above shows Dane in the middle of his haircut. The barber did a pretty good job. Dane only had to ask him to take a little extra off the top. He also said no to the razor for his sideburns. You never know where a razor in Bangladesh has been, so it is best to stick with the scissors. 
The haircut also included an eyebrow trim! Now Dane knows just how Duncan feels when we trim his eyebrows. The key is to hold very still.
The most important part of any Bengali haircut is the massage. After slapping Dane in the face for a good 5 minutes, the barber moved on to his shoulders and then his arms. The grand total for the haircut was 100 taka. That's about $1.40. What a deal!
The finished product! Ken Petersen is in the middle. He is the Ob/Gyn who is here short term. He is a veteran short termer. I think this is his eighth trip to Bangladesh. He visits the same barber each trip. The barber even has his picture on the wall, which means he is a local celebrity. The other guy in the picture is Michael Kim. He is a fourth year med student who is here short term as well.
We have really enjoyed living in Bangladesh this spring. We have definitely seen the immense value of coming for two months versus a shorter period of time. Every day provides new opportunities to learn more about the Bengali culture. It is hard to believe that we will be back in the US in less than three weeks.
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