beardless ease and sexed statues

just had my beard shaved off
in the street between Taumadhi Tol and potter's square
[where the pottering potters pot]
you ever shaved a beard off?
every time i let a beard happen and finally shave it off i think...
why did i let that happen
what a pain that was
itchy and scratchy and drymouth and lookcrap
...

shaving them off is lovely though
a feeling of clean freeness
non-itchiness etc

i never had a beard i didn't regret growing
though a few time i shaved it off in bits
the edinburgh fat handlebar mustache month was a good fun month if i recall
...

and its the only the 8th or 10th time i had my face shaved
and never in england
and i have to say, either my skin is getting old and rough
or his blade was well unkeen
cos i've never been so aware of the scraping of the blade before
krrk krrk krrkk
...

and i rarely have my hair cut
so i do like watching myself as i appear
the narcissism of the mirror
i used to write with a mirror behind the typewriter
[only place to put it]
and this was good
i got to know my face
i think everyone should spend a fair while looking at their own face
it feels healthy to me
...

one time in thailand the guy cut me
so he stuck his finger under the sink
and brought out a spiders web
as a temporary plaster
and it worked great...

meanwhile this place is so likeable we are having trouble leaving
and are inventing hypochondriac reasons to not go
plus i am near to knowing the whole show
and have another piece to finish writing
and p is working fitfully but with ever more fluidity
so why go?
...
except darjeeling beckons

...
meanwhile yet more indo-chinese temples

the stinking river

the small shrines

the man with a headload of tin cans

the statues, wooden and stone, half with genitalia, so of the two on either corner, or either side the steps, one is female and one is male

...

the giant wooden chariot being assembled in the grand square

the groups of men singing over slow-rhythmed cymbals

the four-part barney in the street round the corner

every barney i've seen has an out-to-lunch young guy in it somewhere

...

...