Oh my god she's bald!

It's an interesting thing, being bald. I shaved my head (as much as I dared to) because I wanted to. It seemed like a good idea to do it before a six week trip to Borneo because: 

* If it looked terrible, I would have six weeks to grow it back without looking in a mirror.

* No muss, no fuss. Carefree jungle hair. I'm going to send this in as a tip to Cosmo.

* I knew it would be hot in Borneo, and a lack of hair would help keep me cool.

Here's what I did NOT take into account. While I live in the Bay Area, where I would need to do something really outrageous, like get a full scalp tattoo to get attention, most of my caving companions are not from the Bay Area. Sure, I didn't have to worry about shampoo, but I spent more time in six weeks explaining to the 25 odd people that comprised our expedition WHY I had shaved my head than I would spend on my hair in a year (admittedly, this would not be very much time). The Malaysians in Borneo didn't know what to make of me, and news of the "woman with no hair" spread. Another interesting thing. If you're a guy and you shave your head, it can be taken as a sign of conservatism. If you're a chick, you are considered WAY liberal. Please note that this is a passport photo that I carried around in my wallet for six weeks not the best quality!