Smile Salon

I’ve never had good hair. It’s not strong and sleek or curly and bouncy. My hair is fine and limp. Regardless, I’ve gotten a couple of nice cuts from women running beauty parlors out of the front of their homes. These tiny establishments are just as setup as the big-name hair salons with reclining chairs over sinks for washing and the helmet concoctions for drying. With my limited Thai vocabulary it was only a slight challenge to convey what kind of cut I came in for. I even learned the catch-phrase, “splice” for the technique they use to give the effect of a bit of shorter strands of hair framing my face. And of course, it makes me feel good to have the Thai women ooh and aah over the softness of my blond hair with comparisons to doll hair. So, I was perfectly content to seek out a cut and style in Thailand before returning home to see friends and family for Christmas.

Now, beauty parlors in my neighborhood of Huay Kwang seem to be seen as a path to easy money. I am not exaggerating when I say there are store fronts every 50 meters for blocks. I don’t know how they all stay in business. But, I had my pick of places with names like “Lushy,” “Smile Salon,” and “New-New.” Smile Salon. That sounds happy (plus, there was a group of staff visible from the window who seemed seriously immersed in someone’s highlight choices). Good, why not try something new? They got out the picture book and I pointed to a model with lovely flowing locks of soft waves. “We can do that…very pretty,” I was assured. I sat back for the ride. The shampoo was flowery and included a scalp massage. The cut looked fine, though was that too much off the sides? Curlers and then wrapping my head with saran wrap. As I waited for the chemicals to sink in, my hair dresser started up conversation and wanted to know all of my favorite Thai foods. She promptly marched down the street to buy me Somtom from a vender. Was she trying to get me on her good side? Did she know something I didn’t know?


Long story short…3 hours later..: The wrap came off, I was rinsed and half-dried and ended up looking like a shaggy mop from the 80s. The perm didn’t take and the cut (while probably nice for a Thai with straight and heavy hair) fell flat. A disaster. The staff tried to reassure me with their best smiles, coaching me on how to twirl the hair around my finger until it dried and had some lift. No. I was so horrified. The next day I went to the shop across the street and tried to get the layers evened out. So, not by design, but by default, I’m coming home with a short bob. Yup, that’s why I stick to ponytails.

Yellow Shirts

The government is still in the process of negotiations with anti-government protesters ("yellow-shirts") that have shut down the country’s airports.  I was looking forward to a break to the U.S., which is now delayed.

In November we continued to pre-bait our traps with fish heads and any road kill.  On the 6th, a group of 5 dholes was seen by army rangers when the dholes crossed the road near a checkpoint.  We examined the site and found multiple dhole tracks and a bear track.  An individual dhole was also spotted by my field assistant on the 25th.

I attended a Dry Forest Workshop at Kasetsart University which gave me an opportunity to see how different researchers approached the task of delineating reliable maps for use in monitoring these forests.  There was also discussion about the role of fire in these ecosystems.  Most importantly, I used the time to catch-up with other research contacts working in Thailand.

My adviser from the Smithsonian, Dr. Peter Leimgruber, travelled to my study site, Khao Ang Rue Nai, to check out the area and meet the sanctuary chief.  We continue to work together on a manuscript on the importance of long-term monitoring in Khao Yai National Park (camera trap data).

I submitted an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant through UMass in November; however, the biggest hurdle to my project right now is funding.  My Fulbright grant (starting in January) will cover basic living expenses for me, but has only a $100/month field budget.  I have no grants to cover field equipment for next year.  

My plan is now to travel to the U.S. on Dec. 16th and return to Thailand mid-January. In early December I plan to finalize my dissertation proposal and continue analyzing data and writing two manuscripts from my Khao Yai data.

Paperwork

October field work in Khao Ang Rue Nai progressed as usual.  I set up 3 cameras in the forest with weasel scent and got a strong response from domestic dogs in the area.  They revisited and rolled in the lure for up to a week.  This was the first time I got any indication of how long the scent lures may be sticking around as an attractant.  We set up 6 box traps in the forest with the doors removed and will begin pre-baiting this week.

I met with two committee members, Drs. Peter Leimgruber and Nucharin Songsasen, in Bangkok to assess our funding situation and plan details of the domestic dog disease study.  Dr. Songsasen travelled to the sanctuary this week to see the site and organize help from a local vet for trapping.  The manufacturing of our GPS collars has been delayed and we are now planning to open the traps in January.

This month I completed the paperwork for UMass IACUC and Institutional Review Board for interview permissions for a domestic dog survey.  I also submitted a grant proposal to the Taronga Zoo in Australia.

In November I plan to submit an NSF DDIG, continue pre-baiting the traps, and attend a Dry Forest Symposium.  I will tentatively be in the U.S. for all of December.