On this special day, 7/7/07, we were spending most of the morning and afternoon in Ishim. To commemorate this astronomically interesting day, I decided to get a haircut. The heat and bugs have been extreme last few days, so a haircut was in order. I decided, however, to go extreme - everything off. Conveniently, I found out that there was a haircut place right in our hotel. I showed the hairstylist with my fingers that I wanted only about quarter-inch of hair left and thought that I was good to go. Hmm, some 10 minutes later she seemed to be only trimming my hair; I thought about what could have been unclear about my communication. Didn't I show her exactly how much I wanted to have left? Then it came to me. It's all about perspective. I was showing how much I want to have left, and she thought I was showing how much I want to have cut off. Who was wrong? Odd question, yet we ask it all the time. The answer, of course, is a simple one: neither of us. I was right according to my perspective, and she was right according to hers. Just like if you ask which way is Moskva? Right now for me it's west, yet for my parents in Prague it's east.

I was enjoying my metaphysical contemplation, when quite a realistic thought came to me: I can just ask her to cut it shorter. I didn't follow this thought. It seemed too simple, and too selfish. It would mean that I value my perspective higher then hers. I didn't want to do that. I can always get another haircut, no big deal. As a matter of fact, the idea of a second haircut in one day was starting to feel exciting. Thus, I paid the 200 rubbles (130 for the haircut, plus 70 rubbles tip), said my "spasiba" and left.

Now was time to get my second haircut. My teammates told me that there was a barber shop about four blocks away, so I left the hotel. Halfway there, a downpour caught up with me. I was pretty wet when I got there. With my limited Russian comprised of what I learned in 5th grade (after the fall of communism, Czech Republic switched from learning Russian to English or German) and some Czech words (Czech language is actually somewhat similar to Russian), I explained that I wanted it all off. The stylist smiled, and started the buzzer. Soon I was bold ļ 7/7/2007 will now stand in my memory as getting two haircuts in one day, and pondering about perspectives in Russia. Water is life, and life is good in Ishim.