Would you like your face filleted today sir?

After two days in the filthy, street-torn city of Datong, China, I wanted a shave. Somehow I thought it would make a memorable end to my stay to get a shave in a salon with a straight edge razor. How I rue THAT decision. 've never had a shave this way so my mind was set (the many warnings from my cousin be damned!).


The razor was sharp and the poor woman assigned to tried very hard to baby my tender face but it all failed to ease the sense that she was slowly peeling the skin from my neck! As the pain intensified and all the muscles in my body tensed in anticipation of the next slice (notice my clenched arms and hands), the departure time of our train drew near and we had to rush out before she finished. What a relief.