Steven and Sophie Get Haircuts

My adviser gave me a secret formula to study for my thesis.  We'll call it "The Stabilization".  The Stabilization outlines how to calm down a hysterical group through an intervention process with smaller, closely related groups.  The process was written out in an unpublished preprint of his that I had.  Actually the story of The Stabilization is an important ongoing story in my career; we may return to it on another occasion.

A couple years ago in Oklahoma, I was browsing through a new library book and saw The Stabilization.  Reading more carefully, I learned that my adviser had also shared it with arithmetic geometer Sophie Morel, who used its methods to calm down some of her own mathematics.  Last week she spoke at an international colloquium here at TIFR.  Of course, I made a beeline for her during lunch when she was relaxing with Gerald.  I immediately chatted her up about The Stabilization because, you know, there are only three of us in the world who have worked with it (I think...).

We started hanging out, and when she told me she planned to go to a gent's barbershop, I knew it could be a delicious DAI post.  Also, I needed a haircut myself, to look sharp when the Flying Yogini Sisters arrive!  We had two options:  either a place called "Vijay's Barbershop" which I had patronized before, or Arnab's suggestion, a store called "Hair Cool" across from Churchgate.  Once there, we were to ask around if we couldn't find it immediately, which sounds pretty straightforward when you're at a colloquium lunch trying to impress your new friend.

I raced back to my apartment, unwrapped my new "Flip Video", and started entertaining Sophie around Colaba.  We started by taking a local bus, and walked around the Causeway.  In fact she had already learned the Hindi alphabet, and some basic expressions.  Unfortunately, Vijay's was closed, and we couldn't find Hair Cool.  Most of the people around were stressful travelers hurrying to their gate, who weren't necessarily so familiar with the area.  So, I decided to ask the outdoor merchant guys (OMGs).  Or more accurately, I got their attention and pretended my fingers were scissors cutting my hair.  Two OMGs pointed us in a certain direction.  But as we walked along we noticed that there weren't any store fronts in that direction.  Soon we found that the second OMG  had followed us and pointed out that a third OMG was standing around giving haircuts.

Dear Diary, I'm sorry to report that I initially scared of getting my hair cut by someone without, you know, a store.  But Sophie was brave, and resolved to get her hair cut on the spot.  I filmed it, of course, and then went ahead and got mine cut as well.  Here is our Trimming Montage:

(Sorry about that first minute; there was a sticker on the lens...)  It was only ३० Rupees a head.  Afterwards she shopped for movies starring Bollywood crush Shahrukh Khan, and for Hindi Potter books.  We finished by sharing a pizza at Moshe's while talking about math.  It was fun!

Caution:  I don't believe that women would normally get their hair cut at a gentleman's haircuttery in India.  Sophie has a mischievous streak in which she propagates the illusion that she is male.  (Part of that was getting her hair cut short.)  In this way, she does not command the extra attention which can annoy more traditional western women wandering around alone in India.