On the 28th of March 2010, more than 38 brave souls decided to shave their heads bald for charity.

What charity, to be exact? Worldvision Malaysia‘s Operation Botak.

Imagine for a minute now that you are hiking through the jungle. You need to climb up the hill starting at 6am, because your destination is beyond the hill and you need to be there at 7:30am. It is totally dark.

Now imagine doing that every morning because that’s how you go to school! Would you want to do that, or skip school altogether?

And so, Worldvision is aiming to raise RM100,000 to build a learning resource centre and equip a mobile library! I quote the site:

“Over half of Sabah’s population is scattered amongst isolated rural areas. We hope to raise RM100,000 to help provide indigenous communities in the interiors of Tuaran and Kota Belud with the gift of education and literacy by equipping a mobile library and learning resource centre.

Thus, we’re challenging our more fervent supporters to go bald for literacy.”

You can see these fervent supporters here:
WorldVision Malaysia’s Photos – Operation Botak

It is no wonder you can see smiles on their faces as it all goes off.

Mine, too. Yes, I pledged to raise RM1,000 for the fund. You can see what a clean shave Snips hairstylists did to retain my cornrows!

I have raised RM310 so far. Previously the donations had a deadline of 25th March 2010 but this has been extended indefinitely until the target is met.

So please, donate, because I lost my hair which has not had a pair of scissors touch it for 1994 days. Or 5 years 4 months and 17 days.

To donate to the cause, download this form:

http://worldvision.com.my/images/blitz/operation%20botak_donation%20form.pdf

You can then send it by post, fax, or email the form to admin@worldvision.com.my.

Neat how they shaved it – I could actually hold it up!

Going deep. I don’t know where I’ve seen this pose before.

Does it get any more literal than this?

Jessica pledges too! Her hair is first tied up…

You go girl!

Husband and wife. They can later see whose hair grows faster!

Jessica rocks too.

I went in again to get it skinned. Obviously, one is a senior hairstylist while the other is a junior (they are, after all, from Snips Academy.)

Some of the participants.

Plus the emcee Deborah Henry (who has also sponsored a child under Worldvision!)

She didn’t brave the pain of cornrows but the warmth of the electric razor wasn’t a problem.

Yes it was warm! However being bald, air currents just cool your head. I like how splashing water on my head gives a refreshing feeling. Oddly, even a cold shower feels very warm!

Shower-head view.

Zeiss 135mm F1.8 view. A further distance helps to give a different geometric projection.

I think I look like the Quake 2 protagonist here.

Yes there is a bit of rash, probably from the cornrows tugging on my hair.

Rembrandt light. I could see my reflection in the camera lens and adjust angle accordingly.

All shots of me (and Jessica) taken by Waifon unless it is obvious that I took it, like when you can see my hands outstretched to hold up a fisheye, like so:

Here’s Tan Shu-Yi (left) and Ng Oon-Ee (right) making a hidden mickey of me!

You can see my previous two hairstyles here:

Vain Braidy

cHAIRity

So yeah if I can sacrifice my hair for charity, I’m sure you could spare some money to help the kids in Sabah! 😀

If you’re wondering why my hair looks kinda flat now, it is not because it knows it is going to be cut for charity.

It is because I am concealing… cornrows!

From the side, I look kinda cyberpunk or Predator-like. And I like it.

The first person that came to mind when I got this, was Chuck Mosley, original vocalist for Faith No More. Then the long mohawk was quite Anthony Kiedis-like. There was definitely something 80’s and quite metal-ish about this (or maybe it was my face!)

From the back. I originally wanted a typical basketball/globe projection design but Tony the hairstylist said my head was not round so it would not suit that style. And so, it was parted in 3, with the hair in the middle untouched so I could do whatever I want with it (a mohawk, or cover my cornrows!)

I love the ability to hide my cornrows to avoid questions and girls following me home who cannot stop saying how cool it is.

(Credits to Waifon for taking this picture.)
The hair was parted in many ‘combs’ and each ‘comb’ was then braided very close to the scalp. Yes, it was painful at first! However once it gets to the end of each comb it becomes a regular braid.

(Credits to Pin Pin for taking this picture.)
Here you can see the individual braids hanging out, unfinished.

It also hurts to have your neck in that position, more than it does when the braiding happens!

Finally, the individual braids are combined into one big braid, which forms one of two major trunk lines, which are then secured with a hair band each. (Refer to the back view above.)

I now have major respect for anyone with cornrows and dreadlocks – the process of getting it hurts!

69 GET! (Liquified in Photoshop.)

I got my cornrows done at C’Cut Hair Salon, Lot 85, 5th floor, Berjaya Times Square. This is certainly not your usual salon as you’ll see when you enter. 😀

For all the other pictures I shall thank smashpOp and his Minolta 70-210mm F4 beercan lens at 210mm F11 for a perspective that will bring out the hair.

And yes, I am still going bald this 28th of March 2010 so please do donate to the cause! It was my hair’s last wish to get funky (I originally kept long hair with the intent of making it dreadlocks but it was too socially unacceptable so I settled for cornrows.)