Moustache Nation?

We savored this homecoming. For 2 months we ticked off the days on the the calendar, made lists of what food we would eat and movies we would see. Were we really going home?

Yes. We were reunited with our friends, families, and pasteurized milk. Our curry consumption plummeted, and we redirected our palates to sushi, lettuce, and fresh breads. I was so overcome by the cleanliness of the bathroom floor at the local library that I almost kissed the ground. Were we just living obliviously in a U.S.A. paradise? As I was to find out, not exactly.

Even with a Texan president, pick-up trucks, and a rich hairy history in the wild west, the U.S.A. has gone anti-moustache. Yes, even Tom Selleck denuded his upper lip. For 2 arduous months I labored to show over 1 billion Indian people that I could feel their vibe. In turn, the natives welcomed me into their huts, petted my stache, and offered me generous helpings of sambar. It was like the cool kids were inviting me to the back of the bus.

But back home, I felt in the minority- cast aside, misunderstood. The melting pot went cold for me. Unemployed and in search of my identity, I needed to understand where the moustache fits in here.

In my classroom. The girls hated the moustache, but the boys loved it.

Some pre-India shenanigans exploring the virtues of mono-brow and moustache.

Classic South Indian moustache. It turns the corner and heads south.

Moustache et mullet. Classique.

The no-frills, hard-core, stomp on your
little neck with my big black boot moustache.

HOME!! Celebrating our first trip to the store. Things started
going downhill from here.

Was this a tough-guy moustache?

A smooth guy moustache?

Or a hobo moustache? I wore this to the local library. I was
wearing a shirt and shoes. But with a moustache? No service!
Unemployed and aimless, I attempted to get a job at TGIF.
They turned me away claiming that they only handed out applications
on Mondays. Angered by moustache discrimination, I snatched one of the
manager's flare buttons and stormed out. Moments later I found myself
in the New Haven Police Department answering
questions about my criminal background.
Fortunately, computers have no moustache bias,
and my clean record enabled me to get off with a misdimeanor.

Invigorated by my release. I promptly shaved my stache and
headed to the local D+D where they served me with a smile!



We would like to thank you all for your support and enthusiasm during our
adventures in India. Despite and perhaps because of the difficulties, we have come to understand this as one of the best years of our lives.
Thanks for sharing it with us as you've followed the Moustache Chronicles.

For a quick impression of our year, click on the following link:

Alex and Jeeyung's India Video

This was Jeeyung's Christmas gift to me.