From 50ea0daaa8aaf40bd689941daf77587a5366b292 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Nguyễn Gia Phong Date: Mon, 24 May 2021 18:05:37 +0700 Subject: Blog about nopoo --- blog/index.md | 10 +++--- blog/nopoo.md | 107 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 113 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-) create mode 100644 blog/nopoo.md (limited to 'blog') diff --git a/blog/index.md b/blog/index.md index 8b342b8..c2cc909 100644 --- a/blog/index.md +++ b/blog/index.md @@ -4,9 +4,11 @@ I occasionally blog about functional programming, lambda calculus and other computational stuff, or anything related to computers in general. These write-ups are tagged as [`fun`](/tag/fun). -As usual, the good old [RSS feed](/feed.xml) is available. +I sometimes note what happens in meatspace as well. Such writings +might still have a thing or two to do with computing (given it is +integrated into my life) and they are tagged as [`lyf`](/tag/lyf). -If you are instead looking for the more formal literature of mine, -they are listed in [my ORCID profile][]. +As usual, the good old [RSS feed](/feed.xml) is available. -[my ORCID profile]: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2336-706X +If you are instead looking for the more formal literatures of mine, +they are listed in [my ORCID profile](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2336-706X). diff --git a/blog/nopoo.md b/blog/nopoo.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fed025f --- /dev/null +++ b/blog/nopoo.md @@ -0,0 +1,107 @@ ++++ +rss = "To Poo or Not to Poo" +date = Date(2021, 5, 23) ++++ +@def tags = ["hair", "poo", "lyf"] + +# To Poo or Not to Poo + +Late April 2021, Việt Nam witnessed the beginning of the fourth wave +of SARS-CoV-2 after a few months without any community case. Soon enough, +students are told to not come to their schools' campus. This happens +when I was an intern at [USTH][] [ICTLab][], so I was advised to work remotely +as well. I asked for this at the start of the internship but my supervisor +was rather reluctant, since there was multiple interns working together +and communication in person might be most effective. Working from home +was beneficial to me in a few important ways: + +1. I had a three-monitor setup at home and a more comfortable space. +2. I could have be more flexible working hours at home. +3. I did not have to bike back and forth to the lab (which is 4 km away) + twice a day[^1], which could be exhausting in the hot summer. + +Thanks to the last point, I also sweat a lot less and as I no longer +had to maintain a public appearance, I decided to give `#nopoo` a try. +I had been aware of such practice for quite a few years, but had never +thought of actually implementing it until I saw [Johnny Harris' vlog][], +which I can only describe as *intriguing*. TL;DW the journalist +maintained that generally shampoos washed away *his* scalp's natural oil, +and in combination with other hair products made the scalp itchy and unhealthy. +*His* solution was to drop the use of all products completely and so far +it had been working *for him*.[^2] + +Well, my head was itchy sometimes (still itchy at the time of writing), +alors, [pour la patrie, les sciences et la gloire][X], let's do it! + +## Day One + +I was going full no poo, no soap, no baking soda, no vinegar, *just water, +raw water*. Everything was going as expected, my hair was not as fluffy +as usual after washing, but it was easier to get in shape. I didn't really +style my hair. Not as a fashion statement, I was (still am!) just rather lazy. +Usually this wasn't an issue, unless when my hair was long, it tent to cover +my forehead, ears and eyes, which was arguably an uncomfortable experience. +Having the hair stay in place was indeed a blessing! + +## Day Two + +My hair started to feel thicker and running hands through it no longer +felt simulating. On the bright side it looked fabulous and did not itch. + +## Day Four + +My hair and scalp began to feel greasy. I guess it was because I did not +wash it thoroughly that day. With just water one would need to take more +effort scrubbing the hair and especially the scalps to return them +to a comfortable state. Plus my mentality got worse so my perceived +experience could be exaggeratedly negative. + +## Day Five + +I worked out and paid more attention to the hair washing process. +It felt noticeably better. + +## Day Six + +The brief revival of my mental health did not last very long:[^3] +later that day I was completely autopiloting and accidentally poo'ed myself. +It felt fluffy again but I was disappointed that things did not go as planned. + +## Day Seven + +I decided to cut my hair. I had been doing so for a decade when I wrote this, +but I got neither better nor faster at it, so it only happens twice or thrice +a year. Of course I had to poo myself after to get rid of all the tiny pieces. + +## Day Eleven + +Fast forward a few days it started to feel greasy again, but this time the hair +was shorter so it was less of an issue. I began to apply [saline] to the hair +after washing and somehow it helped a lot in improving the situation. Saline +was also my solution for face acne in my teenage year (along with finger nails +and pillowcase hygiene). + +## Day Fifteen + +At this point the experience had become more stable. My scalp +still itched occasionally but seemly less often than when I was poo'ing +more regularly. The hair stayed in shape with merely any effort +(I didn't even use a comb). + +Overall, the difference is barely noticeable otherwise but I think I will be +continuing holding my poo for another while, probably in long term. +Do not let my experience speak for you, however, try it yourself if you are +interested, but keep observing the effect objectively. + +[^1]: I usually had lunch at home with my parents. +[^2]: Emphases *his*.[^4] +[^3]: I later discovered that this was due to the lack of [sunlight]. +[^4]: He stressed that this might not be the case for everyone.[^5] +[^5]: OK, I get it, footnotes are distracting. + +[USTH]: https://usth.edu.vn +[ICTLab]: https://ictlab.usth.edu.vn +[Johnny Harris' vlog]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-_HKFjxVl0 +[X]: https://polytechnique.edu +[sunlight]: https://www.sunlightdish.com +[saline]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saline_(medicine) -- cgit 1.4.1