On Statia, the barbershop is more than just a place to get your hair cut. It’s a town hall, a debating chamber, and a news channel all rolled into one. You walk in for a fresh look, but you leave with the latest gossip, political commentary, and a couple of new friends.

Not every hairstyle actually makes it to the chair. Rastas manage with a bag of hair they carry around, swapping the bag now and then. Then there are the rainbow styles – every color, sometimes all at once – and the fully shaved heads, finished faster than the barber can say “good morning.”

In between, there are the creative experiments: hair that resembles a passing sheep, or brave attempts with new clippers and other torture devices. The results may vary, but the stories are always good.

The great barber meeting only ends when the barber decides it’s enough. And if you’re lucky, you might even recognize yourself in the mirror afterwards. I myself once lost two eyebrows in a single second.