DARAIN HOUSEN HAS not taken off his hat for the last 20 years. He bathes, he sleeps and does everything possible in it. It is a perfect fit.

But unlike other hats, his is not made of cloth but from the very hair on his head which is why it cannot be removed.

Housen has been sporting his 'natural hat' hairstyle for the last 20 years. The 40-year-old barber who lives in Somerset, St. Thomas said he came up with the idea after some of his friends decided to wear hats to a party but he could not find one to wear.

"Mi an dem fi go a di party but di three of them had caps an' mi had none so mi get two mirror one behind mi and di other in front of mi an' mi trim mi hair like a cap an' go a di dance," said Housen.

Housen said his hairstyle created such a stir that he got a crate of beer to share between he and his friends.

"Dem did love it," he said smiling. "Mi friends an' some of the girls said I win di hairstyle contest and buy mi a box a Guinness," he said.

Housen said the morning after the dance he clipped the rough edges and then for six months he kept growing the 'peak' but since then he has not made major changes to his 'hat'.

FLIRT WITH DANGER

The 'hat' has shocked and awed everyone including policemen, tourists and judges. It has even caused him to flirt with some danger. Housen said that he was once stopped by a policeman while coming from a dance early one morning who insisted that he removed it.

"Him shine di light pon mi an' look. When him see it seh a mi real hair him frighten an' seh mi mus come check him a di station di following morning. When mi go him shake mi han' an' seh mi have talent an' mi fi keep it up," he said.

On another occasion Housen said he was ordered by a judge to take off his 'hat' while on jury duty.

"A di policeman have to tell him seh is mi hair. Him congratulate mi an' tell mi seh mi have talent," he said smiling.

Housen said people from all over the island have taken photos with him but while he has become quite an attraction he has never charged a fee to touch his hair or have a photo of it taken. There is no doubt about Housen's fame as when THE STAR was searching for him in order to do the interview the team only had to mention 'the man with the hair hat' and we were pointed to where we could find him.

The barber does not have a permanent shop but instead moves through communities in northern St. Thomas cutting his customers' hair. He said he has had requests from other persons to cut their hair in a similar style but the texture of their hair has not made it possible.

Melbourne Horne, Housen's friend for the last 13 years said the barber once sported a felt hat.

"When mi jus' know him is a felt hat him did a beat. So, nex ting mi know him change to dis type a hat. Di only ting him do now a colour di front in a yellow or some other colour," he said.

If at some stage he loses his hat Housen says he would be quite uncomfortable. "I would a feel light without it because a long time mi have it so mi would a feel a way without it," he said.

(sent to mi bi mista carl boyles)

Genie let out of the bottle
It is now the witching hour
Genie let out of the bottle
It is now the witching hour
Murderers, you’re murderers
We are not the same as you
Genie let out of the bottle
Funny ha ha, funny how?
When the walls bent, when the walls bent
With your breathing, with your breathing
When the walls bent, when the walls bent
With your breathing, with your breathing
With your breathing
They will suck you down to the other side
They will suck you down to the other side
They will suck you down to the other side
They will suck you down to the other side
To the shadows blue and red, shadows blue and red
Your alarm bells, your alarm bells
Shadows blue and red, shadows blue and red
Your alarm bells, your alarm bells
They should be ringing
This is the gloaming

Frame of silence of an innocent divine
Is a dangerous creation when you fall the test of time
And all the photographs of ghosts of long ago
Still they hurt you so, won’t let go
And you still don’t know

And it’s a long long way from where you want to be
And it’s a long long road, but you’re too blind to see

When you look around yourself now, do you recognize the girl
The one, who broke a thousand hearts, terrified the world

And all the stars you kissed could never ease the pain
Still the grace remains and though the face has changed
You’re still the same

Spät des Nachts sitze ich jetzt hier, will noch fein pennen, im TV läuft Dittsche, den ich in dieser Rolle grandios finde. Ich überlege was man so alles für Musik machen kann, neues Merchandise-Zeug, Auftritte, für mich und für Phonetic, Auftritte im Internet, was ich beim Auflegen noch so verbessern kann etc.

Und plötzlich kommt dieses Gefühl, was mich fast wahnsinnig macht. Ich bin von der nächsten offenen Döner-Bude kilometerweit entfernt, selbst meine Portemonnaie ist leer und ich kriege MEGALUST auf ne Cola! Ja, die Originale, keine River Cola von Aldi oder so, sondern das braune Zeug aus Atlanta im Bundesstaat Georgia. Was habe ich hier? Leitungswasser, Rum, Martini, Kakaopulver, Kaffee, Tee....aber keine Cola...ich raste fast aus. Nicht mal n Bier ist hier...obwohl, alleine mit mir trinke ich kein Bier...das würde mich traurig stimmen.

Aber Cola könnte ich 24/7 saufen. Mister Carl Boyles sei dank. Als in meiner Ausbildung er und ich zusammentrafen soff er noch Cola wie ein Blöder...als er mich dann abhängig machte verlor er die Lust an Cola. Coca-Cola....

Danke du Penner!