Job Discussion Forums

[khmerhit]

This is a rather one-sex question, I'm afraid, ladies--(or perhaps not )))----having just grown a mop of BEARD, I have been remarking a certain amount of negative non-verbal feedback--not that I really give a rat's *** at my age . When I was teaching in Asia I did wear a beard for a time, but I seem to recall the ss werent that keen on it, though they didnt say anything. Please discuss.... if interested...

[Henry_Cowell]

Negative "feedback" from whom? Where are you? What's the context? Is it your wife giving you the cold &%$#?

[Justin Trullinger]

Where are you, Khmerhit? I've heard that facial hair is uncommon in some parts of Asia. (For men and women, I believe. It just isn't the fashion)

Here in Ecuador, most men are clean shaven, but I've had a moustache all the time I've been here, and nobody seems to mind. I occasionally let the whole beard come in, usually if I'm travelling.

Maybe the negative feedback has to do with it being a MOP of a beard. From this description, I wonder if it might be a little untidy? Do you trim it, comb it, etc? While I have nothing against facial hair, obviously, I have once had to speak to a teacher about the image of untidiness he and his beard were presenting. (In fairness, it was a pretty extreme case. Untrimmed beards, especially if you're a fairly hairy guy, can be very unkempt looking. And in his case, unidentified foreign matter would sometimes lodge itself in it.)

I've seen some schools advertise "no facial hair" on their adverts...it's just another form of prejudice.

I find that, as hair on the face is uncommon here, children frequently touch it. Whether they know me or not.

Regards,
Justin

[Jizzo T. Clown]

I remember hearing somewhere that guys with beards often come across as untrustworthy. Something about a salesman whose sales went up dramatically after he shaved it off.

Then again, a beard can make one look (ahem) more distinguished. OTOH, maybe the women in question aren't used to seeing one (especially if you're in Asia), in which case they would likely gasp and gossip.

That was the good thing about China, I could go a week or two without shaving (thanks to the high price of shaving cream) and no one would care. Can't say the same about Japan, though!

[Iam]

Pathetic excuse for designer stubble (the lazy man's beard of choice) here, no negative feedback on my chin fuzz, but did once have a couple of students from north-east Africa question why I wore my hair (sad sad ponytail) like a girl.

But then, thinking about it, they weren't the only ones asking that.

Shutting up now.

Iam.

[sigmoid]

[Guy Courchesne]

I've always thought of God as having a big kick-ass white beard. Santa too.

[Sweetsee]

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that the Japanese are down on facial hair.

[sigmoid]

[Guy Courchesne]

or Osama...

or this guy



ooh! or Al Gore.

[sigmoid]

Well, I think those photos show that having a beard involves more than just stopping shaving. Proper grooming and trimming is essential if you want it to look at least half-way decent.

Back on the topic of famous beards:

How about ZZ Top? According to wikipedia: "Gibbons and Hill are always pictured wearing sunglasses, trenchcoats and their trademark waist-length beards. (Frank Beard, ironically, does not wear a beard.) In 1984, the Gillette company offered Gibbons and Hill $1 million apiece to shave their beards for a commercial, but they declined."

And can you picture Wolfman Jack without a beard?

[tedkarma]

Generally speaking, I think that you will find that most Asians will consider facial hair on a foreigner to a sign of bad grooming.

That said, I taught in Korea in 92-94 with a short well-trimmed beard. No problem.

Doesn't help the job hunt though.

[Gordon]

I've never had any problems with a beard, but I don't teach kids. I've had a goatee for 9 years now and it has never hindered my job search either. Like Justin said, keep it trimmed, it doesn't take long to look wild.

[Dragonlady]

deleted

topic unrelated to TESOL

[khmerhit]