1. Students react to the beard. They ask about
the beard. They ask you what to call it. They
ask you about other forms of facial hair. Most
importantly they are asking questions. If
you've ever held an English Corner you know
that if no one is taking your English corner is
dead and will be very long and painful. But if
there is something interesting to talk about
the students will talk on their own without you
having to prompt them.
2. Different people will have different opinions
and all of them will express them. Some
students have told me they think that I should
shave. Others have told me that they think
that I should keep the beard. Some think that
it looks strange. Others think that it looks
cool. The end result here is that they are
talking. See point number one...
3. Even when you have a lively conversation
going in an English corner there are
sometimes lulls in the conversation. These
lulls came result in the death of the rest of the
English corner if something is not done. There
are a handful of things that can help to
prevent this but among them is the use of the
beard. Sometimes it happens on it's own with
no action from me. As a conversation lulls an
otherwise quiet student (who might not
understand the current topic anyway) will
sometimes ask a question about the beard. At
other times if I stroke the beard it will illicit
comments or questions about it. I noticed this
happen the first few times accidentally but
now will do it on purpose.
4. Most Chinese people are an only child. And
most of my students come from families that
have a better than average income. Like in
America, these individuals who grew up as an
only child give off the distinct impression that
they've not heard the word “no” very much in
their lives. It gives me a deep sense of
satisfaction when a little twenty-five year old
princess who isn't used to the word “no” tells
me that she thinks I should shave my beard;
to respond to her that this is my decision and
that I don't believe that I will any time soon.
5. Some of them are jealous. Most Chinese men
seem to be unable to grow an adequate
amount of facial hair. I've seen many
students here with feeble attempts at
mustaches. I've seen others with patches of
hair on their face. The vast majority however
shave every day whether they are able to
grow facial hair or not. With many of them
there seems to be a look in their eyes that
says, I'd like to do that too... if only I could.
6. The subject of the beard often naturally leads
into other subjects. The conversation in
English corner might drift from the beard to
differences in culture. Today the subject of
the beard shifted to the subject of cleanliness
as one student asked me if it was difficult to
eat. For some reason students often think
that having a beard makes you a messy eater
and the beard will get in the way if you are
trying to eat with chopsticks, if you are eating
rice or if you are eating soup. The subject
then naturally shifted again to the subject of
food. On occasion people will even talk about
Christmas. Students who used to tell me that I
should shave now tell me that I should keep
the beard through next Christmas so that I
can play Santa Claus. Again all of the
students were talking at some point about
something.
7. It actually feels good. At first it was a little
itchy but after a while the itching stops. I find
that I enjoy stroking the beard and that I
sometimes do it unconsciously.
8. I've grown to like the way that it looks.
Having never had a beard this long before
I've never seen myself look like this. I like
changing the way that I look and because of
this I will eventually shave. At the moment I'm
enjoying the beard because I look different
from how I used to. At some point I'm going to
want to look different again and that is
probably when I will shave.
9. It is something that I can control. There is so
much in Wuhan and in China as a whole that
is completely out of my hands. Ordering food
in a restaurant is often challenging because
my skills in Chinese are limited. This means
that often I can not even control something as
simple as what I have for lunch. I can't
control simple interactions that back home I
wouldn't have even thought about. My face
though is my property. It belongs to me as
much as anything in this world ever will. This
face and what is on it are probably the one
thing that I can dictate exclusively. Growing a
beard and keeping that beard gives me
something that I can almost completely
control. Or at least it gives me that sense of
being in control of something.
10. There is something about China in general
and Wuhan specifically that makes me feel
lazy. I don't know if it is the dust in the air,
the construction everywhere or the
sloppiness of the way people here dress. But
there is simply some quality to the social
atmosphere here that makes me feel like
letting go enough to not do little things like
shave but instead grow a full, long, shaggy
beard.

Mr goat how market.

gunuvi: Mr goat how market.

insalt?

SpaceGoatt:
insalt?

no inspice

gunuvi:
no inspice

your wgo is over the edge' im sure you will not have any girlfriend . anyway i will solve your problem" click here to solve your ego problem and kill ego forever https://www.nairaland.com/1791752/does-well-around-girl-secret tank

So spacegoatt is actually smart? Never knew that.

Flint_Guevara: So spacegoatt is actually smart? Never knew that.

*brushing*

SpaceGoatt: your wgo is over the edge' im sure you will not have any girlfriend . anyway i will solve your problem" click here to solve your ego problem and kill ego forever https://www.nairaland.com/1791752/does-well-around-girl-secret tank

thanks for the advice. I enjoy nkwobi so much o. are you available. I get banga and other accessories

SpaceGoatt: *brushing*

stop brushing bro.

gunuvi:
thanks for the advice. I enjoy nkwobi so much o. are you available. I get banga and other accessories

I fit join?

Flint_Guevara: I fit join?

3 is a crowd. sorry o I dey very stingy

But how many accts you get sef?

gunuvi:
3 is a crowd. sorry o I dey very stingy

Hia... Okay o!

Flint_Guevara: stop brushing bro.

i love u ... no omo

gunuvi:
thanks for the advice. I enjoy nkwobi so much o. are you available. I get banga and other accessories

what is this saying? bro kill your ego!! you re loosing it

Guykhena: But how many accts you get sef?

don mind dat "anikum" (spell it backwards)

SpaceGoatt: what is this saying? bro kill your ego!! you re loosing it

abeg make I win am

SpaceGoatt: don mind dat "anikum" (spell it backwards)

Wetin you do wen she ban you?
Cus I don see Spacegoat,Spacegooat,now SpaceGoatt,she dey after you or wetin?

gunuvi:
abeg make I win am

see i know how it feels not to have a female girl. hmm this is yor problem .. ur re talking gibberish cos u ve no female girl .. pleas read the post again thread. click here https://www.nairaland.com/1791752/does-well-
around-girl-secret

Guykhena: Wetin you do wen she ban you?
Cus I don see Spacegoat,Spacegooat,now SpaceGoatt,she dey after you or wetin?

it is like shes crushing on me

Hello,
i just called an ESL agency today concerning my interest to teach ESL in China. It is rather refreshing to know that someone out there can share of his experiences. Please would you be willing to share more about the steps you took to get the position? What the standard of living is like over there and other bits of important information .

Thanks a lot and i will keep the beard growing too