I went back to work today, after the long Chinese New Year holiday. It was just a prep day, so I left my 30-day beard on. My co-workers loved it; my principal told me to shave. I bristled a little (no pun intended), but I understand her perspective. Part of my job is to be on display as the kind of clean-cut foreigner people here see in advertisements, and a beard is not part of that image. The irony is that if I were Chinese, a beard would command considerable authority.

Ah well. I was going to shave before classes anyway. Kids have sticky fingers, and I don't want to be walking around with a beard full of snot and sparkles.