Having a chat with my Taiwanese girlfriend and 2 of her friends I was asked if English teachers have to have a beard? as much as I laughed, did make me think that all the English teachers I have spoken to have a beard, younger ones a Goatee and older ones full beard.
have I only met bearded teachers or is there some reason we don’t know of?
Only the ones who can grow a nice one. Or the ones trying to obscure a weak chin. 
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Yes.
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It seems to have been a thing for western men to do this the last few years. Nothing to do with teaching or taiwan. Women seem to like light beards a lot now as well.
I am smooth on monday, bearded by sunday. Shaving occupies far too much time to care about doing daily…with some exceptions.
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I don’t like facial hair. I don’t like hairy men, period. Icon can have them.
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To be a weiguoren English teacher in Taiwan, you need short pants, flip-flops, a backpack and be unshaven. It’s de rigueur.
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You haven’t met many English teachers. 
I only know a couple teachers with facial hair.
Also, did anyone else think this was going to be about closeted English teachers having girlfriends to hide the fact they’re gay?
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Never heard that one.
Beards aren’t the best grooming option for a lot of professions but English teachers or teachers in general can get away with it easier.
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its in fashion…in the west. out here? not a chance.
Well, I think there are still a few beard fans. My mom always liked men with facial hair.
with emphasis on the few.
trust me, ‘why don’t you shave’ is as common a comment as ‘you look fat’
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We did have a thread about this exact thing a little while ago. Fortunately, he dumped the girl.
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i think he was making a bit of a big deal out of it. saying ‘you look fat’ is as common here as saying ‘did you eat yet’ same type of deal with the shaving comment. even aunties and grannys do it. i think they are trying to be helpful, like maybe they thought i forgot to shave or something…
A person with that kind of thinking and outlook on life deserves being dumped.
But ya i was referring to western men having this fashion trend. It gets them laid…so why not?
Many esl teachers here are fairly temporary and working in cram schools. After a few years they move onto the next thing. The professional teachers here that are long term and care about relationships tend to be smooth or well trimmed.
Though i understand what Hanna says about not liking hairy. However there are more than enough ladies in taiwan that feel it is exotic. In for the ride of your life with those gals, jesus. They seem more loyal and fun in the end anyway…haha. Though i find them girls saying you should shave and you look fat annoying as fuck. Tell them to go look in the mirror and stretch their arms up. They often have hair in 3 places on their body. One of which would be nice to have shaven. 2 of which are really awesome to have shaven but cant be too picky as the hairy outaider on this topic.
Shaving is such a non issue as it is easy to do and not really an actual disgusting feature. People that superficial and rude should just be given cab fare to go back to bar they were found at…not wife/husband material.
How bout these ladies that intentionaly shave their eyebrows and paint new ones on???
Most of the women who do this are post-menopausal.
I see your menopaus, call BS, and raise you nipple hair…20s plus seems pretty common. Not white people quantity (or quality haha) but still yes!
Hormones do seem a factor. Maybe it is more common post birth? Though have seen untold amounts of young women with armpit hair. Not judging, just saying. I am hairy as fuck. Cant beat it, join it…
Damn. How can this conversation be legit without the inclusion if the temple guru mole hair. Equality 2020.
yea its pretty dumb to comment on such things. my first gfs family told me only bad guys in taiwan are not clean shaven. so i should shave. it wasn’t even a suggestion, kind of an order. boy am i glad i didn’t see much of them.
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And they probably wonder why you travel outside taiwan and/or work during chinese new year haha.
Some people are pretty thick skulled. Wonder why they can also be so thin skinned at the same time.
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I was the only one I knew or I’m pretty sure ever saw (I think I can’t remember seeing another one) who had one when I worked in Taipei. At least the only one with a full beard. I was hired with it, but parents complained to the owner that I “looked too scary” they tried to make me shave, I refused, it snowballed into petty attempts by the school to punish me by cutting my hours below the amount promised in my contract and turning me into a sub.
I was under the impression that almost nobody in Taiwan has full beards