02.09.07
Do I really look that much like a terrorist?
After several months of constant, agonizing, semi-daily shaving, I’ve decided to regrow my beard. One of the interesting physiological differences between the Chinese and white folk is the Chinese’ dearth of body hair. Most Chinese girls do not even shave their legs, and most Chinese men have little more than a bit of peach fuzz on their faces. Now as any bearded guy (especially those with long hair) knows, back in the US a long, full beard can often become a conversation centerpiece. Of all the great facial hair in American history from Mark Twain to Abraham Lincoln, to Rollie Fingers, the historical figure who most often gets evoked in beard comparisons is none other than Jesus of Nazareth.
However, in a China where the masses have not grown up under the influence of the man who could heal the sick and walk on water, there is another figure who sets the standards for facial hair comparisons. I realized this first on my first Chinese train ride in the summer of 2004 from Xi’an to Chengdu, where when passing numerous passengers I was eagerly greeted with the words “Bean-la-den…BEAN-LA-DEN.” This of course was referring to the man whom President Bush (under the guise of Will Farrell) referred to as his “own personal Where’s Waldo.” That of course would be Osama bin Laden. And the comparisons didn’t stop. As long as I refrained from shaving, I was constantly reminded of my uncanny similarities to the mysterious bearded man who’s face graces our nations wanted posters and urinal cakes.
I did find it interesting, that as an American, people chose to compare me (albeit merely a physical comparison) to probably the most hated man in America for the past 5 years. Afterall, if you knew a Jewish guy with a square moustache and a German accent, would you tell him how much he looked like Hitler, even if he really did look like the Furor? So anyway, go ahead and have a look. I’ll let you be the judge.
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Seriously, do we look that much alike?
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James
said,
February 9, 2007 at 9:34 pm
Hi,Ben
I’m Maria’s boyfriend. In your trip to the Yongding earth building, You visited my home in Longyan 2 years ago.It was November and a little cold.I wore a jacket and a long pants.You strongly impressed me that you wore a T-shirt and a short pants contrast finely with me.I were just began my English study and you were very poor in Chinese,so I couldn’t talk with you. Now I’ve learned English for more than 2 years and you’re very good at Chinese.So, I can have a conversation with you.(I mean in Chinese)My QQ is 35416870.I live in Xiamen with Maria and hope you visit Xiamen again.I wish I would see a man with long beard like the man who could heal the sick and walk on water but not Osama bin Laden.
James
James
said,
February 9, 2007 at 9:42 pm
关于留胡子，如果你对中国古老文化有兴趣的话，那我告诉你，中国有句古话叫做:”身体发肤，受之父母，不敢毁伤，孝之始也。” 意思是人身体的皮肤和毛发，都是父母给的，不能损伤他们，不难就是对父母的不孝。所以你注意看清朝以前古代中国男人的画像，都是留着长胡子，绑着长头发，显得很有学问的样子，是不是很有趣。
James
said,
February 9, 2007 at 9:45 pm
抱歉，刚才有一个字打错了，“不难就是对父母的不孝”的“难”，应该是“不然就是对父母的不孝”，希望这也有助于你学习中文。
Benjamin Ross
said,
February 10, 2007 at 6:22 pm
James-
I thought that might be who you were, but I remember when I met you, you could barely speak any English. I am very impressed with your English now. I can from your posts, you understand my blogs very well. Good hearing from you again.
James
said,
February 12, 2007 at 11:49 am
期待你的新文章中…
Matt
said,
February 12, 2007 at 2:06 pm
Ben,
It’s “fuhrer” not “furor”. I couldn’t resist- sorry!
Matt
said,
February 15, 2007 at 8:56 am
Ben – I always thought Jesus was a black man?????? Who knew he was a white guy with a beard!
Jeremy
said,
May 7, 2007 at 5:44 pm
it is said that the ancestors of arabic people and the ancestors of jewish people were very closely-related. so it kinda makes sense that u and some arab get some similarities in appearance.
Law Office of Todd L. Platek
said,
May 24, 2007 at 5:57 am
Ben, you should feel great. You’ll also be compared to Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, Richard Dreyfus, and other fine Jewish and Mediterranean notables. After all, we can’t all look like Robert Redford. Why, in China, I get compared to Sean Connery, due to a gray beard and sparse hair on top (likely due to my marriage of 30 years to the same wonderful Chinese lady whom I married in Taipei in 1977!). So, maybe you’ll get confused with Tom Cruise with a beard. Couldn’t hurt, right?
dmz
said,
June 28, 2010 at 3:54 am
as a six foot blonde guy, i draw the comparison of dirk nowitzki….