Transcredible Exploits: Tales of Beardle the Beard Part II

Since my last post about growing a beard, I think it's probably fair to say that it got a little out of hand...

When I arrived to Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, I was asked a few extra questions at various points on my way to passport control from security. I was expecting this and understand why they pulled me aside to ask me about my reasons for visiting Israel and such, but in my case they were misidentifying me as a threat. I think I may have made a few of the security personnel feel bad when I told them that this was my sixth time in Israel and when they saw all the Israel stamps plus the Hebrew University student visa in my passport.

Back in civilization, and with people who were not familiar with the practice of contractors downrange growing a beard being an impulse as natural as the migratory patterns of birds - it was time to shave. As usual, I did it in stages.

Before

I've been spending most of my time in Israel with people on a Masa program called Career Israel. The living situation is sort of like an American dorm setting and so meeting people was often a whirlwind of names and faces. I had already gotten to meet a bunch of people on the program by the time I was going to shave - so no doubt I confused a bunch of people when my facial hair disappeared and I looked completely different.

Hey, I kinda look like Herzl...

Yes, by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin.

"It feels so weird!"

By Jove!

Ok... Maybe I didn't reach the supreme levels of beard-hood to which I once aspired personified in the late Admiral John Grimes Walker's face, but I think it was pretty respectable.