Month Of The Beard: Day 230 – 258

• By Jimmy Hoffman
• 2 March, 2014
• No Comments

Back in Singapore!  My first day back my mom had surgery on her knee so I took the day off of work so I could stay close to the phone for updates.  Thank god the surgery went as planned and she is currently on her way to a full recovery.

Although I was back in Singapore there was still many questions that needed to be answered here.  On the 31^st of the month my contract would end at my job.  I did not know whether I would get extended or if I would be back on the job hunt.  Who knew if in a couple months I would still be in Singapore?  Who knew where I would be?  I certainly did not know.

What was I to do to get me the extension at my job?  Only one thing I could think of.  For the first time in 8 years and the second time in my life I would grow a good luck beard!  8 years ago I went 19 days without shaving and grew a playoff beard for the New York Yankees.  This time, I would continue to grow my beard, which was already on its 13^th day.

My manager at my job does not like beards and likes his employees clean-shaven.  So when he said I should shave I told him as soon as he got my contract extended.  Maybe I should have thought that through more as my beard was already itching like crazy!  It was final though!  My beard would continue to grow!

As my beard continued to grow and itch I went about my daily activities in Singapore.  I started applying for jobs again just in case things didn’t work out with my current job.  I started writing posts again for this blog.  I started preparing my taxes for the US tax season (a rant for a future post).

On the 20^th day of my beard, breaking my previous 19 day record, I was approved for a permanent position at my current job.  Time to shave the beard!?  Not exactly!  The beard not only brought me luck getting a permanent position at my job, but it also helped me to get a good amount of sales.  Unfortunately, I am superstitious.  Even my manager stopped asking me to shave as I think he also believed the beard was lucky!  So the beard continued to grow!

I have heard that eventually you get use to a beard and after a couple weeks it stops itching.  I can confirm that isn’t always the case!  My beard continued to itch and irritate me!  It even got to the point where I would wash my hair in the shower and then wash my beard.  Comb my hair and then comb my beard.  Now the beard was not only annoying, but also costing me time in the morning to prepare!Finally, on the 32^nd day of the beard I shaved it off!

As the end of the month crept closer I received my new work visa valid for three years and also signed my new contract as a permanent employee at my job.  Everything was going well!  For the first time since I moved here back in May I finally felt some security.   The big risk was finally paying off!  The future I created was not what I could predict, but indeed what I wanted!  It was time to celebrate!

With Chinese New Year a week away it was time to plan a trip to a new country!

Where would I end up?  Would I travel to Cambodia where the viewers of this blog voted as my next new country?  Stay tuned to find out!