side jobs for the westerner in China (Originally posted May 01, 2011)

So today I was given a business card by a man whose company I was doing a job for. He asked for my card in return, and frankly I don't have one. If I did, all it would say would be 'White westerner for hire. Able to dress professionally and look interested when others are speaking in a foreign language.'

Let me rewind.

An acquaintance offered me a one-day job in Shanghai for 1,000 RMB, or $150 US dollars. The company would give me round trip train tickets, lunch, and a pre-made Power Point. In exchange, I would give two 45 minute lectures on Advanced Placement and SAT testing in the US at noon and 4 PM. Sweet deal, right?

Well, yes. But, a hallmark of these little side jobs is that they're notoriously lax in information. Even when you pester for more info, you probably won't get all of it. And this isn't because someone is trying to hide the facts from you (usually) but more due to China's culture of last-minute decisions and 'don't worry about it, we'll take care of it, just show up'. When I arrived in Shanghai, I found out that I would actually only be speaking for ten minutes during each presentation, and the Power Point I was given wasn't particularly helpful. Also, as the day progressed, it turned out that instead of taking breaks between the lectures, I would be puttering around with the rest of the Chinese teams to their (Chinese) meetings and sitting in a corner wondering if it was going to rain later and if I had remembered to turn off the tea kettle at home.

Am I complaining? Hell no. $150 to sit on my butt and talk about how awesome AP classes are? Yes please.

But if I would have had this job when I first came to China, I probably would have been confused and irritated and hungry. Luckily I've lived here for eight months and am starting to learn how things work. (Yes, starting.) I packed my computer—thankfully I could edit the Power Point—a book and an iPod for all of the down time that comes with being another pretty white face for these things. Oh, and snacks. Thank god I brought snacks because lunch was at a high school cafeteria and hours flew by before I could grab a bite to eat again. It's like being back in Girl Scouts; always be prepared.

Sometimes these side jobs can be a lot more epic, usually if you're a male of the pale-faced variety. Last year, a good friend of mine was invited to a town to celebrate the opening of a textile factory and pose as a foreign investor, even though he was 23 and a first grade teacher. Some days all you need to do in China is show up in a suit and happen to fit the physical profile someone is looking for.