Illustration: Luo Xuan/GT
Who knew that after studying law for six years, I would move to China and become a rapping comedian? I certainly didn't, and that is proof that anyone can move to China and switch careers. New worlds open up in China.
One of the questions I get asked a lot back home in the US is why I choose to live in China, and the best answer I can think of is that it allows my true hustler mentality to thrive. I started bartering at a young age, playing card games with my mother to get out of punishments. This set me up for later on in life when I would be plopped in the middle of a foreign country, forced to make deals with strangers to get things done.
I learned early on that as a white female American, I am considered a commodity in China. There are opportunities to earn a living off my language, looks, voice, skills and credentials. There are markets here for things you would never even have dreamed of making money off of in the US. In China, you can dream something up and the very next day make it happen.
I am always looking to drum up new creative endeavors and projects, and I have two fantastic ideas that I think could take China by storm.
The first is Tinder Tour Guides. What's the downside of online dating in Beijing? Most of the good guys are just passing through. They don't actually live here. And what do guys want when they are vacationing in Beijing? They want to see the Great Wall, and they want a cute girl to take out on a date. So, why not team up with a friend who has a car service and offer guided tours to the Great Wall with an expat Beijinger who happens to be incredibly attractive and intelligent? You can charge the guy double, give a percentage to your friend with the car and get to go out on a date and earn cash. It is a win for everyone.
If you thought I was a genius after Tinder Tour Guides, well buckle up for this amazing next-century type of hustle. Yes, everyone knows you can teach English online from your phone in the comfort of your own home, but what if you did it in a bikini? Are you frowning now or is your mind blown? How many lonely guys out there would want to learn English from a hot chick wearing a swimsuit?
I would never consider doing these things unless I was seriously poor and had no other option because I am far too lazy to talk to people or leave my house. Put it like this; if my grandma who only had one year left to live came to visit me in China, I wouldn't even take her to the Great Wall. But if you can dream up a wild idea in China you could literally make a market for it the next day and start earning an income, and that is what I find incredible about living here.