The New Plan

I'm a firm believer that one of the greatest requirements for success is flexibility; being able to adapt your tactics to the reality of the situation. In Chinese, 随机应变.

So as I've been hitting walls with the job search to date, I'm thinking about switching up my tactics. I've received two prompts from two very reasonable people suggesting I try my hand at freelance writing, which--in my mind--is a really cool and really hard business to break into.

But while I'm somewhat skeptical as to its chances of success, I can't think of more ideal circumstances under which to give it a try. I'm young, I'm mobile, I have no dependents, I'm financially secure and living in a low-cost environment, and I have lots of time, talent, and spirit to spend on trying something new.

So the new plan is to write some easy articles about contemporary Chinese culture, politics, economics--pretty much formal expansions of the kind of thing I post on this blog--and send them to low-level newspapers, magazines, and online publications based in the States. After I've built a small portfolio of published work, I'll approach a real venue with an inquiry about doing an in-depth reporting project.

In the meantime, I can continue looking for real (office) jobs here in Dalian. If I get totally sick of the tenement and need a job to support a nice apartment, I can always suck it up and teach English.


Here are some ideas for freelance articles I'm interested in researching/writing. If you have any suggestions or comments, I would LOVE to hear them.

-Chinese Language Schools: since China's over opening twenty years ago,
thousands of Chinese langauge schools have cropped up as easy cash-makers around the country. But even as the popularity of Mandarin studies increases, so do new, high-tech language-learning methods. How are tahe Chinese language schools and the traditional classroom method reacting to the challenges of Web 2.0 and other new forms of
foreign language education?

-Modern Art in a Modern City: Dalian is definitely a modern, progressive city by Chinese standards, but whereas it has a gigantic international expo center and flourishing hi-tech sector, it is not known for its arts scene. One artist here has been working to open Dalian's first modern art gallery; but what challenges does he face, and what road must he travel in order to succeed?

-What "Market Economy" Means to the Average Chinese: When we hear about China's economic success over the past decades, we often frame it in terms of the move from a state-run planned economy to a market economy based on individual enterprise. But who are these individuals, and how do they view this shift? To understand the new market economy, me and a Chinese writer-friend are going straight to the markets: interviewing old peddlers vending cheap goods on the street and talking to young entrepreneurs selling imported brands (and knock-offs) at one of Dalian's up-scale shopping plazas.

-Hollywood Goes Mandarin: A day or two after I posted about how all the hunks in Ocean's 13 suddenly understand Chinese, I watched "War" and discovered Jason Stratham also understands Mandarin. Chris Tucker in Rush Hour 3, too. When-- and why-- did learning Chinese become a symbol of Hollywood macho, especially among cops and robbers? Could this be a direct result of China's increasing soft-power? Has China's economic and cultural rise infected even the hottest elite of Hollywood action stars?



Are these articles interesting? If you saw them in a magazine, would you read them? What particular angle interests you, and what kind of publication do you think would be the most suitable venue?

Thanks for any suggestions!