Workwise, August has been a bit slow. Consequently, I started sending out another batch of cover letters/resumes, responding to job postings in the popular expat magazine that’s shanghai. I guess I was sort of sending my info out half-heartedly, because I pretty much responded to anything metnioning writing, editing, or teaching. One ad said it was a health and beauty company, and they were searching for a product/marketing writer. Well, most of you probably would have intuitively stayed away, but I have no intuition. Plus, I’m fairly naive. I guess was thinking of a Gaiam or Aveda or Body Shop-type of place… It was vague and I didn’t know, but what the hell. Could be fun….

I got an email from their HR last week. The company is called landune. After reviewing my resume, they asked me to submit some writing samples. So I go to the company website to learn more. Turns out, they’re a company based in HK and SH, and they sell like four products in very specific categories: scar removal, skin whitening, anti-wrinkle , and breast enhancement. Scar removal and anti-wrinkle? Fine. Skin whitening? Not so cool: I see the obsession in China with skin bleaching, and it ain’t cool (why is being white some global prerequisite for ideal beauty?). But the real kicker is the breat enhancement crap. I mean, does that sound like a load of bull or what? Sure, in my earlier years I went through hell with my various insecurities (and I don’t think I’ll ever rid myself of them completely…), but even then these magical treatments sounded like scams. And now I’m almost 30; it’s so annoying that this shit sells. Goddamn beauty industry:it’s so evil and yet so many of us still get sucked in on some level. Anyway, I’m not gonna submit writing samples. I just can’t bring myself to write untruthful statements claiming “proven” scientific results and play on women’s already debilitating insecurities.

In other news, anyone outside of the beltway hear about Washingtonienne? The news broke months ago about the firing of a 26-year old Capitol Hill stafffer who authored a blog about her racy sex life, involving several DC power players… Sadly, it is yet another example of how society continues to reward and value women less for their intellect/competence and more for sex. In typical fucked-up fashion, this former Hill staffer skyrocketted from an unchallening $25k/year admin assist/mailwoman job to getting a $300k book deal to dish on her DC sex life AND a feature in the fall issue of Playboy. Not that I’d like to write a sex book (ha!) or appear in Playboy, but jesus christ! $300k??! That’s a shitload of money. Reality is just such a damn beotch. It makes me think again to Rob Gifford’s NPR series on China earlier this month. So many women in China turn to protitution. Why? Partly because earning a living is tough in a land where the labor supply is virtually infinite. And partly because poverty pushes people to desperate measures, and society pays women more as prostitutes/karaoke escorts/drinking buddies than as degreed office workers.

I go in waves here. At first, I was ready to conquer the world. I planned to join forces with the SH Women’s Federation and help them with training at their education center or their legal assistant center or their domestic violence clinic. I’ve slowly realized that all of those facilities, which they claimed were established for women here, are shams. They cannot possibly exist, as I have never found any contact information. When I attended the US-China Women’s Conference in April, the SH groups essentially told me I was not welcome to join their activities. Argh.

I thought about branching out on my own, but the system here is vast. In many cases, you simply fall under the radar, but in other instances, there’s just so much damn red tape. The government has too many urgent items on its agenda, and dealing with issues that cause any bit of “losing face” is not something it’s interested in publicizing. That means, denial is very widespread, for example, denial about the existence of sexism, of domestic violence, of sex trafficking. Recently, the government has acknowledged some problems (for example, HIV/AIDS, avian flu, SARS), but still the accountability is minimal and they spend more time on damage control than on finding solutions. On top of that, laws are interpreted inconsistently and officials are notorious for acting on whims. So what does this mean? I feel constrained–unable to do what I originally had hoped. I’ve tried to start something on my own, but these issues invariably bump into the realm of government enforcement/involvement. I’m afraid to jeopardize my safety. I tried contacting international groups for leads or assistance. It seems few NGOs have made inroads in China. For those with offices in China, the link between the Chinese office and say the US office is extremely weak– to the point that they don’t really seem to communicate. The Chinese office is completely run by locals. So for now, I feel I’m at an impasse. I even tried to offer free English lessons to low-paid women in the salon service sector– people expressed interest but when it came down to starting classes, they never went forward. I don’t know if it’s some kind of distrust or suspicion or what.

I think I will just focus on my personal goals. I am learning more characters– when I go out, I am recognizing more signs and figuring out flyers better. I am trying to build my network. (BTW, are any of you on Friendster? If so, add me to your list!) I’m watching Chinese movies– getting into the drama of it all.

Also, I forgot to mention. I’m in talks with a local HR consulting firm. They’ve put in a bid to train about 200 staffers at the SH Citigroup Software office. We met with the Citigroup COO and VP last week. Hopefully, we’ll get the gig. That’ll be some steady, longer term work.

Ok enough with my issues. I’ll trouble you with more later. 🙂