Meeting People in Shanghai

Well, well, well! Now things start rolling for me! This week I finally broke out and made some phone calls referring to editing and proofreading for local English publications. I happened upon one Arthur Jones who I spoke to on his mobile at lunch and requested me to fax a xopy of what I’d done already (ie. GBR articles).

I also talked to a guy Ron, editor of AmChat, the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai’s monthly newsletter. We agreed to meet on Friday (today) and brainstorm some ideas for me to write on, and also show him my work. I was a lot anxious about it, excited! and sort of nervous, as it’s a real executive end deeper business type of deal. I totally though up ideas that I felt would fit and talked myself up to it, and went prepared with a big list of article suggestions, as that seems to be what editors want. Also, dear Mom came to my rescue again! and in the morning faxed me my previous GBR success story!

So brave, confident, yet a bit worried and unsure, I excitedly headed off to the real unknown local Chinese area where his office was. I felt so great and excited heading out on this venture and job interview. It was an awesome feeling, also of a sense of freedom again!!

Writing for AmCham in Shanghai

I arrived luckily due to a good taxi driver, right at the door front. Ron was right, its an old Chinese building, very old, dark, dirty and unattractive. I climbed the stairs to his 4th floor “office” which turned out to be little more than a purple velvet sofa-ed, book and CD shelved, computer equipped, wooden floored apartment – complete however with male Aiy.

Well Ron was really casual and his dog took an immediate liking to me, bringin me his jeans toy. We talked for over and hour and come to find out, he had intermediary worked at Nordstrom Topanga one holiday season after travelling the world. He went to Berkeley or so, and also in Washington D.C. studied Russian Studies and was really cool. He also started up the Shanghai Ticket, like an Entertainment Book here.

Needless to say, I was able to walk away with several assignments and at 20 cents a word, it should pay out about $1,000 if I can deliver all I have put on the table!

I was so stoked and felt really killer excited about the new start of my writing career!!

Friday, 24 September 1999