Job: Foreigner

Although I've taken on some regular work, I am still keeping an eye open for odd jobs for both some extra money as well as for something interesting to do.

Today, that job was simply being a foreigner. Here in Beijing, that job description can apply for various different situations, from being a doorman with that laowai smile, to advertising to playing in a band and so on and so forth.

What I did today was simply to spend time with a big group of Shandong schoolkids, who were visiting Beijing for a few days with their language school. Part of their tour programme was "hang out with the foreign teacher", which of course was me.

So, I basically went sightseeing with them for a few hours, signing almost 200 autographs on t-shirts and caps and in notebooks, and posing for countless photos. Other than that, I got to play tourist as well, visiting places I've never been before.

I wouldn't mind making a career out of this.

EDIT: Just after having posted this, I read this article on the Chinese news agency website: Peking University: No to your groups --- Funny as this is exactly where we were today with the kids. In the through the west gate and all!