First of all - China is fucking expensive.
I don't care if you're enjoying cheap clothes made in China at Walmart, but let me tell you, as a visiting American university student? This place is expensive!
I am a business student at the University of Chengdu. I purposely picked here because I figured the world will belong to China in a few years, might as well get a business degree from here.
But it's been tough! Though classes are in English, I don't speak much Chinese. I barely know how to use chopsticks! In a class of 200 freshman, 5 of us were "foreigners" - "white devils" or "white barbarians" they call us. My foreign classmates were cool about it - most of them were from Canada. I was the only guy from Texas, so every conversation with a Chinese classmate went like this:
"Where are you from?"
"Texas."
"Ah, cowboy! Cowboy!" And then they'd laugh and cover their mouth as if their teeth might fly out. The Chinese were very friendly although nosey as fuck. Some of my classmates stood too close in the restroom, eager to see a white dick. They loved my Texan drawl and a couple Chinese people in the street would ask me to take selfies with them - I guess I was that exotic.
Unlike the big cities like Shanghai or Beijing or Guangzhou, there are relatively few foreigners in Chengdu so they will stop, stare and point at you. There are a couple Canadians who make money doing Youtube food blogging, but after 2 weeks, I was careful with the insanely spicey food - this is where Szechuan food is from. Luckily food is relatively cheap.
First semester - we stayed in the dorms at the university. Cheap. Second semester, we were expected to move out and live among the natives. I think when the Chinese saw foreigners, they thought we all had a shit load of money, so buildings which rented rooms for $100 a month were suddenly $500 when a 6' 2 Texan showed up to apply.
My buddy and classmate JingWei was also my interpreter. I was trying hard to learn Mandarin, but I always needed JingWei to translate for me. JingWei is an odd little guy - sometimes, he seemed proud to show off he has an American friend though he didn't always introduce me to his friends - they would stand around and talk about me in Chinese. JingWei is a little too curious about me. First time he saw me in flipflops, he just stared at my size 12's and said, "Big Feet! Big Pee-Pee! Yes?" I laughed him off.
We were sitting at a noodle bar in TaiKwok alley as I bitched to him about needing to make money. My poor command of Chinese plus my student visa limited me to hoping to land an assistantship at the university - but I hadn't had any luck.
JingWei listened to my money woes, nodded his head, and after 20 minutes, leaned toward me and whispered, "I might have job for you."
"Really? What?" I figured I could tutor English.
"Dirty movie!" JingWei then covered his mouth as he giggled.
"Dude, what do you mean dirty movie? Porn?"
"I know director. He likes to make movies. He wants foreigner like you to sex Chinese girls. Pays good! You interested?"
I laughed. "Dude, what the fuck? I don't do porn. I'm a graduate student for crissake!"
JingWei giggled again, "Come on! You? You handsome guy! Big guy! Big feet! You make lots of money!"
"Yeah, thanks. I'm not that desperate!" I laughed at the thought.
Two weeks later, I was that desperate. I needed to make rent.
I told JingWei to set up a meeting with the director. JingWei was delighted. That evening, after class, he and I walked to an office building in the LouDai district. There, a cheerful looking older man greeted us. Mr. Ma looked me up and down as he shook my hand.
"You? What is your name?"
"Don."
"Where are you from?"
"Texas."
"Ahhhh! Cowboy!" Mr. Ma laughed. He ushered us into an absolutely nondescript office where Chinese wall paintings were framed in black. He had shelves of books, a large desk.
"So, Don," Mr. Ma began, "Have you ever had the sex with Chinese girl?"
"No," I blushed. "not yet."
Mr. Ma nodded, "Chinese girls - some don't like the white boy. They prefer their own people. Some like very much. Many are curious. White men are bigger, taller, so proportionately, you big everywhere, yes? I make videos for people who want to see what a white boy looks like with a Chinese girl."
I could feel the tip of my ears burn with embarrassment. To be honest, I've had sex in front of college roommates back in Austin, but never on video! I nodded and kept looking around the office.
"So," Mr. Ma continued. "I want to make 3 videos. 1 girl. 2 girls. 3 girls. With you. I can pay $500 American for each movie."
I gulped. "Will these go up on the Internet?"
"Yes, but China Internet is not connected to America. So no one back home will see your shame."
I was a little relieved. I had seen Asian porn back home - the Japanese girls screaming with that weird yelping sound as they were getting fucked. This could be pretty interesting.
"Now, please take off your clothes."
"What?" I blushed and looked over at JingWei who had his hand over his mouth, smothering a smirk. "Okay," I pulled off my t-shirt, kicked off my shoes, and then pulled down my pants.
Both Mr. Ma and JingWei stared at my naked body. I looked at the wall, out the window, anywhere to avoid their eyes.
Mr. Ma finally said, "You have good body!"
"Thanks, I usually have abs, but been eating too many bowls of noodles!" I laughed.