Tina Hsu

Age 32. Grew up in Jingmen, Hubei, but avoids going back for Chinese New Year because her family is pushing her to get married. She now lives in Zhuhai, just west of Shenzhen, where she prefers the more quiet atmosphere, and her two dogs.

Her English is perfect with an American accent. She's always been focused internationally. Got her English from watching TV shows. Her accent helped her get a coveted B1/B2 video at the US embassy.

She feels weird most places except New York, where it felt like everyone is weird so they don't care.

Spent a month in Dali meeting foreigners and always had many international friends on Facebook. One Oklahoma cowboy became a serious boyfriend together for many years, and she practically moved to Oklahoma to be together, but then Covid sent her back here, and they broke up. He adopted her cat.

Moved to Shenzhen long ago with almost no money. She's now a partner in a boutique consulting company that helps Chinese companies use AI tools to do business in the west. Companies have to use a VPN to use the OpenAI tools.

We went out to get a bit of chocolate cake for desert and she reminded me that most Chinese are not into sweets after a meal. We passed an hours-long queue of girls waiting to have their picture taken with an influencer, part of a tea shop opening. We were supposed to go out to a music club next but my jet lag kicked in and I had to make it an early night.