Yes, the title is a shameless attempt to get a few million extra Google hits to boost my January stats! However, the title also reflects today’s post, so you’re not being duped.
Today’s China Daily has a story about a guy offering 6000 rmb to a suitable girl to pretend to be his girlfriend for 5 days during the coming new year holiday, so his parents will believe he has a nice girlfriend and will stop nagging him about getting settled.
If all this sounds familiar, it’s because I blogged about an almost identical story last year. The reason that story got in the news was that there was a dispute between the guy and the girl as to who owned all the red packets filled with money that the boy’s relatives had given to the girl, thinking she was soon to be part of the family!
And speaking to Chinese friends, it does seem that this kind of arrangement is widespread. One of my friends has done this for a college friend, although she didn’t charge a fee, silly girl!
This reveals a lot about the eagerness of Chinese parents to see their children married off as soon as possible and the tremendous pressure children are under to please their parents. It’s sad because many people get hitched to unsuitable or incompatible partners, simply because they felt pressure to marry instead of letting things happen naturally, which is more common in the west.
In order to help some anxious young girls, WoAi has decided to offer his services as a stand in boyfriend over the coming holiday period. Please send me an email if interested, with a photo attached (it doesn’t have to be nude, but nude photos go to the top of the list). I can be a very convincing boyfriend and I guarantee your parents will love me or your money back. And I am available for a follow up next Chinese new year for those that wish to continue the fraud long term!
January 21st, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Looks like these two should meet! They could live in each others parallel universe.
http://www.shanghaiexpat.com/MDForum-viewtopic-t-87084.phtml
January 21st, 2009 at 9:06 pm
hmmm, so what were your parents thinking when you went home for christmas alone?
but yes, my mum is constantly nagging that i should get a boyfriend from stockholm soon (who preferably has a property)
January 21st, 2009 at 9:20 pm
on the other hand, if there are any men that would like to PISS OFF their parents, i would be the PERFECT STAND IN!
30something, divorced, 2 kids from a caucasian american and not fluent in my native tongue.
=)
(i would hire you, but i don’t think i can afford your “services”.)
January 21st, 2009 at 9:46 pm
What sort of incidentals would I be responsible for? What exactly would my money buy me? I need more details on what exactly I would be getting with the Woai “package”.
January 21st, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Miss Jane – You see. I told you, this kind of practice seems to be rampant!
Shopgirl – I’m not from Stockhold and I don’t own any property, but otherwise I’m perfect for you.
Angie – I love your idea and your ability to market yourself perfectly, playing on your “strengths”.
As a top commenter, you’d actually qualify for the “friend of WoAi” special rate with extra service. I call it “more for less” or “less for more” depending on which way you look at it!
Heli82 – WoAi’s package is extremely flexible and can be tailored to individual requirements. Of course, there’s also a rigid not at all flexible package if that’s what you desire.
January 21st, 2009 at 10:24 pm
>I am available for a follow up next Chinese new year for those that wish to continue the fraud long term!<
Hmm, maybe `fraud for life’? Well, that is for most marriages on earth.
January 21st, 2009 at 11:01 pm
IC: you’re such a cynic!
woai: i’d be interested in a “firm” deal. =P
January 21st, 2009 at 11:12 pm
IC – I’m tempted to agree with you!
Angie – An excellent choice if I may say so. The “firm” deal is one of my most requested deals. It’s popular with the real connoisseurs, the discerning lady!
January 21st, 2009 at 11:50 pm
somebody please, start an agency for this rental business.
it is highly profitable and totally legal.
just need to be careful with the candidates avoiding any possibility of prostitution in order to not ruin the business.
January 21st, 2009 at 11:54 pm
oh and i know this chinese couple in beijing. they are gay and les, married to help each other out from their parents continuous hassel….
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:12 am
How much? Not that I’m interested for myself but I can help spread the word around.
January 22nd, 2009 at 7:38 am
Angie might be good for eliciting anger from your parents. Me? I’m for hire if you want to disappoint them. Good rates too.
January 22nd, 2009 at 7:42 am
hahahhahaa… you’re so funny. How many requests have u received so far? And how much are u planning on charging? I wonder if someone would contact me if I’d put myself up for ‘hire’. Maybe as really, really, tall Chinese man? (I bet my bf would b thrilled… ehum) It would be quite easy to ‘fake’ your love in front of the family as Chinese people rarely are affectionate with each other in front of others.
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:07 am
SHE in China – well, except for in the subways. Then its sexy time.
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:23 am
T: hahahahaha! looks like we’ve got the market cornered!!!
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:35 am
T -yeah, you’re right! People groping each other on the metro is becoming a more and more common sight. Once they step off the metro, however, it is back to innocent hand-holding.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:01 am
D – Joking aside, this MUST be a business opportunity, although as you say, we would have to be very careful not to be confused with prostitution services and anything that happens between our employees and clients is purely coincidental!
Sue – If you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it!
SHE in China – I’ve only had a few requests. I think I might even have done it once a long time ago when I was living in Beijing, but my memory is a bit foggy on that one.
I think you’d do well as you are a foreigner (extra points) and you speak Chinese which will impress the hell out of the parents.
As with any business in China, the first to enter the market will be the market leader so let’s not hang about!
Angie – Yes, we’ve got something for everyone. I do a very good “impression” of a nice, respectable man and can usually go for several days without people finding out that I’m not! I know a few girls who will tick all the right boxes too if anyone wants a “nice” respectable girl and not the Angie package!
I’m all for showing affection to keep up the illusion, but sorry girls, I won’t carry any bright pink or orange handbags. I do have to draw the line somewhere!
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:31 pm
[...] A ringer at the dinner table? A Ningbo man offers 6,000 yuan to a young woman to go home with him to his family during the Spring Festival and pretend to be his girlfriend, showing the pressure to bring home a [...]
January 22nd, 2009 at 3:35 pm
This story gets printed every year. I’ve been reading it every year since 1997. Here is mine from 2005
http://liuzhou.blog-city.com/girlfriend_for_hire.htm
January 22nd, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Liuzhou Laowai – Yes indeed, you’ve just confirmed that this kind of practice is so widespread. Imagine how many people in total every year hire girls to act as their girlfriends just for the new year!
January 22nd, 2009 at 6:14 pm
After the holiday film “If you are the One” (Fei Cheng Wu Rao) of a similar theme (Wedding Personals), I wouldn’t be surprised if Feng Xiaogang’s next film adopts this idea…
January 22nd, 2009 at 6:29 pm
GeYou – Excellent, Girlfriend for Hire – The Movie! Can’t wait.
January 22nd, 2009 at 8:43 pm
haha, it’s kind of popular now~
January 23rd, 2009 at 2:39 am
I don’t see how one can say definitively that this practice is widespread without actually providing stats rather than relying on anecdotes and a article that’s published each year.
January 23rd, 2009 at 9:53 pm
WOAI HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR
January 23rd, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Not a bad business idea. No one gets harm and everyone’s happy.
Everyone hear about the college student who is auctioned off her “prized” procession to pay for college? I don’t think she needs college anymore after all that money.
WOAI, Happy CHINESE New Year!
January 24th, 2009 at 1:35 am
Woai…I am sure you are equal opportunity…but I hope you don’t get any offers from the male gender…now that would be an interesting family meet and greet session.
January 24th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Seraph – Yes it is!
Pete – It’s pretty obvious that it’s widespread from talking to people and even from the reaction of blog readers here. Appearances are everything. It’s not uncommon for gay guys to marry gay girls to “appear” normal for the families’ sake, or at least to pretend to be a couple. Many people I know seem to know someone in this kind of situation, and anecdotal evidence is no less valid than other types.
D – Same to you.
DaveNYC – I’m serious, I think it would be a winner, except it’s probably very seasonal with new year being the peak season of course.
I’m also considering auctioning my “prized” possession. Any takers?
Jin – See my comment to Pete above. You’ll see that it’s unlikely a gay guy would hire another guy to take to his parents. But if the money was right …
January 24th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
This may reveal my awful taste in movies, but I though 合约情人 was already about that…
January 24th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Kaiwen – Wow, they’ve already made a movie about it! I’ve not heard of that movie but will be sure to check it out. Many thanks!
And Pete, just to summarise:
Every year there are various stories about this in the news. Many of my friends have either done it themselves or heard of friends doing it. And there’s a movie about it.
Do you still think this phenomenon is not widespread?
July 20th, 2009 at 6:32 am
I wont ask ‘how much’ but ‘how muchy’ … lol
Just out of curiosity
December 10th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
wow that is a strange job to have i mean i know im 19 but its still very strange to have oh what if you get a sick day huh lol ^o^ is there a stand in for you