Hailing originally from Singapore, our member Pinch, who's probably one of the most travelled person we know, currently resides Berlin. Loving the freedom to travel, Pinch chose years ago the path to work independently and shared with us her view on freelancer work-style differences between Europe and Asia.
How did you come about to start freelancing?
I started freelancing while I was pursuing my Bachelor's degree part-time and wanted the flexibility of balancing work, study and travel. I found it a great way to explore different fields and styles of writing, and discover where my strengths and weaknesses lay. My personal contacts gave me a big leg up in landing my first gigs, though I also went through the traditional way of sending out cold e-mails with my CV and writing samples to publications I'd wanted to work with.
Coming to Berlin from Singapore, what do you see are the differences of being a freelancer when comparing the cities?
Singapore, as a city, is a lot more expensive than Berlin so I've had to budget more carefully to enjoy the same kind of lifestyle back home as I would here. However, I would say that you are more likely to find work there as a native English speaker, since English is the business language of Singapore. When it comes to accepting new models of work, Singapore has some way to go. Some people still tend to not think of freelancing as a "real" job. I wonder how they'd react if they knew that Berlin is a city of freelancers!
What's the freelancer community like in Singapore?
The freelancer community in Singapore is not as active as it is in Berlin; most still prefer to be employed in full-time, permanent positions. I see that gradually changing though, as more people warm up to the possibility of creating their own work-life balance and working remotely. Among my friends who freelance, most of them are in the creative industries.
How does your morning look like in Singapore?
I would wake up, read the news while having breakfast, and get the most urgent work and e-mails out of the way before making a plan for the rest of the day. If there's nothing else important which I have to attend to in the morning, I would hit the gym or go for a swim.
What do you like to do outside of work? What do you do for fun?
I love checking out new cafes and bars around Singapore, as well as attending art, film or music events. I also host monthly foreign language exchange meetups, which has been a fun way for me to give something back to people while getting acquainted with those who share a similar interest in languages and culture. In Berlin, I've really enjoyed going to the street food events and catching up on movies at the open-air cinemas this summer. If there's anything you think I should check out during my time here, don't hesitate to let me know!
