My late night encounters in rainy Seattle

"Are you Ms Seattle?" Clay called me up while I was hustling from door to door in West Seattle. It was a chilly evening. He hung up the phone, got out of his car, and walked up to me like a big surprise. "Man what the heck! Why are you here?" "And why are you here?" We both laughed. This is the second time I ran into Clay outside of the climbing gym, where we became friends.

We both work non-office jobs. He's interviewing workers in fast food restaurants, and I'm canvassing-going door to door doing fundraising for Environment Washington.

I talk to an average of 40 people a night. I've walked on streets in Madison Park, Magnolia, Alki Beach, Capital Hill, and Madrona. When I started, I was the only girl in the office. It was very easy to get frustrated by roughly 35 rejections a night, but all my coworkers are surprisingly positive and encouraging. 

It was also very cold that you would lose the momentum to keep going. But my coworker Ross said "Cold is not an excuse." And then he would light up a cigarette and chill out about the roughness of the job. To experienced canvassers like him, weather, rude people, shitty work hours (1-10 pm) have become normal. 

A month later, I became a field manager. I draw maps for myself and others, and encourage new canvassers when they are frustrated. I joke about the rain, rude people, non-solicitors signs, and all sorts of excuses people come up with when they don't want to give, but still wanna be nice. 

I see all walks of life. In a minute or two, you gotta engage others in a conversation, even when they are confused or disturbed. To not seem as intrusive as the nature of soliciting, I smile, genuinely ask people how are you, and politely respond to their expression and reaction to my rap. I have a million ways to interact with a million people in different situations. I speak Mandarin to new immigrants, and turn down American accent when I talk to foreigners. I am making an instant connection with people. 

I don't know if this is a cultural thing. In Taiwan I was taught to be listening and understanding as a good communicator, and always be gentle and soft-spoken as a woman. In America I learn from my peers to be confident and even a bit cocky and straightforward to get your idea across. I also found myself being a bit more playful and flirty with men.  

I ask people questions to make them feel like I don't just talk to them for money. This is owing to my waitressing experience when I would get more tips by being friendly. But it also creates value in each conversation I have with others, and it definitely makes work more interesting. 

Here are some of the most interesting encounters:

*CLIMBERS!! I signed up at least three contributors that climb at the climbing gym that I go to, and have literally ran into two of them in the gym. I got a big check from a middle-aged climber who retired from being a climbing bum with his wife, and is currently working and raising kids, who seem like future climbers as well. 

*ASIANS It depends. I had a conversation with a Japanese girl about how weird it is to go door to door. In East Asia everyone lives in apartments, and we barely talk to strangers. Not many countries in the world are like America, where people have houses. American culture is also more conversational where people ask how are you all the time, and are constantly having conversations with strangers in restaurants, bars, elevators, gyms and such. Man Asians are (usually) shy! 

*HOUSE PARTIES! I've been invited to parties at the door twice. It was actually kinda fun that when people are happy and drunk and enjoying company, and see me as a friendly harmless young lady, they'd engage me in their fun time. 

*TEENAGE BOYS They liked me! There's this cute young man who wanted to help the environment (or help me?) that convinced his dad to give. There's also another time when two boys' parents weren't at home, but they said "we would take whatever you want to leave for us." 

*ATTRACTIVE WOMEN I had a night when all my contributors are attractive women. One is a ski instructor, a blond lady who moved from Michigan. Another one is an exotic woman who was so pretty like a model and convinced her husband to give. Then there's this girl who moved from the South and was preparing for nursing school. And finally there's a dancer who was heading to a show with her husband. 

*STONERS I've never run into any but apparently they're pretty common in town according to my coworkers.

*RICH OLD WHITE MEN When I started as a rookie canvasser my field manager Miles would always want me to "friend" them as the goal he set for me for the night. I asked my coworkers if they would become rich old white men one day, cuz I sometimes hate them when they're rude to me and reluctant to give. Miles said he might and he doesn't want me to hate him as I shouldn't.

*MUSICIANS I ran into an established Taiwanese young lady who is the director of PhilharmonicaNourthwest. She invited me to a jazz concert they're hosting! On the same day I ran into a jazz musician who plays stand-up bass and was teaching a lesson in a big gated house. I ran by their house again that night, and was stunned at the moment that I saw and heard them playing through the window. It was so private and yet the music was so contagious that totally captured my wandering soul. 

*BIKERS HIKERS KAYAKERS FISHERS HUNTERS are our friends. It's very easy to make connection with people who do outdoors cuz they usually love the environment and could tell you what they're up to for the weekend. I've signed up an old lesbian couple who are kayakers for 30 years. It was a very special moment. 

*RACISM and SEXISM don't really exist in Seattle, at least not against Asian women. I actually found that as an advantage as I've encountered people that said they've never seen girls going door to door at cold nights in the rain. Especially cute ones. 

A Harvard business school graduate told me on Saturday after I convinced him to contribute that I should take this job as a valuable learning experience. He asked me a bunch of questions that makes me think about life, work, future from a new perspective. He complimented on my "sales" skills, and told me I should acknowledge that. 

I'm definitely happy that I now have a full-time paid job, but what makes it worthwhile is the conversations, learning experience, and peer support. Ms Seattle is a Taiwanese girl who wanders on late night streets knocking doors and talking to folks. She's all over the place, and yet centered.

Not all who wander are lost.