I was a student and on my own in a new city.

Money was always a worry, but I managed to find some ways to make a bit extra.

The ones that stand out were a session I did as a life model.

When I was very embarrassed throughout and I hope anyone painted my face had a good supply

of red paint because I was blushing a lot.

One afternoon I gave a DNA sample at a medical facility as part of a research program

This took hours because I also had to fill in a detailed questionnaire about my family

medical history, get blood tests and be weighed and measured.

They even photographed me, talk about thorough.

Then there was a time I created a fake tattoo on my forehead to advertise a new clothes shop

that had just opened.

Their brand was trendy and daring and the tattoo looked so real I got caught at a lot as

I walked up and down the street.

I even got my picture on a news website.

The people that ran the shop were delighted and so was I when they paid me twice what

we agreed on, cash and hand.

The fact that the fake tattoo took two weeks of me washing my face four times a day to come

off was not a problem.

My course was difficult, but I was up for a challenge.

My apartment was small and I had a rodent infestation problem, possibly.

I could hear something scoring around in the cavities at night and rodents with the least

disturbing thing I could think of.

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