Art in blood and a mike in her hand

Fariba Laiberte moved to Beijing to cut her first album, resolute in her belief that there would be more possibilities in the Chinese capital.

Armed with a bike and map, the 28-year-old said she first managed to travel the entire city in only two weeks, stopping only to sleep at couch-surfing homes. Through this group she also managed to pick up her first job, teaching English at Beijing International Studies University.

"There are definitely more opportunities in Beijing, but chances don't come easily," she told METRO.