Top 10 kinds of foreigners in China
8. Hipsters/Hutongsters
This category includes mostly 20-somethings or trust-fund grads who want to rebel and live in China for a year or two, rent a stinky old Beijing hutong house with four buddies, start a rock band or call themselves DJ BJ and basically get drunk and act cool all the time. Slackers in their own countries, they are easy to spot, and easily stand out in a crowd. They might do some side teaching for EF (EF is an English training institute in China) if they really need the money, or start a local e-magazine about the "scene".
Michael Meyer delves into life in the hutong, a world that is disappearing as the capital urbanizes. Inset: His 2008 book was recently published in Chinese. Below: Meyer and his neighbors. Photos Provided to China Daily |