China High: My Fast Times in the 010: A Beijing Memoir

by Z.Z.

A swaggering true tale of sex, drugs and money in the new young professional class in China ZZ’s parents got him out of Communist China—but now that he’s got his American education (including a law degree), under his belt, and now that China loves a go-getting capitalist like ZZ, what better time to return? America was never the “Wild East” like this Beijing is the perfect place to start a business, live large, and get a piece of every lissome girl, hash cigarette and bottle of Cristal China has to offer. ZZ taps into China’s unreliable but plentiful workforce of “spit-‘n-squatters” to start his brainchild, Goodiez, which delivers food all over Beijing. ZZ is the perfect guide to the real new he’s got insider’s cred but an outsider’s eye for the strange mores and daily annoyances of Chinese life. In China High , he offers a rare glimpse into the world of guan xi (a network of favors), the insidious importance of “face”, and into the clubs and cafes— with all their above-ground and below-ground pleasures— frequented by the new young professional class in China.
But ZZ’s glam urban life comes to a crashing halt when he’s picked up by the police for smoking an opium-laced pot “Zigarette.” None of ZZ’s connections do more than get him a few extra dumplings at chow-time in Sunshine Prison, where unable to bribe his way out, he is forced to take a serious look at the life he has been leading.

Genres: China, Travel, Memoir, Nonfiction

368 pages, Hardcover

First published March 31, 2009

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on the cover I knew going into this book that I would be reading a memoir by a grade-A douchebag—ZZ never fails to talk about how many women he's slept with, his great education, his fantastic job, his money and so much more. But beyond the bragging, I got quite a bit of insight into the way "modern China" works. If your yuan fen isn't on your side and you're not able to secure enough guan xi, you're probably in a bad place in China. I also learned a variety of interesting curse words like wa cao ta me de (I will not translate that) and got a look inside China's kafkaesque prisons. And hey, it seems like ZZ actually learns some valuable lessons by the end of it.

[Santo · Rating 4 out of 5]

i managed thru the first half of this book in a day, but it took me a while to finish it, especially as i skim parts of the "prison diary" which felt like ages... (hmmm... i guess the symbolic nuances of that part sorta work, eh?)

having lived in beijing, and frequenting the sanlitun area often (my office was in the sanlitun area), i found zz's story interesting because it captured the pace and dynamics of life in sanlitun different from my perspective...

zz gave me an insight to life the way chinese people (westernized chinese people) see it... it's something that i've always felt was missing in my life during my 3.5 years stay there... at least, reading the book has made me wanna go back there again and re-live some of my life there, of course thru a different perspective...

[Justin · Rating 2 out of 5]

An entertaining story following a Chinese born, raised in America, lawyer who ends up emigrating back to his country of origin to try his life there.

Along the way he gives up his high paying lawyer gig with an international Wall Street firm to open a food delivery company in Beijing.

Along the way he is arrested for smoking hash that happens to have opium in it, which from the Opium Wars, is not tolerated in China.

His journey takes us to a Chinese prison and expands upon the details of life's true existence while talking with and living next to fellow countrymen who have a much different existence than the priviliaged Americanized individual in their presence.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up this book as an "extra" on my last trip to the library. Didn't even realize it generally revolved around drugs (which is a great indicator of how "square" I've truly become in my old age). Burned through the book over the course of the weekend, it is very readable. While most of the action takes place in Beijing (and the protagonist is a native son), I couldn't help but remember a lot of my exploits in Hong Kong and find similarities. Ah, how I miss the good old days.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book to read while actually in China. It was a neat way to view the differences between the US and China through a Chinese perspective. Also gave me greater insights into some policies and histories of China, specifically regarding the Opium War.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as I hoped it would be. I expected a lot more insight into modern Chinese urban and youth culture.

[Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no idea how true this book is but I sure enjoyed it. I enjoyed his insights on his journey to Chinese manhood.