Bloomberg reviews a memoir by an anonymous writer, ZZ, which portrays the fast life in Beijing:
Written before the global credit meltdown, “China High: My Fast Times in the 010: A Beijing Memoir” lifts a curtain on a side of Beijing seldom seen by tourists. ZZ captures the nocturnal buzz of a city where rave parties in derelict factories are a staple and orgies have become a rite of passage. Then there’s the pot, which locals call the Big Numb.
Beneath the froth lies a serious message: The world’s largest developing economy is seething in social tension, displaced people and hypocrisy. It’s a land of official sexual equality run by men who often keep under-30 mistresses, aka their “little honeys,” on two-year contracts. A country given to bouts of xenophobia among people who fawn on foreigners.