Like many apartment complexes in China, mine is a residential maize, and my building is a good walk from the entrance to the street. Over the first few days my roommates noticed people climbing through the fence in the back of the complex, a mere ten second walk from our building to the street. Soon we understood how much time this saved and started trying it ourselves. The process involves walking up a series of objects like they are stairs: plastic bench, broken fence, cinder blocks and concrete wall, and then squeezing one’s body sideways through a hole in the fence. It is almost impossible with any luggage and becomes increasingly difficult after more than one drink and in shoes with one more than one inch of heal. It is always funny and always worth it. One evening my roommates and I were heading out for an evening of avant garde theatre, and drinks at a bar in a hutong, and since we weren’t on bike we all naturally thought to use the shortcut. As we approach we see several kids playing in the heap/stair/construction-site-that-has-become-their-country, and our time-saver. Daniel, usually the listener among us, pronounces “This is not a jungle gym, kids. This is an exit.”