*Heavy breathing inspired by claustrophobia. *

What kind of life is this? Temporary I hope.

Ooph, I'd go stir-crazy fast.

feel kind of badly for her, but this was a choice...

I can only say wow.... I'm feeling pretty fortunate today.

Instead of ragging on how stupid we think her choices are, we should be asking why that appears to be her only choice.

Where's the Bath?? OK more importantly, where's the toilet? Maybe the family should send her money.

Of course anyone WOULD take the larger space but the writer does not get it that this renter sends money home. Providing for her family is more important than having more space. What is with the snooty, privileged attitude?

It's actually quite roomy...

Wait, it isn't a coffin???

$586/month working at an advertising firm is the real problem here. Poor thing.

It's just somewhere to sleep. I live in the Midwest and know people who have rented large closets (6x6) up to 12X12 rooms with art on the wall, a mattress on the floor and a communal bathroom (me). Hey, I didn't even have a laptop.

Ever heard of overpopulation, folks? And, I hate to bust the bubble here, but not everyone's family can send them money.

It's worth actually reading the full article to get a better sense of why people are choosing to live in such tiny accomodations, as well as the tenants' perceptions of the advantages and drawbacks. I think that characterizing this as a bad trade-off, when the person in question says that her main goal is to save money to send home to her family, is unfair, and as someone said above, definitely a very privileged attitude.

It wouldn't appeal to me, but if I was supporting a distant family, or trying to save money in order to later move into a larger space, or the only alternative was to live 2 hours away from my place of work, I might feel very different.

I think prisoners have bigger cells. I've seen capsule hotels in Japan as well but those are for stayovers only. These capsules are not for permanent residence.

I can just imagine the wait at the communal kitchen and bathrooms ugh.

I hope she excels in her career and will be able to afford something bigger.

"We'd stick to $600 splitting a real apartment with a roommate". Yes, we would. But, we (me included) are super comfy in our first-world lives. Read the article. She "earns about 4,000 yuan (US$586) a month at an advertisement company in Beijing" and supports her family. This is about bare survival, not choice, and it's not pretty.

I know this is APARTMENT THERAPY and not like....Philosophy or something, but I think this is really a beautiful thing. She cut her lifestyle down to the bare minimum so that she could send money to her family. She really has the right mind set. She is taking up as much spaces as she needs and sharing everything else apparently - eating and bathing quarters. If the rest of the world thought like this instead of being so selfish with their 2000 sq. ft. homes, we'd have so fewer complaints about over population and hatred. I really think that we've distanced ourselves (as a whole) in the US that our NEED for more and more space encourages discomfort with being near to other people. We even have to have our own space after DEATH...taking up space that could be used for inexpensive homes like this one. She sacrifices - maybe out of necessity to an extent, but also out of choice. She CAN afford more, even a little more, but she doesn't so she can send money to her family. This post brought me to tears. I wish everyone could take this lesson and embrace it because our SPACE is so much less important than the survival of others.

I'm even ashamed of my space. I live in a town, not a city, and I have a large yard. I don't require a yard at all, but it comes with my rental. I rent 1,091 sq. ft. for me, my husband, our toddler, and our cat. It is MORE than enough space even after we have another kid eventually. I just hope that this lesson is taken to heart by our country one day. We may be too selfish though.

Does the window open?

That's not a window.

"Where's the Bath?? OK more importantly, where's the toilet? Maybe the family should send her money."

Seriously?! How ignorant can you get? It's spelled P-O-V-E-R-T-Y.

Of course this is tragic, but I think it's amazing that she does this to be able to save as much money as she possibly can to provide for her family. I can't even think of one person I know who would be willing to do this.

Sure, it's claustrophobic and coffin-like. But like the article says, I would take this over living in the slums hours away from where I work any day.

And OF COURSE the trade-off is worth it. I'd take spending 7 % of my income on a closet over spending 20 % of my income on a tiny shoebox of an apartment that I have to share with my roommate any day.

nice comment @lal.

The story also says that "an apartment with a roommate" typically refers to up to 10 people squeezed into a tiny studio on the rundown outskirts of town, a long commute away from one's place of work. (Though it doesn't specifically say that this was also the case for that woman's previous rental).

Given that, I would also appreciated the privacy of the "pod". Besides, the "pod" reminds me of a tree house I used to have a kid. Dreamed of living forever in a tiny place like that.

For the record, I would take a "pod" in my favorite part of Manhattan over paying three times more for sharing a studio with roommates on the farthest outskirts of the Bronx any time.

Diogenes, the Greek philosopher, lived in a barrel, btw. I think it's the products of a McMansion nation making condescending comments here, not that renter, who may be missing something.

At least it's clean.

Obviously we are talking about two completely different types of lifestyles here, and I don't think one is "more right" than the other. In the US, we take the top down financial approach to raising a family. In some other countries, it's exactly the opposite. I don't think it's right to criticize anyone for having either mindset since that's just what we, and they, are used to.

Keep in mind that this particular person earns above the average income in Beijing. Money goes a lot farther there, and I suspect many new graduates send money home to their families. And it was this person's choice to live this way.

I think prison cells have windows.

But for sure coffins don't have lights.

IMO she's living somewhere between the two.

Me, I'd rather live on the street!

I thought this wasn't that bad until I read the article. The bathroom isn't even in same building! That's a dealbreaker.

@lal and @flipper. Totally agree.

I agree with @lal. Well said.

A clean dry place to keep clothes and sleep for $40 a month? That's a great deal. She has internet so it isn't that bad. I'm sure there are cafes and parks to socialize in.

I'm sometimes appalled by the comments on AT. This is one of those times.

It is really easy when you aren't facing this type of situation to say "what was she thinking." If you were actually living with her salary and were sending money back home to your family- it is quite possible you would say "I do not really NEED all this space- I NEED to survive off the streets and help my family." and thus would downsize yourself accordingly. I dont think this is an issue of choice, it is an issue of the price of living versus what people actually make.

A major plus is you use everything you own and you are motivated to not accumulate. Question - where is the bathroom and kitchen? I guess, it is a common space share with other pod-sters.

Wait: 7 sf is 2'x3.5'... that's hardly enough room to stand up and rotate in, and definitely not enough room to lie down in (even in hardcore fetal position mode), and definitely not what the picture is showing. I have difficulty buying that measurement. Just saying... Are we sure it isn't 7 sm, which would get you closer to 6'x12'?

architexas: The article describes the place as roughly 2 square metres.

Yeah, I just read the full article on the website, I was just thrown by the AT assertion of 7 sf and didn't notice the link to the Asia Times at the bottom. Thanks tariqata. It comes out to about 23 sf

Once while vacationing in Hong Kong with some friends, I dropped by the hotel they were staying in. They were four to a room which had two double-decker beds and not much else. The top bunk was about 20 inches away from the ceiling. I was appalled at how they could stay in this room (I was staying in a different hotel), but it was what they could afford and instead of complaining about it, they laughed about how small the room was.

I guess what I'm trying to say is it's all about how you look at things. A tiny, cramped room can be a "prison cell," "a coffin", whatever...but to some people, it's a decent place to live.

It's all a matter of perspective, I guess. Last night my partner and I were watching property virgins or one of those shows, and we were baffled at how a young couple's first home was something like 3800 sf, and during the little blurb at the end when they summarize why they those the one they did, the wife says "...and it's the biggest one, and that's the best part" or something to that effect. I mean come ON...

Then we decided everyone needs to be shipped off to NYC for a few years and get some perspective on space :-)

The woman in Beijing is obviously an EXTREME example of small space living to say the least... just as some people can't imagine living with someone else, 2 cats and a big dog in 600 sf, I can't imagine living in a closet. It's all relative.

Puella- I agree.

Thank you Lal for your insight.

On another note, the post is written from a place of privilege so of course it sparked some of these insidious comments...

As others have noted, there clearly is some miscalculation going on with the 7 sq ft quote - you can tell from the picture there is more. (1 foot x 7 feet is 7 sq ft) That said, it's still small - even for a closet.

Not a question of choice, a necessity really. Here in Paris, young professionals have set up a camp under the pont d'Issy, they brought pretty good furniture found on the street and wait to get enough money to be able to afford a flat. I recently saw a documentary where young professionals in Beijing were sleeping in 24 hours cyber cafes or MacDonalds before heading to their jobs in the morning. Not everyone can spend ridiculous amounts of their income on a rent for themselves. She's made her place a colourful and quite practical space, she's invested in her family's well-being rather than in herself. She obviously does not need criticizing or pity, so why not pause and learn ?

I used to live in China for a year (2001-2) so I kind of know what I'm talking about here but it annoyed me when someone said her parents should be sending her money so i had to butt in...

Life in China is difficult and different than - gasp - here in the USA! 85% of the population is still rural and poor. The 1 child policy is the best thing to happen to China because it will alleviate these conditions. Look up PBS shows about China. You'll learn a lot!

Chinese people are used to tight living conditions - although this is the smallest I've seen. When Communism took over, the gov't took all the big homes of the wealthy and subdivided them into family units - with a shared bath and kitchen, maybe on each floor, or just kept the original kitchen and bath and everyone shared it. So an entire family had a room or 2 converted from a mansion. We've seen this with brownstones or Victorians but usually developers here had more $$ so gave each unit their own bath and kitchen. Now that the economy is better, lots of these old (often beautiful but rundown) structures are being torn down and beautiful Western apartments are being put in their place. Each new apartment has its own bath/kitchen, etc. Villages are a little different. Houses have their own chamber pots and more room than city dwellers, but life is harder farming obviously. They don't farm to sell boutique products at Farmers Markets - they farm or they don't eat! It's a different kind of farming than is usually featured here on AT. So new apartment buildings in the middle of a village will still feature the grandparents cooking outside on coal burners, tending grandkids while parents are at work, and drying peanuts and other crops in the courtyard of the apartment building, still farming, but living in way "better" homes. I happen to love the old houses, but like tenement housing, romanticizes the reality of living in a dirt floored, 2 room house.

The school I worked at - the dorms held 8 students each, with a toilet down the hall. The single teachers shared with 4 to the same size room. Shower offsite and you pay for it. People don't shower every day nor do they change their clothes daily. It's perfectly acceptable to see a teacher or other professional wearing the same clothes to work every day. They probably rinse out their clothes and hang them on the radiators but I noticed when I was there that public transport. can be a bit smelly, hair can be greasy, and the same outfit was worn at least for a week. People seemed to have summer outfits and winter outfits, more clothing choices in the summer, but I had the luxury of having my own kitchen and bath in my apartment. I had a wetroom bathroom so could shower in a bucket and feel grateful that my feet were warm in the bucket while dealing with a tiny trickle of sometimes hot sometimes cold water and soap myself up while being warm. I could even use the shower to fill up my washing machine that emptied down the shower drain and spun all the water out through that same drain. Life was simpler and I had less to do despite things being more work if that makes sense. I made about $3000 Y - now teaching English jobs should net about $6K per month but of course teachers only have to buy food and telephone bills and should get a free apartment thru the school.

I miss my life there a lot and now being a homeowner in Santa Barbara with all the amenities a small condo has to offer makes me appreciate my life every day and prevents me from being too jealous of others who have bigger homes, better jobs, etc.

I feel like I'd be tempted to spend so much more for food and entertainment, since I wouldn't want to be in there for longer than my 6 (ok, 10) hours of sleep per night.

Now that I'm thinking about it ... when I was broke and in college, I think this would be an alright option. Beats the $900 per month on a studio that I used solely for sleep.

Dear AT,

You should stay away from posts about life in developing countries. What the writing in your posts conveys about your opinion is not very flattering.

Xièxiè

If anyone reads the actual piece in the Asia Times--plenty of Chinese reading the original blog post (how meta--a blog post about a news story about a blog post) also thought it looked like a coffin.

"The style of living does not appeal to many Chinese who read of his business. "The compartment makes me feel cramped. It is like a coffin," said one Internet surfer. "It's tragic that people need to live such boxes," said another. "

The real point of the story is the soaring property values in China and how property developers are making money.

"To get rich is glorious".

Who thinks China is a developing country?

I think that more people should live with such frugality in mind, instead of the debt lifestyles that we "enjoy" in north america. I'm sure that even over here there are people who would rent this type of pod for the sake of having enough money to get by on every month.

I think that if I lived in a crowded city, I'd be a lot happier to have a tiny space of my own than shared accommodations, even if they were this tiny.

Thank you "Joan in SB" for bringing some perspective on this matter. I am Chinese from Taiwan and I can say that even in a more affluent country like Taiwan, people are used to living in more cramped city-like conditions. Yes, this is an extreme example but she is choosing between spending a lot of her disposable income on space or supporting her family (which in Chinese culture is very important). Also, this assumption that she is uncomfortable in this space is narrow-minded. If I needed a space to sleep and sometimes get on the internet/watch tv - this fits the bill. If she rolls up her mat, she has space to meditate or do yoga.
Having a satisfying life is all in one's perspective, a priest or monk who does not own possessions or require a lot of space can have a fulfilling life doing good works and never be bored. I spend a lot of my time either at work or hanging out at the local coffeeshop/cafe/library. I rather spend my money on enjoying life OUTSIDE and that is usually not at home in front of the TV or spread out on my big sofa. I feel sad that the trend is so focus on developing the home to the point of isolation from the rest of the world rather than spending time connecting to our communities.

That has to be bigger than 7 sf. That is at least 2 or 3 feet wide by maybe 6 feet long. My desk is about 10 sf (just measured) and this is definitely bigger. I mean, still ridiculously small.

BTW, if she was embarrass living in this condition, she probably would not have participated in this article.

Umm... NO. Not in a million years, Where would I put all of my 600 pairs of shoes? No can't do.

4000 yuan actually is a good salary for most Chinese. That Zhang Qi only can afford the small space is certainly not because of her salary but because she has to/wants to send as much money home as possible. Her family probably really needs it (I am guessing unemployment and/or sickness or maybe a younger siblings education?) Today there isn't really a safety net in China anymore so people are dependent on their family in difficult situations. Her decision to stay in a smaller space to send more money home is admirable, Zhang Qi 你父母真的是很幸福有你，一个那么好的孩子.

What's with all the hate? She's got her own space and she's got her finances figured out much more clearly than most of us.

I have a 500 sqft apartment, and yet I spend most of my time in it on my bed on my laptop, too.

Zhang Qi 你父母真的是很幸福有你，一个那么好的孩子.

It's admirable that she is sacrificing her own comfort in order to help her family.

The AT commentary regarding her "choice" is snobby and ignorant.

So lets keep buying cheap crap imported from China so that 10% of folks here in the U.S. can be unemployed...
...and jobs can go to people like this who can only afford to live in shoeboxes.

I think this is definitely an extreme example, but most people in big cities in China live in tiny accommodations simply because there's more people than space. What Americans don't realize is that there's a huge lifestyle difference as well--Chinese people spend most of their time out of their apartments, or pods, and usually only use their place to sleep. Their restaurants, bars and other communal places don't close at 8 PM on weekday, like they do in suburban America.

OK, I just want to say this. What is, is.

This is a decorating blog and one mainly focused on Western society. I don't think many of the "critical" posts were dissing the woman or her choice, so much as putting themselves (and I mean themselves IN their Western cultural bias) in her shoes and projecting the horror of having to live in that fashion. This is not unrealistic, nor is is a commentaryon what she or anyone else SHOULD so. (Some people were a bit flip, but hey -- it's personality showing through, not really "hate" as more recent posters seem to think.)

I would be totally and completely miserable living that way. I'm 60 years old, I'm a spoiled American, I admit it but I also have arthritis and other issues that would make that lifestyle unacceptable to me. That's me. That's NOT her. (I earn as much in a week as she does in a month, and probably a sizeable number of readers of this blog earn much more than that.)

Ease off. It's fascinating and sad to witness how other people in different economies have to live, and how they make do. But it doesn't make it wrong for us to live differently. If you feel guilty because you are more privileged than others that is your issue. Don't accuse anybody else. I may not live as frugally as I could, but I also don't live luxuriously. This blog would not exist if the primary issue in our lives were to live minimally, because none of us NEED, in a very basic way, decor or even the computers we are currently using. Life is full of compromise.

Agree with Lal, mishmosh and others demonstrating some social awareness. Thank you.

This young woman living in a pod in China is admirable and making the right decision for her situation.

I didn't intend for my input on the subject to be condescending and I regret that I came across that way. It's amazing and humbling to see Zhang Qi's small space and her sacrifice.

I shared the square footages and expenses here only as a topic of discussion with a community that's often concerned with both quality of urban life and small space living. Sharing an apartment outside of the city center and renting a "pod" right in Beijing take anywhere from 1/12 to 1/4 of this young professional's salary. It was in looking at these numbers and comparing them to my own living experience in a large urban core that I wrote this commentary.

If she works in advertising, she probably spends 12 hours at work on most days. Minus 8 hours of sleep that's just 4 hours left in the day, which is not that bad to spend surfing the net in a little piece of personal space that is *clean*, well lit, and looks to have been filled with personal touches.

She makes a good living, and with a zero maintenance living space, I'd say she's pretty successful at what she set out to do (spending as little as possible on herself and sending as much as possible back to her hometown).

In China (and much of Asian countries), home decor is very much a privilege, not a right. The majority of the working population support their parents financially, it is considered the right and filial thing to do.

I can't type in Chinese but YES, Zhang Qi 你父母真的是很幸福有你，一个那么好的孩子!!!

This makes me VERY thankful for what I have.

No decor tricks is going to make this 'pod' bigger.. I mean they could have made it a little bit bigger... maybe so you could bend over and pick something up or even stand up. Maybe i am being a little insensative... not sure!

A few things struck me about this post...

First, that pod is better than sleeping on the street. There are a lot of people in America who could benefit from such a pod.

In China, I'm sure it's an almost unimaginable luxury to have a space of any size with a door you can close and be in all by yourself, with NO ONE else.

That girl does have some "decor" - she has a very lovely painting propped up on the table/shelf. So she's making the space her own.

Last but not least, I'm just glad to see a girl under the age of 30 in China who didn't get aborted. And she's doing what she can to help support her family and therefore, hopefully, disproving the notion that only a boy child can support a family and is worth having. It may be a small thing and just one person, but it's the only way attitudes will change. She's a hero in my book.

That picture makes my skin crawl. I can't imagine. I too am feeling incredibly fortunate today. Regardless of the reasons, that is no way for a person to live.

Oh, man. This post, from Regina's featherbrained commentary to some of the shit-stupid comments, is an embarrassment to the human race.

Rosenatti, It looks like a lot of the readers got their eyes opened and really nothing really all that unkind was posted. It's hard to figure out your contribution.

I don't think it is SAD at all. Nor do I think that everyone needs to live a lifestyle like hers. I think we should all be aware of everyone else in the world and stop being such pigs. Surely an older woman with arthritis would not live in a 23 sq. ft. pod like Zhang (I did the math from the original article...not 7), but we often have this mind set that we need space to spread out. I'm not trying to cause friction on AT, but I'm trying to make people more aware of need vs. want. Have begats want unless you're mindful. I think Zhang's article isn't about making us feel sorry for the people living there or guilty for having spacious homes, but its intent is to make us aware of what some people do because they're aware of what they need.

we all enjoy pictures of minimalist spaces and read AT for posts on how to decorate and declutter ... we have spring and fall cures to help us purge our lives of unwanted junk so we can enjoy beautiful spaces that refresh and rejuvenate us so we can work and be productive people. this girl is a model and like someone said above she's got her own space - not sharing - and as i said earlier she would be most likely sharing a bath/shower and kitchen no matter what living situation she had.

because chinese people are used to wearing the same clothes most days, you don't need a lot of clothing storage and look what an attractive storage solution she came up with.

there are many posts on how to get rid of your cable and watch movies online etc. this girl has got that covered, too.

really, what do you need to live? this is an awesome reminder to prioritize what's important in life and appreciate what you have because it can always be worse!

To all of the holier-than-thou commenters who are condemning people for expressing their opinion that this would be a difficult living arrangement:

1. Maybe you should try it and get back to us with a first-hand testimonial

2. I'm quitting Apartment Therapy. I enjoy the design, I abhor the politics.

Gosh, this post has generated a lot of discussion. I think it's interesting to see how other people live and how they make do with their situation. I thought I had to do make do with 700 sq feet condo in nyc. I wonder whether this "pod" living would work in large urban areas such as nyc? I think that would be an interesting point for discussion.

As for the girl in the post, i think she is doing something extremely commendable. And, it's not really that bad compared to factory workers and rural farming areas etc. China's ascendancy in the world economy is being built on the backs of people like this hardworking self-sacrificing girl. Plus, her housing situation is most likely temporary. She probably views her home as her family home and her place in Beijing is just a stop gap measure before moving on to better things in her job and life.

this young woman has all her priorities straight. more power to her.

I'd say: how much total do you make per month and do you have to send money to your family before spending that $600 on an apartment?

Joan in SB asks, What do you need to live? You need an operable window! That space has absolutely no connection with the natural world, which IMO makes it completely uninhabitable by any living, breathing creature, which is why, given the choice, I'd rather live on the street. Paying money to "live" there -- just flush the money down the toilet, same effect.

First of all, who is 'us' in "It doesn't seem to us..."?

Anyway, I don't think this is 'sad' at all. I say good for her for living within her means AND helping her family. Very commendable. She's even put a cheery little painting in there.

In my broke college years, I'd have been thrilled to find accommodations for just $40 a month (though obviously even a 'pod' would be more than that in the US, I'm sure). It would have made my life a lot less stressful since working enough hours to pay my tuition/rent was the bane of my existence.

It's absolutely *#!#!#% ridiculous to say you'd 'rather live in the street' btw, what a bunch of idiots. Sure, rather than having a warm, secure, private - if snug - place to sleep every night, F that, who needs the indignity of a window that doesn't even open. Sleeping in the street where people get raped and robbed, with no protection from the elements, no place to store your stuff, no warmth, etc. is a better option. GIVE ME A BREAK.

What a badly written article! There isn't even any real info in it, not only is it condescending and obviously written by someone who has never had to sacrifice much in their life, but it is complete fluff, okay so we know she lives in a tiny space, we know she doesn't earn much money..so what? she lives in China so i can't say that I'm shocked...but then again I don't live in a bubble...what about telling us a little about her - in her own words?? I expect better from you Apartment therapy..in fact I'll write you better if you like!

and yes i realise there is more info and a better written article when you follow the link...maybe the author should be upset about how badly apartment therapy misrepresented her writing ability!

Uh... I didn't really sense insensitivity in this AT post. Surprise, yes, but that's entirely natural, I think.

In the comments, though - shoot, people! Waterlily, poverty is the mindset that you can't do anything better with your life. This girl is providing for her family, which I imagine must be quite fulfilling and give her a keen sense of purpose. I'd hardly classify her situation as "P-O-V-E-R-T-Y".

Also, she has bangin' style.

WHOA! What happened to all the comments? It was rather interesting reading the perspective of others on this type of living, in spite of the fact that many of the comments were a bit *ugly*.

i'm guessing she's not claustrophobic...wouldn't work for me.

ande2994--What you are referring to as "politics" is not politics at all. It is people being shocked by the ignorance and insensitivity of other posters. You can talk about design without being ignorant and, in fact, being sensitive to culture, the environment, etc. really elevates the subject of interior design to something intellectually stimulating.

I spend my time at home online, reading books or watching tv. The rest of the space is for me to wander. Having a bathroom and kitchen elsewhere provides for the room to wander.
The space does look comfortable and bright and has all of the necessities.

Here are more photos of the "living" space.

http://www.chinahush.com/2010/04/01/capsule-apartment-appears-in-beijing-2-square-meters-each/

Dunno about you but my necessities do not include being in a cage.

Some of the issues with this appear to be related to what ones definition of a cage is... I personally would consider it more of a 'cage' to share a 10 meter apartment (usually just a room with facilities down the hall) with 6 then to have 2 meters all to myself...

On a side note, I must agree with alzahra... on both comments.

Scoot said: "In the US, we take the top down financial approach to raising a family. In some other countries, it's exactly the opposite."

I think parents everywhere want very much to be able to provide for their children. In poor families sometimes they can't and in some cases children even have to provide for their parents. I hate to see poverty portrayed as a cultural choice. I'm sure this woman wouldn't be living this way if her family was doing well.

I wonder what David Bromstad could do with this place?

Thanks AT for opening our eyes to how people around the world live. I recall you once featured an apartment building for the elderly in Hong Kong. That was a very interesting and educational story.

Yes, I love seeing beautiful homes and cool, interesting furniture, but I'm also interested in seeing "real" living spaces like this tiny pod apartment. It makes me grateful for what I have (which isn't much, I'll admit) and broadens my perspective of the world. Please feature more spaces like this one...show us how people cope with design or living challenges. If there are those who don't like this sort of thing, they can just skip the feature and move on to something pretty.

Looking forward to it, AT.

I must agree with some posters above - if she needs to rent this small of a space to afford to send her family money, maybe this whole thing needs another round of thinking. Her family should at least stop accepting her money or start sending her some.

Reading these comments is truly depressing. I feel so sorry for people with the privileged mindsets of perkiplus and ChrisGal, ignorant to life, cultures, and the struggles of others.

I lived in a closet like this in the dorms at college (in USA). I did it to get a little privacy -and it was heaven. :) Now-a-days college dorms are getting fancy but I bet there are plenty that are still tiny and packed.

@anning, I agree, AT should do a piece on dorms. :)

...Dorms and pods and minimalist living! as per paperkite, above.

sinthetic -- I do take offense to what you say. Here her family gets to live probably twice as well as her and she gets a cage after giving them her money....how fair.

The condescension is all over the place here. There's a lot of ignorance here about that culture. Our "first-world lives"? She's in BEIJING. That's not a backwoods place. And it's not "bare survival"; she's paying less than 10% of her salary on her place which is quite good (esp since our "first world" pricing is 30-50% of salary for housing. Their economy is VERY DIFFERENT from ours; what she makes is decent. I couldn't live like that either, but she's gotta be a strong puppy to be able to! We're spoiled to all hell here in the US. We get nervous in portopotties.

sinthetic -- I do take offense to what you say. Here her family gets to live probably twice as well as her and she gets a cage after giving them her money....how fair.
posted by ChrisGal on May 4th 2010 at 7:39am
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If her family was living well she wouldn't be far away from them and sending money back. Read a book on Chinese culture. She's obligated to take care of them; she's probably the lucky one to have gotten out.

Small space living, and I don't mean the western work 500 square foot kind, but the kind mentioned in the article, is pretty common in places like Hong Kong. Hong Kong is densely packed into a small area, and property prices rival London, NY (name the most expensive cities). "Living" in small spaces is partly out of need, but is also part of the culture, because people rarely "live" in their apartments in the same sense that people do in the west. A lot of people in Hong Kong eat outside every night (because it's cheaper and better than cooking), do activities outside, spend most of their time outside, and leave their "living" space for sleeping, and other important bodily functions. In the west people spend a lot more time in their homes, so the idea of a "living" space is a very different concept. One cannot judge another's life style unless they have lived in a similar culture.

By RoxiGirl: "Rosenatti, It looks like a lot of the readers got their eyes opened and really nothing really all that unkind was posted. It's hard to figure out your contribution."

Nothing unkind was posted? That's just as ignorant as the original elitist and self-gratifying post by Regina and her subsequent non-apology.

I give the two of you the 'I'm A Culturally Stupid Person' Award.

The Apartment Therapy Mission
Helping people make their homes more beautiful, organized and healthy by connecting them to a wealth of resources, ideas and community online.

How does this post fit in with AT's mission? It doesn't. How this one slipped past an editorial review is beyond me.

just came across this post...uggh. i'm feeling embarrassed by this whole thing. i rented a closet for $100/mo in west philly for a year, same sq ft as this article, shared a bathroom with 5 other ppl., used the money for other more important things while finishing ivy league degree. also later lived in a storm drain in CA while working at a top university...used a bathroom at a local coop. needed the money for other more important things. Now me & husband & kids share a "small" 1 br/1 ba and often have family living with us, and it feels so luxurious and wasteful. i wish my tight spaces looked a tenth as nice as the one in this article! i also wish everyone was more understanding about the need to conserve space, money, and resources. you want more space? go take a stroll outside.