Beijing Then and Now: Rich Akers and Skott Taylor

For our October Issue, we invited local personalities to recreate photographs that inspired fond memories. Here are the stories behind those snapshots and those Beijingers, in their own words.

Rich Akers and Skott Taylor, Lush, 2003

Rich Akers and Skott Taylor, Gung Ho! Pizza, 2011

What year was it?
2003.

Where's the original location?
Lush in Wudaokou.

Who is in the photo?
Skott "Skotty" Taylor & Rich "Hilton" Akers.

What were you doing there?
Promo shot for the start-up of Open Mic.

What were you doing in Beijing?
RA: Rocking Open mic - the Early Years.
ST: Same as everyone else … teaching English and drinking big bottles of Yanjing.

NOW

Who is in the photo?
Skott "Mr. Taylor" Taylor & Rich "Peter Pan" Akers.

What are you now doing in Beijing?
RA: Rocking Open mic - the Early Years.
ST:
Founder of New Seed Creative. Consulting, using theater-based techniques in company culture, team building and public speaking training.

What has changed for you?
RA: Grown up slightly, went from being an unemployable ex-dancer to marginally more employable creative type.
ST: Starting a company.

What has changed in the city?
RA: Better food, better shopping, best of all though is the amount of people willing to come and stay for an extended period of time. Definitely not like the old days where people would come for a month and then you'd never see them again. I've made some great friends over the years and more and more of them are still around (or have returned)!
ST: The city skyline, Wudaokou and Houhai, as well as the disappearance of both 1.20 RMB Xiali taxis and hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop Chinese restaurants.

Anything else you'd like to add?
RA: I love this city, it's been a big part of my life and it definitely doesn't feel like 8 bloody years.
ST:
It's great to be back!

Click here to see the October issue of the Beijinger in full.

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