Meet Paul. Aka “St. Paul.”

This American expat was born and raised in Texas, but has been living in Beijing for about 5 months. St. Paul was actually quite mysterious, claiming his occupation as only a “professional beer drinker” and has no idea how long he will stay in Beijing. His only plan is to return to Texas in “about 12 years”-- which he figures will be an optimal amount of time to travel the world before heading home.

The Texan is certainly not a first time traveler, however. In addition to having been to 42 of the States back home, he has been to 136 different cities and 23 countries. The only continent he has yet to see (discounting Antarctica, of course) is South America, but definitely plans to check that off his impressive list soon.

Paul loves meeting the various other foreigners in the city, but admits that being a “professional beer drinker” causes him to have “a phone full of contacts, without remembering who any of them are.”

You are most likely to find him "working" in Sunlitun-- he enjoys sipping on Coronas at The Saddle, or watching his favorite futbol team on the screens at the Rickshaw.

If you run into this saint, you should sit down, share a beer, and hear about his international escapades. And --if you’re lucky enough-- he might even remember meeting you the next day.

Tracy Winn loves to find the weird and wonderful characters who make Beijing great. Be sure to check out her other blog for more reflections of a laowai on the highway.