beijingkids Nov 2014

November 2014 Easy Rider

Kick back for a sidecar tour with Beijing Sideways Get Stuffed

Gobble up turkey for Thanksgiving

Piece of Cake Birthday treats, activities, decorations, gifts, and entertainment that never get old

No Fuss

Overcoming toddler food battles

NOVEMBER 2014 CONTENTS

52

44

FeatureS 52

Party Animals

Health 22

Where to find birthday cakes, gifts, decorations, and more

56

Child’s Play

23

Birthday Planning 101

The Natural Path Slow down with the sweet stuff, says Melissa Rodriguez

Birthday activities divided by season

60

Mind Over Matter Introducing Clinical Psychologist Dr. George Hu

24

Parent tips for a hassle-free party

What’s All the Fuss About?

How to win toddler food battles

Living 16

Noticeboard Community news and announcements

18

Talking Shop Andy Horowitz gets frank about handmade sausages

19

Birthday Bash

20

Indulge

34

Dining 26

Dining Out PizzaExpress lands in Beijing

28

Food for Thought Charlotte Friis-Lodahl makes an impressive teddy bear cake

32

Seasonal Roundup Your DIY, to-go, and dining out options for Thanksgiving

Heed the call of nature at PPkids play center Bianca Teti gets red hot at Z Hairdressing

Playing 34

What’s Fun In

38

Family Travels

A whirlwind sidecar tour with Beijing Sideways The Cruz family visits Bogotá and San Andrés Island

NOVEMBER 2014 CONTENTS

14

20 Learning

40

Dress to Impress High school students unpack dress codes and school uniforms

44

The Roundtable BISS students look behind the screen at tech addiction

46

Blank Canvas Art by students from Beanstalk Wanghu Kindergarten

Parenting 48

Beijing Baba

49

The Echo Chamber

28 Directories 70 Family Dining 70 Family Health 72 Family Life 72 Family Travel 72 Fun Stuff 74 Schools 76 Shopping 76 Sports

Christopher Lay looks at birthdays throughout the years A power outage brings unexpected results for Ember Swift

Essentials 9 10 14

Editor’s Note November Events New Arrivals

64

The Circuit

80

Family Favorites

Say hello to Beijing’s smallest Happenings in Beijing’s family scene The Young family

ON THE COVER: By chance, model Emmanuelle Ng turned 5 the day before the cover shoot. Born and raised in Beijing along with her brother Kieran (age 2.5), Emma is a student at MSB. This year, she had a Frozen birthday party with custom print-out decorations from Etsy, cupcakes from Euro Bakery, and a bouncy castle from Happy Land. Her dad even played the part of a “moving piñata,” dropping treats when tapped by the kids.

Here, Emma is shown having Jo Malone afternoon tea with some furry friends at Sureño in The Opposite House. Photography by Mitchell Pe Masilun

《中国妇女》英文刊

WOMEN OF CHINA English Monthly Sponsored and administrated by ALL-CHINA WOMEN’S FEDERATION Published by WOMEN’S FOREIGN LANGUAGE PUBLICATIONS OF CHINA Publishing Date: November 1, 2014

Adviser 顾 问

2014 年 11 月（下半月）

WOMEN OF CHINA English Monthly 中华全国妇女联合会主管/主办 中国妇女外文期刊社出版 本期出版时间: 2014年11月1日

彭 云 PENG PEIYUN 全国人大常委会前副委员长 Former Vice-Chairperson of the NPC Standing Committee

Adviser 顾 问

顾秀莲 GU XIULIAN 全国人大常委会前副委员长 Former Vice-Chairperson of the NPC Standing Committee

Director and Editor-in-Chief 社长 · 总编辑 Chief Editor 主编 Managing Editor Deputy Managing Editor

Yun Pengju 恽鹏举 Wei Liang 位亮 Sijia Chen Aisling O’Brien

School Editor

Yvette Ferrari

Web Editor

Nimo Wanjau

Shunyi Correspondent Contributors

Sally Wilson Heather Budimulia, Dr. George Hu, Christopher Lay, Melissa Rodriguez, Ember Swift

Editorial Consultant 编辑顾问 Director of Sales Department 广告发行经营部主任 Tel 电话 Legal Adviser 法律顾问 Advertising Agency 广告代理 Advertising Hotlines 广告热线 Printing 印刷 Address 本刊地址

ROBERT MILLER (Canadian) 罗伯特 · 米勒 (加拿大) XIA WEI 夏巍 5779 8877 LI XUESEN 李雪森 Immersion International Advertising (Beijing) Co., Limited 深度体验国际广告(北京)有限公司 5941 0368/69/72/77/78/79 C&C JOINT PRINTING CO., (BEIJING) LTD. 北京华联印刷有限公司 WOMEN OF CHINA English Monthly 《中国妇女》英文月刊 15 Jianguomennei Dajie, Beijing 100730, China 中国北京建国门内大街15号 邮编:100730

国际标准刊号

ISSN1000 9388

国内统一刊号

CN11-1704/C

The beijingkids Board Jennifer Parrott

A Publication of

True Run Media 出版制作

The proud mother of a daughter who attends WAB, Jennifer hails from Boston. She loves shopping and discovering great new restaurants. Jennifer is involved with the International Newcomers’ Network (INN) and leads the Chaoyang Park Coffee Mornings on the third Wednesday of every month. She can be reached at jparrott@me.com.

Advertising Agency

Immersion International Advertising (Beijing) Co., Limited 广告代理

深度体验国际广告（北京）有限公司

Danna Mattas-Applerot

Danna Mattas-Applerot is the mother of four kids (at BSB Sanlitun and YCIS), a Parent Effectiveness Training instructor, and an advisory board member of IsCham. Originally from Israel, she has lived in Beijing for eight years and now has a relocation consultancy, though her true passion is art. Contact her at dannama@gmail.com.

Telephone/电话: 5779 8877 Advertising Hotlines/广告热线： 5941 0368/69/72/77/78/79

General Manager Michael Wester Operations Manager Toni Ma

AJ Warner

AJ Warner is a busy dad. When not with his two awesome sons, he’s coaching Chinese students on how to get admitted to the top 30 US universities (undergraduate and graduate). He also guides Chinese families through the process of sending their child to the US for high school and related homestays. Contact him at ajwarner@ touchdown.org.cn.

Managing Editor Sijia Chen Deputy Managing Editor Aisling O’Brien School Editor Yvette Ferrari Web Editor Nimo Wanjau Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson Marketing Manager Shana Zhang

beijingkids Brand Manager Victoria Yang

Yanhong Wheeler

Yanhong is a mother of two, a La Leche League leader, a Parent Effectiveness Training (PET) instructor, and the author of ten Chinese books on breastfeeding, parenting, and education (under the pen name Xiao Wu, or Wee Witch). Visit her blog at blog.sina. com.cn/weewitch.

Art Director Susu Luo Production Manager Joey Guo Principal Designer and Illustrator Crystal Liu Advertising Designer Yuki Jia Photographers Mitchell Pe Masilun, Sui, Ken Sales Manager Ivy Wang

Liu Nan

Liu Nan, also known as Chu Chu, is a native Chinese mother.

When she is not out with her baby girl in search of food and fun, she sells imported baby products on Taobao. Check out aibaimm. taobao.com.

Sales Team Coordinator Luo Yi Sales Team Sheena Hu, Winter Liu, Amy Sun, Maggie Zhang, Sasha Zhang Sales Assistant Gladys Tang IT Team Yan Wen, Arvi Lefevre Finance Judy Zhao, Liu Mengya HR & Admin Tobal Loyola, Siyu He,

Christopher Lay

Christopher Lay hails from scenic Ashland, Oregon and has lived in Beijing for six years. When not chasing after Reina (age 7) and twins Bryson and Ryder (2), he does freelance architectural and portrait photography. View his work at chrislay.com

Zhao Fengjuan Distribution Cao Zheng General Inquiries 5779 8877

Editorial 5779 5389/90 Distribution 5941 5387

Michelle Liu

After living in the US for 15 years, native Beijinger Michelle is happy to be living in her hometown again, where she works at an architecture firm. As a parent, she embraces both the Chinese and western perspectives on culture and education. Contact her at mtliu123@yahoo.com.

Contact: Eyee Hsu

General information: info@beijing-kids.com Editorial: editor@beijing-kids.com Sales: sales@truerun.com Marketing: marketing@truerun.com Distribution: distribution@truerun.com Directories: listings@beijing-kids.com

www.beijing-kids.com weibo.com/beijingkids @beijingkids www.facebook.com/beijingkids www.pinterest.com/beijingkids WeChat: beijingkids

CCTV talk show host and mom-preneur Eyee Hsu is looking for more time in the day. When she’s not chasing after her two kids or the family dog, you might catch her at a Pilates studio, one of the Counting Sheep boutiques, or on TV. She hopes to save you time by bringing the most trusted baby brands to Beijing. Find out more at www.countingsheepboutique.com.

Want to Join?

If you think you’d make a valuable contribution to the beijingkids board, email editor@beijing-kids.com.

Pilot Program at Local Beijing Schools to Monitor Air Pollution (goo.gl/MkgX4F) Fangcaodi International School and an unidentified Beijing school have signed up for a Beijing Health Inspection Institute pilot program to have ten air pollution monitoring sites installed on campus. What are the implications for long-term student health? Find out on our blog.

LAYman’s Chronicles: Fundazzle Raises Prices (goo.gl/lvwa77)

WEB ROUNDUP

Popular play center Fundazzle recently raised its admission price from RMB 50 to RMB 60 per child following a renovation. Is it worth it? Christopher Lay investigates.

For more, visit the beijingkids blog at www.beijing-kids.com

and Our Pets Food Safety 3kP) (goo.gl/U8S

r food safety, ou gilance about . of t gh ou Amid all the vi th are rarely s nd ie fr ed ur four-legg can affect yo tainted foods Find out how family pets.

Two Surefire Ways to Kno w If Your Baby Is Getting Eno u gh Milk (goo.gl/ hLS2GX)

Rebecca Tayl or of La Lech e League offe tips on breast rs feeding, form ulas, and wea your child. ning

EDITOR'S NOTE

Surveying the annual post-birthday Halloween haul, circa 1995

Happy Returns

B

eyond the usual dinner with friends (and perhaps some messy dancing), I don’t usually make much of a fuss about my birthday each year. However, I love making a fuss about other people’s birthdays and have organized several surprise parties over the past couple of years.

The first was for former Deputy Managing Editor Ellis Friedman.

Her husband and I plotted together for two weeks, quietly ordering cupcakes from Fat Bunny Bakery and booking a mini-van to take us to Cuandixia, a Ming Dynasty-era village located three hours from Beijing.

The plan was to surprise her on their doorstep and whisk her away for a day of food, friends, and countryside strolling.

By some stroke of bad luck, I had an allergic reaction to a friend’s cat the night before – I’d never been allergic to animals before – and my eyes swelled up like gumballs. By the next morning, I could barely see out of my sticky eyelids. I bumbled my way to Ellis’ place with sunglasses on, yelled “Surprise!” and told her I had to miss the trip to go to the clinic.

Over a year later this September, I finally made it to Cuandixia by repeating the surprise on my boyfriend. He’s known to be notoriously uncomfortable about his birthday; in the early days of our friendship, I bumped into him in Fangjia Hutong drunkenly giving the slip to wellwishers. He hadn’t mentioned it was his birthday despite spending the afternoon with me just a few hours earlier.

So it was with a bit of trepidation that I led him out the front door, around Chaoyang Hospital and through Worker’s Stadium to the waiting mini-bus. I stalled, walking slower or faster in step with our scheduled departure time. I threw a blindfold over his eyes just before our friends came into view; they spotted us from about 50m away, clapping their hands over their mouths to keep from laughing and snapping pictures with their smartphones.

When the blindfold came off, everyone yelled “Surprise!” My boyfriend looked momentarily dazed, then started laughing and looking

Looking thrill ed about tu rning 3

around him in disbelief. “Oh wow! This is so nice,” he said. As I watched him hug everyone in turn, I was reminded why I like surprise birthdays so much, as cheesy as they are. It’s about lifting out the birthday boy or girl from the monotony of everyday life – the relentless succession of reports, deadlines, routines – to simply say “you are loved and celebrated.”

Growing up, my parents always made time to commemorate our birthdays, usually with a big dinner, a cake, and a limited number of presents, often with Le’s family in attendance. We never threw lavish themed parties or invited the entire class; my parents felt that birthdays were a family affair, a time to contemplate the passing of the years and of course tell embarrassing stories about the birthday girl.

As I get older, the birthdays I remember the most are not my own but other people’s. There was the time Nancie and I went scuba diving for her birthday and she wouldn’t stop talking about it for the rest of the afternoon, or the time 15 of us surprised a friend at Haidilao, complete with red anti-splash aprons at our necks. I don’t know how Mom and Dad managed to pull off this trick of parent-fu, but I’ve come to believe it’s much more interesting to use your time and energy to plan things for others.

By the way, I would recommend going to Cuandixia at least once if you haven’t had been already; it was worth the wait.

Sijia Chen Managing Editor

November 2014 beijingkids

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NOVEMBER 5-22 3

1

2 Wed, Nov 5 Community Open Morning For adults. BSB Shunyi opens its doors to the public with a tour of the campus, followed by an information session with teachers to learn more about the curriculum, after-school activities, and more. Registration required. Free. 8.30-11am. The British School of Beijing, Shunyi (8047 3558)

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Thu, Nov 13 Roots and Shoots Founder Jane Goodall Visits WAB Age 7+. For its 20th anniversary in China, Roots and Shoots welcomes Founder Dr. Jane Goodall for the annual International School Summit at WAB. The day features school presentations on past and future projects, speeches, and a Q&A with Dr. Goodall. Free. 1-2.30pm. Western Academy of Beijing (5986 5588, wabinfo@wab.edu) 3

Fri, Nov 7 HoK Eighth Annual Family Lantern Walk All ages. HoK once again hosts a family lantern walk with a 30minute parade, live performances by students, hot drinks, and more. Free. 5-7pm. House of Knowledge International Kindergarten (6431 8452) 1

Fri, Nov 14 IMTI Open House For adults. IMTI’s open house provides an opportunity to understand the school’s Early Childhood and Professional Development programs and explore Montessori materials in a classroom environment. Free. 10am-4pm. International Teaching Montessori Institute (8949 6877 ext. 288)

Wed, Nov 12 Movember Special: Online Webinar For adults. In keeping with the spirit of Movember, International SOS Internal Medicine Specialist and Family Physician Dr. Michael

Mon, Nov 17 Embassy House Christmas Bazaar All ages. Bazaar season is here! Find gifts like silk scarves, jewelry, and more with proceeds benefiting selected charities.

beijingkids 2014 November

photos: Laity lodge youth camp, betsyweber, kafka4pres (FLICKR)

Thu, Nov 6 Parentcraft: Staying Fit Through Pregnancy For adults. International SOS pediatricians host parents and parents-to-be for a series of specialized classes. Registration required. RMB 100 (non-members), free for members. 10amnoon. International SOS Beijing Clinic (seminar@internationalsos. com)

Couturie holds a webinar to discuss topical men’s health topics such as cancer, routine health checks, stress management, and sexual health. Registration required. Free. 4-5:30pm. International SOS Beijing Clinic (seminar@internationalsos.com) 2

events ESSENTIALS Editor’s Pick

Dining

Playing

Learning

Community

Living

Health

Parenting

4

5 This is a two-day event happening on Nov 17-18. Free. 10am4pm. Embassy House (8449 9000) 4

photos: Hades2k, and jixar (Flickr)

Tue, Nov 18 Reduce Stress and Stop Anxiety For teens and adults. This information session focuses on coping with stress and anxiety, types of stresses, symptoms, and dealing with depression. It is facilitated by Mental Health Counselor and Marriage and Family Therapist Aram Sohigian. Registration required. Free. 10-11.30am. International SOS Beijing Clinic (seminar@internationalsos.com) 5 Sat, Nov 22 YCIS Christmas Bazaar All ages. YCIS Beijing hosts a Christmas bazaar with many vendors providing gift options, traditional seasonal foods, and hot beverages. Registration required. Free. 10am-1pm. Yew Chung International School of Beijing (info@bj.ycef.com) WAB’s Winter Charity Bazaar All ages. One of the biggest bazaars of the year, this event features a variety of vendors, international foods, and entertainment for the entire family. On site babysitters and children’s activities available. All proceeds go to charity. Free. 10.30am-3.30pm.

Western Academy of Beijing (5986 5588, wabinfo@wab.edu)

November 2014 beijingkids

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NOVEMBER 22-29 3

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4

2

BICO Two-Day Performance Ages 7+. The Beijing International Chamber Orchestra performs P. I. Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker Suite and Piano Concerto No.1 at CISB on November 22 and DCB on November 23. The concerts feature Russian soloist Dmitri Volobuev and conductor Maria Nauen. RMB 100 (adults), RMB 50 (children). 4-6pm. Canadian International School of Beijing and Dulwich College Beijing (tickets@bico-china.com) 2 Wed, Nov 26 Careers in Healthcare Evening For teens and adults. The second installment of YCIS Beijing’s Career Evenings focuses on careers in the healthcare industry.

Guest speakers include John Williams, managing director of International SOS, and Sarah Zhang, chief representative for BUPA China. This is a chance for students to get advice on po-

tential career paths. Open to the public. Registration required.

Free. 6-8pm. Yew Chung International School of Beijing (info@ bj.ycef.com) Sat, Nov 29 3e Christmas Bazaar All ages. Festive food, shopping, and games for the whole family await at 3e’s Christmas Bazaar. Free. 10am-noon. 3e International School (6437 3344) BCIS and MCF 2014 Christmas Bazaar All ages. Co-hosted by MCF and BCIS, this annual Christmas bazaar is held at BCIS’ brand-new ECC with vendors, games, and live performances. All proceeds will be donated to the Migrant Children’s Foundation. Free. 11am-3pm. BCIS Early Childhood Center (6770 0766) 3 German Embassy Christmas Bazaar All ages. Expect long queues at one of the most popular holiday fairs, featuring German treats, drinks, and crafts with proceeds donated to charity. Remember to bring your passport to get in (foreign nationals only). Free. 11am-5pm. German Embassy (contact@christmasbazaar-beijing.org) 4

For a list of Thanksgiving events and promotions, see Seasonal Roundup on p32.

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beijingkids 2014 November

photos: Ken and USACE Europe District, and Herry Lawford (flickr)

Sat, Nov 22 BSB Shunyi Christmas Fayre and German Market All ages. BSB Shunyi hosts a Christmas Fayre with a traditional German Christmas market, live music by school choirs and orchestras, photos with Santa, games, and lots of vendors. Free.

4-7pm. The British School of Beijing, Shunyi (8047 3588) 1

events

ESSENTIALS

Want your family-friendly event to appear in our next issue?

Upload it at www.beijing-kids.com/events by November 7.

5

6

photos: Travis Isaacs and lars Ploughman (Flickr)

Christmas Tree Lighting at Hilton Beijing All ages.The 20th annual Hilton Beijing Christmas tree lighting ceremony features a three-story Christmas tree, a Christmas train, a winter landscape, performances, a Christmas bazaar, and more. Free. 6-8pm. Hilton Beijing (5865 5000) Level 2 Screen Printing Workshop For teens and adults. Learn how to separate layers, use colors and make advanced prints on posters, t-shirts, and other textiles with Atelier’s screen printing workshop. Registration required.

RMB 1,000. 11am-6pm. Atelier (6416 1614, 132 4018 4908, atelier@atelier.cn.com) Ongoing Photoshop for Beginners For teens and adults. Learn how to manipulate photos with Photoshop in this six-day course (November 18, 20-21, 25, 2728). Registration required. 9-11.30am, 7-9.30pm. Atelier (6416 1614, 132 4018 4908) 5 Weekend Family Ski Trips Age 6+. Starting from late November, Imagine Snowsports takes families on weekend ski trips to resorts in and around Beijing. An Austrian-qualified British ski instructor runs the trips. Registration required. Varying prices. 9am-6pm. Imagine (186 1045 3101, snowsports@imagine-china.com) 6

November 2014 beijingkids

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ESSENTIALS NEW ARRIVALS

SAY HELLO TO BEIJING’S SMALLEST Want to share your new arrival with our readers? Email a photo (at least 1MB in size) of your little one with their full name, nationality, birth date, hospital, and parents’ names to editor@beijing-kids.com. Due to space constraints, we will only publish photos of babies born in Beijing after May 1, 2014.

Lars Florian Moeck

Jingyi Ni

7 to Chinese. Born on Aug Century w Ne at Ni Ya Chen Li and spital.

Ho s en’ ildr Ch and Women’s

German. Born on Jun 13 to Susanne Moeck and Elmar Kohlhofer at Oasis International Hospital.

Riviane Jade Coghlan

to Australian. Born Aug 4 Coghlan at y oth Tim and Li ch Eno spital.

Oasis International Ho

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beijingkids 2014 November

Haoqian Liang

Chinese. Born on May 16 to Lili Qian and Haitao Lia ng at China-Japan Friendship Hospital.

Tianyou Liu

Chinese. Born on Aug 21 to Li Fu and Li Liu at New Century Women’s and Children’ s Hospital.

November 2014 beijingkids

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WHAT’S HAPPENING IN BEIJING BWYA Creates New Scholarship Awards Beijing World Youth Academy (BWYA) has launched a new scholarship program aimed at recognizing and celebrating student excellence. At the beginning of the new school term, 11 students received a tuition fee reduction based on academic performance, community involvement, and personal growth over the past year. Candidates were selected by BWYA’s Scholarship Awards Committee and presented to the school board for approval. There is no limit on the number of students who can be awarded the scholarship prize each year.

DCB Welcomes New Academic Director

This month, holiday bazaars will spring up all around Beijing at hotels, schools, and embassies with food, shopping, and activities for the whole family. The usual suspects include the German Embassy Bazaar, the Rotary Club of Beijing Bazaar, the CISB Bazaar, the BCIS Bazaar, the German Embassy Bazaar, and much more. Check our Events on p10 and stay tuned for more the beijingkids website at www.beijing-kids.com.

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beijingkids 2014 November

photos: Courtesy of bcis, bwya, and dcb

Bazaar Season Kicks Off

For the new academic year, Dulwich College Beijing welcomed Academic Director Joe McKee. He will be responsible for overseeing learning and teaching, professional training, and performance management from an academic standpoint. McKee studied English at Cambridge University and has over 20 years’ experience teaching and working at schools in the UK. Prior to DCB, he was senior deputy headmaster at Trinity School, an independent day school in South London. He has also taught Philosophy for Children and Drama, and is particularly interested in the relationship between learning and creativity.

NOTICEBOARD LIVING Want your news to appear in our next issue? Email it along with a high-res photo (at least 1MB) to webeditor@beijing-kids.com by November 7.

Keystone Launches Academic Year with Dedication Ceremony On September 20, Keystone Academy held a dedication ceremony to formally mark the school’s opening. “Our world is changing rapidly every day and we want our students to be always at the ready for this new world,” said Head of School Malcolm McKenzie, Head of School.

The event featured student performances, including a recital of the Chinese classic Di Zi Gui. In keeping with the school’s focus on service learning, students also volunteered at the Little Adoption Shop (an animal shelter in Shunyi) and Roundabout on September 19 and 20.

photos: Courtesy of ycis and keystone

YCIS Beijing Launches Career Talks for Students For the new academic year, Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing) is introducing a series of Careers Evenings with guests from a variety of fields. “We hold the Career Talks in order to give IGCSE and IB students the opportunity to interact with job professionals from various career fields and to begin exploring their career opportunities beyond secondary and university education,” said University Guidance Counselor Ryan Jordan.

The first events on October 22 and November 26 will focus on finance and healthcare respectively.

The talks are open to the entire community.

November 2014 beijingkids

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LIVING TALKING SHOP

Meat and Greet Andy’s Sausages wants you to know what you’re eating

by Heather Budimulia

I

Andy’s Sausages Place your order by visiting www.beijingsausages.com or emailing sausagebyandy@gmail.com. You can also call Horowitz at 131 2147 1669 or add him on WeChat at beijingsausages.

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beijingkids 2014 November

photos: Courtesy of Andy’s Sausages

n his seven years in Beijing, New Jersey native Andy Horowitz has always been his own boss; his last business endeavor was trading in semi-precious stones. The leap to craft sausages seems like a big one, especially since he grew up kosher and didn’t used to eat pork.

However, it all falls into place after you learn about Horowitz’s love for cooking and how his mother wrote cookbooks for a living.

The story starts in 2012, when Horowitz made sausages with his friend Stephen Shaver for a barbecue. Guests raved about their creations and wanted to know where to buy them. After making sausages by request for dinners and barbecues, Horowitz invested a few hundred dollars in some equipment and founded Andy’s Sausages.

Over the last two years, Horowitz’ business has grown from a meat grinder, sausage stuffer, and bowl mixer on his living room TV stand to a central kitchen, where he manufactures sausages up to five days a week. With organic sausages in the works and plans to offer Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, business is in full swing.

Currently, there are eight sausages on offer. The flavors stay true to classic recipes but with a bit of a twist. “Some sausages just taste like one thing and that to me is not interesting. When you’re eating something, [you want] to taste everything that’s in there,” he says.

Andy’s Spicy Italian, Lincolnshire Sage, and Cheese Bratwurst sausages (RMB 150/kg) are the best sellers. While the Italian has a bit more of a kick, the other two are popular with families. Horowitz estimates that 80 percent of his customers are expats with kids because they’re the ones who are most concerned with what they eat.

To ensure food safety, Horowitz avoids wet markets and sources raw meat from Metro, a German wholesale chain that uses the Star Farm traceability system. Metro also uses a system called HAACP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), which monitors food during the production process and enforces high standards for food handling, temperature, and hygiene.

Apart from sourcing, most of Horowitz’s time is occupied by the making, packaging, and delivering of sausages. Deliveries are mostly done within the city, but customers can also arrange a time and place to pick up their order from Horowitz. He’ll show up in his bubble car (nicknamed the “Hamborghini”) to deliver the sausages.

You can also buy sausages by the kilo at Tavalin Bagels on the west side of Yashow Market or try them out at Grinders and Unconditional Love in Shuangjing. If you’re cooking them from frozen, Horowitz suggests poaching the sausages first, then pan-frying them for best results.

BIRTHDAY BASH LIVING

Urban Jungle PPkids caters to the wild at heart

by Nimo Wanjau

B

est friends Grace Yang and Amy Dong’s careers have centered on children’s playground manufacturing. One of their projects was building a playground for a Disney Channel TV set, so it was only a matter of time before they decided to open another space based on a similar design.

After a fruitless year-long search for partners, Yang and Dong used their savings to launch PPkids, a new play center at Indigo Mall. Featuring a jungle-themed play area called the Kids Garden, the center occupies 250sqm with over 20 soft play activities. The climbing frame features slides, rope drops and climbs, an observation deck for parents to take photos in, and a pedal-operated train.

There’s also a toddler section with a ball pit, a mini-climbing frame, a kitchen station, toys, and miniature cars. Most of the surfaces are covered in leather and soft turf floor for safety. Anti-slip socks are available for RMB 10 a pair.

PPkids has three birthday party packages available for kids aged 1-8. Designed for a group of ten, the basic package costs RMB 3,000 and RMB 150 per extra child; the deluxe package costs RMB 5,000 and RMB 350 per extra child; and the premier package costs RMB 7,000 and RMB 500 per extra child. See below for what’s included in each package.

As part of its collaboration with Indigo Mall, PPkids will have themed parties with children’s activities happening in the shopping center in any given season. For example, kids celebrating their birthdays during the winter may have access to the indoor ice skating rink while summer birthday boys and girls can use the outdoor playground.

photos: Courtesy of ppkids

Basic Package • Two hours’ exclusive use of Indigo Mall’s Orange Zone playground • All-day access to PPkids Kids Garden • A host, three games, and activities such as dancing, parent-child obstacle races, and scavenger hunts • Ten gift bags • Birthday decorations • One-pound birthday cake from EAST Beijing • Dole juice and mineral water Deluxe Package • Same first six services as basic package • Three-course meal from EAST Beijing Premier Package • Same first five services as basic package • Two-pound birthday cake from EAST Beijing • Four-course meal from EAST Beijing • Clown performance or face painting

Play Center Prices • Four hours: RMB 138, RMB 50 per additional hour • Day pass: RMB 158 • Five-time card: RMB 500 (valid for three months) • Ten-time card: RMB 850 (valid for six months) • Monthly card: RMB 899 • Season card: RMB 2,499 (valid for three months) • Half-year card: RMB 3,999 • Annual card: RMB 5,999 PPkids Daily 10am-9pm. Shop 75, 3/F, Indigo Mall, 18 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (8430 8145)朝阳区酒仙桥路18号颐堤港3层 75底商

November 2014 beijingkids

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Che Bella Donna!

Bianca Teti lives life in the fast lane text by Aisling O’Brien, photos by Dave PiXSTUDIO

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beijingkids 2014 November Bianca Teti poses with a limited-edition Lamborghini Aventador

Indulge LIVING

Get the Look:

1 Teti, before

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To receive 50 percent off your first cut at Z Hairdressing or to enjoy your own deep conditioning and moisturizing treatment with a free blowdry for RMB 500, simply bring your copy of beijingkids to the salon.

Makeup List • Biotherm Primer • Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation • Benefit Hello Flawless Powder • Dior Diorskin Nude Concealer • Mac Bronzing Powder in Golden • Urban Decay Naked2 palette • L’Oreal Lineur Intense Brush Tip Liquid Eyeliner in Black • Shu Uemura Tint in Milky Framboise • Mac Matte Lipstick in Candy Yum Yum

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Teti’s old cut was flat on top, with triangular volume at the ends. Salmons sliced in a side-swept fringe and added layers in the front to frame Teti’s face, creating lift and bounce at the roots.

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azzling, elegant, and spirited, Sicilian-born Bianca Teti is a perfect match for the limited-edition Lamborghini Aventador we borrowed for this month’s shoot. She embraces the open road, having lived in Sweden, Japan, and India before moving to Beijing. Four months ago, she and her French husband Jean-Christophe Laneri welcomed bambino Samuel. Teti will soon return to her role as a business consultant at Ericsson and is eager to refresh her look.

This is our third time working with Scarlet Salmons, now creative director of Z Hairdressing. During Teti’s consultation, it’s easy to understand the loyalty of Salmons’ clientele. Hers is a collaborative approach, listening to customer suggestions and thoroughly explaining her vision.

Although Teti is keen on a fresh color, Salmons cautions that her hair is too damaged for additional processing. Pollution and hormonal changes that occur after pregnancy have dried and tangled Teti’s locks.

Salmons orders up a proprietary blend of caviar, walnut, almond, and avocado oils to create a lustrous mane of glossy curls. She offers Teti a free coloring when her hair condition has improved sufficiently.

Salmons recommended a dynamic, weightless re-style. “Long hair needs just as much attention as short hair,” she says. “People with long hair often think they can get away with a cheap trim, but it’s not true. We want to give our clientele a no-maintenance, wash-and-go style that looks good without a ton of product. To do that, you need a precision cut.”

First, Salon Manager Chingy divided Teti’s hair into sections and applied the conditioning treatment. Her hair was curled, pinned, and steamed to seal the oils into the follicles. Once the treatment was washed out, her hair was finished with a blend of nine essential oils to eliminate frizz and leave it feeling super soft and shiny.

Chingy applied primer, liquid foundation, and a light dusting of powder with some concealer under the eyes. Bronzing powder was stippled across Teti’s hairline, temples, and under her cheekbones and jawbone. Her smoky grey eyes were achieved with a blend of metallic grays across the lid, lighter at the inner corner and darker at the outer lid and crease. Her upper lashes were lined with liquid eyeliner, with a dramatic retro cat-eye flick. A wash of strawberry cream blush and a slick of bright candy pink lipstick completed the look.

Z Hairdressing Daily 10am-9pm. Shop B1-003, Bldg 5, 8 Xindong Lu, Chaoyang District (8424 4533) 朝阳区新东路8号院5号楼B1-003

November 2014 beijingkids

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HEALTH THE NATURAL PATH Got a question?

Dr. Melissa Rodriguez is a mom of two and a wellness consultant. She also works as a naturopath at International Medical Center.

To find out more, check out her website at www.drmelissarodriguez.com.

Not So Sweet After All

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his month, we’re focusing on birthdays – an excellent opportunity to talk about sugar. Sugar may appear innocent and sweet, but it has a dark side that isn’t talked about very often. Based on the points below, I propose banishing sugar outright.

Nutritionally, 1g of white sugar contains about 5 calories. That’s it; there are no other nutrients. Consuming too many sugary foods or drinks can fill kids up, leaving little or no space for nutritious foods.

Sugar also wreaks havoc on natural blood sugar. When consumed, sugar creates a quick spike in blood glucose levels; this spike produces a quick burst of energy that drops almost as quickly as it started. This leaves us feeling weak, nauseous, and cranky. After that, blood sugar rises again and we start to crave the effects of sugar.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that all this messing around with blood sugar levels can lead to diseases like diabetes. Sugar consumption has also been linked to cardiovascular disease, increased risk of cancer, and even conditions like asthma and arthritis. Sugar also damages teeth, coating them with a layer of sticky sweetness that allows bacteria to essentially throw a party in your mouth. They go to town feasting on that sugar, forming cavities in the process.

Kids also don’t know moderation or understand the concept of empty calories Studies show mixed results on the effects of sugar in children’s behavior. I believe that this can be chalked up to genetic variability; some people are deathly allergic to peanuts and some can eat them without a problem. In the same way, some kids react badly after overdosing on sugar and others don’t seem at all affected. There are studies, however, that suggest that sugar is an addictive substance because of its effect on opioid receptors in the brain – something to consider when giving sugary drinks or treats to young children.

For all these reasons, I don’t consider sugar to be a necessary part of our diet. It’s not always realistic to completely eliminate sugar, but parents of kids under 3 should do their best to avoid giving sweets.

Why? Because children’s tastes are shaped from an early age. If they develop a taste for artificial sweetness, they’ll find other foods like vegetables completely unappealing. Kids also don’t know moderation or understand the concept of empty calories; once they try chocolate, they’ll want it every day. It’s best to leave sweets and candy to older kids, and even then only for special occasions like birthdays. There’s no reason to have those kinds of treats at home.

We all want our children to develop good eating habits for life because there will soon come a time when we won’t be able to control what they eat. Give them a head start by teaching them to enjoy the natural, healthy flavors of fruits and vegetables.

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mind over matter

HEALTH

Need more info?

Dr. George Hu is a clinical psychologist at Beijing United Family Hospital. He has worked extensively on issues such as adjustment, relationships, and stress. He can be reached at george.hu@ufh.com.cn.

Keeping up with the Jones

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y son celebrated his fourth birthday recently. He’s now old enough to understand that he’s supposed to answer “four!” every time someone asks him how old he is. He also understands that his birthday is a day where he gets to blow out candles, eat cake, and get lots of presents.

The experience made me think about the special place that birthdays occupy in most cultures as a marker of growing not only physically, but also in terms of the person’s understanding of the world and their place in it.

Birthdays are supposed to be fun but they can also cause a certain degree of anxiety, especially as kids get older and notice what other people have. Somehow, the tractor Lego set you bought your son pales in comparison to the Ninjago/Lamborghini/otherwise-better-than-yours Lego set imported from Denmark that his friend Johnny got for his superhero-themed birthday party, complete with actors dressed up as Spider-Man and Thor.

For parents and children alike, birthdays can become a reason to feel insecure about what others get vis-a-vis ourselves. As a parent and a mental health professional who has been at both ends of this phenomenon, I have some advice to offer:

Birthdays are supposed to be fun but they can also cause a certain degree of anxiety Help your child increase their awareness. If it’s your tradition to receive gifts, have them acknowledge whom the gift is from before letting them tear open the wrapping paper. Ask them to think about their relationship with the gift-giver.

Say thank you. It’s important for children to learn that they are receiving a gift due to the generosity of the giver as opposed to the idea that they’re “supposed” to get a present for their birthday. Saying thank you is an essential part of this acknowledgment and helps kids get into a good habit. Turn this into a creative project by making “thank you” cards or a fun video together.

Manage pressure to “one-up” someone else’s birthday – or even your own celebration from last year. Separate your needs and anxieties from those of your child when thinking about their birthday party. Focus on what would make them happy instead of what would make you feel like you’re doing “enough” as a parent.

Use your child’s birthday as an opportunity for them to show generosity to others. Maybe they could make room for new toys by donating some of the ones they’ve outgrown. Ask friends if they know of local charities, resources, or hospitals that accept donations.

At the end of the day, a birthday is a celebration of life and growth.

Let’s help our children celebrate with joy, gratitude, and generosity.

November 2014 beijingkids

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Dealing with toddler food battles

by Sally Wilson

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f your child is currenly going through a fussy eating phase, mealtimes can often feel like a battle. They may be refuse to eat certain foods, show a lack of interest in food, eat particularly slowly, or have a reduced appetite.

Many studies suggest that young children require a minimum of ten exposures to a new food before they accept it. Introducing them to a wide variety of flavors and textures between the ages of 6 and 9 months will broaden their culinary horizons and reduce the likelihood of fussy eating later on.

Joanne Thomson went through a tough time with her daughter Emma, now 3 years old. “As a baby, my daughter was what you’d call a ‘good eater,’” she says. “I steamed, mashed, and pureed all manner of delicious and nutritious fruit and veg. When we moved on to finger foods, Emma loved feeding herself sticks of veg, peas, bits of fish, strips of chicken, and toast.”

“So when she turned 2 and stopped eating carrots, and then beans, and then salmon, I was at a loss,” she continues. “I’d read that fussy eating is quite common in toddlers, but I wasn’t expecting it at all from Emma.”

Thomson spoke to friends, researched online, and read books on fussy eating. She started with small steps. “[I always made] sure there was at least one thing on her plate that I knew she would eat,” she says. “I began roasting vegetables, which can make them sweeter, and I spent a lot of time making food look interesting: sheep-shaped mashed potato with peas for eyes and string beans for legs, spider meatballs with spaghetti legs.”

Though it required a lot of effort, these steps encouraged Emma to try different things. She is now once again a “good eater.”

To find out what else parents can do, I spoke to Dr. Thilan Fellay, a pediatrician at International SOS.

are also busy learning new skills and activities; life can just be too exciting to spend time eating.

Parents worry about nutrient gaps if their child is a fussy eater.

What foods should a child have in their diet?

We recommend the following as a rule of thumb: two servings of fruit, seven servings of vegetables, and two servings of calcium.

For fruits and vegetables, serving sizes can var. The goal is to try and have as much variety as possible to ensure that your child gets a wide range of nutrients. Calcium is also important, with children needing 500mg daily between 1 and 3 years old. Calcium sources include: Dairy: 500ml of milk is the recommended daily amount per day.

One tub of yogurt or 20-30g of cheese is roughly equivalent to 150ml of milk.

Fortified cereals, soy milk, bread, drinks, orange juice, and oatmeal.

Be careful of the sugar content in industrial fruit juice.

Salmon, sardines Tofu Rhubarb, collards, greens, spinach, turnip greens, okra Broccoli and peas, spinach, brussel sprouts Sesame seeds Bok choy Almonds

How common is fussy eating among children?

Fussy eating is most prevalent among toddlers; up to a third of 2-yearolds can be classified as fussy eaters. Most grow out of it and begin to accept a wider range of food in time. But very occasionally, there might be an underlying problem that’s contributing to a sudden loss of appetite.

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photos: gamene (flickr)

Which age group is more likely to exhibit fussy eating?

Around 2 years old. This sometimes sudden change can be attributed to several factors. Around the end of the first year, a child’s growth rate slows down, which may affect their appetite. You may notice they are less co-operative in other areas [like] getting dressed or putting their shoes on. Refusing food is a way of asserting themselves. They

HEALTH If your child seems healthy and energetic, they are probably eating enough. If you are still concerned, keep an eye on how much food they eat over the day. Children tend to graze rather than restrict their eating to three meals per day like adults. You may be surprised how those little handfuls and snacks add up. For further reassurance, check your child’s growth and weight charts or see your doctor.

What can parents do to help their child?

It’s important to continue offering a wide variety of healthy foods.

Setting good eating patterns at this stage will stand your child in good stead for the rest of their life. Try the following: Stick to a routine with three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and tea, with healthy snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Make sure they sit in the same place to eat as often as possible to help them feel comfortable and secure.

Avoid lengthy meals, fighting, insisting, cajoling, tricking, bargaining or telling long stories, songs and endless games. It should be a quiet, relaxing time and reasonable duration dedicated to food and personal interactions like any meal shared in a family.

Offer food when they are most likely to be hungry. Some children are starving as soon as they wake up, while others need longer to work up an appetite. If your child isn’t hungry, don’t force them to eat.

Present simple, healthy food. Don’t ask them what they want. Give small portions; offer praise when it’s finished, then offer more. Give tried and tested foods alongside anything that is new so that the meal looks familiar.

Eat together. This makes mealtimes more enjoyable and sociable.

Invite their friends round for meals. Toddlers will often accept new foods if eating with other children who like and enjoy that particular food.

Encourage them to feed themselves. You might face a mess, but they may well eat more if they have more control. Finger foods like sandwiches, cheese on crackers, breadsticks and hummus, small sausages, vegetable sticks and pieces of fruit are favorites with toddlers.

If your child will eat only a few foods, build on these. For instance if they like potato, try different types such as mash and roast potatoes. If they reject something they previously enjoyed, don’t worry.

Introduce it again later.

Try to keep calm even if a meal hasn’t been eaten. If you are anxious and tense, your child will pick up on this and it could make the situation worse. So don’t make a fuss – just take the plate away without comment.

“When she turned 2 and stopped eating carrots, and then beans, and then salmon, I was at a loss” As long as the child is active, not losing weight, and is getting the key nutrients they need, parents shouldn’t be too concerned if their child is a fussy eater. It seems that perseverance is the key. Repeated exposure to a new food helps, as eventually the new food becomes familiar and your child becomes more open to the idea of tasting it.

Above all try, try, and try again.

Resources International SOS北京国际救援中心 Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat-Sun 9am-6pm. Suite 105, Wing 1, Kunsha Building, 16 Xinyuanli, Chaoyang District (Clinic: 6462 9112, 24hr hotline 6462 9100, china.inquiries@internationalsos.com) www. internationalsos.com, www.clinicsinchina.com 朝阳区新源里16号 琨莎中心一座105室

November 2014 beijingkids

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Give Pizza Chance A slice of the pie at PizzaExpress

by Aisling O’Brien

photos: KEN

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Juan-Pablobeijingkids Miranda (age 8) 2014 enjoys November penne al pomodoro

Dining Out DINING

Penne Bolognese

Frothy babinoccino

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he Taikoo Li-based PizzaExpress Beijing store is the 500th branch worldwide, offering an Italian-inspired menu of antipasti, salads, pastas, and handmade pizzas. Located on the third floor, the restaurant has an outdoor terrace for low PM2.5 days. The dining room is spacious and cheerful, with views of their pizza chefs (or pizzaiolos) throwing pizza dough in the open kitchen.

PizzaExpress is ideal for families, Italian food being one of the most accessible for most children’s palates. Our Peruvian mini-gastronome, Juan-Pablo Miranda (age 8), is no exception. He is served an incredible 12 dishes from the restaurant’s children’s menu and attacks them with gusto. “I love tomatoes,” he says passionately, simultaneously tackling a penne al pomodoro, Margherita pizza, and a side salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and sweet peppers. The children’s menu costs RMB 78 for pizza or pasta, a drink, a dessert, and a “bambinoccino” (hot chocolate with foam). For an extra RMB 10, customers can also get a side salad or dough balls.

Juan-Pablo is thoroughly delighted to be missing a morning’s lessons at Le Lycee Francais International de Pekin. Although his mother tongue is Spanish, he studies Chinese and speaks fluent English and French.

With such a gift for languages, it is easy to imagine he will follow his papa Juan-Miguel Miranda, minister counselor at the Embassy of Peru in China, into the foreign service.

Juan-Pablo ends up trying all four of the thin and crispy pies on the children’s menu: Margherita, American (pepperoni, mozzarella, and tomato), La Reine (ham, olives, mushrooms, mozzarella, and tomato), and Pollo (chicken, mozzarella, and tomato). “All the pizzas are good,” he says diplomatically, simultaneously sipping on cranberry juice and a Raspberry Cooler.

Clockwise from front: Pollo, Margherita, La Reine, and American pizzas from the children’s menu

Mom Maria-Monica Miranda agrees, particularly praising the pepperoni pizza and the balance between crust and toppings. She is also complimentary about the chicken and orange salad from the a la carte menu. Both Mirandas rave about the restaurant’s signature dough balls.

The family often goes out to eat pizza and will be adding PizzaExpress to their repertoire.

When Juan-Pablo’s warm chocolate fudge cake and bambinoccino arrive, his tact and finesse are forgotten. “In your face, mom! I’m drinking coffee!” he cries gleefully. (Although served in a cappuccino cup, his frothy beverage made with chocolate is in fact entirely caffeine-free.)

Service at PizzaExpress is friendly and efficient throughout, with an in-restaurant bathroom and plenty of high chairs. Famous in the UK for its family-friendliness, PizzaExpress is bringing that focus to Beijing. From this month, the restaurant is offering kids’ pizza making parties during off-peak hours. Lasting between 90 minutes and two hours, kids can toss dough, choose their own toppings, and eat their creations, with drinks, dough balls, and side salads included. A host will lead kids through games and activities, and each child will receive a balloon and certificate to take home.

PizzaExpress Daily 11am-11.30pm. S4-30 Taikoo Li South, Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District (6417 6698, sanlitun@pizzaexpress.cn) www.bj.pizzaexpress.cn/English.php 朝阳区三里屯路太古里南 区S4-30

November 2014 beijingkids

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You Gateaux Try This Charlotte Friis-Lodahl shares her flair with bears

by Aisling O’Brien

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Charlotte Friis-Lodahl and her completed bear cake beijingkids 2014 November

photos: KEN

ila, the world’s sweetest Golden Retriever mix, greets us at the entrance to the Friis-Lodahl’s home in Lido. Rescued from the hutongs by dad and tech entrepreneur Jesper Lodahl, she’s now a healthy and happy family pet. Today, mom Charlotte is taking a break from entertaining guests from the family’s home country of Denmark to demonstrate her teddy bear cake for beijingkids. The Friis-Lodahl’s daughters, Laura (age 7) and Asta (5), are at school (Fangcaodi and Twinkle Twinkle respectively), so the only sounds in the house are the swish of Mila’s tail and the occasional hum of their stylish air filter prototypes disguised as stereo speakers.

Friis-Lodahl stepped away from a decadelong career in product marketing for Nokia to live family life to the fullest. One of her first acts of full-time domesticity was to start making birthday cakes for her daughters using natural, wholesome ingredients and a homespun touch. “You don’t need to buy a lot of expensive equipment,” she says. “My cakes are never perfect because a homemade cake is supposed to look homemade.”

Although today’s project looks difficult, she reassures us that, although time-consuming, “you can get away with first-timers’ mistakes because everything is hidden under the teddy bear’s fur.”

Food for Thought DINING

Sponge Cake Ingredients 320ml milk 5 egg whites and 2 whole eggs 3tsp vanilla extract ½tsp almond extract 465g flour 350-450g sugar 1tsp salt 1½tbsp, and 1½tsp baking powder 345g butter, softened

Instructions 1. Fit a baking sheet to a 10.5 inch x 14.5 inch baking pan and grease it well with butter.

2. In a bowl, mix the egg whites and the sugar. Add the butter and mix well.

3. In another bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder.

4. Add some of the dry ingredients together and stir. Pour in some milk and continue stirring.

Keep gradually adding dry ingredients and milk until the two mixtures are thoroughly combined.

5. Add the whole eggs and the extracts to the cake batter.

6. Pour the cake batter into the pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes on 200°C. Let cool completely before cutting.

Tips: • Put the cake in the freezer for 20-30 minutes before you cut it to firm it up and prevent it from crumbling.

• All ovens are different, so check if it’s done by inserting a toothpick into the cake. If there’s dough sticking, the cake isn’t ready yet. Once the stick comes out clean, the cake is done.

• Lay everything out in little bowls before you begin. Baking is a chemical process; if you get the amounts wrong or miss an ingredient, the results may be inedible.

Instructions 1. Bring the whipping cream to boil, then pour it over the chocolate. Stir until completely smooth.

2. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Tips: • If the ganache is too stiff, microwave it for 10-20 seconds.

• Ganache can be stored for two to three weeks in an airtight container.

Fondant Ingredients 250g marshmallows Approximately 1.5kg icing sugar 12tbsp water 6tbsp flavorless oil

Ganache Ingredients 300ml whipping cream 600g dark chocolate (65%)

Instructions 1. Put the marshmallows, oil, and water in a bowl. Microwave until the marshmallows have melted, one minute at a time while stirring. Don’t let the mixture brown.

2. Add the icing sugar a little at the time. Knead until the consistency is firm but slightly sticky. Refriger ate for six hours before using.

3. Take out the icing sugar approximately 30 minutes before using so that it softens. Dust your work surface with icing sugar and knead the fondant before rolling it out.

Tips: • If the fondant is still hard to work with, put a bit of vegetable shortening on your hands while kneading.

• If desired, add colors while the mixture is still liquid; adding it later takes much more time and effort to get the color even.

• Use gel or paste colors; they’re easier to work with. These can be purchased from City Shop or Taobao. Friis-Lodahl usually uses the Wilton brand.

Buttercream Instructions 1. Beat the butter in a mixer until it becomes soft, white, and fluffy.

2. Add the icing sugar a little at a time. Add the extract and beat the mixture on the highest speed for 1 minute.

3. If the buttercream isn’t fluffy, add a little milk and beat it again. Add food coloring and mix until color is uniform.

Ingredients 500g butter 1kg icing sugar 1tsp extract (vanilla or almond) A little bit of milk 1-2 drops of food coloring

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Teddy Bear Birthday Cake Serves 25 Assembly Instructions

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1. Cut out the templates and arrange them on the cake. If the shapes are laid out correctly, there will be enough space for for a third head section if necessary. (Download the teddy bear template from beijing-kids. com/teddybear.pdf.)

2. Cut out the shapes.

3. Stack the shapes together and check if they look right. If for some reason the sponge hasn’t risen and the head is too small, add an extra layer of cake to the head.

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4. Cut off one of the legs from the bum and move it to the side to create more space between the legs. Next, carve the edges of the stomach and shape the head with the knife as shown in the pictures.

5. Once you’re happy with the shape, cut a piece of strong cardboard in the shape of the teddy’s bum. This will support the bottom of the cake when you move it to a presentation plate.

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6. Add ganache to your work surface; affix the bum-shaped cardboard. Next, ganache-glue the bum to the cardboard. You will now have a sturdy base to work with.

7. Smear the end of the leg you cut off with ganache and glue it back onto the bum 2-3cm apart. If you want the feet to tilt outwards, trim one corner at the bottom and the feet. Now glue them to the legs with ganache.

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8. Add the body and ganache it to the bum, and follow with each layer of the head. Cover the whole body and head with a thick layer of ganache so it becomes one firm piece. Refrigerate for ten minutes.

Dip a brush in boiling hot water and run it over the surface of the ganache to smooth out any lumps, bumps, or sharp edges.

Since the whole bear will be covered with fondant and buttercream, it doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth.

9. Roll out your fondant in a circle with an even 4mm thickness. Drape the fondant over a rolling pin and place the center of the fondant circle over the teddy’s head.

Begin molding the fondant over the head and body. Make sure you keep the shape of your teddy as you smooth and trim the fondant.

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Tips: • Instead of making a cardboard base, you can use cheap table mats from IKEA. These have the advantage of being reusable if you decide to make the cake again.

• Don’t worry if your cake breaks or you cut it badly; broken parts can be glued back together with ganache.

• It also doesn’t matter if the fondant rips or tears, as you can patch it with more fondant and any mistakes will be hidden by the buttercream layer.

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Fondant Body Parts Instructions 1. To make the ears, roll a disk of fondant to cut it in two pieces. Pinch and curve the ends to create the ear shape. Brush the fondant on the head with water and attach the ears. The moistened fondant glues the ears in place.

2. Make a ball of fondant and stick the tail on the back of the teddy.

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3. To form the muzzle, roll a short sausage and cut it in half. Flatten it slightly and glue it to the teddy’s face with some water.

4. Roll a longer sausage and cut it in two.

Take each half and roll again, patting one end to make it thicker, gradually forming a carrot shape as you go. Glue the arms to the teddy’s body with some water.

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Fluffy Teddy Fur Instructions 1. Put a small amount of buttercream in a piping bag and use a star number 6 nozzle (or any small-sized star nozzle).

2. Squeeze out a blob of buttercream, and pull back quickly to create small peaks. Start between the legs, as this is the trickiest part to access. Finish the front of the teddy first.

If you need to make more buttercream, any color differences will be hidden at the back.

Tip: Don’t pipe your fur in neat rows; approach it from different angles to give it an irregular, fluffy realism.

2 Fondant Bear Feature Instructions 1. For the nose, roll a piece of black fondant into a ball, flatten one side, and shape it gently into a triangle. Glue it to the muzzle.

2. Roll out some brown fondant and cut out two circles. Repeat with the black fondant and make your circles smaller. Wet the fondant and stick the disks together. Glue them onto the buttercream.

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DINING

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beijingkids 2014 November

photo: Liz west (flickr)

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hanksgiving dinner is traditionally made with foods from the New World that the Pilgrims received from the Native Americans. The meal has somewhat of a ritual quality; most Americans would say it wouldn’t be complete without turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and gravy. Other common dishes include sweet or mashed potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, and green beans. Though you’re unlikely to find too many crackling fires in homes across Beijing, rest assured that you can still enjoy a Thanksgiving feast here.

Seasonal Roundup DINING Do-It-Yourself

The majority of Beijing’s international supermarkets and butchers will have turkeys for sale over the coming months. Be sure to order super early, as turkey will literally fly off the shelves as the holidays approach. Most turkeys are sold frozen, so allow plenty time for them to defrost before cooking.

April Gourmet sells imported turkeys for RMB 55/kg and hams. Some branches also have ready-made pumpkin pies at the deli counter.

Baode Home Delivery sells US Norbest turkey for RMB 49-53/kg, with sizes ranging from 6-9kg.

BHG Market Place sells frozen imported turkeys for RMB 60/kg.

Boucherie Michel sells imported US turkeys for around RMB 60/kg.

The shop also sells cooked turkeys for RMB 108/kg.

City Shop sells frozen US Norbest turkeys for RMB 78/kg, with sizes ranging from 5.5kg to a whopping 22kg. Both Ocean Spray whole berry cranberry sauce and jellied cranberry sauce cost RMB 24 per can.

Jenny Lou’s and Jenny Wang’s sell frozen imported turkeys for RMB 55/kg, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and pumpkin pie filling.

Schindler’s Food Center sells frozen imported turkey for RMB 58/ kg and local Chinese turkey for RMB 45-48/kg. It also stocks a range of hams both boned and bone-in.

TooToo Organic Farm will start selling frozen imported turkeys this month (prices TBA). It also has Kingsberry cranberry sauce for RMB 48.

Catering

photos: courtesy of aroma, theculinarygeek (flickr)

For those who want to enjoy Thanksgiving at home without having to cook the whole shebang, there are several places that will happily do all the hard work for you (including starters, sides, and pies). Some caterers deliver while others offer pick-up only.

Chef Too has been doing American Thanksgiving in Beijing since 1999.

Dine in at the restaurant or take away the whole turkey with all the sides and a pumpkin or apple pie. Early reservations are crucial.

Culinary Capers offers grain-fed turkey, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, stuffing, chutney, gravy, spiced pumpkin pie, and praline butterscotch cheesecake. The complete turkey dinner feeds six people for RMB 1,088. If you’re catering to a smaller group, Culinary Capers can portion the meal for RMB 188 per serving. The company also provides whole turkeys to roast at home for RMB 460, gravy included.

Orders must be placed by November 17.

Jaan at Raffles Beijing Hotel offers a pick-up dinner costing RMB 1,186 for a whole turkey with all the trimmings and an apple tarte tatin or RMB 888 for a half-turkey meal.

Lily’s American Diner delivers whole roasted US imported turkeys for 99/kg, including stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, veggies, cranberry sauce, and gravy. From November 27-30, all three Lily’s locations are also offering a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for RMB 129 per person.

Village Café at The Opposite House has a bunch of Thanksgiving goodies that are either oven-ready or ready to serve, including ham, turkey, free-range roast chicken, smoked salmon, vegetable trays, and every pie possible. Order at least four days in advance.

Eating Out

Don’t want the hassle or washing up? Book a table for November 27 at one of the many restaurants serving

Thanksgiving lunch or dinner around town. Note that most of the prices below carry a 15 percent surcharge.

Aroma at the Ritz-Carlton, Beijing serves roast turkey and sides with champagne, red and white wine, and cocktails. RMB 638 per person, RMB 319 for ages 6-12, free for kids under 6.

BLD Café at Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel has a buffet spread with turkey and all the trimmings. RMB 298 per person.

FEAST at EAST Beijing is where you’ll find Executive Chef Rob Cunningham’s traditional three-course meal with turkey and pie. RMB 208 per person.

Greenfish at the The Ritz-Carlton, Beijing Financial Street serves more than just turkey, with seafood, salads, and seasonal dishes. RMB 398+ per person.

Jaan at Raffles Beijing Hotel has a French-inspired set menu with turkey carved table-side by the chefs. RMB 368+ per person. Also at Raffles, East 33 serves a Thanksgiving buffet with turkey and trimmings, pineapple-glazed gammon ham, and bone-in rib-eye. RMB 368+ per person (Jaan), RMB 348+ per person (East 33).

The Schoolhouse at Mutianyu hosts a traditional feast on November 27 from 5-10pm and again on November 29. This year the venue will be its sister hotel, the Brickyard Inn and Retreat Center. RMB 388 per person, RMB 158 for ages 4-18 and university students with ID, free for kids under 4.

Don’t Forget the Pie

Pumpkin pie didn’t become a fixture until the early 19th century, when the Pilgrims brought it with them to New England. This dessert is often eaten in the fall and early winter, especially for Thanksgiving and Christmas in the US and Canada. Bakery pies are usually nine inches in diameter, which should feed 10-12 people. If you want to do it yourself, most supermarkets stock cans of pie filling and readymade pie crust.

Bread of Life sells pumpkin pie for RMB 140, with all profits going towards supporting orphans and children in China.

Pantry’s Best makes a pumpkin pie priced at RMB 199. Delivery is free within Fourth Ring Road.

Rager Pie makes a “smashed” rather than pureed pie. If you like your pumpkin chunky, get one delivered for RMB 120.

Sweet Tooth sells a range of pies, including pumpkin (RMB 225) and apple (RMB 240).

DDs Supermarket stocks Betty Crocker pie crust mix, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie filling (RMB 29).

Check the Directories at the back for contact information.

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Hog Wild text by Nimo Wanjau, photos by Dave PiXSTUDIO

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Michellebeijingkids Comes, Brynn (age 6), Alden (4), and Beijing Sideways Founder GaĂŤl Thoreau zoom through a hutong 2014 November

photo: MRhatata (Flickr)

Beijing Sideways takes the Comes and the Koehlers on a whirlwind tour of Beijing

What’s Fun In PLAYING

From left: Grandparents Darlene and Dennis Koehler, Michelle, Alden, and Brynn at the Southeast Corner Tower

“I

want to go in that one, Mommy!” exclaims Brynn Comes (age 6), pointing towards a moss-green 1930s-style motorbike with sidecar. Her brother, 4-year-old Alden, smiles up at his maternal grandparents Dennis and Darlene Koehler, who are visiting from the US and joining us today on our Beijing Sideways tour.

Mom Michelle Comes straightens out Brynn’s hair and adjusts her headband in the parking lot just outside the north gate of Worker’s Stadium, the start and end point of the two-hour tour. We will be seeing the CCTV Tower, the Ming Dynasty Wall Relics Park, the hutongs around Qianmen, the National Centre for the Performing Arts, and Houhai.

The Comes family has been living in Beijing for two years and has never taken a motorcycle sidecar tour before. Frenchman Gaël Thoreau founded Beijing Sideways in 2008 to share his unique perspective of the city, having taken friends and family on numerous motorcycle trips in the past. The father of two has lived in Beijing for nearly 15 years and first came to the city to do an internship at a textile factory.

Thoreau explains that the tour is flexible, but he usually tries to show visitors and residents alike the stark contrast between old and new Beijing.

All tours are led by insiders who have lived in Beijing for more than two years and are interested in sharing their knowledge of the city.

One motorbike with a sidecar seats three, including the driver; one passenger sits in the sidecar while the other hops onto the seat behind the driver and holds on to a handle for stability. The kids will share one sidecar and be strapped in with safety belt. Each passenger is given a helmet, which has the added bonus of keeping dust off our faces on this blustery day.

Beijing Sideways has a fleet of seven motorcycles, but also uses

the occasional freelance driver. Our driver is late, but guns it to catch up with the rest of the group. Heading south from the Worker’s Stadium through the south gate, Thoreau and the second driver take the Comes and the Koehlers to Dongdaqiao Lu, head east on Jinghua Xilu then south to Jinhua Jie, stopping at CBD History and Culture Park. Surrounded by tall buildings, the park’s existence is usually only known to locals.

Heading east on Jinhua Jie, we then get onto Jinghua Donglu and make our way south to Guanghua Lu, stopping at the intersection of Dongsanhuan Beilu. To the east, we glimpse the famous CCTV Tower, which started construction in 2004 and was completed in 2012. It was voted the Best Tall Building Worldwide in 2013 by the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

After a quick photo op, we head southwest through Jianguomen to end up in Chongwenmen. We enter the parking lot of the Ming Dynasty Wall Relics Park, which is said to be in the precise middle of Beijing. The wall was built in 1419, but most of it has since been torn down to make way for the Beijing subway; only 1.5km of the original 40km stands today. The park itself was completed in 2003.

Completed in 1439, the Southeast Corner Tower was restored in 1983 and is now part of the park. Admission to the tower is free; within, there’s a small exhibition about the history of the wall. We don’t have time to go in, but it’s worth a walk.

After about 15 minutes in the park, we head south to the entrance of a small lane called Wenxing Hutong. For the first time, we get a sense of how loud our motorbikes are as we weave through the narrow hutongs. The sounds of our engines causes dogs to bark ferociously.

November 2014 beijingkids

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Passing by Tian’anmen Square

Brynn and Alden mug for the camera

We stop at the entrance of a randomly-chosen hutong house as Thoreau climbs off his bike and begins to explain the architecture of the doorways. He shows the group a dome-like feature in the wall, which people used in the old days as a boost to mount their horses.

The hutongs in the southern part of Beijing were different from the ones in the north, as local Chinese were confined to the south while noble Manchu families lived in the north.

After a short break, we start up the engines again and head west to a local bakery, where we stop to get freshly-made pancakes called shaobing. We inadvertently hold up traffic and get inpatient groans from deliverymen on their electric bikes. As we wait for the food, Brynn and Alden entertain themselves by picking leaves.

Back on the bikes, we meander through the hutongs and soak in the sight of primary schools, shops, restaurants, and yes, smelly public toilets. We pass a street market selling produce, meat, and grains as well as clothes and shoes displayed in makeshift stalls consisting of plastic crates laid on empty sacks.

After waving from our sidecars like the Queen, basking in our 15 seconds of laowai fame, we head northeast and make our way to Qianmen Donglu, then past Tian’anmen Square to the National Centre for Performing Arts.

At the “Egg,” Thoreau stops only for a photo session and gives a brief history of the building. By this time our two littlest adventurers

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Thoreau explains hutong architecture

are dozing, so we skip anymore talk about the Egg, then zoom north to Jingshan Qianjie. We stop at the corner of the Palace Museum, where we all get a chance to stretch. When Thoreau quizzes us about the area, the conversation digresses to Brynn’s love of chocolate and her missing tooth.

For a few meters, Thoreau allows Alden to “drive” his mother and sister, drawing curious glances from nearby couples getting their wedding pictures taken. After strapping Alden back into the sidecar, we head north and pass Jingshan Park on the way to Houhai. We go around the lake the sidecars; most of the shops are still closed at 11am. We stop to get some photos, but hunger as well as Brynn and Alden’s dropping little heads tell us it’s time to should head back to Worker’s Stadium.

We bid each other goodbye, taking time to get our legs working again. As we shake hands with our guides, the kids’ grandfather says to Thoreau in his mild southern accent: “You got a good thing going here.”

Beijing Sideways has a four-hour tour that includes a pit stop for lunch, more time at Beijing landmarks, and a start and end point chosen by the customer. The company provides blankets and coats in the winter, as well as masks if the AQI warrants it. For braver souls, Beijing Sideways runs excursions to the Great Wall.

上地 SHANGDI

北苑路北 BEIYUANLU North

崔各 CUIGEZ

A stall at a wet market

望京西 WANGJING XI

OLYMPIC GREEN

志 新 路

WUDAOKOU OLYMPIC CENTER

HAIDIAN HUANGZHUANG

ZHICHUN LU

ZHICHUNLI

DAZHONGSI

HUIXINXIJIE BEIKOU

BEITUCHENG

XITUCHENG 路 西 土 城

BAGOU SUZHOUJIE

北 辰 西 路

学 院 路

1

中关村北大街

路 清华西

DATUNLU EAST

万泉河路

ANZHENMEN

MUDANYUANJIANDEMEN

HUIXINXIJIE NANKOU SHAOYAOJU TAIYANGGONG GUANGXIMEN HEPINGXIQIAO

SANYUANQIAO

Alden gets a turn at the wheel

Taking a break at the Egg

Beijing Sideways Two-hour tour: RMB 900 for the first passenger; RMB 500 for the second (two hours). Four-hour tour: RMB 1,200 for the first passenger, RMB 750 for the second. Email booking@ beijingsideways.com to book a tour or visit www.beijingsideways.com for more info.

GULOUDAJIE

JISHUITAN

YONGHEGONG Lama Temple

ANDINGMEN

8

XIZHIMEN

DONGZHIMEN

ZHANGZIZHONG LU CHEGONGZHUANG

LIANGMAQIAO

AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITION CENTER

BEIXINQIAO

DONGSI SHITIAO

1

7 DONGSI

FUCHENGMEN

CHAOYANGMEN

东 大 桥 路

DENGSHIKOU

XIDAN NANLISHI LU

FUXINGMEN

TIAN’ANMEN EAST WANGFUJING TIAN’ANMEN West

6

CHONGWENMEN

XUANWUMENHEPINGMEN CHANGCHUNJIE

JIANGUOMEN

DONGDAN

TUANJIEHU

HUJIALOU 朝 阳 路

2

JINTAIXIZHAO

YONG’ANLI

3

GUOMAO

DAWANG LU

BEIJING RAILWAY STATION

4

QIANMEN

百子湾路

双井 SHUANGJING

广渠门外大街

磁器口 CIQIKOU

广渠路 西

5

大

天坛东门 TIANTAN DONGMEN

劲

松

路

南磨房路

松榆北路

路

劲松 JINSONG

望

Key 1. Worker’s Stadium 2. CBD History and Culture Park GONGZHUFEN MUXIDI WANSHOU LU 3. CCTV TowerMILITARY MUSEUM 4. Ming Dynasty Wall Relics Park 5. Southern hutongs 6. National Centre for the Performing Arts 7. Palace Museum 8. Houhai

LIUFANG

HEPINGLI North St.

学 院 南 路

工人体育场东路

WUKESONG

What’s Fun In PLAYING

潘 家 园 路 November 2014 beijingkids 潘家园 PANJIAYUAN

松榆南路

37

双龙路

The lagoon of Guatavita near Bogota

The Baptist church in La Loma on the island of San Andrés

Cruz Control Madau Cay on San Andrés

The Cruz family takes in Bogotá and San Andrés Island

Travelers: Elizabeth and Daniel Cruz, and their daughter Aurelia (8 months) Destinations: Bogotá, Colombia and San Andrés Island in the Caribbean Travel dates: July 2014 Travel plans: The Cruz family flew from Beijing to Bogotá via Paris with Air France. They stayed with family in Bogotá, then took a side trip to San Andrés, a coral island in the Caribbean.

They flew with Copa Airlines and stayed at the Hotel Royal Decameron Marazul. They booked their San Andrés trip through the Decameron travel agency.

Cost: The flights to Bogotá cost RMB 18,000 for two adults and one baby. In Colombia, the Cruz family spent about RMB 6,000.

Their all-inclusive trip to San Andrés cost around RMB 11,000 in total, including flights, hotel, all meals for five days and four nights, entertainment, and airport transfers.

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beijingkids 2014 November

Daniel and Aurelia at Montserrate in Bogotá

photos: courtesy of elizabeth cruz, joao carlos and camila camargo (flickr)

by Elizabeth Cruz

FAMILY TRAVELS PLAYING

Elizabeth and Aurelia (8 months) enjoy a day by the water on San Andrés

B

ogotá is my husband Daniel’s hometown. Although we have both been there before, on this occasion, we were impressed with a sense of contrast coming directly from Beijing: the city is green and civilized and the mountains are beautiful. Bogotá is a great destination for travelers of any age.

The people are warm, friendly, and helpful, and transportation is fast and easy. Bogotá has all the facilities an international traveler requires.

We did a lot of sightseeing and day trips. We visited the National Gold Museum, Montserrate Mountain, the salt mines of Zipaquirá, the lagoon of Guatavita, and the area of Usaquén. We especially enjoyed the view of the city from Montserrate. Our favorite shopping find was a handicraft market called Artesanías de Colombia, which we discovered in the city’s Las Aguas neighborhood. Despite all the cultural, architectural, historical and geographical gems Bogotá has to offer, the best part of the trip was still introducing our daughter to her family and her Colombian heritage.

Our first impression of San Andrés was one of awe – it’s a paradise!

It’s a small island close to Nicaragua and administered by Colombia.

The island was made famous by Pirate Captain Henry Morgan, who made it a base for privateering and attacking the Spanish ships that sailed Caribbean waters.

It was wonderful to experience the culture of San Andrés. The islanders look very different from the Colombians in Bogotá, and speak English, Spanish and Creole. We spent most of our holiday relaxing on the beach and by the hotel pool. San Andrés is hot and humid all year round, so it’s great to get in the water and cool off. Aurelia had the opportunity to swim for the first time. There is no better place to swim than in “the sea of seven colors” around San Andrés Island.

We took a private tour around the island to visit Captain Pirate Henry Morgan’s cave, a small geyser called Hoyo Soplador, and other attractions like La Loma and its Baptist Church. We were pleasantly surprised by the comprehensiveness of our travel package; even dance lessons, water aerobics, water polo, and windsurfing lessons were included in the price.

The worst part of the trip was the late night music at the resort.

Each night, there was an event on the beach that included loud music from 10-11pm. I’m sure it’s great fun if you don’t have to put a baby to bed!

Travel Tips The weather in Bogotá can change very quickly from one minute to the next; it is chilly in the morning and evenings and warm in the afternoons. The best preparation is to wear light layers.

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Dressed for Success Three students weigh in on school uniforms and dress code policies

by Yvette Ferrari, with additional reporting by Harry Liu

F From left: Hailey Chu Zhang, Harrison Curtis, and Ria Margarita Acevedo at Melo Lounge

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beijingkids 2014 November

photos: ken

ew articles of clothing raise such spirited debate among parents, students, and educators than the school uniform. One side contends that uniforms simplify the process of getting ready, minimizes the chances of inappropriate dress, and takes the emphasis away from trends. On the other hand, some claim uniforms hinder self-expression. But what do students – the ones at the center of the whole debate – think? To find out, we spoke to three Beijing high school students, two who attend schools with uniforms and one who doesn’t.

schooled LEARNING

“I personally don’t think whether a student wears a uniform or not contributes to academic performance”

Hailey Chu Zhang

A student at Beijing No. 4 High School International Campus, Hailey Zhang is 18 years old and in Grade 12. She’s from China and has been living in Beijing for 11 years.

Tell us about your uniform.

This is the summer uniform. The vest costs RMB 105 and the skirt is RMB 90. Typically, our uniforms cost RMB 80-100 for each piece, a little bit more for formalwear, which is around RMB 200. We have separate uniforms for summer and winter. For example, we can wear a t-shirt in summer and a sweater in winter. We wear formalwear for ceremonies and the more sporty style for most other events. The winter and summer uniforms are basically the same for boys and girls, except that girls have the option to wear skirts in the summer. Both boys and girls wear trousers most of time.

Tell us a bit about your school’s uniform policy.

Mondays through Thursdays, we wear our uniform and on Fridays we can wear our own clothes. No body piercings are allowed and long hair must be pulled back into a ponytail. Teachers don’t really enforce the rules, but the headmaster is very strict. If she sees you wearing your own clothes Monday through Thursday, she will speak to you about it.

How do you make your uniform your own?

Students can purchase a couple different styles of the uniform from a specific website. Most students have three or four uniform sets. There are no rules about wearing the uniform in

a fixed set, so students can customize by mixing and matching the different styles. We are also allowed to wear any style of shoes – as funky as we want.

Is it harder to tell what cliques people belong to when they wear uniforms?

Yes. Even though we have uniforms that come in different styles, the variation is so subtle that we can’t tell anything in particular about a person from their uniform.

What are the advantages of having a uniform?

It saves a lot of time. Otherwise it would take a while to choose what clothes I am going to wear for school. I personally don’t think whether a student wears a uniform or not contributes to academic performance. Some might call clothes a distraction, but I don’t think so.

What do you dislike about wearing uniforms?

They’re relatively monotonous. Uniforms don’t allow much room for personal expression. I wish our uniforms came in more diverse styles that let us to show more personality.

In your opinion, does the uniform policy reinforce gender stereotypes?

Except for the formalwear, boys and girls have exactly the same uniform. To some extent, the uniform obscures gender norms.

At the end of the day, what kind of relationship do you have with your uniform?

It’s positive. It would be sometimes frustrating to have to figure out what clothes to wear the next day.

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“Having a uniform means that you don’t have to worry about competition and you can concentrate more on schoolwork”

Ria Margarita Acevedo

Fifteen-year-old Ria Margarita Acevedo is in Grade 11 at the British School of Beijing, Shunyi. She is originally from the Philippines and has been living in Beijing for one year.

Tell us about your uniform.

This is the winter uniform. I find it to be quite comfortable, as we are allowed to take our blazers off when we’re in class. The white longsleeved shirt and skirt each cost RMB 130 and the blazer costs RMB 350. For our summer uniform, the girls wear white short-sleeved shirts, a skirt, white socks, and black shoes.

Boys wear pants with white short-sleeved shirts, black shoes and socks, and ties. In winter, everyone is required to wear blazers and ties, although the sweater is optional. In addition, girls have a choice between black tights or black ankle socks. There are also PE uniforms, which are the BSB t-shirt and shorts.

We also wear them for sports.

Tell us about your school’s uniform policy. How strictly does it enforce the rules?

Skirts can’t be shorter than fingertip length [when standing]. We can only wear black leather shoes but heels aren’t allowed. Guys can wear black dress shoes only – no sneakers for guys or girls. You can also style your hair differently, though “unnatural” hair colors are not allowed.

Girls can wear one pair of stud earrings and a reasonable number of hair accessories. Usually, form teachers [homeroom teachers] enforce dress code, though no one really breaks the rules.

It’s not really a problem.

How do you and your peers customize your uniforms?

I suppose you can make the uniform your own by wearing the jumper or not. Generally, people tend to think that students wearing the same uniform look like clones. However, the uniform looks different on each student considering we all have different body types. I have never actually customized my uniform, but I have friends who have. Other girls like to add elastic waistbands to their skirts so they’re easy to put on. Some girls also

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beijingkids 2014 November

get the skirts tailored to fit them better.

Is it harder to tell what cliques people belong to when they wear uniforms?

Yes. Usually, the way someone dresses gives some sort of hint as to who they are and their personality. The fact that everyone dresses the same changes the way we talk to people. Sometimes wearing uniforms makes it easier to approach people.

What are the advantages of having a uniform?

Having a uniform means you don’t have to think about what to wear the next day. I also don’t have to worry if what I’m wearing is good enough, too casual, or too formal.

Some say they take the focus off appearances so students can better concentrate at school. Do you agree?

Yes. Some people want to impress others and focus more on that instead of studying.

Having a uniform means that you don’t have to worry about competition and you can concentrate more on schoolwork.

What do you dislike about wearing uniforms?

I used to go to a non-uniform school and I miss not being able to wear my favorite shirt. I miss having a choice about what to wear. Sometimes it gets a little boring wearing the same clothes everyday.

In your opinion, does the uniform policy reinforce gender stereotypes?

Yes. Boys have to wear pants and have short hair, and girls have to wear skirts. In Sixth Form, students don’t have to wear uniforms but they do have to follow some guidelines: boys have to wear a suit and tie, and girls have to wear a skirt or pants with a blouse.

At the end of the day, what kind of relationship do you have with your uniform?

I’d say it’s positive. I’m not really that bothered about not having a choice about what to wear. I save money not having to buy more clothes for school.

schooled LEARNING

“I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable or judged if I showed up in a t-shirt and gym shorts. Not everyone can look beautiful everyday and people understand that”

Harrison Curtis

Originally from the US, 17-year-old Harrison Curtis is a Grade 12 student at the International School of Beijing. He has been living in Beijing for three years.

Tell us a bit about your school’s dress code. How strictly does it enforce the rules?

We can’t have depictions of drugs, body parts, or disturbing things like knives or guns [on our clothes].

For girls, shorts and dresses have to be longer than fingertip length when standing up. Tank top [straps] have to be at least the width of three fingers and no crop tops are allowed. Girls can’t show bras and guys can’t show boxers. Ripped jeans or pants aren’t allowed. How strictly the dress code is enforced really depends. If the administration is busy with something else, they’re not focused on dress code.

Have you ever gotten into trouble over your appearance?

Yes, I’ve gotten dress code once before, but mostly it’s girls who get in trouble for wearing shorts or dresses that are too short.

The first time a student gets dress code it’s just a warning. The second time gets you a detention and after that I think there are other disciplinary measures.

What other dress code rules are there (e.g. hair and makeup)?

Specific rules on hair are a little ambiguous. I believe there’s no restriction on makeup or hair length.

There’s no restriction on hair color or style either, unless you manage to style it into something really inappropriate. I believe piercings are restricted to ear piercings only and tattoos aren’t allowed unless they’re sufficiently covered by clothing.

How much time do you spend each day thinking about what to wear to school?

Before I go to bed, I plan out what I’m going to wear the following day and it usually takes ten minutes or less. That way, I’m not rushing or freaking out the next morning.

Do you compare your clothes to other people’s?

For me, if it looks nice I wear it and I don’t care much about other people’s clothing. That being said, there are definitely some students who care very much about clothes and the brands they’re wearing. However, I think a large majority of students just don’t care about that.

Do you think there’s more competition at schools that don’t have a uniform policy?

At ISB, I don’t think that students are going out of their way to compete or “out-wear” their classmates. I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable or judged if I showed up in a t-shirt and gym shorts. Not everyone can look beautiful everyday and people understand that. If you wear something nice, you might you get a “Hey man, looking dapper today” or a “Dang girl, I like your flower dress.” Generally, people have other things to worry about.

How would things change if your school decided to introduce uniforms?

[Laughs] At least principally, there would be a clash between the administration and students.

But in terms of the day-to-day, I think people wouldn’t need as much time deciding what to wear to school. Also, there wouldn’t be a need for a dress code.

What are the advantages of not having a uniform?

Definitely self-expression. There’s a lot you can tell about someone’s culture from their style of clothing. You just feel free. If a student wants to dress a certain way, if they want to dress in all pink or come in pajamas, they can. You don’t get that same experience with uniforms.

How would you design a school dress code if you were the one in charge?

My ideal dress code would be anything a student wants to wear – within reason, of course. All individuals should have the opportunity to express themselves regardless of gender. However, putting this into a school context, I think nicer clothing does help establish an environment that is warranted by an educational institution like ISB. That’s not to say that uniforms consisting of suits are the best option.

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Behind the Screen BISS students talk technology addiction text by Yvette Ferrari, photo by Dave PiXSTUDIO

O

veruse of technology is a common topic of dispute between teens and parents. Four students from Beijing BISS International School weigh in on how much screen time is too much and how they understand technology addiction.

Clockwise from back left: Xavier Tan, 17, Singapore, has lived in Beijing for nine and a half years Ana Zamudio, 17, Mexico, has lived in Beijing for five years Zekre Mesfin, 16, Ethiopia, has lived in Beijing for three and a half years Shaptarshi Joarder, 16, Bangladesh, has lived in Beijing for four years

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the roundtable LEARNING

“The electricity went out one night.

Everyone got together and played games and just talked. Before that, we were all on our phones using the Internet” What are the digital devices you use the most on a day-today basis?

Zekre: My MacBook and iPhone 5c. We use our computers at school and probably spend eight hours a day or more on them, including time [at school] and at home.

Ana: My MacBook. I use it at school and after school for homework and checking social media. After that, I spend the most time on my phone – a Motorola.

Shaptarshi: I actually don’t have a phone. I used to, but I don’t like them much. Next would be my gaming computer – an Asus.

Xavier: I use my MacBook the whole day at school and for gaming at home. Second is my iPhone 5s.

Studies show that teens are particularly prone to technology addiction. Why? Shaptarshi: Often, the school curriculum is based on technology and we are very prone because we’re always exposed to it.

Zekre: It’s because we start using it a young age and it’s readily available. Most teens have an urge to use it because everyone else is doing it.

How would you define technology addiction? At what point does it become a problem?

Ana: A technology addict is someone who doesn’t know their limits.

Zekre: But someone overusing technology might not understand that it’s excessive.

Shaptarshi: I don’t know if there’s even such a thing as technology addiction because we’re always using technology. It’s just a part of our lives.

anymore. Eventually all of us will be constrained to one virtual reality that we enter and people will stop actually going out.

How does technology affect teens’ social skills and ability to engage?

Zekre: People get really comfortable in a safety zone behind a screen. It’s easier to express yourself and people are not shy because no one is watching. When you have to interact in different real-life situations, maybe you’re not as outspoken and it can be harder to communicate.

Shaptarshi: Teens engage differently with technology. Take texting, for example. Face-to-face, you have to wonder if people are really saying what they mean and what their motives are, but when you’re typing a message it’s much more concise. Even emoticons have made communication easier. They’re not as complicated as trying to analyze facial expressions.

Ana: But with emojis, the other person doesn’t know what we’re actually feeling so that can be a disadvantage as well.

Should screen time be limited?

Shaptarshi: No, because homework always takes a varied amount of time whether we’re studying for a test or have a big assignment [to finish].

Ana: Yes. Parents should limit us and it should start at a young age.

This way, we start learning how to use technology wisely. My parents used to take my phone away while I was doing my homework and it helped me learn how to use my time more responsibly.

Xavier: Hypothetically, it should be limited because truthfully technology is kind of distracting. But as a teenager, I wouldn’t want it to happen.

How does technology help us?

Shaptarshi: It makes things more efficient. For example, if you’re going to write something, there’s a chance you might lose it. But if you type it, you can save different copies and upload them to another place. [There are also things like] medical technologies, translators, and electric cars.

Zekre: It’s just more convenient. When you’re looking for information, you can just get it online instead of trying to find resources in books or on paper. And it doesn’t waste as much paper as printing something out.

Xavier: Communication is faster. Back in the day, you would have to send mail and it might get lost somewhere but now we have email, which is a lot easier.

Do schools have the right to impose limits on technology use?

Shaptarshi: Yes, schools should be allowed to limit how we use technology because they know what the best learning environment is for us. [BISS] doesn’t allow Skype unless it’s for educational purposes like group work. A lot of game sites are also blocked.

Zekre: There are free time sessions and that’s the time you can use technology the way you want. There’s no way a school can ban technology, but students should recognize that time in school is meant for us to interact with each other. School is when we should be in the moment with people.

On the flip side, how does it harm us?

Ana: It can make conversations more difficult. The theory is that we get so used to being behind a screen that we don’t know how to talk to people in real life.

Joarder: It really depends on your personality. If you’re naturally outgoing, it doesn’t pose much of a problem.

Xavier: Then again, because technology makes it so easy to communicate with others, in the future maybe people won’t want to go out

How can students learn to engage with their peers better without using technology?

Xavier: We have “BISS on the Road” every year, where we go somewhere outside of school. We don’t bring our computers. With these types of activities, we can learn more social skills or develop them further.

Ana: The electricity went out one night. Everyone got together and played games and just talked. Before that, we were all on our phones using the Internet. It was a pretty interesting.

Xavier: At least we knew how to socialize.

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Students from

Beanstalk Wanghu Kindergarten fill November’s Blank Canvas

Tia Xu, 4, China So many leaves are falling from the tree.

Anthony Pan, 3, Hong Kong My tree’s leaves have fallen already.

Nathan Niu, 4, China The big tree has many leaves and they will fall.

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Emily Su, 4, China There are lots of leaves on my tree.

BLANK CANVAS LEARNING

Daisy Wang, 3, China My fall tree has brown leaves.

Harold Zhang, 3, China This is my tree. All the leaves are waiting in line to fall.

Apple Tang, 6, China Fruit and leaves are on the tree. The leaves are going to fall.

Sunriking Zhang, 5, China The leaves are on the ground and on the tree.

Eva Jiang, 3, China This is my autumn tree. The leaves will fall down next year.

Luke Liu, 4, China The tree has leaves and cherries on it.

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PARENTING BEIJING BABA

Layer Cake Birthday parties come in all shapes and sizes

by Christopher Lay

They didn’t have hordes of friends ‘celebrating’ with them, and they didn’t care

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winding down, we would round up Reina’s closest friends and their families and go out to dinner so that we could spend more time together without having to referee children.

After the twins arrived on the scene, Savvy didn’t have the time nor the energy to make elaborate birthday plans. For two years running, Fundazzle has saved the day by giving the kids ample space to run around and burn off their cake-induced sugar highs. It was fun for the children and we didn’t need to clean up afterwards.

In my own childhood, birthday parties involved half a dozen friends or so. We ate cake, played games, and broke open a piñata or went on a scavenger hunt. I rely on these memories as an excuse not to escalate birthday parties into bigger and better celebrations every year.

Birthdays are meant to mark an occasion and allow everyone to have some fun; I don’t think they need to impress anyone.

As a result, we had a quiet family party for Bryson and Ryder when they turned 2 this year. They each got their own little cakes and Reina helped them blow out their candles while holding their hands; she was convinced they were going to burn themselves. We sang “Happy Birthday,” after which they buried their faces in cheesecake and came up with big mouthfuls. They didn’t have hordes of friends “celebrating” with them, and they didn’t care – they got to eat their cake and wear it too.

Christopher Lay hails from scenic Ashland, Oregon and has lived in Beijing for six years. When not chasing after Reina (age 7) and twins Bryson and Ryder (2), he does freelance architectural and portrait photography. View his work at chrislay.com.

illustration: crystal liu

y wife Savvy is loath to mark her own birthday. Over nearly two decades of marriage, rarely have we even gone out to dinner to celebrate the occasion. This has nothing to do with age, but rather how she received her date of birth. Since she was orphaned during the Cambodian Civil War with no knowledge or record of her past, the authorities at the refugee camp said, “You look about 5,” and assigned her a birth date. No surprise then that she doesn’t feel any particular attachment to her government-given birthday.

Despite her lack of enthusiasm for her own birthday, Savvy loves planning parties for other people. Because I was born on Halloween, she made it her mission to throw me an annual surprise costume party in the years before we had kids. In the beginning, she had difficulty keeping the surprise from me and would actually end up revealing her plans. Eventually she managed to keep a tight lip, but something would happen every year to give the surprise away.

One night, I came home only to find our street filled with cars – cars that I recognized. She almost had me when we lived in Haifa, Israel, but I spotted the extra shoes outside the door. Then there was the time in Shenzhen when a security guard, desperate to practice the few words of English he knew, pointed up to our floor and said “you friends” with a big smile. I threw open the door and yelled, “Surprise!” which no one else thought was funny. Word of advice: If you do uncover a surprise birthday party in your honor, it’s a good idea to play along.

For the past six years, Savvy’s interest in my birthday has waned as our brood has grown. In the early years, Reina had so many expat and Chinese friends that we hosted two separate birthday parties for her – one in English and another in Chinese. The parties were a great way for us to catch up with a lot of friends. Savvy would bake cakes, plan themes, and send me around Beijing to locate suitable birthday supplies.

After Reina’s fourth birthday, we started limiting the number of attendees as the plans got more elaborate. When the festivities started

THE ECHO CHAMBER PARENTING It reminded me of the delicious childhood delinquency of forbidden flashlight play at sleepovers

Candle in the Wind An unexpected power outage yields surprising results

by Ember Swift

illustration: crystal liu

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t was a humid summer night in August during our visit home to Canada and we were staying at Laolao and Laoye’s house. The moisture in the air whispered that rain was on its way, so I quickly asked my mother where she kept the candles. We lit them in various places around the house as the sky got uncharacteristically dark around 6pm.

My 2-and-a-half-year old daughter, Echo, likes to point out the obvious as all toddlers do, so she chimed excitedly about how it was “getting dark out!” and the sun was “going sleepies!” As she stood by the open sliding glass doors, she hastened to describe what she felt from the air as the sky gathered itself up. “Mommy, look outside!” she said, calling me over.

She still sometimes switches to Mandarin when she’s forgotten the English words, so she exclaimed “Gua feng le! Gua feng le!” (“The wind is blowing!”) as I slid the glass door shut. “Yes, honey, it’s very windy because it’s going to rain!” I replied, scuttling to the windows while she trailed me like a curious shadow.

No one was the least bit surprised when the house was plunged into darkness during supper, the power cut off by the early evening storm. It still caused us all to freeze for a moment, the sole movement provided by the flickering candlelight on the table.

It was Echo’s little voice that broke the silence, launching into a particularly spirited rendition of “Happy Birthday!” Much to our amusement, we realized she associated lit candles and shutting out the lights with birthday parties. We were still laughing when she asked innocently in her newly-adopted polite, full-sentence mode: “Mommy, please can I have some cake?” What a treat to be taken from the inconvenient tedium of a power outage to the adventure of a birthday party thanks to her infectious thrill.

After dinner, we had to skip Echo’s bath (electric water pump) but picked up a candle and had a dimly-lit story time before bed. My

parents’ house has tall ceilings in the living room; as we walked to the guest bedroom, my daughter got excited again. She pointed wildly to the ceiling, squealing: “Big Mommy up there!” I looked up to find my giant, elongated shadow creeping across the living room ceiling with an impish, curly-headed sidekick bouncing at its elbow. “There’s my little shadow,” I thought. I smiled.

That night, we skipped story time in favor of playing with shapes and shadows on the wall while telling our own stories about the animals we created. There were the requisite butterflies, barking dogs, and big-eared rabbits, and even a surprise horse from my husband.

It reminded me of the delicious childhood delinquency of forbidden flashlight play at sleepovers, hands dancing in front of the light.

Echo’s is the age of great discovery. We adults have long ceased to be impressed by candlelight’s ability to elicit mysterious shadows, not to mention so many other small delights. It takes a toddler to remind us of simple pleasures.

Every night, Echo gets a song before bed. But on that August night, she didn’t choose any of the usual suspects. Ever her personal jukebox, I was at her bedside starring in a duet with my enormous shadow, my only spotlight a tiny candle’s flame, singing a very raucous version of “Happy Birthday” to each of her toys in turn. It was the audio icing on our imaginary birthday cake.

Ember Swift is a Canadian musician and writer who has been living in Beijing since late 2008. She and her husband Guo Jian (国囝), who is also a musician, have a daughter called Echo (国如一) and a newborn son called Topaz.

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Emma Ng (age 5) celebrates with a friend at Sureño beijingkids 2014 November 50

PHOTO: mitchell pe masilun

“W

hat should I do for my child’s birthday?” This is one of the questions we hear most often from parents living in Beijing. Not everyone has the space to hold a birthday party at home, and many external venues can be expensive.

That’s why we decided to dedicate a whole issue to every major aspect of birthday planning, including where to get cakes, decorations, gifts, and entertainment; ageappropriate activities for each season; and tips for ensuring a smooth event and unraveling prickly etiquette questions. Wishing you and your family many happy returns!

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H A B

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Everything you need to throw a birthday bash

by Sijia Chen and Aisling O’Brien

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FEATURES

Cakes

Gifts The Paddington Kitchen The Paddington Kitchen grew out of Paddington Puddings and Pies, a delivery baking business founded by two British moms. The best-selling birthday cake is also Frozenthemed; the rich, three-layered chocolate cake with cream and fresh seasonal fruits is also very popular. Custom cakes for ten people start at RMB 380. Orders should be placed at least two days in advance as much as possible, while more complex cakes require at least four days’ notice. Delivery is available for RMB 30 in Sanlitun and the CBD, costing more further away from Dongzhimen.

PHOTOs: Courtesy of paddington, auntine jane’s, and fat bunny bakery; wiki commons

Fat Bunny Bakery Founded by Ida Collins, Fat Bunny Bakery makes gorgeous custom cakes. One of the most popular themes this fall has been Frozen (no surprise there) and the best-selling flavor is dark chocolate peanut butter. Simple buttercream cakes start from RMB 450 while custom fondant cakes cost RMB 750 and up. Tiered cakes range from RMB 1,250 and up. Orders are through email only. Delivery is available for larger orders and tiered cakes, pick-up only for smaller orders. Enquire for fees.

Sweet Tooth Cafe Now with a location in Xingfucun, Sweet Tooth Cafe’s cakes range in price from RMB 270340. For kids, the shop’s best-sellers are the rainbow cake and cupcakes (available in mini and regular sizes). Orders should be placed at least one to two days in advance and delivery is available within 3km of the cafe (within 1km RMB 5, 1-2km RMB 10, 2-3km RMB 15).

Deli Deluxe Located in an apartment compound near Chaoyang Park, this unassuming cafe makes delicious and wholesome fare. The chocolate fudge cake with ganache and thick cream is the best-seller, with cakes ranging from RMB 280-350. Order at least two days in advance.

Delivery costs up to RMB 20 in the Chaoyang Park and Sanlitun areas depending on distance from the deli.

Auntie Jane’s Bakery Longtime expat Jane Hsiao started her baking business in 2007. Her eye-popping cake designs range from Frozen and Kung Fu Panda to woodland creatures and even the Temple of Heaven. A birthday cake with a simple custom design and large enough for ten costs RMB 380. Delivery is free within Shunyi and negotiable within the city.

Tianyi Market If it’s toys you’re after, look no further than Tianyi Market in Fuchengmen. The wholesale market has a quirky, year-round Christmas theme with life-sized statues of Santa Claus, wild animals, and characters from Journey to the West. Turning 22 this year, Tianyi stocks costumes, decorations, stationary, electronics, wrapping paper, kitchenware, clothes, and more. Toys can be found on the fourth floor while most of the gift wrapping supplies are on the first. Prices are very reasonable, with room for haggling if you buy in bulk.

Tianle Toy Market Located just behind Hongqiao Pearl Market, Tianle is a good alternative to Tianyi if you’re short on time. On the first floor, you’ll find puzzles, dolls, hair accessories, stuffed animals, toy cars, building sets, board games (some in English), soft books and wooden toys for toddlers, and seasonal items like Halloween costumes. Magic Loom kits go for RMB 50, Lego sets range from RMB 120-800, and Frozen dolls cost around RMB 40-65. The second floor has a small selection of balloons, birthday cards, and wrapping supplies.

Euro Bakery Founded in 2006 by Dutchman Henny Fakkel, Euro Bakery boasts a variety of western-style birthday cakes. Choose from chocolate or vanilla flavor with icing or almond paste. Orders require two to three days’ notice and cakes range from RMB 268-850. Free delivery within Fifth Ring Road.

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Decorations Tot 2 Teen If you live in Shunyi, you’re in luck! Tot 2 Teen at Pinnacle Plaza has pretty much everything you’d need for a birthday party, including decorations, ribbon, wrapping paper, costumes, gifts, and birthday cards. There’s also a small selection of gifts like Magic Loom kits, Frozen dolls, and Lego sets.

Highparty Based in Xidan, Highparty is a Chinese online retailer that offers one-stop shopping for themed supplies for Dora the Explorer, Disney princesses, Finding Nemo, Spider-Man, Despicable Me, and more. You’ll find paper plates, party hats, masks, invitation cards, balloons, and decorations all tailored to the theme. Visit highparty.cn.

Two Zi Balloons If you want a more memorable balloon display, try a specialty supplier like Two Zi Balloons. Options include balloon archways, balloon animals, balloon centerpieces, and balloon columns. Call 186 1137 0239 or add TwoZiBalloons on WeChat to find out more.

PHOTO: crystal (flickr)

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FEATURES

Entertainment Nina Griffee Face Painting Whether your little one wants to be a butterfly, princess, scary monster, or superhero, Nina Griffee’s team can create the perfect look using high-quality imported face paints.

Prices start at RMB 800 for a party of up to 20 kids for a minimum of two hours. Bookings are required by phone or email at least three days in advance.

Kidsmile Kidsmile is a party planning company that provides themed supplies, decorations, invitations, goodie bags, gifts, and cake. Entertai nment includes temporary swimming pools, clowns, magicians, mad science activities, and other performances. Prices are available upon request and entertainment must be booked two days in advance by phone or email.

For complete addresses and contact information, refer to the Directories at the back of the magazine.

PHOTOs: ben cumming, kim, paul stein (flickr)

Happy Land Arts and Crafts Happy Land rents out bouncy castles of varying sizes as well as tables and chairs. Offsite services include an Angry Birds ball toss, miniature trains for kids under 3, cotton candy machines, arcade claw machines, and photo booths. The center can also provide entertainers such as magicians, clowns, traditional Chinese performers, face painters, and balloon artists. Prices include English-speaking hosts who help with setup and cleanup, but delivery fees are in addition to the quoted price and depend on the location of the party. Parties must be booked at least a week in advance.

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CHILD’s PLAY

Our selection of birthday activities by season

by Nimo Wanjau

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f hosting your child’s birthday at home is out of the question, don’t sweat it; Beijing has many venues that can host a party for a reasonable fee, and we’ve tried to keep prices under RMB 150 per child. Some of these locations are booked solid for up to six months in advance, so it’s never too early to pick up the phone.

Autumn

Pizza-Making Ages 2-10. baby international offers pizza making for younger kids and their parents.

Sessions cost RMB 69 per child, with a 50 percent discount available for birthdays. The center can also make a 8-inch or 10-inch birthday cake (RMB 600/780), arrange a treasure hunt for RMB 50 per child, and arrange additional activities like face painting, balloon artists, clowns, magicians, arts and crafts, and games (RMB 900-3,680). Gung-Ho also offers pizza-making classes for RMB 80 per child (Lido branch only). The restaurant preps ingredients and does the cooking, leaving young guests to choose and arrange their own toppings. For information on pizza-making parties at PizzaExpress, see p26.

Necklace-Making Ages 2-10. ABC Kids Club, a bilingual cooking club founded by Chinese-American mom Hwa Wu, holds birthday cooking classes and necklace-, hat-, or hairclip-making parties for RMB 100-150 per person (maximum ten kids). Wu can also custom-make cakes for any theme or size (RMB 500-1,000).

Escape Rooms Ages 12 and up. Escape rooms are mentally and physically challenging, requiring teamwork to find clues and bust out from a given room. These may scare younger children and are suitable for older kids and teens. One escape room chain, Omescape has various locations and offers a birthday package option of RMB 2,000-3,000 (maximum 12 people). The price includes snacks, a cake, party bags, a one-hour escape game, and other activities. Renting the venue and bringing your own food costs RMB 100-200 per person.

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PHOTOs: courtesy of baby international and omescape, ken

Music Bash Ages 7-14. Getting the correct notes, tone, or pitch is not what Trash Bash is about. Rather, a facilitator uses repurposed materials such as empty five-gallon water cans, PVC pipes, and glasses filled with water to create all kinds of noise with kids. Groups are limited to 5-15 people and a session costs RMB 2,500 for two hours (venue not included).

FEATURES

Autumn n i W ter KTV Ages 10+. A national pastime, KTV (or karaoke) involves belting out famous tunes off-key with friends. Packages at Party World range from RMB 400-1,000. If you have more than 25 guests, there’s a package for RMB 2,000 with different food sets. The price includes use of a KTV room for five hours, fruits, snacks, non-alcoholic drinks, and food. The latter is mainly Chinese, with few western options.

PHOTOs: ken, lova, and courtesy of star trooper

Laser Tag Ages 6+. Laser tag involves two teams battling it out with laser guns, the goal being to eliminate members of the other team. Star Trooper Laser Tag doesn’t have birthday packages, but a large group can rent out the entire venue (weekdays only) for RMB 1,880 per hour. The regular price is RMB 50 per person, per 15-minute game, with 4-24 players allowed at any given time.

Bowling Ages 7+. Knocking down ten pins with a heavy ball is a quintessential birthday activity. One of the better venues in Beijing is SMJ Bowling Club (also known as Cosmic Bowling) at Lido Place, which include 20 lanes and a pool table. Bumpers are available for younger kids. Prices range from RMB 100-200 per hour depending on the time of day, mornings being cheaper than evenings. The pool table can be rented separately for RMB 50 per hour and shoe rentals cost RMB 5 per pair. Outside food is allowed, but not drinks.

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Spring

Pottery Ages 5+. Kids who love hands-on activities should head to Hegezhuang-based JOP Pottery to shape their own ceramic creation. For a half day (1.30-4.40pm), workshops cost RMB 180 person or RMB 400 for one adult and one child; for a full day (10.30am-4.30pm), they cost RMB 280 per person or RMB 500 for one adult and one child. The price includes 3-5kg of white clay, 5kg of rough stoneware, and a chance to fire two to five pieces (depending on the group’s size).

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PHOTOs: courtesy of o’le climbing, ken

Rock Climbing Ages 5-13. Rock climbing is one way to shake off the winter blues.

Try O’le Climbing, a sports center operated by the same people behind Trash Bash. The indoor rock climbing wall offers different degrees of difficulty for groups of 4-20 kids. Activities include climbing, bouldering, slacklining, and box climbing for RMB 120270 per participant. The price includes a bilingual instructor and all the necessary equipment.

Summer

FEATURES Obstacle Courses Ages 3-12. Only after the initial euphoria wears off and your child realizes that the only way down is though a series of elevated ropes will the mental and physical challenges of an obstacle course truly sink in. When the weather is nice, head to Let’s Go in Wangjing and Dashanzi or Happy Gorilla Tree-Top Adventure Park in Chaoyang Park and Shunyi.

Let’s Go is smaller but has an indoor branch at Indigo Mall while Happy Gorilla has zip lines and birthday packages.

Let’s Go charges RMB 80 per child for the obstacle course while Happy Gorilla charges RMB 2,800 for eight kids and RMB 280 for every additional participant. Call each venue for detailed prices.

Sailing Ages 6-16. Does your child want to live out a pirate fantasy? Both Imagine and Aofan Sailing Club offer pirate-themed packages at Shunyi Olympic Water Park. Kids are divided into teams and get to engage in a pirate battle on the water. Aofan offers a birthday package for RMB 3,000 (maximum 8-10 kids) that include a one-hour party with pirate accessories such as eye patches, bandanas, treasure maps, and life jackets. Imagine charges RMB 2,800 for two hours (up to eight kids). Add-ons include a pirate-themed birthday cake (RMB 350), party supplies (RMB 250), and other water-based activities (RMB 1,000).

Year-Round

Photo: Courtesy of aofan sailing and ncc, ken

Art Parties Ages 1+. In Shunyi, Happy Land offers pottery, weaving, paper sanding, candle making, painting, and other creative activities for RMB 80 per child (up to 30 guests). The center can also provide entertainment and equipment rentals like bouncy castles. If you’re willing to splurge, UCCA Creative Studio also offers art-centric birthday parties ranging from RMB 2,500-7,000 with decorations, seating, party hats, and balloons, teachers, games, art activities, and party favors included.

Play Centers Ages 1-7. The New City Center in Wangjing has birthday packages that include use of the facilities for two hours (three if you use their catering), a decorated party room, games and activities, prizes, and child-approved food for RMB 1,000 (maximum eight kids) or RMB 1,300 (maximum 12 kids). One of Beijing’s oldest play centers, Fundazzle, just got a muchneeded facelift and can be rented for birthdays. Use of the playroom costs RMB 500 for two hours or RMB 600 for three hours while use of the corridor costs RMB 400 for two hours or RMB 500 for three hours. Groups are limited to 25 kids for the playroom, but unlimited for the corridor.

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Planning 101

Advice on budgets, venues, gift-giving, and etiquette

by Sally Wilson

B

irthdays are supposed to be fun, but the prospect of hosting a party fills many of us with dread. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, know that you’re definitely not alone. Many families operate on a tight budget and under a busy schedule, but there’s often pressure to impress other parents, friends, and family. Maybe it’s the venue or what to put in those goodie bags that are causing you sleepless nights. Whatever the case, here are some tips from other parents for planning the perfect birthday party.

“My kids have had joint birthday parties in the past. It does mean more kids to entertain and feed, but you only have to do it once. Joint parties only really work until they are 5 years old. Then they want to have a theme of their own.”

- Jacqueline Chen, mom of Elizabeth (5) and Eliott (7)

Set a Budget

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PHOTO: sally wilson

It’s important to set a budget right and to stick to it. It may be cheaper to pick an external party venue with an all-inclusive cost per child, or it may work out cheaper to do it yourself at home. Entertainers can cost a lot; good old-fashioned party games can be just as fun for little ones.

Make sure to do your research and add up the costs. Even if you’re shopping in bulk, you’d be surprised by how it all adds up.

Use the opportunity to teach your children about budgeting; help them decide between a more expensive party with fewer friends or a cheaper party with more friends. If a classmate or a sibling has a birthday around the same time, consider having a joint party and splitting the planning, preparation, and cost – not to mention the headache.

FEATURES

Home Parties

“Our birthday parties are mostly held at home. The kids choose a theme, and then I organize the games, goodie bags, and decorations.”

- Jessica Bajohrs-Sabate, mom of Elias (9), Adelaide (6), and Abel (2)

External Venues

Photo: manu (flickr)

On the other hand, home is probably not the first place that springs to mind if you intend on inviting 30 guests (even if they’re angels).

Some themes work better in a venue or the child’s age may suit an activity center. Some venues offer good value and include catering, entertainment, and a party leader, leaving you to relax and enjoy the party.

Cost is not the only factor to take into consideration. Think about location, size, and food. It’s a good idea to drop by the venue when it’s hosting another birthday party to get a better idea of whether it suits your needs.

The next step is to decide on the venue. Consider the practicalities and costs before you discuss options with the birthday boy or girl; otherwise they might get disappointed if the budget doesn’t stretch to what they want. Once you have a few options, be sure to get them involved; after all, it’s their party.

Costs can be considerably kept down if you hold the party at home.

There are no overhead costs for the venue, the party can be kept small, and everything from decorations to catering can be made or bought cheaply. Many children, particularly younger ones, feel more comfortable in familiar surroundings. The downside is you have to clear up afterwards; enlist your ayi and some helpers.

Tips: Put away valuable or fragile items, and childproof the area.

Pets can feel as overwhelmed as children; put them somewhere safe and peaceful.

Have plenty of wet wipes and paper towels for faces, hands, and spills.

Restock the first aid kit before the party.

Mark out rooms and areas that are out-of-bounds; tape a length of party ribbon across the floor if you can’t lock doors.

Tips: Book early; the best venues go quickly.

Don’t forget the cake knife and candles if they’re not provided.

Blu-Tack, tape, and scissors may come in handy.

Take garbage bags for presents and rubbish.

Have a table ready for presents and cards.

“If your child’s birthday is during the summer months, you can’t beat a pool party. The kids just entertain themselves!”

- Sarah Struthers, mom of Katie (6) and Matthew (7)

Ask the following: Availability: Can you have the time and day you want? How far in advance must you book the party?

Cost: What’s included? Factors include maximum number of guests, party leader, food and cake, entertainment, music, activities, party bags, decorations Privacy: Do you have exclusive use of the space or do you have to share?

DIY: Can you hire the venue but provide your own catering, entertainment, music, decorations?

Scheduling: How long is the party and is it possible to go in early to prepare?

Staff: How many and which staff members will be available on the day?

Safety: Is there a first aid kit onsite? If it’s a pool party, are there lifeguards on duty?

Contingencies: If it’s an outdoor venue, do the organizers have a “plan B” in case of inclement weather?

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Invitations

Other information to include: Venue name and address How to RSVP (email, SMS, WeChat, call, carrier pigeon) and by what date Party start and finish times Venue address in Chinese for drivers and taxis The decision on who to invite can be a tough one. If your kids are older, they will likely choose their guests themselves. Younger kids tend to play with all their classmates and kids in other classes. You could invite the

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“When my son turned 6, we had a ninja-themed party and invited only six boys. It was a great party!

A lot of my ideas for the day came from Pinterest.”

- Jacqueline Chen

PHOTO: courtesy of jacqueline chen, nd strupler (flickr)

When planning a birthday party, consider what else is going on around that time; your child will be very disappointed if it clashes with other events and their friends can’t attend.

Check school holidays, social events, and other parties happening on the same time.

Invitations should be sent out three to four weeks before the event and indicate whether you’d like the parents to stay and whether siblings are also invited. Ask to be informed of any dietary requirements the invitees might have.

whole class, which could quickly rack up the number of guests – especially if siblings are also invited. But fail to invite the whole class and you risk leaving out key friends. If you don’t want to end up inviting half the school, choose a venue that restricts the number of kids who can attend. If you’re holding a party for younger children, you may want the parents there too.

FEATURES

Age-Specific Tips Kids under 3: Toddlers have a short attention span, so keep party activities short and sweet.

They may get nervous around costumes and strangers, so themes and entertainers may not be a good idea.

Child-proof the party area.

Try and organize the start time for after nap time.

Photo: courtesy of sarah struthers, scott raymond (flickr)

Ask parents to bring high-chairs; having young ones seated together for tea makes things much easier.

Put the food out at the last minute and clear it away immediately when finished. Serve savory options before sweet.

Ages 3-5: They’ll enjoy classic games and activities but try not to make them too long or competitive. Explain the rules slowly and carefully.

These little ones love to dress up – especially as superheroes, fairies, and animals – and activities like face painting.

An entertainer may be a wasted expense; your guests are still prone to being restless and bored quickly.

Prepare a goodie bag for the birthday child; they may not understand the concept of who gets one and why.

Ages 6-8: Kids this age will need to be occupied. They have lots of energy and will want to let off steam. Aim for a balance of lively and calming activities and games.

Themed parties are popular at this age; children love to play the part of a character and will really get involved.

If the budget allows, you could hire entertainers such as clowns, magicians, and balloon artists.

Incorporate craft skills into an activity or activity “stations.”

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The Circuit is a chance to check out what’s happening on the Beijing family scene. Want to see your event on these pages?

WABX to the MAX On September 12 and 13, the Western Academy of Beijing welcomed over 500 high school students for WABX to the MAX sports tournament. Student athletes competed in rugby, tennis, swimming, and volleyball. In addition, student performers entertained the crowds with a dance exchange event and a jazz festival.

Eduwings Summer Party On September 14, Eduwings held a pirate-themed welcome party for students with a treasure hunt and obstacle course.

photos: courtesy of wab and eduwings

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beijingkids 2014 November

THE CIRCUIT Send an email with the date of your event, a brief description, and high-resolution photos (at least 1MB each) to webeditor@beijing-kids.com by November 7.

YSA Organic Farm Visit On September 17, students from Young Starters Academy visited an organic farm to learn more about science and nature. They discovered earthworms, picked gourds, and searched for elusive eggplants.

photos: courtesy of ysa and ycis

YCIS Beijing Celebrates First Jeans for Genes Day On September 19, Yew Chung International School of Beijing held its first-ever Jeans for Genes Day with a bake sale and ALS ice bucket challenge. The event raised nearly RMB 7,000 for Help-aChild-Smile, an organization that provides cleft lip and cleft palate operations to kids in need.

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Artist Danny Gregory Visits ISB In September, American artist Danny Gregory visited the International School of Beijing for two weeks of workshops with students in Pre-K through Grade 12. He taught classes, participated in a student-led speaker series, and held a book signing.

BSB Shunyi and Roundabout Help Yunnan Earthquake Survivors On September 10, Year 7 students from the British School of Beijing, Shunyi visited Roundabout with Deputy Head of Secondary Peter Carlisle to represent BSB in sending off shipments to survivors of the Yunnan earthquake. The Roundabout book fair held at BSB prior raised over RMB 217,000.

photos: courtesy of isb and bsb

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beijingkids 2014 November

THE CIRCUIT Keystone Holds Inaugural Matriculation Ceremony Last month, Keystone Academy hosted its first-ever Matriculation Ceremony to formally welcome middle school students into the school. Before each student signed their name in the matriculation book, Head of School Malcolm McKenzie noted that theirs would be “the first names in books that will have students writing in them for years to come.�

photos: courtesy of keystone and bcis

CISB Family Fun Night On September 23, families from the Canadian International School of Beijing community gathered for a night of games, prizes, and treats. Activities included Fish Pond, Spin and Win, Musical Chairs, and Guessing Games, with every child receiving a colorful pinwheel at the end of the event.

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DCB Presents the Roy McGrath Jazz Quartet On October 8, the Chicago-based Roy McGrath Jazz Quarter performed at Dulwich College Beijing’s Wodehouse Theatre. The event opened DCB’s Diversity III concert series, a month-long music festival aimed at uniting wide-ranging musicians from around the world.

BWYA Sports Day On October 6, Beijing World Youth Academy held a sports day in which four teams (Earth, Air, Fire, and Water) competed in seven events ranging from Capture the Flag to dodgeball. There were also games and activities for the younger kids and parent-teacher relay races. In the end, the Water team won.

photos: courtesy of dcb and bwya

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beijingkids 2014 November

THE CIRCUIT BIBA Storytelling Showcase On September 19, Grade 3 students at Beijing International Bilingual Academy showcased writing and storytelling projects to friends and family.

photos: courtesy of biba and bcis

Mid-Autumn Festival at BCIS On September 13, Beijing City International School welcomed more than 2,000 people for its first Mid-Autumn Festival event, titled “Light a Lantern, Warm a Heart.�

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Family Dining American Chef Too With a little help from mom and dad, kids can share one of Chef Too’s famous steaks with a side of mash. If you’re happy for them to get their hands messy, try the BBQ ribs. Sunday brunch is served until 3pm; try the poached eggs with a side of spinach and mushrooms, pancakes, huevos rancheros and more) is where the real kid-friendliness kicks in, though. For dinner kids will love the bruschetta or any of their yummy pasta options. All staff speak good English; providing they’re not super busy, they are very attentive. Indoor seating with some booth-style seats as well as the standard table and chair setup. Tue-Fri 11am-2pm, Sat-Sun 9.30am-3pm, Tue-Sat 5.30-10pm.

Opposite of West gate ( the 3rd gate) of Chaoyang Park, Chaoyang District (6591 8676) chefbilly@yahoo.com 美西西餐厅朝阳 区, 朝阳公园西门（3号门）对面 Lily’s American Diner Classically greasy North American and Tex-Mex fare like cheeseburgers, roast beef subs, fajitas and all-day breakfasts. Wi-Fi and delivery available. 1) Daily 8am-midnight. Unit 2-18, Bldg 2, Tianzhi Jiaozi, 31 Guangqu Lu (northeast corner of Shuangjing Qiao), Chaoyang District (6592 5548) 2) Daily 10am-midnight. 200m east from north gate of Jindi Mingjing Xiaoqu, exit E of Sihui subway station, Chaoyang District () 3) TuesSun 10am-10pm, Mon closed. Xindong Lu 8 Hao Yuan, Shoukai Bojun Bldg 5, Room 1-037, Chaoyang District (8418 5497) www. lilysbeijing.com, lilysdelivery@yahoo.com 1) 朝阳区, 双井桥东北角广渠路31号院天之骄子2 号楼底商2-18 2) 朝阳区, 四惠地铁北E出口金 地名京小区北门对面往东200米 3) 朝阳区, 新 东路8号院首开铂郡小区底商5号楼1-037号

Bakeries, Delis & Desserts Auntie Jane’s Bakery Longtime expat Jane Hsiao started her baking business in 2007.

Her eye-popping cake designs range from Frozen and Kung Fu Panda to woodland creatures and even the Temple of Heaven. A birthday cake with a simple custom design and large enough for ten costs RMB 380.

Delivery is free within Shunyi and negotiable within the city. She also has three locations in Shunyi, Haidian, and Liangmaqiao.

1) 5 Tianyunge, Tianzhu Huayuan, 38 Tianzhu Fuqian Yijie, Shunyi District (6458 1368/1968) 2) 1/F, Fuyi Hotel, 68 Dongsihuan Xilu, Haidian District (5155 3651/2) 3) Inside Fuyi Hotel, 39 Maizidian Xilu, Chaoyang District (6584 8001/9)1) 顺义区, 天竺府前一 街38号天竺花园天韵阁5号 2) 海淀区, 北四环 西路68号富驿酒店1楼 3) 朝阳区, 麦子店西街 39号富驿酒店内 Bread of Life Bakery Bread of Life Bakery creates jobs for older disabled orphans by baking and selling their own homemade breads, pies and cakes. Order by phone or online at their website., Chaoyang District (137 2262 2865, 031 6608 3407) www. breadoflifebakery.org. bread.of.life.bakery@ gmail.com Deli de Luxe Inspired by the chic eateries of Europe and Australia, Deli de Luxe focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients and healthy meals. The menu changes daily and includes baked goods as well as mains like lasagnas and salads. The shop also does catering and takeaway. Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat-Sun 8am3pm. Parkview Tower, 1 Jingyuan Xiaojie, Chaoyang Gongyuan Xilu, Chaoyang District (6538 6278) www.delideluxechina.com朝阳 区, 朝阳公园西路景园小街1号景园大厦 Euro Cake A spinoff of Euro Bakery, Euro Cake was founded in 2006 by Dutchman Henny Fakkel to offer European-style cakes.

Choose from chocolate or vanilla flavor with icing or almond paste. Orders require two to three days’ notice and cakes range from RMB 268-850. Free delivery within Fifth Ring Road.

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18 Jinma Industry Zone, Shunyi District (6949 1450) info@eurobakery.com.cn北京金马欧兰 食品有限公司顺义区, 金马工业区18号 Fat Bunny Bakery The Fat Bunny Bakery offers Western-style cakes and cupcakes for any occasion. Cake fiends can customize their own cakes by picking a size (S, M, L), sponge, and filling. Cupcake flavors include lemon meringue, red velvet, chocolate raspberry, chocolate ganache, and more.

Cakes and cupcakes can be delivered for RMB 20 and more depending on distance. (ida@ fatbunnybakery.com) www.fatbunnybakery. com The Paddington Kitchen The Paddington Kitchen grew out of a baking business Founder Lottie Murphy started with a friend, called Paddington Puddings and Pies. After finding a dearth of quality baked goods in Beijing, the duo decided to make their own.

Murphy and Chow specialize in freshly-baked cakes, biscuits, and pies for all occasions, including mince pies, shortbread cookies, and Christmas puddings. Everything is made to order using only quality imported ingredients.

Paddington is based near Chunxiu Lu and can deliver. (137 1857 5931, paddingtonkitchen@ gmail.com) Pantry’s Best Founded in 2009 by American pie-lover Mark Huetsch, the pies of this homegrown delivery service is based on his family’s 60-year-old recipe. Pantry’s Best’s (formerly Pie House) “fillings are loaded with fresh fruit, fresh nuts, and premium imported chocolate” and all pies are baked fresh every day. Free delivery within the Fourth Ring Road or Wudaokou. Sun-Thu 11am-8pm, Fri-Sat 11am-9pm. Unit 92-93, 3/F, Ritan High Life, 39 Shenglu Jie, Chaoyang District, Chaoyang District (4008-3-14159) http:// www.piehouse.com.cn 派悦坊朝阳区, 朝阳区 神路街39号日坛上街3层92-93 Rager Pie Rager Pie is aggressively enthusiastic about pie, with product names like Pecandrogynous (a pecan/walnut hybrid), Chunky Punkin’, and Empie儿 Pie (a mishmash of chicken, spinach, mozzarella). Whole dessert pies range from RMB 120-140 while the Empie儿 Pie can be yours for RMB 140.

Rager Pie also carries coffee by Shanghaibased Gospel Coffee Roasters, including Kenya AA (RMB 88/227g) and Ethiopian Yirgacheffe (RMB 61/227g). Delivery costs RMB 15 within 1km of Beixinqiao, RMB 20 within 3km, and RMB 30 within 5km. www. ragerpie.com 狂聚派 Sweet Tooth Cafe Founded by Australian Meilian Tan, Sweet Tooth now has a cafe in Xingfucun with the same delicious, baked goods and quality tea. Delivery available.

Tue-Sun 11am-7pm. 18 Xinzhong Jie (behind Kato-Ya), Dongcheng District (150 1121 7173) sweettoothbeijing.com 东城区新中 街18号

Catering & Delivery

and Western favorites. Sundays feature an extensive buffet featuring imported Boston Lobster, Norwegian Salmon, French Foie Gras, Tandoori Sea-Bass, Australian Beef Steak, Lamb Chop, and freshly shucked Australian Oyster and inclusive of draught beer and free flow of wine, juice and soft drinks (RMB 488, plus 15% service charge or RMB 558, plus 15% service charge, for free flow of champagne and free flow of wine, juice and soft drinks). Daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 6-10.30pm. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 83A Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District (5908 8161) 香溢朝阳区, 华贸中心建国路甲83号丽思卡尔 顿酒店

Feast (Food by EAST) Feast’s philosophy is “simple things, done well.” Their international menu of Asian and western dishes is cooked in a lively open kitchen, while the airy restaurant looks out onto an alfresco terrace and a park beyond. Watch out for regular specials such as semi-buffet steak nights. Daily 6am-10.30am, 11.30am-3pm, 5.30-10.30pm (weekend brunch 11am3.30pm). 2/F, EAST Beijing, 22 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (8414 9820) www. east-beijing.com 朝阳区, 酒仙桥路22号东隅 北京酒店2层 Greenfish All-day dining restaurant features fantastic seafood buffets on Friday and Saturday nights and fresh, tasty a la carte options. Daily 6.30am-11pm. Ritz-Carlton Financial Street, 1 Jinchengfang Dongjie, Jinrong Jie, Xicheng District (6601 6666 ext 6255) 四季汇西城区, 金城坊东街1号北京金融 街丽思卡顿酒店 Village Cafe This casual dining space offers a contemporary take on international favorites such as grilled shark burger on Turkish bread, and couscous salad with roasted pumpkin. Buffet breakfast and a la carte lunch and dinner. Daily 6.30am10.30pm. 1/F, The Opposite House, 11 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District (6410 5210 www.theoppositehouse.com, villagecafe@ theoppositehouse.com 朝阳区, 三里屯路11 号瑜舍1层

Jaan This fine dining restaurant presents a light and innovative interpretation of classic French cuisine. The decor consists of tall, picturesque French windows, elaborate crystal chandeliers and a grand piano resting on the original 1924 dance floor. Daily noon-2pm, 6.30-10pm; Sat also 2.30-5pm.

Raffles Beijing Hotel, 33 Dongchang’an Jie, Dongcheng District (8500 4186, 6526 3388 ext 4186) 家安东城区, 东长安街33号北京饭 店莱佛士

Culinary Capers With 22 years of experience, this catering company holds corporate and high end social events. They also have an exclusive one-table restaurant for taste testing. Booking needed. 44 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District (6532 5905/139 1121 1343) culinarycapersbeijing. com 朝阳区, 光华路44号

Japanese

beijingkids 2014 November

Dacha Located near Ritan Park, Dacha serves features truly global cuisine, from sushi to pizza. Try Russian classics like borscht and traditional beet salad, or opt for European standards such as pasta Carbonara and rack of lamb. Also provided is Chinese cuisine. Most entrees range from RMB 45100, while appetizers and salads are in the RMB 20-60 range. The restaurant caters to families with a smoke-free environment and kids’ playroom with toys. Every Sunday, there’s a drawing master-class for kids.

Functions such as family holidays, kids parties and holidays with prizes are held at the restaurant. Shisha is also available. Daily 10am-3am. 1 Ritan Lu (on the north side of Ritan Hotel), Chaoyang District (8563 5765, dacha.asia@mail.ru) www.dacha.asia别墅西餐 厅朝阳区, 日坛路1号（日坛宾馆北侧

Family Health Dental Services

French

Italian

Aroma Aroma offers five distinct cuisines: Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Southeast Asian,

Russian

BLD Cafe International buffet restaurant featuring showpiece Sunday brunch.

Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel, 61 Daongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District (5863 8223) 朝阳区, 东三环中路61号北京富 力万丽酒店

Baode Home Delivery Baode has been importing and supplying food products to top restaurants and hotels throughout China since 2001. Baode emphasizes quality and food safety practices, delivering products from the US, Australia, Canada and South America to homes around Beijing. All meat products are cryovac’ed and vacuum-sealed to ensure quality. www.baodefood.com 宝 德美食网

Contemporary

(6415 2112)尚水长廊铁板烧餐厅 1) 顺义区, 天竺镇开发区荣祥广场902 2) 朝阳区, 三里屯 路11号院（Village北区）能号楼三层N4-30单元

PizzaExpress A big brand British chain featuring crispy Romana-style pizzas tossed

by Pizzaiolos (striped t-shirt wearing pizza chefs) in the open kitchen. Daily 11am11.30pm. S4-30 Taikoo Li South, Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang District (6417 6698) 朝阳区, 三里屯路太古里南区S4-30

Haru Teppanyaki and Sushi Bar Watch and listen to your food as it sizzles and cooks to your preference. Haru impresses with sleek decor and the quality of the food. Kids will be entertained by the chefs flaming hot plates, and the large portion servings mean this is a great place to spend a few extra kuai on a family night out. 1) Daily 11.30am-2pm, 5.30pm-10pm. 902 Pinnacle Plaza, Jingshun Lu, Shunyi District (8046 5112) 2) Unit N430, 3/F, Sanlitun Village North, 11 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District, Chaoyang District

Arrail Dental Clinic Offers the full spectrum of non-surgical dentistry. All dentists speak English and some have overseas training.

The Haidian branch specializes in cosmetic dentistry and implants. A basic consultation costs RMB 100 (first-time registration including a check-up and consultation costs RMB 100). 1) Mon-Thu 9am-6pm, Fri-Sun 9am-5.30pm. Rm 201, The Exchange-Beijing, B118 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District (6567 5670) 2) Mon-Thu 9am-5.30pm, Fri-Sun 9am-5pm. 1/F, Somerset Fortune Garden, 46 Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (8440 1926/7/8) 3) Mon-Thu 9am-5.30pm. Rm 308, Raycom Infotech Park, Tower A, 2 Kexueyuan Nanlu, Haidian District (8286 1956, 24hr: 139 1100 1367) 4) Mon-Thu 9am-5pm, Fri-Sun 9am-5pm. Rm A205, CITIC Bldg, 19 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District (6500 6472/3) www.arrail-dental.com 瑞尔齿科 1) 朝阳区, 建国路乙118号京汇大厦 201室 2) 朝阳区, 亮马桥路46号盛捷福景苑1层 3) 海淀区, 科学院南路2号融科资讯中心A座308 室 4) 朝阳区, 建国门外大街19号国际大厦A205

Clinics & Hospitals Beijing New Century Women’s and Children’s Hospital (NCWCH) With state-

DIRECTORIES

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of-the-art park side facility, New Century Women’s and Children’s Hospital (NCWCH) is established to operate with international standards. Backed by strong ties to Beijing Children’s Hospital and Beijing Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital, the experienced and friendly medical staff of NCWCH provide fi¬rst-class gynecology, obstetrics, pediatric, NICU and urgent care services for women and children (0-18 years old).51 Wangjing Beilu (Wanghu Park south gate), Chaoyang District (5178 3366) www.ncich.com.cn北京新 世纪妇儿医院朝阳区, 朝阳区望京北路51号院（ 望湖公园东门南）

than 40 international insurance providers.

Daily 24hrs. 3/F, Kerry Centre, 1 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District (8529 6618, fax 8529 6615, vista@vista-china.net) www.vistachina.net

Family Life Organic Farms TooToo Organic Farm TooToo encompasses a farm in Pinggu and an online organic food delivery service established in 2008. Certified by both China’s COFCC and Europe’s ECOCERT, TooToo has a 70-acre organic farm near Pinggu open to visitors.

Hotline: Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat-Sun and holidays 9am-7pm. Ma Changying Village, Ma Changying Town, Pinggu District (400 898 9797) shop.tootoo.cn 沱沱工社平谷区, 马昌 营镇马昌营村

Groceries

Hong Kong International Medical Clinic, Beijing Beijing’s first joint-venture medical organization operates according to international standards, has a high-quality international administration system, highlevel medical staff, and warm service. A 24hr helpline offers medical support in English, Chinese and Japanese, and other languages on request. A basic consultation costs RMB 680. Direct billing with over 50 international insurers. Daily 9am-9pm (after 9pm nurse on duty). 9/F, office tower of the Swissôtel, 2 Chaoyangmen Beidajie, Dongcheng District (65532288 ext 2345/6/7, 6553 9752) www. hkclinic.com北京港澳国际医务诊所东城区, 北 京港澳国际医务诊所，朝阳门北大街2号港澳中 心瑞士酒店办公楼9层 International Medical Center (IMC) IMC was the first expatriate medical institution in Beijing. A multilingual clinic with a full range of medical services including Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Internal medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Endoscopy and Surgery & Orthopedics. Other services include Dental Services, TCM & Acupuncture, Physiotherapy and Psychological services. The department of Emergency Care at IMC is open 24/7 with all board certified foreign doctors on site.

Daily 24hrs. S106, S111 Lufthansa Center, 50 Liangmahe Lu, Chaoyang District (6465 1561/2/3, 6465 1384/28) http://www. imcclinics.com, marketing@imcclinics.com 北 京国际医疗中心朝阳区, 亮马桥路50号燕莎中心 写字楼1层S106

April Gourmet Chain of stores purveying imported cheeses, olives and cold cuts, as well as staples like dried pasta, canned tomatoes (and beans) and cereal. The Shunyi branch offers a small but constant “specials” section, which often features imported cookies and filter coffee. 1) Daily 8am-9pm.

1 Sanlitun Beixiaojie, Chaoyang District (8455 1245) 2) Daily 8am-midnight. 1/F Jiezuo Mansion, Xingfucun Zhonglu, Sanlitun, Chaoyang District (6417 7970) 3) Bldg 7, Richmond Park, 9 Fangyuan Xili, Chaoyang District (8457 8116) 4) 8am-9pm. Outside South Gate of Capital Paradise, Shunyi District (8046 4132) 绿叶子食品店 1) 朝阳区, 三里 屯北小街1号 2) 朝阳区, 三里屯幸福村中路 杰作大厦1层 3) 朝阳区, 芳园西里9号院丽都 水岸会所7号楼 4) 顺义区, 后沙峪乡白辛庄名 都园南门外 BHG Market Place Taiwan chain of upscale supermarkets has an extensive, albeit pricey, selection of goods and produce, including alcohol and organic products. 1) Daily 10am-10pm. B1, Shin Kong Place, 87 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District (6530 5888) 2) Daily 10am-10pm. SLG00, The Village at Sanlitun, Chaoyang District (6415 8226) 3) Daily 10am-10pm. SMM06, SOLANA Lifestyle Shopping Park, Chaoyang District () 4) Daily 10am-10pm. B2/F, Legend Center, Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District () 5) Daily 10am-10pm. Shop 1, B1/F, Indigo Mall, 18 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (8426 0299) 北京华联高级超市 1) 朝阳区, 建国路87号新光天地B1层 2) 朝阳区, 三里屯 VillageSLG00号商铺 3) 朝阳区, 蓝色港湾国际商 区SMM06号 4) 朝阳区, 东三环中路乐成中心地 下二层 5) 朝阳区, 酒仙桥路18号颐堤港商场地 铁层店铺号LG01 Boucherie Michel Artisanal French butchery serving up quality cuts of beef, veal, lamb and pork, as well as sausages, cheese, quiche and freshly roasted chickens. Daily 9am-8pm. 1/F, Jiezuo Dasha, Xingfucun Zhonglu, Chaoyang District (6417 0489) boucheriemichel@hotmail.com 米歇尔肉店朝 阳区, 幸福村中路杰座大厦底层 City Shop A grocery store imported from Shanghai, with slightly hiked up prices but a more expansive selection. B/1, The Grand Summit, Liangmaqiao Diplomatic Compound (in the same building as Tavola and Starbucks), Chaoyang District (8532 3488) 朝 阳区, 东方东路19号亮马桥外交公寓1号楼会所

Vista Medical Center Medical services including family and internal medicine, OB/ GYN, pediatrics, dentistry, ophthalmology, dermatology, ENT, TCM, physiotherapy, psychiatry, imaging laboratory and pharmacy service. Also offers pre- and postnatal care and infant health check-ups. English-speaking staff onsite 24hrs a day. A consultation with a GP costs RMB 660. Direct billing with more

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Jenny Lou’s 1) Daily 8am-10pm. 6 Sanlitun Beixiaojie, Chaoyang District (6461 6928) 2) Daily 8am-midnight. South of Chaoyang Park’s West Gate, Chaoyang District (6501 6249) 3) Daily 8am-midnight. 4 Ritan Beilu (opposite to Fancaodi Primary School), Chaoyang District (8563 0626) 4) Daily 8am-10pm. Laiguangying Donglu (opposite Heping Hospital), Chaoyang District (8470 1557) 5) Daily 8am-9pm. Inside East Lake Villa Clubhouse, Chaoyang District (6467 8018) 6) Daily 8am-10pm. Bldg 4, Jianwai Soho, 39 Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang

beijingkids 2014 November

District (5869 2253) 7) 8am-10pm. 101, Bldg 17, Central Park International Apartments, Chaoyang District (6533 6792) 8) Daily 8.30am-9pm. Pinnacle Plaza, 99 Yuxiang Lu, Tianzhu, Shunyi District (8046 2500) www. jennylou.com.cn 婕妮璐 1) 朝阳区, 三里屯北 小街6号 2) 朝阳区, 朝阳公园西门南侧 3) 朝 阳区, 日坛北路4号（芳草地小学对面） 4) 朝 阳区, 来广营东路和平医院对面 5) 朝阳区, 东 湖别墅会所里 6) 朝阳区, 东三环中路39号建外 Soho4号楼 7) 朝阳区, 新城国际17号楼101 8) 顺义区, 荣祥广场,天竺开发区裕翔路99号 Jenny Wang Grocery chain run by Jenny Lou’s sister. 1) Bldg 5, Grasse Town, Songzhuang, Tongzhou District (8951 6858) 2) Beijing Euro Village Branch, Shunyi District (8046 2316, 8046 3302) 3) Yosemite Branch, Shunyi District (8041 7063) 4) 8am-9.30pm., Shunyi District (6450 8108) 5) Daily 9am8pm. River Garden, Shunyi District (8046 5109) 6) Daily 7.30 am-10pm. Pinnacle Plaza, Shunyi District (8046 2316/3302) 7) Daily 8am-midnight. Hairun International Apartment, 2 Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang District (5135 8338) www.jennyshop.com.cn 1) 通 州区, 通州区宋庄镇葛渠村格拉斯小镇5号楼 底商 2) 顺义区, 欧陆苑别墅区对面 3) 顺义 区, 优山美地别墅区 4) 顺义区, Chateau Regalia Branch 5) 顺义区, 裕京花园别墅区内 6) 顺义 区, 荣祥广场 7) 朝阳区, 将台路2号海润国 际公寓底商

Family Travel Travel Agencies Sunflower Travel Specializes in leisure and business travel, offering international and domestic trips, and customized trips to create a unique travel experience. 22D, Bldg B, Ginza Mall, 48 Dongzhimenwai Dajie, Dongcheng District (8447 6361, tours@sunflowertravel-cn.com) www. sunflowertravel-cn.com 东城区, 东直门外大街 48号东方银座B座22D

Fun Stuff Activities ABC Kids Club A bilingual cooking club started by Chinese-American mom of three, Hwa Wu for parents and kids age 2-10 abckidsclub@qq.com baby international This three-in-one family restaurant, play center, and baby gear store caters to the needs of international families in Beijing. The store stocks strollers, car seats, mom essentials, cribs, toys, and more from imported brands like Bugaboo, Ergo Baby, and Ecobibi. Daily 10am-7pm. 2 Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang District, (8450 1189, info@babyinternational.com) www.baby-international. com国际宝贝, 朝阳区将台路2号 Aofan Sailing Club Located in Beijing Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park, this exclusive sailing club in Beijing offers two-day and five-day training courses throughout the season with a wide range of sailing boats for both kids and for adults. Regular events are held for members (for free) and visitors.

Discounted packages including courses and membership are available. Interested parties can attend one of their bi-monthly open sessions before signing up.Olympic Water Park, 19 Baima Lu, Shunyi District, Shunyi District (5949 4599, 139 1046 5950) mail@aofansailing.com Olympic Water Park, 19 Baima Lu, Shunyi District, Shunyi District (5949 4599, 139 1046 5950, mail@ aofansailing.com)北京奥帆帆船俱乐部顺义区, 白马路19号奥林匹克水上公园内 Gung Ho! Gourmet Pizza Factory 1) Daily 11am-midnight. Bldg. 3, China View, (rear side, opposite City Hotel), Gongti Donglu, Chaoyang District (8587 1404/1370) 2) Daily 11am-11pm. Shop 2, Hairun International Apartments, corner Jiangtai Lu and Fangyuan Xilu, Chaoyang District (5135 8557) 3) 10-9 Fuli City Xingguang

Avenue(West of the Beijing Capital Renaissance Hotel), Chaoyang District (5876 5262) www.gunghopizza.com叫板披萨 1) 朝 阳区, 工体东路中国红街3号楼 2) 朝阳区, 将 台路2号海润国际公寓（将台路和方园西路的十 字路口） 3) 朝阳区, 富力城, 星光大道10-9（ 富力大酒店网西走） Happy Gorilla Tree-Top Adventure Park Opened in March 2010, Happy Gorilla Tree-Top Adventure is a treetop obstacle course with a network of bridges, swings, nets, trapezes, and zip lines. Suitable for kids age 7 and up, Happy Gorillas has two locations at Chaoyang Park and Beijing Shunxin Green Resort in Shunyi. There are currently 30 activities in Shunyi and 50 activities at Chaoyang Park. The courses are split into sections to make it easier to rest or head back to the starting point if necessary.

Happy Gorilla is open to kids above 1.1m for the easier courses and 1.4m for the other courses. Kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Harnesses, safety lines, and helmets are provided. All participants must wear closed sports shoes. Depending on course difficulty and location, prices range from RMB 185-240 per child and RMB 200260 per adult. 1) Daily 9am-6pm (summer), 9am-5pm (spring and autumn), 9am-4pm (winter). 200m inside the No.7 East Gate of Chaoyang Park, Chaoyang District () 2) 1km from the North Gate of Beijing Shunxin Green Resort, Lisui Town, Shunyi District. www. kuailexingxing.com快乐猩猩树上穿越主题公园 1) 朝阳区, 朝阳公园东7号门内200米 2) 顺义 区, 李遂镇顺鑫绿色度假村内北门直行1000米即 到快乐猩猩树上穿越园区 Imagine From the founder of O’le Music and O’le Afloat. Offers skiing, sailing and other water sports, rollerblading, and music programs such as Trash Bash and Shout! Rock Choir. With a team of skilled international instructors, experienced in their specific fields. The organization hold sannual competitions such as International Schools Snowsports Championships China (ISSCC) and Boat Race of International School China (BRISC). (info@imagine-china.com) www. imagine-china.com JOP Pottery Daily 10.30am-4.30pm. 17 Shuipo Village, Gaoliying Town, Shunyi District (5145 0754, joppottery@163.com) www.joppottery.com拙朴顺义区, 高丽营镇 水坡村17号 Let’s Go Let’s Go is a three-storey climbing frame that tests kids’ physical and mental skills. After children are outfitted with safety helments and harnesses, they must make their way to the top by completing a series of challenges. Let’s Go can host birthday parties for groups of six to eight children and two to three adult chaperones. One-off prices: RMB 80/child (ages 3-12), RMB 30 for five minutes of bungee. Member prices: RMB 1,190 (RMB 60/child for two hours on the climbing frame, RMB 22.50 for five minutes of bungee) or RMB 2,000 (RMB 44/child for two hours on the climbing frame, RMB 16.50 for five minutes of bungee) Daily 10am4.30pm (winter), 9am-8.30pm (summer).

19 Guangshun Beidajie (south part of Liulaiben Shopping Street, next to Dazhong Electronics), Wangjing, Chaoyang District (152 1137 1992, 135 5286 2400) www. leshibao.com.cn乐仕堡朝阳区, 望京广顺北大 街19号（六佰本商业街南侧大中电器旁边） The New City Center The New City Center has a coffee shop with a closed in playroom that includes a ball pit and slide. Programs available for all ages, including “Mommy and Me”, Phonics, Math and Art Classes as well as language lessons for adults. It also offers services including food, games and access to the playroom for birthday parties. A conference room is available to be rented. Mon-Sat 9am-5pm. 112, Lize Xiyuan, Guangshun Beidajie, Wangjing, Chaoyang District (6475 1066, info@thenewcitycenter. com) www.thenewcitycenter.com朝阳区, 望 京广顺北大街丽泽西园112号

DIRECTORIES

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Party World (a.k.a. Cash Box) Slugging it out with Melody for the title of Beijing’s top karaoke spot, this chain (also known as Cashbox) started in Taiwan in the 1980s, arriving in Beijing in the late 1990s – with branches all over town. Prices are similar across the various branches, new songs are added regularly, a free buffet is served nightly and service is good. 1) 1/F, Fanli Dasha, 22 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District (8857 6566) 2) 1/F, East Tower, Yonghe Dasha, 28 Andingmen Dongdajie, Dongcheng District (5811 3888) 3) 4 Huixin Dongdajie, Chaoyang District (8857 6566) 4) 168 Tengda Da Sha, 168 Xizhimenwai Dajie, Haidian District (8857 6566)钱柜 1) 朝阳区, 朝阳区 朝阳门外大街22号泛利大厦 2) 东城区, 东城区 安定门东大街28号雍和大厦东楼1楼 3) 朝阳区, 朝阳区惠新东街4号 4) 海淀区, 海淀区西直门 外大街168号腾达大厦裙楼 SMJ Bowling Club Strike! Whoever said silence is golden clearly never experienced the 10-pin joys of SMJ Bowling Club’s 20lane alley (also known as Cosmic Bowling).

Daily 6pm-2am. 3/F, Lido Hotel, 6 Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang District (6437 6688 ext 3801) 北京沙明建保龄球俱乐部朝阳区, 将台路6号丽 都饭店三层 Star Trooper Laser Tag Indulge your trigger-happy inner child in a very trippy atmosphere. Each game lasts 15mins. Kids must be taller than 1.3m.RMB 50 per person with 4-24 players per session. Groups of six or more can rent the entire venue for RMB 1,880/hour (weekdays only). Tues-Sun 9am10pm. 98 Caochangdi, Chaoyang District, (6475 8329) www.startrooper.net激光搏击, 朝阳区草场地98号 UCCA Creative Studio This art center brings a fresh family element to 798. It offers daily classes to young artists ages 2-11, with the goal to not only teach them art but also give them the confidence to approach problems creatively. UCCA, 798 Art District, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (5780 0202/03)www.creative-studio.cn朝阳区, 酒仙 桥路4号798艺术区

pre-K-12 program. Age range: 2-18. Tuition fees (2012-2013 academic year): 1) 21st Century Kindergarten: RMB 1,600 (application fee), RMB 78,000/year (half day), 100,000/ year (full day); 2) Wanda Kindergarten: RMB 1,200 (application fee); RMB 55,000/year (full day); 3) Primary School: RMB 1,600 (application fee), RMB 30,000 (capital levy fee); RMB 100,000/year (reception class); RMB 135,000/year (Grades 1-6); 4) Senior School: RMB 1,600 (application fee), RMB 30,000 (capital levy fee), RMB 135,000/ year (Grades 7-12) 1) Primary School: Area 2, Upper East Side, 6 Dongsihuan Beilu, Chaoyang District (5130 7951, 21s Century Kindergarten: bikoffice@bibs.com. cn, Primary School: office@bibs.com.cn, Wanda Kindergarten: bbkoffice@bibs.com. cn, Senior School: senioroffice@bibs.com.cn) 2) 21st Century Kindergarten: 1/F, Bldg B, 40 Liangmaq Qiao Lu, Chaoyang District (6466 9255, 21s Century Kindergarten: bikoffice@ bibs.com.cn, Primary School: office@bibs. com.cn, Wanda Kindergarten: bbkoffice@ bibs.com.cn, Senior School: senioroffice@ bibs.com.cn) 3) Senior School: 38 Nan Shiliju, Chaoyang District (8456 6019, 21s Century Kindergarten: bikoffice@bibs.com. cn, Primary School: office@bibs.com.cn, Wanda Kindergarten: bbkoffice@bibs.com. cn, Senior School: senioroffice@bibs.com. cn) 4) Wanda Kindergarten: Bldg 7, Wanda Plaza, 93 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District (5960 3887, 21s Century Kindergarten: bikoffice@ bibs.com.cn, Primary School: office@bibs. com.cn, Wanda Kindergarten: bbkoffice@ bibs.com.cn, Senior School: senioroffice@ bibs.com.cn) 5) Shunyi Campus: 15 Liyuan Jie, Tianzhu, Shunyi District (6456 0618, 21s Century Kindergarten: bikoffice@bibs.com.cn, Primary School: office@bibs.com.cn, Wanda Kindergarten: bbkoffice@bibs.com.cn, Senior School: senioroffice@bibs.com.cn) www.bibs. com.cn青苗国际双语学校 1) 朝阳区, 东四环 北路6号阳光上东二区 2) 朝阳区, 亮马桥路40 号B座1层 3) 朝阳区, 南十里居38号 4) 朝阳 区, 建国路93号万达广场7号楼 5) 顺义区, 天 竺镇丽苑街15号

Schools Educational Services The Edge (Beijing) Now in mainland China, The Edge is Hong Kong’s premier educational counseling service. The company provides students and families with insider knowledge of the overseas college and boarding school admissions process, as well as customized and comprehensive educational services.14/F, 2 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (400 608 3070) theedge.com.hk朝阳区, 朝阳区工体北 路2号14层

Schools 3e International School Founded in 2005, 3e International School has grown into an institution of over 200 students from Nursery to Grade 4. The school aims to develop critical thinkers through a speciallydeveloped, research-based curriculum.

Classes are taught in English and Chinese with half of the day devoted to each language. Within this inquiry-based program, a balance of child-initiated and teacherdirected activity is provided to support children’s development across the entire curriculum. Age range: 2-10. Tuition fees (2014-2015 academic year): RMB 108,300 (Half-day Nursery); RMB 113,300 (Full-day Nursery); RMB 149,400 (Pre-K); RMB 153,500 (Kindergarten); RMB 164,500 (Grades 1-4)9-1 Jiangtai Xilu, Chaoyang District (6437 3344 ext 100, admissions@3einternationalschool. org) www.3einternationalschool.org3e国际学 校朝阳区, 将台西路9-1号

AnRic Little Montessori Room (AnRic LMR) AnRic LMR is a full international member school of the American Montessori Society. The multicultural classroom aims to help children develop into self-directed learners, flexible thinkers, creative problem solvers, empathetic citizens and resilient individuals. The school offers a fully bilingual curriculum so that children are immersed in an environment where both English and Chinese are consistently used all day. Children learn in a warm, close-knit environment maintained by a low student to teacher ratio. Special needs children are welcome and evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Age range: 1.5–6 years 2014-2015 Tuition Fees: RMB78,800/year (half-day), RMB 92,800/ year (full day)Global Trade Mansion, 9 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District (6591 8169, admissions@anricedu.com) www.anricedu. com安杨蒙台梭利小屋朝阳区, 光华路9号安杨 蒙台梭利小屋

Beanstalk International Bilingual School (BIBS) Over the past 20 years, BIBS has grown from one campus to five (including a new pre K-12 campus in Shunyi) and from a kindergarten-only curriculum to a complete

Beijing City International School (BCIS) The school motto of BCIS is “Empowering and inspiring through challenge and compassion.”

This non-profit, independent co-educational day school is accredited by the Council of

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International Schools (CIS) and the Western Associationof Schools and Colleges (WASC).

BCIS offers an international curriculum for Nursery through Grade 12 students under the International Baccalaureate (IB) World School system and isauthorized to teach all three IB programs (Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma). The campus culture is characterized by a warm and inclusive nature and an emphasis on personalized rigorous academic inquiry through the extensive use of information technology in the classroom.

Age range: 3-18. Tuition fees (2012-2013 Academic Year): RMB 2,000 (registration fee); RMB 5,000 (new student fee); RMB 132,600 (Nursery); RMB 144,500 (Pre-K); RMB 154,000 (Kindergarten); RMB 186,300 (Grade 1-2); RMB 188,700 (Grade 3-5); RMB 195,300 (Grade 6-8); RMB 199,100 (Grade 9-10); RMB 206,600 (Grade 11-12)77 Baiziwan Nan Er Lu, Chaoyang District (8771 7171, admissions@bcis.cn) www.bcis.cn北京 乐成国际学校朝阳区, 百子湾南二路77号 Beijing BISS International School (BISS) With a diverse student body, Beijing BISS International School’s mission is to foster international relationships to educate and empower students to attain personal excellence and positively impact the world.

BISS offers the IB Diploma Program, serves as an SAT Test Center, caters to children with learning needs, and offers counseling, student enrichment programs, university searches, and transitional education services to third-culture kids and their parents. Age range: 3-17. Tuition fees (2012-2013 Academic Year): RMB 18,00023,000 (refundable deposit); RMB 3,800 (registration); RMB 99,000 (Kindergarten); RMB 146,400-177,500 (Grades 1-12); RMB 20,000 (ESOL)Bldg 17, Area 4, Anzhen Xili, Chaoyang District (6443 3151, admissions@ biss.com.cn) www.biss.com.cn北京BISS国际学 校朝阳区, 安贞西里四区17号楼 Canadian International School of Beijing (CISB) Opened in September 2006, CISB offers a Montessori Nursery and PreKindergarten program, as well as a Canadianstyle curriculum for K-12 students. CISB is a three-program IB World School: IB Primary Years Program, IB Middle Years Program and the IB Diploma Program. The student body currently represents over 60 nationalities and has the capacity for 1400 students.

Age range: 18 months to 18 years. Tuition fees (2013-2014 Academic Year): RMB1,800 (Application Fee); RMB76,600 (Half-Day Montessori Nursery); RMB121,800 (PreKindergarten & Kindergarten); RMB158,800 (Grade 1-5); RMB160,400 (Grade 6-8); RMB179,800 (Grade 9-12)38 Liangma Qiao Lu, Chaoyang District (6465 7788, admissions@cis-beijing.com) www.cisb.com. cn北京加拿大国际学校朝阳区, 亮马桥路38号 Dulwich College Beijing (DCB) Dulwich College first opened its doors to students in Beijing in August of 2005. Since then, the school has grown to include approximately 1,400 students. Ages: 12 months – 18 years.

Application Fee: RMB 2000 – non-refundable; Placement Deposit: RMB 18,000 – refundable subject to terms and conditions; Early Years: RMB 66,200-168,000; Grades 1-12: RMB 168,000-219,200 1) Legend Garden Campus and Legend Early Years Campus: Legend Garden Villas, 89 Capital Airport Road, Shunyi District (6454 9000, info@dulwich-beijing. cn) 2) Beijing Riviera Campus: 1 Xiangjiang Beilu, Jingshun Lu, Chaoyang District (8450 7676, info@dulwich-beijing.cn) www.dulwichbeijing.cn北京德威英国国际学校 1) 顺义区, 机场路89号丽京花园 2) 朝阳区, 京顺路香江北 路1号香江花园 Etonkids Bilingual Kindergartens 1) Palm Springs Campus: Palm Springs International Apartments, 8 Chaoyang Gongyuan Nanlu, Chaoyang District (6539 5967, Peking House Campus: xuyan@etonkids.com or zhoudan@etonkids.com, Central Park Campus: cpadmin@etonkids.com, Palm Springs Campus: psadmin@etonkids.com,

Midtown Campus: gcadmin@etonkids.com) 2) Central Park Campus: Bldg 19, Central Park, 6 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District (6533 6995, Peking House Campus: xuyan@ etonkids.com or zhoudan@etonkids.com, Central Park Campus: cpadmin@etonkids. com, Palm Springs Campus: psadmin@ etonkids.com, Midtown Campus: gcadmin@ etonkids.com) 3) Peking House Campus: 20 Xidawang Lu, Chaoyang District (5870 6778/9, Peking House Campus: xuyan@ etonkids.com or zhoudan@etonkids.com, Central Park Campus: cpadmin@etonkids. com, Palm Springs Campus: psadmin@ etonkids.com, Midtown Campus: gcadmin@ etonkids.com) 4) Midtown Campus: Bldg 21, Guangqujia Yuan, Guangqumen Waidajie, Chongwen District (6749 5008, Peking House Campus: xuyan@etonkids.com or zhoudan@ etonkids.com, Central Park Campus: cpadmin@etonkids.com, Palm Springs Campus: psadmin@etonkids.com, Midtown Campus: gcadmin@etonkids.com) www. etonkids.com伊顿双语幼儿园 1) 朝阳区, 朝 阳公园南路8号棕榈泉国际公寓 2) 朝阳区, 朝 阳门外大街6号新城国际19号楼 3) 朝阳区, 西 大望路20号 4) 崇文区, 广渠门外大街广渠家 园21号楼 Etonkids International Kindergarten 1) Lido Campus: Rm C103, Lido Country Club, Lido Place, Jichang Lu, Chaoyang District (6436 7368, Lido Campus: lidoadmin@ etonkids.com, CBD Campus: gtmadmin@ etonkids.com) 2) CBD Campus: 3/F, Block D, Global Trade Mansion, Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District (6506 4805, Lido Campus: lidoadmin@etonkids.com, CBD Campus: gtmadmin@etonkids.com) www.etonkids.com 伊顿国际幼儿园 1) 朝阳区, 机场路丽都广场 C103室 2) 朝阳区, 光华路世贸国际公寓D座3层 Harrow International School Beijing Harrow Beijing follows the National Curriculum of England and Wales, culminating in the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE and IGCSE’s), and A Levels.

Its curriculum is fully accredited by all British Examination Authorities and it is an accredited SAT center. Age Range: 9 weeks18. Harrow Beijing tuition fees for 2014-2015 Academic Year: Pre-School (half day): RMB 77,400. Pre-School (full day): RMB 141,300.

Nursery: RMB 141,300 ; Reception: RMB 161,500. Year 1: RMB 191,800 ; Year 2: RMB 201,900. Years 3-5: RMB 203,900. Years 6-8: RMB 222,200. Years 9 -11: RMB 236,200.

Years 12-13: RMB 249,600287 Hegezhuang Village, Cuigezhuang County, Chaoyang District (6444 8900, enquiries@harrowbeijing. cn) www.harrowbeijing.cn北京哈罗英国学校朝 阳区, 崔各庄乡何各庄村287号 House of Knowledge International Kindergarten (HoK) House of Knowledge (HoK) boasts a unique curriculum that includes aspects of Montessori and Reggio Emilia, with special emphasis placed on the latter approach. Students are treated as competent learners with boundless potential.

With this in mind, the curriculum helps kids acquire critical thinking and collaboration skills by teaching them how to “learn to learn” in a multilingual environment (English, German, Chinese). Age range: 10 months to 6 years. Tuition fees (2013-2014 Academic Year): RMB 2,000 (registration fee); RMB 5,000-15,000 (refundable deposit based on withdrawal policy); RMB 66,780-136,680 (school fees based on choice of program).

1) Victoria Gardens Campus: 15 Chaoyang Gongyuan Xilu, Chaoyang District (6538 2624, info@hokschools.com) 2) Quanfa Campus: North gate of Quanfa compound, 15 Maquanying, Chaoyang District (6431 8452, info@hokschools.com) www.hokschools.com 好思之家国际幼儿园 1) 朝阳区, 朝阳公园西路 15号维多利亚花园公寓 2) 朝阳区, 马泉营15号 泉发花园北门 Beijing Huijia Kindergarten Run in conjunction with Huijia Private College (see below), Huijia Kindergarten currently has 20 different campuses across Beijing. The school follows a Multiple Intelligences curriculum

and instruction is in Chinese. Currently, about one quarter of the students are international students. Ages: 2 to 6.Price Range: RMB 20,000-60,000.Head Office: 33C, Bldg B, Huating Jiayuan, 6 Beisihuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District (400 886 1993) www. hjkids.com北京汇佳幼儿园朝阳区, 北四环中路 6号华亭嘉园B座33C Beijing Huijia Private (IB) School Beijing Huijia Private (IB) School is comprised of a kindergarten, primary school, junior high school and senior high school. It is a day and boarding school where Chinese and foreign students study together, and it is the first member school of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) in China that admits Chinese students. With a mix of Chinese and foreign students (from 15 countries) and more than 500 Chinese and foreign teachers and staff, it is one of the largest private schools in Beijing. Age range: 3-18. Tuition fees (2013-2014 Academic Year): RMB 1,000 (application fee); RMB 20,000 (deposit); RMB 146,600/year (Grade 1-2); RMB 148,200/year (Grade 3-4); RMB 152,500/year (Grade 5-6)157 Changping Lu, Changping District (400 889 1993, admissions@huijiaedu.org) www.huijiaedu. org北京汇佳私立学校昌平区, 昌平路157号 International School of Beijing (ISB) Building on its 33-year tradition of academic excellence, ISB is embracing the challenges and rewards of the future of education.

Through a tailored, connected, real-world curriculum known as Learning21@ISB, the experienced and passionate teachers provide students with opportunities to grow as individuals, scholars, and contributing members of the community. Tuition fees (2013-2014 academic year): RMB 75,860 (EC3 half day); RMB 138,710 (EC4 full day); RMB 162,560 (K-Grade 5); RMB 174,430 (Grade 6-8); RMB 191,840 (Grade 9-12).

Application fees and capital levy fees also apply.10 Anhua Jie, Shunyi District (5149 2345, admission@isb.bj.edu.cn) www.isb. bj.edu.cn北京顺义国际学校顺义区, 安华街 10号

3); RMB 209,339 (Year 4-6); RMB 227,796 (Year 7-9); RMB 234,734 (Year 10-11); RMB 246,057 (Year 12-13). 1) Shunyi Campus: 9 Anhua Lu (south side), Shunyi District (8047 3558, admissions@britishschool. org.cn) 2) Sanlitun Foundation Stage: 7 Sanlitun Beixiaojie, Chaoyang District (8532 5320, admissions@britishschool.org.cn) 3) Sanlitun Primary: No.5 XiLiuJie Sanlitun, Chaoyang District (8532 3088, admissions@ britishschool.org.cn) www.britishschool.org. cn北京英国学校 1) 顺义区, 安华路9号南院 2) 朝阳区, 三里屯北小街7号 3) 朝阳区, 三里屯 西六街5号 The International Montessori School of Beijing (MSB) As the first and only fullyregistered international Montessori school in Beijing, MSB has been serving the city’s expatriate children since 1990. Age range: 1-12. Tuition fees (2012 Academic Year): 3 Day Toddler (Age 1): RMB 41,000; 5 Day Toddler (Age 1): RMB 65,000; Morning Nursery (Age 2): RMB91,000; Full-day Nursery (Age 2): RMB 135,000; Morning Kindergarten (Ages 3-4): RMB 95,000; Full-day Kindergarten (Ages 3-4): RMB 140,000; Reception (Age 5): RMB 157,000; Elementary (Ages 6-12): RMB 163,000.Bldg 8, 2 Xiangjiang Beilu, Chaoyang District (6432 8228, admissions@msb.edu.cn) www.msb. edu.cn北京蒙台梭利国际学校朝阳区, 朝阳区香 江北路2号院8号楼

Keystone Academy Opening in September 2014, Keystone Academy offers a new schooling option for families in China, with Chinese and American instructional techniques of inquiry-based learning, criticalthinking, and creative problem solving in a rigorous intellectual environment. The academic program will be international in scope, with a central curriculum thread that focuses on Chinese identity, language, culture, and history. Keystone will serve students grades 1 through 12, with a bilingual curriculum in the primary years and more intensive instruction in English as students progress through the program. There will be a boarding school option for Grades 7 and 8, and mandatory boarding in Grades 9-12.10 Anfu Jie, Houshayu, Shunyi District (8049 6008, admission@keystoneacademy.cn) www. keystoneacademy.cn北京鼎石国际学校顺义区, 后沙峪镇安富街10号

Tsinghua International School (THIS) Tsinghua International School students follow an American Curriculum program in a nurturing atmosphere. Tsinghua International School located on Tsinghua University campus, allowing students access to the university’s extensive resources and facilities, including libraries, computer labs, gymnasiums, sports fields, dance and art studios, a swimming pool, fitness center and outdoor experiential education center.

Accepts students Grades 1 to 12 (ages 6-18).

Grades 1-5: 89,000 RMB per year, Grades 6-12: 99,000 RMB per yearInside Tsinghua High School Campus, Zhongguancun Beilu (northwest of Tsinghua University), Haidian District (6279 7000, 6277 1477, this@mail. tsinghua.edu.cn) www.this.edu.cn清华大学附 属中学国际部海淀区, 中关村北路清华大学西北 侧清华中学校园之内

The British School of Beijing (BSB) The British School of Beijing, established in 2003, has campuses in Shunyi (primary & secondary) and Sanlitun (primary). It is the only school in Beijing approved by the UK’s Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). BSB offers an enhanced English National Curriculum to 1,500 expatriate students from more than 60 countries. Our Shunyi campus currently offers IGCSE and A-level examination programmes and from August 2014 will offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma programme.

Families are eligible for a 5% discount by paying yearly tuition fees in full. Age range: 2-18. Tuition fees 2013-2014 Academic Year: RMB 1,600 (Application fee); RMB 16,000 (Security deposit, payable upon acceptance); RMB 107,286 (Pre-Nursery & Nursery mornings); RMB 160,944 (Pre-Nursery & Nursery full day); RMB 173,600 (Reception); RMB 193,217 (Year 1-2); RMB 206,273 (Year

United World College (UWC) of Changshu China Opening in 2015, United World College Changshu China is a boarding school that plans to offer the two-year IBDP program and a one-year pre-IBDP

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preparatory program. Maximum capacity will be 520 students. UWC Changshu China is part of the United World Colleges founded in 1962 with 14 schools worldwide. There will be full and partial scholarships available on a needs basis.1 Zhuangyuandi, Kuncheng Lake, Changshu, Suzhou, ((0512) 5298 2602, admissions@uwcchina.org) www.uwcchina. org世界联合学院, 苏州常熟昆承湖状元堤1号 Western Academy of Beijing Western Academy of Beijing is an International Baccalaureate World School that boasts a “challenging and caring educational environment in which students are active participants in the learning process.” WAB provides a learner-centered atmosphere that nurtures a strong sense of community among its 1,550 students from 55 countries, with the mission to “Connect, Inspire, Challenge: Make a Difference.” Campus facilities are extensive and include a lake and model wetlands that are the foundation of its environmental science center.Age range: 3-18 years old. Tuition fees (2010/2011 Academic Year, combined total includes capital levy and tuition): Nursery RMB 85,000; PreKindergarten RMB 141,000; Kindergarten RMB 165,000; Grades 1-5 RMB 165,000; Grades 6-8 RMB 181,000; Grades 9-10 RMB 198,000; Grades 11-12 RMB 204,00010 Laiguangying Donglu, Chaoyang District (5986 5588, wabinfo@wab.edu) www.wab. edu北京京西学校朝阳区, 来广营东路10号 Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS) Situated next to the scenic downtown Honglingjin Park since 1995, Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing) is officially registered as a school for foreign nationals, providing bilingual education for students aged 2-18. YCIS Beijing adheres to the National Curriculum for England (NCE) and also integrates an extensive Chinese Language and Culture programme, featuring a unique Co-Teaching model in Kindergarten and Primary school that combines one Western teacher and one Chinese teacher in every class. Within Secondary school, Yew Chung International School of Beijing follows the IGCSE and IB programmes and is accredited by NCCT, CIS and NEASC.YCIS Beijing has a 100 percent pass rate and 100 percent university acceptance rate to universities such as Oxbridge Universities, Princeton and MIT. YCIS is the only international school in China to have received the ‘Cambridge Award for Excellence in Education’ from Cambridge International Examinations.Honglingjin Park, 5 Houbalizhuang, Chaoyang District (8583 3731, enquiry@bj.ycef.com) www.ycis-bj.com 北京耀中国际学校朝阳区, 后八里庄5号红领 巾公园东门

Shopping Air Purifiers

HyperHEPA filter technology is certified to capture 99.97% on particles down 0.3 microns, and 99.5% on particles down to 0.003 microns – 800 times smaller than PM2.5. 1) Daily 9am-6pm. Rm 1801-03, Air China Plaza, 36 Xiaoyun Lu, Chaoyang District (8447 5800, info@iqair-china.com) 2) Daily 10am-9pm. 4/F, 417 Seasons Place, 2 Jinchengfang Jie, Xicheng District (6622 0179, info@iqair-china.com) 3) B1/F, 03A Europlaza, 99 Yuxiang Lu, Tianzhu, Shunyi District (6457 1922, info@iqair-china.com) 4) Daily 10am-10pm. 5/F, Shin Kong Place, 87 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District (5738 2401, info@iqair-china.com) 5) Daily 10am10pm. 5/F, Household Appliance Area, Youyi Shopping City, 52 Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (158 0136 1601, info@iqair-china. com) 6) 10am-10pm. B2/F, Scitech Plaza, 22 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Beijing, Chaoyang District (188 1020 5987, info@iqair-china. com) 7) 10am-8pm. 6/F, Parkson Plaza, 101 Fuxingmennei Dajie, Xicheng District (157 1286 8485, info@iqair-china.com) 8) Daily 10am-10pm. B1/F, Parkson Plaza Taiyanggong, Bldg 1, 12 Qi Sheng Zhongjie, Chaoyang District, Beijing, Chaoyang District (157 1286 8454, info@iqair-china.com) 9) Mon-Thu 10am-9pm, Fri-Sun 10am-10pm.

B1/F, Golden Resources New Yansha Mall, 1 Yuanda Lu, Haidian District (157 1286 9044, info@iqair-china.com) www.iqair-china.com1) 朝阳区, 霄云路36号国航大厦1801-03室 2) 西 城区, 金城坊街金融街417号四层 3) 顺义区, 天竺镇裕翔路99号欧陆广场地下一层03A 4) 朝 阳区, 建国路87号新光天地5层生活家电区 5) 朝阳区, 亮马桥路52号燕莎友谊商城5层 6) 朝 阳区, 建国门外大街22号赛特购物中心地下二层 7) 西城区, 复兴门内大街101号6层百盛复兴门 店家电部 8) 朝阳区, 七圣中街12号院1号楼B1 百盛太阳宫店生活家电区 9) 海淀区, 远大路1 号金源新燕莎商城地下1层 Airgle Air Purifiers Airgle is an American brand air purifier that has been consecutively ranked at the top by AHAM ((Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers). The purifiers are designed to capture 0.01 micron at 99 percent efficiency. Airgle sells different sized purifiers and HEPA filters. Daily 10am-8pm.

Unit 2302, Central Place Apartments Building NO.4 ,89 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District., Chaoyang District (400-0064-365 (Sales Hotline), harlin@xin-meng.com) http:// airglexm.tmall.com (e-store)奥郎格空气净化器 朝阳区, 北京市朝阳区建国路89号华贸商务4号 楼2302室（华贸公寓院内） Beijing Torana Clean Air Center Air purifiers from Blueair, pollution masks from Totobobo and Vogmask. Free home assessments and delivery. 1) 10.30am6.30pm. Unit 308, Pinnacle Plaza, Shunyi District (8046 1091) 2) Daily 10am-8.30pm.

Unit LB09, 1/F, Europlaza Mall, Shunyi District (8459 0785) www.toranacleanair.com/index. html1) 顺义区, 天竺镇花梨坎村南“荣祥广 场308室 2) 顺义区, 天竺镇裕翔路99号欧陆 广场LB09 RGF Pro-active Air Purification System Relative newcomer to the air purifier market.11/F, North Tower, Daheng Technology Towers, Suzhou Dajie, Haidian District (400 818 6660, www.dahengit.com) 美国艾洁弗主动式空气净化器海淀区, 苏州街大 恒科技大厦北座11层

Department Stores, Malls & Markets

HealthPro® Swiss Made by IQAir AG With record levels of air pollution, families need an air purifier now more than ever.

Protect your health with one of HealthPro®’s top-rated air cleaning systems. HealthPro® Swiss Made by IQAir AG promises nearperfect levels of clean air with zero loss of efficiency between filter changes. The type

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Tianle Toy Market Located just behind Hongqiao Pearl Market, this four-floor building has hundreds of booths selling children’s toys (including Legos, dolls, wooden toys for toddlers, board games, and animal figurines), Halloween costumes, sports gear, Chinese handicrafts, wedding supplies, stationery, and office supplies. Daily 8.30am-7pm. 136 Fahuasi Jie, Chongwen District (6711 7499) 天乐玩具市场崇文区, 法华寺街136号 Tianyi Market Established in Beijing for over 20 years, the massive Tianyi Market sells everything you could ever need: clothes,

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electronics, cosmetics, seasonal decorations, kitchenware – you name it. Don’t be fooled by the Christmas theme; the market also has Halloween costumes, Chinese New Year decorations, and other seasonal supplies.

There’s also a smaller branch in Di’anmen, but it doesn’t have anywhere near the selection of the original location. 1) Daily 7.30am-5.30pm. 259 Fuchengmen Waidajie, Xicheng District (6832 7607) 2) Daily 9am7.30pm. 158 Di’anmen Waidajie, Dongcheng District (6406 1800) 天意市场 1) 西城区, 阜 成门外大街259号 2) 东城区, 地安门外大街 158号

Hair & Beauty Salons Z Hairdressing Z Hairdressing believes in listening to each client, and creating lasting relationships. Their highly trained team, lead

by Salon Creative Director Scarlet Salmons, offers the latest cuts, colors, and styles. Daily 10am-9pm. B1-003, Building 5, 8 Xindong Lu Complex, Chaoyang District. (8424 4533) 朝 阳区新东路8号院5号 楼B1-003

Home Accessories and Gear

in the Highparty’s party shop. 18 Toufa Hutong, Xidan, Xicheng District (6238 6392, 942290981@qq.com) www.highparty.cn 西城 区, 西单头发胡同18号 Kidsmile Children’s Party Kidsmile Children’s Party is a Beijing-based company that plans children’s parties. Services include themes, games, helium balloons, decorations, party supplies, face painting, kids’ dress-up, bubbles, magic shows, clowns, and goody bags. Bouncy castles, tables, chairs, popcorn and cotton candy machines are available for rent. (5945 8806) www.haizishengri.com Nina Griffee Body Art and Face Painting Service Nina Griffee Body art and Face Painting Services offers a variety of services including face painting at childrens birthday parties, Face Painting Workshops, Body Painting, Halloween Fancy dress painting, Corporate Body art services, Henna and more. (152 1001 7548, ninagriffee@hotmail. co.uk) ww.ninagriffee.co.uk Tot 2 Teen Tot 2 Teen offers one-stop shopping for birthday supplies, including wrapping paper, gifts, ribbons, party favors, birthday cards, and more. The store also carries a small selection of children’s clothing and Halloween costumes. Daily 9am-7pm.

703 Pinnacle Plaza, Tianzhu Real Estate Development Zone, Shunyi District (8046 4419 tot-to-teen@hotmail.com) 红马车儿童 用品商店顺义区, 天竺房地产开发区荣祥广 场703号 Two Zi Balloons For memorable balloon displays, specialty supplier Two Zi Balloons can supply balloon archways, balloon animals, balloon centerpieces, balloon columns, and more. Rm 508, Hopson Kirin Agency Building 2, Wangjing, Chaoyang District (186 1137 0239)兔子气球, 朝阳 区望京合生麒麟社2号 楼508室

Photography Studios Home Accessories and Gear Vogmask® China Vogmask is the leading anti-pollution mask available in China. Using a revolutionary microfiber filtration fabric, it filters an average of 99.978% of particulate matter (PM) – including tiny PM2.5 particles.

Vogmask meets US FDA requirements for N99 rating, meaning it outperforms standard N95 masks. Vogmask comes in sizes suitable for babies, young children, teens and adults. They require no filter changes and can be used for hundreds of hours without replacement. Vogmask designs can also be customized for businesses and schools.

Rm 1801, Air China Plaza, No.36 Xiaoyun Lu, Chaoyang District (400 650 1253, info@ vogmask.cn) www.vogmask.cn威隔口罩朝阳 区, 霄云路36号国航大厦1801室Vogmask® China Vogmask is the leading anti-pollution mask available in China. Using a revolutionary microfiber filtration fabric, it filters an average of 99.978% of particulate matter (PM) – including tiny PM2.5 particles. Vogmask meets US FDA requirements for N99 rating, meaning it outperforms standard N95 masks.

Vogmask comes in sizes suitable for babies, young children, teens and adults. They require no filter changes and can be used for hundreds of hours without replacement.

Vogmask designs can also be customized for businesses and schools.Rm 1801, Air China Plaza, No.36 Xiaoyun Lu, Chaoyang District (400 650 1253, info@vogmask.cn) www. vogmask.cn威隔口罩朝阳区, 霄云路36号国航 大厦1801室

Other Services Highparty’s Kids Party Highparty’s Kids Party can provide party essentials, such as games, balloons, clowns and other performers, for your next kids’ party in Beijing. Balloons, invitations, arts and crafts, goodie bags, and pinatas are also available

Mishka Family Photography This husband and wife team speak Russian, English and Chinese. Offers professional portraits, actions shots, and specializes in photographing children. 1) C3, Fuli City, Shuangjing Qiao, Chaoyang District (, maxim@mishka.pro) 2) Rm 1910, CAMEO Center, Guangshunnan Dajie, Chaoyang District (, maxim@mishka. pro) www.mishka.cn1) 朝阳区, 双井桥富力城 C3 2) 朝阳区, 广顺南大街嘉美中心1910 PiXSTUDIO Founded by Texas native Dave Hanssen, PiXSTUDIO is Beijing’s premier creative fine art portrait studio specializing in 100-day portraits, kids, and commercial photography. Frequent beijingkids collaborator.7/F, Bldg 2, Wanda Plaza, 93 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District (6500 1663, service@pixstudio.com.cn) www.pixstudio. com.cn美国大卫儿童摄影朝阳区, 建国路93号 万达广场2号楼7层 Moxue Zhang Photography Trained at the Hallmark Institute of Photography in the US, Moxue Zhang is a portrait photographer with a studio in Central Park. While her focus lies on children and female solo portraits, Moxue has experience with a wide range of subjects – from weddings to executive portraits – and welcomes challenging assignments. Rather than mass production, the outcome of each shoot is an individual piece of art. For onlocation shoots, Moxue is relatively flexible within or around Beijing. Appointments are best booked one month in advance to guarantee availability; walk-in clients are not accepted. www.moxuezhang.com, moxue@ moxuezhang.com 默雪映像

Sports Basketball Beijing Falcons Basketball Club Beijing Falcons Basketball Club (formerly known as Basketball World) is a well recognized basketball organization that caters to expat families. The club’s players are mainly from

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schools such as Western Academy of Beijing (WAB), International School of Beijing (ISB), and Dulwich College Beijing (DCB). The teams are divided by age group of U14, U16, and U19 and at the beginning of every season the club adds more teams. This club is a great opportunity for students to meet other students who share the same interest, and are all seeking to improve their basketball skills. Open to all.北京菲尔肯斯篮 球俱乐部

Climbing O’le Climbing O’le’s top-roping and lead climbing wall is 12.5m high and features 7 roped climbing stations with numerous professionally-set routes suitable for novices and experts alike. Staff members frequently change the holids and routes, so there’s something new every time. The center also has one of the best indoor bouldering rooms in China, with 150sqm of verticals, slabs, bulges, and a 45° overhanging wall. Mon-Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-8pm. 5 Shimencun Lu, Baiziwan Qiao Dong, Dongsihuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District (186 1846 1002, oleclimbing@gmail.com) www.oleclimbing. com奥莱攀岩朝阳区, 朝阳区东四环中路百子湾 桥东石门村路5号

Football (Soccer) Beijing Kickers German Football Club The Beijing Kickers are the first German Youth Football Club in Beijing. Their all year round Junior Coaching program is intended for boys and girls aged 3-11 years and they offer regular lessons in German and English language. By using modern and age-appropriate training methods, their experienced coaches will enhance the football skills of your child. Moreover, they focus on moral values, education through sports, communication, enthusiasm and passion.Room 3053, Building no. 1,No. 5 Liu Fang Nan Li, Chaoyang District (, info@ beijingkickers.com) www.beijingkickers.com 朝阳区, 北京市朝阳区柳芳南里甲5号1号楼3053 ClubFootball 9am-6pm. Unit A316, Door 3, Zone A1, Zhaowei Huadeng Plaza, Zhaowei Building #51, 14 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District (5130 6893/4/5/6, coaching@wanguoqunxing.com, activities@ wanguoqunxing.com) www.wanguoqunxing. com万国群星足球俱乐部朝阳区, 万国群星办 公室位于朝阳区酒仙桥路14号兆维华灯大厦A1 区3门A316，工作时间为上午9点至下午6点。 联系方式为

Hiking Beijing Hikers Hikes of varying difficulty in villages near Beijing. Open to everyone. Call for info on hikes and what to bring. Prices vary for overnight hikes; weekend hikes are RMB 250/300 (adult), half price for children under 12, including round trip transport, snacks and drinks after the hike, detailed map of the hike and professional guidance.

Advance reservations necessary. RMB 200/yr membership gets a 10% discount on regular hikes. Mon-Fri 9am-6pm. Rm 601, Bldg 2, Xinhualian Ligang, 26 Jiuxianqiao Zhonglu, Chaoyang District (6432 2786, info@ beijinghikers.com) www.beijinghikers.com朝 阳区, 酒仙桥中路26号新华联丽港2号楼601室 China Hiking Operated by Dutch and Chinese guides, China Hiking (formerly known as Dandelion Hiking) specializes in off-the-beaten-path hikes and trips around Beijing and China. Groups are kept small and most hikes include lunch at a farmer’s house. Most one-day hikes cost RMB 360450. The Great Wall overnight camping trips are highly recommended and include food, transportation, sleeping bags, and tents.

(156 5220 0950, info@chinahiking.cn) www. chinahiking.cn

Ice Skating

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All Star Champion Skating Club Lace up your skates and do a Kim Yu-Na of South Korea (Kim’s the current world champion in ladies figure skating, couch potatoes). - All Star Ice Rink was founded by Wang Rui, figure skating gold medalist in the 1999 Asian Winter Games, and Li Ning, the legendary gymnast who lit the torch during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. Located on the first floor of Solana mall, the ice rink covers 800 square meters and uses equipment that meets international standards, creating a rink fit for both entertainment and professional competition. For adolescents new to the sport, All-Star offers classes. Especially precocious athletes can request coaches from the Chinese national skating team.

Private lessons (Chinese only) are priced at RMB 135-200/40min. RMB 30 (Before 6 pm), 40 (After 6pm), 50 (Holidays & Weekends) for admission. Daily 10am-10pm. 1/F, Solana Lifestyle Shopping Park, 6 Chaoyang Gongyuan Lu., Chaoyang District (5905 6328) 全明星滑冰俱乐部朝阳区, 朝阳公园路6号蓝色 港湾国际商区首层 Dulwich Ice Rink In addition to offering ice skating and ice hockey courses for ages 4-18 through its Dulwich Community Programmes, Dulwich College Beijing opens its ice rink to the public on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission costs RMB 50 (including skate rentals). Sat 3.30-7pm, Sun 10am-6pm.

Dulwich College Beijing, Legend Garden Villas, 89 Capital Airport Road, Shunyi District (6454 9150, dcp@dulwich-beijing.cn) www. dulwich-beijing.cn 德威英国国际学校冰场， 顺义区首都机场路89号丽京花园7区北京德威英 国国际学校 Le Cool Chills and spills for skaters and shoppers at this small indoor rink in the World Trade Center. Be warned that the rink can get seriously crowded with ice princesses on holidays and weekend afternoons. Weekdays: RMB 30 for 90 min (10am-6pm), RMB 40 for 90 min (6-10pm). Weekends: RMB 50 for 90 min. Skate rental included. Daily 10am10pm. B2/F, China World Shopping Mall, 1 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District (6505 5776) www.lecoolicerink.com, lecool@ cwtc.com 国贸溜冰场朝阳区, 建国门外大街1 号国贸地下2层

Martial Arts Black Tiger Fight Club Founded in 2006, Black Tiger Fight Club is the only complete MMA training center that caters primarily to expats. The center’s coaching team consists of world champions, UFC veteran coaches and fighters, and certified conditioning coaches. With two locations in Beijing, Black Tiger Fighting Club Beijing offers martial arts and fitness classes for women, kids, teens, and adults, including Muay Thai, kickboxing, Brazilian jiujitsu, wrestling, boxing, and weekend self-defense workshops. 1) 2/F, 5 Laiguanying Donglu (across from WAB, west of Lane Bridge Villa), Chaoyang District (, info@blacktigerclub.com) 2) Sino-Japanese Youth Exchange Center Gymnasium, 40 Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (, info@ blacktigerclub.com) www.blacktigerclub. com1) 朝阳区, 莱广营东路5号2层（京西学 校对面，长岛澜桥西侧） 2) 朝阳区, 亮马桥 路40号

Misc Sports Heyrobics Based on the Swedish fitness movement of jympa, Heyrobics was brought to Beijing by one of the founder’s sons, Linus Holmsater. Classes are instantly recognizable from the enthusiastic, pink-shorted instructors. Each one-hour session combines strength, running, agility, and cardio. There are three difficulty levels (starter, medium, and intensive) set to eclectic, instructordesigned playlists. Taking places in venues across Liangmaqiao, Sanlitun, and the CBD, programs also include HeyRunning, Core, and Circuit classes. RMB 40 per session (members), RMB 50 for non-members. www.

heyrobics.com

Multi-Sports Organizations Flips & Kicks Plus Formerly known as Beijing Sports Plus, Flips & Kicks Plus specializes in providing gymnastics and martial arts coaching to Beijing’s international community. Kids can improve their physical condition, co-ordinaton, concentration, selfesteem and confidence in a stimulating, challenging, safe and fun environment.

Programs are taught in English by qualified international staff. (info@flipsandkicksplus. com) www.flipsandkicksplus.com Sports Beijing Sports Beijing is a nonprofit organization that provides sports and recreational activities to the children of Beijing. Modeled after North American and European community sports organizations, Sports Beijing offers more than 15 sports and recreational programs, including baseball, basketball, flag football, floor ball, gymnastics, ice hockey, martial arts, rugby, skiing, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field/athletics. Available for young athletes (ages 4-18) and their families. Mon-Fri 10am-6pm. 2/F, Lido Country Club, 6 Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang District (6430 1370) www. sportsbj.org

Scuba Diving SinoScuba Founded in 2003 by PADI IDC Staff Instructor Steven Schwankert, SinoScuba offers PADI scuba diving courses from Discover Scuba Diving up to Assistant Instructor. Confined water dives usually take place at Blue Zoo Beijing, with shark and dolphin fun dives available at Beijing Aquarium. Suitable for ages 10 and up. (186 1113 3629, steven@sinoscuba.com) www. sinoscuba.com

Swimming Aqua Warriors Swimming Club Founded in 2011, Aqua Warriors Swimming Club counts more than 300 swimmers among its members. The club regularly cooperates with American and Canadian swim clubs and has held two world-standard training camps in the past. It also organizes annual swim meets in Beijing. Teachers use scientific training methods to enhance students’ interest in swimming and improve their performance.勇 者体育俱乐部 Dragon Fire Swim Team Nearly 130 international students receive training in competitive swimming under the tutelage of founder and head coach Kevin Hua.

Instruction is offered for kids ages 4-18 at the beginning (able to swim 10m), intermediate and advanced levels. The team has competed in races in Singapore and Hong Kong, and also competes with local Chinese teams.

RMB 60-90 per lesson, RMB 1,200-4,500 per season (depends on the level, number of times a week, etc), plus RMB 300 registration fee. Classes held at WAB, CISB, BSB, and DCB. Contact Dragon Fire’s Coach Hua to find out about age ranges, detailed schedules, and program fees. www.dragonfire.com.cn, dragonfireswimming@gmail.com Mookey Swim Club Tue-Sun, 9am-6pm.

Rm H101, Chateau Regency, Chaoyang District (next to Beijing United Family Hospital), Chaoyang District, Chaoyang District (400 879 9086 / 158 1009 8275, sunny_mookey@foxmail.com) www. mookeyswim.com 朝阳区, 朝阳区芳园西路和 乔丽晶H101室

Yoga & Pilates Prana Vikasa Yoga Shala Prana Vikasa Yoga Shala is the only non-commercial yoga school in Beijing dedicated to teaching the traditional and pure form of Indian yoga.

Their yogi masters help pave the way to better understanding yourself and your potential for happiness and health. Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat-Sun 9am-6.30pm. Rm 2409, North Tower, Shangdu SOHO, 8 Dongdaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (5869 6438, info@ pranavikasa.com) www.pranavikasa.com 朝阳 区东大桥路8号尚都 Soho 北塔楼2409.

Yoga Yard Yard Vinyasa (flow) yoga classes offered daily, mornings and evenings, at various levels. offers pre- and postnatal yoga, introduction to yoga, restorative yoga, and other workshops. Yoga books, mats and wellness products also available. Kids yoga for ages 4 and above. RMB 400 for a four-week session. Mon-Thu 7.15am-9.30pm, Fri-Sun 7.15am-8pm. Fri-Sun 7.15am-8pm.

6/F, 17 Gongti Beilu (across from the north gate of Workers’ Stadium), Chaoyang District (6413 0774, info@yogayard.com) www. yogayard.com 瑜珈苑朝阳区, 工体北路17号6 层工人体育场北门对面

Space in the magazine directories is extremely limited; priority is given to advertisers as well as venues and/or organizations covered in this month’s issue. For a complete directory of listings, visit the beijingkids website at www.beijing-kids.com.

November 2014 beijingkids

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Brent: “I’m thankful to my family for supporing me in this big move away from friends and family back in the US. I’m also thankful to my colleagues at Intel, partners, and customers who have warmly embraced me into their lives and granted me the opportunity to fully immerse myself in Chinese business, culture, and traditions.”

Cindy: “I’m thankful to learn more about my Chinese roots. I emigrated from Xiao Jiang, a small town in Guangxi in South China at age 9.

Living in [a historical Chinese environment like] Beijing is proving to be quite different from growing up in a Chinese community in San Francisco!

It’s also nice to take time off from my career to be more involved in the kids’ lives and be able to enjoy one of my favorite pastimes again: tennis.”

Madelyn: “I’m grateful to meet new friends from different places. I’m grateful for play dates and birthday parties, especially when there are magic and acrobat shows.”

Weston: “I’m thankful for flying on airplanes and taking super fast high-speed trains. I also like dim sum and new food in Beijing, especially ganbian sijidou (dryfried green beans).”

The Young Family

T

he Young Family moved to Beijing from San Francisco a year and a half ago. Dad Brent is the director of product marketing for Intel and mom Cindy used to manage a children’s clothing company called Tea before becoming a full-time parent. They have two children, both of whom attend Dulwich College Beijing: Madelyn (age 6) and Weston (5). To help us get into the Thanksgiving spirit, the Young family lets us in on what they are thankful for. Yvette Ferrari photo: ken

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From left: Cindy, Madelyn2014 (age 6), Weston (5), and Brent Young inside the Beijing Riviera compound beijingkids August