Urban Family: April/May 2015

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in Shanghai + How to Talk to your Child’s Coach Club Med Guilin Travel Crafts, Games, Reviews, Health, Food and More!

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April / May 2015

SCIS

Scholarship Program SCIS wants you‌.

Are you a student with an exceptional record in academics, the arts, creative writing, technology and/or a special talent?

If you are entering grade 9, 10, or 11 and can answer yes to the above question‌ Then apply for an Excellence Foundation Scholarship.

For more information or to apply please visit http://www.scis-his.org/form/scholarship-program or contact the SCIS admission office at admission@scischina.org

The art and science of education since 1996

Chief Editor Camilla Ohlsson Production Manager Ivy Zhang 张怡然 Designer Tiffany Qian 钱星元, Candice Shen 沈晓露 Contributing Editor Emily Wetzki Contributors Grainne Quinlan/Red Rooster Photos, Yvonne Murray, Andrew Chin, Iddo Goren, Craft’d Shanghai, Brandon Fisher, Michelle Chapman, Laurianne Gidrol, John Brennan, Daniela Kister, Matt Kuykendall, Margaret Keefe, Nate Balfanz, Jared Maisel, Oliver Tang, Kristi Wang, Trevor Marshallsea, Kirsten Tytherleigh

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On the Cover

This issue’s cover features artwork by Year 3-4 students at Yew Chung International School of Shanghai (YCIS) Regency Park Campus. Art teacher Anita Dai explains how they were created: “First, I took a photo of the students as they posed doing their favorite sport. I used an app called ‘Outline Magic’ to create an outline of the image. Then, I transferred that image onto sturdy paper and used a craft knife to cut it out (I had to do this part by myself because the students were too young to use knives).

32 38 24

C ONTENTS 4 Urban Blurbs

Life & Culture 6 Our Favorite Things 7 Travel: Club Med Guilin 9 Review: Big Hero 6 11 Events 12 Fun & Games: Family Fun Using Only Paper and Pencils 14 Fashion: Sports Gear for the Family 16 Crafts: Make Your Own Kite!

Learning 20 SCIS School Athlete: Wouter Vlas 21 Swimming at Wellington College 23 Stoke City FC Academy: Premier League Club Coaching at WISS 23 Student Athlete: Eddy 24 iPods in PE: Kids Get in “Touch” with Their Physical Fitness 24 BISCAP: Expanding Students’ Passions at BISS Puxi 25 Student Athlete Interview: Rachel Kim on Sports at SAS 26 Teachers’ Roundtable Discussion: Sports at School and in Life Cover Story 30 Shanghai Youth Basketball Development League: More than Just Basketball 2

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The students were learning about ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ space and worked on 3 subsequent projects. They used soft pastels to make their negative images glow, and created their own stamps and used printmaking techniques to apply it to the positive image. Finally, they took the positive image and placed it under a silkscreen to use as a stencil and create a negative image of themselves.”

The artworks on the cover were created by Carlotto, Amelie, Jake, Johann, Jun, Sunny and Logan, Year 3-4, YCIS.

32 Auskick with Shanghai Tigers: Australian Rules Football for Kids 34 Shanghai International Youth Soccer League: Taking Soccer in Shanghai to New Levels 36 “Hey, Coach!”: How to Talk to Your Child’s Coach Food & Fun 38 Kids in the Kitchen: Lobster Cooking Class at STCC 40 Restaurant Review: POP – American Brasserie on the Bund 42 Eat Well: Real Food for Every Athlete Wellbeing 44 Big Game Anxiety: How Parents can help Manage Kids’ Performance-related Worries 45 Blogger Kristy Recommends: Chinese Beauty Brands 46 Exercise vs. Exercise: Identifying your Goal and Knowing the Risks 48 Urban Scenes 50 Events 53 Listings 56 Tigerfather

Editor’s Note

P

laying sports is a good thing. I know that.

Everyone knows that. Back in my middle school days, we had PE lessons three days a week in order to “promote a healthy lifestyle that will follow students into adulthood.”

If you’re wondering why I put sarcastic quotation marks around this phrase, it’s not because there’s something wrong with the idea. In fact, it’s a great idea; it’s just that there is a reason why about half of my class used to keep a stack of notes in their locker that were copies of letters their mom had written to the teacher that one time they were actually sick, so they wouldn’t have to participate in PE. These hand-copied notes were used frequently, and no one seemed to question the number of times per year a child could get mono or why Mrs. Johnson’s signature looked so shaky. If you didn’t possess any of these notes and didn’t have the nerve to try a freestyle version - but you were, in fact, a girl - you could always pull the “I’m on my period” card. The teacher would feel too awkward to question whether this was a valid reason for skipping class each month.

In our defense, PE wasn’t half as inspiring as it is at some schools today. I mean, come on! Skiing in Japan and scuba diving in the Philippines? Since when is this a natural part of a school’s curriculum? (I’m looking at you, international schools of Shanghai!)

I guess I’m just jealous. I believe that if you grow up as an expat child in this city, there is a very high chance that you will continue being active throughout your life. Just take a look at this issue of Urban Family and you’ll find enough support for my thesis: on page 20, you can read about Champions League soccer club Stoke City at WISS; on page 21, Britannica’s students are using iPods to track their physical exercise. Kids are offered sports like swimming (performed in an Olympic-sized pool on campus, of course), climbing, fencing and more, and there are plenty of activities outside of school as well, which you can read about in this issue’s cover story.

If I had all of these options before it was too late, I would probably be a professional athlete by now. OK, maybe not a professional one. (I mean, there is still chocolate in this world.) But I could not imagine a better start to a child or a teenager’s active life than what many of them are getting here in Shanghai.

Camilla Ohlsson Chief Editor

www.urban-family.com

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urban blurbs events

Mandarin Mastery It’s time to get active and it’s time to learn Chinese!

Why not kill two birds with one stone?

Sport

Health

Soccer

Pulse

Basketball

Muscle

Tennis

Competition

Run

Game

Jump

Team

Sweat

Coach

运动 Yùndòng 足球 Zúqiú 篮球 Lánqiú

网球 Wǎngqiú 跑步 Păobù 跳 Tiào 汗 Hàn

健康 Jiànkāng 脉冲 Màichōng 肌肉 Jīròu

竞争 Jìngzhēng

urban blurbs

游戏 Yóuxì 球队 Qiú duì 教练 Jiàoliàn

// This section is contributed by Mandarin House (6137 1987, www.mandarinhouse.com）

“Cave man” Admits to Lying Shi Zhiyong became a national hero after it was revealed that the 35-year-old had been voluntarily living in a cave in Shandong Province in order, so he said, to save money from his docking job to send to his family at home in Jinan. After his extreme living conditions became known to the public, however, it was clear that a bit more was going on. It turned out that Shi’s wife had thought he was dead, and claimed not to have received any money.

According to Shi’s former employer, he had resigned last April.

Shi admitted to lying about saving money for his family.

His relatives found out he was still alive after they saw him online, and Shi is now planning to resume life with his wife and children in Jinan. It is still unclear why Shi decided to leave home for life in the cave, where he could only take showers once a month and survived on sesame seed cakes and cafeteria food at his workplace.

Shanghai Wins Title of ‘China’s Best Expat City’ for Third Time According to a recent study by International Talent magazine and the China Society for Research on International Professional Personnel Exchange and Development, Shanghai is the most attractive destination in China for foreign expats. This is the fifth time the ranking has been released and the third time that Shanghai has held the first place title. After Shanghai, Beijing comes in second followed by Shenzhen, Tianjin, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Suzhou, Xiamen and Kunming.

The 20,000 people residing throughout China who participated in the survey also listed both positive and negative aspects of living and working in Shanghai. Some of the perks included the convenience, working efficiency and open-mindedness of the city.

On the downside, air and water quality, government service, social security, medical insurance and infrastructure were all things that, according to the participants, could be improved.

Shanghai has a population of 88,000 foreigners, accounting for one-sixth of China’s total number. Generally, the survey showed that expats in all Chinese cities would like to see improvements in areas such as medical insurance, visas and green cards.

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Shanghai’s Population Keeps Growing Decreasing Number of Chinese Students Abroad It is a widely-held assumption that Chinese parents see attending university abroad as a valuable opportunity for their children. However, a recent report by the International Exchange Office of the Shanghai Educational Commission shows that the number of students who have been granted a spot at Western universities and then attended the schools has fallen sharply. Besides the often enormous sums that families spend for a degree from a foreign university, it has been shown that there are other factors affecting students’ decisions to stay in their home country. Many graduates complain that, when they return to China, they lack valuable connections that could facilitate the process of finding good career opportunities. A study at Ben Gurion University in Israel also shows that social and cultural influences can play a big role in a student’s decision. In addition, many foreign universities focus more on creative and analytical skills, compared to Chinese universities where this is not always a natural part of the curriculum. Therefore, it can be difficult for Chinese students to adjust to new methods and perform well during their studies at a foreign university.

According to Shanghai Daily, the population of Shanghai increased by 105,300 during last year, reaching 24.3 million at the end of 2014.

Only 14.3 million of these people are registered in Shanghai, however, meaning that the city is home to 10 million migrant workers who have stayed more than six months. Despite the drastic numbers, the increase has actually slowed compared to the previous year, when the city’s population grew by around 297,700.

Already being one of the most populated cities in the world, however, the growth is not expected to have any drastic consequences, as planners are constantly working on improving the city’s infrastructure.

Trams to Make a Comeback in Shanghai It has been 40 years since they were last seen on the city’s streets, but trams are returning as part of a new public transportation scheme in downtown Shanghai. A 13 km line is planned to run along the west bank of the Huangpu River between Nanpu and Xupu bridges. This will be the newest line and is scheduled to undergo construction in 2017. Planners hope to ease traffic congestion and provide a low-carbon transportation option for residents and tourists.

Two networks in Songjiang (connecting to Line 9) and Qingpu districts were also approved last year and are scheduled to be completed in 2017.

Trams were first introduced in Shanghai in 1908. At their peak, there were more than 300 trams moving through the city before the network was closed in 1970. Since then, there has been only one tram line running in Shanghai, near the Zhangjiang High Tech Park in Pudong.

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Life & culture

Our Favorite Things The Duggan-Hynes Family

by Camilla Ohlsson

J

enni Duggan and Stephen Hynes have lived in Shanghai for about three years. They are originally from Dublin, Ireland and now they live with their 20-month-old son Benjamin in the Former French Concession. Here are their favorite things.

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Our go-to restaurant is Hunan House on Fuxing Lu. We used to live in the next laneway so it became our “local.” The food is always great and the staff welcoming even when we have an active toddler in tow!

Favorite Outdoor Spot The Xuhui riverside is a favorite for running when the pollution levels are low.

Favorite Place to Play

friends visiting from home or abroad we usually take them to laowai-friendly Lost Heaven.

Favorite Place to Travel We lived in Hong Kong almost ten years ago and it’s lovely to go back and visit our favorite places and catch up with friends.

we are big fans of our friend, singer and author Liu Jian and try to make it along to his performances.

Favorite Place to Shop

Favorite Memory of Shanghai

Mostly online: Kate and Kimi, Taobao and Epermarket.

Our favorite memory is bringing Ben home from the hospital when he was three days old. It was exciting and terrifying in equal measure to be home and looking after our little person on our own for the first time.

Xiangyang Park is our son Ben’s favorite spot to run around. On the weekends it is a lovely spot to stroll around with people doing Tai Chi and groups of ballroom dancers.

Favorite Area of Shanghai

Favorite Date Night Spot

Favorite Place for Adventures

We like to try new places when we can. La Queue Du Chiot is pretty unique and is perfect for a special date like an anniversary.

Shanghai is a great place for adventures just walking down the street can be an adventure! The old town is great for rambling around the tiny laneways. Since we live in the Former French Concession, going to Lujiazui can feel a little like an adventure amidst the sky scrapers.

Favorite Activity for a Rainy Day Little Bugz play center is our go-to for a rainy or badly polluted day.

Favorite Place to Go With Friends With kids in tow we often go to D.O.C on Dongping Lu. Without kids, and in a big group, Hot Pot King on the corner of Fuxing Lu and Huaihai Lu is fun. If we have

Red Rooster Photos

Favorite Restaurant

With its tree-lined streets and quirky little lanes our favorite area is the Former French Concession, where we live.

Favorite Place to Relax

Hunan House // Lane 49, Fuxing Xi Lu Wulumuqi Lu 复兴西路49 弄2号, 近乌鲁木齐路 (3461 1377)

Xiangyang Park //1008 Huaihai Lu, by Xiangyang Lu 襄阳公园, 淮 海中路1008号, 近襄阳路 (5404 2208)

La Queue Du Chiot //No 5, Lane 25, Gaolan Lu by Ruijin Er Lu 皋兰路25 弄5号, 近瑞金二路 (157 2114 6817)

Little Bugz //285 Jianguo Xi Lu by Jiashan Lu建国西路285号, 近嘉善路 (6120 8350, www.littlebugz.com)

D.O.C

It’s always lovely to walk through your own front door – nowhere is as relaxing as home.

Favorite Place for Culture

// 5 Dongping Lu by Yueyang Lu东平路5号, 近岳阳 路 (6473 9394)

Hot Pot King // 2/F, 1416 Huaihai Lu by Fuxing Lu淮海路1416号 楼, 近复兴路 (6473 6380)

Lost Heaven

Since having Ben we haven’t been as engaged in cultural events in Shanghai but

// 38 Gaoyou Lu by Fuxing Xi Lu 高邮路38号, 近复 兴西路 (6433 5126)

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Life & culture

Club Med Guilin

All-inclusive Family Downtime

By Yvonne Murray

Do you remember what holidays used to be like?

Bobbing in the waves, strolling carefree across the dunes, sipping cocktails at sunset.

“She arrived immediately with the head of housekeeping and a crack team who scrubbed and mopped the floor until it was clean enough to eat your dinner on, which is just as well because that’s exactly what the baby does.”

Suddenly, a vacation became an exhausting grind trying to stop your toddler running into the infinity pool, desperately searching the buffet for something she might actually ingest – and the sunset?

Forget it. That’s bath time.

Club Med, the French purveyor of the allinclusive activity-packed family holiday, has long understood that occupied kids mean relaxed parents. Now they’re bringing their winning formula to China with ambitious plans to open two “villages” a year. My husband and I, along with our three young children, visited the one near Guilin - an easy two-hour flight and 45-minute taxi ride from Shanghai.

The 46-hectare grounds were once home to a sculpture park, and the hundred or so intriguing and stunning works of art are dotted among the trees and lakes. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Karst mountain range (as seen on the RMB20 bill) the scenery is a salve for the nature-deprived traveler from Shanghai.

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Yvonne Murray

Then you had kids.

The trouble with pitching up in Guangxi in the low season is the weather. It changes hourly, and don’t be surprised if you are casting off your warmer layers one minute only to be drenched in a sudden downpour the next. But there is one major advantage: you don’t have to queue for the buffet – a danger in summertime.

The standard rooms do not have bathtubs, something I find distinctly odd for a family hotel – although small baby baths are provided. Anyway, the kids were delighted with their Baby Welcome Pack mini bathrobes, slippers, signature tshirts and a platter of exotic fruit.

But on closer inspection, I noticed the floor looked a bit dirty. Not a good start. I called our gentil organisateur (GO) – Club Med’s term for staff. She arrived immediately with the head of housekeeping and a crack team who scrubbed and mopped the floor until it was clean enough to eat your dinner on, which is just as well because that’s exactly what the baby does.

Full marks for responsiveness.

This service was the shape of things to come. Can you make me some special baby food? No problem. Is it ok if the children go to the same activities instead of being split into two different age groups?

Let me check. Yes, that’s fine. Run out of an essential toiletry item? I’ll see if they have it in the shop and if not I’ll get it for you in Guilin on my day off. You have a lot of kids’ clothes to wash? I’ll see if I can get a discount on the laundry for you.

For the multi-lingual GOs, nothing was too much trouble. Their enthusiasm is admirable and spills over into mealtimes when they are keen to engage you in conversation. This is part of their job and can be politely declined if you’re not in the mood for chitchat.

“For me, leaping off a trapeze and scaling a rock face were terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure.”

For the little ones, the truly excellent Mini Club runs programs daily from 9am till late. At first our kids dipped in and out, but by day three we couldn’t tear them away.

While they are busy with swimming, biking, treasure-hunts, team-based games, cookie-making, mini-Picasso painting, putting on theater performances and even becoming flying trapeze artists, it gives parents time to try out the grownup activities including archery, rockclimbing, mountain-biking, yoga, tai chi, ping-pong, golf and tennis. The highlight for my husband was biking through the mountain villages, led by a former professional cyclist. For me, leaping off a trapeze and scaling a rock face were terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure.

If that all sounds like too much effort, you can retreat to the plush “Comfort Zone” spa. Treatments here are extra but the luxurious “Paradise for Two” is well worth the splurge.

If it’s sun you seek, you can pull up a lounge chair by the natural pool or sink your toes into the artificial sand on the small lakeside beach. The indoor pool

“If you’d told me five years ago I’d be going on the type of holiday where they tie a little blue string around your wrist on arrival to signal you are on the “all-inclusive” deal, I would have laughed in your face.” changing rooms, which were lined with rather uninviting rubber matting, could do with a spruce-up. However, this didn’t stop us swimming every day.

If you’d told me five years ago I’d be going on the type of holiday where they tie a little blue string around your wrist on

arrival to signal you are on the “all-inclusive” deal, I would have laughed in your face. But that was before I realized the phrase “family holiday” is an oxymoron.

When you’ve got kids under five, adventures like trekking in Burma or cycling the Mekong Delta are not in the cards. In the meantime, do yourself a favor: order another glass of complimentary wine and take in the GOs’ nightly (sometimes bizarre but always entertaining) high-energy stage performance.

By the end of the week, we were happily aching from our sporting achievements and thoroughly refreshed. The children were heartbroken to say goodbye to their Mini Club teachers. They had loved every minute. That’s what I call a family holiday. // Yvonne and her family travelled to Club Med Guilin in March 2015. Flights from Shanghai on Shanghai Airlines cost about RMB1,300 per person.

They paid about RMB2200/night for two adults and three children in two adjoining rooms, including food, drinks and activities.

Big Hero 6

Disney and Marvel’s Latest Kid-friendly Hit

By Andrew Chin

Two of the world’s biggest media companies, Marvel and Disney, use their power for good in Big Hero 6.

The winner of this year’s Academy Award for Best Animated Feature is already a worldwide success.

Based on a little-known comic book, Big Hero 6 is much more than your typical superhero film. It takes place in San Fransokyo, a futuristic fusion between East and West that looks splendid on screen.

The film follows Hiro Hamada, a 14-yearold robotics genius who has already graduated high school, but spends his nights hustling much bigger people in illegal robot fights.

His older brother Tadashi comes to his aid - first by rescuing him from a real fight and then by taking him to his college which Hiro initially dismisses as “nerd school.”

Hiro has an immediate change of heart when he meets Tadashi’s friends and discovers all the cool projects they are working on from electromagnetic wheels to

meets the eye with the fire.

The film turns into a superhero story with Hiro recruiting Tadashi’s friends and transforming them into an unlikely action squad. They must square off against a villain who is using Hiro’s creation to against him.

goo bombs.

Immediately, Hiro shifts attention to getting into the school. All he needs to do is impress the judges and professors at an upcoming fair. His microbot creation does the trick, but then things get out of control - a fire breaks out that claims Tadashi and Hiro’s work.

Devastated, Hiro spurns the school’s admissions and spends his days again at home. To his surprise, he finds Baymax stowed in his room. Programmed to heal anyone around him, the doughy robot sets off an adventure with Hiro where they discover that there was more than

The resulting action scenes are impressive but not too scary for the young ones. Plus, the film is full of good lessons about the importance of family and friends, not giving into anger and also how cool science can be.

And of course, there’s Baymax, who has become a star. Nicknamed Dabai (‘Big White’) in China, the robot was a sensation during this year’s Lantern Festival due to his striking resemblance to tangyuan and yuanxiao, the glutinous rice-ball treats that are a holiday tradition.

With its eye-popping animation, memorable characters and strong message, it’s easy to see why Big Hero 6 was the animated hit of 2014. // Big Hero 6 can be found at DVD stores across the city.

www.urban-family.com

9

Life & culture

Sanya Marriott Yalong Bay Resort & Spa Capture Fun Family Beach Holiday Moments

• • • •

S

anya is the only tropical city in China. The famous Yalong Bay - the location of Sanya Marriott Resort & Spa - is home to the island’s best beach, which is ideal for family swimming due to its year-round warm, calm water. Sanya Marriott Yalong Bay Resort & Spa is proud of its reputation as a family-friendly resort and offers tailor-made special features designed specifically to enhance the experience of children.

While it is standard practice for five-star resorts to provide dedicated associates who offer service and assistance to their adult guests, Sanya Marriott Yalong Bay Resort & Spa also provides a dedicated Kids’ Ambassador, a central contact point offering exclusive services just for children. The Kids’ Ambassador’s responsibilities include helping children familiarize themselves with all the exciting things to do at the resort and encouraging them to sign up for some of the highly-acclaimed activities available for children and adults. With different activities daily, it’s a good idea to talk to the Kid’s Ambassador to find out what’s happening and get the most out of your stay!

Nestled in tropical gardens and the setting for some dynamic family activities, the Kids Club provides engaging entertainment in a safe setting. It has a kid’s pool with a water slide, outdoor adventure play area and a bean bag movie theater in addition to an indoor play area packed with toys. Action for tweens and teenagers can also be found in the Kids Club, with the latest game consoles and a separate room where older children can hang out together while playing darts, air hockey or billiards.

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Sanya Marriott Yalong Bay Resort & Spa knows that the delicate and sensitive taste buds of young children may not always match those of their parents. To ensure smooth, carefree meal times, all restaurants and outlets offer a menu designed especially for children. Whether enjoying Western classics at Marriott Café, the best of China at Wanhao Restaurant or experiencing refined Japanese cuisine at Edogin, parents can rest assured that if needed, a kids’ menu is available offering a selection of childfriendly favorites.

Sanya Marriott Yalong Bay Resort & Spa is the place for family fun, and a threenight stay family package starts at just RMB3564. Furthermore, the hotel offers a 50 percent discount for guests booking a second room for parents 55 years old and up, to help families share unforgettable moments together. Prices may vary seasonally.

• • • • • •

Family package benefits include: Three nights’ accommodation

ound-trip airport transfers by shared R shuttle bus Welcome drink and coconut lei on arrival Daily breakfast for two adults at Marriott Café hildren under 12 stay free with breakfast C and extra bed

• • • • •

hildren six and under order free from the C kids’ menu when dining with parent RMB500 dining credit ne backpack per child containing various O items, including a cup for free flow soft drinks in any Marriott outlets plus a beach ball F our hours’ free use of facilities in the Kids Club, including complimentary computer games for one hour and a family DIY T-shirt for each person. aily selective complimentary activities for D children and adults omplimentary use of a DVD player with a C wide selection of DVDs A complimentary pizza ollect stamps from all outlets and children C will get a mystery present Late check-out until 3:00pm

SANYA MARRIOTT YALONG BAY RESORT & SPA: Nestled on a pristine crescent of white sand beach sweeping seven kilometers and surrounded by rainforest, mountains and crystal-clear waters, the resort’s 452 rooms offer commanding views of the famous Yalong Bay. The direct-access private beach is complimented by a large 10-hectare tropical garden perfect for peaceful walks in the warm sea breeze.

Multiple swimming pools, a dedicated Kids Club, and signature Quan Spa ensure the complete resort experience while an oceanfront wedding chapel, self-contained outdoor meeting center and a range of conference rooms offer innovative venues for meetings and celebrations of all kinds. Two championship golf courses are easily accessible from the resort, which itself is just a 30-minute drive from Sanya Phoenix International Airport and a 20-minute drive from the Sanya duty free shop. Whether dining at the awardwinning Japanese restaurant or strolling across the Bermuda grass lawn, Sanya Marriott Yalong Bay Resort & Spa is the best choice for an authentic beach holiday.x

eventS Apri l

April

19

April

18

24

Shanghai Centre Family Fun Fair

Sun Foot Forest Festival

Urban Aphrodite at BISS Puxi

April May

April

25

May

16-17

28-29 1-2

YCIS International Family Food Fair

May

23-24 Neon Fairytales

ReedPOP Comic Con

X- Games

May

26

omen Empowering W unity Talk at the Comm Center Pudong

For more events, see page 50 www.urban-family.com

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Life & culture

Bored Kids?

Family Fun Using Only Paper and Pencils

By Camilla Ohlsson, illustrations by Iddo Goren

A

s any parent knows, kids get restless quickly. They are always looking for something fun to do, but sometimes - during flights, long car rides or waiting at restaurants, for example - there aren’t very many options for them. In these situations, it is always good to have a pen and paper on hand. A lot of fun can be had with these simple tools and a bit of imagination! Here are our picks of the best pencil-and-paper games for all ages: if the kids really take to them, you might even switch the regular Friday night movie to an evening of some good oldfashioned family fun.

Categories (at least 2 players) Each player draws a 6x6 box grid. Pick five categories such as animals, countries, cities, names, famous people, etc. Write the different categories in the top row of the grid. The objective is to come up with words for each of the categories starting with a chosen letter (for example E - elephant, Ecuador, Erica etc). Set a timer to ten minutes and see how many words each player has, or see who fills the grid first. If you want, you can pick different letters for each line, add more boxes or shorten the time frame.

Foldovers (2-4 players) For a creative game without winners and losers, have the first participant draw the head of a character at the top of a sheet of paper. It can be anything: a monster, a cartoon, an animal... The player then folds the paper back without showing the picture to anyone, but keeps a few millimeters at the bottom where the neck ends below the crease.

The next player continues to draw the neck, shoulders and arms before folding and passing it on to the next player who continues with the body. The drawing is finished when the last person has drawn the legs and feet. Unfold the paper to see the hilarious character you’ve created!

Paper Darts (at least 2 players) This game has the same setup as regular darts but only requires a pencil and a piece of paper (and can be played without using sharp objects!). Draw a circle and divide it into sections the way you would cut a pie.

Number each section moving clockwise from the top. The player covers her eyes and uses a pencil to aim for the highest number possible. Cross out each field the pencil lands on and points are only given when hitting the remaining ones. If someone hits the bull’seye, she is automatically the winner of the round. Take turns and write down the scores.

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Namedropping (at least 4 players) This is a fun game that is perfect for teens or entire families. Cut a paper into small pieces and write down famous names on each piece (it can be celebrities, historical people or any other characters). Divide the participants into two teams. Take turns in drawing names and have the team members guess who it is by giving clues. In the first round, you are allowed to give full clues (without mentioning the name); in the second you can only use two words per clue; in the third, only gestures - no words allowed! Each round is one minute, and the more names guessed correctly, the more points to the team.

MASH (2 players) This is a classic fortune-telling game that parents may recognize from their childhoods. The fortune teller writes the letters M A S H at the top of a page. These letters stand for mansion, apartment, shack and house - options for where you will live in the future. The player then picks three more questions to predict the future, for example, “how many kids will I have?” or “what kind of vehicle will I drive?” Write down four different options for each question on the left, bottom and right edges of the paper (for example 1, 2, 3, 4 and Rolls Royce, Volvo, bicycle and truck). The fortune teller may also contribute one or more options. The fortune teller then draws a spiral slowly – and without anyone watching - starting from the center of the paper until the player says “Stop.” Draw a diagonal line across the spiral and count how many crossing lines you have.

If there are eight, for example, then move from option to option clockwise from the M in MASH until you’ve reached number 8.

Cross this option out and start over from the next option counting to eight, then cross this one out as well. Continue around the page, skipping the crossed-out options until there is only one option left for each question. These are the answers to your questions about the future!

Gomoku (2 players) Draw a grid of 19 lines diagonally and horizontally. Each player uses either crosses or circles to mark one square at a time. The objective is to get five circles or crosses in a row either vertically, horizontally or diagonally by placing them strategically.

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Life & culture

Sports Gear for the Family

By Camilla Ohlsson

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pring is finally here, and it’s time to gear up and get active.

Whether you prefer the running track, soccer field or hitting the gym, make sure to sweat in style. Here’s some inspiration for the athletes of the family.

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Woman

Girl

Man

Boy

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H&M Seamless Yoga Jacket RMB349

Old Navy Active Raglan-Sleeved Tee about RMB90

Old Navy Active CrossTraining Tee RMB99

Asics Gel-Contend 2 GS Running Shoes about RMB345

Sports Top RMB99

// 1728 Nanjing Xi Lu, by Huashan Lu南京西路1728号, 近华山路 (6248 1261, www. oldnavy.gap.cn)

Zip-Front Hoodie about RMB275

// 645-659 Huaihai Zhong Lu, by Sinan Lu 淮海中路645659号, 近思南路(5383 8866, www.hm.com)

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// 1728 Nanjing Xi Lu, by Huashan Lu南京西路1728号, 近华山路 (6248 1261, www. oldnavy.gap.cn/)

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H&M Sports Tights RMB 149

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Sports Trousers RMB149

Adidas by Stella McCartney Run Seven-Eighth Tights about RMB560

Sports Bag RMB129

Adidas Standard One Street Shorts about RMB250

Hooded Jacket RMB249

// 691 Huaihai Zhong Lu,

by Maoming Lu 淮海中路 691号, 近茂名路 (6473 3269, www.adidas.cn)

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(www.asics.com.cn)

3 Asics Gel-Zaraca 3 Running Shoes RMB490

// 645-659 Huaihai Zhong Lu, by Sinan Lu淮海中路645659号, 近思南路 (5383 8866, www.hm.com)

3 Asics Gel Venture 4GS Running Shoes about RMB345 (www.asics.com.cn)

// 691 Huaihai Zhong Lu,

by Maoming Lu 淮海中路 691号, 近茂名路 (6473 3269, www.adidas.cn/)

H&M T-shirt With Print RMB49.90

// 645-659 Huaihai Zhong Lu, by Sinan Lu淮海中路645659号, 近思南路 (5383 8866, www.hm.com)

3 Asics Gel-Cumulus 16 Running Shoes RMB990 (www.asics.com.cn)

(www.asics.com.cn)

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2 Competition Win Tickets to Comic Con!

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Send us a picture of your family all geared up in cool sports clothes for a chance to win 4 tickets to ReedPop Comic Convention in Shanghai. The event takes place on May 16-17 and you can expect two extravagant days of comics, cosplay and more. Email your submission to ufwin@urbanatomy.com before May 11.

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Life & culture

Make Your Own Kite!

A Fun Use for Materials You Already Have at Home

By Craft’d Shanghai

You will need:

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Two pairs of disposable chopsticks Two plastic bags String Tape

Snap the chopsticks apart and place them end-to-end.

Tape them together in the middle.

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Tie the two pairs of chopsticks together using the string. The horizontal pair of chopsticks should be about 1/4 of the way down the length of the portrait chopsticks.

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Cut open the side of the first plastic bag so it becomes one wide sheet of plastic

Repeat for the second pair so you have two super-long chopsticks.

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Tie four small pieces of sting to the end of each chopstick and one long piece of string to the middle cross.

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Stick the bag to the chopstick frame and then cut the sides of the bag to form a kite shape.

Put tape along the sides of the kite to make them stronger.

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8 Tie the four small strings to the longer string.

Add one more piece of string to the kite to make the tail. You can cut strips from the second plastic bag and tie them to the tail to make bows.

Now go fly your new kite!

The Craft’d April kit contains all the materials you need to make your very own confetti kite, plus six more crafty activities! For details add craftd_sh on Wechat.

That’s Shanghai_20150127.pdf 1 1/30/2015 11:34:16 AM

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New SAT VS. Old SAT (pt.2) In this article, look for the upcoming changes to the Math section and the newly designed essay.

New Pathway Successful Result 7 Students (Top 0.02%)

2400 200 Students (Top 1%)

2300+ 2200+ 2000+

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350 Students (Top 3%)

500+ Students (Top 5%)

‘Optional’ Essay  50 minute Essay  Technically optional, but competitiv universities will require it  Objective: Read and analyze a source text to explain how the author builds his or her argument  Personal opinions are irrelevant; preplanning essays is difficult since the source article changes with each test  24 point scoring scale

Math that Matters

Revised PSAT

 Calculator section: 55 minutes, 38 questions

 2h 45m for 138 questions (com pared to 2h 10m for 125 questions previously)

 No-Calculator section: 25 minutes, 20 questions

 Scored from 160-760 in two subject areas

 Multiple choice (45) & grid-in (13) questions

 Current SAT can confirm scores for National Merit Scholarship candi dates who score in the 99th per centile on the Revised PSAT

 Four content areas: • Heart of Algebra • ysis • Passport to Advanced Math • Additional Topics in Math  800 point scoring scale

 Revised PSAT: October 2015  Scores: Dec 2015/Jan 2016

 Revised SAT: March 2016, May 2016  Scores: June 2016

 Final SAT: January 2016  Scores: February 2016 Official Guide materials released this summer; 8 official mock exams coming by the end of 2015

Tom BA, Boston University, Philosophy • 8+ years tutoring experience • 800 SAT Critical Reading • 800 SAT Writing (Essay: 12) • 99th Percentile ACT Composite • 1st place at 2 national & 9 regional debate tournaments • Lived in 8 countries & traveled to 65+

New Pathway focuses on teaching lifelong success. We don’t just teach strategy for a test; we teach the lifelong passion for learning that will help students succeed in all that they do.

New Pathway Wechat code

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learning team, and occasionally I like to swim. Outside of sports, I participate in Model United Nations, and I really enjoy acting in school theater productions.

SCIS School Athlete

As for my motivation to be active, I play sports because I enjoy being part of a team. It is also a great way to stay healthy and in shape. Also, as a member of a school production cast, I can bond with my other cast members – just like in athletics.

Wouter Vlas Being Active and Staying Motivated

By John Brennan

Who is Wouter Vlas?

Wouter Vlas is a half-Dutch, half-Taiwanese 16-year-old sophomore student who loves chicken fajitas and hates celery. He is an above-average jump-roper and an avid singer. His biggest pet peeve is the sound of snoring. He dreams of becoming a professional soccer player, professional volleyball player or, like his father, a successful businessman.

Describe your experience playing on the basketball team at SCIS The first time I played basketball was during lunch recess. My friend Johnny Liu and I started playing ‘King of the Court’ games, and I got pretty good at it. I enjoyed playing so much that I decided to join the basketball team. This past season I really improved my game and my ability to drive to the hoop and play physical.

This past season, Wouter served as captain of the junior varsity basketball team.

I had the pleasure of being his coach this season, and recently sat down with him to discuss his life as an SCIS student-athlete.

You obviously enjoy the competition of basketball. Do you participate in any other activities? What is your motivation to be so active?

I love volleyball. It is probably my favorite sport to play. I am also on the soccer

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Are there any particular moments in athletics that stand out to you as memorable?

One time during a soccer game I was playing goalkeeper, and my game was a bit off. I gave up some goals early on in the game. I felt really bad, but as the game was winding down, I was able to dive and make an acrobatic save that turned the game around.

"As a member of a school production cast, I can bond with my other cast members – just like in athletics."

How do you think your participation in high school athletics can help you later on in life?

I think being able to manage and balance my time is a great skill to have. Athletics and other team activities provide a great opportunity to learn self-discipline and cooperation. There are moments where you have to make quick decisions and think on your feet, and I think these activities help me build these skills that will definitely be useful later in life.

What does being a “Green Dragon” mean to you?

It means always trying to better yourself, staying positive, being a good sportsman and keeping your head held high in victory and in defeat.

Three words to sum up your experience as an SCIS student-athlete?

Let’s Go Dragons! // Interview by John Brennan, SCIS Pudong Campus Lower School PE Teacher, JV Boys Basketball Coach

Swimming at Wellington College

Interview with Alex Miladinovski and Tommaso Colombo

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By Laurianne Gidrol

he swimming program at Wellington is run and supervised by the aquatics director, Alex Miladinovski, who is a two-time Olympian and participant in a number of world and European swimming championships. He tells us: "After moving from Dubai, where I spent 6 years, I find Shanghai a vibrant and interesting place to live and work and Wellington is an outstanding school. I can tell you that it was not easy to establish a successful program in such a competitive environment as Shanghai. Having the knowledge, experience and the right team behind me were the key elements for success in such a short space of time. " What are your successes so far?

We have become part of the Shanghai Swim League, which is well established in the Shanghai community and very competitive. In almost all of the competitions,

we have taken home a considerable number of medals. We took part in the first FOBISIA International Schools Swimming Championships, where our swimmers came back with eight medals. This was an outstanding achievement as it was a very competitive meet with more than 20 international schools taking part. We have also joined the Shanghai Sport Association, where we competed against a number of international schools based in Shanghai and the surrounding area and where we won multiple medals.

Student Tommaso Colombo is the winner of the most swimming awards and medals for Wellington since its opening. We asked him why he has chosen swimming as his main sport: “My parents were swimmers and they have passed on their love of the sport to

me. They are delighted that I have a passion for swimming; it’s our family sport. Having taken part in many other sports, I find swimming to be one of the most challenging. I am enjoying every bit of it and it makes me stronger, both physically and mentally. My dream is to take part in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo or the Olympics in 2024.�

How do you find Wellington and their swimming program?

Wellington is a great school! The facilities are great and the teachers too. The swimming program is very challenging and diverse.

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learning

Stoke City FC Academy

Premier League Club Coaching at WISS

By Camilla Ohlsson

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occer fans at Western International School of Shanghai can consider themselves lucky. Since March 2014, a collaboration with British Premier League club Stoke City FC has taught students new skills and served as an inspiration for a professional career in soccer.

Ryu Yamaguchi, captain of the U14 team at WISS, is excited about the new experiences he has gained and is hoping to one day play professionally for Stoke City FC. ”I like soccer because it’s a fun and easy game. I used to play baseball before I started playing soccer three years ago, but it wasn’t as much fun. Baseball was harder for me because I’m small, and soccer suits me better because it has more action.”

14-year-old Ryu and his friends from WISS recently had the chance to go on a trip to England to play against a Stoke City team.

“I really liked playing against them, and it was interesting to see how the British kids played. We also got to meet famous players such as Marko Arnautovic, Marc Muniesa and Steven N’Zonzi.

Steven N’Zonzi is my favorite player on the team, and he plays in the same position as me: midfield. Other than him, my favorite player from around the world is Shinji Kagawa, from Japan.”

UF: What did you learn from the Stoke City FC Academy?

Ryu: I learned more than just technical skills. I learned how to be a better player and teammate, and also how to eat properly and live a healthy life.

Coach Adam Cookson has worked with Stoke City FC for eight years and came to Shanghai in March 2014 when the academy

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at WISS first started. Adam always tries to make sessions interesting for the children by teaching them new things and letting them develop skills while being competitive and having fun. He believes that part of the appeal of the Stoke academy at WISS is that children have the chance to learn from professional and experienced coaches and take part in special events such as the trip to England. Adam is enjoying the experience and is happy about the opportunity to work with children from such diverse backgrounds.

UF: What are the future goals of the program?

Adam: We have been going for about a year now and are hoping to continue indefinitely. We also hope to expand, and are currently working on branching out to some local schools. Our goal is one day to see children from Shanghai playing in the first team, but we also focus on things other than the sport itself, such as socializing, fitness, nutrition and discipline. The program ties in with school education, and by teaching the children to be responsible – for example, by bringing all the equipment they need to each practice and letting them know that they have to finish studying before they can play – makes them more disciplined.

In the summer, we are also hosting a Stoke City Summer Football Camp, which will be a great way for players to receive two weeks of intensive skill-based coaching from our Stoke City FC coaches. Each day will include individual ball mastery sessions, situational match drills as well as match play and fun tournaments. As the weather is hot at this time of year, players will also get the chance to use the swimming pool once a day to relax and cool down. Parents who are interested in enrolling their children in the camp can contact Coach Johnny at jwarburton@ wiss.cn.

WELLINGTON Student Athlete: Tennis Star with Professional Ambitions

IB

SHANGHAI

IS OFFERING THE

Eddy

COLLEGE INTERNATIONAL

AND AWARDING IB

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ddy, a Year 8 student at Yew Chung International School of Shanghai (YCIS) Century Park Campus, has been sweeping the Shanghai tennis scene like a storm. As a budding star, he has played in tournaments around the world and is already thinking about his future as a professional. We asked Eddy some questions about his tennis career.

When did you realize that you had a passion and talent for the sport?

In 2008, my mom and dad brought me to the Shanghai Masters. It was the first time I had ever watched tennis, and I immediately found myself fascinated. As Federer and Murray rallied on, I became increasingly interested. I realized that I had a serious passion for tennis, and decided to learn how to play. After I started playing, I found that I really had a lot of zeal for the game.

What’s your favorite thing about playing tennis?

I like tennis for many reasons, especially its format. As it’s an individual sport, you have control over what you want to do or what happens when playing a match, which I really enjoy (though you don’t have anyone else to blame if you lose).

Have you incorporated your interest in tennis into other activities at YCIS? Even though tennis may not seem to connect directly to school, I have actually incorporated it into many parts of my academic life. In my design and technology classes, we are making aluminum trophies that are meant to represent ourselves in 10-20 years, and I’m making a tennis player. I have also written stories and essays that relate to tennis. Furthermore, as part of my Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) hours, I have taught my classmates about tennis.

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learning

iPods in PE

Kids Get in “Touch” with Their Physical Fitness

By Brandon Fisher

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emember when iPods just provided background music to a workout? Well, not anymore. Middle school students at Concordia International School Shanghai are using their iPods to improve their workouts and track every step they take on the road to a healthier and more active lifestyle.

Through the 1-to-1 iPod PE Program, Concordia middle schoolers have access to an iPod Touch that they strap to their waists During every PE class. They use the device to activate various fitness apps, including a pedometer that tracks their footsteps throughout the period. Students also sync their iPods to a Mio Alpha heart rate watch, which allows them to actually see the correlation between the intensity of their movements and their cardiovascular endurance.

Whether students are rounding the track, spiking a volleyball or dribbling to the hoop, their every step is being recorded. They are even using their iPods when participating in activities such as rock climbing. Students are still tracking their movements and heart rate as they climb, but they are also pairing up to film each other completing various stages and obstacles on the wall. The videos provide immediate feedback, allowing students to analyze their own performance.

Even students who were previously not participating are becoming active and interested in PE. “They are pushing themselves to work to their fullest potential, comparing themselves to their own previous data and not necessarily to each oth-

er’s,” says Bryan Keith, a Concordia middle school PE teacher who pioneered the iPod program at the school.

Bryan has been working with the middle school tech coach as well as a high school statistics teacher and his AP Statistics class to help mine the data for details that teachers can use to inform their teaching, enhance their curricula and improve the overall PE experience.

BISCAP

Expanding Students’ Passions at BISS Puxi

By Michelle Chapman

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he British International School Community Activity Programme, or BISCAP, is a program at the BISS Puxi Campus that extends the opportunities offered to their students to others in the community.

Running alongside their extensive extracurricular program, BISCAP contributes to the rich variety of activities already on offer with additional early morning, after school, evening and weekend programs run by professional coaches.

There are activities on offer as diverse as baby Taekwondo, tennis, football, ballet, Lego engineering, science club, swimming, wushu, cheer-

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leading and gymnastics. More than 280 students have signed up for the programs, taking part in hundreds of sessions each week.

“The popularity of BISCAP among our students is due to the high quality coaches that we bring into school to run these sessions,” says Jonathan Fudge, Head of BISCAP at BISS Puxi. “We make it easy for our students to discover new interests or continue with their passions when they move to Shanghai, as we bring professional coaches and training to them. It’s affordable and convenient for them, and I love seeing our kids really thrive in their chosen activity.”

Among the most popular of the BISCAP activities is baby Taekwondo. Archie, who is four years old, goes to these sessions and really enjoys them, “I like showing my dad my moves when I go home!” His mom is equally pleased with what the BISCAP program, saying, “It’s been great seeing Archie’s coordination, balance and concentration grow while he’s been doing Taekwondo.

I really wanted to find something for him to do that was new and interesting for him, and that would help to build up his physical strength.”

Student Athlete Interview Rachel Kim on Sports at SAS

By Cristin Merker

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achel Kim is a senior at Shanghai American School’s Pudong campus. For the past three years, she has been an integral part of the school’s athletic teams through the girls’ rugby team and the girls’ soccer team. She also is a member of several student clubs and has a strong academic record. Her goal is to study economics at Northwestern University. With three years of practices, games and championships under her belt, she told us what Shanghai American School’s sports program looks like from a student athlete’s perspective.

What do you like about athletics at SAS? Our school has a really good sports program; we are one of the few schools that participate in every single APAC (Asia Pacific Activities Conference) sport available. We have some of the best facilities,

and the school provides many opportunities to the students. I really appreciate it.

What activities are you involved in at SAS? I have played for the soccer and rugby teams for the past three years. SAS girls’ rugby won the APAC championship this year, our soccer team won the APAC championship the last two years. We are planning on winning our third this year!

I’m also in the student service club “Afghans for Afghanistan” and the activities council, which centers on building school spirit.

How has the SAS staff and community supported you in your academic and athletic endeavors?

The teachers and coaches are willing to support and help us with everything we

have going on, but part of being an athlete at SAS is that you have to keep up with your own studies. The environment that SAS provides is proactive, so we want to be proactive as well, and contribute to this great environment.

The SSIS Farm to School project is a collaboration between SSIS and the Mahota Farm. Through this project, the students are involved in creating and maintaining an organic farm on the campus. This whole-school approach to farming enables integration of farming experiences into the curriculum. The school farm provides the ideal context to enrich ‘learning beyond the classroom’, and the students have fun learning many different skills associated with environmental sustainability.

Dr. Claudia Berner, the Head of School at SSIS, believes that the students will learn about delayed gratification from their involvement with the Farm to School project. “By allowing the students to grow their own food, it educates them about sustaining long-term goals and understanding the intrinsic value of harvesting their hard work.”

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learning

Teachers’ Roundtable Discussion

Sports at School and in Life

By Camilla Ohlsson

For this issue’s roundtable discussion, we gathered some of the city’s international schools’ sports experts to talk about the importance of sports for students now and in the future. Our panel includes: Steve Doleman, Activities Director, Shanghai American School, Puxi Campus Alex Lloyd, Director of Sports, Wellington College International Shanghai Derrick Quinet, Director of Sports, Dulwich College

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What role do sports have at your school?

Steve: As children grow into adulthood, they need both academic and non-academic skills: no matter what career path they find themselves on, they will all need to function in a social environment. Our Puxi and Pudong campuses recognize how imperative it is that schools provide a balance of academic and non-academic abilities that allow these skills to develop. We feel that our extensive athletic programs offer students a multitude of choices for how to achieve that balance.

Alex: Wellington’s educational philosophy is based around our eight aptitudes: Logical, Moral, Social, Physical, Linguistic, Personal, Spiritual and Cultural. The aim is to enhance all facets of the pupil and prepare them in the best possible way for life after Wellington. There is the obvious physical element of sport, but I believe it offers so much more than just that. Sport can question a pupil’s morals. It can be a fantastic way of forming new friendships and something that a pupil can use to set personal goals.

Is it important for kids to be involved in sports outside of school?

Alex: As a director of sports I want to see our pupils as active as possible. Obviously, sport isn’t everyone’s passion, but our main goal is to teach the importance of leading a healthy, active life. My philosophy is based around creating as many sporting opportunities for the pupils as I can. We then encourage them to take

some risks, give things a try and accept that failing is a key part of how we learn and improve. I have reached out to the Shanghai community and we have links with sports such as basketball with BSU, Big Blue Scuba Diving, fencing and synchronized swimming. There is an abundance of sporting opportunities at Wellington and, if all pupils discover a passion in one or two of these and continue to practice them into adulthood, we have achieved our goal.

Derrick: Research shows that there are many developmental benefits that sports and exercise provide, including improved cognitive functioning and an increase in energy and self-esteem. In addition, children benefit from the structure and lessons that are imbedded within a high-quality sports program, learning about teamwork, goal setting, developing friendships and committing to a collective purpose.

Can you see any difference between students who participate in sports compared to those who don’t?

Steve: I recently conducted a study on the correlation of high school sport and academic achievement at Shanghai American School, Puxi Campus.

The results indicated a significant difference in the grade point average (GPA) of those involved in sports compared to those not involved. The data collected at SAS Puxi indicates a strong positive relationship between involvement in

We learn about China and also ourselves Way better than any history book

sports and academic achievement - a concept that is supported by countless professional educational research.

"We encourage students to take some risks, give things a try and accept that failing is a key part to how we learn and improve."

Alex: I think people are a lot more aware of the benefits of exercise now compared to 10 years ago. There has been a lot of research and press about health issues, and this has been a powerful tool for changing the mindset of people and their approach to life. I believe anyone, people of all ages, who are physically active and eat well, have the capacity to concentrate for longer periods of time and are generally happier due to having a higher level of self-esteem and a platform to relieve tension.

Is competitiveness a good thing or does it create problems?

Steve: While there can be an ugly side to competitiveness, it isn’t the act of competing that is the problem.

By nature, we are competitive creatures. We compare and contrast; we publish and promote, we acknowledge and reward. We grow up competing. For example, twice each year, SAS

Student explorers see China as their classroom Concordia empowers students with a holistic and rigorous American education. Teen historians uncover lessons for today while retracing the steps of ancient caravans on the Silk Road. Life success starts with Concordia.

Uncover more.

more.concordiashanghai.org We make new friends and lots of memories

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learning Puxi and SAS Pudong host elementary school Soccer Days for students from international schools. The events attract 500600 students per day and the teams are all counting the number of games they won or the number of goals they scored. Although there are no trophies or rankings at stake, the teams cheer each goal and celebrate the wins like any team competing for a big title. There is pride to be had in achievements. Dissipating anger, eliminating violence and emphasizing sportsmanship allow us to celebrate the competition. If we set the parameters and values, and let the students sort out the issues themselves, it is proven that kids can enjoy and benefit from the act of competing.

Alex: I think competition can bring the best out in people. However, it is so important to manage the level of competition when young people are involved. It can be very damaging, and can affect the pupil’s level of interest in a sport if they have a negative experience. It can depend on the coaches, and it is the responsibility of teachers and coaches to ensure that pupils enjoy playing sports and want to come back time and time again to improve. Looking back at my school days, some of my fondest memories are cup finals and local derbies, which were always fiercely competitive. Pupils certainly learn a lot about each other’s character in these types of games.

provide top-tier sporting opportunities and provide our knowledgeable coaches the opportunity to develop student talent and teamwork. We collaborate with parents in support of this process. DCS students will be the leaders of tomorrow, and the lessons learned through sport will help shape their character.

Having realistic expectations of how sport fits into the bigger picture is key for both students and parents.

What does your school do to get kids interested in sports?

Steve: There is no simple, one-stop solution to triggering interest. It tends to be a myriad of activities that help promote sports on our campuses as a worthwhile activity for students to participate in. The general attitude at Shanghai American School is to promote the concept of a balanced education through which our student body can develop the skills and abilities to become wellrounded and productive citizens of the future!

"If we set the parameters and values, and let the students sort out the issues themselves, it is proven that kids can enjoy and benefit from the act of competing."

Derrick: The world is inherently competitive and students are aware of this. We try to define success as a competition with oneself and within our teams, and we strive to improve individually and collectively every day. We practice with purpose and prepare to compete against the very best. If students are improving, setting personal bests and learning how to achieve their goals, this process has been a success.

Do you think parents push their kids too hard in sports?

Steve: I have seen some parents try and live vicariously through their children - the ‘ugly’ parent on the sideline, reliving their own lost past, frequently displaying over-the-top behavior. As an activities director in the international community, I have occasionally had to remind parents of their role and to invite them to quietly retake their seat in the back row of the bleachers. Most do so, embarrassed at their lack of decorum. The issue in our international setting, however, isn’t so much parents pushing their kids too hard in sports. The phenomenon is more that some parents withdraw their children from sports completely in their senior year under the guise of achieving greater academic success. I actively remind our community that the research indicates the opposite of what some deem to be true: Involvement in sports does assist academic achievement... You can’t argue with the research!

Derrick: Parents should support and encourage their children in pursuit of their passions. At Dulwich College Shanghai, we

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Alex: We create a positive learning environment for the students so they feel safe and are able to enjoy a wide range of sporting activities. For me, variety is the key. Not everyone enjoys more competitive games; some may prefer individual sports or more adventurous activities like skiing or scuba diving; some may like the physical challenge of cross country running or the social aspect of team sports. I believe there is a sport for everyone; it is our job to find it and give the students the opportunity to experience it.

Derrick: We promote, recognize and celebrate our student-athletes as role models. We offer numerous inclusive programs for our younger students to get them interested in sport from a grass-roots level. DCS students travel to amazing places and compete against like-minded students from around the world.

The coaches and teachers model active, healthy lifestyles and encourage students to participate well beyond the classroom.

Together, we make Dulwich College Shanghai a uniquely successful school that motivates, teaches and inspires students to be their very best!

KIA World Extreme Games 2015 Asia’s Largest Action Sports Competition

By Andrew Chin

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ver the May holiday, Shanghai will transform into the epicenter of global action sports. Entering its ninth year, the KIA World Extreme Games has become a spring tradition.

Nearly 200 athletes from almost 30 countries and regions will take part in Asia’s largest action sports competition.

that most inspire him, the Arizona native laughs off talk that he has already become a legend.

“My typical day would be waking up, eating some waffles, running Last year’s festivities drew in a record some errands and 71,600 spectators and organizers. This year, then going to the KIA expects to smash that mark when they skatepark,” he says. “After that, I come take over Oriental Pearl TV and Radio Tow- home, eat, play video games and then I finer from April 28-29 and KIC Jiangwan ish with some chocolate ice cream and Sports Center from May 1-3. homework.”

Tower serving as a gorgeous backdrop. A multi-sports Mini-mega jam is also scheduled.

With a prize purse of USD200,000 and perpetually record-breaking crowds, the BMX, skateboarding and speed climbing It’s not just young guns taking part. Three KIA World Extreme Games has become an competitions will take place and, for the time double-gold BMX Vert and Mini-mega essential stop for fans and participants. first time ever, the vert finals will be held medal winner Vince Byron will return for by the Huangpu River. Defending skatethe sixth time, while BMX legend Mat “I enjoy China,” Byron says. “As much chaos boarding champion Jimmy Wilkins will at- Hoffman will pull double-duty as event and as many people as there are, everytempt to repeat, performing tricks with the ambassador and head judge for the BMX thing seems to work. People are friendly, picturesque Pearl Tower in the background. category. and riding around the city and markets, some of the things you see are extraordiOut in the Jiangwan Sports Center, a new Meanwhile, competitors in the speed nary.”

Revolution Arised Street Course will debut. climbing competition will race each other // Apr 28-29, 2-4.30pm, RMB30-100. Oriental Pearl However, all eyes will be on the skateboard- on a newly designed wall.

Tower, 1 Shiji Dadao, by Lujiazui Huan Lu 世纪大 ing Mini-mega competition, where 13-year道1号, 近陆家嘴环路 (400 610 3721, en.damai.cn) old sensation Trey Wood attempts to add Top-notch freestyle motocross (FMX) riders // May 1-3, 11am-4pm, RMB60-200 (RMB580 to his trophy case. and inline athletes will perform exhibitions at the Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tow- for Grand Stage seats). KIC Jiangwan Sports Center, 346 Guohe Lu, by Zhengtong Lu 国和路 Wood started skating at just three years old er and KIC Jiangwan Sports Center. Vert on 346号, 近政通路 (400 610 3721, en.damai.cn) and began competing at six. Citing Bob the Bund will feature a highflying competiBurnquist and Tony Hawk as the skaters tion with the Oriental Pearl Radio & TV

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cover story

Shanghai Youth Basketball Development League More than Just Basketball

By Camilla Ohlsson

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hanghai’s Youth Basketball Development League (YBDL) traces its roots back to Crossover Sports, Shanghai’s first international youth sports training organization.

Founded in 2005, Crossover Sports was the first organization to introduce high quality, Western-style sports and fitness training for local Chinese youth. Over the past 10 years, the organization has developed some of China’s most innovative and successful youth and grass roots basketball platforms, including the Shemgod China Streetball Tour, which spawned an eight-episode reality TV show called “China’s First Streetball Star” on CCTV5. The YBDL continues this tradition of high quality and innovative youth basketball training by hosting hundreds of local and expat kids in its training sessions across Shanghai every weekend.

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nese and expat students training and playing basketball together in China. While sessions focus on sports skills and physical activity, the program is led by foreign coaches and is conducted in English with Chinese translations. This way, local and international kids can practice their language skills as well as other important values such as sportsmanship, teamwork, leadership and how to have a healthy lifestyle.

“Over the past 10 years, I have seen tremendous growth in the interest and understanding of the importance of sports and fitness for youth here in Shanghai.”

Today, the YBDL is one of the largest youth basketball organizations in China.

After acquiring Shanghai Instructional Basketball (SIB) in 2014, the YBDL and SIB now have the most diverse mix of Chi-

Over 400 kids take part in YBDL and SIB training sessions in 20 locations across Shanghai every weekend. During the summer, students participate in the YBDL and SIB summer boarding camps, where they can train with coaches and players from the Shanghai Sharks - Yao Ming’s former professional team. Recently, the YBDL has been involved in several unique youth basketball programs in China.

These programs attempt to give all kids in China, regardless of background or economic situation, access to high quality sports, health and fitness education.

Unlock School Gates Unlock School Gates (USG) is a program for students in Shanghai that aims to

make sports more accessible to everyone, no matter which school you attend, spearheaded by international organizations such as Nike and Right to Play, the USG program partners with local elementary and middle schools to develop after-school sports programs available to all students.

The YBDL handles much of the basketball component of the USG program, leading basic basketball and fitness training in more than 20 underprivileged schools across Shanghai. By getting both schools and students involved, they hope to develop a long-term appreciation for sports and fitness, and to foster a balanced, healthy lifestyle. Although launched in Shanghai, the ultimate goal of the program is to cover the entire country.

Nike & Yao Foundation Grass Roots Basketball YBDL is also a partner in developing the largest youth grass roots basketball program in China, funded by Nike and the Yao Foundation. The program, to be launched later this year, aims to promote an interest in basketball from early ages, increase the skill level of young Chinese players and to create China’s first grass roots basketball coaches’ certification program. YBDL’s role will be to provide coaches and training programs as well as to develop the foundation of the coaches’ certification program.

With a history of hosting camps fronted by stars such as Vlade Divac, Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade, YBDL has become an important part of the Shanghai youth basketball scene and are planning to continue their leading role in the development of youth sports and fitness in China. Urban Family got the chance to talk to co-founder and managing director Sean Chu about their current programs for kids.

What are some of the changes you’ve seen with your USG program?

Over the past 10 years, I have seen tremendous growth in the interest and understanding of the importance of sports and fitness for youth here in Shanghai.

When we first started in 2005, it seemed like we had the world against us. Chinese kids were not very aware of sports programs, and parents and teachers focused solely on academics and studying. It was only the expat kids who were really interested in high quality youth sports programs. Today, we see Chinese parents encouraging their children to participate in extracurricular sports activities. This is extremely rewarding to see. The USG pro-

gram is the next step, actually getting the schools involved and providing access to all kids, especially those who may not have access due to financial or economic limitations. We are extremely proud to be a part of such a positive program.

What improvements would you like to see in local Chinese schools’ teaching of sports in general and basketball in particular?

The biggest area of improvement, in my opinion, would be in the quality of coaching and teaching in the local schools.

Physical education coaches and teachers have a responsibility not only to teach the sport, but to inspire and motivate the kids to have fun and enjoy themselves. At the younger ages, it’s not so much about trying to develop the next NBA star, but

“At the younger ages, it’s not so much about trying to develop the next NBA star, but about nurturing a love for the sport, for health and fitness.” about nurturing a love for the sport, for health and fitness. Chinese parents are already starting to get it. If we can get the schools and coaches on board, it would be a huge step forward.

expectation and personal responsibility we put on each student. Over the past 10 years we have been able to develop and refine our programs, so we feel that we utilize the best of Western coaching styles but tailor them specifically to Chinese students’ needs.

What do you think kids can gain by acquiring an early interest in basketball?

Aside from the health and fitness benefits, team sports are great at teaching life skills such as teamwork, leadership, hard work and communication. Additionally, because our training sessions are in English and have a mix of local and expat students, we put a focus on developing English communication and cross-cultural learning.

Are there any specific challenges in conducting bilingual coaching sessions?

Actually, the kids are pretty quick about picking things up, even in English. So it’s probably harder on our coaches than our students.

What are the future goals of YBDL? We would like to continue to be a leader in youth basketball in Shanghai, developing more programs and getting more kids involved. We would love to see programs such as ULSG and Nike/Yao Foundation Grassroots Basketball grow and expand, providing access to more underprivileged kids. Longer term we would like to expand the YBDL to other cities across China.

Do the international schools have better sports programs? Do you have any special games or events coming up Without a doubt. With their facilities, this spring and summer? equipment, level of coaching, student participation and parental support, international schools have much better sports programs than local schools. Having said that, we have seen local Chinese schools make progress, with the help of programs such as Unlock School Gates. As long as they continue to move forward, the kids end up being the ultimate winners in all of this.

What kind of expertise can your organization bring to the table?

We are unique because we were one of the first organizations to bring Western-style coaching and training programs to Chinese youth. And what I mean by “Western-style” is mainly how coaches teach and interact with the kids and the level of

One program we are excited to launch this summer is our USA Summer basketball camp. We’ll be taking some of our local students to the US to attend a summer basketball camp, where they will get an understanding of what life in the US is like. This should be a lot of fun and a great experience for our students.

How can young basketball fans get in touch and join the league?

We welcome all kids, boys and girls, of all ages and skill levels to join us. They can get more information on our websites, YBDL in Chinese (www.ybdl.com.cn/cnindex.asp) and SIB in English (www.shanghaibasketball.com). Or they can send us an email at shanghaibasketball@gmail.com.

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cover story

Auskick with Shanghai Tigers Aussie Rules Football for Kids Edited by Camilla Ohlsson

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he Shanghai Tigers Australian Rules Football and Social Club was formed in 2002 by a group of homesick Australian expats who missed their national game enough to launch a team in Shanghai. Over time, the club has evolved, and while the original purpose of playing games of ‘Aussie Rules’ remains a priority, the club has expanded to offer a junior skills program for five-to 13-year-olds – Auskick – as well as numerous social events for their broader member base throughout the year.

“In Australia, the ‘football club’ is an integral part of a town’s community.”

Tom Gherardin, president of Shanghai Tigers, tells us that there wasn’t any official way to get involved in Aussie Rules Football before they came along.

“A few of the life-members of the club refer to the odd training session in Fuxing Park through the 1990s, but it wasn’t until the Shanghai Tigers Australian Rules Football and Social Club was formed in 2002 that there was an organized team with regular trainings and matches.”

Your club seems to include a lot of social events in addition to football. Why is that?

In Australia, the ‘football club’ is an integral part of a town’s community. Clubs offer a fun social outlet for kids, players and supporters alike to relax and get together on a weekend.

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Here in Shanghai, we know how busy the working week can be, so we aim to provide fitness and fun through games while also offering some community support and atmosphere like in towns across Australia. Fun, family-oriented social events such as BBQs and dinners, golf days and our own Sportperson’s Ball occur throughout our year.

Do you see yourselves as a professional organization or do you play mostly “for fun”?

Our trainings and games are focused squarely on fun! While The Tigers are lucky enough to have a former professional player, Shannon Watt, as director of football operations and head coach, our ‘average’ player is typically either long past prime or relatively new to the game of Aussie Rules. As an example, it isn’t unusual to see more Chinese and international members on the field than Australians!

Games are fun and educational with the occasional umpire’s whistle blown to stop the game in order to explain a decision made.

Once or twice a year we travel as a team to compete in the Asian Championships (this year to be held in Bangkok in October). The intensity of this competition is a little higher than local matches, but again the focus is on fun, as all the teams get together after the day’s play to celebrate.

What kind of experience do your coaches have?

For our senior team, Head Coach Shannon Watt played 10 years of professional Aussie Rules for the North Melbourne Football Club. He is supported by a coaching team with 15 years of amateur and semi-professional coaching experience.

For our junior Aussie Rules program, all of our coaches are accredited through the AFL Auskick accreditation program.

Is it safe for kids to play?

There is an element of risk in any sport, and injuries can occur. However, the Auskick program is non-contact, so it sits in the same risk class as basketball and soccer.

Auskick is for kids aged 5-13. Have you worked with Children before?

The Shanghai Tigers Australian Rules Football and Social Club’s Auskick program is new this year and we are proud that it is the first junior Aussie Rules program to be run in China. Our coaches and the parents who support it (including myself) are accredited AFL Auskick coaches who have experience in coaching programs in Australia.

What do you think is the most appealing aspect of this sport for kids?

The most appealing part of our program is that kids have fun. The coaching sessions are active and engaging, rewarding kids for their enthusiasm.

Children will learn the fundamental motor skills vital for future physical activity and sport participation, as well as learning how to interact with other kids as part of a team in small group activities in a safe environment.

The program also provides a great opportunity for parents to interact with their kids through the activities, make new

friends, learn about the game and spend quality time with their children.

Have you found any promising talent in the younger ages?

It’s a little early in the year to be calling ‘AFL House’ in Australia requesting contract talks, but what is evident is that kids with different sporting backgrounds can pick up the key skills of Aussie Rules and learn the game easily.

“Our trainings and games are focused squarely on fun.”

We hope this may lead to future superstars of the game, and a broader fan base for Australia’s national game. // If you’re interested in learning more about the junior skills program for kids (Auskick) then contact Shanghai Tigers at auskick@shanghaitigers.com.cn

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cover story

Shanghai International Youth Soccer League Taking Soccer in Shanghai to New Levels Edited by Camilla Ohlsson

Where did the initiative of starting SIYSL come from?

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hanghai International Youth Soccer League (SIYSL) is committed to providing a safe, fun and progressive learning environment to develop recreational and competitive youth soccer players to the best of their abilities.

The goal of the league is the development of mental and physical talent of all players to the highest level possible, both as individuals and as team players.

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“I believe in giving the kids a good environment where they see and practice fair play and respect.”

The initiative for starting SIYSL came from three guys named Will, Chris and Daniel in 2006. Chris and Daniel were organizing a soccer club at that time. However, after the club was up and running, one thing was still missing: a place where players could compete with others and test their skills. Will had similar thoughts, and one day all three happened to meet at a training field where they started to talk. They invited potential schools and clubs to the first league meeting, and that’s how it all began. Today SIYSL has become a big platform for the city’s soccer community. I personally believe in giving the kids a good environment where they see and practice fair play and respect, and this philosophy is shared by everyone involved in SIYSL.

How would you describe the soccer scene in Shanghai?

It’s growing. Right now it is still developing, and there is a lot of potential in Shanghai. There is a wide diversity among the players and teams in SIYSL, with both international and local teams being involved. Football is getting more attention SIYSL was founded in the fall of 2006, and in Shanghai with European clubs as well. has become the most-watched youth soccer league within the expatriate commu- What can children gain from becoming involved nity in Shanghai. More than 7,000 players from around 20 international schools your organization?

First of all, we offer child-friendly surhave participated in the league over the roundings where kids can follow their delast eight years. sire to play soccer at a high level. Second, In the 2014-15 seasons, SIYSL has a total of participants have the opportunity to 90 teams across five different age groups: make friends with people from all different nations of the world. And last, the U8, U10, U12, U14 and U17. children will benefit from joining the In an interview with Urban Family, league and the parents will have an opMarkus Halfer, marketing and developportunity to treat league days as family ment manager of SIYSL, talked about the events where they can proudly watch league and gave his thoughts on kids and their kids playing soccer and share their soccer in general. stories with the SIYSL community.

What is the best way for beginners to start getting involved?

How young do you have to be when you start if you want to play soccer professionally?

The most important thing is to find a proper club that suits you.

After following the clubs’ training for a while you will be able to join the league. SIYSL provides highly skilled and experienced players with a competitive platform and also a chance for beginners to prove themselves and grow along with different teams on a similar level.

There is no age limit for becoming a sportsperson. The earlier children start to establish some skills, the better. As soon as they can stand up and walk on their own they can try to chase a soccer ball.

How do you look at competitiveness?

Do you think it’s healthy or can it become too much?

How do you deal with the mental aspects of soccer?

The mental aspects are things like sportsmanship, fairness, teamwork, acceptance of failure and appreciation of victory. All those aspects are firmly linked with our philosophy, which we impart to all participants with the help of coaches and parents.

Do you have any interesting programs or events for kids this spring and summer?

“Participants have the opportunity to make friends with people from all different nations of the world.”

Right now the organization focuses only on the league and tournaments but much more is to come.

SIYSL is always open to new ideas and very eager to work with people who share the same philosophy.

Different events such as camps or tournaments are a common topic among the people involved in the league.

How can parents get their kids interested in soccer?

Since parents are role-models for their children, the best way is to take your son or daughter to the pitch and shoot some balls. Let them experience how much fun it is to kick and chase the soccer ball and try to score some goals. Bringing children to one of the league games could also inspire excitement and enthusiasm watching high level soccer, smiling faces and some great team spirit.

What is the general attitude you see in parents?

Are they supportive?

Excited? Too pushy?

It is always a pleasure to see parents proudly watching their kids giving their best on the pitch. Parents get very excited when supporting their little ones, cheer-

Competition is essential for the process of growing up. In life there is always competition, both in your private and professional life. Children learn to work hard and give their best to reach a goal. Although for many kids failing is difficult to deal with, it is also part of the competition. It is necessary to teach kids to accept failure and learn from it, for example by being better prepared and working towards winning.

What are your hopes and expectations for coming seasons?

Together with all clubs, schools and parents, we would like to take steps towards working even more ing along a victory or constructively enprofessionally. This is only possible with couraging in the case of a loss. the input of all involved. The hard work In general, the attitude of the parents is and support of coaches, team managers, appropriate and we think they are an esparents and kids is very much appreciatsential part of game days, since they con- ed - and it’s what makes this event as retribute to the great atmosphere. If anyone markable as it is right now. We hope we gets a bit too excited, SIYSL staff will pocan keep up the team spirit and form an litely remind parents to let their kids play. even greater platform.

How many hours of playing sports per week do you think is healthy for young children?

It is a well-known fact that young children are brimming with energy and the best way to deal with it is to do exercise.

Exercise on a daily basis will not be harmful to active kids. Nowadays you can see more and more children lacking fundamental coordinative development. In many cases, the era of digital gaming has overtaken the passion for sports, so kids don’t get enough exercise.

“Parents get very excited while supporting their little ones, cheering along a victory or constructively encouraging in the case of a loss.” www.urban-family.com

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cover story

“Hey, Coach!”

How to Talk to Your Child’s Coach

By Matt Kuykendall

Parenting is an interesting thing. Just when you think you’ve gotten social interactions figured out, you have this child who is completely unpredictable and does unpredictably offensive things which require you to develop a whole new set of social skills. We now live halfway between the child world and adult world. What does one do when their child doesn’t want to play with the neighbor’s kid – and says so, in front of them? Who to invite to the birthday party? Did that six-year-old bully just push my child off the swing? Just as we start to get these dayto-day interactions figured out, a bigger, thornier and more difficult one arises – the world of children’s competitive athletics.

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“You signed your child up for a fun activity that gets them moving and teaches them basic skills. Not a regimented training session.”

I’ve been coaching at the varsity basketball level in Shanghai for seven years, and prior to that I coached competitive tennis, soccer and basketball for the past twelve. Now that I have children of my own, I have a whole new appreciation for the communication gap between coaches and parents.

I once had a fellow coach remark to me, “The worst thing about coaching is the parents.” This is, of course, a horrible way to look at things - but this mindset was nonetheless born out of experience. Like any relationship, the key is communication. Parents know this, but are often unsure of how to begin a dialogue. Many times, what ends up happening is that parents fail to communicate pro-actively with coaches, and this can lead to harbored resentments that can erupt in frustration and anger.

So with the goal of helping you navigate this novel social labyrinth successfully, I’ve created the following, “How to deal with…” guide based on common problems parents encounter:

How to deal with… The coach who thinks they’re leading a World Cup team even though this is Active Kidz.

This is perhaps the most difficult of the situations I’ll discuss - presuming the coach isn’t physically or mentally abusing your child (I’ll address that later). You signed your child up for a fun activity that gets them moving and teaches them basic skills - not a regimented training session. Your kid is bored, or not enjoying the sport. You’re torn between ignoring it and saying something. You want to say something because you don’t want your child’s love of the activity squashed by an all-too-serious coach.

“Playing-time issues are the number-one problem keeping parents - and kids - up at night.”

too young, then set up a time to talk with the coach privately, away from a practice or game setting. In emailing or texting to set up the conversation, it is a good idea to let the coach know what you want to discuss, so that they won’t be defensive when you bring up the issue. Frame your point from a development point of view: Solution: Firstly, talk to your child. Ask “Chloe cares a great deal about volleyball; them, “Are you having fun?” If not, try to I’d love to chat with you about how she get them to articulate why (easier said can improve as a player to earn more than done, with young children). If Mr. playing time!” Remember, coaches want Ferguson is indeed sucking the fun out of to win. They play the kids they think give footie, then contact him to set up a time the team the best chance to win. They to talk either in person or on the phone. also think they are great talent evaluators, Do not discuss the issue with the coach and are unlikely to agree with your asserbefore or immediately after a training tion that, “my daughter is better than session. Tell the coach that you greatly ap- that kid.” However, coaches are also hupreciate his desire to teach discipline and man. If you frame a playing-time issue as the basic skills of the game, but that the a problem your child has and wants to current structure isn’t helping your child solve, a coach will respect that and reto develop a passion for the activity and spond favorably. you were hoping that the two of you How to deal with… The could come up with a solution. This puts you both (parent and coach) on the same coach WHO won’t stop yelling at the kids. Angrily. team as opposed to setting up an adverNot all yelling is created equal. There is a sarial dynamic. major difference between yelling at athHow to deal with… Believing letes to encourage them to try harder, your child isn’t getting move faster, or execute better - and yellenough playing time. ing at athletes with the purpose of dePlaying-time issues are the number-one meaning them and shaming them into problem keeping parents, and kids, up at compliance. Now, some coaches believe night. In my years as a coach, 99% of par- that the latter results in the former ent issues have found success with this they’re wrong. situation.

Solution: If you have a Bobby KnightSolution: Talk to your child. Ask them, style coach, chances are you’re not alone “Do you believe you’re getting enough in your concern. Talk to your child. Ask playing time?” If they say ‘no,’ ask them them how it makes them feel. It’s also imwhy – and encourage them to talk to the portant to talk to the other parents and coach themselves. This can be an imporask how they feel. Shaming does not motant lesson for your child in speaking tivate athletes. Bobby Knight won 902 Diwith an authority figure. If your child is vision-1 NCAA basketball games in spite

of his abusive nature; not because of it.

Psychological research tells us as much.

Once again, set up a time to speak away from the gym. This is the most sensitive issue to address because, unlike the above two, it is not a matter of the coach’s decision-making but his or her personality.

Therefore they’re likely to be even more resistant to any critiques. As good communication dictates, frame the issue in the least adversarial way possible. Begin the conversation with a question such as, “What is your philosophy of motivation?”

If yelling gets mentioned as part of the philosophy, ask if he thinks that particular approach is working with the team. If yelling does not get mentioned, ask if he realizes how frequently he raises his voice at the children and if this is intentional.

This gives him a way out and may actually make him aware of the severity of his actions.

If the situation doesn’t improve, you need to get more serious. Talk to an administrator in the league or the school about your concerns. Persistent demeaning language is abusive and has no place in athletics.

Youth athletics are massively beneficial to our children’s physical and cognitive development. It is important to view the coach/player relationship much like the teacher/student relationship. Very few of us would avoid talking to our child’s teacher about a major issue, so why shouldn’t we talk to the coach? Coaches may make errors and be misinformed, but they’re not crazy - talk to your child’s coach and you may be surprised how willing he or she is to listen.

“Bobby Knight won 902 Division-1 NCAA basketball games in spite of his abusive nature; not because of it.”

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food & fun

Kids in the Kitchen

Lobster Cooking Class at STCC

Iddo Goren

By Camilla Ohlsson

Kendra (14), Joseph (12) and Devon (11) with chef Alexandre

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rban Family invited some kids and parents along to Shanghai Town & Country Community (STCC) for a cooking class led by culinary director Alexandre Molina. Together with lots of other kids, they invaded Olive, STCC’s Mediterranean restaurant with a beautiful open kitchen, to cook Nova Scotian lobster with risotto. It was a fun day of cooking, eating and playing for kids as well as adults, and many of the little ones were inspired to become more curious about the culinary world.

Alexandre Molina, who has three children himself, often lets them help and watch him cook. “I like to cook with children because I get to show and teach them things, and they enjoy helping,” he says. Molina puts a lot of effort into dinners at home with his family, despite being busy in the kitchen at STCC. His cooking is inspired by Mediterranean cuisine, and he likes to add an Asian twist to it.

Of course, children also enjoyed the remarkable facilities at STCC. The state-ofthe-art play area kept them busy between

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“I like to cook with children because I get to show and teach them things, and they enjoy helping.” cooking sessions. STCC has one of the largest kids’ zones in Shanghai with a coffee bar, a juice bar, themed party rooms, and a two-story high slide, as well as ad-

venture- activity and chill-out zones designed for kids of all ages.

STCC aims to provide an ideal environment for the families of those who live in Shanghai’s most prestigious circles, a place where their children can grow up having fun together, mixing with other children of all ages, and growing personally through play and the spirit of adventure.

Adults who visit STCC don’t have to worry about being bored either. How about get-

ting a good workout, relaxing by the pool and indulging in one of the best culinary experiences available in Shanghai while sipping on wines from an extensive cellar collection? All this can be enjoyed in the new, modern, comfortable and luxurious facilities of STCC.

Creamy Lobster Risotto (1 serving)

The dining experience at STCC is often a mix of Western and Asian influences. Alexandre explains his thoughts on cooking for an international crowd: “When we offer a six- or eight- course meal, I like to compose a mixed menu. A blend of Western, Chinese and Japanese dishes gives everyone an option, and I’ve noticed that Germans especially love the concept of mixing Western dishes while adding some Asian elements such as a Japanese soup.”

Urban Family had the pleasure of trying out one of these mixed menus, and we can certainly say that it’s not only Germans who love it!

Here is the cooking class recipe from award-winning chef Alexandre Molina: n 11-year- old Devo

decorating the pla

te

Ingredients:

1 Lobster Vegetable bouillon 50ml olive oil 1 shallot 100g risotto Splash of white wine 20g butter 2 spoonfuls of parmesan cheese 1 tsp whipping cream 6-year-old Kayle

igh making risott

o

Boil the lobster in vegetable bouillon (can be store bought or made by boiling water, onion, celery, carrots and salt for 20 minutes) for eight minutes. Save the bouillon, which has now obtained flavor from the lobster. Put the lobster in icy water for cooling, then take out the meat.

Heat some olive oil in a pot, fry the shredded shallot, add risotto and white wine.

Add the bouillon and cook for 25 minutes, then remove from heat before adding butter, parmesan cheese and whipping cream into the pot.

Shred the lobster meat, add to the cooked risotto.

Decorate the risotto with the lobster shell. Done and done.

Scan the QR code to follow STCC on WeChat: //46 Luding Lu by Guangfu Xi Lu泸 定路46号, 近光复西路 (8025 8666, www.ddileisure.com/en) 9-year-old Se

bastian stirr

ing the risot

to

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food & fun

POP

American Brasserie on The Bund

By Camilla Ohlsson

L

ocated on the top floor of food & culture house Three on the Bund, newly opened American Brasserie POP brings some culinary playfulness into fine dining.

With a blend of American classics and a selection of grilled meats and seafood, executive chef David Chauveau brings his own French twist to an Americanized concept with dishes that please all.

Whether you are in for some brunch, dinner, afternoon tea or catching the business lunch deal, POP offers a beautiful setting overlooking the Huangpu River and The Bund. The outdoor terrace is perfect for sitting back and killing a couple of hours when the weather is right, and kids as well as adults will be delighted with the menu, which can be described as a selection of fun but sophisticated comfort food.

We tried a selection of starters, main courses and desserts, and we could definitely tell that a lot of effort had been put into these dishes. Although the menu is not packed exclusively with American dishes as the restaurant description suggests, the mix of a few selected classics and other popular Western delights is a perfect combination.

For starters, we tried the shrimp avocado cocktail, the tomato burrata salad and the New England clam chowder. The clam chowder (RMB68), which comes with an oyster cracker, was the most impressive of the three, with the English-style shrimp avocado cocktail (RMB98) not far behind. The tomato burrata salad, which came with pine nuts, pesto and balsamic (RMB118) was also good, but the tomatoes were unfortunately slightly tasteless and flowery. Chef David explained, however, that the restaurant is counting on finding better ingredients once everything has settled, so we might give them a pass on this one.

We followed with a vegetarian wild mushroom risotto with truffle and parmesan (RMB128) which was one

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of the favorites, and a roasted salmon with red cabbage and juniper berry cream (RMB158) that was cooked to juicy perfection.

Another dish in the fish and shellfish section worth trying (although the price/size ratio might sting a bit) is the seared scallops with black rice, shizo and chicken jus (RMB240).

From the meat section, we chose the wagyu beef burger (RMB128) and the duck leg confit, which came with red beans and bell pepper (RMB128), both expertly made from beautiful ingredients; however, we expected a bit more of a wow-experience from the burger. There was nothing wrong with it - paired with the restaurant’s childishly delicious onion rings, it was a great food experience - but it was missing some originality; that extra touch that every gourmet burger should have.

If you visit POP, take a look at the side dishes and, whatever you are having for your mains, have it with their truffle puréed potato (RMB38). Better described as heavenly foam than purée, it goes down so easily that you could practically drink it.

To top things off, we finished the meal with a fun and retro ice cream sundae (RMB108) so large and delicious that you could either feed an entire family or polish it off by yourself because the pure sight of it makes you forget everything you’ve learned about calories and cholesterol. Pick three flavors of ice cream or sorbet and it will be served in a huge bowl with whipped cream, brownies, marshmallows, caramel/berry sauce, fruit and a waffle cone.

If you’re in the mood for cocktails, the drink list doesn’t disappoint. Although some easily-offended people may find the selection a bit sexist, with names such as “The Diva,” The Housewife” and “The First Lady” for the “girlier” (aka sweeter) cock-

tails and “The Rock Star,” “The NBA Star” and “The President” for their masculine counterparts (which are less sweet), there is no denying that they taste good. If you’re not into sweet cocktails, however, we would recommend you focus on the men’s section. Prices range from RMB88-198.

In conclusion, POP is a great restaurant with a breathtaking view, cute retro artworks and delicious food. It’s a fun concept that everyone in the family will enjoy; Chef David Chauveau and his team won’t disappoint. // Open Daily, 11am–2pm, 5–11pm, 7F, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, by Guangdong Lu 中山东一路3号7楼, 近广东路 (6321 0909, www.threeonthebund.com)

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food & fun

Real Food for Every Athlete Meals, Snacks and Hydration Guidelines

By Margaret Keefe

O

ur bodies were built to move. Ask any physical therapist and they will tell you humans were not designed to sit all day. Just look at any elementary school class and count the fidgets, toe tapping and the requests to “go to the bathroom.” Kids need to move. I would argue that our babies even feel the need to move from the second trimester of pregnancy onwards. crackers can fit the bill. Fresh fruit can also be a good snack for activities that are under one hour in duration.

Regular physical play and sports activities are vital to a child’s growth and development. Hand in hand with exercise and play is a nourishing diet that meets both growth and energy needs of young players from 2-18.

There are many types of active kids: those who play outside all day, kids who play weekend sports and children who are training for high school sports teams or higher level competition. No matter where your child falls on the spectrum, all children need to start out with a well balanced diet that includes a variety of foods including protein (meat, fish, eggs, tofu, dried beans and legumes), whole grains, fruit, vegetables and dairy products. In most cases, it is a matter of shifting the ratios of these essential foods.

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Every child should have three meals and several snacks per day. Kids have smaller stomachs than adults, and if they are active they will need snacks to fill the energy gaps. The right snacks can support growth and development while giving a child the extra boost they need to finish the game. When choosing snacks, avoid those with added sugar and fat (chocolate bars do not make a good halftime snack). Instead, offer foods that provide some protein and fiber. Homemade trail mix with nuts and whole grain sticks and

If your child is playing in a tournament, you might consider special pre-game meals and post-game refueling. Pre-exercise meals and snacks are important because they supply the energy for working muscles.

Our bodies store small amounts of quick energy as glucose in our muscles and liver. However, because it is quickly released, it is also quickly used up and that is where a proper pre-game meal can help. The night before the big game, or at least two hours before the event, offer your athlete a meal that focuses on carbohydrates (starches), moderate protein and low fat foods. For example, a meal of chicken, pasta and vegetables would work. An egg, whole grain toast and fruit would be a good breakfast alternative.

All three of these major nutrients are needed in the meal. Carbohydrates provide the energy, protein is the building block of muscle and fat improves nutrient absorption and offers an additional energy source.

Post-game or practice foods are just as important to refuel the body. Sports nutri-

“At least two hours before the event, offer your athlete a meal that focuses on carbohydrates (starches), moderate protein and low fat foods.”

tionists recommend eating a high protein snack for optimal muscle recovery within 30 minutes of the end of play. Chocolate milk makes an excellent and tasty high protein post-game snack. Half a sandwich can also fit the bill for a quick one.

To continue muscle recovery after a competition, a high carbohydrate, moderate protein meal should be eaten 1-2 hours after.

Parents need to judge the level of activity.

A five-year-old playing weekend soccer for 45 minutes will not need pre- and post- recovery meals, but they will need a healthy snack. Getting enough to eat to meet the body’s demands is crucial. A child who plays hard without the fuel he/ she needs will feel more fatigue and will not be able to play at their best. There is

“Children do not always feel thirst, so it is a good idea to remind them every 10–15 minutes to take a drink while playing.” also a risk of fractures and injuries to players who are not well nourished.

One of the most important items needed for all athletes - big and small - peewee level or Olympic hopeful - is fluid. Hydration is vital to children out playing or exercising. How much is enough? A “not overly active” child between the ages of

9-13 will need 2.1-2.4 liters of non-sugared fluids. Smaller children will need less, and more active children will need more.

Also consider the air temperature. Shanghai spring and summer can get pretty warm, so children will need more fluids on those days. It is important to note that children do not always feel thirst, so it is a good idea to remind them to take a drink every 10-15 minutes while playing.

In most cases, water is the best form of hydration. For heavier activities and sports competitions, lightly sweetened sports drinks may be appropriate.

An active lifestyle, along with a delicious diet, is the best way to grow a healthy child!

Train hard, eat well and get enough sleep!

Sunshine Bars

(Adapted from: www.momsteam.com)

Makes about three dozen 1 1/2 inch bars. Make a double batch and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator:

Ingredients 1 cup orange juice 1 cup dried apricots 1/3 cup honey 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups rolled oats 1 cup whole-wheat flour 1/2 cup wheat germ 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 cup raisins 2/3 cup almond meal (finely ground almonds)

Directions • Preheat oven to 350F (175C).

• Grease a 9 x 9 inch baking dish with oil.

• Heat the orange juice to a boil in a small saucepan • Add dried apricots.

• Bring to a boil again and turn off the heat.

• Cover pan and let apricots soak in the juice for 10 minutes.

• Drain and cut apricots into small pieces with kitchen scissors or a sharp knife.

• In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the honey and vegetable oil.

• Add apricots and raisins and stir together.

• In a large mixing bowl, stir together oats, flour, wheat germ, cinnamon and sea salt.

• Put all ingredients together and mix well.

• Press dough into the baking dish. Bake for about 25 minutes.

• Allow to cool completely before cutting.

** To make a nut-free version, replace almond meal with wheat, rice or coconut flour.

// Margaret Keefe is a registered dietician and founder of the Shanghai Nutrition Practice Group. (www.eatwellshanghai. com, 138 1667 4736)

Eat Well Shanghai grew out of one expat’s confusion on how to feed her family healthy, wholesome meals in Shanghai. If you are feeling overwhelmed and not sure what to eat or where to shop, the Eat Well Shanghai Guidebook will help smooth your transition to eating well in Shanghai.

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wellbeing

Big Game Anxiety How To Manage Kids’ Performance-related Worries

By Nate Belfanz

Tips for Helping Your Child Manage Performancerelated Anxiety Practice Deep Breathing Exercises

Shortness of breath is a physiological symptom that often accompanies performance-related anxiety. Slowing the rate and increasing the depth of your breathing can send powerful, calming messages from your body to your brain that will allow you to focus more on the task at hand. Demonstrate to your child how to inhale through your nose for a count of four, followed immediately by exhaling through your mouth for a count of four. Repeat this exercise two to three times. Encourage your child to use this strategy at key times during a competition or performance (e.g. before stepping into the batter’s box).

Visualize Succeeding

E

nrolling our children in extra-curricular activities like competitive athletics or performing arts has a number of indisputable benefits. Extra-curricular activities can help enhance a child’s self-confidence, provide opportunities for practicing time management and instill values of commitment and dedication. They also underscore the importance of working cooperatively with others for the greater good of the team. But, as anyone who has ever found themselves at the free throw line with the big at risk can tell you, the performance component of these activities can also stir up strong feelings of anxiety for any individual. As a former collegiate soccer player and lifelong competitive athlete (I use the term “competitive” loosely), I know firsthand how performance-related anxiety can significantly thwart one’s ability to compete at his or her full potential. This begs the question: How can we, as parents, help our children deal with stress in sports?

What the research tells us:

Performance-related anxiety often comes as a result of catastrophizing about the outcome of a future event, recalling a negative past experience that shares similar characteristics with the current situation, or a combination of both. Essentially, performance anxiety occurs when we feel a desperate need to control a situation that is, in reality, out of our control. When it comes to children, performance-related anxiety can be exacerbated by pressure to seek the approval of family members, the praise of a coach or the adoration and acceptance of one’s peers.

For further insights into better understanding performance-related anxiety and what to do about it, I consulted with Dr. Shari Ghiti, clinical director of the South Bay Child and Family Therapy Center of Hermosa Beach, California. In addition to her training as a child and adolescent clinical psychologist, Dr. Ghiti is also a professionally trained opera singer and expert in the treatment of performance-related anxiety in both children and adults. She says, “It is natural for most individuals to experience anxiety symptoms when in a performance-type situation… While it may seem that the goal of treatment for performance anxiety is to completely obliterate all anxiety symptoms, research has found that it is far more important for the individual to learn to manage and take control of the symptoms and use them to their advantage. In fact, optimal performance is produced with a moderate amount of anxiety.”

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Professional athletes and stage performers alike have emphasized how visualizing a successful performance can help to reduce the level of anxiety they experience. Prior to a sporting event or other type of performance, help your child to visualize success by asking him to close his eyes and describe in detail the sensory experiences that accompany a successful performance (e.g. “I see the ball being pitched, I feel my bat hit the ball on the sweet spot, I heard the crowd cheer as I run around the bases.”)

Maintain Positivity Before, During and After a Performance

Chances are that your child is already well aware of what’s at stake when it comes to a major performance-related event. Reassuring your child that you love them and you are proud of them regardless of the outcome of their performance may sound obvious, but its role in building your child’s confidence and self-esteem cannot be understated.

Identifying specific, positive aspects of their performance (e.g. “I really noticed how much your swing is improving”) can help to reassure the child that you are invested and that you care. // Dr. Nate Balfanz is the senior clinical psychologist at JJ-Premier Medical Care, a comprehensive mental and medical health service clinic for expat children, adolescents and adults.

Blogger Kristi Recommends Chinese Beauty Brands

Feeling lost in the ocean of beauty products that Shanghai has on offer? It’s not always easy to navigate your way through luxury brands, pink and sparkly packages and cupcake-shaped lip gloss. When it comes to shopping, Shanghai has it all, and Urban Family decided to ask a professional for help. Beauty blogger Kristi (Wang Yanhua) says there are some must-tries out there and recommends some of her favorite Chinese beauty brands.

Pechion

My grandma introduced to me to this brand. They have a special “cold cream” that you can use for your face, hands, body – basically any area that needs some moisture. During the winter, I apply a thick layer of the cream and use it as a moisturizing mask.

Another favorite from the same brand is their hand cream. I must admit, one of the reasons I use it is because of the cute packaging with the Chinese illustrations. It absorbs well, and has three different scents.

Bee & Flower

This is another classic Chinese brand. I use the sandalwoodscented soap for bathing; the smell is unique and the packaging is very vintage. The formula and packaging have been the same for over 80 years.

Bee & Flower also has a conditioner I like. Its moisturizing effects can be compared to that of Kérastase products, yet it will cost you less than a meal at Mc Donald’s. I like the conditioner that comes in the yellow bottle - it’s suitable for any hair type.

Liu Shen

The direct translation of this brand name is “six gods.” I use Florida Water in the summer to repel mosquitoes and relieve itching. One of them – “Ice Lotus” – was very hot last summer because someone said it smells just like an Hermès perfume. You can use it in the coming summer for repelling mosquitoes and for a luxurious scent.

Xie Fuchun

This is one of the most famous Chinese cosmetics companies. They have a powder that combines natural flower essence and Chinese medicine, which is meant to make your skin look healthy and rosy. I recommend their “duck egg powder” which comes in paper packaging with Chinese designs. This is not only a cosmetics product, but also a portable accessory. // Kristi has been running her blog (blog.onlylady.com/Kristi) since 2006 and has seen her fan base grow over the years. Today, the blog has 30,000 visitors per day and is a platform for communication between women talking about beauty products, shopping, travel, kids, food and more.

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wellbeing

Exercise vs.

Exercise

Identifying Your Goal and Knowing the Risks

By Alan Leung

“

I need to exercise more…” What is exercise? It might seem like a no-brainer, but the answer is less straightforward than you may think. As a fitness consultant, I find that words like “exercise” mean different things to different people. Another example is the phrase ‘getting back into shape.’ Depending on the person, this could mean either building muscle mass, burning fat or increasing physical performance at a specific activity like weight lifting or running, or a combination of all of these things. Because “getting into shape” is such a subjective idea, as a fitness professional, I would have to ask some more detailed questions to determine what the client is really after.

Now consider the phrase: “I need to exercise more.” As someone in the fitness industry, I hear these five words on an almost daily basis from different people (often in the same tone of voice as confessing their sins to a priest). The activities that people consider to be ‘exercise’ are very diverse. Swimming, tennis, track racing, sumo wrestling, yoga and body building are all considered exercise, but each of these can have very different effects on the body. And as I’ll explain, not all of these activities can actually be considered ‘exercise’ for one critical reason. But first, let me share with you the definition of exercise that I believe is the most useful. From Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary: “Exercise |ksәsΛΙz| noun. 1 [ mass noun ] physical activity that is done in order to become stronger and healthier.”

“Choosing to play a sport assumes that you accept all the risks that go with that sport.”

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Similarly to Webster’s definition, I define exercise as an activity that requires physical exertion with the objective of maintaining or improving health. The main objective of exercise is to improve your health. Exercise may also keep you motivated, make you sweat and even be fun. But none of those are the primary goal - they are just the effects. That’s right, you read that correctly - the amount of sweat you produce is not necessarily indicative how effectively you are exercising.

So if we adopt the definition of ‘exercise’ as an activity to promote health, then what about sports? Are sports considered exercise? Yes and no. I love sports. I got into this profession because of my love of playing sports. Sports are not only huge fun; if played intensively enough, many sports can change your body’s composition and improve your health immensely. That’s because all sports have some element of exercise built in to them. Most sports require a decent level of physical exertion - I say ‘most’ because there are some people who actually think throwing darts or shooting pool are sports, but that’s an entirely different discussion...

All physical sports have some elements of exercise built in, but in order to judge whether any given sport is ‘exercise,’ we need to dig a bit deeper. There are several criteria we could use to measure how effective a sport is as an exercise, including its effect on cardiorespiratory conditioning, its ability to help you shed dangerous visceral fat and the rate at which you acquire muscle mass during the sport. But there is one critical dimension to whether a sport can be considered an exercise; the risk of injury associated with the activity. Think about it: what good is a sport that gives you a back sprain that stops you from exercising for two weeks or more?

It may seem obvious to say that being injured is the direct opposite of being healthy. But the brutal truth (particularly for someone like me, who loves sports and has endured several sports-related injuries over the years) is that if the activity involves a high risk of injury, it is simply not effective exercise.

Exercise is to promote health - not to diminish health by getting injured. All sports have a certain amount of risk - some more than others. It is therefore paramount that if someone were to exercise for the sole purpose of improving health, that they choose a type of exercise that not only helps them to ‘get into shape,’ but also has the lowest risk of injury.

Here in Shanghai, I’ve actually witnessed trainers texting on their phones while their clients are lifting weights overhead with terrible form, ruining their backs and on the verge of dropping the dumbbells on their own heads. Clients are paying good money to get healthy, but instead risk achieving the exact opposite because of a supposedly professional trainer committing gross malpractice.

So the next time someone tells you they need to exercise, ask them what their real intentions are. If it’s for the love of whatever the sport they choose, then ok. But choosing to play a sport assumes that they understand and accept all the risks that go with that sport. However, if their goal is to be as healthy and fit as possible, then it only makes sense to choose an exercise activity that is effective, efficient and safe!

“I’ve actually witnessed trainers texting on their phones while their clients are lifting weights overhead with terrible form, ruining their backs and on the verge of dropping the dumbbells on their own heads.”

h

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events

Urban Scenes Concordia Annual Gala & Auction EIC LAUNCHES NEW STUDY PROGRAM On March 28th, EIC Launched its new SAT & College prep program, Prestige Only - a platform specifically designed to prepare Chinese students for competitive admissions. EIC’s SAT component of the program features a blended learning method that combines the best of both online and offline modes of instruction. The college prep component of the program is designed to a be a 3-year long immersion experience which will prepare students for admissions and success at top 30 American universities.

Charity Day at DCS On March 12, Dulwich College Shanghai held a charity day, which was an opportunity to bond as a team at the Junior School. The Charity assembly explained the purposes and goals of the Green Panthers, Noughts and Hearts and Animals Asia. Discussions also took place about ways to help the environment by using less of the world’s resources. Each class offered to make a collaborative piece of art for the Founder’s Day Auction, run by the Friends of Dulwich, on June 6.

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On Saturday, March 7, Concordia International School Shanghai hosted the 12th annual Gala & Auction at the Kerry Pudong Hotel. It was an electrifying evening filled with food, entertainment and some live and silent auction items. Proceeds from this year’s event went towards empowering STEM initiatives and programs to benefit Concordia students.

Additionally, a percentage of the proceeds were donated to the Youth Empowering Progress, formerly the Yunnan Education Project (YEP), Concordia’s flagship service program.

NBA Yao Basketball Club Debuts at SAS In March, the NBA Yao Basketball Club debuted exclusively at Shanghai American School. The NBA China is partnering with SAS to bring athletic excellence, fundamental basketball skills and game play to the Shanghai community. The NBA Yao Basketball Club is an after-school basketball and life skills program for boys and girls ages 6-18 at all skill levels, and aims to meet a growing demand for educational fitness. The program is open to all international students.

Marc Fosh visits Dulwich College On March 20, Michelin-starred chef Marc Fosh visited Dulwich College Shanghai. He held a cooking demonstration for students and parents in hopes of inspiring them to cook healthy food.

His philosophy is to use simple ingredients to make a tasty and nutritious meal, and he taught the audience how to do this in a quick and easy way. The lesson was especially important because the audience included students who are about to leave for college and start cooking by themselves.

The cooking demo and tasting included fusion food made from ingredients from many different countries around the world.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream at BISS Puxi The secondary school performing arts department at the British International School Shanghai, Puxi campus has recently put on their successful version of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Keeping the essence of a Shakespearean play, they used the traditional language and focused on enhancing the ridiculousness of each situation to heighten the comedy. But in juxtaposition, they also incorporated contemporary dance into the performance, highlighting the mystery and magic that is prevalent throughout the play and creating a perfect contrast to the comedy of the text.

Wellington Arts Festival Wellington College in Shanghai launched its first-ever Arts Festival a month-long celebration focusing on the arts. Organized by Dr. Stephen Jacobi, the IB Coordinator and director of culture for Wellington in Shanghai, the month has seen a collection of workshops, talks, performances and productions filling the school with energy and excitement. The festival was launched in Wellington’s impressive theater with “Electra” - a Senior School production of the Greek tragedy in which Sophocles tells the story of a daughter who wants to avenge her father by killing her mother.

Workshops included creative opera lessons, drama classes focusing on comedy, storytelling, graffiti workshops, stand-up comedy tutorials, film studies, Manga sessions, and talks ranging from poetry readings to the psychology of madness and comedy. With this year’s festival focusing on comedy, pupils had the opportunity to laugh, learn and explore humor in various ways an opportunity often missed in many schools but crucial to a child’s wellbeing, which is of particular interest to Wellington.

DCS and BISS Attend Paddington Movie Premiere A group of lucky students from Dulwich College Shanghai and BISS Puxi and Pudong attended the Paddington premiere at the Shanghai Film Museum on March 3. Students had been invited to enter a competition to design an outfit for Paddington’s adventure to China, as part of the ‘Great Festival of Creativity.’

The winning students got to attend the event with the headmasters of their respective schools. They were amongst the first people to see the film in Shanghai and personally meet the VIP at the event, His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, who admired their artwork on display.

YCIS Community Participates in Fun 5K ‘Run’ for Charity Yew Chung International School of Shanghai (YCIS) recently held its first ever “MAD Run.” Planned by senior secondary students, the weekend race event was a part of the students’ Creativity, Service and Action (CAS) project for this year.

Carrying on in the spirit of the Terry Fox Run that YCIS supported in previous years, YCIS’s Century Park and Regency Park campuses hosted the MAD Run to support cancer research. In total, the race raised over RMB50,000 in funds donated to this important cause.

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events

EVENTs

Submit your events listing to urbanfamily@urbanatomy.com April 15-17

YCIS Shanghai Presents You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown A talented group of high school students from YCIS’s Century Park Campus will stage the production You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, the musical adaptation of the Charles M. Schulz comic strip, Peanuts. Come enjoy the music and comedy from April 15-17, presented by very dedicated drama students! // For more information or to rSVP, please contact enquiry@sh.ycef. com

APR 18 – NOV 21

Fun Days at the Peninsula Held monthly on a Saturday afternoon (check with the hotel in advance to find out which Saturday of each month) two sessions a day, the Peninsula will offer children a wide range of cooking activities that will reflect the seasonal changes and events throughout the year.

From Bouncing Chocolate Bunnies at Easter to Summer Coolers in the hotter months, the children are bound to have fun with food. For RMB998, a child can participate in one of the activities and parents can enjoy a Peninsula Fashion Afternoon Tea for two. // rMb998, 2-2.45pm or 3.30-

4.15pm, 32 Zhongshan Dongyi Lu by beijing Dong Lu, 中山东一路32号, 近北京东路(www.peninsula.com, boutiquepsh@peninsula.com)

April 23-25 Once Upon a Mattress at Concordia Concordia Theatre presents Once Upon a Mattress, a musical stage production based on Hans Christian Anderson’s tale The Princess and the Pea. The show is open to the public and appropriate for all ages. // 7pm, concordia Theater, 999 Mingjue Lu by Hongfeng Lu明 月路999号, 近红枫路 (www. concordiashanghai.org)

April 24 April Festival at CuCuGua Every year, around two weeks after Easter celebrations, the April Festival is held in Seville, Spain. People come from all over the country to join this big colorful celebration with Flamenco dancers, tapas and performances. On April 24, CuCuGua Spanish Center in Shanghai is hosting its own festival for kids up to 15 years inspired by the April Festival in Seville. //4.30–6.30pm, cucuGua Spanish center, 5/F, no 201 Hongson Lu by HongmeiLu 虹梅路3215弄201号5楼, 近虹松东(info@cucugua.com)

April 24 Urban Aphrodite at BISS Puxi Shanghai’s expat theater company Urban Aphrodite is bringing their show, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Revised) to the British International School Shanghai, Puxi campus as part of BISS Puxi’s April Shakespeare celebrations. Tickets are RMB100, email tickets@urbanaphrodite.nl to reserve yours. //rMb100, 7pm, 111 Jinguang Lu by beiqing Gong Lu 金光路111号 近北青 公路 (5226 3211, www.bisspuxi.com)

April 25

April 18

Sun Foot Forest Festival

Residents of the metropolis of Shanghai will be stunned to hear that there is an over 1,300 acre artificial forest located in the west suburb area. A pure, charming land of lakes and trails, this paradise is a different world from the bustle of the city.

The “Sun Foot Forest Festival” is a new concept from Shanghai Study. This spring, the forest comes alive with performances, cultural education, entertainment and other activities. Locals and foreigners alike are welcomed to this grand cross-cultural party. These are the venues and some of the activities you can enjoy: // april 18, 318 national road by Zhutian road, Zhu Jiajiao Zhen青浦区朱家角镇朱天路7号片林 Pre-purchased tickets only. rMb450/adults, rMb150/children: free entry for children under three. adult package: rMb850/2 adults. Family package: rMb1080/2 adults, 1 child; +rMb100/child for two more children. Ticket includes bus transfer from town, buffet snacks and performances. (registration and more information: email www.

shanghaistudy@163.com or call 021 6473 6371 or 186 2155 4912.) or check out https://yoopay.cn/event/forestfestivalspring

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YCIS International Family Food Fair Be sure to mark your calendars for the annual YCIS International Family Food Fair, a highly anticipated day of family fun, food and culture! This exciting event at YCIS Shanghai’s Hongqiao Campus, organized by the school’s Parent Organization (POP), is a celebration of multiculturalism and community. During the day, families join together to represent their home countries, wearing traditional clothing and providing traditional foods from around the world for attendees to sample.

Come on by to enjoy a variety of games and unique performances, delicious food and a parade of cultures by the YCIS community! // For more information or to rSVP, please contact enquiry@sh.ycef. com

April 25 Kiddies’ Fairy Tale Party at Paulaner Take your child to a fantasy world

at the family-friendly Paulaner restaurant. Kids can enjoy meeting witches, elves, princesses, dwarves and other curious characters and get their face painted, play games, make their own crowns and more.

While letting your child run around in fantasy land, you can sit back and enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet with Bavarian and international food and good deals on beer and nonalcoholic beverages. // Free for under 3 years old, rMb78 for kids from 3-9 years old, rMb108 for kids older than 10, rMb228 for adults. 10am– 2pm, Paulaner brauhaus, 150 Fen Yang Lu, by Fuxing Lu汾阳路150路, 近复兴 路 (6474 5700, mkt46@bln.com.cn)

APRIL 30 - MAY 2 JZ Spring 2015 Enjoy a festival with the theme “peace, future and vitality” featuring more than 200 musicians from all over the world, performing in parks

and streets around the Jing’an Park.

It is a celebration to commemorate the end of World War II and the 70th anniversary of the construction.

Leading The Asian Jazz All-Stars Power Octet, Singaporean jazz pianist Jeremy Monteiro will kick off on April 30, the opening ceremony.

This festival focuses on kids and there will be games, yoga exercises and special market for kids and parents. Public benefit such as WWF, Shanghai Stars Supporting Center of NGO and Green Note Foundation can’t not be missed either. Besides that, drum zone, ukelele players, swing dancers will be all around the parks and streets in this two-days music carnival. //For more information, call 02164311075 or email info@jz-music. com

MAY 12 Tips for Everyday Mental Health Beliefs and way of thinking are

April 19

Shanghai Centre Family Fun Fair It’s time for the third annual edition of Shanghai Centre’s signature event for families across the city, now with a focus on the healthy lifestyle needs of Shanghai’s families.

This year’s Family Fun Fair will focus on encouraging activity, championing health and facilitating fun.

What they offer: 1. Family Fun Games for kids and parents 2. Children and parent focused vendors that encourage an active and fun lifestyle 3. Activity options ranging from fun education to fitness & handicraft options for children Shanghai Centre will be transformed into a Family Fair with ample activities for the entire family. The fair will use large, open spaces at Shanghai Centre broken down into four major areas:

April 18

Evening in the Sky

EPWS Annual GalaJoin the Expatriate Professional Women’s Society (EPWS) for an “Evening in the Sky,” this year’s highly-anticipated annual gala event. Inspired by the Chinese saying, “Women hold up half the sky,” the 2015 gala will highlight the contributions of women to their professions, families and communities, while simultaneously providing guests with a fantastical sky-themed experience. “Evening in the Sky” will take place at the sparkling Diamond Ballroom of the Westin Hotel Shanghai on Saturday, April 18, beginning at 6.30 pm with a unique interactive cocktail reception, offering many innovative photo opportunities.

Following the reception, guests will enjoy a delectable four-course gourmet dinner and musical entertainment from a master DJ under a luminous starry sky. Dancers will amaze guests with performances throughout the evening, along with captivating lighting effects. All guests will receive a luxury gift bag, and an extensive silent auction and live auction for charity will benefit the World Academy for the Future of Women. Guests are requested to attend in formal black tie attire in ‘Shades of Sky.’ This exciting Gala program will also include the 2015 ceremony for the renowned Women Leadership Awards. During the awards ceremony, EPWS, in collaboration with HULT Women in Business Club, will recognize five outstanding professional women in the community, who hold up

1. Farmer’s Market Exhibition Plaza (area above City Shop; outside, covered): A fabulous farmer’s market filled with food and beverage vendors including the USA and Agricultural Trade Office’s associations alongside Shanghai’s healthy F&B venues.

2. Band Play-off: Exhibition Plaza (area facing Nanjing Lu): Nine student bands from international schools will be performing from 10am-4pm, bringing the audience jazz, rock, pop and dance acts.

3. Playground and Cardboard Shanghai III: Level 4 Atrium (inside): A playground for kids from 3 – 10 years old including gymnastics play area, technology workshops, dancing and sports activities on stage, even a bouncy castle. Cardboard Shanghai is a town constructed from pre-made buildings by participants in the Cardboard Shanghai Award Competition and Awesome Kids’ Club. The town of buildings, roads and streets is not only for exhibition but also for interactive play during the day. Families are encouraged to dig into the pile of materials and tools, and construct their own visionary buildings for Shanghai in the year 2525. (www.awesomekidsclub.com.cn/cardboardshanghai) 4. Ultraman Show: Level 4 Theater (inside): The performance Theater will stage three shows of the popular Japanese action-hero Ultraman, fighting an epic battle against evil monsters. Shows are scheduled for 11am, 1pm and 3pm (schedule subject to change). Tickets can be obtained at the theater entrance.

// Sunday, april 19, 10am-4pm. Shanghai centre, 1376 nanjing Xi Lu, by Xikang Lu 南京西路1376号, 近西康路

events some of the most important issues in a person’s life. At Community Center Shanghai-Pudong, holistic psychologist Bibiana Rueda-Bueno is hosting a talk on how to live life to its fullest by applying tools and tips for everyday thinking. Bibiana combines clinical psychology, psycho genealogy with alternative techniques such as chakras harmonization, energy healing and cleansing in the treatment of her patients. //9.30 - 11.30 am, rMb250, community center Shanghai Pudong, 1146 biyun Lu, Tower a, 3/F by Huangyang road 金桥碧 云路1146号a座3层, 近黄杨路(0213382-1770, pudongprogram@ communitycenter.cn, www. communitycenter.cn)

May 12 Green Drinks Film Screening For the May screening at Green Drinks, the threatening extinction of the bluefin tuna is the topic. The film “The End of the Line” is showing, and it examines the increasing demand for sushi, the impact of populations,

marine life, starvation and hunger in coastal areas and more - all of which are factors leading to the extinction. //7 - 9 pm, 432 Dagu Lu by Shimen Yi Lu 大沽路432号, 近石门一路 (info@ greeninitiatives.cn, 0135 2403 3830)

MAY 13 Elvis Tribute at Shanghai Oriental Art Center Celebrating The King’s 80th birthday, David King, Emma Rogers, William Fisher, Garry Foley and Robyn Ford are performing some old classics such as Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock and Suspicious Minds during an evening of nostalgia. //7.15 - 9.30 pm, 425 Dingxiang Lu by century blvd 上海东方艺术中心, 丁香路425号 (400 646 6406, yiwei. yao@shoac.com.cn, www.shoac. com.cn)

MAY 17 RAS Book Club & Film Special: The Makioka Sisters The Makioka Sisters, written by Jinichiro Tanizaki is set in Osaka, Japan immediately before World

War II. Come and discuss this novel by one of the major writers of modern Japanese literature at the Royal Aseatic Society Library on May 17. //4 - 9 pm, 1195 Fuxing Zhong Lu

by Shaanxi nan Lu 复兴中路1195 号, 近陕西南路 (bookevents@ royalasiaticsociety.org.cn, www. royalasiaticsociety.org.cn)

May 23-24 Neon Fairytales Two of the world’s classic fairytales, “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Tortoise and the Hare” will be shown in a neon adaption at the Shanghai Children’s Theatre. Expect bright lights and luminescent ducks and turtles. Suitable for ages five and up, tickets start at RMB180. // May 23, 2.30pm and 7.30pm; May 24, 10.30am and 2.30pm, 800 Miaojiang Lu by Xizhang nan Lu 苗 江路800号, 近西藏南路

Join a talk about the important position of women in society, how they function in a cyclical pattern and alternate between being the mother, the achiever, the girl and the witch. Women can learn how to get the most out of every role and find a balance to reach happiness and fulfillment. Holistic psychologist Bibiana Rueda-Bueno will be leading the talk that will make you as a woman more connected to yourself. // rMb250, 9.30–11.30am, community center Shanghai Pudong, 1146 biyun Lu, Tower a, 3/F by Huangyang road 金桥碧 云路1146号a座3层, 近黄杨路(0213382-1770, pudongprogram@ communitycenter.cn, www. communitycenter.cn) For weekly updates on family events in Shanghai, follow us on WeChat!

May 26 Empowering Women Talk at the Community Center Pudong

May 16-17

ReedPOP Comic Con in Shanghai!

ReedPOP, the biggest comic convention organizer worldwide has announced the launch of Shanghai Comic Convention (SHCC). The celebration for comic fans and pop culture lovers will take over the Shanghai Convention & Exhibition Center of International Sourcing and turn it into a market of comic books, figures and models, a stage for comic book artists, cosplay artists and Hollywood stars - a real gathering for fans to share their enthusiasm with the community. With its expertise organizing conventions all over the world, ReedPOP is bringing this epic entertainment experience to Shanghai.

The SHCC will feature some of the latest comic book titles, figures, models and related movies and TV shows, along with an array of events and activities including the Cosplay Competition, Artist Gallery and Fans DIY Stage. The SHCC Cosplay Competition is a new branch of its global cosplay tournament, aimed at discovering world-class costume and prop designers and cosplayers in China. The winner will be invited to compete in the world finale at the Chicago Comic Convention. Fans DIY Stage will provide a platform for pop culture lovers to ignite their imaginations; the Artist Gallery offers a rare opportunity for illustrators and comic artists to display and sell their works. All comic artists are welcomed to join the SHCC Artist Gallery. //2739 Guangfu Xi Lu, by Zhongjiang Lu 普陀区光复西路2739号, 近中江路 For more information, please see ReedPOP official Weibo (@励德漫展), WeChat Account (RXChinaComicCon) and website (www.comiccon.com.cn)

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listings Education Early Childhood Education Canada & China International School affiliated with the Vancouver International Educational Development Centre.

Whole day kindergarten program for ages 3 to 6, 9am - 3.30pm.

After school programs available on weekends: Emergent Art, Science, Drama and Literature. Block B,C,D,F, 3/F, 1399 Beijing Xi Lu 北京西路 1399号3楼B,C,D,F座 (3207 1135) International Play Point @ Longbai GB2, Building 2, Longbai Service Apts, 2461 Hongqiao Lu 龙柏IPP, 虹 桥路2461号2号楼GB2 (6268 8320) Shanghai babyArt Education Management Consulting Co., Ltd. Room 705, Bldg A, Hongqiao Flourish Lotus Plaza, 1050 Wuzhong Lu 吴中路1050号虹桥盛世莲花 广场A幢705室(5422 1000, www. babyart.cn) Totsgarten Play Center Odin Palace, Branch 88, Club House, 3001 Hongmei Lu 奥玎亲子坊早教中心, 虹梅路3001弄88支弄奥玎花园会所 (6401 8381, www.totsgarten.com)

Kindergartens American Kindergarten Stars and Stripes 138 Yingbin San Lu 迎 宾三路138号 (6268 5006, www. starsandstripes.cn, info@USL.com) Bright Start Academy 2F, 10-3 Cangwu Lu, by Tianlin Lu 苍梧路 10号3幢2楼,近田林路 (6451 7908, www.kidsbrightstart.com) Century Star Bilingual Kindergarten 169 Boshan Dong Lu, by Deping Lu and Jujiaqiao Lu 博山东路169号, 德平路居家桥路中间 (5850 6698, www.shsjx.com) China Welfare Institution Kindergarten 1361 Xiuyan Lu, by Hunan Lu 秀沿路1361号,近沪南路 (6819 2362, www.cwikin.com) Dulwich College Kindergarten Shanghai 425 Lan’an Lu, by Biyun Lu 蓝桉路425号,近碧云路 (5899 9910, www.dulwichcollege.cn) Fortune Kindergarten International

School 1) 55 Lancun Lu (5875 1212, www.fkis.com.cn) 2) 201 Donghuan Long Lu 东环龙路201号(5039 8797) 3) 2151 Lianhua Lu 莲花路2151号 (5458 0508) Happy Bridge Kindergarten 489 Huaiyin Lu, by Linquan Lu 淮阴路 489号, 近林泉路 (6223 8870, www. happybridge.org) Harvest Baby Kindergarten 149 Hengbang Lu, by Tiantong'an Lu 横 浜路149号,近天潼庵路 (6587 8662) Learning Habitat Bilingual Kindergarten Block C, Blue Sky Villa, 1980 Hongqiao Lu, by Hongmei Lu 虹桥路1980号蓝天别墅C幢 (6262 7668, www.learninghabitat.org) Little Eton Bilingual Kindergarten 592 Wanping Nan Lu, by Lingling Lu 宛平南路592号(6469 0445, www.little-eton.com, little-eton@ eastday.com) Maryland Kindergarten 1/F, 59 Ronghua Xi Dao, by Suicheng Lu 华西道59号1楼, 近水城路(6270 1393, 6270 2393, www.smlk.kr, maryland_sh@hanmail.net) Merrykids Kindergarten No.42, 21 Pubei Lu, by Liuzhou Lu 蒲北路21弄 42号,近柳州路 (6483 0206, www. merrykids.com) Montessori Children’s House English-German-Mandarin classes.

7.30am - 4.40pm. 56 Lingshan Lu,

by Yinshan Lu and Yunshan Lu 灵山 路56号,近银山路和云山路 Montessori School of Shanghai 1) Qingpu Campus: 1230 Zhuguang Lu 诸光路1230号 (5988 6688, www. montessorisos.com) 2) 21 Donghu Lu 东湖路21号(5403 7699, www. montessorisos.com) Morgan Rothschild Childcare Center Building 161, 1358 Huqingping Gong Lu沪青平公路1358号161 幢 (6976 1000 ext 10/88, www. morganrothschild.com) SCIS Hongqiao ECE Campus 2212 Hongqiao Lu 虹桥路2212号(6261 4338, Fax: 6261 4639) Shanghai Angels Kindergarten 281 Panlong Cun 蟠龙村281号 (5988 3458, www.angels.org.cn) Shanghai Greenfield Kindergarten 1980 Hongqiao Lu, by Hongmei Lu

www.urban-family.com

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listing events 虹桥路1980号,近虹梅路 (6261 4446) Shanghai Ladder Bilingual Kindergarten 910 Yingkou Lu, by Xiangyin Lu 营口路910号,近翔殷路 (6534 7515) Tweety's English School No 66, 60 Jinhui Nan Lu, by Wuzhong Lu 金 汇南路60弄66号,近吴中路 (6406 0846) Shanghai Montessori Kindergarten No. 20, 1117 Zhuguang Lu 诸光路 1129号20号(3319 9422, www.s-m-k. org, montessorikindergarten@ yahoo.com.cn) Shanghai Victoria Kindergarten 1) No 1, 71 Huating Lu, by Huaihai Zhong Lu华亭路71弄1号,近淮海中路 (5403 6901, www.victoria.edu.hk) 2) No 15, 155 Baocheng Lu 宝城路155弄 15号 (5415 2228, www.victoria.edu. hk) 3) No 38, 39 Yinxiao Lu 银霄路 39弄38号(5045 9084, www.victoria. edu.hk) 4) No 81, 300 Gumei Lu (6401 1084, www.victoria.edu.hk) Shanghai Weihai Kindergarten International Division 730 Weihai Lu, by Shaanxi Bei Lu, 威海路730 号, 近陕西北路, Ages 3-6, Bilingual English/Chinese classrooms, Montessori-based Curriculum Phone: Mr. Kobe (136.4175.2501) Email: happyweihai@gmail.com WuNan Kindergarten International School 14 Wulumuqi Nan Lu 乌鲁木 齐南路14号(6433 7993) YCIS Shanghai Kindergarten 1) HongQiao Campus: 11 Shuicheng Lu, by Hongqiao Lu 水城路11号, 近虹 桥路K1-Year 4, Ages 1-8 (6242 3243, enquiry@sh.ycef.com) 2) Regency Park Campus: 1817 Huamu Lu 花木 路1817号K1-Year 4, Ages 1-8 (5033 1900, enquiry@sh.ycef.com)

International Schools Britannica International School Shanghai 1988 Gubei Nan Lu, by Wuzhong Lu 古北南路 1988号, 近吴中路 (6402 7889, www.britannicashanghai.com, admissions@britannicashanghai. com) British International School 1) Pudong Campus: 600 Cambridge Forest New Town, 2729 Hunan Lu 南公路2729弄康桥半岛600 号 (5812 7455, www.bisshanghai. com enquiries@bisspudong. com) 2) Puxi Campus: 111 Jinguang Lu 金光路111号 (5226 3211, www. bisshanghai.com admissions@ bisspuxi.com) Concordia International School

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Shanghai 999 Mingyue Lu, by Huangyang Lu 明月路999号,近黄 杨路(5899 0380, www.ciss.com.cn, admissions@ciss.com.cn) Deutsche Schule Shanghai 30, 399 Zhuguang Lu 诸光路399弄30号 (3976 0555, www.ds-shanghai.org. cn, info@ds-shanghai.org.cn) Dulwich College International School 266 Lan’an Lu, by Mingyue Lu 蓝桉路266号 (5899 9910, www.dulwich-shanghai.cn, admissions@dulwich-shanghai. cn) Livingston American School 580 Ganxi Lu 甘溪路580号(6238 3511, www.laschina.org, Info@laschina. org) LYCÉE FRANÇAIS DE SHANGHAI 1) 350 Gaoguang Lu (3976 0555, http://ef.shanghai.online.fr) 2) Bldg D, 1555 Jufeng Lu 巨峰路1555D楼 (6897 6589) Rainbow Bridge International School 2381 Hongqiao Lu, by Hami Lu 虹桥路2381号,近哈密路 (6268 3121, www.rbischina.org) Shanghai American School 1) Pudong Campus: 1600 Lingbai Gong Lu 凌白公路1600号 (6221 1445, www.saschina.org) 2) Puxi Campus: 258 Jinfeng Lu, by Beiqing Gong Lu 金丰路258号,近北青公路 (6221 1445, www.saschina.org) Shanghai Community International School 1) Hongqiao Campus: 1161 Hongqiao Lu虹桥路1161号 (62614338, Fax: 6261 4639) 2) Pudong Lower School: 800 Xiuyan Lu秀沿路800号(5812 9888, Fax: 5812 9000) 3) Pudong Upper School: 198 Hengqiao Lu 横桥路198 号(5812 9888) Shanghai Rego International School 1)159 Diannan Lu 淀南路159号 (5488 8320, www.srisrego.com) 2) 189 Dongzha Lu, by Shuying Lu 东 闸路189号,近疏影路(5488 3431, www.srisrego.com) Shanghai Singapore International School 1) Minhang Campus: 301 Zhujian Lu 朱建路301号(6221 9288, www.ssis.cn , info@ssis.cn) 2) Xuhui Campus: 1455 Huajing Lu 华 泾路1455号(6496 5550, www.ssis.cn , info@ssis.cn) Shanghai United International School 1) Hongqiao Campus: 999 Hongquan Lu, by Jinhui Lu 虹泉路 999号,近金汇路(3431 0090, www. suis.com.cn) 2) Gubei Secondary Campus: 248 Hongsong Dong Lu 红 松东路248号(5175 3030, www.suis.

com.cn) 3) Pudong Campus: 48 Xueye Lu 雪野路48号(5886 9990, www.suis.com.cn) 4) Shangyin Campus: 185 Longming Lu龙茗路 185号 (5417 8143, www.suis.com. cn) 5) Jiao Ke Secondary Campus: 55 Wanyuan Lu 万源路55号 (6480 9986, www.suis.com.cn) Western International School of Shanghai 555 Lianmin Lu, by Huqingping Gong Lu 联民路555 号, 近沪青平公路 (6976 6388, 6976 6969, www.wiss.cn admission@ wiss.cn) Wellington College International Shanghai1500 Yaolong Lu, by Yaoti Lu 耀龙路1500号, 近耀体路(5185 3866, www.wellington-shanghai. cn info@wellington-shanghai.cn) Yew Chung International School of Shanghai 1) 18 Ronghua Xi Dao, by Shuicheng Nan Lu 荣华西道18号,近 水城南路(6219 5910, www.ycef.com, enquiry@ycef.com) 2) Century Park Campus: 1433 Dongxiu Lu, by Jinhe Lu 东绣路1433号, 近锦和路(5045 6475, www.ycef.com, enquiry@ ycef.com) 3)Hongqiao Campus: 11 Shuicheng Lu, by Hongqiao Lu 水城 路11号,近虹桥路(6242 3243, www. ycef.com, enquiry@ycef.com) 4) Pudong: Regency Park, 1817 Huamu Lu, by Liushan Lu 花木路1817号, 近 柳杉路(5033 1900, www.ycef.com, enquiry@ycef.com) YK Pao School 20, 1251 Wuding Xi Lu 武定西路1251弄20号(6167 1999, www.ykpaoschool.cn)

Language Center Panda Chinese Language & Culture Training Centre 1) Hongqiao Campus: Suite E, 26/F, Ziyun Mansion, 299 Ziyun Lu 紫云路近299号紫云大厦26E 2) Jing’an Campus: Rm311-313, 3/ F, Building 3, Donghai Plaza, No.28 Yuyuan Dong Lu, by NanjinXi Lu 愚 园东路28号东海广场3号楼3楼311313 3) Pudong Campus: Suite 14B, 14/F, Regal Tower, 15 Xiangcheng Lu,

by DongFang Lu 向城15号,锦城大厦 14B (www.pandachinesetraining. com info@pandachinesetraining. com) iMandarin “Ting Bu Dong” is Long gone! 1) Shanghai Centre Campus: Suite 720-721, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu 南京西路1376号(3222 1028, www. iMandarin.net, study@imandarin. net) 2) Yuandong Campus: Room 1916, Bldg B, 317 Xianxia Lu, by Gubei Lu 仙霞路317号B座1916 室, 近古北路 (5239 2807, www. iMandarin.net, study@imandarin. net) 3) Xintiandi Campus: Suite 1708, Shui On Plaza, 333 Huaihai

Zhong Lu, by Madang lu淮海中 路333号瑞安广场1708室(3308 0508, www.iMandarin.net, study@imandarin.net) 4) Gubei Campus: Suite C207, Shang-Mi Ra Commercial Centre, 2633 Yan’an Xi Lu, by Shuicheng Nan Lu延安 西路2633号美丽华商务中心C207 室, 近水城南路(3223 1046, www. iMandarin.net, study@imandarin. net) 5) Suite 2312, Bank of China Tower, 200 Yincheng Zhong Lu, by Lujazui Dong Lu 银城中路200号 中银大厦2312室(5037 2711, www. iMandarin.net, study@imandarin. net) 6) 1779 Yunshan Lu, by Biyun Lu云山路1779号(6105 9572, www. iMandarin.net, study@imandarin. net) Youmandarin Language Center YouMandarin , whatever your objectives - personal training, corporate training, cultural acclimation, providing your children with an opportunity for a head start, or even just fine-tuning your accent- our customized training system ensures that all your needs can be met in a timely fashion.

Quality assurance is our foremost concern. (www.youmandarin.com, info@youmandarin.com) Jing'an Campus: Suite 4I, Crystal Century Tower, 567 Weihai Lu (5204 7618) Hongqiao Campus: Suite 1812, Tower A, City Center, 100 Zunyi Lu (6090 6068) Mandarin House Chinese Schools International quality accredited Chinese language programs.

Whether at your office, home, or our conveniently-located schools; learn practical and modern Chinese with experienced teachers. Effective courses include: Conversational Chinese, Written Chinese, Business Chinese, HSK Preparation and tailormade Private Tutoring to meet your specific needs. Mandarin House is an official registered HSK testing center as well. Call us or visit our school and see why more than 20,000 people have chosen Mandarin House for learning Chinese!

People's Square: 12F, 650 Han Kou Rd 黄浦区汉口路650号亚洲大厦12层 Hongqiao: Room538, 321 Hong gu Rd 长宁区虹古路321号538室 Xujiahui: 8F, 88North Cao Xi Rd 徐汇区漕溪北路88号圣爱广场801室 Pudong Lujiazui: 11F, 1088 South Pu Dong Rd 浦东新区浦东南路1088号中融大厦 1107&09室 info@mandarinhouse.com www.mandarinhouse.com

Health Health Services AmMed Cancer Center 20/F, Shanghai Ruijin Hospital OPD, 197 Ruijin Er Lu 瑞金二路197号瑞金医 院门诊大楼20楼 (6415 5988, www. ruijin-ammed.com) Bioscor Shanghai Clinic 5, 89 Xingguo Lu 兴国路89弄5号(6431 8899, www. bioscor.com.cn, info@bioscor.com. cn) 9am-6pm Chiropractic-ESI Spinal Clinic 551 Pudong Nan Lu 浦东南路551号(5879 9999) Mon-Fri 9am- 8pm, Sat- Sun 9am- 1pm.

Global HealthCare Medical & Dental Center – Puxi Suite 303, Eco City 1788Nanjing Xi Lu, by Wulumuqi Bei Lu (5298 6339, 5298 0593) 南京西路 1788号1788国际中心303室, 近乌鲁 木齐北路 Global HealthCare Medical & Dental Center – Pudong Shop 212, Shanghai World Financial Center, 100 Shiji Dadao, by Lujiazui Huan Lu (6877 5093, 6877 5993 ) 世纪大道100号上 海环球金融中心商场212室, 近陆家 嘴环路 Healthway Family Medical Centre 1) 1228 Biyun Lu 碧云路1228号近 红枫路(5030 1699, 800 988 1103) Mon-Sun, 8am - 11.30am, 1.30pm5pm 2)371 Xinzha Lu 新闸路371号 (6359 1082, 800 988 1103, www. healthwaychina.com) International Medical Care Center of Shanghai First People’s Hospital, 585 Jiulong Lu 九龙路585号上海第一 人民医院(6324 3852) Mon-Fri 8am4pm New Vison Eye Clinic Plaza C, No. 777, Centruy Avenue, by Nanquan Bei Lu (www.rjeye.com). Mon-Fri 8am-5pm.

Shanghai DeltaWest Clinic Building B-5F, 2558 West Yan’ an Lu 延安西 路2558号B座5层 (400 821 0277/ 2213 9777, www.deltahealth.com.cn, patientservice@deltahealth.com.cn) ParkwayHealth Medical Centers 1)Corporate Office: 7/F, 108 Zhaojiabang Lu 肇嘉浜路108号7 楼(6445 1515) 2)Hong Qiao Medical Center: 2258 Hongqiao Lu 虹桥路 2258号Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm 3)Jin Qiao Medical and Dental Center: 51 Hongfeng Lu 红 枫路51号 9am-7pm 4) Mandarine City Medical Center: Mandarine City, Suite 30, 788 Hongxu Lu 虹许路788

号名都城30号底层 Mon-Fri 9am7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm 5)Shanghai Centre Medical and Dental Centers: 203-4 West Retail Plaza, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu 南京西路1376号西峰2032044室Medical: Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm; Dental: MonSat 8.30am-6.30pm 6) Specialty and Inpatient Center (Women’s Health & Birthing Center): 2/3 Floor, 170 Danshui Lu 淡水路170号2-3 楼 7)Tomorrow Square Shanghai Gleneagles Medical and Surgical Center: 4/F, Tomorrow Square, 389 Nanjing Xi Lu, by Huangpi Lu 南京西 路389号明天广场裙房4楼(24-Hour Appointment Service: 6445 5999) Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-5pm Shanghai United Family Hospital and Clinics 1) 1139 Xianxia Lu, by Qingxi Lu (2216 3900, 2216 3999) Mon-Sat: 8.30am-5.30pm 2) Shanghai Racquet Club, Lane 555 Jinfeng Lu, by Baole Lu Mon-Sat 9am-5pm 3) 1/F, area A & B, 525 Hongfeng Lu, by Mingyue Lu (5030 9907) Mon-Sat: 8.30am5.30pm 4) 8 Quankou Lu, by Linquan Lu Mon-Sat: 8am-5.30pm www.ufh. com.cn 1)仙霞路1139号,近青溪路 2) 金丰路555弄上海网球俱乐部内,近保 乐路 3)红枫路525号A&B区1楼,近明 月路 4) 泉口路8号,近林泉路 SinoUnited Health, Physiotherapy, Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine 1) Gubei Clinic: 491 Yili Nan Lu, by Huangjincheng Avenue 伊犁南路 491号近黄金城道 (6124 9979) 2) Jinqiao Clinic: No. 16, 300 Hongfeng Lu, by Biyun Lu 桥红枫路300弄16号, 近碧云路 (5030 7810) 3) Shanghai Centre (Portman) Clinic: Suite 601, Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu 南京西路1376号上海商城西峰601室 (6279 8920) Shanghai ConBio Aesthetic Surgery Hospital 259 ,Xikang Lu 西康路259 号(6289 5163, 6289 5165, www. chinameirong.com/english) Shanghai Redleaf International Women and Infants Center; Shanghai Redleaf International Women's Hospital 1209 Huaihai Zhong Lu,

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tiger father events

Two Daughters and a Love for Sports It’s been an Interesting Journey

By Trevor Marshallsea

S

port: It’s a beautiful thing. Like the arts, the unscripted drama of sport is one of a precious few endeavors that unites people the world over. You see your fellow humans tested to their fullest, usually with no second chances and with nowhere to hide under the gaze of millions of people.

Yes, I’m a card-carrying, professionallydiagnosed sports lover. When our kids came along and they were girls, some friends wondered if I’d miss having boys with whom to play and watch sport. It didn’t really enter my head. In fact, some of my favorite sports-viewing moments have come with our girls.

We were watching the 2012 Olympics when we asked them which sport was their favorite in the Games.

With two little girls, we expected the answer to be something like gymnastics or synchronized swimming. Our five-yearold Evie had no hesitation.

“Boxing!” she said.

“Now it’s 15-all.”

“He got 15 points for just one shot?!”

“Well, one point, but it’s worth 15. Now it’s 30-15… Now 40-15.”

“Why did he only get 10 points that time?” asked nine-year-old Lani. “It was a better shot than the one he got 15 for!”

Then that game ended – jumping from 40-15 to, well, ‘game.’

“It’s 15-love,” I said.

“Eww!” said Evie, who hates the very mention of love.

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More important than watching, of course, is playing. Especially in these times when pass-the-parcel returns a prize for every child, kids should learn to accept disappointments (and hopefully success too, of course).

Our girls enjoy gymnastics, which is OK, although in my opinion sports should have a ball involved (and not the kind you toss up while twirling a ribbon).

Personally, I love seeing them play football (soccer, for the Americans), partly for the fitness but mostly because team sports are vitally important in a person’s upbringing - for working with your peers and for sharing triumphs and lows.

"Our girls don’t yet have the concentration span - or, as some American coach might call it, the “sitstillability” - to watch a whole five-set tennis match, much less a five-day cricket match."

This was a bit of a shock, and I quickly tried to rationalize it. Perhaps, being the freshest one of us on the planet, she was the one most entranced by boxing’s “So what did he get? Was it 50? Or 55? Or primal nature? Or, being the youngest, did what?” she just have a violent streak?

“It’s just game,” I said. “You have to accept it.”

“I like it,” she explained, “because when the bell goes, they get to sit down and Can’t tennis just put a number on that they give them food.” last point? If not for the kids, then for me!

I blame the French, who invented the It took me a while, but the penny dropped. sport. That proudly philosophical bunch clearly thought it might be nice to throw “That’s not food they’re putting in their some sort of existential crisis into the mouths. It’s a mouth-guard,” I said. scoring system. “Does ze last point exist, Boxing’s appeal on Evie soon waned. or non? Discuss.”

If I thought that was confusing, more recently we were watching tennis. Of course, an explanation of the scoring system was required.

big fan of horse racing. The longest one of those (in our native Australia) lasts about three minutes.

Either way, it doesn’t make it easy to explain to children. Then along came ‘deuce.’ Then a tiebreaker!

Our girls don’t yet have the concentration span - or, as some American coach might call it, the “sitstillability” - to watch a whole five-set tennis match, much less a five-day cricket match. Fortunately, I’m a

To generalize, though, the football pitch is one place where you see a difference between boys and girls. Boys mostly tend to tear in after the ball without prompting, and without caring so much for an opponent’s feelings.

I once tried to motivate our daughters to try harder at football. I put on an impassioned voice, and said they should really go in hard to get that ball. Their response was at least swift. Unfortunately it was to ask, “Why?” At least we’ve come a fair way since then. // Trevor Marshallsea was a foreign correspondent in Beijing in the 1990s and returned a decade later. This time around he stays at home to raise the kids. Read more of his domestic adventures at www.thetigerfather.com.