Why So Angry?

A big hand-painted sign on an exposed brick wall proclaims: “Hamburgers. Delicious!” Indeed, who can argue with that simple statement?

Despite the bad rap it gets as being nothing but junk food consisting of a rubbery meat patty slapped between two pieces of not-so-fresh bread, hamburgers are a great comfort food. And naturally, everyone has their ideas about what makes a good burger.


YCIS Beijing Grads Bid a Rock n’ Roll Farewell

On Wednesday, June 5, Year 13 students from Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing) marked the end of their secondary education at the school’s auditorium. Wearing mortarboard caps and black robes with a red and blue trim, 39 seniors proceeded into the room. They were preceded by colorfully-dressed Co-Principals Christine Xu and Wayne Richardson, Assistant Director Winnie Cheng, and Superintendent Tom Ulmet.

The graduating class represented 14 nationalities, including the UK, the US, China, South Korea, Italy and Canada. They have been accepted to programs ranging from bio-engineering and architecture to art history, economics, computer science, mathematics, marketing, creative writing, graphic design, music composition, social technology, and beyond.


Shunyi Happenings: Awards and Accolades!

Congratulations are in order! Several establishments in Shunyi have received recognition for their passion and quality of service.

Photos of Leslie Simpson’s OBE Ceremony Released
The tireless founder of Roundabout is now officially Leslie Simpson, OBE after she received the distinction of Officer of the Order of the British Empire earlier this year. Many of us knew about this achievement, but there are now newly-released photographs from the ceremony. Read more about the recognition of Leslie’s charity and philanthropy work overseas here.


The Echo Chamber: Like Mother, Like Daughter? - What to do when strangers don’t see a hereditary resemblance




Heading home to Canada, my daughter Echo and I were waiting in the customs line-up when an elderly Chinese gentleman pointed to her and said, “She’s a lucky girl.” Confused, I asked, “To travel overseas?” And then I realized what he meant.


Later, on the flight, I was chatting with a young Chinese man. He shyly gestured toward my daughter and asked, “Where in China did she come from?” “We’re both from Beijing.” I replied before I realized what he was really asking.


King’s Landing: Royal Families have a Blast at beijingkids Father’s Day Party

 

 
Kings from all over Beijing landed at EAST Hotel’s Xian Bar on Saturday, June 15 for a bash of kings at beijingkids’ Father’s Day King for a Day party. Parents and kids alike wore jeweled crowns and big smiles as families gathered for what amounted to a modern-day tourney: endless barbecue, competitions, and joyful fun.

 


Sanyuanli Market Reopens

 

 
Sanyuanli Market re-opened yesterday, Monday, June 17, after an extended closing for renovations. The market, which is a favorite with expats and locals looking for decent produce and moderately-priced imported goods, is cleaner than before, with built-in stalls, tiled floors instead of concrete, and better lighting.

 


Pop With a Twist: Canadian Singer Marlowe Stone Visits Fangcaodi

 

 
On Thursday, June 6, award-winning Canadian songwriter and singer Marlowe Stone gave a performance for students at Fangcaodi International School. Stone, who spoke to students about starting as a songwriter at ten years old and her journey to professional performer, performed three of her songs and got the students dancing in their seats. After the performance, she met with beijingkids to talk about her experience at Fangcaodi and how she crafts Top-40 style pop hits while keeping things appropriate for kids between the ages of 3 and 10.

 


Nails Should be Done by Men


I’m the man of the house. Don’t believe me; just ask the six females in my household. There are a great many tasks that only the man can do around the home. For example, no one seems to be able to do the laundry quite as well as I do. Go figure. If a toy is broken, it ends up on my desk for repairs. It might take weeks, but I fix it (or throw it away once it has been forgotten). Not surprisingly, I’m also the only one who leans out to clean outside windows. That’s right; these are tough, arduous tasks that have long been the domain of manly men.

Now, I’m adding one more task to the man-pile: baby nail cutting. For reasons wholly unknown to me, no one is willing to cut the nails of our twin boys (now 9 months).


Beijing Baba: The Great Date Night Escape - A well-deserved night off from parental responsibilities in a five-star hotel




Long have I heard about the positive side effects of date nights for married couples. It is usually couched in phrases like, “good for the relationship,” “helps maintain a healthy relationship,” or “reinvigorates your relationship.” I imagine it keeps you sane, gets you out of the house, and away from your offspring. Sadly, Savvy and I have not mastered going on date nights. In fact, we have rarely gone out at night as a couple without the kids (this is where you sympathetically sigh for us). Though we may not rule the nightlife, we do manage to sneak out for lunches together and the odd matinee. Still, the nights have, by and large, remained elusive for most of the past six years.


Early Childhood Education Open Morning at YCIS

 

 
On Monday, June 24, Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing) will hold an Early Childhood Education open morning. There will be a presentation about early childhood education and the bilingual program, and parents can take a tour of the ECE classrooms and playground before taking part in ECE classes to experience the bilingual classroom for themselves.

 


RSS Feed