interviews

Salina Ferretti is the general manager of Falc S.p.A., an Italian footwear manufacturer that owns the Naturino, Falcotto, and Voile Blanche brands. Founded in 1974, the company’s products are now sold in thousands of outlets all over the world. Ferretti herself is the mother of two teenaged boys and lived in Beijing for two years in the past. We caught up with her when she came to town for the 20th annual China International Clothing and Accessories Fair (CHIC).

How did you become interested in shoes?
A turning point in my career came with the start of motherhood and the interest in my child’s health and well-being. Whenever I was dressing my kids, I tried to choose matching shoes for every outfit they had, and at the same time tried to [ensure that they were] age-appropriate, comfortable and made from healthy materials.

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Katie Targett-Adams is a Hong Kong-based singer-songwriter and harpist from Scotland. She was recently in town for the International Schools Choral Music Society (ISCMS) festival, where she sang and played the clarsach (or Celtic harp) as a special musical guest. Targett-Adams has released six albums and performs in English, Mandarin, French, Spanish, and German. She has played for a variety of audiences, including the British royal family, JK Rowling, Sean Connery, Richard Branson, David Tang, and more. Targett-Adams is also the founder of Ceroc dancing (a partner dance that blends salsa and jive) in Asia. Last week, we sat down with her at Dulwich College Beijing.

How did you get involved with the ISCMS festival?
I know Shane O’Shea, who’s the head of music [at Dulwich College Beijing]. A few years ago, I recorded a song to help the Sichuan earthquake survivors. I asked him if some of the students could sing on the track with me. He was more than delighted, so we recorded the song and did a launch at the British ambassador’s residence in Beijing. All the students came and were beautifully behaved in their little blazers. 

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For over a year now editor, blogger, musician and Beijing resident Charles Custer has been working on a distinctly important documentary, Living with Dead Hearts, that focuses on the plight of kidnapped children in China - an issue that is especially relevant given the recent news of the adopted Hubei orphans who were allegedly taken from their birth parents against their will.

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BeijingKids is looking for families with single parents, adopted children, bi-cultural/racial families, families with gay parents - you name it - to feature on this site and in the pages of an upcoming issue. 

Share your stories - how you met, why you fell in love, how you have adjusted to life in Beijing etc. - and we'll feature you and your family in a big, beautiful spread.

If you, or someone you know is, interested, e-mail us at editor -at- truerun.com for more details.