March, 2010

Travelers
Katrina and Carter Brandon, and their daughters Tyler (18), Allegra (12) and son Amory (17).

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Although tough to master, the Chinese language doesn't have to be daunting. Through patience, practice and persistence, any foreigner can learn Chinese. To guide you toward fluency, here are some language-learning tips used by teachers and road-tested by Chinese-speaking foreigners.

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Laura Roark, from the Mississippi Delta in the US, has lived in China for over nine years. A full-time Montessori teacher at the Family Learning House and a single mom to Maia (7 months old), Laura rarely has time to dry her hair in the morning, let alone book an hour at the hairdresser. Laura's lusciously thick hair gave the Toni&Guy salon director a lot to work with, and she was happy to experiment with a new image. "I'm not afraid of color," Laura exclaimed. Because of her limited prep time in the mornings, Laura wanted to keep a style that could easily convert into an up-do or be pulled back into a bun. With this in mind, color was added to the under-sections of her hair to create a "wow" factor when it was pulled up. "The last time I did something nice was eight months ago when I got a gift voucher for a spa," says Laura. In addition to her new look, this busy mom recently had her braces taken off. She couldn't wait to flash her pearly whites for the first time in months.

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For many expats, full immersion into Chinese society is not feasible or necessarily desired. Foreign-born Beijingers run the gamut of cultural immersion, from honorary locals to "lopats" (a combination of expat and local) to purely expat. However, the one thing most families have in common is the desire to give their children access to a second language and the love of another culture.

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Travelers
Edouard Van Vlasselaer, Jutta Neusser, their daughter Manuela (12) and Jutta's father Max Neusser.

The Plan
The family flew China Eastern Airlines to Guilin and stayed at the Jinwan Hotel. Jutta's dad, a keen photographer, wanted to get the most out of the beautiful scenery at Yangshuo and the surrounding misty mountains. The total cost of their trip was RMB 7,240.

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Wang Xiaohong
Where are you from?
China
How long have you been in Beijing?
14 years.
What do you do?
I am a biology teacher at Sanlitun Middle School.
How many kids do you have?
One girl - she's 8 years old.
Where do you like to shop?
ONLY and the French store Etam.
What food do you prefer?
We like spicy Sichuan food.
What outdoor activities do you like?
I like all of them, especially ice skating.
What will you miss most about winter?
The long holiday.
What are you looking forward to in the spring?
Running.

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The Travelers
Jim and Marie Finn with their daughters Ariane (13) and Chloe (10) and their son Julien (7).

The Plan
The Finns flew Air China from Beijing to Xining, then took an overnight soft sleeper train from Xining to Lhasa. On their return trip, the family flew Air China from Lhasa to Beijing via Chengdu. Savannah from Mercury Travel in Beijing organized the train and plane tickets, and arranged for a Tibetan guide in Lhasa.

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Australian artist and academic Jayne Dyer has always known she was a creative soul. After years of honing her skills and completing a Master of Arts at RMIT University in Melbourne, Jayne began exhibiting her pieces in galleries around the world. Her works are inspired by and incorporate everything from books to butterflies. To date, her giant room-sized installations have been exhibited in over 100 museums and galleries across the world, including Beijing, Hong Kong, Taipei, Melbourne, Seoul and Berlin. Before jetting to Melbourne for her next big project, Jayne engaged students at the International Academy of Beijing, discussing inspiration, the creative process, and even climate change.

Olivia Choi, 10, Korea
Why did you start your job?
I think it's really good to be in a job that you love and are excited to go to every day, somewhere where you feel that anything is possible. I hope all of you choose jobs that you feel are passionate and excited about. That's why I do my job; it's the most freeing thing I can do.

Jack Kang, 11, Korea
What are your favorite things to draw or make?
I like to make artwork that has writing and language in it. Mostly, I like to work with books and make stories with books.

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Getting the most out of the Capital

Restaurants

Hot Pot: Hai Di Lao
This hot pot joint is a favorite among Chinese families. Noodles are a must order item, as they come with an impressive noodle pulling display. English is limited here so best to bring someone with Chinese language skills. Alternatively, you can simply point to the dishes at other tables and say "Na ge."
For locations, see Directory under Chinese.

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Serves 8

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 rib celery, finely chopped
400g ground beef
¼ cup dry white wine
1/3 cup tomato paste
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp dried leaf oregano, crumbled
1 packet (500g) penne pasta
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

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Besides split pants and diapers, the major differences between Chinese and expat households can be illusive. We followed the Songs and the Dagnachews to find out what goes on behind the scenes of a modern Beijing home. A day in each household revealed that both families place equal importance on family time and education, with a second language ranking high on their list of priorities. Their rituals may be different in nature, but their values are the same.

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Serves 4-6

Ingredients
5g dried goji berry (枸杞)
1kg golden pumpkin
10g morel mushroom (羊肚菌)
80g broccoli
1 cup chicken (or vegetable) stock
60g "chicken leg" mushroom (鸡腿菇)
60g straw mushroom (草菇)
100g abalone mushroom (鲍鱼菇)
50g cooking oil
25g cilantro
salt and pepper

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The Travelers
Veronique and Christophe Salomon, their daughter Valentine (12) and son Paul (9).

The Plan
The Salomons flew Air France from Beijing to Paris, where they stayed for one week. They then continued on to Normandy to celebrate Christmas. While in France the Salomons stayed with family, but they recommend travelers book a room at Novotel Paris Les Halles for its central location, or the trendy Citadines St. Germain des Prés for its sizeable suites.

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Ever since kids first started raiding wardrobes for dress-up costumes, there's been a market for fake mustaches. Whether your little ones are secret agents, cops or cowboys, a good set of whiskers will always come in handy.

Materials:
Newspaper
Scissors
Scotch tape
Plain heavy stock paper
Heavy black paper
Exacto knife
Glue
Chopstick
Colored scrubbers
Double-sided tape

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New parents David Tseo, director of marketing at Park Hyatt Beijing, and Samying Huie, partner at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, have recently relocated from bustling Shanghai. The family has been busy getting their 4-month-old Katelyn settled in, but they've already fallen in love with Beijing's cultural side.

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Love, war, betrayal, glamour and the occasional lapse of kleptomania set against the backdrop of Hong Kong - The Piano Teacher is an epic first novel that isn't easy to put down. Author Janice Y.K. Lee transports readers to the bustling streets and high society life of mid-century Hong Kong. Claire, a newlywed piano teacher, arrives in Hong Kong in 1952 and blossoms in the exotic, sweltering locale while becoming entangled in a complicated love affair with her student's chauffeur, Will Truesdale, a handsome but damaged Briton. The novel alternates between their affair and Will's earlier whirlwind romance with Trudy, a striking Eurasian socialite, during the Japanese invasion of World War II 11 years earlier.

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On a recent trip to Chongqing, I had one of the best bowls of noodles I've had in my life. The restaurant, if it could be called that, was across the street from the White House nightclub - a place once notorious for its mobsters and their hangers-on. It was, as most winter days are in Chongqing, a foggy one. And cold. And rainy. The clouds descended about the city and soaked everything in a weighted dampness. The noodle joint was the size of three closets, and at the entrance sat a table full of bowls: soy sauce, garlic, ginger, green onions, sesame oil, vinegar, chilli oil, pork fat, salt, sugar, MSG, pepper and ground Sichuan pepper, as well as pots of rich, heavenly smelling meat sauce and chunks of beef. A cauldron bubbled away on the stove,
beckoning as steam rose up in magical
puffs every time someone opened its lid.

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Gianna Marie Ashford
American/Chinese. Born to Sabrina Chen and Jerry Ashford on Dec 1 at Amcare Women and Children's Hospital.

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With winter's gloom lifting, the Olympic "Green" may be a bit of a misnomer. But despite the lackluster color, this massive 1,135 hectare landscape is as lively as ever. Following the success of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the attractions set within the Green continue to draw crowds. Bundle up the troops, pack a picnic and journey north along the historic north-south central axis of Beijing, passing temples, parks, stadiums, chocolate villages and museums on your way. Don't forget to pack a camera as there are plenty of interesting sculptures, signs, and statues for the kids to pose with.

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Ice skating can be scary for first-timers, and a few falls are to be expected. However, Sports Beijing coach Mark Simon advises beginners not to lose hope: "Be patient, don't get discouraged the first time you fall down, and get some coaching." He also offers three basic pointers: "Bend your knees, lean slightly forward and keep your head up." Follow this sage advice and get your skating stars-to-be off to a good start by signing up for classes. Try Shunyi's Ice Zone or Solana's All Star Champion Skating Club for a range of private and group lessons for beginners as young as 3. With some protective gear and the right training, your kids will be skating, twirling and shredding the ice in no time.

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Baoyuan Jiaozi Wu宝源饺子屋
This well-known restaurant boasts an extensive range of rainbow-colored dumplings. Delicious fillings are available in a range of vegetarian and kid-friendly options. Baoyuan blends value for money with child-friendly service and a lively non-smoking atmosphere.

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I'm often asked for tips on how to get children to eat. In theory, parents are supposed to put a variety of healthy foods in front of their child and the child is supposed to eat enough to meet his or her needs. However, the truth is that all parents (myself included), worry that their children are not consuming enough vegetables, fruit, milk or even food in general. This can result in a tendency to shove food in front of our children, convinced that they need the nutrition. Here are four questions to help parents get to the heart of the problem:

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Date Night: La Sushi
This underlit Nali Patio restaurant feels more like a French bistro than a typical sushi joint, and is the perfect locale for a night away from the kids. Toro, the highly prized underbelly of bluefin tuna, is the big catch here. It's flown in fresh from Tokyo thrice weekly, so if you're not short of a few kuai, the luxuriously fatty flavor is truly a revelation (RMB 280 sashimi, RMB 80 sushi). For the environmentally conscious, hamachi (or yellowtail, a farmed fish similar in taste to bluefin) is a fine substitute (RMB 120 sashimi, RMB 20 sushi). For a more intimate meal, a range of sharing-sized sushi and sashimi platters featuring abalone, tuna, octopus and more (from RMB 198) all come with freshly grated wasabi and delicious miso soup. Landlubbers should try the wasabi beef fillet (RMB 70), a quality cut seared for mere seconds in the pan and swamped in a creamy-hot wasabi sauce. Add a touch of European flavor to your evening with a selection from the wine list, which is just as extensive as their sake offerings.

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I still remember my first day of school. My stay-at-home dad put my hair in pigtails, while my office-working-mum packed my lunch box. I was certain that my first day would be the best day of my life - I was a grown-up now, with a "big girl" uniform and blank notebooks ready to be filled with my very important musings. There were no tears, no tantrums, and clinging to my parents' legs in a last-ditch effort to remain at home in my jammies never entered my mind. I was ready for the real world.

My first day in China played out in much the same way. My then partner (now husband) and I stepped off the plane from Australia, placed our feet squarely on Beijing soil and never looked back. Surely this would be when we'd become real grown-ups. I was certain I'd pick up fluent Mandarin in a year, get a great job, and find the perfect flat. Now, just like my first day of school, my first months in Beijing didn't really work out like I'd envisaged, but I wasn't too far off. I did pick up some Chinese, I got a job in three weeks, and after three months of sleeping on a friend's foldout couch, we found a great flat.

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