(119) Summer – Beijing Kids

Exploring the World of Picture Books: Yohan’s Summer Fantasy

Olivia Li — Sun, 30 Aug 2020 05:00:36 +0000

During the school year, eight-year-old Yohan Geevarghese was assigned the task of creating picture books. What initially appeared to be merely more homework blossomed into a full-on new interest. Over the summer, young Geevarghese was able to create many books out of pencils, paper, and bursting creativity. With a young writer this adorable, we had to find out more!

Can you tell us what your stories are about?

My first book is about a high school boy named Tim and his dog named Nile. They travel around the world, and they always have trouble wherever they travel, and they always have a solution. In one of my books, they went to India, and they tried to go to one of the history museums, but it was closed. So the driver had the idea of going to the Taj Mahal. Now, I’m starting a new book that is called Ben, Ace, and Jen. Ben is a boy who works for the CIA, Jen is a girl who works for the CIA, and Ace is their dog. And they’re called the Silver Three! They work for the CIA as agents.

Where do you get the ideas from?

In my new series, for the Silver Three, I watched a lot of spy movies, probably a million times! So I thought maybe I should draw it, a spy book. For Tim and Nile, there’s this nice guy that I met, and he came here for a debate competition at Tsinghua International School (THIS) where my mom works. My family went to dinner with him and we had a good time, so I thought maybe I should name the character after Tim!

What do you like about the entire process?

I like mostly the imagination, and also the hard part of it. It’s quite amazing, and it takes very long to write my book. I’m serious-super, very long, maybe a week or two?

What else have you been doing this summer?

I have been awesome! I watch TV of course, I play with my toys, I’m taking ukulele lessons, and I started to learn taekwondo.

Behind every young creative is a supportive parent. We interviewed mom Benita Sumita on her thoughts about her son’s newly discovered hobby.

Do you think these stories benefit your child’s creativity?

Creativity is a natural part of getting your kid to write their own stories. But, this summer project is much more because it gets them to practice and build their language skills, practice spelling, and keep them focused on a single task for increasingly longer stretches of time. I believe it gives kids a unique sense of satisfaction to have completed their own project. The only role we play as parents is to ask questions when Yohan gets stuck, or has writer’s block.

Were you surprised by anything he created? What was your favorite part/story he came up with?

The way he thinks of problems and solutions are quite interesting, especially in his first series – Tim and Nile. The series is realistic fiction, and sometimes the problems are simple and relatable. My favorite is his first book, which he wrote in the second semester of the last school year – A Trip to the Zoo. It was such a simple problem of Tim’s phone running out of battery as he was following directions to the zoo, and finding a solution as easy as rushing to the nearest bus stop to find a map to get to the zoo.

Any words of wisdom for other parents about this activity? Would you recommend it?

Like Yohan mentioned, writing a book takes a while and coming up with the idea, the characters and the plot takes even longer. Be patient. Parents don’t have to watch over the kid’s shoulder but check in on them especially if they are younger kids. There were times when I have checked up on Yohan after 30 minutes and he was just staring out the window. What started off as contemplation, derailed into daydreaming. These things happen, we just need to put them back on track.

What are some activities for kids you recommend when they can’t travel?

I would recommend activities that involve the whole family – at the moment we have started a 2000-piece jigsaw puzzle. We spend an hour on it every day, some days lesser when the pieces start getting blurry and look all the same.

Click here to download Yohan’s book.

KEEP READING: West Meets East: Parents From Different Cultural Backgrounds Share Their Thoughts on Summer Activities

Photos：Courtesy of Benita Sumita, Photo by Alexander Dummer on Unsplash

British School of Beijing Shunyi Students Capture the Spirit of Vacation

Michelle Zhang — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 07:00:29 +0000

Alyssa W, Year 8 Age 12
The best vacation is always spent with friends. The beach, sea, and happiness together create a perfect picture.

Angeli Z, Year 9 Age 14
This piece was inspired by a recent trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and the magnificent sound of the city streets. I was inspired to experiment with synesthetic art, and I tried to capture the sound of the city.

Lina P, Year 10 Age 15
I usually spend my summer days going biking with my family and friends down at the river near our school. I love to sit there and draw or play cards with my friends. That’s my favorite vacation feeling!

Jenny S, Year 9 Age 14
This piece of art was inspired by a photograph I took when I was on holiday in Phuket, Thailand. I tried to recall what it felt like, to help me draw this piece of art.

Jessica L, Year 9 Age 14
This picture shows what I like to do during the vacation period, and what I would like to see. The cool, monochromatic blues symbolize a feeling of relaxation.

Leticia Cella X, Year 9 age 14
This painting was inspired by a recent trip to Bali, Indonesia, I wanted to really portray the feeling of ‘getting away’ from my busy city life. During the trip I remember vividly the unique tile design and how I couldn’t help but feel utterly relaxed.

Yifan L, Year 9 Age 14
Vacation time makes me think of time at the beach, building sandcastles, the heat of the sun, and the shade of a palm tree.

BoNing L, Year 9 Age14
This drawing was inspired by a trip I went on when I was 10 years old to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The local culture was fascinating, and the breath-taking scenery gave me a very deep understanding of the cultural experiences involved in vacations.

Erin R, Year 9 Age 14
When most people think of a vacation, they think of a sunny beach with the tide brushing against the soft yellow sand. However, I think of a cosy warm bed ready for me to drown in and get a nice long nap!

KEEP READING: Students From YCIS Beijing Share Their Favorite Sports

Artwork: Courtesy of BSB Shunyi

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 June issue

Keep the Heat at Bay With Beijing’s Best Summer Drinks

Admin — Sat, 11 Jul 2020 07:00:52 +0000

There’s little we can do to escape Beijing’s sweltering summer heat, which leaves us yearning for frosty beverages. Luckily, there’s a host of other local drinks that won’t only wet your whistle, but add a little summery vibe to your glass. As we embrace the recent record high temperatures, let us refresh and replenish our body with some of the best local summer beverages around.

These pro-biotics are cute and stackable

Old Beijing Yogurt (老北京酸奶 lǎo běijīng suānnǎi)

We can’t talk about Beijing summer drinks without first mentioning old Beijing yogurt, a local specialty that gets its name from the unique preparation dating back hundreds of years.

The original version – nai lao – was first concocted by imperial chefs of the 1800s. It wasn’t until the 1950s, however, that the recipe was made milder and sweeter, earning it a stellar reputation among the health-conscious and hip.

Despite being called a yogurt, this drink is closer to a milkshake and boasts a sweet finish with notes of tartness from its active cultures. More ubiquitous than the drink itself is probably the little clay jars that it’s served in, a common sight at just about every corner store in the city. Pro tip: if you want to get in good with the locals, then return your clay vessel to the vendor from which you bought it so it can be recycled.

Some take their sour with a little bit of flower

Sour Plum Drink (酸梅汤 suānméitāng)

Sour plum drink is a traditional Chinese beverage made from smoked Chinese plums, rock sugar, and other ingredients such as hawthorn berries and dried orange peel. This drink has been a staple of Beijinger’s summer sips for more than 1,000 years. However, the current recipe was developed during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). At the time, the drink was only served in the imperial courts. Thanks to one businessman’s entrepreneurial vision, however, the sour plum drink was introduced to common folks and quickly became one of the most popular summer drinks in town.

Packed with intensely sweet and sour flavors plus a hint of salty and smoky aftertastes, the sour plum drink is not only delectable, it has unique health benefits that include throat-soothing, reduction in liver inflammation, and better digestion.

Sunny day? Time to grab your bottle opener and a cold orange bottle

Arctic Ocean Soft Drink (北冰洋 běibīngyáng)

And of course, we can’t forget about the classic Beijing beverage, Arctic Ocean – or Beibingyang. In fact, Arctic Ocean has surpassed its humble origins as a common orange-and-cream soft drink to become one of China’s coveted time-honored brands. Likewise, the polar bear-adorned glass bottles have left an indelible mark on Beijing’s post-80s generation, who turn to the drink not only for its refreshing taste but also all the wistful childhood memories it packs in.

Whereas locals have been reaching for Beijing yogurt and sour plum drink for hundreds, if not thousands of years, Beibingyang is relatively new on the scene having dominated the soda market in the 1980s. Unfortunately, in 1994, the company joined forces with US giant PepsiCo Inc., who subsequently let the drink disappear from Chinese markets for the next couple of decades. It wasn’t until 2011 that the original owners reacquired the brand and placed it back in the hands of Chinese folks, where it continues to be enjoyed on steamy summer nights alongside hotpot and chuan’r.

KEEP READING: I Screamed, You Screamed, We All Screamed at Most of These Ice Creams

This article first appeared on our sister site, thebeijinger.

Images: blog.sina.com.cn, youzan.com, hacos.cn, Zhongguo Canyin