The Xing family is a family of five. Dad Ming, Mom Mia, 27-year-old Mirabel, 18-year-old Isabel, and 17-year-old Annabel. The family is originally from Qingdao, Shandong but Isabel and Annabel were born in and raised in Canada. The family’s favorite thing to do together is to travel and before Covid-19 put a damper on things, the Xing family has traveled to over 30 countries together. Ming and Mia believe that traveling creates priceless learning opportunities for their daughters to develop and grow.

The three sisters’ favorite thing to do in Beijing is visiting cool coffee shops located in the hutongs. Coffee shops in Beijing have great ambiance, so our moods tend to be lifted when we stay in them. The beauty in many of them is also how they are hidden in small hutongs; we feel like we’re exploring secret parts of the city!

Mirabel, Isabel, and Annabel’s favorite thing about their parents is how unconditionally loving they are. Dad is adventurous and open-minded, while mom is giving and affectionate. They are both super family-oriented and view their daughters as their greatest treasures.

What Ming and Mia love about their daughters is how they each shine in their unique ways. Outspoken and charismatic, Mirabel is always the star of the show. Isabel is passionate and free-spirited; she is capable of influencing others with her inner strength. Annabel is the only introverted one; she is sensitive and caring towards everyone.

One of the sisters’ favorite brunch spots in Beijing is The Rug. With a nice and cozy atmosphere, it’s the perfect place to go on a lazy Sunday morning. There is a variety of delicious food options available to suit all sorts of cravings; from the classic eggs benedict to fusion dishes like the mapo tofu tortilla chips.

Ming and Mia’s favorite restaurant in Beijing is Peking Chamber. It is famous for its’ delicious Beijing cuisine and is always packed with people.

Isabel and Annabel’s favorite memory in Beijing is working as teacher assistants at Tsinghua University’s English summer camp in 2018. Every day, they experienced on-campus life and enjoyed biking through campus. Helping the top students in China with English was an honor for them; they learned from the impressive work ethic students there had. What’s best is, they also made meaningful friendships.

This article appeared in the jingkids 2021 March issue

The Fabrio family has three members: Mom Bisera, Dad Mario, and 14-year-old Nika Fabrio, who is currently a student at Canadian International School of Beijing. Bisera works as a diplomat for the Croatian Embassy and dad is currently the family manager. They moved from Croatia to Beijing five years ago and have been living in (and loving) Beijing since.

Mom’s favorite place in Beijing is the Lama Temple. It captures Chinese culture, but it does so in such a beautiful and spiritual way. It was also one of the first temples we went to as a family.

Dad’s favorite thing about mom is how she takes full responsibility and organizes all of the family vacations. She always makes them really enjoyable.

Nika’s favorite thing about Dad is his creativity and how he truly amazes her. When he was younger, he made his dream of forming a band come true, writing most of the songs, and now as a LEGO brick enthusiast, he builds fascinating and incredible works. He even composes music and has a great collection of DVDs and CDs from many artists he admires.

Dad’s favorite place to go in Beijing is Tuanjiehu Park. It was one of the first places he visited in Beijing that wasn’t necessarily a tourist attraction or a place where you’d go as a daily necessity.

Mom’s favorite thing about dad is that he’s willing to try new things. At first glance, he isn’t the type of person to just say yes to many new things. After some talking though, he always ends up trying it out anyway and enjoys whatever it was he was avoiding.

KEEP READING: Family Favorites: The Butter-Jins on Growing up Trilingual in Beijing

Photo: Uni You

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 December issue

The Miller/Nizam family has lived all around the world. Dad Brendan is Australian and Mom Tanya is from the UK and Bangladesh. As international school educators, the family has lived in eight countries and their two kids Brishti (age 16) and Zain (age 14) have lived in six. Although the kids have a nomadic lifestyle in a way, the family is happy to be spending their high school years in Beijing and consider themselves lucky to have been in Beijing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Brendan is the High School Head of Science and Tanya is the TOK Coordinator at the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB), where Brishti and Zain attend.

Meet the Miller/Nizam family

Brishti

I play the guitar. I’ve been playing since I was six years old and I’m hoping to perform at “Rock in the Park” which is a music festival at my school, later this year if all goes well. I like listening to rock music and like sharing music with my friends in other countries around the world. I’m trying to get into different types of genres that way. Sometimes we stream music together, regardless of our different time-zones, and that made the COVID-19 lockdown a lot less lonely and much more fun.

Tanya

I like any music that I find fun to sing along to – mainly I’d say I am drawn to strong female vocalists who experiment with different styles. I’m currently listening to Sara Bareilles quite a bit. Beijing has been a great place for me to participate in singing groups and bands – I currently sing with Stevie Mac and the Mac Daddies and am loving every moment. Sometimes as a parent, I have found my children come to as many of my performances as I go to theirs. I love seeing them in the audience and I hope it shows them that you’re never too old to get out and try new things.

Brendan

Seeing my wife and children being musical, I thought I’d better do something! During the COVID-19 lockdown, I decided to start learning to play the bass guitar – never too old to learn something! I like rock and heavy metal. I like bands like Alice in Chains and Sound Garden, Fear Factory, and Tool, to name a few. I never had the opportunity to learn an instrument as a child, so I’m really pleased to see my own children play. For my birthday each year, the family ‘surprises’ me with a different song that they perform together and it’s probably the best part of the day for me.

Zain

I like rock music. I don’t have a specific band that I listen to all the time – I listen to songs from many, but my favorite is probably Green Day. I’ve played the piano and guitar in the past but my main interest is the drums. I think I’ll stick to this now as drums have a unique feel to them and it feels good for me. For me, I don’t have any plans to be part of a band — playing the drums by myself is fun already and I have my own drum kit in the basement of our house.

KEEP READING: Family Favorites! Different Personalities Keep the He/Ya Family’s Life Interesting

Photos: Uni You

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 October issue

Dad Xiao He is a Private Investor and Mom Yiner Ya has a Masters in Psychology from the University of Chicago and is currently working as the Parent and Alumni Relations Coordinator at Keystone Academy. The couple has two kids Jack (16) and YaoYao (12) who are both students at Keystone Academy.

Dad’s favorite restaurant is Jiang Hu He Feng ( 江户禾) in Housahyu. The food is overall decent and it is close by.

Mom’s favorite restaurant is Mei Zui Tang (美醉堂) a Japanese yakitori restaurant in Sanlitun.

YaoYao’s favorite restaurant is My Crib, a new fusion brunch restaurant in Shunyi.

On the weekend we usually cook and enjoy a meal together as a family.

The one thing we can’t live without is humor. We like funny people.

The first thing that dad does when he comes home is to relax in the automatic massage chair.

According to YaoYao, the best thing about having Jack as a big brother is not feeling lonely.

The thing YaoYao admires the most about her parents is how Dad can remain calm even in the most irritating situations and how Mom can help her express her feelings when she doesn’t know how to.

The thing Jack admires the most about his parents is Mom’s ability to balance her work and life while caring for him and his sister, and Dad’s interesting and critical view on life.

Our favorite thing to do as a family is to travel to different parts of China and around the world during vacations.

Dad’s favorite place to go in Beijing is Long Tan Hu Park (龙潭湖公园). We started our family in a compound near the park. When the kids were young, we used to take long walks there, rowboats in summer, and enjoy snow sports in winter.

According to Jack, the best thing about having YaoYao as a little sister is her outspoken personality, which is annoying at times but otherwise admirable.

The first thing that Mom does when she comes home is to check out what is in the fridge and start cooking.

Mom’s favorite thing about Dad is his patience with the children.

Mom’s favorite place to go in Beijing is the Houhai and Shichahai area in downtown Beijing where there are old hutongs, lakes, restaurants, and shops to explore. That is where her high school was located, and it is eye-opening to see the great changes that have occurred over the past 20 years.

KEEP READING: Family Favorites! Meet the Cadiou Family 

Photos: Uni You

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 September issue

Eddie W. moved to the UK when he was five and returned to Beijing three years ago. The 12-year-old is currently a student at Harrow Beijing (HBJ) and enjoys playing the piano and reading in his spare time.

What was the best thing you did as a family during quarantine?
Eating lunch together every day, something we rarely did before COVID-19.

If you were a tourist traveling to Beijing,  what are the five places you would visit?
I would definitely go to the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace, and the National Museum.

What’s your favorite weekend activity as a family?
Going for a walk in the park.

What are some of the challenges you have faced while living in Beijing?
Dealing with traffic congestion and having to cover vast distances within the city due to Beijing’s enormous size.

What is your favorite restaurant?
Pizza Hut

What’s your favorite Chinese dish?
Malaxiangguo (Spicy Dry Pot)

What were your first emotional reactions to the COVID-19 outbreak?
To be honest, I didn’t think much of it at first. I had initially thought that it was just the emergence of a new flu that was probably going to be suppressed within a few days’ time. It wasn’t until the infection numbers inflated that I began to really take it seriously.

What are the changes you have made to adapt to quarantine life?
As a result of COVID-19, our whole family had to stay at home – my dad needed to work remotely from our house, and I had to participate in off-campus online learning. My mum has been more into baking recently due to the inconvenience of buying pastries from shops during the pandemic. The virus also allowed us to exercise more and pay attention to our physical health. We have also adjusted our timetables to match each other’s schedules so the whole family could be available at certain intervals.

What do you think is the most important character strength and why?
In my opinion, resilience – the ability to recover quickly from difficulties – is the most important character strength, because the key to successfully completing any initiative is to keep going, even in the toughest of times, and to withstand challenges with determination.

How would you define leadership?
Leadership is the ability to take the lead and actively participate in an initiative, to set clear goals, formulate efficient strategies to achieve them, and to motivate and inspire your teammates.

Your family’s most important house rule is:
To always keep everything tidy and organized.

How would you sum up life in Beijing in 5 words?
Convenient, secure, comfortable, enjoyable, busy.

What is the most vivid memory of school life?
Raising money for charities. This made me realize that we can really make a positive impact on the wider community and pave the way for a better future world.

KEEP READING: Family Favorites! Meet the Cadiou Family

Photo: Uni You

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 August issue

Everyone’s got their family favorites, and this time we quizzed the Cadiou family about theirs. Dad Julien Cadiou is from Brittany, France, and is the Chef de Cuisine at The Peninsula Beijing Hotel. Mom Kit Lau Cadiou is from Hong Kong where the couple met. She previously worked at a restaurant and is now a full-time Wonder Mom. The couple welcomed adorable little Lana 14 months ago and she’s been the apple of their eye since day one. Lana loves animals and can now imitate the roar of a baby lion cub. Rawr!

Our favorite restaurant is: Din Tai Fung. Since we became parents last year, we haven’t had a lot of time to go out, but Ding Tai Fung is very convenient with kids and it’s where dad discovered xiaolongbao [Shanghai soup dumplings] for the first time! He loved it so much that it even inspired him to create one of his signature dishes on his menu.

Our favorite thing to cook at home is: Pork ribs! The Asian BBQ kind, marinated with a lot of ginger, garlic, and sesame. My two girls always ask for it!

When mom comes home she usually… Washes her hands three times then kisses and hugs baby and then daddy.

When dad comes home he usually… Washes his hands twice then kisses and hugs the girls.

Mom’s favorite Chinese dish is: Slow-cooked chicken in soy sauce.

Our No. 1 house rule is: Be kind and polite all the time and to everyone.

Our favorite place for date night is: Our hidden Rooftop ‘Yun’ on the 14th floor at the Peninsula Beijing Hotel. It’s really romantic.

Our shopping haven in Beijing is: GuoShuHao. It is a shop next to our place where you have everything fresh directly from the farm including fruits, vegetables, live seafood, fresh meat, and the quality is amazing!

Our favorite moment as a family in Beijing is: Right now, after a long winter when the weather gets warmer and we can finally enjoy the flowers blooming in the city’s parks during a day off together.

The best thing you did as a family while in quarantine was: Teaching our daughter to walk when she had just turned one year old.

The one thing we can’t live without is: Taobao, especially for mommy!

Lana’s favorite Chinese dish is: Fish dumplings.

During the weekend we usually: Eat, play, and sleep all together.

Favorite Beijing discovery is: The Beijing wildlife animals park in Daxing.

How would you sum up WeChat in 5 words? Best app ever for everything.

Our advice to new families in Beijing is: Take the time to get settled and find your favorite places. Beijing is a lovely city when you get to know it and this is the right season to explore.

KEEP READING: “Tiara Fell in Love With Roast Duck the First Time She Tried It”

Photos: Uni You

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 June issue

When the Asiedu family moved from the US to Beijing in 2010 following a long-held dream to experience a new culture and city, they figured they might be here for two years in total. Two years flew by, then five, then… well, you know how it goes. Eldest daughter Dorothy (16) and her sister Diane (14) are students at Dulwich College Beijing, while their youngest Elizabeth (12) goes to Daystar Academy. Dad Kenneth is currently stuck in Philadelphia missing his leading ladies, but Geena credits FaceTime for keeping them all connected during this tough time.

We quizzed the Asiedu family on their favorite documentary films, and we were not disappointed!

Dorothy – American Factory

In 2014 Chinese auto-glass company Fuyao opened a factory in Dayton, Ohio. The documentary shows how the local American and Chinese workers, who are brought over to train them, try to overcome their language and cultural differences such as safety, unions, and work ethics. By the end, most of the workers had been replaced by machines, and I now appreciate how Artificial Intelligence is affecting the global workforce.

Geena – The Last Dance

This documentary series is a fascinating and detailed look at the 1997-1998 season that culminated in the Chicago Bull’s historic sixth and final N.B.A. championship title, led by His Airness Michael Jordan. Jordan says that God created him to play basketball, and I am still in awe of his excellence and relentless pursuit of greatness. I am not a competitive person so watching Jordan tap into his competitive side to achieve excellence has been inspiring to me.

Elizabeth –  Blue Planet II

Blue Planet II shows mesmerizing ocean scenes and animals. The production crew was able to place cameras on sea creatures such as whales, and I enjoyed seeing this point of view. Sea creatures are as protective of their little ones just as human parents, and I was sad to watch the part where a mama whale was so sad that its baby had died. Blue Planet II also shows us the impact of human activities and climate change. It is important for each of us to do our bit to make sure that sea creatures can thrive in their natural habitat.

Diane –  Becoming

Becoming shows parts of Michelle Obama’s life before, during, and after her time as the First Lady. It was interesting to see the contrast between these different stages, and I have come to appreciate how she learned to establish herself as an individual, and dealt with negative press. Michelle makes lots of witty and inspiring comments, and one of my favorite lines is a quote about young girls, “We can’t afford to wait for the world to be equal to start feeling seen”.

Kenneth – Minimalism

This Netflix documentary makes a persuasive argument for the benefits of living a minimalist lifestyle. There is nothing inherently wrong with owning material possessions, but we often have more than we need. We have been conditioned to give too much meaning to the material stuff we collect. Minimalism can assist us to find freedom from the trappings of our consumer-driven culture.

KEEP READING: How About Just a Little Sip? Beijing Parents’ Views on Underage Drinking

Photos: Uni You

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 June issue

The Wehners moved to Beijing from St. Paul, Minnesota in the US in 2018. Mom Regina and Dad Matt both work for Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) and their daughters Nola and Ivy are Grades 5 and 4 students at WAB.

Meet the family

Our No. 1 house rule is:
We don’t have any specific family rules, but we try to focus on balance in our lives. Balance in the amount of screen time, healthy eating, and work/home life.

Our favorite weekend activity is:
Pancakes on Sunday mornings, movies on Saturday nights, bike rides and walks outside when the weather is nice. 

Our favorite restaurant is:
Annie’s for the kids and Element Fresh for Mom and Dad.

Our favorite thing to cook at home is:
Tacos with chicken and beans.

Our advice to new families in Beijing is:
During the October holiday, don’t try to go see the Forbidden City or other tourist areas! They’re way too crowded.

Our favorite moment as a family in Beijing is:
Coming back home in March.

The children’s favorite Chinese dish is:
It’s not a dish, but we love the fresh fruit and vegetables, especially strawberries and cauliflower.

Mom’s favorite Chinese dish is:
Dumplings. 

Our favorite place for date night is:
Hulu in Shunyi.

Dad’s favorite Beijing discovery is:
The trail by the river near our compound.

Best thing you did as a family while in quarantine:
Puzzles and ‘bowling’ with empty water bottles. We went to visit friends in Bali for the CNY holiday.  When school was postponed due to COVID-19, we stayed on for a few more weeks. Then, our tourist visa was set to expire, so we decided to meet other friends in Kuala Lumpur.  Because our school and work went online, we stayed in KL for a whole month. We had only prepared to be gone for one week, and after two months away we needed to be home. Beijing is our home and even though it was hard to get back, we needed to try. The journey was difficult, but worth it in the end.

Our shopping haven in Beijing is:
Decathalon. 

The one thing we can’t live without is:
Cell phones: for WeChat and Didi.

How would you sum up WeChat in 5 words?
Necessary, can’t live without it.

Click here for more insider tips from Beijing families like the Wehners

Photos: Uni You

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 June issue