Over the past few decades, China has witnessed a remarkable transformation in the field of international education. With globalization and an increasing appetite for a more globalized curriculum, international schools have become a significant part of the educational landscape. Expat educators have come from various countries and shared their knowledge with the kids in Beijing before moving on to the next destination.

But there’s a man who’s been here since the beginning. Michael Crook is one of the founders of Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) and he has been at the forefront of this evolution his whole life. Now in his 70s, the Brit, born and raised in Beijing, shares stories of his childhood in Haidian District in his fluent Beijing-accented Chinese. Now retired, he shares with jingkids in this exclusive interview his insights and experiences on how international education has changed, adapted, and thrived during his lifetime, shedding light on the journey that has shaped the educational opportunities of so many.

When Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) was founded, what was the overall educational environment in Beijing like compared to now?
When WAB was founded in the early 1990s, the educational environment for expatriate children in Beijing was quite limited. There were embassy schools primarily for diplomatic children, but they weren’t authorized to take non-diplomatic families. Some Chinese state schools made minimal accommodations for foreign students, like pull-out support programs, but these weren’t ideal solutions. The lack of appropriate schooling for expatriate children was becoming a serious problem for companies trying to bring staff to Beijing.

Compared to 30 years ago, there’s been a tremendous change that has been advantageous to the expat community. Now, there are many more schools for foreign nationals to choose from, including improved international sections in Chinese public schools and private schools offering various curricula (American, British, IB).

The expat population has actually dropped in the last decade, meaning more schools and fewer children, which translates to more choices for expat families. Overall, the situation is very welcoming for expats moving to Beijing due to the abundance of educational options.
How have the cultural and social aspects of Beijing changed since the school first opened, and how have these changes impacted the international school community?
The growth of China’s economy has led to the emergence of a middle class that is more familiar with Western values and culture. Many of these people have studied and worked overseas and [are]often looking for more choices as well as alternatives to the highly competitive gaokao for their children’s education.

This cultural shift has significantly impacted the international school community. Many returning Chinese families now seek to enroll their children in international schools, and as a result, the student demographics in international schools have changed dramatically.

When WAB started in 1994, students were predominantly from North America and Europe, but now there’s a much larger proportion of students with Asian, particularly Chinese, roots.

This has brought both benefits, such as increased use of Chinese language among students and active parent involvement, and challenges in maintaining the school’s commitment to diversity.
In your opinion, how have the economic and cultural developments in Beijing influenced the international education sector from the time you founded the school until today?
The economic and cultural developments in Beijing have significantly influenced the international education sector. The growth of the middle class has created a strong demand for international education and has influenced how schools like WAB approach diversity, moving beyond simple nationality metrics to consider factors like home language and other aspects of diversity.

There is also a complex dynamic at play, as families balance the desire for international education while also maintaining their children’s connection to Chinese culture and heritage. This has led to ongoing discussions about how to balance international perspectives with local cultural values in these schools.
What were the core values and educational goals of WAB when it was founded, and how have they evolved over the years?
Well, at WAB, we’ve always believed in educating the whole child, partnering with parents, and championing our staff. These core values have remained constant since our founding.

Over the years, we’ve added to our mission, aiming to connect, inspire, challenge, and make a difference. These values and mission have really stood the test of time. They’re just as relevant today as they were when we started, and they continue to guide every decision we make as a school.

I think it’s important to note that while our core values haven’t changed, we’ve always been open to evolving our approach. For instance, we’ve embraced inquiry-based learning and student agency, which align well with our foundational philosophy. These concepts, which draw from educational theories like Montessori and John Dewey, have become integral to how we operate at WAB.

In terms of diversity, background, and their educational needs, how has the student body changed since the school’s inception?
When we first started, our student body was primarily from embassies and multinational companies in Beijing. We’ve always prided ourselves on the diversity of our community, and that’s something that has continued to this day. We welcome students from all around the globe, speaking a wide range of languages. We’ve always aimed to meet the needs of all learners, recognizing that everyone learns differently.

In recent years, there’s been a greater global focus on social-emotional learning and well-being. We’ve responded to this by initiating a school-wide mentoring program in 2019 and continually improving our integrated Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum from Early Years to Grade 12.

Has the quality of education changed from the early days of the school?
WAB has consistently maintained a high standard of education since we founded it in 1994. What’s changed is our understanding of what constitutes good learning.

We’ve always been at the forefront of educational innovation, guided by the latest educational and scientific research on how the brain works and learns. We’ve come to understand that great learning is long-term and goes beyond just acquiring knowledge. It’s also about gaining skills.

We know that students learn better when they feel safe and well, and when they feel ownership over their learning. This approach is quite different from traditional methods where students might memorize information just to pass a test and then forget it.

Our philosophy has always emphasized inquiry-based learning and student agency. We let our children ask questions and try to find solutions because they need to learn how to learn. This approach has been central to WAB from the beginning and continues to guide our educational practices today. Over the years, what are the major shifts you’ve witnessed in international education in Beijing, and how has WAB adapted to them?
One of the big shifts we’ve witnessed is related to technology. When vast amounts of information is at your fingertips, it changes what you need to know.

Over time, the focus of learning has shifted from just acquiring knowledge to developing skills – interpersonal skills, collaboration skills, evaluation skills, and analytical skills. We’re now asking, how do you know what is true and what is not? Literacy has taken on a more critical aspect, especially with the advent of AI.

At WAB, we’ve been at the forefront of learning about and using new technologies, working with students on how to use them ethically and safely. We’ve also focused on ensuring our students are well-equipped with the skills and competencies to be successful in the future. We endeavor to stay up to date with the latest information from organizations like the OECD on what skills and attributes will be needed in the future, and we speak to business leaders about what they’re looking for in new employees.

Another significant shift is in how student learning is assessed. Assessment is no longer about ranking children, but rather about checking learning and identifying areas for growth. Even up to university entrance, there’s a strong movement towards a broader method to review student achievement and abilities. We’re moving away from defining students as a number and looking at how the breadth and depth of student achievement can be shared.

WAB is a member of the Mastery Transcript Consortium, working on a different way of sharing student successes. A mastery transcript is now accepted by close to 600 universities and colleges, including the Ivy League. This shows how we’re adapting to these changes in international education.

What is your learning philosophy and its connection to WAB?
My learning philosophy is deeply rooted in my family’s educational background. You see, education has been a part of my family for generations.

My great-grandmother taught French in Chengdu, and my grandmother started a Montessori school there in 1915, which was quite progressive for the time. I believe that learning is a natural process for children, and it doesn’t always require direct teaching.

The role of a teacher, in my view, should be that of a facilitator for learning. This aligns closely with the Montessori philosophy. I think it’s crucial to let children explore and learn through play, but with some supervision and guidance.

For instance, give children wooden blocks and let them discover concepts like balance, symmetry, and even basic physics on their own. This philosophy is deeply connected to WAB’s approach.

I also draw from John Dewey’s learning philosophy, where learning communities encompass all members of the community. This also ties in with my family, and my grandmother helped found, and served a principal of, the Chengdu Dewey School in the 1920s.

We emphasize inquiry-based learning and student agency. We encourage our students to ask questions and find solutions independently. It’s not just about absorbing information; it’s about learning how to learn.

At WAB, we’ve incorporated these ideas into our core values. We focus on educating the whole child, not just academically but also socially and emotionally. We believe in student participation in school management and even in conflict resolution.

For example, we train our fifth graders in mediation skills. So, you see, our learning philosophy at WAB is about creating active participants in the learning process, not just passive recipients of information. It’s about preparing our students for the real world by giving them the skills to think critically, solve problems, and work collaboratively. And I believe this approach is more relevant now than ever in our rapidly changing world.

Images: Western Academy of Beijing

Located in the heart of Beijing’s 798 Art District, YESTRDAY (昨日) is a vintage shop that offers a one-of-a-kind shopping experience for those interested in historical Western objects. The shop is open Monday to Friday, from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm, and is a treasure trove of unique items that are sure to fascinate visitors.

One of the highlights of YESTRDAY’s collection is its World War 2 war objects. These items include helmets, belt bags, binoculars, and steel canteens that were used by soldiers during the war. Each item is a piece of history, and offers a glimpse into the past. These war objects are highly sought after by collectors and history enthusiasts, and while pricey, is one-of-a-kind, hard to get (especially in China), and definitely worth it.

For those interested in antique teaspoons and cup sets, YESTRDAY has a wide selection of beautifully crafted items that date back to different eras. These sets are perfect for collectors or anyone looking to add a touch of vintage charm to their home. The shop also has various displays of guns and rifles, which are sure to impress gun enthusiasts and showcase the history and craftsmanship of these weapons as a testament to the skill of the gun makers of the past.

YESTRDAY also has a selection of pins that are perfect for collectors or anyone looking to add a unique accessory to their outfit.

Another unique item that YESTRDAY sells is limited-edition collectibles and old figurines. These items are less historical, but more of a haven for collectors and a top choice for displays: old pins, limited-edition figurines of movies such as Willie Wonka and Lord of the Rings, as well as figurines of different people such as Metallica and Kurt Cobain are present throughout the little shop. These figurines are perfect for collectors or anyone looking to add a unique piece to their collection.

One unique item that YESTRDAY sells is rings of different origins and ages, many of which are unknown. These rings are perfect for collectors or anyone looking for a unique piece of jewelry. The shop also sells staffs and canes that have knobs made from real bone, made before the material was outlawed. These items are not only historical but also beautifully crafted and add a touch of elegance to any collection.

It’s obvious that YESTRDAY is a must-visit for anyone interested in historical Western objects and vintage collectibles. The shop’s impressive collection of World War 2 war objects, US Mail bags and stamps, limited-edition figurines, antique teaspoons and cup sets, pins, displays of guns and rifles, rings of different origins and ages, and staffs and canes with bone knobs offer a unique shopping experience that is sure to fascinate visitors. Whether you are a serious collector or simply looking for a unique souvenir, YESTRDAY is a hidden gem that should not be missed.

It’s a relatively small and new shop, which means it’s not on a map, but it’s next to some larger shops that are, which are linked below:

Find it:
朝阳区酒仙桥街道大山子798艺术区尤伦斯对面东八时区旁胡同内100米
Beijing 751 Art Zone, No.4, Jiuxianqiao Road 798 Middle 1st Street, Chaoyang

Image: Suah R, Elise S

March 8 of this year will mark the 47^th International Women’s Day. Technically, the day has been around in varying forms since the 1900s, but it became a global movement with official UN recognition in 1975. Since that time, huge improvements have been made to the lives of women and girls around the world. In fact, there have been such giant steps towards gender equity that each year I inevitably hear the question “Do we really still need a Women’s Day?” Let’s unpack that.

Fact: The 2021 Global Gender Gap Report commissioned by the World Economic Forum stated it will take 135.6 years to close the gender gap. Women are still paid less than men and are more likely to be dismissed from needed jobs in an economic downturn than their male counterparts.

Fact: According to UNICEF, 129 million girls are out of school and less than half the countries of the world have achieved gender parity in education.

Fact: According to the Global Gender Gap Report, at least 72 countries limit or outright ban a woman from opening a bank account.

Fact: The Institute for Women’s Leadership reports that in the US women make up 45 percent of the S&P 500 workforce but represent only 4 percent of CEOs in listed companies. And while US women are primary financial providers for 40 percent of families and more women receive advanced degrees than men, they still occupy only 21 percent of senior leadership positions, three percent lower than the global average, and are paid 79 cents on the dollar of their male counterparts.

There are differing statistics on violence, poverty, and health care for women and girls, as well as representation of women in media. All are disturbing, and disparities are even more dramatic for minority women and women residing in developing nations.

But the real reason I think we still need a women’s day is simpler than that. A fellow educator last year gave her fifth grade students a simple worksheet. She listed several different jobs and asked them to list one famous person from each category. The students could list a famous composer, famous scientist, famous businessperson, famous athlete, etc. This fellow educator told me that out of all of the answers she received from the entire class, only one was female: Famous Author — J. K. Rowling.

The gender gap and all of its financial and social inequities stem from one very simple truth: When we ask for examples of excellence, when we look for heroes and paragons to reward, our default is still a male image. Let me be clear. I am not anti-man or trying to tear down anyone. There are so many men in my life who I respect, admire, and learn from. But if we are limiting ourselves to only half of the talent pool, if we are by default telling half of our young population, “You can be good, but not great,” what are we robbing our world of? What inventions or medical breakthroughs never happen? What companies never get built, what movements never begin? What social changes and laws never come to pass?

By limiting our ideas of who is worthy of accolades we rob both our daughters and sons of the best possible world. So, in honor of International Women’s Day, here are my (all-female) responses to a few of those worksheet questions. This is not intended to lock men out or diminish the accomplishments of anyone. Rather, I hope to draw attention to a few deserving but often overlooked members of our global society, and hopefully encourage all of us to consider the entire population when we look for heroes.

Scientist: Let’s talk about Chien-Shiung Wu. This Chinese-American experimental physicist was a pivotal member of the Manhattan Project, helping to develop the process that separated uranium into two of its isotopes by gaseous diffusion with the goal of producing enriched uranium. She developed the experiment that allowed two male colleagues to prove their hypothesis that the hypothetical “law of conservation of parity” was invalid. For their theoretical work the two male colleagues would win the 1957 Nobel Prize for Physics. While Wu was lauded and received acknowledgement from peers for her work, she was not recognized by the Nobel committee for her contributions to the breakthrough, and it would be more than 20 years before she was publicly honored for her contributions to the Nobel Prize-winning discovery. Other areas of Wu’s research would lead to medical breakthroughs that helped treat sickle cell anemia. She was also directly responsible for the first scientific presidential advisory board, and would spend the end of her life advocating for STEM education in both China and the United States for all children, regardless of gender, race, or economic standing.

Businesswoman: Madam C. J. Walker is widely acknowledged as the first female African American millionaire, but the truth is she was the first female millionaire of any race in America. She made her fortune from a line of innovative hair care and beauty products, but her accomplishments were not limited to running a successful business. She was a firm supporter of women, and opened schools, provided jobs, and promoted thousands of female employees, helping to raise up whole communities. She was a vocal and consistent financial supporter of the NAACP and provided scholarships to the Tuskegee Institute. Her Manhattan home would become a salon for members of the Harlem Renaissance community, incubating some of the most profound art to ever come out of America and giving a voice to a portion of the population whose stories may never have been told otherwise.

Humanitarian: Marie Curie is probably one of the most well-known physicists in the world, and the winner of two Nobel Prizes. But this Polish-French woman is a personal hero to me because of her humanitarian work. During World War I she used her knowledge of science to set up mobile X-ray units which saved countless soldiers from needless operations, amputations, and death. She was the director of the French Red Cross Radiology Service and she would serve as a founding member of the League of Nations Committee on Intellectual Cooperation, the precursor to UNESCO. She also set up the Curie Institute, which is still operating today and which is one of the world’s leading scientific research centers.

Composer: The Mendelssohn name is famous for the well-known wedding march we still play today, and Felix was an incredibly prolific and successful composer in his time. But not all his works were his. His sister Fanny Mendelssohn was his editor, collaborator, and a brilliant composer in her own right. Woman at the time were not allowed to be published, so her brother (with her permission) published an unknown number of her works under his own name. To this day we are unsure of the true composer of many works in the Mendelssohn catalog.

Artist: María Izquierdo was a Mexican surrealist painter. She was a child bride, and eventually a single mother, who faced a great deal of social scrutiny and pressure for her “feminist” ideology, including being awarded public commissions and then having them withdrawn because of her gender. She would become the first Mexican woman to exhibit in the United States (beating out the famous Frida Kahlo for that historical achievement). She would also be responsible for changing the image of Mexican women throughout the world, and would help set up a foundation to develop and support the female artists of her beloved home country.

Poet: There are so many profoundly talented and inspirational writers across history, but I wanted to focus on one to watch. Amanda Gorman stunned and rejuvenated a nation when she performed her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the inauguration of US president Joe Biden. At only 23 years old, Gorman has already published three books, graduated with honors from Harvard University, become the first National Youth Poet Laureate, and has been hailed as the voice of her generation. Her visionary prose and thoughts on the future of leadership are part of the conversation shaping our world, and she and other incredible young people of her generation are the future of equity and growth on our planet. There is hope.

These are only six incredible humans who changed or are changing our world and who happen to be women. I encourage all of us to educate ourselves about so many others who are deserving of our attention and remembrance. Just as importantly, we need to encourage that in our kids. Let’s give this next generation the gift of a pantheon of inclusive heroes representative of every age, gender, creed, nationality, and orientation. Please inspire me and everyone else reading this post by adding a comment nominating an unsung, underrepresented historical figure for further research.

Happy International Women’s Day everyone!

Images: Wikipedia, Merkdearte

KEEP READING:

Located on the northern end of the Second Ring Road, Deshengmen Watchtower still stands intact some 600 years since its last reconstruction. Today, this historical landmark serves as a popular tourist attraction and houses a coin exhibition within its walls.

While they were each constructed and finalized during the time of the Ming Dynasty, the nine gates of Beijing would live through many eras, and today some of them remain popular sites in China’s capital. All of the gates were constructed in a similar manner but they all served different purposes. Deshengmen was no exception, in that it was made up of a gatehouse, an archery tower, and a barbican, and was used mainly for the transportation of military equipment and personnel. Today only the barbican and archery tower survive, both of which have enjoyed enduring popularity thanks to their history and the ancient coin exhibition.

Desheng in Chinese is a term used to describe “victory over,” which fits in perfectly with the gate’s historical status. During both the Ming and Qing Dynasties, troops returning home from wars which they had won would enter inner Beijing through Deshengmen, symbolizing their triumph.

Today, Deshengmen serves as both an enthralling landmark due to its unique structure, and as an important symbol of Chinese history. Visiting it is a great way to experience a different kind of architecture and learn a little bit about this city’s rich history in the process.

Keep Reading: Visit These Nine Ancient Beijing Gates

Images: Uni You

History is filled with lost stories and unlauded achievements. All too often those untold stories belong to women, minorities, and those who are economically disadvantaged. But that doesn’t mean those contributions didn’t happen. In fact, fairly often those unnoticed events have huge ripple effects on economies, cultures, and social welfare. So in honor of women’s history month, we sought out four women in Chinese history whose stories are relatively unknown. Each of the next four Throwback Thursdays will be devoted to giving them a small measure of very belated credit. And because we build on the foundation these women laid we are going to institute Future Fridays. We will feature an amazing member of the Beijing community who is building on the work of the past and making her own contribution to the world and history right here in our neighborhood. We hope you enjoy these glimpses into these forgotten stories and they inspire you to do your own research into worthy but unrecognized historical figures and maybe drive you to make a little history of your own!

This week we take a moment to explore artist Chen Shu (陳書), a modern woman in an ancient time.

Chen Shu was a remarkable person who helped birth the Xiushui school of painting that is so widely admired and respected around the world. Her works of art hang in prestigious galleries including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the National Palace Museum in Taipei. She is sought after by private collectors and commands high prices at Christie’s Auction house but remarkably little is known about her life. Most of the sources I could find are single sentences in biographies of other famous men of her time. Let’s see if we can’t piece those bits together and give her work and contributions a little more credit.

Born in 1660 to a literati family she self-studied art, embroidery, and classical poetry under her parents. As was common for young ladies of her time she married young, but her husband passed on leaving her with a son to raise and a household to support. She turned to her skills as a painter and teacher. During the day she would educate other young women in the skills she had learned from her parents and at night she would paint. The next morning she would send her work to the market over 10 kilometers away for resale and start the entire process over again. She was the original working mom and not unlike today she-roes she was unappreciated.

Neither her art nor her work as a teacher made her famous or wealthy. Like many women of her era, she would succeed through her son, Qian Chenqun. Thanks to her efforts in providing for the family he was able to study and rise to prominence within the Imperial Court. He presented some of Chen’s work to the Emperor who became an avid admirer of her work and added her art to the Imperial collection.

Because of her gender and lack of official training she was never acknowledged as a master painter but almost 300 years after her death her work survives and the style of art she helped to create and proliferate is iconic.

KEEP READING: Throwback Thursday: A Brief History of China’s Caped Crusaders

Image: Chinese Social Sciences Today

Every day that little sun shows up on my weather app, every day the temperature stays positive, that’s a day closer to leaving the house without a jacket. And so it happened that one day last week we ignored our e-learning and pretended it was already spring (sorry, teachers. We really do love you but this was a necessary break)!

I had a craft with an egg carton in mind, but the kiddos decided it wasn’t spring without coloring some eggs. So out came the Easter kit for a math-science-art-cooking combination class. If you aren’t a hoarder of holiday crafts like me, you can still probably find everything you need in your kitchen!

Early Easter Egg Dyeing

Ingredients: 

• Eggs (preferably white but light brown are fine)
• White vinegar (or lemon juice)
• Food coloring

Step 1: Hard boil eggs

Although this is the easiest part, it’s worth it to take a moment and make it a cooking lesson too. Lowering the eggs carefully into a pot and letting them boil, then tracking how long it takes to both boil and cool down make for excellent life lessons no matter how young!

We also added a little phonics into the lesson. I told them we were dyeing eggs, and then spelled out both “die” and “dye” to explain how they sound the same, are spelled differently, and mean something very different.

Whoever thought up these dyeing tablets is a genius, but they’re not necessary.

Step 2: Prepare the colors

While eggs are cooling, put 1/2 cup of boiling water into 5-6 heat resistance containers, preferable ones are see-through. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar and slowly add your food coloring drops until the color looks perfect. Since I have two kids, I let them lead the charge and decide how light or dark they wanted their colors, or which ones they want to mix to make new colors. This is easier if they each have their own individual coloring cups at first.

Step 3: Wait

This part doesn’t have to be boring. It’s cool to know chemistry, and how fun to see real things change right before your eyes:

On the website Chemistryislife.com, high school student Destany Benboe explains the main components in dying eggs:

• • Egg shell are made out of Calcium Carbonate + Protein Cuticle (around the egg) (CaCO3+N2H2)
  • Water (H2O)
  • Vinegar (C2H4O2)

Step 4: Eat!

One of the best parts of this learning as playtime is that for the rest of the week, we ate at least two eggs a day! They were so happy with their process that we had time to also talk about the history of eggs, and I learned quite a bit as well, thanks to learnreligions.com:

The ancient Egyptians, Persians, Phoenicians, and Hindus all believed the world began with an enormous egg, thus the egg as a symbol of new life has been around for eons. The particulars may vary, but most cultures around the world use the egg as a symbol of new life and rebirth….Early on, Christians abstained from not only eating meat but also eliminated eggs during the Lenten season prior to Easter. Therefore, Easter was the first chance to enjoy eggs and meat after the long abstinence….It is interesting to note, however, that eggs play almost no part in the Easter celebrations of Mexico, South America, and Native American Indian cultures.

The practice of painting eggs goes back to ancient times when decorated shells were part of the rituals of spring.

Information about the coronavirus pandemic will soon be in Chinese textbooks across the country, according to new recommendations released by the Ministry of Education last week. Content related to multiple subjects, such as health, history, Chinese literature, physical education, and of course, biology, will soon be taught as part of China’s compulsory curriculum in grades one through nine. The document explicitly states that the content will be included in national textbooks, but it is unclear how these measures will impact international schools. International school sources asked to comment stated that they have yet to include new COVID-related curriculum but were required to provide basic hygiene and science education to students prior to re-opening. This included providing students with information on handwashing and how diseases spread.

The newly-proposed curriculum was drafted in response to publicly submitted recommendations at the 13^th National People’s Congress (NPC). The proposal advocated for educators to celebrate China’s COVID-19 successes through comprehensive content. The NPC is China’s largest forum to solicit public opinions and policy input. The Ministry of Education’s recent notice does not provide a timetable for drafting this new content but does provide an overview of this curriculum’s three core components.

The first focuses on “cultivating public service awareness,” aiming to motivate students to respond appropriately and proactively in the event of national crises or disasters. This will include content on key leaders in China’s COVID response efforts and character training regarding bravery, perseverance, and having the “daring to act.” According to Chinese media Sixth Tone, the new curriculum will include: “Knowledge of outbreak prevention and control, and content about “the spirit of fighting the pandemic… ‘Students will learn about key figures who emerged during outbreak prevention and control efforts, as well as their deeds,’ the ministry said.”

The second section will provide information on infectious disease prevention, including information on the impact and causes of diseases, as well as other relevant examples. In this third section, students will receive information on State and Party contributions to public safety, with China’s attention to people’s wellbeing and safety as a core component.

KEEP READING: Managing the Stress of School WeChat Groups

Photos: Pexels, Unsplash

For many people, November is the buildup to a much more exciting time. The holidays seem right around the corner and everyone wishes to go home. For me, November is a month I both dread and yearn for. Every year either I scramble to remember key dates about a subject I never had heard of before or I comfortably accept my imminent doom and charge ahead with no plan.

Of course, I’m talking about NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, which spans the entire month of November. The goal? To win. And to win, you have to write 50,000 words. That’s 1,667 words per day. It sounds hard— and it is. When I was fourteen I watched a video online about a girl who wrote a book in a month, and although I didn’t participate in NaNoWriMo that year it inspired me to do it the next, which is how I came to write my first book. I showed up on the first of November with my camera, my laptop, and a vague idea for a story. That year I wrote a cross between historical fiction and fantasy, and if I ever have to give anyone my number one writing advice it’s this— don’t write a fantasy novel without planning anything beforehand.

In the NaNoWriMo community, we have three types of people, the planners, the pansters, and the “plansters”. The first one being those who meticulously plan every interaction and the second being those who arrive with pen and paper on the first day and if they’re lucky perhaps the inkling of an idea. I fit right in between as a “planster,” depending on a novel. Typically, I like to focus on historical fiction. It offers me an opportunity to live vicariously through my characters’ lives, allowing me to experience first-hand medieval England or the cold war period in the United States. What you’ll find is fundamentally it doesn’t matter what period of history you’re in, we all face similar issues. In addition, historical fiction allows me to find hidden moments of history. Last year I spent a week looking at brands of Russian ice-cream and even went for a taste test. I was so obsessed with historical accuracy that I listened to over ten different USA radio shows from the ’60s. These slices of history have all been lost to time, and only remain in the few people who lived through this time. Discovering that we share the same struggles and aspirations from over seventy years ago is something I find fundamentally human, and I can immortalize those moments and breathe new life into them through my writing.

The idea of someone fixating on a very niche subject because of something they offhandedly read in a book of mine is something that thrills me.

For my NaNoWriMo preparation, I tend to read history textbooks, watch old radio broadcasts, compile playlists, and print out character sheets. I usually print out a calendar with my target word count for the day. Typically, 1,667 words are needed, however, I tend to shift my writing so that it allows me to skip some days later in the month. That way when I have school assignments due I don’t have to worry about being behind on my word count

Under the pretense of ‘research’, I allow myself to try various foods and talk to unique people, as well as send miscellaneous emails to old library archives or museums. As fun as this sounds, writing historical fiction does have its drawbacks. For one, treading the line between historical accuracy and creative liberty is very hard. It’s easy to either let your imagination take hold and completely make up events and people, as well as places, yet simultaneously be trapped by every single detail from whether the fabric your characters wear or the species of tree in that area is accurate. Understandably this is an issue I struggle with a lot. While I love writing, my love for history is also great, and it’s a conundrum being able to balance the two.

Besides the actual writing, there are two ways I enhance my NaNoWriMo experience. For one, it serves as an excellent time to get out of your comfort zone and meet new people. I started participating in a NaNoWriMo writing group last year, and the stories of the people I meet there could fill books on their own. I’m always fascinated by the quiet English teachers who come up with elaborate mysteries, or the office clerk who’s fascinated by science fiction. Going from an environment with few creatives to one where everyone is brimming with ideas perpetuates the excitement of writing a novel. Not to mention that it’s a great opportunity to make connections and meet like-minded people, such as the one time I got in touch with someone who liked to play an obscure board game I liked.

There’s nothing better than sitting in a room with fellow writers, all in silence, while fingers type away furiously. Sometimes in writing groups, we talk about our novels and give advice, or relate them to our own lives. We set a timer for ten, fifteen minutes, and do word sprints, an activity where you allocate a time and are not allowed to stop writing until the timer goes off.

Another thing I do apart from writing during NaNoWriMo is vlogging my experience. I did this the first year because I wanted to see if I could actually write a novel in a month and vlogging allowed me to be accountable to my promise. I ended up making a fifteen-minute video in which I detailed my progress. The next year, that video turned out to be forty minutes long and three hours of uncut footage! It’s amazing to do this as it allows me to see my growth as a writer in a glaringly obvious way. Looking back at the first video and seeing myself write a fantasy novel with no notion of what fantasy actually is, although painful, serves as a constant reminder of how much I’ve improved and grown as an artist.

Overall, I highly recommend you look into NaNoWriMo. The point isn’t to write a best-selling novel that will outdo J.K Rowling, nor even write something to publish. Sometimes writing is just about exploring your mind and interests, or creating meaningless art that is only meaningful to yourself, and NaNoWriMo allows you to do that alongside some amazing people.

KEEP READING: Write a Novel in Just One Month? Parents Can Do NaNoWriMo Too!

Photos: NaNoWriMo website, Unsplash, and the Author

Andrea is currently in her final year of high school in Beijing, aspiring to study English and journalism in the United Kingdom. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, taking long walks, and binge-watching Netflix.

 

Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and while the real festivities don’t kick off until the end of the month, International Newcomer’s Network (INN) has invited local cultural education staples, Black Sesame Kitchen and Cultural Keys, to host a celebration next Monday (January 13), at their monthly meeting location on the third floor of the Capital Mansion Athletic Center in Chaoyang District.

Black Sesame Kitchen will introduce folks to the foods associated with Chinese New Year and Spring Festival, including demonstrations on how to make dumplings, the most important dish of the holiday, and yuan xiao — or tang yuan — a clear broth soup with sweet rice dumplings.

Likewise, Cultural Keys will be covering the basics of Spring Festival, from the history of the event to modern temple fairs, as well as the practice of giving and receiving red envelopes (hóngbāo), and the modern practicalities of the festival.

The event will last from 10am to noon, and entry costs RMB 60, which includes coffee, tea, pastries, and holiday treats. After the presentations, everyone is invited to join the Lunch Bunch for an informal gathering of food and socializing, at Fu Man Lou Chinese restaurant, a short walk away from the Athletic Center.

According to co-organizer, Maria Renee Cruz, “INN is all about spreading love and holiday spirit, plus making it educational and interesting for everyone.”

All tickets for the event will be sold at the door.

For more information, contact INN by email at innbeijing16@outlook.com, WeChat: innbeijing16, or phone, 8486 2225 ext. 12.

Capital Mansion Athletic Center, 3rd Floor, No. 6 Xin Yuan Nan Lu, Chaoyang District

Photos: Pixabay, INN