The month of November is now upon us and that means the appearance of novelty moustaches, grown in name of charity. In previous years I have shunned the calls to partake in Movember but, as it gets a little cold in Beijing over the winter, I thought the additional warmth might mitigate just how absurd my face is going to look for the remaining 25 days of the month.

But I’d like to do things a little differently.

First, as I was already proudly sporting a beard and moustache pre-November, it won’t be particularly exciting for people to see me start from scratch. Instead I have invented a new concept which I’ve called “Movember-plus”. Last Thursday, as October drew to a close, I shaved everything apart from my existing moustache, and I will now grow an additional month’s worth of upper lip hair. The benefit of this (for everyone else, at least) is that by the end of November I should have an even mightier, even more ridiculous-looking ‘tache.

The second deviation is where I’d like donations to go. Traditionally, the moustache is grown to raise money for men’s health, primarily prostate cancer. But I’m sure that many of our readers will agree that perhaps money might be directed towards kids – the ones who are still fifty years away from having to even worry about their prostates.

That’s why I’ll instead be raising money for one for beijingkids’ favorite charities, the New Life Centre (NLC). Founded in 2001, the charity provides education and support for some of China’s most vulnerable children – orphans, migrants’ children and those from broken homes. The NLC helps underprivileged children of all ages and as a small organization, donations of any size can still make a huge difference, so please give what you can.

We had a think about the best way for our readers to make donations. Rather than using a website like Paypal or Kickstarter (which will take a fee) we decided that it’s best for you to donate directly to the charity so it receives every last Jiao. All this process requires is a simple bank transfer, which shouldn’t take more than a couple of seconds. You can, cliches aside, make a genuine difference.

Bank Name:  Bank of China, Lido Hotel Branch
Account Name:  Yang Xiao Ye
Account No:  335053625639

We’d really love to keep track of how much you have donated on our behalf, so we can thank you in full in our January magazine. All donations are “anonymized” by the bank before the charity receives them, so I’d be most grateful if you could let us know the amount you donated by email oscarholland@beijing-kids.com or just drop me a text to 18701315769.

For more information on how you can give and how your money will be used to transform kids’ lives, please take a look at the charity’s website here. They are also in need of things like computers, food, toiletries, clothing, bedding and stationary. Please email newlife.centre@yahoo.com if you think you might be able to help in this regard.

We’ll be taking a photo of my face every day until the end of the month, which we can hopefully transform into some kind of stop-motion gif.

This week (March 8) is International Women’s Day around the world. Come celebrate from 10:30am-3pm at Green T. House Living in Shunyi. Enjoy tasty traditions from Russian, U.K., China, Italy, the Netherlands, Middle East, India and more during the International Brunch Cook Off. Hear inspirational stories by extraordinary women who are the event’s special guests. Appreciate the talent of artist Wen Fang, as well as music performances by Anneke Jansen and Michelle Yip and dancing by The Wu Tian Yuan Ballet led by Flora Zeta Cheong-Leen. Finally, finish up this fantastic event with a fashion show featuring clothing designer Nathan Zhang and jewelry designer Paloma Sanchez. Tickets are RMB 200; ALL proceeds will be donated to the Migrant Women’s Cooperative. Visit www.green-t-house.com/greenteahouse1/map2.html for directions.

From Thursday, March 7 at 3pm until Tuesday, March 11 at noon, don’t miss out on the one-and-only spring gem sale at Clicia’s Designs. Take advantage of the 50% off sale (plus 5% off for cash sales) with the large selection of top-grade imported gems, held at Lake View Place by Dragon Bay Villas.

The annual Car Boot Sale/Flea Market at ISB by Nightingale Charity Club is fast approaching. While the general sale will be mentioned again as the date nears, NOW is the time to consider if you want to participate and sell! This is perfect if you are planning to move this summer, or simply want to clear out clutter in your home. The sale is on Saturday, April 13 from 9:30am-1pm, but if you want to participate you’ll need to act fast to reserve your space. Tickets for selling are RMB 200 before April 13 (RMB 300 on the day of the sale, if space allows; limited to 80 cars). Get your tickets at the ISB PTA store every Thursday from 10am-2pm (or contact nightingalecharityclub@gmail.com). All ticket proceeds will support BICCO’s medical mission which will bring three doctors from Stanford University to perform 50+ surgeries in China.

Do you have any carpets, rugs or heating appliances that you can spare? The New Life Centre is trying to warm up their new children’s home as it has no heating, and they are graciously accepting donations of these types of items. Contact Ginny at 139 1177 9630, and thanks in advance for your help!
 
 

School’s out! Some schools are out for summer vacation already, while others will be by the end of the month. You can see masses of people at the airport starting today, as well as celebrations galore marking the end of another school year. Congratulations to graduates! So long and best wishes to those departing Beijing! And to the rest, have a great holiday and we’ll see you in August!

But continuing on as we leave…

Plenty of summer camps are around for those choosing to remain in Beijing. See earlier postings of camps by clicking here and here. At Dulwich College Beijing Riviera and Legend Garden campuses there are camps ranging from football and drama to Chinese language and camps for little ones. Contact dcp@dulwich-beijing.cn for information. Jia You will also run their popular soccer camps for children ages 6-13. Camps run from the end of June until mid-August.

Another option if you’ll be in Beijing this summer is offering your time to enrich a poor child’s life. The New Life Centre is a residential learning center for underprivileged children that could use your volunteer help – including from children! Perhaps you can work together as a family or with a group of friends by calling Ginny at 139 1177 9630 (visit www.wix.com/thenewlifecentre/thenewlifecentre to learn more about the center).

The Canadian International School of Beijing introduces a Montessori curriculum for children ages 18 months-6 years in a new Shunyi location this fall! Taking over the MSB River Garden Campus, there will be three age groups of classes available: infant/toddler (18 months-3 years); primary program (3-5 years); and pre-elementary program (5-6 years). For more information about the CISB Shunyi Campus programs, visit the admissions office on the 2nd floor conference room inside the River Garden clubhouse from 9am-noon Monday-Friday, or contact Laurianne Gidrol at 8046 6191 or admissions_shunyi@cis-beijing.com. You can also visit the CISB website at www.cisb.com.cn.

INN will once again host its coffee morning at the Pinnacle Plaza Starbucks on Thursday, June 21 from 10am-noon. Come meet new neighbors and visit with old friends next week!

It’s your Shunyi Correspondent’s birthday today, and although my kids love it, it’s a touch bittersweet. This time of year is always when we bid farewell to good friends — never easy to do — and hope that we will see them again. In the meantime, my family will be traveling back home this summer, and like many of you will enjoy several weeks with extended family, returning in the fall with great stories of summer escapades. Wishing you a very happy summer vacation!