Eno and Bean Stone-Banks

American. Born on July 22
to Wei Yan and Blake Stone-Banks
at Beijing University #1 Birth and Infant Hospital

Kai Tasi Mar

America. Born on February 2
to Jade Choung and Aaron Mar
at Beijing United Family Hospital

Maxime Jingxuan Brend

Chinese/British. Born on July 22
to Tiffany Liu and Adrian Brend
at Amcare Women’s and Children’s Hospital

Leah Zhou

Canadian. Born on June 18, 2018
to Lillian Dong and Kevin Zhong
at Amcare Women’s and Children’s Hospital

Hanzhi Wang

Chinese. Born on April 12, 2018
to Ting and QiWang
at Peking University People’s Hospital

This article appeared in the beijingkids September 2019 Family Foodies issue

Photo Credits: provided by parents 

I had a feeling Lido was getting cool when I decided to move there. Soon after, I received the news that Ramo opened a new venue very close to my new home. My four year old and I ran all the way over to check out the dining new venue.

I might see it as an omen that I will be coming more than once to Ramo as the decorations are truly my style. Yellow and blue is a great combination. Ramo makes it very special for families as they have added an entire play area that features a ball pit and coloring corner. All of our favorite things in one place.

The new menu does not disappoint. We ordered pizza and several other bites, and from the kid’s menu, my daughter chose the breakfast for dinner. After our meal, we had to try both desserts to make sure they were up to par. The chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream was a huge hit.  Friday afternoon calls for some drinks, so I savored an Aperol Sprits and watched my daughter roll around in the ball bit for a while. I might or might not have joined her at some point.
Ramo has air purifiers built into the restaurant’s AC so no sweat on high AQI days.The bathroom also has a baby changing table and a sink that is reachable for small kids.

Ramo is both dog and family friendly. I am excited to be moving so close to this quality pizza joint and can’t wait to have more Friday afternoons rolling through the ball pit. Head over quick to get 20% off your food bill during the soft opening. Ramo opening hours are from 11 am to 11 pm, and it is located across from 3E international school.

Picture Credit: Pauline and Ramo

Picture Credit: Pauline and Ramo

Beijing city has over 50,000 government operated rental bikes. You can find them nearly everywhere. You know, the ones that you can use a subway card to rent out, are heavy looking–you know what I’m talking about–the red and white ones that you mostly see zooming past you. Honestly speaking, I am not sure how to work those rental bikes, but the good news is that there’s a new hipster-looking bicycle brand for rent!

As I was cycling yesterday morning, one cyclist passed me, and all I could think of was how cool his bike looked. What was really amazing was when I tried to race it, having Rusty (that’s the name of my bike) try to catch up to the new bike on the block! Of course, he didn’t stand a chance to the new orange and black bikes operated by Mobike.

Beijing is the second city, after Shanghai, to have these shiny bikes zooming across the city. Mobikes can be found gracing the city in the areas of Zhongghuancun, Gulou, and Sanyuanqiao.  The main appeal of the bike is not its cool appearance, but how it’s lighter than the 1920s red and white ones.

Our sister publication, thebeijinger, was invited by Mobike to test out the bikes. Head over to read their take on the Mobike experience.

Note: There are no kids’ bikes available at the moment, and whether these will be offered in the future remains to be seen. The current bikes can be used by children over the age of 12 as the bikes are small. Taller teens might have a problem using them.

Photos: Mobike.com

It seems incredible when I think that we’ve been in Beijing for less than eight months. So much has happened in that time: we’ve met so many amazing people, traveled to extraordinary places, had so many new experiences. I’ve made stumbling progress toward learning a new language, and have embarked on a new career with beijingkids.

Prior to this I lived most of my life in Birmingham, England, where I worked for many years in a variety of roles supporting homeless and disadvantaged families and children. For the last three years I’ve been a full-time writer, editor and creative writing teacher. My published books are historical thrillers, in which a poet and a thief solve mysteries in early medieval Baghdad. (The Father of Locks and The Khalifah’s Mirror are both published by Dedalus Books; you can read reviews of them here.) I’m now working on something very different though, an epic, experimental science fiction novel set at the end of the universe (currently around 500 pages and still unfinished!)

Besides my own fiction I supported other writers, mainly through a weekly writing group which I founded and ran. I also established a literary festival, now in its fifth year, mentored people through their novels and other writing projects, and edited manuscripts, I taught creative writing at Coventry University and at the Midland Arts Centre. Here I’ve set up the Beijing Writers’ Network, which meets monthly for members to share and critique their writing.

My other great passion is music. I sang and played flute, keyboards and guitar in bands for many years, and was half of Birmingham’s last all-vinyl alternative DJ duo. (Sadly all my vinyl records had to go into storage when we moved, along with my books, and I now use an MP3 player and e-reader. But it’s not the same.) I’m an avid armchair sports fan, my lack of any skill at football, cricket or rugby being no impediment to my having noisy opinions about them.

It was my wife Karen who suggested we emigrate. She traveled much in her younger years, and was keen for our boys to have the experience of living in a different country. If you’ve read any of my blog posts or columns you’ll have met my sons, laid-back, easy going Noah (aged 10), and Joseph, a fiery-tempered, deep-thinking seven-year-old. They attend Yew Chung International School Beijing (YCIS) where Karen is a teacher, and are learning Chinese with an ease and speed which put us both to shame.

I’ll be acting as Managing Editor until the summer, overseeing the Home and Relocation Guide and the Spring issue, before handing over the reins to Vanessa Jencks, and returning to a part-time role as Contributing Editor. I’m always happy to hear your thoughts, comments and ideas about the magazine and the website, by email or in person, and if you have news to share with Beijing’s international families, then we’re the people to talk to. I look forward to hearing from you!

Photo: Andrew Killeen

My name is Theresa Pauline, and my Chinese name is Taozi. I am an Italian-Norwegian American and hail from the land of Colorado. I’ve become beijingkids’ newest blogger, because I love to write, I love to explore, and on February 24 I became a mother. I have a beautiful baby boy named Kai with my English husband Ross, a.k.a. James Bond. We live in Sanlitun, and Ross and I have both been in Beijing for a long time, since 1999 and 2008 respectively. We returned to China last year after spending two and a half years globe trotting. We rode our bikes around China for two months, spent three months in India, three months in Africa, four months in Europe, six months in Mexico, and took lots of shorter trips around South East Asia and the United States.

We married in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in front of a hodgepodge of friends from all over the planet. I’m a yoga teacher and yoga therapist and you can find me teaching at Yoga Yard each week, or every other Sunday in Chaoyang Park leading a few dozen yogis at Yoga in the Park. I have a small business where I teach vulnerable women in Uganda how to make handmade bags; you might catch me selling these at one of the many summer fairs held around town.

We like to do a million and a half things with little Kai strapped to our chests. We don’t hold back because we have a baby. Our method of parenting is very laissez faire. I enjoy the blue sky days but don’t let the smog get us down or lock us up. I believe in stars aligning and magic; healthy living and fun; smiling just to smile. I hope to share with you our escapades in the city as parents, tips for living in Beijing, and small life hacks for making the most of your time here. I especially want to introduce you to my favorite things and the amazing people in this city that make it one of the greatest places to live.

Photos: Theresa Pauline

From the breakup of the alternative rock band My Chemical Romance (MCR) last year comes lead singer Gerard Way’s debut album Hesitant Alien. Hesitant takes on a style largely consisting of a mix of Britpop and fuzz punk and makes a departure from the alternative rock side of MCR by including a new, retro vibe.

Overall, this record is outstanding with creative riffs and simple structures that give off an old-fashioned feel to each song. Although MCR may be gone for good, this album shows that there’s still some MCR left in Gerard. Each song seems to sound like an MCR song in one way or another, and they altogether fall in to the genres of fuzz punk and Britpop.

Starting from the first song off the record, “The Bureau”, Way showcases his abilities to write simple yet memorable lyrics and perform them using sounds ranging from distorted guitars to telephone beeps. Despite the record’s heavy emphasis on the Britpop genre, songs such as “No Shows” and “Brother” make use of vocals similar to those of Coldplay and Death Cab for Cutie while the song “How It’s Going To Be” is reminiscent of songs like “Some Nights” by Fun. However, the songs “Action Cat” and “Maya the Psychic” best embody Way’s change from MCR’s riff-heavy alternative rock sound to his imitation of 80’s style music by showcasing Way’s strong influence drawn from artists of the time period like David Bowie and The Stooges. But for the die-hard MCR fans, the songs “Zero Zero” and “Juarez” best imitate MCR’s style in their final studio album, Conventional Weapons.

Similar to the way that themes and concepts were presented in previous MCR albums such as The Black Parade and Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, Hesitant Alien exhibits a futuristic yet retrograded flair. In the music videos, casts consist of quirky aliens and humans dressed in flashy clothing that look as if they came out of a Star Wars movie. And, unlike the emo-goth type of character presented in The Black Parade and the punk-like defiant character in Danger Days, Hesitant Alien features Way simply as himself – a man who feels alienated from the world around him (hence the title).

However, despite his new direction, the music videos of Hesitant Alien are artistically confusing, borderline trippy, and hardly suit the style of music presented in the album. They display video editing skills that would be referred to as futuristic…30 years ago. Lights intentionally flare, videos are low resolution and the audio is often out of sync. Still, although the overall quality of the music videos is a bit lacking, its purpose is to contribute to the trademark 80’s vibe presented in each song and videos themselves don’t detract from the impressiveness of the album as a whole.   

Overall, Hesitant Alien is filled with a myriad of musical genres and mesmerizing lyrics and is a must for any fans of MCR or similar bands. Gerard’s new way has taken him in a positive direction, and we like where he’s going.

This article originally appeared in the December 2014 issue of UNIT-E. It was written by Alan ke, a student at the International School of Beijing.

About UNIT-E

UNIT-E was founded in the spring of 2010 with the aim of establishing a non-profit, student-run magazine for international students in Beijing. Staffed by current students from a range of international schools, the magazine provides an amalgam of cultural tidbits, fragments of Beijing student life, and a broad spectrum of unique perspectives from a diverse group of young adults.

Photo: abcnewsonline.com

There’s no doubt that Moka Bros in Sanlitun is a hit. The cafe’s healthy fast-food and bright, upbeat ambiance draw in the crowds for breakfast starting at 8am all the way though to late night dinner or snacks till 10.30pm. Good news for those in the Liangmaqiao area – Moka Bros’ Solana branch is opening imminently (possibly even next week!)

The Solana location should prove especially popular with families – it’s far more convenient for peeps in Lido and Shunyi than schelpping the kids all the way into town.

Mindful of the neighborhood’s family vibe, the Solana branch will include kids’s menus (signature power bowls, mild sandwiches or creamy crepes matched with a small smoothie for RMB 48), art activities, and ample, comfy, kid’s seating options. Restaurant entrepreneurs Chef Daniel Urdaneta and Alex Molina believe in using fresh ingredients to make nutritious, flavorful food; perfect for health-conscious families.

With interior design by Coromoto – the same firm which outfitted the original Sanlitun venue – the 145 sqm Solana branch will feature a semi-open kitchen, multilevel interior, and terraced lounges in the trademark cozy-industrial Moka Bros style.

Opening hours will be from 10:30am to 10.30pm Monday to Sunday for lunch, afternoon tea, happy hour, dinner and late drinks.

Photos courtesy of Cat Nelson, Moka Bro’s, Sui.

This week’s highlighted app is SpeakaZoo. It was released on April 17, 2014 and has both good and bad points to it. Despite the app being categorized as educational, it does not have much educational input for kids to experience. This review covers only the iOS version.   

Features
The app records children’s voices and uses speech recognition to create what seems like conversations between the kids and animated animals. The 18 animated animals are under the custody of the zoo keepers who happen to be the kids. The animals ask questions and make emotional pleas for help then the kids record their responses to the animals. The sole job of the kids is to make the animals happy by helping them work through their various idiosyncrasies.

The animated animals are colorful to look at. The chatty characters and childlike charm will keep the kids intrigued. The main feature of the app is when the animals pose occasional questions and to answer, they’ll need to tap and hold the microphone button and the animal will wait till they finish speaking. The kids will enjoy the app’s silliness.

Drawbacks
The apps animals tend to use mature humor or talk about adult behavior (vampire bat sucking blood) that is inappropriate for its 4 year old and up age recommendations. The animation are somewhat crude in that they are troubled and often sarcastic but will be lost on kids and not the adults. The login process is a bit off putting, as this requires an email address and consent to let the developer to record the voices of the adults and kids. This might not be the app of choice for the paranoid type.

Ages: 6-8
Category: Education
Content: Audio and Animation
Platform: iPad, iPod, iPhone
Language: English
Price: Free

Photos courtesy of Appannie.com

From the small antique cafes in the Drum Tower District to the modern drive-thrus at McDonalds on Pinnacle Avenue, Beijing’s dining industry is undeniably varied. Nevertheless, new entrants are constantly striving for their share in the growing restaurant market. From the creators of Modo Urban Deli and Mosto come Moka Bros. This new establishment has taken an innovative concept of “fast, western food” and kneaded it into a trendsetting, homey café. This fusion café has finely molded two traditional concepts of dining and has given the clichéd term "fast food" a whole new meaning: healthy.

Just as your school cafeteria may emphasize a healthy component in your daily lunch menus, Moka Bro’s also promotes the concept of “Eat well. Feel good”. As an experienced connoisseur, Head Chef Daniel from Moka Bro’s shares his expertise through his carefully constructed dishes available at the restaurant. He acknowledges that “leading a healthier lifestyle means something different to everyone,” so the incentive to open MOKA wasto help customers achieve a balanced diet “that brings tastes, variety and freshness […] so [that]MOKA is not about diet food. It is about the fresh produce that we craft carefully upon order, without any additives nor preservatives, without any deep-frying and with reduced salt & sugar.”

What was the incentive to emphasize heathin Moka Bro’s? The head restaurant manager, Anna Lih Yip, shared the story behind the establishment of Moka Bro’s. Before the café had opened, she had surveyed young Beijingers at Sanlitun regarding their preference for healthy food.

“Most people answered that healthy food was western food; however, the majority tended to be in a hurry so most were inclined to eating fast food—McDonalds.” –Anna Lih Yip.

Though Moka Bros is secluded away from the bustling crowd in the compact square inside Nali Patio in Sanlitun, the interior of the café will remind customers of a chic yet cozy living room up in the Upper East Side. The austere yet eye-pleasing decoration allows customers to take a break from their busy lives and savor the food. The simplistic beauty of this restaurant embraces the wholesomeness of their ingredients. During the daytime, the restaurant buzzes with vibrant energy as young foreigners in theirs 20s to mid 30s sit down to enjoy their meal. As happy hour (4-7pm) approaches, the lights dim and the sound of smooth jazz fills the air.

Most importantly, Moka Bros offers countless mouth-watering dishes. From its signature “power bowls”—a “has it all” magical bowl with all the essential nutrients for your body — to the warm and savory crepes and wraps, the café offers customers a variety of well-balanced meals.As the chef’s recommendation, the “power bowl” is a definite must-try dish at Moka Bros. The wholesome ingredients in the bowl not only ensure the quality of their generous portions and components (protein-packed quinoa, creamy avocado, refreshing house-made salsa and fragrant red rice), but they also come with the promise of an energetic and healthy day. This generous bowl of goodness is similar to a healthier version of the ever-popular burrito bowl. “It is not just normal salad”, Yip explains, “[it’s] not too common, and definitely doesn’t taste too healthy”.

And to top off the meal, the café also provides small dessert delights like powder-sugared lemon squares, soft meringues and grilled apple waffles. With a splash of cinnamon Dulce de Leche over the house-churned vanilla bean ice cream, the signature crispy apple waffles will bombard your gustatory senses like fireworks.The sweetness is not at all cloying,but it’s just right to satisfy your sweet tooth.This impeccable balance can end any night on a perfect note.

With a unique identity and plethora of culinary delights, Moka Bros pleases with its unparalleled ambiance and undeniably healthy food. It’s just a matter of time before this young contemporary diner becomes buzzing with customers, so visit Moka Bros now!

This article originally appeared in the April 20143 issue of UNIT-E. It was written by Wendy Yu and Jennifer Chung, students at the International School of Beijing.

About UNIT-E
UNIT-E was founded in the spring of 2010 with the aim of establishing a non-profit, student-run magazine for international students in Beijing. Staffed by current students from a range of international schools, the magazine provides an amalgam of cultural tidbits, fragments of Beijing student life, and a broad spectrum of unique perspectives from a diverse group of young adults.

Photo courtesy of UNIT-E