Educating Girls of Rural China is a charity partner of 2015 Chi Fan For Charity, which will take place this Saturday (Nov 7). Great seats are still available for one of Beijing’s best homegrown charity events, click here to see available restaurants.

Tien Ching has seen both sides of education for women in China. Born and raised in Beijing earlier in her life, Tien and her mother, a doctor, moved to poor, rural Gansu province, during the Cultural Revolution, where she saw up close what her life could have been like if she had been in another part of the country.

For many, education never enters the picture. “Girls were and are married off early to bring cash to the family as a dowry, and to become a source of labor for the new family,” she said. Tien saw other situations that left a deep impression on her, including where women were kicked out of a family for repeatedly giving birth to girls, or were sent to their family’s home to give birth on one condition: if the child is a girl, don’t come back.

After eight years in Gansu, Tien continued her own education in Beijing, before emigrating to Canada in 1983, where she has lived ever since.

Tien stored away the lessons of both her fellow women in Gansu and her own education for later in life. But she wasn’t spurred into action until 2005, when her daughter sang at a show in support of Go Girls! Education for Every Child, a UNICEF initiative to boost education for girls, especially in Africa. “If a woman is educated, her children will be educated,” Tien thought, and conceived of the initiative that has become Educating Girls of Rural China (EGRC).

EGRC has three primary goals: Sponsor female students from rural regions with their four year undergraduate studies in Chinese universities; sponsor female high school (grade 10 to 12) students with their three year studies in rural region high schools; and assist EGRC-sponsored students with BA diplomas to enroll in post graduate programs offered by Canadian universities.

To date, EGRC has supported 287 girls, mostly at the university level, but the program has now expanded to include some high school students.

“I’m quite proud that these girls and young women need more than just money. They need moral support,” Tien said. “Every summer I meet all the girls in their hometown.”

Tien has more to be proud of: EGRC’s girls have a 100 percent graduation rate, with two of their top graduates having gone on to Tsinghua University and Manitoba University in Canada, respectively.

“I am happy to study here,” Liu Yanxia, an EGRC alumna and current Manitoba University student, wrote. “I can see that the students and professors are passionate about the research and the projects they are working on. Now I believe if you love and have passion for something you will do well. I look forward to my second term of studying."

A support commitment for a student requires at least RMB 6,000 per year only for tuition, but more like RMB 15,000 per year including food and living expenses. High school students require about RMB 5,000 per year.

Fundraising is EGRC’s biggest challenge, Tien said. And it’s not getting any easier, either in Canada or China. “It’s very difficult to compete with local charities in Canada. People think, ‘China has many millionaires and billionaires, why don’t they help?” she said.

To learn more about Educating Girls of Rural China and how you can help, please visit www.egrc.ca. To participate in Chi Fan For Charity, visit www.chifanforcharity.org.

This post first appeared on thebeijinger.com on November 2, 2015.

As our vendors organizers scramble around Galaxy SOHO hauling humongous bags of cheese, mountains of dough, swimming pools worth of sauce, and all-importantly, fire up those pizza ovens, we wanted to give you a quick reminder as to how to get there to the Beijinger 2015 Pizza Cup Launch Party, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 8pm.

Zaha Hadid’s famed Galaxy Soho/alien termite mound is located just a stones-throw south of Chaoyangmen Subway – if you’re coming via subway take the southwest exit and head straight down the East Second Ring Road. Here, have a bangin’ map:

One other way to reach Galaxy SOHO is via Uber, which is offering a special deal this weekend: take any three Uber rides between 12.01am Saturday and 11.59pm Sunday, get three rides for free next week. The same deal also applies for five rides during the same period.

Look here for an updated list of pizza, sides, and drink vendors, along with the afternoon’s entertainment round-up.

Admission is RMB 10; each vendor will choose their own pricing for pizzas, slices, drinks, and other goodies.

Bring your best pizza face!

This post first appeared on thebeijinger.com on October 16, 2015.

Photos: Mitchell Pe Masilun, Google Maps

After one huge party and over 20 days of cut-throat voting between 64 of the capital’s top patty slingers, here we have it, the Final Four masters of meat in our 2015 Burger Cup competition. Based on the frequency at which we often find ourselves at these four establishments it may come as no surprise that they’ve worked their way to the top, testament to the consistently mouthwatering grub that they make and an atmosphere that we yearn for after a grueling day at the office, dreaming of nothing more than belly-shaped bun (and an ice-cold brew).

In the end it was Home Plate BBQ that flipped Let’s Burger, whereas Slow Boat Brewery shunned Union Bar and Grille, and Great Leap Brewing took Big Smoke Bistro by storm, securing the place of three of the same competitors that entered last year’s final. The big difference this year is that The Local squeezed by Blue Frog, compared to 2014 when they were eked out Big Smoke Bistro. We’ll put that down to them putting extra creamy avocados on their dry rub burgers over the past 12 months.

Now the big question is, can Home Plate make it a whopping four years in a row? If you haven’t voted yet, this would be the time to show your allegiance to one of these four Beijing heavyweights by voting at www.thebeijinger.com/2015burgercup – you have until noon on Monday (Sep 14) to cast your vote before we move into the The Finals on the same day at 4pm. The ultimate winner will be announced shortly after The Finals polls have closed at noon on Wednesday (Sep 16).

Check here for the updated brackets to see exactly where each of the top 64 seeds fell.

This post first appeared on thebeijinger.com on September 10, 2015

That’s right folks, the Beijinger Burger Cup is back for 2015 and it’s bigger and better than ever!

Like last year, we are kicking off the proceedings with a huge Burger Cup Launch Party, held at Universal Creative Park, just opposite the north gate of 798, on August 15, 11am-8pm. This year’s venue is pretty darn big so you’ll be able to sample and gorge on burgers, beers, and much more from over 30 of Beijing’s favorite restaurants and bars! 

A special thanks to Oasis International Health for providing such as awesome venue!

It’s early days yet, but we have some pretty big vendors already confirmed:

• Home Plate Bar-B-Que – three time Burger Cup champion – will they do it again this year?
• Q Mex – a surprise favorite at last year’s Burger Cup Launch Party
• Loft Eatalicious – three super-popular stores spread across the city
• Blue Frog – big burgers and clever flavor combinations make this one of Beijing’s most popular joints
• Great Leap – craft beers and burgers come together at Beijing’s biggest local brewery
• Slow Boat – Slow Boat’s excellent patties took home second place last year. How will they fare this year?
• Vandergeeten – Last year our readers said they preferred drinking beer with burgers, so fuel up on some of your favorite brands at Vandergeeten’s stand
• Veggie Table – Veggie Table’s all-veg burgers are more than a match for their meatier cousins around town
• Duvel – Slake that burger-induced thirst with a pint of crisp Duvel or Vedet

In addition, look forward to kid’s activities, bands and performances, and special burger-themed contests. More on that soon!

As usual, voting will kick off on August 15 after the launch party, so until then, get out there and start eating burgers or just look at a bunch of people enjoying themselves during last year’s event here and here!

This post is first appeared on thebeijnger.com on July 15, 2015. 

Photos: Mitchell

Get a sweat on – a food sweat, that is – as we celebrate Canada Day at the Canadian International School, with the annual the Beijinger Chili Pepper Eating contest on June 27. We are looking for 10 contestants willing to put their tastebuds to the ultimate test. If you think have what it takes to gobble down handfuls of hot chilies then make sure to shoot us an email at events@thebeijinger.com before June 27 to register.

You’re going to want some kind of reward for putting yourself through all that pain (on top of the glory, of course). Here’s what’s up for grabs and things you can enjoy once your mouth has regained sensations other than melting:

First prize – V+ voucher valued at RMB 1,000
Second prize – RMB 500 Laurent Falcone voucher and a RMB 200 Home Plate Bar-B-Que voucher
Third prize – RMB 250 Temple Restaurant Beijing voucher and a RMB 100 Home Plate Bar-B-Que voucher

All participants will get a RMB 50 voucher for Home Plate Bar-B-Que and free entry to the event. The Canada Day festivities begin at 3pm, and the Beijinger chili eating contest begins at 4.30pm.

Last year, the title was split between Cody Owens and Byron Logue who came in joint first place after eating 25 chilies each. Think you can do better? Put your money where your mouth is and sign up now!

See all the pictures from our 2014 Chili Eating Contest here.

If you’d rather just watch the action unfold, find out about ticket prices and booking at the Canada China Business Council website.

This post first appeared on thebeijinger.com on June 18, 2015

Job hunting is a daunting process. Every week there are hundreds of new postings in our Classifieds Section with job descriptions that range from education, to business, to design, and more. In a growing city like Beijing it’s a sure thing that there’s something out there perfect for you, but trying to weed it out is quite the challenge. That’s why we hope to highlight some of the classifieds that are a little different from the norm and may push your career in a completely new and exciting direction. Below are some positions you might want to check out and push your career to the next level:

Marketing Manager at True Run Media (Work With Us!)
Do you have what it takes to be our next marketing and events superstar at True Run Media? We are currently seeking a marketing manager to take charge of all aspects of marketing for the Beijinger, beijingkids, and JingKids (Beijing and Shanghai). Do you feel like you have the necessary experience? Send your updated resume to employment@truerun.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Senior PA and Project Officer
The Australia International Trade Association is looking for an energentic, self-motivated person, fluent in English to join as a Senior PA Project Officer. This position is for someone who wants the opportunity to work in an international working environment and to practice Chinese in a comfortable environment.

Editor – Native English
Ogilvy Public Relations is seeking a native English editor. Do you have a way with words? Do you speak conversational Chinese? Then this could be the perfect job for you. Chinese reading and writing is an advantage.

Funny Male Actor
Are you male actor, and funny? Can you present a Uni-Present fruit drink with humor? If you are between 25 and 30 years old, and think you have the ability to be funny in both body language and facial expressions, get in touch with Will Lee, a Beijng-based producer for your opportunity to break through.

Art Teacher Senior / Junior (part-time)
Are you dedicated to art education and interested in helping students build their portfolio for overseas school applications? There are part-time positions available at Blue Ridge International Education for those who fit the description and are native English speakers.

Admissions Consultant Extraordinaire
Touchdown! Education is a boutique consulting firm specializing in college admissions, and they were looking for an admissions consultant extraordinaire. The perfect candidate will be a fast learning with great communication skills who enjoys problem solving and is caring and self-motivated.

Baking Trainer Needed in Beijing
Do you dabble in baker training? V Food Culture Co. Ltd. is looking for you to help train bakers, run baking training courses, and lead group training activities as well as help R&D new pastries. Foreigners are preferred for this role, so get your applications in. 

Front of House
Juice by Melissa is looking for a front of house, someone who shares the passion for super foods and organic produce. This is a very varied job starting with customer service, setting up the place, greeting customers, ensuring everyone is helped, waiting tables, and discussing cleansing, juicing and general health on the spot.

May the odds be forever in your favor!

This post first appeared on thebeijinger.com on March 24, 2015.

Changes are in the air: we’re in the process of streamlining and redesigning beijing-kids.com and for the time being we are shutting down the classifieds section and the forums, which have dwindled in use over time.

We welcome you to place classifieds at our sister site, the beijinger, by visiting this link: http://www.thebeijinger.com/classifieds

In terms of interacting, feel free to comment directly on our blog posts and magazine articles at

www.beijing-kids.com/magazine

www.beijing-kids.com/blog

or visit us on our social media channels, including

Weibo: http://weibo.com/beijingkids

Facebook: www.facebook.com/beijingkids

WeChat: Scan our QR Code below

Got some ideas of what you’d like to see here? Let us know in the comments below or email us at info@beijing-kids.com.

Bear with us as we bring you a new, improved and streamlined beijing-kids.com!

The nearly 300 nominees in the Beijinger‘s 2015 Reader Restaurant Awards are awaiting your opinion — you’ve got til March 8 to cast it! Over 3,000 votes have been cast already, but almost all of the 50 races remain surprisingly competitive, with many locked in dead heats.

FOLLOW THE LINK TO VOTE NOW!

Even if you’re not into democracy or having an opinion, the nomination list is a great document to peruse, as it is a virtual gold mine of suggestions of great places to eat in Beijing.

Notable newcomers including Tribe, Country Kitchen, Palms L.A. Kitchen, The Taco Bar, and The Corner Melt made a good showing outside of the "Best New Restaurant" category this year, receiving nominations across multiple categories.

Topping the list of Western nominees are previous winners such as Mosto, TRB, Capital M, Element Fresh, MOKA Bro’s, Great Leap Brewing, and Home Plate Bar-B-Que.

Meanwhile on the Chinese end of things, familiar names such as Dali Courtyard, Da Dong Roast Duck, Din Tai Fung, Duck de Chine, Haidilao, Jing Yaa Tang, and Transit garnered the most nods from this year’s nominating panel.

We’ve also spiced it up with a few new categories, such as Best Cakes, Cookies and Pastries, Best Overseas Import, Best Ramen, and – my personal favorite – Food Entrepreneur of the Year, honoring those small businesses who are giving it their all to shake up Beijing’s food scene.

So dig in and give a helping hand to all your favorite venues – voting is open until the beginning of March so there’s plenty of time to try before you vote – you’ll always be able to find a link to the ballot on the homepage of thebeijinger.com.

This post first appeared on thebeijinger.com on February 22, 2014.

This Saturday between 9am and 4pm, True Run Media (the parent company of the Beijinger, beijingkids, and JingKids) will be attending the 2014 Job Fair for Foreigners at Swissotel to in order to meet prospective employees (both locals and expats) and explain to the community a little more about our goals and what we would like to achieve in the future.

Every time people learn that I work for True Run Media, I tend to get any one of these three reactions: “Wow, that must be so cool!” “I love <insert brand name here>!” or, “I hate your property listings.” And for all of these, I have a standard reply, “Thank you!”

When I start telling them exactly what I do for the company, I almost always get one reaction: “I would love to do your job!” I’m a cheerleader. Well, at least that’s how everyone refers to me in the company. Why? Because I’m the chief shepherd of company culture, overall coordinator of company activities, and a vocal advocate of the company’s mission, vision and values. In other words, I’m everyone’s friend! You could say I’m the counterpart of McDonald’s Chief Happiness Officer! (Yes, that position does exist.)

This is your opportunity to learn more about life as a True Runner – from hiring to orientation sessions, happy hours to ski trips, and parties and events – a life that many are envious of. You will also get a chance to take home some of the freebies we provide our staff, graciously given to us by our friends from venues such as Suzie Wong’s, Q-Mex Bar & Grill, IDC Dental, Alfa, EAST Hotel Beijing, Parlor Bar, O’le Climbing, and palms L.A. kitchen & bar.

At True Run Media, we celebrate diversity, equality, and fun in a multi-cultural environment. We are part of the community we serve and do our best to go the extra mile in everything we do as well as maintaining our competitive streak.

For details of the 2014 Job Fair on Saturday, see the event listing here. We look forward to seeing you there!

This post first appeared on thebeijinger.com on November 12, 2014

Photo: The Beijinger