Hffousa Taco has been providing Beijing with Mexican fare for some time now and has opened a new branch in Shunyi in the Shine Hills shopping center. We were lucky enough to taste test some of the delights and service. As the Shunyi correspondent I have to make sure families get the best, away from downtown Beijing. Shine Hills is a favorite spot of mine, as my four year old can run around, there are loads of shops and no cars. Spring is a great time to head out to this shopping village.

Hffousa Taco could use some Latin music to make the restaurant more lively. I was intrigued by the “spaghetti with seasonal fruit” on the kids menu and my daughter wanted to try it. Luckily it was nothing like we expected, thinking we would get pasta mixed with fruit!

My daughter got a kid’s tray with a bowl of spaghetti, potato smiles, fresh fruit, and some sauce. Kids’ menus can be hit or miss but, for only RMB 38, it’s a great find. I ordered the shrimp tacos and they are light and had a Latin kick to it. I liked the interior of the restaurant, with the open kitchen where kids can peek in for a look behind the scenes. They provide high chairs at the restaurant, so it makes for a nice shopping pit stop for the family.

We followed our Shine Hills experience by stopping by the Roundabout Community Center store in the South part of the shopping center. We are lovers of reusing and “treasure hunting”, as me and my daughter like to call thrift shopping. Roundabout Community Center has started a weekly bazaar every Thursday to showcase different vendors with jewelry, food, clothing and other items. I like to spring clean and donate to Roundabout as they have a pick up service, and it feels good to know that our things get a new home. At our last spring cleaning session, my four year old helped and donated two big bags filled with her toys to the Roundabout store. Let’s hope we don’t have to buy anything back on our next “treasure hunt”.

Pauline van Hasselt has been working for beijingkids since October 2016. Born in Wassenaar, The Netherlands, she moved with her husband and her 3 year-old daughter to Beijing in June of last year. Prior she lived in the Netherlands, Belgium, Paraguay, Texas, and London, studying and working as a chef. Pauline enjoys biking around Beijing, finding markets and new restaurants, reading crime and fantasy books in bed, and most importantly, turning her house into a home for her family.

Photos: Pauline van Hasselt

I was outside with my daughter, as we do most of the daily city exploring, just the two of us. The Husband works horrendous hours, so we travel near and far to find cool places, being guinea pigs for other expat families, so they have to spend less time finding fun and interesting things to do in Beijing.

I have had no Chinese classes, I am also dyslexic, and my foreign language skills are really bad. You can explain to me many times how to say something in another language; I just have a mind like a goldfish. I get by in Beijing with lots of body language, a taxi book I can show drivers, and I can say simple things like, yes, no, and you are pretty. This is where my Chinese stops. I want to learn, but it seems very daunting, and I honestly feel afraid to fail. Also life as a working mother is very demanding, we want to have a career, take care of our kids, make sure the household runs smooth, work on our fitness, and have some time with the husband, (some “me” time if we are lucky).

In general expats need extra time to get stuff done in Beijing, even with a Chinese speaking person with us. It takes ages to take care of simple things like paying the phone bill, or workers in the house. Convincing people to do their job is something that takes up at least 30 minutes of my day: the taxi driver that refuses to take me somewhere,  the worker that refuses to fix something in my home simply because “I don’t want do it.”  And then there is the mother guilt, taking up another 30 minutes of my day. “When are we going back home mommy?”  “Why don’t you speak Chinese?” “Please stay with me, don’t go to work.”

“Why can’t we go in that attraction mommy?” The last one actually happened this week again. I was in Shine Hills with my daughter and they have several attractions set up, like a maze with windmills, and a giant pink windmill with a slide. The slide looked like so much fun, kids sliding down on a mat with their parents. So of course my four year old wanted to go, but the guard would not let us. He bluntly refused us taking part; as far as I could see no tickets or money was involved otherwise I would have gladly paid the biggest sum. Honestly, the best way of making money is ripping off parents with a guilty feeling and trying to avoid a major meltdown in a public place.

I tried to figure out the Chinese instruction signs, all while holding my giant Mary Poppins purse, and my almost crying, always trying to escape toddler. No luck in doing that, sure I could use a translating app, I could have gone to another information desk, and discovered what they wanted me to do. But this is just all too daunting by myself with a tired toddler who just simply wants to walk up some steps and slide down a pink slide.

I convinced her to get some ice cream and then more questions followed “why can’t I go down the slide?“ “Why can the Chinese girl go on the slide, but I can’t?”  What do you answer to that? Mommy can’t speak or read Chinese so she can’t read the instructions on the board, nor can she understand the guard or speak with him, to tell him he is being cruel. Cue mothers guilt inflicted by the unfair world where we only have 24 hours in a day and almost no time to even go to the toilet myself, or learn Chinese.

Or as somebody very sweet pointed out “And welcome to China at long last! You’re not an official expat until you get weirdly discriminated against or excluded.”

Pauline van Hasselt has been working for beijingkids since October 2016. Born in Wassenaar, The Netherlands, she moved with her husband and her 3 year-old daughter to Beijing in June of last year. Prior she lived in the Netherlands, Belgium, Paraguay, Texas, and London, studying and working as a chef. Pauline enjoys biking around Beijing, finding markets and new restaurants, reading crime and fantasy books in bed, and most importantly, turning her house into a home for her family.

Photos: Pauline van Hasselt

Spring is in the air! What a better way of celebrating this season is by doing some spring cleaning and going to some markets to replace the stuff you just threw out. Here’s a sunshine roundup of markets and bazaars to start your spring cleaning up. If you have a market or bazaar and want to be added to the list, let us know!

Artisanal Luxuries. March 15, 10am-4pm
Join the ladies from the Green Room for a private sale in Wang Jing. Please RSVP

Roundabout Community Center Weekly Bazaar. March 16, 10am-3p
Join the first weekly bazaar in Shunyi at the Community Center of Roundabout in Shine Hills.

Roundabout Book Fair. March 18, 10am-3pm
Hundreds of second hand books will be up for grabs at Beijing City International School.

House Sale near 798 District. March 18, 11am-4pm
Let’s help a fellow expat moving out. Everything must go!

Rumble in the Jumble. March 25, 2-8pm
A monthly thrift store and bazaar at Hotcat Club on Fangjia Hutong

Roundabout Lido Flea Market. March 25 and 26, 10am-5pm
Get rid of your spring cleaning and find some more treasures!

Farm to Neighbors Farmers Market at Grand Summit Level B1. Every Saturday and Sunday, Noon-6pm

Loreli affordable art market at Yue Space. March 26, 1-5pm

Yu Market at Second Floor the Crib. Saturdays, 11am to 5pm

Sewgorgeus Spring Sale River Garden 920 March 22 10am till 12

Love and Hope, Easter Gifts, New felt bags and Assessories

YOSEMITE CHIC, Yosemite Clubhouse, Thursday 23th of March 10 to 6pm

Design, Fashion Vendors and pick up point for Roundabout.

Saturday Sale, Capital Paradise, 18th March, 10 till 4pm

Fine wine, household items, jewelry, cosmetics and bakery products.

Photos: Pixabay

This week Shunyi Happenings brings some yoga, art, entertainment and shopping opportunities right at your doorstep! If the weather cooperates, some of these outdoor activities are going to be loads of fun, but if not, then find your zen with yoga and other indoor activities. If you want to promote an event, store opening or closing, sale, and any other fun family friendly event taking place in Shunyi, please get in touch with our Shunyi Correspondent Anjana Kainikkara by emailing anjanakainikkara@beijing-kids.com

Shayne’s Final Gem Sale, May 2-13
Update your wardrobe with a twist for summer by adding pops of color, with bright and eye-catching gems for jewelry. Topaz, Citrines, Black Onyx, Rose Quartz and much more, on sale for up to 70 percent off. With prices as low as RMB 20, they’re a steal! They make great gifts too!

Shayne’s Treasures, Lake View Place Dragon Bay Villa, Yu yuan Road, Hou Sha Yu, Building 1-Unit 8, Shunyi District (+86 18501051998, clicia@cliciadesigns.com)

Beijing’s first ever ‘Yoga Gives Back’ event, May 21
Ages 13+.  A two-hour bilingual yoga class successively hosted by five different yoga teachers: Gwen, Robyn, Sean, Theresa, and Desiree.  The session consists of 108 sun salutations, which is an auspicious number in India (e.g. Vedic tradition, yoga, astrology), and is equivalent to the number of beads in a Mala (a string of beads).  “For the cost of one class, you can save a life,” is the powerful slogan of Yoga Gives Back, an organization that helps impoverished women and children in India. Participants are encouraged to practice at their own pace and bring their own mat. Coconut water will be sponsored by Vita Coco. Snacks and juice can be purchased from Juice by Melissa, Shunyi.

Minimum donation RMB 150. 9.30-11.30am. International School of Beijing (ISB), 10, An Hua Street, Shunyi District, (+86 10 81492345)

WAB Rock in the Park, Fun Fair & Identity Film Festival, May 20, May21
All ages. Get things started Friday afternoon with a series of student, staff and community musicians taking to the stage, helping you warm up to summer weather in this annual music festival. Bring blankets and snacks along for later when the sun sets and they turn on the big screen to showcase the best films from WAB directors in the 2nd annual Identity Film Festival. On Saturday, Parent Link invites you all to join in on Tiger Field for an afternoon of fun – with games, activities and performances for the whole family. Rock in the Park will continue on Saturday from 2-9pm.

Free. 3.30-8pm. Sat, May 21. 2pm-9pm. Western Academy of Beijing, 10 Lai Guang Ying Dong Lu, Chaoyang District, (+86 10 5986 5588, www.wab.edu)

HoK 2016 Annual Community Yard Sale, May 21
All ages. Have you wanted to have a clear out, but can never find the time? Do you have lots of unwanted items around your house? The ‘HoK 2016 Annual Community Yard Sale’ is back again! You need not find any further motivation to clear the clutter from your home and help your items find a new home! At the cost of baked goods, book a table to sell your unwanted items.  The baked goods will go on their cake table for raising money for Roundabout. If you don’t have anything to sell, swing by to get a bargain yourself and eat cake guilt free, as all cake money goes to charity! If anything is left unsold, all spring cleaners turned charitable bakers can donate these unwanted items at the drop-off point for Roundabout. To learn more about Roundabout, visit www.roundaboutchina.com

Free. 10am-1pm. At two locations: House of Knowledge, Victoria Gardens Campus, 15, Victoria Gardens, Chaoyang Park West Rd., Chaoyang District, (vg@hokschools.com, 6438 2624). House of Knowledge, Quanfa Campus, Quanfa Gardens North Gate, just off Shun Bai lu (Close to Beijing Rivera), Shunyi District, (qf@hokschools.com, 6431 8452)

Roundabout Children’s Art Exhibition, May 21-22
All ages. Roundabout is hosting a Children’s Art Exhibition at Shine Hills Community Center, showcasing artwork by young artists from within the community. All proceeds from sales will support art projects in the future. Step into their imaginative worlds and rediscover simplicity through their eyes. If you would like to donate or include more artwork for this exhibition, please contact bbbaijuan@126.com by May 15.

Free. Shine Hills Community Center, (13161648280, bbbaijuan@126.com)

Photos Courtesy: Shayne’s Treasures, Gwen Tan Wynne and Yoga Gives Back, WAB, HoK and Roundabout