Everyone has heard of senioritis, defined as “a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance.” But few understand the more elusive junioritis, for which definitions may vary. In my case, I experienced much of the same symptoms of senioritis, but it was worse because I still had an entire year to go.

Nearing the end of my junior year, I was unbelievably stressed with all my finals. I was not yet used to this, as my sophomore year culminated with only a math final that was pretty much the easiest test we had the whole year. But now, I had to balance studying for all my subjects, many of which had troubled me the entire year.

I also found myself envying the seniors as they finished with their finals and graduated. I was happy for my friends, of course, but that feeling of truly being free and having nothing to do was something I had been yearning for throughout the entire year, and I would not be able to experience it until next year. Because of the pandemic restrictions and my summer workload, I would not be able to travel anywhere during summer and make it back in time to start school. I had wanted to leave the country for the past three years, and it looked like I would have to wait until I left for university (if I even got into university). I was in a place where I was just tired of everything and wanted to give up, which was very bad considering junior year was pretty much the most crucial year of my academic career so far. But the only thing I could do was push through and keep going.

This sluggish and autopilot mindset was not desirable, as the lack of motivation and try-hard would ultimately present itself in the work I completed. I hoped that summer break would help with this. For those taking the infamous International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, the summer of your junior year is not a vacation at all.

With multiple internal assessments to write and the 4,000-word extended essay to complete, there is not much time for relaxation on the beach. Even so, I was able to take a breather and spend some time with my friends while also working on the assignments I had to finish. This helped me regain motivation and discover new passions, including journalism. With more time to do university research, I was also able to formulate my goals more clearly and also get excited about writing applications (well, more so being accepted into a school). Summer allowed me to slow down and think about what I actually cared about and wanted to pursue in higher education.

I hope that if any other juniors are currently suffering from junioritis, they are also able to get over it the same way I am doing. Though it’s understandable to look at graduation like the light at the end of a dark tunnel, as I have previously done, your high school experience is something you should cherish. For many, it may be the last year you spend with your childhood friends or your hometown. Right now, it may seem like you have forever to go, but one year passes by quickly.

My advice is to figure out what you are passionate about in school and cherish your time with loved ones before going to university alone. And also, prepare for senioritis—coming soon!

Images: Pexels, Unsplash

It’s cold, it’s dark, the AQI is high at times, and there are no holidays or special events to look forward to in the next few weeks. It’s no wonder depression spikes in February. In fact, according to the Mayo Clinic, late January and early February see serious rises in something called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It affects not only adults but kids and teens as well.

Some common symptoms to watch for in yourself and your kids include: lethargy or changes in sleeping patterns, a sudden disinterest in things you generally enjoy, irritability, inability to focus or concentrate, and changes in eating habits and patterns. Luckily, though, there are a few things you can do to hold the blues at bay while we wait for warmer weather and brighter days.

Get Outside: Part of the suspected reason for seasonal depression is the lack of Vitamin D from the sun. Vitamin D helps the brain produce a cocktail of feel-good chemicals, like serotonin and dopamine, which regulate our emotions and energy. But the cold weather and bad AQI in Beijing keep us indoors. Just five minutes a day spent outside on your lunch break could see a huge improvement in your mood!

Get Moving: In the immortal words of Legally Blonde’s Elle Woods, “Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy, happy people don’t shoot their husbands!” Shake up your workout routine and get your kids involved in physical activities. Try a silks class, or Krav Maga, or just bike to work or school. Harvard Medical School cited a study that shows mood-boosting effects from as little as 20 minutes of moderate exercise each day. A family walk could be all you need to see a dramatic change in happiness levels.

Get Creative: Art therapy has been shown to have a mood-boosting effect. Expats tend to be high achievers who deal with a lot of stress, and simply having an unstructured creative outlet like coloring, journaling, or dancing, where no one has any expectations of the work you produce, can be very freeing and great for your mental health. Especially for teens who are under immense pressure to constantly produce good grades, create innovative projects, and win competitions that will set them apart in the admissions process. Head to Taobao and get some modeling clay or coloring books and keep them on your desk or in your backpack for a five minute brain break once in a while.

Human Connection: Humans are physical beings who need touch and verbal affirmation. We all experienced the lack of that connection during lockdown, and now that socializing is possible again, we should make spending in-person time with people we love a priority. I know that sometimes all you want is Netflix and take-out, but if it’s been more than a week since you spent time with friends outside of work you need to reconnect for your mental health and theirs. This is especially important for teenagers. Social media is fine but developmentally they need social interaction at an even higher rate than adults do. Set up communal activities and encourage them to meet friends in person.

The good news? The days are getting longer and we are headed into warmer weather. Mild seasonal depression is normal and should subside on its own, but as always, if you think you or your child has a more prolonged or acute issue you should seek professional medical help. Take care of yourself, ask for help when you need it, and be ready to assist other Beijingers who might need an emotional boost to get through the next few weeks.

Images: Canva

KEEP READING: Can ‘One Night Stand’ Shake Up Your Date Night?

Teenagers have a lot of stress, and in our 2021-2022 School Choice Guide, due out mid February, you’ll hear a lot more from teen correspondent XueFei Liu on how to manage it. One specific suggestion she gives is to organize all of your deadlines into a planner so you can then plan out exactly how to manage each task and be successful in your school assignments. As a little treat, she created these short walkthroughs of how she uses both a physical and a digital planner to stay organized and mostly stress-free!

Physical Planner

Virtual Planner

How do you organize your schoolwork? Let us know in the comments!

KEEP READING: I Tried All These 2021 Planners So You Don’t Have To

Photos: XueFei Liu

Thanks to my husband’s business travel, I was on WeChat a year before we moved to China. I thought I understood how it worked and was prepared to make it the cornerstone of my life in Beijing. However, nothing prepared me for the WeChat groups between parents and the schools. There’s an all-school group, one for each set of grades, and one for our children’s individual classes.

It’s important to note that in the case of our school and most international ones, the WeChat groups are not official school communication channels, but simply a place for parents to help one another and learn how to get more information from the staff representative. We use Seesaw and other apps to talk to educators, and teachers or staff are not encouraged to be friends with parents on WeChat. Based on conversations with parents, most international school maintain similar boundaries.

Herein lies just one difference between local and international schools, and is why this article in Caixin Global took me by surprise. Its title “Trending in China: The ‘Tyranny’ of Parent Teacher Social Media Chat Groups” immediately made me think of the parent peer pressure prevalent in many parent groups, no matter which social media platform we’re on.

The issues in the Caixin Global article, however, are much different:

Teacher-parent WeChat groups are popular across China and originally were set up to facilitate communication between parents and teachers, but more recently they have taken on the reputation of being “flattering groups” in which parents try and curry favor with teachers or become sites of petty quarrels and fights.

Thankfully, I haven’t seen much of that. Sometimes the messages come so fast and furious, however, that I get caught up in the “excitement” and feel pressure to engage in ways that I find too stressful. I have a few hard and fast rules for myself to reduce that feeling.

Only individual classroom groups are pinned to the top.

This is key. My kids’ classroom groups are the only places where we can stay on topic, ask a question, and get a direct answer with no drama. It helps that we can be very specific in these classroom groups, so there’s little elaboration needed for any questions we have.

Search for answers in the all-school group but don’t engage within it.

This lesson is hard to learn. I want to know everything that’s happening in school, right? Turns out, I really don’t. Through the main group, I often feel pressure to be more involved in our child’s day-to-day learning than I would consider normal, especially after rebounding from e-learning last spring. However, our kids are still in ECE and Lower Primary, and we’re much laxer on homework than most, so I just need to step back and make sure anything I’m considering is still based on our family values versus external pressure from other parents. So if I have a question, I search for the terms in the all-school group but don’t read anything else.

It’s okay not to answer every alert on your phone.

There’s no need to voice your opinion on every topic.

I’m all for creating a more sustainable cafeteria, for instance, but for nearly a week the conversation in our all-school group was entirely centered around the cafeteria food. My standards for cafeteria food are pretty low, thanks to attending school in the ’80s, but for all the effort spent on trying to combine hot meals with social distancing measures at schools, the parents could, quite frankly, just make their kids’ lunches themselves (and I say this as someone who hates making lunches but does it for my one child who doesn’t like school lunch).

Don’t take your stress out on your screen either.

It’s okay to delete yourself from groups that are stressing you out.

When the WeChat group is not the official communication from the school, it’s simple. Just check your email or official apps and ask questions there. Immediately using WeChat to ask a question of the parents that would be better answered directly with a teacher is not productive, and we only do it for two reasons: either we’re just used to using WeChat for everything and don’t remember to switch over to another app, or we want to get “backup” from other parents that our problem is also their problem.

School is stressful enough. Don’t add social media peer pressure to your stress level just because it’s in a WeChat group.

KEEP READING: Indoor Fun: Sharpen Your Imagination at the Imaginarium Zone

Images: Unsplash, Cindy M Jenkins

The concept of “mindfulness” and “being mindful” is mentioned often these days due to the many uncertainties that have entered people’s lives in the past few months. Whether it is job security, health, or even loss of a loved one, there have been many stressors that cause people to run away from the present and suffer from living with an unhealthy mindset.

Being stuck at home all day or not even being able to meet up with friends due to restrictions on visitors or seating limits in restaurants/bars/cafes have further contributed to an imbalance in one’s life. Thankfully, there are many organizations that are offering much needed assistance in mental health, such as the Beijing Mindfulness Centre, who will be hosting a free mindfulness webinar tomorrow, March 23, from 8.30pm – 9.30pm.

Webinar: Stress in the Time of COVID-19, Mar 23

Theo A. Cope holds his MA and Ph.D. in Psychology and a B.A. in Gerontology. He is a certified Family Consultant and a Positive Psychotherapist (PPT), with certification granted by the World Association of Positive Psychotherapy in Wiesbaden, Germany. PPT is a trans-cultural therapeutic method, which began in 1968 by Dr. Nossrat Peseschkian.

He has lived and taught in different regions of China for the past 18 years and written on various themes of psychology and philosophy. He is the author of two books in the field of psychology. He practices mindfulness meditation regularly, uses mindfulness skills professionally and has integrated mindfulness into the topics he lectures on. Dr. Cope has given lectures and workshops for international companies in China as well as at international conferences.

At BMC, Dr. Cope delivers sessions on Shadow and Meditation, Psychology of Mindfulness, Thoughts Inside Psyche, etc. At this presentation on Mar 23, Dr. Cope will address how we can continue to adapt to this current crisis by providing a framework based on Positive and Transcultural Psychotherapy and an approach of dealing with stress based on the idea of Stress Surfing. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation and throughout as well.

Loving Kindness Online Free Sessions, 8:30pm from Tuesday to Sunday until the end of March

Dalida, the founder of the Beijing Mindfulness Centre (BMC), told us that she has been conducting a call every night at 8.30pm on Zoom for people who are needing assistance with stress and anxiety. BMC will continue with their online loving kindness sessions until the end of March.

If you want to join their online Loving Kindness sessions, you can scan the QR code above. For previous recorded sessions, you can check out their website.

Photos: wellhappypeaceful.com, beijingmindfulness.com

We’ve all been stressed out at least once in our lives, and for me, I always end up searching online to see how others solved similar problems, or just read a book to calm myself down. Currently, I have been stressed out by the whole Coronavirus situation, to the point that even mentioning its name makes me feel sick.

Luckily, I came across a book called Six Going on Seven, by Amy S. George. Although the book’s narrator is that of a seven-year-old girl, it’s fit for all ages.

It may sound a bit exaggerated, but while reading what she shared, it hit me – Have I been taken things for granted? Why am I stressed even though my life is good, and my friends and family are doing well? Why should I not cherish the present and instead, worry too much about tomorrow? Can I observe things without emotional attachments or bias?

With all this and more on my mind, I had the chance to interview George, and felt totally at peace simply from talking with her and listening to her journey of writing this book.

Amy S. George

Can you introduce yourself to us? 

I’m from Ohio in the United States. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Dayton (ranked number 47 amongst engineering schools). I worked as a process engineer for ten years in the automotive and printing industries. When my daughter started middle school, she interviewed for a magnet school. When I walked into the building, I was hit with the feeling that I also wanted to be there.

I worked over the next year on earning credits in education and a teaching license. I loved teaching and learned so much from my students. I was fascinated with how people learn and the science of learning. I was awarded a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship in 2012, a Dow NSTA Science teaching fellowship in 2013, and in 2014 I earned first place in the NSTA Einstein STEM-a-thon at the National Science Teachers Association national conference. In 2015, my daughter went to university at The University of Dayton, and I came to China.

When did you start writing and why?

Writing for me started as a way for me to tell my stories in order to preserve them for my children and to feel connected to all the people I love back home that I am separated from now. Reliving my childhood made me feel connected to the people and places I love. I felt that through writing simple, wholesome stories, I could inspire mindfulness in students. I never tell them my intention in my stories and don’t try to give them the boring facts and science behind the practice of mindfulness. I try to model it by giving details that give them the feeling of being there and feeling emotions, then giving them the opportunity to write in the same way after each story.

Six Going on Seven

Is Six Going on Seven your first book? Can you give us a general introduction to it?

It’s a series of short stories from the Summer I turned 7 years old in a small town in Ohio. None of the characters have actual names. That’s intentional so children can see themselves in the stories and imagine the characters as people in their own lives. After each story is a question prompt with room for children to record their own thoughts.

I hope that children can use this as a model for mindfulness without an adult preaching at them about what mindfulness is and why it’s important. In children, they can develop the habit organically just by reading and practicing with each prompt.

What inspired you to write this book?

I feel this age is a magic time for many children. 7 years old is a turning point when children learn more about the world around them and start really considering choices and consequences. Their vocabulary and ideas burgeon at this age as they begin reading chapter books. At this age they haven’t been taught to censor themselves as much, so what comes out is pure thought. I want to help people remember back to that time of observing and developing questions without all the judgement. I love teaching, but I always feel there are so few students I can affect as a teacher. Through writing I am able to reach a wider audience.

What message do you want to send to kids from the book?

I want to instill that the world around them just is. Things aren’t inherently good or bad, they just are. If kids can come to terms with that at an earlier age, they will have better skills to deal with situations that cause stress and anxiety for others. They will be better decision-makers, as they can observe without the emotional attachment.

Can you explain why practicing mindfulness is important for kids?

Mindfulness is an excellent method for reducing stress and anxiety and improving memory. As a science teacher, the first lesson with every class is the difference between an observation and an inference. It is important that we learn to observe from outside in order to gain a full picture and make better decisions.

Can you give some simple tips for kids to practice mindfulness?

Sit in silence and just observe. What do you see, hear, feel, smell, and think? Don’t pass judgement on any of it. Just observe it. Practice doing this for a few minutes every day.

Have you had any feedback from your readers who are parents or kids?

So many people from different backgrounds – men, women, foreigners and Chinese – -who don’t know each other have used the words “peaceful” and “comfortable” when they’ve sent me feedback. That warms my heart because it was exactly what I was striving for. Here are some examples:

“This charming portrait of a girl’s simple upbringing details her thoughts and feelings as she tries to make sense of the world around her. Richly detailed and honestly expressed, this is a read as comfortable as an afternoon spent in good company.”

“I enjoyed the simple nature of the stories. It’s not pretentious and feels like home.”

Anything you want to add?

I have held these memories for years and used them in classes. This Winter I felt compelled to put them into writing. I think the timing was perfect as people are dealing with anxiety due to world events, and I feel blessed to be able to bring people comfort and coping methods.

Photos: Courtesy of Amy S. George

Gearing up for the holiday season can bring a great sense of joy and anticipation for both parents and children. On the other hand, it can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety. As we inch ever closer to that time, it may be helpful to look for ways to manage stress and deal with possible issues before they arise.

Talk with your children about different holiday traditions around the world, the meanings behind them, and the reasons that people choose to celebrate these holidays. Recognize that not everyone views this time in the same way, and help your children appreciate their own and other people’s traditions.

Help set realistic expectations

Rather than allowing your child’s mind to run wild with all the things they hope for and want, help them to learn about making wise choices, spending money responsibly, and finding satisfaction within the simple pleasures of life. Consider giving them a small budget to buy gifts for family members or help them to make meaningful gifts that are homemade.

Make connections with the people who mean the most

At the core of most holiday traditions is the feeling of togetherness that comes from enjoying time with others. Especially when stress and anxiety about holidays creep in, it’s important to step back, find those special people and spend time with them. An unexpected cup of coffee or chat can be simple to arrange and go a long way in terms of reducing holiday anxiety.

For those who are anxious about family dynamics that often come up during holiday celebrations, it might be helpful to imagine the worst-case scenario. If we can imagine it, we can plan for it. Take as many other stressors away as possible. Recognize and accept family members and others as they are. Know that you can only be responsible for your own actions. Plan for how to manage that one situation you hope won’t come up. Hopefully, it will be much easier to deal with if and when it does. Regardless of how anyone else responds to a stressful situation, you can do what you must to take care of yourself and model to your children emotional regulation and health.

Make realistic travel plans

Many parents may feel pushed to go over the top with their holiday plans and then struggle with how to manage the cost and the stress of travel later on. Sometimes the easiest route is the best. The magic of the holidays can spring out of any location, and sometimes the path of least resistance leads to the most relaxed and enjoyable holiday.

Children today have more material wealth in general than at any other time. While it’s wonderful and exciting to have new things, it may be even more valuable to have the memories of time well-spent together. Rather than overtaxing family budgets on all the new gadgets, consider paring down. Give gifts that are going to be well–loved over time and are particularly special. Take some time to plan activities (and not too many!) that will carry on for many years. Consider building a family gingerbread house, making homemade tree decorations, or doing some special holiday baking and cooking. Make gifts for family and friends. Make a collection of holiday songs to sing and plan to go caroling at the homes of friends and loved ones. There are many activities that are free or low cost, which do a great deal to spread cheer and holiday joy. These are often the activities that people remember years later and perhaps even carry on.

This article appeared in the beijingkids December 2019 Giving Back issue

With warmer weather comes the perfect chance to start new healthy routines. Check out some of my tips and recommendations for the healthiest summer ever!

1. Disconnect: Cutting down on screen time is something many of us struggle with. Nicer weather means more chances to get out. Create opportunities to spend time connecting with people instead. Some studies seem to correlate social media time with higher levels of depression and anxiety. Help kids disconnect too, by planning an afternoon doing something special with them. Perhaps take them to a tea shop and enjoy some great conversation together.

2. Drink green tea: When you’re at the tea shop order green tea. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) green tea has cooling properties, meaning it’s an excellent choice in the summer. In fact, many Beijingers will never drink green tea in the winter. Green tea contains antioxidants that can help counteract the effect of pollution, because unfortunately in the summer we can still get smoggy days.

3. Outdoor activities: That being said, it’s still important to take advantage of the hotter temperatures and go outside. Sunshine is important for Vitamin D production and it’s produced naturally in our bodies when skin is exposed to the light of the sun. Of course, we need to be careful not to burn, as that will seriously increase our risk of skin cancer. While being outdoors, wear hats and try to stay in the shade during peak hours (around 10am-2pm). If you will be in a pool or won’t have access to shade, use sunscreen that’s safe.

4. Safe Sun Protection: In general avoid oxybenzone and choose mineral based products that contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These don’t get absorbed into the bloodstream, unlike oxybenzone which is a hormone disruptor.

5. Hydration: In Beijing summers are hot and humid, causing us to lose water through sweat. People always want to know how much water they need to drink, but it’s a difficult question to answer because it depends on so many factors. The best way to estimate whether you’re hydrated is to make sure your urine is a faint, pale yellow color. Some people like to use the 2L mark, but I find in Beijing sometimes that’s actually not enough. One word of caution though, if you find you have excessive thirst even after drinking 5L of water a day, if you have to go to the bathroom every hour and it disrupts your sleep, you may be suffering from diabetes insipidus. See your doctor and let them know what you’re experiencing.

6. Bring on the veg: Summer is the perfect time to increase your vegetable intake and thankfully there are many seasonal options to choose from. In Beijing, we can find familiar staples like cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, but there are also more exotic finds like water spinach, known as kōngxīncài (왕懃꽉), Indian lettuce or yóumàicài (答찝꽉) and Chinese spinach or hàncài (볶꽉). If you’re feeling very adventurous try some bitter melon or kŭguā (욈믿), a summer must since it’s also cool in nature.

7. Eat more raw foods: Eating in season is important for maximum nutrient content, and raw fruits and vegetables take that nutrition to the next level. Since there’s no heating involved vitamin content is generally higher, and beneficial enzymes are also preserved. That’s why summer is the perfect time for salads and fresh fruits.

8. Pack safe picnics: Beijing has many great parks to enjoy in the summer, but when you pack a picnic try to avoid foods with meat or eggs (mayo included). Boiled eggs are less of a concern, and if you must take meat products, be sure they’re packed on ice. Hot foods are more challenging to keep safe, unless you eat them right away. Food that stays out in the heat can spell tummy t-r-o-u-b-l-e. Don’t leave food out for more than two hours, less in extreme temperatures.

9. Stress less: Summer is the perfect time to adopt a more easy-going attitude. Take some time for self-care and do things that bring you joy. Arrange for a regular massage or a nightly walk with a friend. Call a loved one from overseas or a friend you’ve been missing. Try adopting meditation as a regular practice. There are many meditation apps out there. Try one for 10 minutes a day for seven consecutive days and see how you feel.

This article first appeared in the beijingkids April 2019 Exploring Beijing issue.
Photo: Artem Bali via Pexels

Do you have an upcoming family-friendly event that you want to be included in our listings? Maximize the reach of your event and promote it on beijingkids’ social platforms!

Let us know by leaving your message in the comments section below or by emailing us at webeditor@beijing-kids.com. Follow us on WeChat (ID: beijing-kids) or join our family events WeChat group by sending us your WeChat QR code. Please note that readers should confirm with each organizer if events are canceled or scheduled as planned. For more events that may not be included in this list, please check our Events page. 

Positive Discipline: A One Day Parenting Workshop, Apr 9
Hello Future Kindergarten invites parents to this one-day workshop where they can learn how to bring the power of positive discipline to their parenting style. Learn to avoid power struggles and invite cooperation, connect before corrections, avoid punishing children without letting them get away with everything, and to become a kind but firm, solutions-focused parent. The workshop is designed for parents of children aged 1-10. Adults. 9am-2.30pm. RMB 1,200. Hello Future, Cathay View West Gate, Maquanying. (WeChat ID: becstarnz)

Pauline’s Cuisine: Pop-Up Lunch in Lido, Apr 10
A special lunch is waiting for you, courtesy of professional chef Pauline van Hasselt! Life has given her a lot of lemons, and she has turned them into lemonade through her successful ventures in Beijing, including Beijing Mother’s Guild and Pauline’s Cuisine. Her expat journey in Beijing may have come full circle but this amazing chef and mother has tons of lemonades to make and more upcoming kitchen adventures to share with her next students! Come and join her last pop-up lunch in Beijing before she rides the rainbow-tailed unicorn to London! Adults. RMB 350. Starts noon. Pauline’s Cuisine Lido. (WeChat ID: paulus155)

Women’s Economy Summit, Apr 10
The 2019 Women’s Economy Summit is a one-day development conference for women that features international speakers sharing inspirational stories and leading seminars on the issues that matter most to women. With topics from diversity and inclusion, gender equality, healthy lifestyle, LGBT, executive leadership, women entrepreneurship, to personal growth and confidence building. Adults. RMB 1,800 (Early bird ticket – buy one get one free), RMB 1,800 (Regular all-day ticket). 9am–7pm. Beijing Marriott Hotel Northeast, 26A Xiaoyun Road, Chaoyang District. (yliang@amchamchina.org)

Help Your Child Beat School Anxiety, Apr 11
Due to popular demand, Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing) will be offering a second workshop on “Beating School Anxiety” on April 11. The workshop will help parents recognize the signs of anxiety in their children and offer some strategies for helping them overcome their stress. It will build on the lessons shared in the previous workshop, but include new information and resources so will be worthwhile for both new and returning parents. The workshop will be presented by YCIS Beijing’s School Counsellor, Rachel George, and is open to the public. Adults. Free 8.30-10am. YCIS Beijing. (RSVP: info@bj.ycef.com)

Positive Discipline in the Classroom Workshop, Apr 11-13
Hello Future hosts a three-day workshop for parents or educators to help them teach children or students important social and life skills. The workshop will also help the participants understand the positive discipline approach that integrates social and emotional learning and reduces challenging student behaviors. Adults. RMB 5,800. 9am-5pm. Hello Future Kindergarten. (WeChat ID: 13071162352)

The Cleveland Orchestra in Beijing, Apr 12-13
One of America’s “Big Five” Orchestras, the Cleveland Orchestra is performing live in Beijing. The orchestra boasts a long history of eminent musicianship, as well as a deep catalog of recordings. Today, they are acknowledged among the world’s best orchestras. On April 12-13, they will perform classics by Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, and more. All ages. RMB 280-1,680. Performance starts 7.30pm. National Centre For The Performing Arts. (6655 0000)

Rumble in the Jumble: Blue Skies, Apr 13
This April 13, expat-favorite bazaar Rumble in the Jumble is dreaming of Blue Skies! This month’s theme is a salute to the people, vendors, and volunteers alike, who are working to protect the environment. The Rumble in the Jumble team is known for gathering together makers and artisans from the international community for a weekend extravaganza with creative monthly themes that capture what’s fresh and what’s happening in the community. All ages. Free admission. Noon-6pm. Modernista, Baochao Hutong.

Day Trip: Beijing Arrivals: The History of Dashilar, Apr 13
Beijing has always been a city shaped by waves of migrants and a great example of this is Dashilar, just southwest of the Qianmen Gate. For hundreds of years, this area of Beijing was the ever-simmering melting pot of the capital. Beijing Arrivals is a combined walk and talk by Beijing Postcards. The activity includes a hutong gallery tour and an exploration of the different districts of the neighborhood, with a visit to a couple of families who have worked with Beijing Postcards’ ongoing Oral history project. All ages. RMB 150-300. 3-5.30pm. Beijing Postcards, No. 97 Yangmeizhu Byway, Dashilar Area. (130 1107 8680, beijingpostcards@gmail.com)

Let’s Waltz: The Kempinski Vienna Ball 2019, Apr 13
Celebrate the magic and elegance of Vienna at the Kempinski Vienna Ball 2019. Savor premium Austrian wines and a five-course gala dinner, and enjoy the stunning ball performance, plus a Vienna Coffee House, and much more. Buy charity raffle tickets for a chance to win a round-trip ticket from Beijing to Vienna, including stay prizes. All proceeds will be donated directly to Hefeng Art Foundation. Adults. RMB 1,580. Starts at 6pm. Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center. (6410 4077, meeting.beijing@kempinski.com)

BWYA Annual Musical: The Sound of Music, Apr 13-14
Sing along to The Sound of Music at Beijing World Youth Academy’s (BWYA) annual musical on the weekend of April 13-14! The musical weekend is set to be BWYA’s biggest student-led musical in its history yet, with pupils and members of the BWYA Theatre Troupe taking up roles in acting, directing, costume and set design, stage management, music and more! All ages. RMB 100 (standard ticket), RMB 120 (VIP ticket). 7-9pm. BWYA Performing Arts Centre, 11 Xinshengcun, Chaoyang District.

BSB Shunyi Car Boot Sale, Apr 14
Spring is coming, and the British School of Beijing, Shunyi (BSB Shunyi) and Roundabout will be holding their second Car Boot Sale! Come and shop for great deals. Interesting used items will be on sale by parents in the school’s parking lot. Part of the proceeds from this event will go to Roundabout. Free entrance for the public. All ages. Free. 10am-1pm. BSB Shunyi. (marketing@bsbshunyi.com)

Pauline’s Cuisine: Chop Chop Knife Skills, Apr 14
Are you a budding chef? Is cooking your passion? One of the main cooking skills that you need to master is the art of handling and using the knife. Professional chef Pauline will teach you how, in her last class before she goes on to another adventure! At this Pauline’s Cuisine class, you’ll also learn how to sharpen and hone your knife. Adults. RMB 420. 10am-1pm. East Hotel. (WeChat ID: paulus155)

Atelier Spring Camp: Les Vacances de Printemps – The Vikings and Drakkar Boat, Apr 15-19
Atelier will present a very popular Signature Camp during the spring holidays of the French International School. It is project-based learning and will be a five full-day camp at Sanlitun Campus. The Vikings’ history and mythology are still very vivid in literature, cinema, and gaming culture. Atelier’s teachers chose this fascinating civilization to take the students on a sailing trip through northern Europe. Children. For ages 6-7: RMB 3,600, 10am-noon (Art) and 1-3pm (Fablab). For ages 8+: RMB 4,500, 9.30am-noon (Art) and 1-3.30pm (Fablab). Lunch not included. This camp will be taught in French and the group size is capped at 8 per class. Atelier Sanlitun.

Photos: Courtesy of YCIS Beijing (featured image) and featured event organizers, Luis Quintero via Pexels