ISB Couple Share What It’s Like Living and Working Together

Our expat community thrives on connection, and here at jingkids, we’re all about our readers, and what they need and want in order to maximize their time here in Beijing. Every week, we feature a prominent member of our expat community and get to know them a little bit better.

Robert Skupien and Rosalyn Thomas both work at the International School of Beijing (ISB). They first met on a Great Wall hike in 2014, and share a love of Chinese culture, food, travel and the outdoors!

What are the challenges of working and living together, and what are the best parts?

Rob: This is our first year working at the same place, with Ros joining me at ISB from her previous school. We haven’t experienced many challenges of working together so far, although we work in different departments so don’t cross paths that often! Maybe ask me again in a year……🤣. As for living together, we love our hutong home downtown, which we share with our dog. Challenges include who walks the dog in the morning before we take the staff school-bus, it usually ends up being me!

What’s on your minds these days?

Rob: I love life here in Beijing, however having family visit or being able to travel home is often on my mind. ISB is incredibly supportive around helping staff with home travel, and I look forward to getting back to the UK next summer without too much hassle.

Ros: Very similar to Rob, being able to see family and friends outside of the country has been on my mind a lot. We enjoy our life here and are very lucky, but we would love to be able to share that with our family and friends.

What motivates you?

Rob: Blue sky days! Beijing has many more of these now than it used to, and every season here is great with better air quality.

Ros: I’d say friends in Beijing, work, our dog, and the great things that Beijing has to offer.

How do you maintain your mental health?

Rob: Being a PE teacher and a fan of staying active, Beijing offers plenty of options for keeping busy and socializing through sport. I take care of myself by filling weekends with playing football (soccer), getting out to the Beijing countryside or using Beijing’s indoor climbing walls!

Ros: Trying to get out and about for walks along the river or around the hutong with our dog. As much as possible, and when possible, exploring Beijing and trying to appreciate what we have access to. Creating healthy routines and hobbies, such as learning Chinese, has also been important!

What are your favorite things about Beijing?

Both: We love cycling around the city, walking around the hutongs, going to Hou Hai lake, and the great historical walking tours and cooking classes on offer. The main thing we love about Beijing is that it has so many layers- you think you have discovered the main parts, but then you chat to friends or colleagues, and read articles on Wechat, you realize you have barely scratched the surface on how much Beijing has to offer!