Cecil Song
Where are you from?
South Korea
How long have you lived here?
One year.
Do you have kids?
I have a 1-year-old boy.
What do you do in Beijing?
I don’t work here. I used to be a fashion designer in South Korea.
Where do you like to shop?
In Solana, Pacific Century Place and shopping malls in Wangjing.
Where is your husband from?
He’s Chinese. We met in France. I don’t speak Chinese; we speak French to each other.
Why were you in France?
Learning French and studying fashion at Esmod.
Francesca Sestieri
Where are you from?
Rome
How long have you been in Beijing?
12 years.
What brought you here?
I wanted to study Chinese, so I stayed.
How many kids do you have?
A 5-year-old girl and 2-year-old boy.
Where is your husband from?
Shandong. We met through friends.
What languages do you speak to your children?
I always speak Italian and my husband speaks Mandarin.
What do you do on the weekends?
I like live music – you know, guys with guitars. I like 2Kolegas.
How would you describe your style?
Mamma mia! I don’t know! Casual?
Where will your kids go to school?
Chinese schools because they are half-Chinese.
Caren Lawrence
Where are you from?
Michigan, in the US
How many kids do you have?
A 4-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy.
How long have you been here?
Since May. We moved from Hawaii.
Where do you usually go shopping?
Markets like Jiayi and Hongqiao. I like Mothercare here for my children.
When is your baby due?
December. It’s a boy.
Where do you like to eat?
Biteapitta – it’s healthy.
How much do you pay for rent?
I don’t know – my husband’s work pays for it.
How do you plan to spend
Thanksgiving in China?
We’ll definitely have a turkey and have some people over.
What’s the last book you read?
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.
Elisabeth Shadmy
Where are you from?
Paris
Do you have kids?
A 16-year-old boy at the French School. The 24-year-old girl with me is
my daughter.
Where is the best place to get French food?
Little Saigon has Vietnamese and French food on Jiugulou Dajie and Café de la Poste is good for steaks.
Do you get massages?
Of course! At Bodhi.
How much is your rent?
RMB 10,000.
Where’re your bracelets and earrings from?
Israel. My daughter bought them for me.
