This edition of Shunyi happenings brings you some information for all the members of the family. From places to shop, to shopping for a good sports program then cutting down on your shopping time, read on for this week’s tips!
Europlaza 3rd Floor is a Shopping Haven for Families with Toddlers
We stand corrected. In a previous blog article, we said that Europlaza’s fifth floor was gearing up to be kids’ paradise. Actually, it’s the fifth floor as well as half of the third floor now.
Up the escalators and to the right, the entire section is now occupied by shops and stalls catering to the littlest ones in the family. The biggest, and impossible to miss, is Leyou baby and toddler store. What used to be a fairly sizeable store at the basement of the same mall now is reincarnated in a humongous and bright space on the higher floor.
Across from the branded shop, an unmarked space is available for trying out scooters and other wheeled toys. This seems to be a trend in China, kids (and adults!) zipping around on wheeled contraptions indoors. Let’s hope that this enclosed space in the third floor will contain the zigzagging toddlers and young kids instead of spilling out into the corridors.
Outside of Leyou are small stalls that also cater to the little ones. Depending on their parents’ fashion sense, there are clothes, shoes and accessories in a wide price range. There are also toys that are sure to catch little wandering eyes. Whether you are doing some actual shopping or just browsing around, this could be an area you will frequent if you have a child in the four-and-under set.
Sports Beijing: Festival of Sports
By the end of this week, all the international school children will have gone back to school in Shunyi. Schedules have begun to normalize and calendars are starting to fill up with curricular and social events.
Most parents will now be searching for extracurricular activities for their children to be involved in.What better way for children to get in some exercise and let off steam at the end of a long school day than to engage in a sporting activity, whether as a hobby or for some more serious training?
Get them to the Sports Beijing multi sport festival on August 24, Sunday from 10am to 3pm at the ISB Stadium. There will be several sports to try out with Sports Beijing’s coaches if your child is not yet quite sure what he or she would like to be involved in. There will be taster sessions for swimming, soccer, rugby, field hockey, track and field, baseball and basketball.
This event doubles up as Fall 2013 Season Registration, but note that all programs are already available for online signup. New programs available this season are Level 4 Gymnastics at WAB, as well as new indoor programs such as mini-soccer and multi-sport at the ISB Dome. Sports Beijing clinics are quite popular and slots fill up fast.
Check our their website at www.sportsbj.org for more information.
Eat Your Veggies!
Nearly every single one of us grew up hearing how veggies are good for us. We’re also taught now that we should eat a rainbow, to make sure we get all the nutrients and vitamins from different vegetables. Now it’s much easier to get organic and fresh produce straight from the farm to your home.
E&L is an organic vegetable delivery service that addresses our need for safe and clean food. E&L, run by a German-Chinese couple, is one of the fairly inexpensive options for your family. Their promise to their customers: they use only natural fertilizer, and all weeds and pests are removed by hand, ensuring that their products are free from pesticides and herbicides. They harvest the vegetables only on the morning of the delivery day, they deliver directly to the customers’ homes, and they will never get vegetables from other farms.
Call or text Ellen at 189 1178 0063. She will set you up with three free deliveries so you can try the quality of the produce and gauge for yourself the volume that will best suit your family’s needs. There is a choice between a Western package and a Chinese package, and these come in boxes of 3 and 5 kilos.
The minimum package is composed of 30 deliveries of 3 kilos each, for RMB4,600. You do not have to schedule your delivery for 30 consecutive weeks, as they give you the option of holding your deliveries if you are going away on holiday.
Photo by Dana Cosio-Mercado
Dana is the beijingkids‘ Shunyi Correspondent. Originally from the Philippines, she moved to Beijing in 2011 (via Europe) with her husband, two sons and Rusty the dog. She enjoys writing, photography, theater, visual arts, and trying new food. In her free time, she can be found exploring the city and driving along the mountain roads of Huairou, Miyun and Pinggu.
