We hope you all had a great national holiday. Whether you were lucky enough to escape the pollution in Beijing or had to endure some of the “bad air” days, we hope the days off helped you recharge and prepare to face the last quarter of the year.
Here is our round-up of some of the things happening in the next few weeks. Mark your calendars.
No-Drive Days
The no-drive days have just changed this week. If you need a reminder, this list will help:
Monday – car registrations ending in 2 and 7
Tuesday — car registrations ending in 3 and 8
Wednesday — car registrations ending in 4 and 9
Thursday — car registrations ending in 5 and 0
Friday — car registrations ending in 6 and 1
This schedule will last until the second week of January.
The car ban hours are from 7am to 8pm from the 5th ring road inwards. You can still use your car throughout Shunyi, as well as the WAB area of Chaoyang. I only found out a few months ago that I can actually get all the way to the Auchan/Decathlon/B&Q shopping center on the fifth ring road on our no-drive day.
Roundabout Community Efforts
Thanks to the support of the Shunyi and Beijing city communities, the social enterprise Roundabout has again successfully collected donations in cash and in kind for children suffering from medical conditions. Victims of the Gansu earthquake will also benefit from the money raised.
Book fairs in September at BSB’s and CISB’s Shunyi campuses yielded a total of RMB 163,527 which will go towards medical expenses for several children.
A truckload of clothing, footwear, blankets, backpacks, school supplies and toys were sent to the victims of the earthquake several months ago.
Two ISB grade 5 students, David Quimby and Diego Pittorino, raised RMB 527 by using their juggling skills after church one Saturday. Bravo to the boys for doing their part to help with Roundabout’s charity efforts.
Training workshops for volunteers will be held at the Roundabout shop. A maximum of six adult volunteers can take part per training morning. On Thursday, Oct 10 and Tuesday, Oct 22, training will revolve around sorting new donations. Another workshop for book sorting will be held on Thursday, Oct 24. All sessions will take place from 10am-12noon. For inquiries, email amyroundabout@gmail.com
Halloween items are already available at the shop, so pop in if you are in need of decor, costumes, wigs or other themed accessories.
Finally, don’t forget the October session of International Newcomers’ Network (INN) at Roundabout, on Thursday, Oct 17, from 10am-12noon. Come along for the next round of chatter, information-sharing and friendship-making.
Bollywood Classes at House of Knowledge
House of Knowledge‘s new Quanfa campus in Shunyi is hosting Bollywood classes beginning Thu, Oct 10 at 9am.
Come along for a form of dance exercise which evolved through Indian movies. The dances are a blend of Western and Indian styles, making it a funky, colorful and energetic workout that is fun and easy to memorize. No previous dancing experience or even flexibility necessary.
RMB 80 per class, with the first class on Oct 10 at a discounted rate of RMB 40. For inquiries, email Orli at ginossar@gmail.com
Heyrobics Instructor Recruitment
Heyrobics, the fun workout set to foot-stomping music, is on the lookout for more instructors. Join the Heyrobics team and you can lead exercise enthusiasts in different locations throughout the city and suburbs. Get paid to get fit, have fun and help people reach their fitness goals. Application forms available at www.heyrobics.com
Pop down on Saturday, Oct 12 and Sunday, Oct 13 to the Swedish School of Beijing to find out more. The price is free (with a RMB 2000 deposit). More information on the website or by email to beijing@heyrobics.com
Regular workouts in Shunyi continue on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Swedish school. And keep an eye out for new schedules to be announced for ISB. Remember that at every session, kids under 10 can come along with their parents for free.
The Garage Opening
I’ve heard through the grapevine that a new grill and music bar called The Garage will be opening soon. It is located across from Capital Paradise, at the commercial center beside Piazza Cafe. Before the national holiday, construction work was still ongoing. Perhaps everything will be ready in time for the scheduled opening on Saturday, Oct 12. Check it out if you’re in the area.
BSB Family and Spouse Support Session
The British School of Beijing (BSB) is hosting a series of talks to help families gain useful information on the “ins and outs” of living in Beijing.
The first part of the double-themed session is entitled “Managing Successful Relationships: Ayi, Driver, Vendors and Workmates” and is led by Preston Kuo of China Foundations. Hear about how you can manage the largest assets to your family from the local community. The discussion will cover areas such as handling expectations, identifying whether your staff is happy in your employ, as well as learning ways to better motivate them and address misunderstandings.
The second part of the morning will be a talk by Dr. Mijke Vankan, ER Physician at Oasis Hospital, on “Pollution: Keeping Our Children Healthy”. This is an extremely charged topic here in Beijing, and you may want to hear what Dr. Vankan has to share about the immediate and long-term effects on our health, how it affects our daily lives, and how to separate facts from myths.
The session takes place on Thursday, Oct 17, from 9am-11am at BSB’s Shunyi campus. Register by sending your name, email address and contact number to joyce@chinafoundations.com
CIBA Flea Market
The Autumn Flea Market and Bazaar at Children’s International Bilingual Academy (CIBA) will take place on Saturday, Oct 19, from 10am-2pm. There will be a bake sale and bazaar with a variety of new or barely-used toys and books for children. There will also be activities, games, face-painting and crafts.
Come along on the day to see what there is in store for you and your kids. If you would like to set up a table at the bazaar, contact Melissa Guiang on 8046 7082.
CIBA supports Roundabout charity projects.
Photo courtesy of Kio Stark (Flickr)
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.
