Find the Right School for You and Your Kids at BISE 2017
Whether you’re newly arrived, looking to change schools or have a child coming up to school age, you can find out all about the choices available at the Beijing International Schools Expo. Over forty schools will be represented, and there will be talks and discussions, so that you can compare curricula, facilities, activities and of course fees. Perhaps most importantly when making this critical decision, you can get a feel for the attitude and ethos of different schools before making a shortlist. The event takes place on the weekend of February 18-19, at Crowne Plaze Beijing. For more information, and to sign up, visit our website, beijing-kids.com.
Xīn Nián Kuài Lè!
2017 is the Year of the Rooster, and after a manic and mischievous Monkey year, many of us will be hoping for a quieter twelve months. The sign’s associations with fire and metal don’t bode well for peace, according to astrologers, but perhaps the Rooster’s crow will be a wake-up call to us all, to do our part in making the world a better place. Whatever 2017 holds, all of us here at beijingkids would like to say 묜毆랙꼿 to you, our readers, and wish you whatever you wish for yourself in the coming year.
Airpocalypse Now… or Then?
The end of 2016 brought unwelcome attention to our city, as news media from across the globe reported on the worst smog for several years. Striking images, like the shiny silver bullet train turned mud brown simply from driving through pollution, were circulated all round the world. Ironically this came after a year in which the average AQI had fallen by 8 percent. And China leads the world in developing renewable energy, currently investing twice as much as the US. So we can at least hope for a brighter future, where clear skies in Beijing don’t make headlines as they did last month…
New Faces at bjk
The new year brings new faces to the beijingkids team. Andy Peñafuerte III is our new Deputy Managing Director. He previously worked at CGTN (formerly CCTV News), and GMA News in the Philippines. He enjoys travel and food. Pauline van Hasselt, our Shunyi Correspondent, is originally Dutch, but has lived in Belgium, Paraguay, Texas, and London, and has lived in Beijing since June 2016 with her husband and 3 year old daughter.
Goodbye to Old Friends
2016 saw the sad passing of many stars, from David Bowie to Carrie Fisher. And Beijing lost a few stars from its firmament too, with the closure of several much-loved establishments. Counting Sheep will no longer be offering high quality imported baby goods at either location. Marks and Spencer at The Place is living on borrowed time, leaving homesick Brits searching for a new source of crumpets and jam. And most traumatic of all, veteran indoor play center, Fundazzle, grubby and loved like an old security blanket, finally closed its doors in January.
Harmony and Steve, by Jin Chan Yum Wai and AK
This article originally appeared on pages 6-7 of beijingkids 2017 February Issue. Download the digital version here.
