It is with great sorrow that beijingkids says goodbye to the Killeen clan. It was three years ago that parents Andy and Karen, and their sons Noah (12) and Joseph (9) made the move to Beijing from their home in Birmingham, UK. While Karen has been an educator, making her mark at both Yew Chung International School of Beijing and Hyde Academy, you may know Andy as our quick-witted columnist, expounding about many important topics and helping many newcomers gain their bearings in this chaotic metropolis. While this family may be moving on to the greener pastures of Ningbo, we can assure that their stories, good and bad, will continue being featured on the pages and in the blog of beijingkids, for the foreseeable future. Safe travels Andy, Karen, Noah, and Joseph!
Favorite way to transport your family around the city.
We cycle when we can, but subway and Didi are the only ways for us to get downtown from Shunyi.
Favorite Weekend Activity
Cheering on the boys’ football teams, and playing board games.
Favorite Website
beijingkids… what else?! But Taobao is an Aladdin’s cave, once you’ve got used to it.
Favorite Chinese Restaurant
Xinjiang cuisine from Baron Rozi on Gongtibeilu. But we also like Dayali for affordable duck, and there’s a little cafe around the corner which does awesome bianbiangmian.
Favorite non-Chinese Restaurant
We’ve just discovered the English Tearooms at Shine Hills for fried breakfasts and fish and chips.
Favorite Daytrip
The WaterCube, for the slides.
Family Rituals
Homemade steak and chips on a Saturday night, then Doctor Who, all of us on the couch with our Dalek-repelling cushions in case it gets scary.
Adapted Chinese Culture
Sharing dishes when we eat out, instead of everyone having their own.
Best Shop for Groceries
The supermarket. Duh.
Favorite Parents’ Date Night
Ernest’s Bistro, when we want to treat ourselves.
Favorite Neighborhood
We liked living in Chaoyang better than Shunyi, but for hanging around we like Caochangdi.
Favorite Museum
The Red Brick Museum has beautiful grounds and amazing exhibitions.
What will you miss about Beijing?
Our friends, and the fact we’re still finding new things even as we’re leaving.
What will you not miss about Beijing?
The spitting, the traffic, the Beijing bikini…
What would you wish to have done differently about your stay in Beijing?
We wish we’d started going to matches at the Workers’ Stadium earlier. Jia you Guo’an!
Photo: Uni You
This article appeared on p64 of the beijingkids July 2018 Home & Relocation Guide issue
