Nowadays it’s impossible to live in a city like Beijing and not depend on technology for your daily needs. Whether it’s for transportation, news, or just entertainment, we’re always plugged in! Dad Daniel Vuillermin is originally from Australia and works as a lecturer at the School of Health Humanities at Peking University. In his free time, he coordinates Spittoon Beijing and plays music for Boss Cuts, Back Seat Bingo, and The Ravages. Mom Cui Ling is a senior account director in the advertising industry. The couple welcomed their son Yuni three years ago, who was born in Beijing and attends Peking University Health Science Center Kindergarten.
Daniel
As an only child, my siblings were video games so I’ve owned a console from almost every generation. If I had to choose one console it would have to be the Nintendo Switch, if only for “Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” It’s much more child-friendly than the PlayStation 4. I also can’t live without Spotify. Listening to music and podcasts is the best way to survive subway journeys.
Yuni
During our two-week quarantine, Yuni started playing his Dad’s Nintendo Switch and it turns out he is really good at classic games like “Yoshi’s Island” and “Super Mario Bros.” As a treat –– or if we want him to be quiet –– we let him use iPad apps such as Little Penguin Garden (小企鹅乐园 xiǎo qì’é lèyuán), which has a huge selection of Chinese and international cartoons. But his favorite app is YouTube Kids as it has a lot of monster truck videos.
Ling
Before COVID-19, I would spend a lot of time gazing at C-Trip dreaming about all of the places I could go to. But until we can travel again, the iMuseum app is a great resource for keeping up to date with the latest cultural events in Beijing, China, and abroad. For families I recommend VUE. This app is great at taking really cool short films. It is simple to use and has stunning visual effects so that we can all become influencers.
KEEP READING: New Arrivals: Say Hello to Beijing’s Smallest
Photos: Uni You
This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 November issue
