By Wu Hao
Sunlight streamed through the windows of Beijing Rego British School’s cafe last Saturday as volunteers in red aprons shuffled about, sorting books and helping visitors find what they want.
This was Roundabout’s charity book fair, with all proceeds going to purchase coal for a school for deaf children in Hebei Province. Books were sold from all genres, from fiction to travel to cooking. There was also a children’s area for books and toys.
An annual event in years past, “this year we’ll start to have it every six weeks or so,” said Sally Hind, who’s in charge of the book fair.
But Roundabout does much more than organize book fairs.
Inspired by
Mama Tina
Many of Roundabout’s volunteers have been involved in volunteering for a long time. Leslie Simpson, the founder of Roundabout, worked at a charity store when she was in UK.
In the 1980s, Simpson read Bridge Over My Sorrows and Mama Tina, which were about an Irish woman from a humble background who moved to Vietnam to help homeless children.
“When I read her story I instantly knew that I wished to do similar work,” Simpson said. “My husband said he could apply for a job in China so that I could do what I want.”
Simpson arrived in China nine years ago and volunteered at Blue Sky Healing Home for three and a half years.
“I saw, through doing that, the need for a donation point. Many expats, when they leave – what do they do with all their things? They can turn them into something [useful].”
With that in mind, Simpson started Roundabout in October 2008, first using donations from friends. She used the money to buy furniture for an orphanage.
As Roundabout grew, it needed a second and third warehouse to store its supplies. Its reputation attracted more volunteers, too.
According to its website, “Roundabout is currently supporting 30 charities within the Beijing area and many more in areas throughout the country.”
“We first started by contacting a few charities and asking them if they would be interested in us being a central donation point and to support them,” Simpson said. “They all said yes. And they told charities, and they told charities … we never actually had to lift the telephone and ask for help, they always found us.”
The group also has a good relationship with the Shunyi District government, which provides them information.
Seeking transparency
With scandals rocking many charity groups in China, Simpson believes in transparency.
“Normally in our retail store, if we purchase coal for the orphanage, a copy of the receipt is on the wall, as is the picture of coal being delivered,” Simpson said. “We would be crazy to steal [funds].”
Roundabout has also sent aid to other countries. It cooperated with a Canadian organization called The Fugong Foster Care Project , which has been working in Yunnan for many years, and also some Chinese organizations like Butter Lamp Foundation in Qinghai. All are reputable charities, Simpson said.
“First we have to ensure that the organizations we are working with are very clean and transparent,” Simpson said. “So we do research on the Internet, ask a lot of questions from other organizations, asked those charities about the work they’ve already done. We have to ensure that things get to people who need it.”
Everybody can
get involved
Roundabout has a core team made up of a few dedicated volunteers who take on all major roles.
“We talk all the time and consult one another on ideas and projects,” Simpson said. “We pull our expertise and skills together and make a great team. We offer each other emotional support, which is very important in this job.” The team also consists of volunteers who don’t have much time but do what they can to help sort and price products.
Roundabout also gets a lot of support from locals. During the last book fair, Roundabout dropped bags at every house in their neighborhood on Friday with a note in English and Chinese. When they came to pick up the bags a few days later, they got a lot of Chinese books, and a lot of Chinese people came to the fair for the first time.
“There is a big thought in China that only rich people can do charity,” Simpson said. At the same time, a lady came to greet her with a basket of home-baked cookies.
“Everybody can be involved, everybody has some talent or even just time,” said Flora Clyde, Roundabout’s communications director.
Find the right people
Although Roundabout has operated relatively smoothly since 2008, it has not been free of problems.
Strictly doing volunteer work can be a problem, Simpson said. She can count on 15 to 20 volunteers, but all are part-time, and the expat community the charity draws from has people constantly coming and going. Roundabout has five locals as its full-time staff.
Location is also a big problem – perhaps the biggest. Roundabout has a retail store, a 1,000-square-meter space it rents for 1,500 yuan per month, but it’s located in Shunyi. It’s hard to find to find anything of comparable size for that price nearer downtown.
“Bags of donations come to us, which can be jewelry, expensive things. We need people with the good heart to not take these things,” Simpson said. “So that’s what really stops us from expanding too much. We are not going downtown until we find the right person.”
Passing on the trust
Roundabout wants to find a new affordable home soon, to reestablish its base in Shunyi, then move on to open more stores in the city. After five years, Simpson would like to be able to perfect her model and open stores in other areas of China.
“The ultimate goal is we want Chinese people to run this for Chinese, we’re just showing how this works, but here has to be enough trust,” Simpson said.
Simpson, as a charity veteran, has won many people’s trust. But the problem with trust is that it’s much more easily lost than gained.
“When we reopen we want to take three Chinese graduates,” Simpson said. “The workload is huge; we want someone we can depend on.”
By Wu Hao
Sunlight streamed through the windows of Beijing Rego British School’s cafe last Saturday as volunteers in red aprons shuffled about, sorting books and helping visitors find what they want.
This was Roundabout’s charity book fair, with all proceeds going to purchase coal for a school for deaf children in Hebei Province. Books were sold from all genres, from fiction to travel to cooking. There was also a children’s area for books and toys.
An annual event in years past, “this year we’ll start to have it every six weeks or so,” said Sally Hind, who’s in charge of the book fair.
But Roundabout does much more than organize book fairs.
Roundabout's charity book fair, with all proceeds going toward the purchase coal for a school for deaf children in Hebei Province. Photos by Wu Hao
Inspired by Mama Tina
Many of Roundabout’s volunteers have been involved in volunteering for a long time. Leslie Simpson, the founder of Roundabout, worked at a charity store when she was in UK.
In the 1980s, Simpson read Bridge Over My Sorrows and Mama Tina, which were about an Irish woman from a humble background who moved to Vietnam to help homeless children.
“When I read her story I instantly knew that I wished to do similar work,” Simpson said. “My husband said he could apply for a job in China so that I could do what I want.”
Simpson arrived in China nine years ago and volunteered at Blue Sky Healing Home for three and a half years.
“I saw, through doing that, the need for a donation point. Many expats, when they leave – what do they do with all their things? They can turn them into something [useful].”
With that in mind, Simpson started Roundabout in October 2008, first using donations from friends. She used the money to buy furniture for an orphanage.
As Roundabout grew, it needed a second and third warehouse to store its supplies. Its reputation attracted more volunteers, too.
According to its website, “Roundabout is currently supporting 30 charities within the Beijing area and many more in areas throughout the country.”
“We first started by contacting a few charities and asking them if they would be interested in us being a central donation point and to support them,” Simpson said. “They all said yes. And they told charities, and they told charities … we never actually had to lift the telephone and ask for help, they always found us.”
The group also has a good relationship with the Shunyi District government, which provides them information.
By Wu Hao
Every Saturday for the past two months, Dennis Schenk, a professional dog trainer, has been holding free dog training sessions in Shunyi District.
“It’s going quite well,” said Schenk, a certified canine behavior consultant who’s been working with dogs for more than 15 years. “The first time, more than 20 people showed up, and this whole area was full.”
“It exceeded our expectations,” said his wife, Wu.
Schenk came to China from the US two years ago with the goal of sharing his canine knowledge and experience.
“China has the third largest pet dog ownership in the world, but here pet dog ownership is still new, people don’t have much awareness of treating their dog in the correct way,” Schenk said. “That’s why I came here.”
Not long after he arrived, he met his future wife, Wu, who was also a pet lover. She was impressed by Dennis’s enthusiasm for dog training and decided to help him pursue his passion.
Schenk said dogs in China are suffering because of their owners’ lack of knowledge.
“Chinese are still feeding their dogs dumplings. They kick and yell at their dogs now and then,” Schenk said, his face becoming animated. “Every dog is different, just like every child is different. That’s another misconception in China. They think dogs are all the same way, with the same psychology.”
“In China, dog training happens on a production line: they train your dog, give it to you, get the money, and the owner doesn’t get any training,” he added.
He said it was owners rather than the dogs who need training.
Schenk wants to make more people aware of how to treat their pet dogs, which is why he offers advice for free. He does this in hopes of reducing abuse and cutting down the rates of dog abandonment, while also creating harmony between owners and their pets both in the house and outside in the community.
Because Schenk is getting busier, he thinks he might have to hold the activity every other Saturday in the future.
“But we’ll definitely still give free advice if you have any problems,” Wu said. “We are looking forward to bringing the event downtown this year.”
Where: Euro Plaza, Doctors Beck & Stone, Shop LB05, Euro Plaza 99 Yuxiang Lu, Tianzhu Town, Shunyi District
When: Every Saturday, 2-3 pm
Phone: 13718027490 (English)
13466397349 (Chinese)
Email:
canine_behavior@ymail.com
Website: chinadogtraining.com
Cost: Free
Canine behavior consultants say pet problems may have less to do with dog training than owner training.
By Wu Hao
Every Saturday for the past two months, Dennis Schenk, a professional dog trainer, has been holding free dog training sessions in Shunyi District.
“It’s going quite well,” said Schenk, a certified canine behavior consultant who’s been working with dogs for more than 15 years. “The first time, more than 20 people showed up, and this whole area was full.”
“It exceeded our expectations,” said his wife, Wu.
Schenk came to China from the US two years ago with the goal of sharing his canine knowledge and experience.
“China has the third largest pet dog ownership in the world, but here pet dog ownership is still new, people don’t have much awareness of treating their dog in the correct way,” Schenk said. “That’s why I came here.”
Not long after he arrived, he met his future wife, Wu, who was also a pet lover. She was impressed by Dennis’s enthusiasm for dog training and decided to help him pursue his passion.
CFP Photo
Schenk said dogs in China are suffering because of their owners’ lack of knowledge.
“Chinese are still feeding their dogs dumplings. They kick and yell at their dogs now and then,” Schenk said, his face becoming animated. “Every dog is different, just like every child is different. That’s another misconception in China. They think dogs are all the same way, with the same psychology.”
“In China, dog training happens on a production line: they train your dog, give it to you, get the money, and the owner doesn’t get any training,” he added.
He said it was owners rather than the dogs who need training.
Schenk wants to make more people aware of how to treat their pet dogs, which is why he offers advice for free. He does this in hopes of reducing abuse and cutting down the rates of dog abandonment, while also creating harmony between owners and their pets both in the house and outside in the community.
Because Schenk is getting busier, he thinks he might have to hold the activity every other Saturday in the future.
“But we’ll definitely still give free advice if you have any problems,” Wu said. “We are looking forward to bringing the event downtown this year.”
Where: Euro Plaza, Doctors Beck & Stone, Shop LB05, Euro Plaza 99 Yuxiang Lu, Tianzhu Town, Shunyi District
When: Every Saturday, 2-3 pm
Phone: 13718027490 (English)
13466397349 (Chinese)
Email:
canine_behavior@ymail.com
Website: chinadogtraining.com
Cost: Free
The Familier has organized two days of family-oriented Spring Festival activities. On Sunday, both Familier centers will be hosting fun, traditional Spring Festival crafts and activities, such as paper cutting, tang-hulu, or candied hawthorn, making and porcelain painting. The Familier center in 798 Art District will host another activity on January 21.
Where: The Familier Chao-wai and The Familier 798
When: January 15 and January 21 (noon – 6 pm)
Tel: 5869 2904 (The Familier Chaowai)
5762 6014 (The Familier 798)
Cost: 50 yuan for adult, 100 yuan for child
Spring Carnival
The 10th Chaoyang Park International Carnival – Western Temple Fair – will begin soon. Friends from around the world are welcome to participate in the carnival activities, which include selling homemade food and beverages, introducing your country’s cultural to visitors and helping visitors in the park. Basic Chinese skills are necessary.
Also, people or groups can take part in the talent show. Each performance can be up to 30 minutes. Lighting, props and other equipment will be provided.
Lunch will be included, and payment offered.
Where: Chaoyang Park, Dong Sihuang Lu, Chaoyang District
When: January 23-28
Tel: Stacey: 15011566041
Happy Year of the Dragon!
The Familier has organized two days of family-oriented Spring Festival activities. On Sunday, both Familier centers will be hosting fun, traditional Spring Festival crafts and activities, such as paper cutting, tang-hulu, or candied hawthorn, making and porcelain painting. The Familier center in 798 Art District will host another activity on January 21.
Where: The Familier Chao-wai and The Familier 798
When: January 15 and January 21 (noon – 6 pm)
Tel: 5869 2904 (The Familier Chaowai)
5762 6014 (The Familier 798)
Cost: 50 yuan for adult, 100 yuan for child
Spring Carnival
The 10th Chaoyang Park International Carnival – Western Temple Fair – will begin soon. Friends from around the world are welcome to participate in the carnival activities, which include selling homemade food and beverages, introducing your country’s cultural to visitors and helping visitors in the park. Basic Chinese skills are necessary.
Also, people or groups can take part in the talent show. Each performance can be up to 30 minutes. Lighting, props and other equipment will be provided.
Lunch will be included, and payment offered.
Where: Chaoyang Park, Dong Sihuang Lu, Chaoyang District
When: January 23-28
Tel: Stacey: 15011566041
Mr. Yang: 13699138680
(By Han Manman)
By Han Manman
Americans in China now have another way of buddying up with fellow citizens: a new online community called Project Pengyou is calling for new members.
Pengyou means “friend” in Chinese, and Chinese people often refer to Americans as their Meiguo pengyou (“American friends”).
“The site will encourage people-to-people interaction and build a community of Americans who have ‘China experience,’” said Holly Chang, director of Project Pengyou.
She said the project, a non-profit, non-governmental social venture with funding from the Ford Foundation, is the alumni network of US president Barack Obama’s 100,000 Strong Initiative. It is designed to boost the number of young Americans who study abroad in China and help individual members strengthen connections, forge new networks, develop career opportunities, share insights, expand knowledge and enrich their China experiences.
“I may hold the official title of US ambassador to China, but you are the everyday US ambassadors, people who are working all over this country in business, in education and in government relations,” US ambassador Gary Locke said to a group of American students during the project’s launch ceremony last month in Beijing.
“Project Pengyou is just starting to build its community,” Chang said. Her team has launched a “Share Story” feature that allows American expats, both former and current, to sign on as members and post stories about living in China.
Many have already joined. While some shared loved stories about finding a Chinese wife, they shared their study experience or factoids about interesting people they’ve met.
“For those who stay in China a couple of weeks, the most challenging China moment would be the chance to finally order in a restaurant,” wrote an American named Holly Zhao. “For those that stay for a couple of months, it’s fighting through bureaucratic nightmares at the bank to set up an account.
“For those that are irresistibly drawn to the promise and opportunity that China offers no matter the headaches and the pollution, the most challenging China moment is the moment that makes you realize what an incredibly different person you’ve become through your accumulated China experiences … and whether that change has been for the good or for the bad.”
Krystal Flores, another American in China, wrote, “As a Mexican-American, China is something extremely different to me. Its rich history interests me. Its current economic situation and future potential engage me. Its language brings a smile to my face.
“I came to China to learn about the people, their history, the language, myself, and how to help my country in the future by getting to know China now. I am still here in China because I continue to learn so much more every day.”
Chang said her team is planning to gather all the best stories to publish in a book in the future.
She said in the future Project Pengyou also plans to host social and professional networking events for Chinese citizens that study or have studied in America.
For more information, visit projectpengyou.com.
Project Pengyou encourages Americans in China to share their China story on the online community. Photos from projectpengyou.com
By Han Manman
Americans in China now have another way of buddying up with fellow citizens: a new online community called Project Pengyou is calling for new members.
Pengyou means “friend” in Chinese, and Chinese people often refer to Americans as their Meiguo pengyou (“American friends”).
“The site will encourage people-to-people interaction and build a community of Americans who have ‘China experience,’” said Holly Chang, director of Project Pengyou.
She said the project, a non-profit, non-governmental social venture with funding from the Ford Foundation, is the alumni network of US president Barack Obama’s 100,000 Strong Initiative. It is designed to boost the number of young Americans who study abroad in China and help individual members strengthen connections, forge new networks, develop career opportunities, share insights, expand knowledge and enrich their China experiences.
It’s never too early to start preparations for taking pets overseas. Come join experts from the International Center for Veterinary Services as we share step-by-step instructions on the exit process and vaccination requirements for leaving the country or moving to other Chinese cities with your pets.
The latest 2012 regulations for China, EU countries, North America and Asia will be shared in addition to advice on pet transportation safety and minimizing travel-related stress for you and your pets.
Where: International Center for Veterinary Services. Kent Center, 29 Liangmaqiao Lu, Anjialou (shares a courtyard with China Culture Center), Chaoyang District
When: January 14, 11 am – noon
Tel:8456 1939 / 1940 / 1941
Cost: Free
Roundabout book fair
The Beijing Rego British School will again host a Roundabout Book Fair. Its first book fair with Roundabout in November raised 50,000 yuan that is being used to purchase coal for two orphanages – one in Xuanhua, Hebei Province and the other in Shanxi, near Taiyuan.
Children’s books start as low as 1 yuan; paperbacks are 10 yuan; hardbacks are 20 yuan; coffee table and art books are individually priced. The selection is huge, but children’s books sell out quickly! Book donations may be dropped off at the school prior to the fair.
All proceeds will be used in Roundabout’s efforts to purchase coal for poor orphanages in China. In the past, many children have lost fingers and toes due to frostbite they developed from living in extremely cold conditions. Come to the Book Fair and help provide the gift of warmth this winter!
Where: Beijing Rego British School campus, 15 Liyuan Jie, Shunyi District
When: January 14, 10 am to 3 pm
Tel: 8416 7718
Cost: Free
Beijing writers’ group
This close-knit group of literary buffs provides constructive feedback on creative writing. You can bring a couple copies of something you’ve written and the group will read it and discuss it over drinks.
Where: The Bookworm, Courtyard 4, Gongti Bei Lu, Chaoyang District
When: Every Monday, 7:30 pm
Tel: 6586 9507
Cost: Free
(By Han Manman)
Leaving the country with pets
It’s never too early to start preparations for taking pets overseas. Come join experts from the International Center for Veterinary Services as we share step-by-step instructions on the exit process and vaccination requirements for leaving the country or moving to other Chinese cities with your pets.
The latest 2012 regulations for China, EU countries, North America and Asia will be shared in addition to advice on pet transportation safety and minimizing travel-related stress for you and your pets.
Where: International Center for Veterinary Services. Kent Center, 29 Liangmaqiao Lu, Anjialou (shares a courtyard with China Culture Center), Chaoyang District
When: January 14, 11 am – noon
Tel:8456 1939 / 1940 / 1941
Cost: Free
Roundabout book fair
The Beijing Rego British School will again host a Roundabout Book Fair. Its first book fair with Roundabout in November raised 50,000 yuan that is being used to purchase coal for two orphanages – one in Xuanhua, Hebei Province and the other in Shanxi, near Taiyuan.
Children’s books start as low as 1 yuan; paperbacks are 10 yuan; hardbacks are 20 yuan; coffee table and art books are individually priced. The selection is huge, but children’s books sell out quickly! Book donations may be dropped off at the school prior to the fair.
All proceeds will be used in Roundabout’s efforts to purchase coal for poor orphanages in China. In the past, many children have lost fingers and toes due to frostbite they developed from living in extremely cold conditions. Come to the Book Fair and help provide the gift of warmth this winter!
Where: Beijing Rego British School campus, 15 Liyuan Jie, Shunyi District
When: January 14, 10 am to 3 pm
Tel: 8416 7718
Cost: Free
Beijing writers’ group
This close-knit group of literary buffs provides constructive feedback on creative writing. You can bring a couple copies of something you’ve written and the group will read it and discuss it over drinks.
Where: The Bookworm, Courtyard 4, Gongti Bei Lu, Chaoyang District
When: Every Monday, 7:30 pm
Tel: 6586 9507
Cost: Free
(By Han Manman)
By Annie Wei
Auditions will soon begin for Beijing Playhouse’s newest play, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, which will be performed in May.
The show is considered one of the best Broadway musicals of all-time. It features classic hits like “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,” “Little Surrey with the Fringe on the Top” and “Kansas City.” The story depicts a high-spirited rivalry between local farmers and cowboys.
Beijing Playhouse, the city’s only amateur English theater group, is searching for 30 singers and dancers and 80 stagehands.
Anyone between the ages of 10 and 80 is welcome to give it a try. Interested parties should note that all parts will be in English.
The audition requires participants to do a live read from a script and perform a scene. For more important roles, judges may ask for an a capella song.
Those who are selected will need to attend rehearsals on Sunday afternoons in March and April.
The performance will be from May 18 to June 3. For more information, visit beijingplayhouse.com.
Audition dates: February 26 and 27, 2012, 6:30 pm
Where: Mako theater in Shuangjing. Rehearsals are at Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 15 Beisanhuan Dong Lu, Chao-yang District, a 10-minute walk from the south exit of Huixingxijie subway station, Line 10.
Beijing Playhouse recruits volunteers for big-scale shows and also hosts kids' theaters during summer and winter holidays. Photo provided by Beijing Playhouse
By Annie Wei
Auditions will soon begin for Beijing Playhouse’s newest play, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, which will be performed in May.
The show is considered one of the best Broadway musicals of all-time. It features classic hits like “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,” “Little Surrey with the Fringe on the Top” and “Kansas City.” The story depicts a high-spirited rivalry between local farmers and cowboys.
Beijing Playhouse, the city’s only amateur English theater group, is searching for 30 singers and dancers and 80 stagehands.
Anyone between the ages of 10 and 80 is welcome to give it a try. Interested parties should note that all parts will be in English.
The audition requires participants to do a live read from a script and perform a scene. For more important roles, judges may ask for an a capella song.
Those who are selected will need to attend rehearsals on Sunday afternoons in March and April.
The performance will be from May 18 to June 3. For more information, visit beijingplayhouse.com.
Audition dates: February 26 and 27, 2012, 6:30 pm
Where: Mako theater in Shuangjing. Rehearsals are at Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 15 Beisanhuan Dong Lu, Chao-yang District, a 10-minute walk from the south exit of Huixingxijie subway station, Line 10.
Free dog training advice
A well-trained dog can be the difference between having a good pet experience and nightmare. Every Saturday afternoon, Doctors Beck & Stone, a veterinary clinic, in collaboration with Dennis Schenk, a certified canine behaviorist consultant, gives free dog training advice.
Where: Euro Plaza, Doctors Beck & Stone, Shop LB05, Euro Plaza99 Yu-xiang Lu, Tianzhu Town, Shunyi District
When: 2-3 pm
Tel: 2886 8046
Cost: Free
Milonga el Chino
There aren’t many places like Milonga. After all, where else can one learn Argentine tango? The club was started in 2007 and offers many activities to anyone interested in tango.
Where: Peanuts Café (at site of Duanqirui Government), 3 Zhangzizhong Lu, Dongcheng District
When: 9 pm – midnight, every Wednesday
Tel: 6403 0688
Cost: 50 yuan, includes a drink
(By Wei Ying)
Open Mic night
Every first and third Thursday of the month, Library 98 will host its Open Mic night. The activity is an open-mic event for anyone with something to say, whether in the form of improv and comedy, stand-up or cross-talk.
Where: Tushuguan 98, 53 Gulou Xi Dajie, Dongcheng District
Open: December 29, 8-10 pm
Tel: 8400 1532
Cost: Free
BSB Parent Workshop
Part of the British School’s “helping hand” series, this workshop helps parents learn to support their children’s English development at home. All parents are welcome. Refreshments will be available.
Where: British School Sanlitun campus, 5 Xiliu Jie, Sanlitun Lu, Chao-yang District
Open: January 11, 3:45-4:45 pm
Tel: 8532 3088
Cost Free
(By Wei Ying)
Open Mic night
Every first and third Thursday of the month, Library 98 will host its Open Mic night. The activity is an open-mic event for anyone with something to say, whether in the form of improv and comedy, stand-up or cross-talk.
Where: Tushuguan 98, 53 Gulou Xi Dajie, Dongcheng District
Open: December 29, 8-10 pm
Tel: 8400 1532
Cost: Free
BSB Parent Workshop
Part of the British School’s “helping hand” series, this workshop helps parents learn to support their children’s English development at home. All parents are welcome. Refreshments will be available.
Where: British School Sanlitun campus, 5 Xiliu Jie, Sanlitun Lu, Chao-yang District
Open: January 11, 3:45-4:45 pm
Tel: 8532 3088
Cost Free
(By Wei Ying)
By Anthony Tao
More than a hundred people, mostly expats, participated in the Beijing edition of SantaCon last Saturday, in which revelers dressed as Santa to spread holiday tidings around the city.
“I’m a big fan [of the event],” said Ben Redden, an account manager at a marketing agency, participating in the event for the second straight year. “Honestly, it’s pretty wholesome fun. It’s sort of a pub crawl mixed with a flash mob and good cheer.”
The first SantaCon was held in 1994 in San Francisco, before spreading around the world. In 2006, around 70,000 Santas took over Moscow. A year later, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized the event when 13,000 Santas converged in Ireland. According to SantaCon.info, the event is done in 227 locations in 32 countries.
In Beijing – like most places – the goal was simple: to have fun. As the Beijing SantaCon website notes, the event is a “non-profit, non-political, non-religious and non-sensical Santa Claus convention celebration.”
This year, it officially began at noon in two locations: Bang! Bang! Pizza in Shuangjing and Pyro Pizza in Wudaokou. Two groups of Jolly St. Nicks eventually made their way to Wangfujing, where more than 100 Santas mingled.
“First SantaCon for me – never expected that many Santas!” said YJ Tan, who works at the Singaporean embassy. She said she noticed quite a few Chinese Santas, too.
Most locals were witnesses, however, and they were mostly flabbergasted. But participants say the interaction is always positive.
“Lots of people were checking us out with wondering expressions, but they were pretty entertained when we sang and danced,” Redden said.
And drank, of course.
Stops on the pub crawl included Houhai’s Zoom Club and Huxley’s (a bar too small to fit everyone, so people gathered outside for a rousing round of caroling), Hot Cat Club, where there was a live band, Stumble Inn in Sanlitun and, finally, the nightclub Chocolate.
“Yeah, it might just be drunk expats in costumes,” said Ellen Wong, who recalls riding on a scooter with other Santas as they zipped down busy streets. “But onlookers seemed generally amused.”
And why wouldn’t they be?
“There were some people who gave out candies to kids, who were surprisingly eager to take the candy and hang out with Santas,” said Kathryn Jonas, who works at an NGO and was one of the event’s official “herders,” making sure people got to where they needed to be.
“Besides lots of photos, there were a couple of people [on the streets] who would randomly say, Ho ho ho! at you, and that was kind of cute,” she added.
For others, SantaCon was a chance to participate in a global phenomenon: a spirited way to show the world that Christmas is just around the corner.
“I’d never done SantaCon in the US, even though I had heard of it and knew it was popular in cities like New York and Washington DC,” said Sam Dreiman, a consultant whose night ended at Stumble Inn singing Queen’s classic anthem Bohemian Rhapsody “with every other drunk Santa in Beijing.”
He said one of his favorite parts was “taking pictures with Chinese children and then giving them our Santa hats.”
“Honestly speaking, I thought last year was a bit more fun than this year,” said freelancer Sean Silbert. “I don’t know the numbers, but it seemed like there was more people, and the venues seemed to be more fun for meeting people and Kris Kringle-watching.”
He made sure to add, though: “I’m no Grinch – I’ll do it again in a heartbeat.”
SantaCon spreads Christmas cheer through town. Photos by Ben Redden
By Anthony Tao
More than a hundred people, mostly expats, participated in the Beijing edition of SantaCon last Saturday, in which revelers dressed as Santa to spread holiday tidings around the city.
“I’m a big fan [of the event],” said Ben Redden, an account manager at a marketing agency, participating in the event for the second straight year. “Honestly, it’s pretty wholesome fun. It’s sort of a pub crawl mixed with a flash mob and good cheer.”
The first SantaCon was held in 1994 in San Francisco, before spreading around the world. In 2006, around 70,000 Santas took over Moscow. A year later, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized the event when 13,000 Santas converged in Ireland. According to SantaCon.info, the event is done in 227 locations in 32 countries.
In Beijing – like most places – the goal was simple: to have fun. As the Beijing SantaCon website notes, the event is a “non-profit, non-political, non-religious and non-sensical Santa Claus convention celebration.”
This year, it officially began at noon in two locations: Bang! Bang! Pizza in Shuangjing and Pyro Pizza in Wudaokou. Two groups of Jolly St. Nicks eventually made their way to Wangfujing, where more than 100 Santas mingled.
“First SantaCon for me – never expected that many Santas!” said YJ Tan, who works at the Singaporean embassy. She said she noticed quite a few Chinese Santas, too.
Most locals were witnesses, however, and they were mostly flabbergasted. But participants say the interaction is always positive.
“Lots of people were checking us out with wondering expressions, but they were pretty entertained when we sang and danced,” Redden said.
And drank, of course.
By Annie Wei
The International Center for Veterinary Services (ICVS) will host a Christmas party for pets and their owners at the center tomorrow from 2 to 4 pm.
Established for eight years, ICVS has aimed to provide an international standard of veterinary medicine to Beijing residents, as well as the latest information about pet ownership in China.
Everyone is welcome to the party, which is not only a happy gathering for pets and pet owners, but also a networking opportunity for local and foreign veterinarians.
Apart from providing medical care for cats and dogs, ICVS also provides service such as well-care examinations, dentistry, diet and nutrition consultations and general husbandry advice for special species like rabbits, ferrets, chinchillas, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, turtles and reptiles.
The pets Christmas party
Where: ICVS, 29 Liangmaqiao Lu, Anjialou, Chao-yang District
When: December 10, 2-4 pm
Tel: 8456 1939
CFP Photo
By Annie Wei
The International Center for Veterinary Services (ICVS) will host a Christmas party for pets and their owners at the center tomorrow from 2 to 4 pm.
Established for eight years, ICVS has aimed to provide an international standard of veterinary medicine to Beijing residents, as well as the latest information about pet ownership in China.
Everyone is welcome to the party, which is not only a happy gathering for pets and pet owners, but also a networking opportunity for local and foreign veterinarians.
Apart from providing medical care for cats and dogs, ICVS also provides service such as well-care examinations, dentistry, diet and nutrition consultations and general husbandry advice for special species like rabbits, ferrets, chinchillas, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, turtles and reptiles.
The pets Christmas party
Where: ICVS, 29 Liangmaqiao Lu, Anjialou, Chao-yang District
When: December 10, 2-4 pm
Tel: 8456 1939
