Feature What fun things are there to do in your neighborhood? We live close to Olympic Forest Park. We love the ponds and many different flowers and statues there. On campus, we are lucky to have athletic equipment and courts, such as a rock climbing wall, a running track, and a sand pit, plus basketball, tennis and volleyball courts. Do your kids like your neighborhood? Yes. After Olympic Forest Park, the children’s favorite places are on campus. There is a tower that looks like somewhere Rapunzel would live, and several little paths and flower gardens that they like to run around. They also love playing on the Olympic statue built to commemorate the Greco-Roman wrestling and [Paralympic] volleyball competitions. The girls also love Jinma Market, which has jewelry and manicures; they love looking – and occasionally buying – something. Do many other expat families live nearby? There are very few expat families with school-aged children near us. There are several expat couples and families with [a single small child]. The program my husband works for employs several expat faculty; we all live on or near campus.
Julia and Ryan Nielsen Child: Dylan (12 months) Background: The Nielsens are from the US and have lived in Beijing for three months. Ryan is currently attending Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) as part of his MBA and Julia is a full-time mom.
Do you ever wish you lived downtown or in Shunyi? Occasionally we do, so that the kids would have children their age to play with on days other than Saturday. Chinese children are usually only available then. How has living in your neighborhood affected your China experience? We enjoy a very enlightening, positive experience because of the high concentration of students and faculty in our neighborhood. They are so respectful of each other and helpful with our children. We went to a health clinic on campus and a staff member sent a student to help translate; this student became one of our most cherished friends. She sometimes goes with us to Jinma Market, and enjoys talking with the children, who teach her jokes and include her in their pretend play. She appreciates being able to practice her English. Since she is from Xi’an and hasn’t seen much of Beijing, we planned to take some trips around the city together; 798 is at the top of our list. Do you see yourself living here for a while? Certainly. Chris loves his job and we love discovering all the unique things about China. This discovery process helps us to better educate ourselves and our children.
Where do you live? We live in Wudaokou because it’s close to Ryan’s campus. This is the only place we’ve lived, and we like it. How often do you go into the city? On average, we go into the city one to three times a week for church or church-related activities, visiting friends, and shopping. How do you get around? We take the subway and walk everywhere. We rarely take a taxi. To commute around town, we ride our bicycles unless Dylan is with us; then, we walk. What fun things are there to do in your neighborhood? We spend a lot of time with friends and enjoy going to Olympic Forest Park. We also like walking around Tsinghua University and the lake on campus. As a family, we like to explore the different places to eat around our neighborhood. Do many other expat families live nearby? We are friends with two or three expat families in our area. We see quite a few expats [here], but it’s not common to see families. Do you ever wish you lived downtown or in Shunyi? Overall, we are happy with where we live. Living in Shunyi would mean being closer to our church and some of our friends, but the subway makes traveling cheap, convenient and easy.
photo: sui
Ultimately, how has living in your neighborhood affected your China experience? The biggest thing for us is feeling comfortable where we live; Julia feels comfortable going out and traveling by herself with our son. The neighborhood offers us the conveniences that we need.
Ryan, Dylan (12 months), and Julia Nielsen near their home in Wudaokou
Do you see yourself living here for a while longer? Yes, we will be here for at least a few more months for school. Julia would be happy to live here for a while longer after that. July 2013
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