Travel

After two hot, sweaty months in Beijing, I am returning home to  Canada. Parting with Beijing, however, will be more bitter than it will be sweet. This city is a constant adventure. Saying goodbye to it has never been easy.

When I moved away five years ago, I had just finished 10th grade at the International School of Beijing. I sobbed against the airplane window as the plane left the tarmac and hated my parents for taking me away from the city I had lived in the longest, the place I loved the best. Adjusting to Canada – its public schools, its blistering winters, and its spaces that seemed to be devoid of any kind of history or culture – was far harder than settling in to China to had been. Nonetheless, I eventually gave up resenting my parents, and Canada became home. 

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Hello sunshine!

Well. Sort of. It seems that the warmer days are not necessarily heralding the appearance of a large shiny ball in the sky (remember that thing?). Nonetheless, it is with daily exuberance that I cast open the curtains each morning, living in hope. Sure, more often than not, my heart sinks down to my slippers while the kids tug at my pyjamas, begging to go to the beach.

Hmmm. There is a sandpit full of goodness-know-what at the base of our building… not quite the same. How depressing. And my depression is probably due to my lack of sun-exposure and not the fact that I can no longer fit into my bikini.

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Have you and your family witnessed the incredible while traveling within China? Want to share your vacation experience with others in Beijing? If so, let us know! tbjkids is looking for families who have traveled to amazing places in China to be featured in an upcoming issue.

See pictures of your awesome family vacation in the next tbjkids! Revisit your extraordinary memories on the pages of a magazine! Help out your fellow city-mates and neighbors by passing on useful travel tips to those who want to follow your lead.

If you have been to an amazing city in China and want to suggest it to other readers, e-mail editor@tbjkids.com by May 1 for a chance to be featured.

As summer approaches, many families may be traveling or relocating to other cities or countries. And hard as it may be to leave Beijing behind, even harder still it is to leave beloved pets. Not only can the process for obtaining exit and entry clearance for animals seem complicated and intimidating, but traveling with pets can be difficult for pet owners and equally difficult – if not traumatic – for the animals.

That is why the good people at the International Center for Veterinary Services are offering free information sessions for those with questions about:

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As I walked towards the surprisingly humble entryway to Anaheim Disney, clutching the wriggling hands of M7 (Miss 7) and M5 (Master 5), there was only one dream I hoped would come true (beside the requisite wishes for world peace, health, happiness and an inexhaustible supply of non-taxable funds). The dream? That my disturbingly high anxiety levels would plummet like the Matterhorn, and subside to a low-level buzz.

Why was I a bundle of nerves? In a Chip ‘n’ Dale nutshell? Queues. Crowds. Pushing. Shoving. People. Everywhere. (Please also add to this a hindsight entry – USD 18 for two grande lattes and two cookies.) Though never formally diagnosed, there is a teensy bit of agoraphobia nesting in this skull. My mother used to call it impatience. I say it’s either/and/or both*, with an added dash of Beijing-quick-get-in-there-while-you-can-itis.

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I tried. Lord knows, I really tried.

I crammed, I shoved, I rolled. I stuffed, I squeezed, I wedged. I begged and I prayed, but nothing was going to make those backpacks bigger. I defy anyone to travel overseas for two weeks and fit the clothing and basic necessities of two da ren and two xiao ha’r into a couple of medium-sized backpacks, whose main cabin-space tends to be so much padding and strapping, it leaves little room for knickers and socks let alone a pair of men’s size 12 running shoes.

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For our family’s rapidly approaching trip to California, I have set for myself the lengthy task of deciding how to pack two weeks’ worth of family travel into two moderate sized (read: teensy) backpacks. We are not a group of jetsetters that travel light. We like our colouring books, the pencils, the cards, the books, the never-ending supply of Zip loc bags containing xiao chi and the enormous, clunky 4WD suitcases with firm exteriors – all the better to protect the stash of treasures we invariably buy. My Dear Spouse (DS) will tell you I would buy snow in Antarctica. I’ll not argue that, especially if it’s an artfully carved snowball (those clever penguins).

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My Dear Spouse (DS) and I recently made the impetuous decision to snaffle the kids out of school and head to Disneyland. To abscond. To play hooky from life in Beijing. Irresponsible? Maybe. Naughty? A little. Exciting? Oh yes! Because we’re not talking Hong Kong Disney – oh no. Phhht. We’re talking the Real Deal. Yes folks, the place where dreams are made (note to self: pick up a few more dreams at Disney gift shop) – the original, the one and only – Anaheim Disney. (Squeal of delight – and without a trace of sarcasm!)

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It’s frightening to think that for a period of about two weeks, the equivalent of the population of America is currently traveling around China. If your planning on getting out of Beijing for some much needed R and R with your family, it can be an especially worrying time.

I stumbled across this great article over at www.guardian.co.uk called 50 top tips for traveling with kids. It gives links to online resources, offers tips for disabled travelers and teaches you how to plan successfully for your trip.

If you are heading off this Spring Festival, or staying in Beijing to enjoy the celebrations, tbjkids wishes you the best for the New Year.