As part of my preparation to return to work early next year, I have recently started the search for someone to look after my son full-time during the day. Being in Beijing, I don’t have the same network of family I would otherwise depend on, and nurseries tend to only admit children from 18 months…
To heat or not to heat?
I’ve recently discovered that my 5 month-old son is quite sensitive to cold. As temperatures have dipped in Beijing, he, my husband and I have therefore had two weeks of sleepless nights. But why haven’t we switched on the heating to avoid these sleepless nights? Well, in Beijing, November 15th and March 15th are dates…
Belt and Road… Reminds me of…
There’s a song by one of my favourite RnB artists Usher, called “You remind me“. In it, Usher tells a new girlfriend that she’s like a previous girlfriend that he fell in love with, who treated him badly. His question is therefore a simple one – to date or not to date his new girlfriend? I…
Summits as game-changers? Really?
Late last year and early this year African heads of state and Government leaders gathered together at two key events. The first was the 6th summit of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The second was the 26th African Union Summit, hosted at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which was built…
Hairstyles and the G20 – what to pick in China?
Most women, if and when they can, love visiting the hairdresser, especially if the results are good. It’s usually a time to get pampered, and also get an update on the latest styles and gossip. During my last visit, I asked about hair coloring. My hairdresser gave me three options. I could either stick with…
One mountain, two tigers
I’ve recently celebrated my first anniversary of working in China, and I can wholeheartedly say it has been fantastic so far. In particular I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by supportive and enthusiastic colleagues. To be very honest, I had worried about a challenge summed up well by a Chinese saying that “two…
If you don’t ask, you don’t get
June is always a busy month for my family, as three of us have a birthday in the space of two weeks. Father’s day also takes place in June, and it’s also my husband and my wedding anniversary. There is one thing that makes this heavy month of present giving more manageable though – lists….
Masks in Beijing? Try Nairobi
Before I arrived in Beijing, many friends warned me about one major issue: air pollution. They – and articles such as this in the UK’s Guardian newspaper – warned me so much that I had this idea that once I moved to Beijing I would need to wear a mask every day. Now, there are…
What’s win-win about animals?
As a relative newcomer to China, I do my best to read as much as I can of other people’s perspectives about China. One magazine I often enjoy is “World of Chinese”, a bi-monthly publication, helpfully written in English as my Chinese is just not that good yet! In one of the past issues I…
Is your relationship with China better than mine?
Just a few weeks ago, my sister got married. The wedding was beautiful, her husband is an absolutely wonderful man from Uganda, and my two other sisters and I were bridesmaids. But there was one problem. I found myself comparing her wedding to mine seven years ago. Either thinking “Oh, I wish we had done…
Change is in the Air for 2015
Throughout my career, I’ve worked in large organisations. And every single large organisation – from highly profitable businesses to multilateral institutions – goes through swings and cycles of “change processes”. The organisation I work in now, UNDP, has just gone through a “change process” to decentralise operations from New York to regional centres and country…
Making APEC Blue Go Global
This month, I had my first visitor to Beijing. My mother-in-law joined me for ten days. Luckily enough, we get on very well, so we had a great time. I prepared a packed itinerary covering her two weekends here, and she was very independent, so she was able to see the best the city has…
DevelopmentReimagined 