Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
welcome in China and there are few places they can't go. As shocking as it sounds, they can
usually even go down to your local shop and buy your beer for you. There are lots of public
parks, but these are likely to be a little different from the ones back home. They're more
manicured and there are fewer places to kick a ball around or swing a baseball bat with
complete freedom. Typical park equipment, such as slides, swings, and see-saws are also
generally not to be found in public places. A growing number of shopping malls, however,
are starting to include play gyms, and there are various amusement parks around town, in-
cluding the best one, Happy Valley, by the East Fourth Ring Road; Shijingshan Amusement
Park out on the western side of Line 1; and Chaoyang Park.
EXPAT PROFILE: PARENTING IN ANOTHER CULTURE
Having lived in China for more than five years, Kathryn is a parenting consultant and
co-author of the topic
Slurping Soup and Other Confusions.
This unique resource
(
www.slurpingsoup.com
)
provides actual stories by children living internationally
(also known as third-culture kids) as well as activities that help them cope with the
challenges.
WHY DID YOU CREATE THE TOPIC?
We recognized that there was no resource for children and the transitions that they
experience living internationally, so we decided to put the topic together. It can be
used anywhere in the world. It's really about parents helping their children with the
typical transitions, whether they're moving to a place or leaving a place or living in
a foreign place—adapting to the new place, understanding who they are, where they
belong, and cultural differences as well as friendship change.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHANGES THEY EXPERIENCE?
It's certainly the cultural and language changes, the food, and people wanting to
touch them and stare at them. They're just very curious about Western kids, and not
only the blonde-haired, blue-eyed ones. They want to have their photo taken with
them. This is a big thing for little children. They've also left their friends behind.
