“How large is China?  I have 7 days in China and would like a luxury tour to Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Shanghai and Hong Kong.  Is this possible?” As an Itinerary Designer at Imperial Tours, I have been asked this question (or a similar variation) countless times. My initial response is that technically it is possible if one wishes is to zip from city to city with very little time in each destination. But I then continue to explain that China is a large country;  » Read more »

If you haven’t yet read Part 1, click here to read about Jaime’s earlier experiences living through the Coronavirus quarantine in Beijing   “Last week there were five straight days without any locally transmitted infections in the entirety of China. Although that trend was bucked this Monday, it has been the case again today that the only new cases in the country are from individuals (Chinese or foreign: it isn’t known) who recently returned from abroad.  » Read more »

“With just three days until Chinese New Year, faced with the gradually spreading coronavirus epidemic, my husband and I decided to refund our New Year’s Eve train tickets to his home and to cancel plans to reunite with my in-laws for the ‘Spring Festival’, China’s most important holiday. Our family of three would stay in Beijing instead. Except for a meal with parents and sisters who were in Beijing for the Spring Festival, we could not visit restaurants or shopping malls,  » Read more »

(You can read an English translation of this article here)   因得知疫情有逐渐蔓延的态势，离除夕还有两天的时候我和丈夫决定退掉除夕上午的火车票及取消和外地公婆春节团聚的计划，这个春节假期我们一家三口就继续留守北京度过吧。整个春节除了和同在北京的父母和姐姐一家聚餐外，不能去餐厅商场，没有走亲访友的聚会，想要专注的过个放松散漫的日子吧，却也常常“走神”关注疫情发展动态，武汉医院里那些非同寻常的医患事件牵动人心，悬着的心何时落地呢生活还要继续。得知市政府鼓励企业员工居家办公、暂缓开展全面复工的消息，我和丈夫觉得这7*24小时的居家工作带娃的生活模式还不知会何时结束，那么就先将散漫的春节假期生活作息逐步回归正轨吧。   五岁女儿倒没有早上睡懒觉的习惯，但白天几乎不出门又如何能在家消耗掉旺盛的精力进而晚上早入睡成了我和丈夫经常聊起的事。家里的蹦床没了新鲜感不跳了？那就饭前轮流陪她一起蹦能玩更嗨。孩子喜欢模仿大人做事？那我和丈夫跟着平板电脑里的运动app做瑜伽和跳操呗。后来丈夫更是找来尘封了几年的Xbox，其中的舞蹈滑雪等体感游戏成为晚间全家的娱乐项目。孩子这样就能充分放电天天早睡觉了么？不，你想都别想。好吧晚睡只要不影响白天好好玩耍就好，我们只能这样安慰自己。   经过和女儿快两个月的磨合，白天她扎堆在自己的乐高小猪佩奇和娃娃的世界里，为它们创建有主题和新意的场景，安排人偶各自的角色就能沉浸其中专注玩一个多小时。在玩疲乏或和娃娃生气发脾气的时候，水果小零食就拿出来救救场。免费网络幼儿在线课程及新购入的手工材料书画颜料等也穿插到生活其中。孩子玩得舒心，大人也能趁时机做些自己的事。这么多天的“无处可逃式”的相处下来，亲子关系总体还算是”母慈子孝“，这个基石奠定好了,我和丈夫更能顺利安排好居家的工作。   春节时期和丈夫常聊起的病毒及疫情的话题也自然都逃不掉女儿的耳朵，有媒体制作出了病毒科普动画也找来给女儿观看并讲解。逐渐的，她知道了为什么假期会延长那么久而自己不用去幼儿园，爸爸为什么在家用电脑开视频会也是上班；为什么不能再去隔壁的小区找同班小朋友玩；为什么快递员叔叔不能再送货上门而是要大人们下楼到小区于管控期间唯一的出入口取走快递；为什么不能再和妈妈一起去超市亲自去买想吃的零食，而听说超市门口还有穿防护服的叔叔给大家测量体温后才能进入；更会突然说“妈妈，我也希望你是医院里给人看病的医生可以么。”女儿幼儿园前不久组织的“防疫小卫士”绘画活动,女儿上传的作品内容是妈妈在厨房做好吃的馅饼、我吃了能增强抵抗力。 现在已是中国农历“春分”的时节，白天的室外天气早已是暖风拂面夏天将至的感觉，小区楼下玩耍的孩子们也逐渐增多;周围也有餐厅逐步开放营业,相信这种24小时居家生活状态和快就会结束了吧。  » Read more »

““One hundred and ten!” one of my neighbors yelled proudly from our shared common courtyard. He had been walking around the inside perimeter of our block of flats for the better part of an hour, phone in one hand and a leash connecting him to his sluggish corgi in the other. Face covered with the now obligatory mask, he walked over towards another dog-neighbor duo sitting on a bench enjoying the spring sun and in his booming voice announced he was increasing his loops by 10% each day.  » Read more »