With the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, we’ve welcomed hundreds of new members into the YCIS Beijing family.  Hailing from more than 37 countries and all corners of the globe, we’ve certainly maintained our reputation as one of the most truly international schools in Beijing.

This week, we’d like to share the story of one of our newest additions as we had the privilege to speak with Christy Lin, an American expat who recently moved to Beijing with her husband and two children.  Christy tells us what it’s been like during their first weeks in town, why they picked YCIS Beijing, and what most excites her most about living in China. 

Could you please introduce yourself?

My name is Christy Lin.  My family and I are from the United States.  We lived most recently in Orlando, though we spent 10 years in New York City before that.  Our children, Justin and Chloe, will be in Primary school and ECE kindergarten beginning this year.

Is this your family’s first time in China?

My husband is from Boston and I grew up in Guangzhou, so we’ve travelled to southern China a few times as a family, but it’s our first time travelling together to Beijing. We speak Cantonese at home, so we look forward to the kids learning Mandarin in Beijing.

What excites you most about living in Beijing?

We’re eager for Justin and Chloe to learn more about China.  This isn’t simply because our ancestors are Chinese, but also because China is growing in importance on the world stage.  We believe that engaging with Chinese language and culture will greatly benefit our children’s futures. 

What’s been the biggest challenge for you and your family so far? 

The environment in Beijing is very different from what we’ve been used to.  Orlando was a quiet and calm city.  It’s an entertainment centre, so people go there for fun and to relax.  Beijing is much more fast paced, and the kids are managing fine because of our time in New York, but readjusting to the pace of life has been the biggest challenge so far. 

What is one thing from your home country that you miss the most?

The children miss their friends.  Also, there’s lots of parks and green grass in Orlando, so they were always outside playing and running around.  Justin played baseball this summer, so we miss having the opportunity for him to take part in local sports. 

How did you learn about YCIS Beijing?

My husband’s company presented us with many different options for schools in Beijing.  We checked them all online and consulted with friends and co-workers. 

One of the primary reasons we then decided on YCIS Beijing was because of the strength of the Chinese programme – we were told over and over that YCIS has the strongest Chinese programme of all international schools in the city.  We love the co-teaching model and that Chinese culture is emphasized into addition to language acquisition.

The location was another factor in our decision.  It was important for us that the children attend a city school close to home, and being next to a beautiful park (Honglingjin Park) was an added bonus as well.

What school subjects do the children like most?

Justin: I have two favourite subjects.  First is science, because I love doing experiments. I’m curious about everything, and when you do experiments you never know what’s going to happen.  It’s exciting.

I also like math because I’m good at it.  I even know the answer to 100*100.  It’s 10,000.  And I didn’t even have to think about it.  

To learn more about our school and how you can become a part of the Yew Chung International School of Beijing family, contact us today!