Wuxi International Club - A Gathering of Expats

Hey Ya'll!

One of the most important topics in anything we can write is....how do I meet people? If you are like me, I crave friendship and love being around people. I know this is not everyone, but if you are looking to find a community of friends in Wuxi, this is the place to start.

The Wuxi International Club! Below is an introduction from the club president and a link to the website. We would LOVE to have you come join us!

Wuxi International Club (WIC) is a voluntary organization of expats from various countries based in the Wuxi area of Jiangsu Province, China.  For a family to join our club, one member of your family must hold a foreign passport.  We charge an annual fee of 200 RMB per year per family payable in January.  If you join us after June, the fee is reduced to 100 RMB for the remainder of the year. 

We arrange events to enrich the social and cultural lives of members and to help them become familiar with Wuxi. We also give back to the local community with our members volunteering and donating to various organizations in the area. 

Our activities are planned by our members. They are varied and targeted towards our member's interests. For example, we have a monthly lunch at western style restaurants, toddler play dates, coffee mornings and organize visits to local attractions. Members are sent our newsletter on a monthly basis packed with things to do for the entire family.  All our communications are in English. We are a small community and all have one thing in common, we are expats in China!  You can find out more information about us on our website: Wuxi International Club

Pickle having fun at the play date with his friends. 

Ladies from our playgroup! 

Pickle playing with the baby animals at our WIC Easter brunch. 

Some sweet ladies enjoying coffee at one of our "coffee morning" outings. 

We all love Starbucks! 

Come join in on the fun. We can't wait to meet you!

Thanks Ya'll,

Belle

Wuxi Zoo

We took our first trip to the Wuxi Zoo this past spring. 

We had a wonderful time, although it was quite a bit further from New District than I had anticipated. It took approximately 45 minutes by car, but it was a holiday, so quite possibly traffic was heavier than usual that particular day.

Upon arrival, we purchased our tickets (100 rmb for each adult) and headed through the gates. This is where we learned there are two parts to the zoo. There's a theme park on the right, which looks like tons of fun for older kids, and the zoo is down the path to the left. We actually went in to the theme park first  and realized that we had made a mistake. A little backtracking and we found our way to a map which got us steered in the right direction.

The zoo is quite hilly, so for those who tire easily or have one sort of health concern which makes walking difficult, the zoo rents out mobility scooters for a small fee. We saw many able bodied people riding them, which caught me off guard, but I guess they just didn't feel like walking. For parents taking young kids, take a stroller. They will get tired of walking the hills. An umbrella stroller worked fine for us.

We weren't quite sure what to expect from a Chinese zoo, considering the treatment of humans in some places here strike us as a bit inhumane, but it was not as bad as I had expected. The zoo has a wide array of animals. They've got elephants, camels, bears, giraffes, lions, tigers, panthers (gorgeous!), pandas, monkeys, tons of birds in the aviary, reptiles ( I admit, I skipped the reptiles, they creep me out), hippos and the list goes on.

My beef with the zoo was that the habitats needed some TLC. Many of the animals had areas in their habitats that were meant for a small pond to help keep cool, that were either half filled with water or completely dry. Not a zookeeper in sight. It seemed as though the upkeep of the habitats went ignored, while the park itself was kept quite clean. 

One of our favorite parts (PETA would freak!) was a "live Beast show" which was held inside a tent, with music and announcements at a decibel level that was above and beyond anything we've encountered here so far. It was LOUD. We stood in a breezeway instead of sitting in the crowd so we could get some distance from the speakers, but the show itself was quite entertaining. We saw bears riding bikes, jump roping, dancing to "Gagnam Style" and doing flips between the still rings. Next came monkeys, doing many of the same tricks, and lastly, lions and tigers together. This brought back memories of the circus as a kid, although I don't think I had ever seen a bear on a bike until our zoo experience here.

There are booths full of Chinese food, and kiosks with drinks and ice cream cones. We did not eat at the zoo, so I can't comment on it, but it is available. I think if we go back, we will pack our lunches and take a blanket to sit and picnic halfway through our visit. The park, with its sprawling hills, has many grassy areas which would be perfect for a breather/snack/lunch. 

We look forward to going back when cooler fall weather arrives. It's a wonderful day trip away from the hustle and bustle of town.

See you there,

Elle Lay

Here's the address:

Wuxi Zoo and Taihu fun park  无锡动物园 No.99 Qianrong Rd.

Binhu district, Wuxi 214063

Fun in the Sun

Hey Ya'll!

I wanted to share with you one of Pickle's and my favorite places to be during warm sunny days. This is a free outdoor play ground in New District. They even have a large grassy area next to it for the kids to run and play. 

In spring and fall, you can almost always find us here! Come out and join. 

Park Address:  Chun Jiang Road at Rongqiao Mansion. 春江路  directly across from Xincheng Central Park 新城中央公园.

The equipment is in great condition and all the kids love it. 

The wonderful grassy area next to the playground. So much fun! 

They have great tables and chairs for lunch or a snack, or even just for watching the kids play. 

Play Time! Indoor playgrounds are fabulous!

Hey Ya'll!

***This post is being updated and rewritten since the last indoor playground has closed.***

I was bummed to learn that our playground we had been going to was closing, but within a few months a new one has opened in a brand new mall! This mall, Suning Plaza, is amazing.


Suning Plaza 无锡苏宁广场

---

Renmin Rd and Xinsheng Rd
无锡市人民中路和新生路

Pickle and I love to go to the playground, especially in the winter when it is super cold outside. It gives us a morning out of the house and time for him to run around and wear himself out. Its even better when friends go along. For the Mommy's and friends Suning has a Starbucks (and other coffee shops) and the playground lets you take your drink in with you. Sweet!!!! 

When you arrive at Suning, the playground is on the 3rd floor. It is called "Cheer" and costs 50rmb per kid to get in to the different parts of the playground, but it is totally worth it. You can buy a 10 times pass for 380rmb which is what I have purchased for these last few weeks, making it only 38rmb per visit.

There is three different sections to this playground. There is the main part for older kids, which is where we spent most of our time, a sand pit that is filled with sand toys, and an specific area for younger children. You have buy individual passes to each area per visit, but we tend to stick with just the one. They all look amazing though.

Below are some pictures of what the place looks like. One of the things you will notice is how clean it is. For China this is extra wonderful. The staff does a great job of keeping it clean and making sure the kids are not sick (have a fever) going in and that all kids have on a diaper (meaning no split pants...score!).

Enjoy!

A cool side. 

Tunnels all around. 

Climbing areas. 

You have to have a ball pit. 

They have an amazing area filled with soft balls that you can shoot, make float and more. 

The staff at the place is part of the reason I love it. They are super friendly, not over bearing and always willing to help out. 

Pickle loves going, especially when friends go along. 

So come on over to Wuxi and join us in the fun! You know you want to.

Thanks ya'll, 

Belle