Blog Tag - Ayi

So Ayi Wants to Stay for CNY. Now What?
Ah, the Chinese New Year holiday… The week where business in China seems to come to a halt and the annual homeward bound migration takes place all...
Are You Paying Your Ayi Enough? The Results Are In
Our sister magazine, beijingkids, recently held their annual Ayi Survey, and the results are in! If you haven’t heard of hiring an ayi, you probably...
How One Ayi Went Beyond the Call of Duty During COVID-19
Initially, when I set out to write this blog, it was supposed to be about teary-eyed reunions with ayi. I had seen a few messages in WeChat groups...
Ever Had a Nightmare Ayi? Let Off Some Steam by Taking Our Annual Beijing Ayi Survey
About seven years ago a neighbor introduced me to my first Beijing ayi. In hindsight, maybe they did it out of spite. Ayi was in her 40s, I think,...
Help Is on Hand: Finding and Keeping an Ayi in Beijing
My ayi has been with my family since our little one turned eight-weeks-old. Hiring an ayi (nanny or au pair) can be an affordable luxury that can...
Quick-Witted Ayi Saves Boy From Kidnappers in Chongwenmen
A probable child abduction attempt was thwarted in Chongwenmen last week, thanks to the quick thinking of a woman employed as an ayi by the child's...
Beijing Lights: "I’m Not the Only One Working so Deep into the Night"
This post is part of an ongoing series by the Spittoon Collective that aims to share some of the voices that make up Beijing’s 21.7 million humans....
Help! I Need Somebody: Hiring an Ayi and a Driver in Beijing
Affordable domestic help is one of the luxuries of expat life in China. Whether you need a driver or someone to help with childcare and household...
Clean Living: Results of the 2014 Beijing Ayi Survey
On arrival in Beijing, it quickly becomes apparent that almost everyone with the means to has an ayi. For some, the concept can be difficult to...
Peking Man: The 7 Wonders of Beijing
Blue Sky DaysOn a clear day Beijing might just be the best damn city in the world. There’s nothing like waking up to a bright blue sky and the AQI...
The 2013 Ayi Survey: Dongzhimen/Sanlitun Residents, North Americans Best Employers
Ayis take note: if you're looking for part-time work, do it in Dongzhimen or Sanlitun, and try to get hired by North Americans, at least if you want...
Classified of the Week: This Beijing Ayi Will Clean Your Washing Machine
Beijing's diversity and Internet anonymity make for strange bedfellows. Nowhere is this more true than in our website's Classified Ads section. We'...
Mop Master: A Talk With Guo Hezhong, Housecleaner
It’s hard out there for a male ayi. When it comes to housecleaning, most clients have a hard time wrapping their head around the idea of hiring a...
Art Attack: Invisible Artist Liu Bolin, Yue Minjun at Pace and Photographer Helen Couchman at Aluss
We’ve waited awhile to see Liu Bolin’s newer “Hiding in the City” works on our home turf, and this week it happens at Galerie Paris-Beijing. Also...