Welcome To The 'Jing: Indrek Heina & Family!

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jingkids welcomes new expatriate families who have made the brave decision to travel from overseas to the capital city for a fresh adventure. Welcome to the friendly Beijing community, we can't wait to see you around the neighborhood!

Hi! I'm Indrek Heina, currently working in the Estonian Embassy in Beijing as an Administrative Attaché, that means I’m responsible for ensuring that our building is well-maintained and clean, and that all bills are paid and employees are happy. Before we came to Beijing, our family lived in Tallinn which is the capital of Estonia. Estonia is our home country and we all are born there. Our eldest son is already grown up and lives his own life in Estonia with 2 wonderful kids and that means we are young grandparents as well! We have two cats but sadly couldn't bring them with us, but we're hoping to as soon it’s possible. Here in Beijing, we have two boys with us.

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Welcome to the 'Jing! What brings you and your family here?

In the beginning of 2022, I was thinking that our life needed a little more spice. The family supported me to apply for a job in the Estonian Embassy in Beijing since we have always been interested in Asian culture. And here we are, just a couple months off the boat!

What are you looking forward to here in Beijing, China?

At the moment, we plan to live here for 3 years, but who knows what life will bring us? Beijing is so big and there are many places to explore. The territory of Beijing is more than 1/3 of the territory of Estonia, and nearly 20 times more people live here than in Estonia. We also look forward to exploring all of China and wow, it's huge. There are so many different terrains from mountains to palm trees and you have so many different regions and cultures to discover! It's all so interesting and different for us.

What are some activities that your family enjoys together?

Together we enjoy plenty of outdoor activities such as cycling, hiking and camping - we cook by the fire and sleep outside in the middle of nature. We also enjoy movie nights together. In Estonia, we regularly went to the cinema. And every year we have participated in ice-fishing competitions that take place on the Lake of Paipus - the biggest lake in Estonia. Of course the tradition of sauna is also part of our lives. In Estonia, the boys practiced Muay Thai. Right now I'm looking for ways for them to continue in the sport.

What’s your favorite thing about Beijing so far?

Beijing has surprised us. We didn't expect this city to be so green. Old Beijing, the Forbidden City, hutongs and of course the huge Tian’anmen Square are also fascinating but nothing compares to the quality and flavors of local food! We have many places to visit on our bucket list and after maybe half a year we can give you a new list of a favorites!

Know a new family fresh off the boat? Tell us if they would like to be featured in jingkids as our way of welcoming them to our community!

Images: Courtesy of Indrek Heina

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