Tsunku Posted January 4, 2005 at 04:32 PM Report Share Posted January 4, 2005 at 04:32 PM I'm bored with Kunming at the moment too actually. But to be fair, if I had the money or the inclination, there are plenty of places to see around here. I've travelled all over Yunnan and there are still sights I'd like to see. Spring vacation is coming up so there is plenty of time to get out of the city. I'm not just talking Dali, Lijiang, etc. either. There are some great off the beaten track areas in Yunnan. If you're bored here, do some exploring around the province. No one's gonna track you down and deport you if you skip a bit of class. If you want the Chinese equivalent of a coffee shop, try a teahouse. Chinese people don't really like coffee so much, so naturally the coffee shops are gonna be full of Westerners (and 'hip' Chinese people trying to impress their friends by hanging out at a Western place). I don't even usually bother going to the cafes unless I just want a burger or something. If Chinese people do strike up a conversation with me at those places they inevitably just want a free English lesson anyhow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhchao Posted January 4, 2005 at 06:53 PM Report Share Posted January 4, 2005 at 06:53 PM I have been eyeing Yunnan for a long time. Just hope Lijiang is not one of those tourist traps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex Posted January 5, 2005 at 05:35 AM Report Share Posted January 5, 2005 at 05:35 AM I plan on studying in Kunming next fall but I'm still not sure about what school I'll attend. (ps, thanks for posting that Kunming College url Tsunku) Everyone is different, with different goals and priorities. Some people follow the "study hard, play hard" way and are into bars and nightlife and such. Personally I'm not really into that scene. Being close to rural areas ("farmersville") is one of the reasons that I've decided on going to Kunming. I realize that it's still a big city, but I'm hoping I'll be able to explore the area quite a bit. By the way, what were the typical semester schedules for YNU or YU? Like August to December, or ...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danski Posted January 6, 2005 at 08:17 AM Report Share Posted January 6, 2005 at 08:17 AM The semester at Yun Da finished at the end of December (started in September I think) and the next semester starts last day of February. I started studying at Shi Da and the term there ran from October and finishes next week I think. The weather here for the past few days has been incredible by the way. It's like a really warm British summers day when you are in the sunshine. It's a definite advantage to living here if it continues this way for the rest of winter. Actually, one other downside to living here that I must mention - I woke up this morning to find that there was no electicity in my apartment. On questioning the building management as to why there was no electricity I received an illogical answer of "because it's Thursday". Apparently they're going to start turning the electricity off on Thursday and Fridays. Couldn't tell me why or for what reason . . . . . just one of these chinese things I guess . . . . it happens cos it happens, not because there's rhyme, reason or logic behind it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsunku Posted January 7, 2005 at 07:09 AM Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 at 07:09 AM No no no, there are lots of things in China that happen for no reason, but the power outages do have a point! The reason why there is no electricity will probably just piss you off more, but you wanna know anyhow? Yunnan sends its electricity to Guangzhou, which has an electricity shortage. Because Guangzhou is a more "developed" city, they need the electricity more than we poor wretches out here in farmersville do. Actually, this is something the local government is quite proud of! "The glorious people of Yunnan proudly sacrifice their energy to aid the economic development of the motherland!" So that's why you have scheduled power outages in Kunming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danski Posted January 7, 2005 at 10:33 AM Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 at 10:33 AM Haha. Really? Gotta laugh at that one. Could you imagine the same thing happening in the west? Newcastle sending it's electricity to Manchester cos it's more develped. Brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niubi Posted January 7, 2005 at 08:58 PM Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 at 08:58 PM i found the chain of coffee shops called shangdao or something like that (haven't been in kunming since the summer) to be a nice place to kick back in their comfy chairs/sofas. though its definitely not the place to meet regular folks. the coffee joints in kundu are full of locals playing cards during the day (as such these places can be a bit noisy and definitely do not have the comfort found at shangdao) - the kunming work ethic on full display! haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and select your username and password later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.