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Xiefei's User Profile

Date registered: Tuesday, 27th May 2008
Region: China

Latest Comments

  • GoKunming Weekend Preview
    Friday, 5th March 2010
    Also, tonight (Friday) 8:00pm at Nordica:
    Four Seasons - Spring
    A Showcase of Female Artists in Yunnan
  • Kunming news roundup
    Thursday, 22nd October 2009
    Bernie, what it means is that though volume of illegal timber has decreased, 90% of the total amount of timber coming through is still illegal.
  • China blogs: endangered love songs, virtual coal mining, fake condoms
    Sunday, 20th September 2009
    Nice new feature. As the Chinese would say: Ding!
  • Yunnan news roundup
    Wednesday, 2nd September 2009
    My pickpocket strategy: if the bus looks crowded, I cram my wallet, cellphone and any other valuable stuff into one pocket and keep my hand in it at all times. It's worked fine so far.
  • GoKunming Weekend Preview
    Friday, 14th August 2009
    Actually, Uprock is closed all weekend for the Fuxian beach party

Latest Forum Posts

    Posted: Tuesday, 16th March 2010
    Posted in: Forums > Food & Drink > Lazy Bones Delivery Will Reopen On Monday
    Thanks for the heads up. (I'm basically posting this comment to get the announcement back on the front page)
    Posted: Tuesday, 16th March 2010
    Posted in: Forums > Living in Kunming > Crazy car accident
    @lil_farmer: usually certain illegalities of the other driver do not matter (extra passenger, broken taillight, etc), but driving a vehicle without a license basically makes any accident your fault according to Chinese law, which is also typically the case in most countries.

    Of course the consulate wouldn't bother with a mere traffic accident, but they are legally bound to respond when a citizen's life has been threatened. I've seen it happen before and the Kunming PSB was put in the hot seat big-time
    Posted: Monday, 15th March 2010
    Posted in: Forums > Living in Kunming > Hot water heaters
    Actually, a lot of the gas heaters plug into the wall anyway to run their temperature regulators.
    The electric run-through ones are fine (and quite efficient) as long as you don't just head for the bargain bin. Buy a well-known brand from a large appliance store (gome, suning, etc). They have very sensitive trip systems on the plug to prevent shock. Also make sure you have a COVERED electrical outlet to plug it into. Mine has a built in fuse panel specifically for the outlet to further reduce the chance of electric shock.
    Having said that, if you're close to the top floor, by all means spring for a solar water tank.
    Posted: Monday, 15th March 2010
    Posted in: Forums > Living in Kunming > "retirement visa"
    I haven't heard of the retirement visa. A Chinese search only turned up information for similar visas in other countries. Visas are handled by the PSB within China, and the embassy system abroad, so I'd suggest checking their websites, or ask one of those visa service companies in Beijing.

    As for the green card, there is a lot of information about that on the internet. The requirements are very high, and I've heard that they have issued only a handful of them over the past few years.

    You are eligible if you meet one of the 10 or so requirements, which are things like personally investing over 1 million USD in China, or being the representative of a group investing something like 10 million or more. There is a provision for spouses, but you have to be living in China for 5 years continuously to be eligible. I think there's one for foreigners holding executive positions at Chinese companies for over 5 years, and then one for people who have made a "great contribution to Chinese social development", which basically means you have a governor in your pocket.

    If you apply for this, they will investigate your tax and police records, as well as check with intelligence folks to see if you're likely to cause any embarrassment. The process apparently takes six months.
    Posted: Monday, 15th March 2010
    Posted in: Forums > Living in Kunming > Crazy car accident
    If he was driving a gas powered scooter with no license, then that guy is 100% responsible for the accident, regardless of the circumstances. If the police want to settle this "amicably", you can politely remind the family of where the law stands, and that the insurance company can hold them responsible for any damage to your car.

    If the threats continue, file an official report at the foreign office of police headquarters. If they brush you off, call the consulate. The consulate takes these matters very seriously, especially because it didn't involve a night at Kundu and several cases of beer. When the consulate gets involved in such matters, things change immediately, because the police chief's career is suddenly on the line.

    Fortunately, all you seem to be facing is a lot of wasted time and some red tape. Good luck.
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