Forums > Living in Kunming > Cycling in Kunming Actually, I'm riding a pretty expensive bike that I more than often leave outside for over a year (locked, yes, but not necessarily always to something). My lock is *very* good though (comes with a warranty: if it breaks I get 500 euro from Abus). I don't know whether it's the luck, the lock or the scratches on my frame, but no one ever seems to have made an attempt at stealing it.
I think shiny frames and shitty locks are a bigger reason for bike theft. I will of course change my mind if mine gets stolen.
Forums > Living in Kunming > "Lazy" English teachers? And of course to get drunk on cocktails at expensive places like Salvador's, and eat Western food. Seriously, don't pretend as if all teachers are such poor creatures fighting the machine. Most of them are here on an adventure and if they bothered to do the effort (which most do, don't get me wrong), they can easily find the good deals too.
That said if you make the same salary here as in Europe, you are bloody well off. If they're not happy with the different life standard, if everything should be easy and fair, there's always Europe to work in. My god, such nagging.
Enough discussion now, we're obviously not going to agree.
Forums > Living in Kunming > "Lazy" English teachers? Not if I were a teacher. I have a different job but if I were working for Yunnanese employers, I would be happy with 1500 EUR a month, since after food, rent and excessive drinking I would still be saving over 1000 EUR per month. That's more than any of my friends in Belgium can say.
Forums > Living in Kunming > "Lazy" English teachers? As for the pay, you live in a place where qualified university students work office jobs for fat companies 6 days a week, 10 hours a day for as little as 5000 RMB a month. Kunming is very affordable so 100-120 per hour is actually a very good wage, making you 2600-3120 per week = up to 12480 RMB a month. That's 1560 EUR a month. You know what a beginning foreign-language teacher makes in a country where rent is four times as high as Kuming's? Right: 1500 EUR. Reference: Belgium.
Forums > Living in Kunming > "Lazy" English teachers? The times that media were absolutely non-sensational have died with consumerism.
Besides, I don't agree with you. It's just true what they write. Even before reading this article, I had the impression that the majority of the people teaching English here are one or more of the following:
* not native
* not qualified
* not even suited
* working illegally on a student visa
Some of the native speakers' spelling is simply bad. Yet they teach.
The only ones to be trusted without testing or quizzing are the ones that have pocketed a TEFL diploma. Such people need not fear since they can rebuke any sneers by fishing out their diplomas.
Everyone else needs to be screened thoroughly. But as often in China (and elsewhere), schools only care about money, parents only want to spend as little as possible, so you get a layer of rotten teachers. It'll take time to root them out.
Zen and the Chinese art of motorcycle driving
发布者I intentionally crashed my e-bike into the side of a car that pulled up without looking onto the bike lane. Then I showered him with expletives. Also slapped the hood of a few cars on Xuefu lu that were in the bike lane and trying to get past the little bus stop. It may not help but it feels so sweet.
Some day I want to be brave enough like that foreigner in Beijing who just stopped his bike in front of a car in the bike lane and forced the driver to reverse out.
Zen and the Chinese art of motorcycle driving
发布者so much for your Zen, Colin :)
车让摩托让单车让行人 - then all will be good
Zen and the Chinese art of motorcycle driving
发布者Slamming your hand on the hood is an effective method to deal with pricks in expensive cars. It makes them so furious but there's no way they can catch you as you slip away like an eel among the shoal of two-wheelers.
Kunming to Vietnam border by rail soon to be reality
发布者10 RMB or about 30000 VND will also get you a ride on a scooter.
Kunming to Vietnam border by rail soon to be reality
发布者No there isn't. You'd have to cross the border by yourself and then you can get a bus to Sapa. There are many options from official buses to mianbaoche equivalents. The ride is about 30 km up a hill so I'm guessing anything between 30 min and 1 hr to get to Sa Pa.