We have a night guard in our building complex. There are actually three. Two of them are very friendly and open the door for us, sometimes demanding a 3 kuai payment if we get back really late.
The third one just moans and bitches about everything, most notably about bringing people home, whether they are friends, girlfriends, boyfriends, couchsurfers or the odd one-night stand. He takes down their id card numbers, sometimes calls the police about it or demands 3 kuai per person.
Now I'm new to this city and I wonder: is he allowed to do any of this this? Is there a law that forbids bringing people home? After all, we rent the place, shouldn't we be able to do whatever we want with it? If he one day denies entry because we refuse to pay/send our friends away/let him take their details, what can we do?
Thanks all, that's been helpful so far. Anyone know about this 'ban' on gas heaters? Is that real? When was it passed?
Also, how much should I save up for one of those on-demand heaters?
And finally, there is no word in our contract about 24h hot water, but the landlord claimed there was (pointing us to the gas heater). What are our legal options?
Our gas heater broke down and apparently the law in Kunming has changed that everyone needs to have an electrical heater nowadays.
The landlord claims he does not need to fix the gas heater because gas heaters are now illegal (?). And since there was no electrical heater in the apartment before we moved in, he does not think it's his responsibility to put a new one. With the weather right now, we have been taking cold showers for the past weeks.
Does anyone know where we can get one cheaply? Or what can we do about this situation?
where did you read that I didn't already post it? No need to behave like my mother, I took care of it this (Thursday) morning. I was just writing my findings because, you know, it's the internet and people want to read results and not only the questions.
Anyway, DHL are able to get the letter there within 3 business days' time. I hope EMS is too.
Wow, 220 kuai for a couple of documents is not my idea of cheap. That's the same amount I paid for a FedEx or DHL delivery last time I used it. But alright, EMS better get it there by early next week. OR ELSE!
With regards to the roads, I have some first-hand experience, riding a bike in February 2012. Luang Prabang to Phou Khoun and Vang Vieng on highway 13 is pretty smooth sailing, until the last 15-20k before VV, where you suddenly get intermittent road-wide gravel gaps (at least one every 500m) until, well over 100km past VV, you reach the junction to Thalat, where you can opt for the much better maintained highway 10 to Vientiane.
Here is "highway 13", on one of its longer street-wide gravel gaps (imagine the dust):
It was also a great place to spend some time. Especially the Middle-Eastern section, where bearded patriarchs in expensive-looking garments showed their tapestries and jewels. Yes, it's all in a sterile modern building now, but I almost felt like in an Indian bazaar: with a little fantasy, the walls melt away, the scent of incense fills the air, camels lazily circle above the white roofs and fakirs test their arses.
A lot of the goods sold there were also fake (not real Jade, a different kind of Eaglewood). But the owners were mostly honest about it (though not everywhere, I learned from someone who worked there as a translator).
I went home with a couple of coins from Bhutan and an invitation to the country and a set of funny photos.
The fair moves on to Chengdu and Beijing after that. There it'll be free, because business with the locals is generally better, according to some salesman whose Chinese translator was surprised that I bought the 30 RMB ticket "just to look around".
Ah okay :) I must've been lucky or the guards must've remembered me after exiting first.
I understand that you haven't made it to the top? I did this last year: getting to 5396m was a pretty sweet experience, but it would probably be unwise to do this without a guide. Especially if you've never been hypoxic on a mountain before (I hadn't).
If by bike, coming in from the East side of TLG will probably cost you nothing. I haven't ever been checked on that end despite my multiple entries and exits.
First and last experience. Absolutely horrible. I came in late with a big flesh wound. The doctor sewed it up and told me to come back in the morning "perhaps to redo it, and to change the bandage". When I did come back the next morning, they just changed the bandage and sent me off.
When I peeked at my own wound, I noticed it was horribly done. "Like a vet did the stitches," as someone commented. I then had to stay a night in a different hospital in order to do it right, with a 40% chance of getting infections. This cost me a lot more, thanks to Richland fucking up in the beginning.
Whatever X-rays were taken were not printed out and given to me so I couldn't go to another hospital for a second opinion or treatment.
The nurses didn't seem to know where half the things were and the doctors had to repeat orders to get basic things like scissors.
In the next hospital, it was noticed that I had fractured my jaw in two places. On the five X-Rays taken at Richland, they did not notice the fractures.
Pretty sure these people are not actual doctors and are therefore criminal.
Four people signed up for the highest-level class and got a teacher who does all the talking, refers to herself as 老师 and makes classes absolutely uninteresting. As of this moment, only 1 person is still going on a regular basis.
While staff is friendly, they are absolutely incapable to help out with visa matters in an adequate way. Lack of information beforehand, lack of support and lack of information during the visa process meant that I am waiting forever for my residence permit to be processed, without any information about why it's taking so long, why they can't get started ... I'd say this school is a good option if all you wanted is a visa, but they can't even handle this properly.
Anyone giving this school a 5-star rating hasn't been to any decently-run schools in Kunming, such as Keats'. The only redeeming quality is facilities and space, those are indeed excellent.
Have been studying at Keats for almost four semesters now and I'm very enthusiastic about the quality of the teachers and the commitment of the school's staff.
One point of criticism is that I think they could put in some effort to group people of the same level together, rather than base it on who was together in last semester's class.
I stayed here in the early days of March 2013. Dave and his wife are swell owners, the staff attentive, the food good, rooms in perfect order, WiFi fast enough... Much like the old hump, the entire place is an excellent place to relax and make friends. And that is what you come to do in Dali, after all. The location is a bit isolated from the old town, but nothing is really far away in Dali. Besides, it makes for a better starting point to walk up Cangshan.
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Getting Away: Vang Vieng
发布者With regards to the roads, I have some first-hand experience, riding a bike in February 2012. Luang Prabang to Phou Khoun and Vang Vieng on highway 13 is pretty smooth sailing, until the last 15-20k before VV, where you suddenly get intermittent road-wide gravel gaps (at least one every 500m) until, well over 100km past VV, you reach the junction to Thalat, where you can opt for the much better maintained highway 10 to Vientiane.
Here is "highway 13", on one of its longer street-wide gravel gaps (imagine the dust):
www.crazyguyonabike.com/[...]
Kunming road beautification project initiated
发布者Less dirty buses and other vehicles you mean. And more terraces on the sidewalks, along with more balconies!
Kunming Fair again sets records
发布者It was also a great place to spend some time. Especially the Middle-Eastern section, where bearded patriarchs in expensive-looking garments showed their tapestries and jewels. Yes, it's all in a sterile modern building now, but I almost felt like in an Indian bazaar: with a little fantasy, the walls melt away, the scent of incense fills the air, camels lazily circle above the white roofs and fakirs test their arses.
A lot of the goods sold there were also fake (not real Jade, a different kind of Eaglewood). But the owners were mostly honest about it (though not everywhere, I learned from someone who worked there as a translator).
I went home with a couple of coins from Bhutan and an invitation to the country and a set of funny photos.
The fair moves on to Chengdu and Beijing after that. There it'll be free, because business with the locals is generally better, according to some salesman whose Chinese translator was surprised that I bought the 30 RMB ticket "just to look around".
Getting away: Haba Snow Mountain
发布者Ah okay :) I must've been lucky or the guards must've remembered me after exiting first.
I understand that you haven't made it to the top? I did this last year: getting to 5396m was a pretty sweet experience, but it would probably be unwise to do this without a guide. Especially if you've never been hypoxic on a mountain before (I hadn't).
Photos and story on www.crazyguyonabike.com/[...]
Getting away: Haba Snow Mountain
发布者If by bike, coming in from the East side of TLG will probably cost you nothing. I haven't ever been checked on that end despite my multiple entries and exits.