I bought one at the B&Q in Xiamen for 100 rmb. I am sure that they have them here although that was almost two years ago so the price is surely higher.
Go to the electrical department. You'll have to search around.
B&Q is modeled on Home Depot.
The one I have goes to 100 watts so it runs small appliances only. I use it for my printer/scanner, coffee grinder and the like.
Larger units, about 1600-2000w can be had for about 300rmb. I know Remi and Paul bought one for their shop from a local guy. You can also find them on Jin Dong but I can't find it now.
From what I know 4000 is about average. There are some people who negotiate higher salaries. I know this for a fact. 5,000 is possible but not very easy to get. I've heard that high schools pay more than universities but mainly for English teachers.
Outside classes can yield above 100rmb per hour, 150-250 is possible if you can find the people and they have the means. I get 150rmb for a private student. People will always try to negotiate you down so you have to be willing to say no.
French is not as easy to sell as English. Most people want English so finding students for French should be more difficult. I was asked to teach a group of YunDa grad students who were going to France to study English.... that was a big surprise!
I don't think you were ripped off.
Your contract probably forbids outside work but if you have private students in your home and don't work through another school I think it is possible. The difficulty is finding private students.
Private schools make you teach lots of hours and leave little free time. I like the universities because you have a set schedule and lots of free time. I frankly don't think the private schools are worth the extra money unless they give you limited hours and a good schedule.
Anyway all of this is moot because you probably have signed a contract and breaking your contract, unless you have a valid reason is a bad idea if you want to stay on in China.
Years ago when I first went to live in South America I had to get a criminal background certificate. It was quite simple. You go to your local police station and request a letter stating that you have committed no crimes.
Of course this may be more difficult to get now and I have no idea how Homeland Security has complicated everything but in general the police would provide a letter stating that you had committed no crime in their jurisdiction.
We of course know that this means very little because it only certifies that you have no record of any crimes in that city, which is meaningless, but nevertheless it served to provide an official looking document that stated that you had no criminal background. If I was in a situation where I had to provide a letter I would try and get something like that.
Kunming city road washers must suspend washing the roads when the temperatures fall below 0.
Up until now they have been completely unaware of their ability to create icy roads by spraying water when temperatures are below freezing.
How can we ask the local officials to make this change? I can't speak Chinese and this is could be a serious problem not only in Kunming but in other areas.
While the snow has gone the cold continues. What is most dismaying is the continued water washing of the city roads while morning temperatures are -5 or more degrees below 0.
I'm just surprised there haven't been horrendous vehicle accidents caused by ice forming from the road washing.
It would be much safer if the road washing were discontinued during these sub freezing temperatures. Rush hour traffic is bad enough without ice....
Do we have any factual information on the fog problem? Is it worse in December? January? Is it related to cold temps or some specific weather pattern?
I missed a Beijing flight last December because of fog. My 9:50am flight to Beijing was delayed until noon but we did get out that day. Because of that experience I was thinking I could expect to make it out of Kunming late and then get lodged in a hotel in Beijing when I miss my connection to SFO but if they are shutting the airport down for a full day then all bets are off.
If this is a reoccurring problem I wonder how it will play out. You could have fog for several days...
You can take off in fog a lot more easily than landing so air traffic controllers can allow planes on the ground to leave. Of course if your plane has to arrive here from somewhere else and is not on the ground already in the morning that is no help.
An Asiana flight had a bad crash in San Francisco earlier this year but that was strictly pilot error and with no fog.
Maybe I'm just a laowai but I find the street vendors to be a nuisance, unregulated and often quite rude.
One of the problems with Kunming is the complete chaos of parking motorbikes and cars everywhere and these vendors who block the sidewalks and make pedestrian traffic very slow and difficult, and sometimes dangerous for pedestrians.
The vendors with the audio speakers that blast their price over and over I find completely obnoxious. Most Chinese people that I have talked to about this also don't like the noise but they put up with it because it is so common.
I empathize with their need to make a living but there should be some equal regulation and not just in some areas of the city. It should not be allowed to obstruct vehicle traffic, especially when the customers have to walk in the street between buses, cars and bikes with the vendors safely on the sidelines.
Hong Shan Dong Lu is completely paralyzed by these vendors.
I suppose this is a rant but I would like to see some order to the chaos. I suppose I'm crazy to believe it could be different but I do.
Slice of Heaven has some nice food, its very clean and comfortable and the staff try very hard to please. I can understand Barbara is trying to run a business and it's her right to set the pricing. A large pizza for 20 quai was a bargain for sure. Obviously it was not a money maker without other sales. Anyone can be brisk from time to time but generally I think it's a good place.
I don't drink alcohol at all and was surprised that the place was 1/2 empty on a Friday night. The change in policy reflects a decent establishment trying to stay in business. We should support this nice little respite.
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Minivan plunges off Yunnan cliff, killing twelve
发布者Kunming city road washers must suspend washing the roads when the temperatures fall below 0.
Up until now they have been completely unaware of their ability to create icy roads by spraying water when temperatures are below freezing.
How can we ask the local officials to make this change? I can't speak Chinese and this is could be a serious problem not only in Kunming but in other areas.
Rare snow dusts Kunming, causes problems
发布者While the snow has gone the cold continues. What is most dismaying is the continued water washing of the city roads while morning temperatures are -5 or more degrees below 0.
I'm just surprised there haven't been horrendous vehicle accidents caused by ice forming from the road washing.
It would be much safer if the road washing were discontinued during these sub freezing temperatures. Rush hour traffic is bad enough without ice....
Changshui once again closed by fog
发布者Do we have any factual information on the fog problem? Is it worse in December? January? Is it related to cold temps or some specific weather pattern?
I missed a Beijing flight last December because of fog. My 9:50am flight to Beijing was delayed until noon but we did get out that day. Because of that experience I was thinking I could expect to make it out of Kunming late and then get lodged in a hotel in Beijing when I miss my connection to SFO but if they are shutting the airport down for a full day then all bets are off.
If this is a reoccurring problem I wonder how it will play out. You could have fog for several days...
You can take off in fog a lot more easily than landing so air traffic controllers can allow planes on the ground to leave. Of course if your plane has to arrive here from somewhere else and is not on the ground already in the morning that is no help.
An Asiana flight had a bad crash in San Francisco earlier this year but that was strictly pilot error and with no fog.
Kunming to monetize street vendor chaos
发布者Maybe I'm just a laowai but I find the street vendors to be a nuisance, unregulated and often quite rude.
One of the problems with Kunming is the complete chaos of parking motorbikes and cars everywhere and these vendors who block the sidewalks and make pedestrian traffic very slow and difficult, and sometimes dangerous for pedestrians.
The vendors with the audio speakers that blast their price over and over I find completely obnoxious. Most Chinese people that I have talked to about this also don't like the noise but they put up with it because it is so common.
I empathize with their need to make a living but there should be some equal regulation and not just in some areas of the city. It should not be allowed to obstruct vehicle traffic, especially when the customers have to walk in the street between buses, cars and bikes with the vendors safely on the sidelines.
Hong Shan Dong Lu is completely paralyzed by these vendors.
I suppose this is a rant but I would like to see some order to the chaos. I suppose I'm crazy to believe it could be different but I do.
Photos of flash flooding in Yunnan's capital
发布者I'm in the states right now. Anyone know if the flooding reached Hong Shan Dong Lu?
I don't suppose there there any flood maps or elevation maps that show which areas are lowest in Kunming?
Anybody know where the flooding occurred in Wuhua?