There is no preparation necessary and nothing to worry about - the winters are nuthin compared to Kansas, or even Atlanta, and everything is available locally. There are many children here and they seem fine.
Rents run from about Y800/month up - Y800 isn't bad for a share of a 2-3 room flat, but it can also get you a small, not particularly modern apartment.
On language schools: my experience (some years ago) at KCEL was okay, not great; my experience at Keats in 2010 was slightly better - the teachers seemed to try slightly harder for the students. I was not a beginner at either school, so I could perhaps make up for some lack of teaching quality through my own efforts. The language teaching methods at both places were not the most up-to-date, but then that's usually the case with Chinese-language instruction, in my experience. The bottom line is, if you are willing to put in the effort, you can do it (and not just speaking ability either, without which it would be rather silly to live in China).
I think we need a law to protect pigs - Cuihulongjing explains why..
So you people 'need' a car, is that it?
Do you do just anything you want to do?
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Not quite what you'd call a jumping place, but not bad at all for rather standard US-type meals, not overly expensive, and with a really good salad bar that's cheap, or free with most dinner dishes after 5:30PM. You can get a bottle of beer or even wine if you really want to, but I've never seen anybody do it - maybe that's just to take out. Chinese Christian run, and they hire people with physical disadvantages, who are pleasant and helpful. Frequented by foreign (mostly North American) Christians and Chinese Christians - was started by a Canadian couple associated with Bless China (previously, Project Grace), who are no longer here, but no religious pressure or any of that. Steaks are nothing special, and I avoid the Korean dishes, which I've had a few times but which did not impress me.
As a shop and bakery, it's very good bread at reasonable prices, of various kinds (Y18 for a good multigrain loaf that certainly weighs well over a pound. Other stuff too, like granola and oatmeal that is local, as well as imported things, including American cornflakes and so forth, which some people seem to require.
Large portions, seriously so with the pizza, which is Brooklyn/American style, I guess. Convivial, conversational, good place to drink with good folks on both sides of the bar, especially after about 9PM.
Too bourgeois.
Really good pizza and steaks. The wine machine fuddles me when I'm a bit fuddled, & seems unnecessary. Good folks on both sides of the bar.
Ain't no flies on Salvador's.
Getting Away: A return to Shaxi
发布者Most of the villages in the valley are Bai, an official minority. There are also supposedly Lisu in the hills to the east - I haven't gone up there, but they shouldn't be more than a few hours' hike at most.
Getting Away: A return to Shaxi
发布者On its way to becoming overly touristified, like many other places that have already gone too far in that direction - but still very much a great place. Thing is, the town of Sideng is only one point in the Shaxi Valley, & with a bicycle you can ride up & down the valley for a very long way.
The Shaxi Cultural Center & Guest House in Sideng is a very nice place to stay in an old courtyard house - very comfortable & friendly but not over commercialized.
Yunnan GDP third fastest-growing in China
发布者All good, except for the income distribution problem, which gets worse just about everywhere.
China moves to lessen air pollution, Yunnan excluded
发布者@Willie Gee, I think a lot of it may be going to make the city fancier & more 'modern'; and, through that effort, into the pockets of those who live on profits and/or their friends in government.
The last Mongols of Yunnan
发布者@Alex: I think Kubilai Khan, Genghis Khan's grandson, commanded the troops - was your ancestor, youngest son of Genghis Khan, with them? Possible, but it seems odd - would like to hear more about this.