laotou has a good point.
Dealing with Chinese officials rule number 1.
If you can't get what you want, try asking a different question, or the same question differently.
e.g.
With my Chinese wife at the train station to make a journey. The ticket counter said there were not more seats on any train that day. Shock horror! We could not get home. Then I asked my wife to enquire about 'soft seats'. Yes they had soft seats on all trains that day.
Don't worry if they say 'Impossible'. 'Impossible' does not mean 'no'.
However, 'difficult' often does mean 'no'.
A bit of confusion here because you used the term 'private schools'.
Now is perhaps a bad of year to be looking. Most of the public sector schools/colleges and private sector schools (not language training centres) are now thinking about recruiting for September. Because of the academic year most have contracted staff running until June.
You may need to consider working at training centres, at least until Sept.
Some of the universities and colleges also have 'spin offs' that may recruit on an ad-hoc basis. For the next semester (in two weeks). I have also recently come to Kunming and was lucky, as I am replacing a Chinese teacher who have been promoted to set up a new 'school' within the college, and even this is only part time.
Part-time is the other route. Working part-time is a good option. You can work for several employers at the same time. The rates of pay are higher, and you have the power to say 'no'. You also get to check out the culture in several institutions, before you decide for next year. The downside is that PT work won't get you a visa.
I can't give you any answers, as I am new to Kunming. But one thing I would add, is that you find out about specific campuses as well. There is one well know school with about 30 campuses.
The culture in each campus can be different. I once worked for an international company (not a franchise) and the local director was openly hostile to foreign teachers. She even espoused her disdain. She said that we were all a waste of time and refused to process any 'Z' visa. She said that the company was not a visa service for expats.
In another place the admin/sales manager was a real piece of goods, who would raise customer expectations to overly high levels, just to get her commission. But when the teacher fails to deliver the unreal, who gets blamed?
In both the above cases, it was individuals at the campus level that were the problem
You can buy the same, or better, stuff in the regular markets. If you are buying leather goods, Yunnan produces some great leather goods that are of original design and high quality for much less.
In fact a lot of the fake brands are no longer available. The fake logos are similar but not the same. The the prices are still over the top.
Tier ones, in the downtown/CBD areas will always be a good bet, but not so good in the suburbs unless serviced by or soon to be serviced by, Metro/subway lines.
Lower tier cities also have potential. Henan, Zhengzhou has boomed. Due to the city being named as an expanding rail hub for the Belt and Road initiative. Also, anywhere not yet serviced by a metro line. There is still room in this latter category in Kunming, but there is a need to be fast as the metro line as planned should be completed by next August.
I would also avoid buying new. Some of the more upmarket villas in SW Kunming are very poorly built, many are apartments and villas are overpriced and people are fighting to buy the more affordable.
Buying second hand may be less of an investment opportunity, unless a new metro line is going through. However, you can see quality or other issues more clearly and find out the reputation of buildings and management, you can buy already decorated (ready to occupy), there will be fewer unknowns.
The story of Li Bai always reminds me of:
The Little Fete
by J.C. Cooper
I take a bottle of wine and I go to drink it among the flowers.
We are always three -
counting my shadow and my friend the shimmering moon.
Happily the moon knows nothing of drinking,
and my shadow is never thirsty.
When I sing, the moon listens to me in silence.
When I dance, my shadow dances too.
After all festivities the guests must depart;
This sadness I do not know.
When I go home,
the moon goes with me and my shadow follows me.
A reasonable choice of lumber that has improved over time. Fancy hardwoods like walnut, and mahogany are in abundance. There are some plywood and rubber-wood boards available. There are also some kiln dried imported softwoods and merbao available. Some of the lumber is very green, so look for the kiln dried if you need stable timbers.
Echo everything said by others.
Breakfast great and the serve from 8am. Most other places say 9am and they still are not ready.
Sandwiches are cheap 22-32, and really packed full of filling. We got some sandwiches for a day out, the only mistake I made was ordering two, as this was too much. These are seriously good sangars, and they are wrapped in alu foil.
In fairness to Metro, they are a wholesalers, and not really a supermarket. Hence the need for a card, which can be got around.
They have improved in the year I have been away. They now carry a more consistent range of imported foodstuffs and they also seem to have sorted out the mported milk supply.
They have a wider range of electrical appliances now, there is a coice of more than one toast. There is also a better range of seasonal non foods, like clothes, shoes, garden furniture and camping gear.
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Snapshot: A trip to the world's tallest bridge
发布者Some of those villages might still be quite isolated, as the connections to the highway might still be hard to reach.
$17 billion Chongqing-Kunming railway nears completion
发布者The train won't suffer fog or China Eastern delay disease either.
Spring City's tallest skyscraper nears completion
发布者Tier ones, in the downtown/CBD areas will always be a good bet, but not so good in the suburbs unless serviced by or soon to be serviced by, Metro/subway lines.
Lower tier cities also have potential. Henan, Zhengzhou has boomed. Due to the city being named as an expanding rail hub for the Belt and Road initiative. Also, anywhere not yet serviced by a metro line. There is still room in this latter category in Kunming, but there is a need to be fast as the metro line as planned should be completed by next August.
I would also avoid buying new. Some of the more upmarket villas in SW Kunming are very poorly built, many are apartments and villas are overpriced and people are fighting to buy the more affordable.
Buying second hand may be less of an investment opportunity, unless a new metro line is going through. However, you can see quality or other issues more clearly and find out the reputation of buildings and management, you can buy already decorated (ready to occupy), there will be fewer unknowns.
Mid-Autumn Festival, China's harvest celebration
发布者Translation is perhaps a better word than adaptation. There are over 40 translations of the poem listed here www.google.com/[...]
Mid-Autumn Festival, China's harvest celebration
发布者The story of Li Bai always reminds me of:
The Little Fete
by J.C. Cooper
I take a bottle of wine and I go to drink it among the flowers.
We are always three -
counting my shadow and my friend the shimmering moon.
Happily the moon knows nothing of drinking,
and my shadow is never thirsty.
When I sing, the moon listens to me in silence.
When I dance, my shadow dances too.
After all festivities the guests must depart;
This sadness I do not know.
When I go home,
the moon goes with me and my shadow follows me.