Yes. There is an excellent up-scale restaurant that has a buffet upstairs. Downstairs is table service and menus, but upstairs you serve yourself. Includes individual hot pots and roving waiters carving you roast meat. Been there several times, but don't recall the name. Located on 五一路 less than half a block south of 东风西路, more or less across from the Kunming Art Theater and just down from the Yunnan Provincial Museum. At lunch it's 40 RMB a person and 60 RMB at night.

You definitely will not need a car. Cross that off the "to do" list. Plenty of apartments in the same general area. Like they told you, just show up with a tourist visa and they will help you convert it to a student visa. They did it for me earlier this year. Teaching quality ranges from satisfactory to excellent, depending on who you get.

When does Spring semester start? When does Fall semester end? Thanks.

Agree with hedgepig. April is impossible to beat.

Does anyone have information about this program? A friend has asked my advice but I know nothing except what's on their rather new and sketchy looking website. I haven't phoned them; wanted to get some background info first.

www.horizonsabroad.org/