User profile: Ocean

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Is basic/advanced Chinese necessary to live there???

I agree with laotou - learning a little basic Chinese goes a long way. Concentrate on speaking and listening if time/money is short. Reading and writing is a whole other level. And there are usually ways to get around the language problems - Chinese friends are always willing to help you (writing addresses for taxis, suggesting where to buy things, ensuring you don't get ripped off too badly, etc). Don't let the language put you off.

And hey, onlyone, I've visited about 100 countries and I lOVE living in Kunming! I guess it depends what you're after...

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Things to Do in Kunming

I recommend GuanDu old town (public bus from the railway station) for a quiet day out. HeiJing (presevred ancient town) is only 3 hours away by train. And for something less conventional, "Dwarf Empire"? ;-)

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Forums > Food & Drink > non smoking

Prague Cafe is non-smoking on the ground floor, I believe. Does anyone know whether the Government plan to ban smoking in public places throughout China from Jan 1st 2011 is still (theoretically) coming into law?

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Chinese driver's license

"One rumor says that it is always the same 100 questions in english, doesn't it ?"

I took the computer test in English (without any prep) a couple of months ago, scoring 76% (pass is 90%). I then spent time studying the 2000+ possible questions (from the downloadable document doing the rounds here) and retook the test (passing with 96%). The questions are certainly NOT the same. I'm afraid the English is pretty poor on many questions, too. Even knowing the answers doesn't guarantee you can understand what some of the questions actually mean or why the other options are wrong. (eg "What should you do at a red light: "Stop", "Yield" or "Not pass"!). Some supposedly correct answers contradict other supposedly correct answers! I just dismissed the blindingly obvious answers (and there are a lot of those) and learned the remaining 200 or so parrot-fashion! If you have a driving licence from elsewhere, the traffic signs are very similar. The various speeds and police fines under different circumstances take some memorising though! Good luck!

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I've heard that Kunming's senior citizens are a bit miffed that their Free Bus Passes don't work on the new 2RMB buses? It does give the rest of us a chance for a seat though!

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@yuanyangren: Good point. Never occured to me before. Mind you, I think being constantly badgered in the street by passing taxi drivers might be worse than occasionally being ignored or refused. Tough call.

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I think I must live in the right part of town! Mind you, pedantically speaking "more than an hour" is a far cry from "20 or so minutes" or even "up to an hour". I'm all for more taxis and buses though. Someone stop throwing more cars onto the Kunimg streets!

Reviews

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Price is now 100RMB for adults, 70RMB for children.
Some of the animal areas are as far as 10+km from the entrance - you can buy a hop on/off bus ticket for 60RMB per person, but there are also clearly marked walkways for those who are full of energy.

Everything inside is pretty expensive - consider bringing a picnic.

Many of the animals are in large outdoor enclosures. Some are caged. The park calls itself a safari, but this is not a "drive your car amongst the animals" thing. It's more like a decent western zoo.
There are places to handle/be photographed with animals, for a fee. Also, some kids amusements.
The animal show is free, but a waste of time (unless you love watching goats, sheep, pigs, horses etc!!).
Good labelling i English thorughout.

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Still worth a visit, especially for the arhat statues. The 11am vegetarian lunch is basic, but still only 10RMB. Free entry.

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Prague cafe used to be my favourite cafe in Wenlin area but I went for lunch there today after a few months away and it's really gone downhill (new owners?). The menu was a photocopy, the food was lacklustre and much more expensive than before, the decor was dull and the service so-so. I won't be back there anytime soon.

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It's open! And it's free. And its terrific for kids.

The museum is surprisingly interactive (although only 2/3 of the attractions are working) and modern (VR, simulators, touchscreens, etc). Sadly, no English on any of the displays but the fun is in trying to work out how the exhibits work and what they are supposed to be showing. Well worth a visit.