Forums > Living in Kunming > Electric bicycle ban.. "One sure way,,,is to make them pay". You forgot to mention that that is also the only way. Chinese people don't really care about people they don't know personally so just to point out the dangers of their doings works out about as well as spitting on a burning building.
Couple of days ago Chinese posters on Thebeijinger.com claimed that in China "green light means go and red light means go carefully",, seriously. One of them also claimed that the rules of traffic doesn't really apply to anyone since you only have to take care and be observant of what is going on ahead of you in traffic. I've heard that before and there is some truth to it but that doesn't necesarily mean it's the right way to run things (not to mention the obvious dangers under certain conditions).
Maybe when the next generation grows up having experienced their parents in cars and on scooters and having learnt some lessons things will improve,, I doubt it though.
Forums > Living in Kunming > Recycling batteries I don't have anything battery driven but it's a scary thought that 1.35 billion Chinese people don't have the option to recycle batteries. They'll probably end up in a landfill somewhere. Regarding the pollution here in China it probably have to get a lot worse before it gets better.
Forums > Living in Kunming > Advice on neighborhoods Kunming is fairly safe and a place near a park should be possible although there aren't that many of them in this city. Chinese neighbourhood is every place but Wenlin Jie and if you don't demand too much as your post suggests you can easily find a place to live for 5-600 a month. I am not sure what KCELC is but I am sure that you can get an acceptable flat within biking distance to any school in Kunming.
Forums > Travel Yunnan > New international airport Don't set your expectations too high,, there is a lot of talk going on as usual but remember that they also want this to be a 6 million people city by 2015. I doubt the airport and a light rail will improve traffic and living conditions markably in that light.
Forums > Living in Kunming > Electric bicycle ban.. "from today, electric bikes carrying people, riding in the car lane, going against the traffic flow, jumping red lights will be subject to penalties of 50 yuan or lower"
Sounds like common sense to me. Any initiative that can help the traffic situation and the safety here in Kunming is much appreciated. It will be forgotten in a month but still,,,
Yunnan–Vietnam border still haunted by land mines
Posted by"Counterattack against Vietnam in Self-Defense" please. Those nasty imperialist Vietnamese had it coming for threatening the existence of China and Chinese culture.
Kunming Mayor Zhang Zulin to serve second term
Posted byOdd, my girlfriend's ballot must have gotten lost in the mail.
Kunming pursuing closer ties with Nepal
Posted by"Okay, APART from railways, road, education, health and industrial sectors,, WHAT have the Romans ever done for us?"
2010: The Year in Review
Posted by"A man claiming to be an official from Sichuan warned Kunming that it was hindering its development by discouraging prostitution. He then punched a reporter." Sure sounds like an official to me.
Wenhua Xiang filling up with financially overextended youth
Posted byIf I had a shop there and had to pay spiraling rent, tax and salaries I would be furious that the authorities allowed this to go on, and I (having a building site right down from my window myself) can easily understand why the residents feel annoyed by the noise and commotion. On the other hand one can also understand why someone would want to supplement a 2-3000 yuan a month income, especially with the kind of inflation we are experiencing at the present. Not an easy situation to deal with but hopefully the local government will one day realize that tearing down all the markets in order to build an excessive amount of high rises might not be such a good idea in the long run.