I'd check Yieryi Dajie (一二一大街) just east of the Yunnan University north gate. If you walk east from the gate you'll have two major computer markets and several smaller stores on your right over the next two blocks.
After two blocks if you turn right you'll find a whole street of computer-related stores on Yuantong Bei Lu, all the way to the zoo. Hope that helps.
You might want to stop by Mandarin Bookstore on Wenhua Xiang near Yunnan University's west gate. One of the owners wrote a book about Chinese chess, I think it was in English. Good luck.
What about late-night grub? All I know is the Halfway House kitchen is usually open til twoish and the Jinbi Lu McDonald's is 24 hours... anywhere else for the post-midnight munchies?
In terms of clothes, you and your wife might find it difficult to find what you're looking for in Kunming, but finding clothes for the kids shouldn't be a problem. Men's shoe sizes usually don't go beyond 9ish (US size) and most of my female friends have trouble finding shoes they like, so you might want to consider that. I'd probably bring plenty of socks too.
In terms of appliances, I'd say you can buy most of that here, even computers.
If you plan on buying bicycles here in Kunming, you may want to consider bringing some quality bike locks with you as they are difficult to find.
Other than these things, you may want to bring some things from where you're from in the states to give as gifts. You will likely make some local friends... it's always nice to give people something they don't normally have access to. I hope that helps, good luck with the move.
I imagine there should be an English school in Jinghong, don't know of any personally. You might want to try contacting Sarah at Forest Cafe (www.forest-cafe.org), she is very knowledgable about the city.
@Elfin: I do believe it was a little foggy the other day. I flew out on the 19th without any delay. No idea what the weather will be like on the 23rd, but if it is foggy, a delay is likely. Not sure what you mean by "staying overnight situation", it's easy enough to cab/bus between the airport and the city. If flights have been canceled or delayed I'm guessing the tiny 'hotel' in the airport will be full. It's a ripoff anyway, you're better staying at a hotel in the city.
Two friends and their infant were flying in from eastern China last night.
Ten minutes before arriving at Changshui they were rerouted to Guiyang, where they spent the night.
Now my friends say there is fighting at the Guiyang airport and they were hurried onto a plane that shows no signs of moving. I'm flying out of Changshui tomorrow, I half-expect to run into them then.
Nice bit of info from Global Times, the FOX News of China:
'A journalist from the Kunming-based newspaper Yunnan Daily, who declined to be named, confirmed to the Global Times that the airport, which went into operation just six months ago, was short of ground crew and not equipped with enough support facilities.
"There is no large hotel close to the airport so stranded passengers are sent back downtown, 30 kilometers away. When passengers complained about the low temperature inside the airport, they were told that the heating system was not fully operational."'
I didn't see anything resembling a heating system in the airport. Even if there is one, one would think it might be nice to have it operational by January.
Of course, GT has to be "fair and balanced", so it includes this chap saying that people had no right to lose their cool in the face of incompetence and indifference:
'"These passengers' actions were radical, and violated laws," Zhang Qihuai, a researcher from the Institute of Air and Space Law under the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times.'
Turns out that my flight that I gave up on last night was canceled, and I was refunded my money without having to get a flight cancellation certificate like two days ago, which involved fighting my way to the counter and vying for the attention of the overwhelmed staff.
A friend of mine went to the airport today and her flight left on time at two, so I decided, just for a laugh, to try for the third day in a row to fly out of Kunming. Heinz's comment above suggests that the chaos from less than a day of fog two days ago may still be an issue.
It seems that there is very little in the way of contingency planning at Changshui International Airport for emergencies or even normal occurrences such as cold weather. I truly hope the loss of face for the airport and Yunnan Airport Group spurs someone in charge to make sure that the airport is more prepared for emergencies and other mafan in the future... if something like this happens during Chinese New Year it may take ages to get things back to normal.
Hope that service and preparedness at the airport will improve may be misplaced for the next few years, it appears expansion is the priority for the foreseeable future: centreforaviation.com/[...]
My favorite Tengchong-style restaurant in Kunming. Their ersi and erkuai are trucked over from Tengchong and are the real deal — Kunming ersi and erkuai do not compare.
The restaurant itself is a bit jumbled, but there are a couple of tables outside in the courtyard that are nice to sit at when the weather's pleasant.
Don't believe them when they say they don't have lufu.
Fog shuts down Kunming airport, strands thousands
Posted by@Elfin: I do believe it was a little foggy the other day. I flew out on the 19th without any delay. No idea what the weather will be like on the 23rd, but if it is foggy, a delay is likely. Not sure what you mean by "staying overnight situation", it's easy enough to cab/bus between the airport and the city. If flights have been canceled or delayed I'm guessing the tiny 'hotel' in the airport will be full. It's a ripoff anyway, you're better staying at a hotel in the city.
Fog shuts down Kunming airport, strands thousands
Posted byTwo friends and their infant were flying in from eastern China last night.
Ten minutes before arriving at Changshui they were rerouted to Guiyang, where they spent the night.
Now my friends say there is fighting at the Guiyang airport and they were hurried onto a plane that shows no signs of moving. I'm flying out of Changshui tomorrow, I half-expect to run into them then.
Kunming has a shame, and its name is Changshui.
Fog shuts down Kunming airport, strands thousands
Posted byShanghaiist put together a gallery of Xinhua photos too:
shanghaiist.com/2013/01/06/kunming-airport-chaos.php
Fog shuts down Kunming airport, strands thousands
Posted byNice bit of info from Global Times, the FOX News of China:
'A journalist from the Kunming-based newspaper Yunnan Daily, who declined to be named, confirmed to the Global Times that the airport, which went into operation just six months ago, was short of ground crew and not equipped with enough support facilities.
"There is no large hotel close to the airport so stranded passengers are sent back downtown, 30 kilometers away. When passengers complained about the low temperature inside the airport, they were told that the heating system was not fully operational."'
I didn't see anything resembling a heating system in the airport. Even if there is one, one would think it might be nice to have it operational by January.
Of course, GT has to be "fair and balanced", so it includes this chap saying that people had no right to lose their cool in the face of incompetence and indifference:
'"These passengers' actions were radical, and violated laws," Zhang Qihuai, a researcher from the Institute of Air and Space Law under the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times.'
Full story here: www.globaltimes.cn/content/753920.shtml
Fog shuts down Kunming airport, strands thousands
Posted byTurns out that my flight that I gave up on last night was canceled, and I was refunded my money without having to get a flight cancellation certificate like two days ago, which involved fighting my way to the counter and vying for the attention of the overwhelmed staff.
A friend of mine went to the airport today and her flight left on time at two, so I decided, just for a laugh, to try for the third day in a row to fly out of Kunming. Heinz's comment above suggests that the chaos from less than a day of fog two days ago may still be an issue.
It seems that there is very little in the way of contingency planning at Changshui International Airport for emergencies or even normal occurrences such as cold weather. I truly hope the loss of face for the airport and Yunnan Airport Group spurs someone in charge to make sure that the airport is more prepared for emergencies and other mafan in the future... if something like this happens during Chinese New Year it may take ages to get things back to normal.
Hope that service and preparedness at the airport will improve may be misplaced for the next few years, it appears expansion is the priority for the foreseeable future: centreforaviation.com/[...]