Funny, I've just recently been noticing the same thing. And this is my 5th year in Kunming. I used to only have to use the VPN occasionally to get to some very specific sites but lately I have to run the VPN almost all the time just to go to sites that normally aren't blocked.
Still, I am assuming that it is actual blocking and not a slowdown or hop count problem. Sure glad I've got a good VPN but let's hope this is just temporary.
Like someone else mentioned, I even today had to use it to get to GoKunming site.
You can use this link to do voter registration for overseas americans www.fvap.gov/ if I understood your question right. This is how you register and get the absentee ballot mailed to you.
I did it a month ago and it works for any state but you do have to sign the form you do online and then either mail it in or fax it I think.
I guess I have the opposite problem soon because I want to sell my property here and have the money wired back to my US bank in dollars. So I have several questions if this group would be willing to help out.
1) I see that Dry and Easy has managed to find the Foreign Exchange Bureau and that's great because everyone tells me I should go there (with my receipt for exchanging dollars to rmb in the beginning) but all the people I've asked don't know where it is! even realtors didn't know.
So if you could say where this bureau is, it would be a big help.
2) I saw online that the Chinese are now also limited to exchange rmb for no more than $50K US per year and something about a daily limit of $10K. This change happened in 2010 they say. Anyone heard about this? And do you think it would apply to wiring money from the chinese account to my US bank?
OK, I know that's too much for a short forum entry. Thanks for any help
Actually, it happened to me when I bought and I objected (to no avail) because I was afraid the lower 'fake' price would hurt me in capital gains type fees on the sale. But it was clear then that everybody was doing business this way.
Yuantongsi, Thanks so much for that idea. I wouldn't have thought to do that. So the laws in China don't say whether the buyer or seller has to pay each type of fees? that might be the way to go. Of course, I'd like to ask the buyer to settle in USDollars since they are easy for chinese to get and it's hard for me to get RMB changed. Guess that's another problem entirely.
I'm not in Kunming (or in China) anymore but I love the embroidery art of Yunnan and I wonder if there is any way I could see this film? I would be happy to pay to watch it online, if that is an option. I own several embroidery paintings...the best one is from an "art factory" near Wenshan (so probably not Yi)
Yes thanks a bunch for the article. Too funny since I was just trying to figure out where I'd have to fly to spend a few days tanning and lolling by some water. This is a much cheaper idea and that first pool looks great for sure.
I suppose it will be hard to get a response to this thread also but, like AlexKMG, I'd love to know if this hotel did open. I would like to go there soon but can't find it in any search engines. Help???? I'm guessing it didn't work out but hoping that it did.
I read this book a year ago and was appalled initially to see that it was in fact written by a missionary. (I would never intentionally give a penny to a missionary.) Having said that, I read the first half of the book since he did try to separate the anthropology from the missionary BS. And there were indeed a few interesting observations about the ethnic groups and he had clearly bothered to learn a lot about the languages.
Still, even the first part can't help adding in religious judgments and hypocritical nonsense. People are viewed from the perspective of their willingness to accept a load of you-know-what without becoming physically ill.
I passed my book along to a Christian and still feel guilty for having bought it without paying enough attention to the source/author.
Event: Living Threads — Celebrating Yunnan's Sani Culture
Posted byoops, it was near Weishan that I bought my art piece...not Wenshan.
Event: Living Threads — Celebrating Yunnan's Sani Culture
Posted byI'm not in Kunming (or in China) anymore but I love the embroidery art of Yunnan and I wonder if there is any way I could see this film? I would be happy to pay to watch it online, if that is an option. I own several embroidery paintings...the best one is from an "art factory" near Wenshan (so probably not Yi)
Around Town: Exploring Kunming's outdoor pools
Posted byYes thanks a bunch for the article. Too funny since I was just trying to figure out where I'd have to fly to spend a few days tanning and lolling by some water. This is a much cheaper idea and that first pool looks great for sure.
First-hand account: Setting up a guesthouse in Xishuangbanna
Posted byI suppose it will be hard to get a response to this thread also but, like AlexKMG, I'd love to know if this hotel did open. I would like to go there soon but can't find it in any search engines. Help???? I'm guessing it didn't work out but hoping that it did.
Book Review: Among the Tribes in South-West China
Posted byI read this book a year ago and was appalled initially to see that it was in fact written by a missionary. (I would never intentionally give a penny to a missionary.) Having said that, I read the first half of the book since he did try to separate the anthropology from the missionary BS. And there were indeed a few interesting observations about the ethnic groups and he had clearly bothered to learn a lot about the languages.
Still, even the first part can't help adding in religious judgments and hypocritical nonsense. People are viewed from the perspective of their willingness to accept a load of you-know-what without becoming physically ill.
I passed my book along to a Christian and still feel guilty for having bought it without paying enough attention to the source/author.