Just a note here... but some of us who are foreigners do legitimately enjoy having a cigarette at the bar or in a restaurant, so its not just a Chinese thing. Generally we do try to keep it polite though, i.e., no smoking in very confined spaces or where its simply inappropriate. Personally, I'd prefer Kunming stay a bit more like that and not like California where you're a pariah if you want to have a cigarette 20 feet away from the door.
1) The new airport does have a travelex on the ground floor, right after you come out of the international arrivals baggage claim area. The rate is not the best, but it can be useful to change some small amounts to get money for cab fare and the like. I am sure there is an ATM somewhere in the airport...but I have no idea where.
2) at ICBC you can take out 5000 at a time, but (at least from my attempts) not at machines marked as ATM. Instead use the CRS machines. No idea if its a fluke or a feature of the different machines, but the CRS machines seem to give more.
One caution on the foreign card front—some smaller banks do not automatically have their Debit/Credit Cards enabled for international cash withdrawals (this happened to me the first day in Kunming) so it can be a good idea to have some physical cash to change in to RMB, just in case you need some funds to tide you over.
Does anyone know where to go to purchase one of the bus cards used on the public transit system around town? A few friends have given me vague answers like go to Xiaoximen and look around or just find a bus station, but I was hoping to get some more specific directions. Thanks in advance!
I've read through the forums over the last few months, and it seems one of the better places to buy imported goods is Metro. How exactly does one get a membership card to shop there? Is it possible to get an individual membership or do you actually need to be associated with a hotel/restaurant or similar? A few posters have mentioned that generally foreigners can use their passport to get a membership—is this still the case?
More direct flights (full ones) that do not require excessive connections as well as flights on smaller aircraft that do not go as fast or so high into the troposphere are actually net advantages to helping combat the negative influences of air travel. And yes, the current form is arguably unsustainable, but advances in aircraft design, fuel efficiency and better logistics are easing the burden somewhat. Telling people not to fly is probably pretty ineffective... most of us got here that way. But telling people to fly smarter and more sustainably might work.
Actually there are quite a few scientists in Kunming who only study the effects of TCM. Baiyao (and most TCM) have active ingredients that actually cause the effect, and a few fillers that have been added over the years that are either inert (as far as tests show) or merely serve some physical function (taste, binding, etc.). Not sure about Baiyao itself, but quite a few other products the company makes are well established and clinically showen to be quite effective complements to typical western-style medical treatments. Some of that may be due to the placebo effect, but testing the chemical compounds on cell-lines has shown some positive effects as well.
Actually, don't get a horse. Chicago, NYC and London of the 19th centuries were cess pools of disease caused by too many horses in an urban atmosphere. The old Brownstones of NYC had raised porches so that there were a few feet of distance from the road level to give a place for the manure to go... oh, and if a horse died, it stayed in the street till it decayed and could be moved. Add to that rampant disease and insanely high amounts of methane (which isn't great for the atmos either....), and well... maybe don't get a horse.
totally irrelevant, but @mmkunmingteacher, actually Salt Lake City proper is pretty awesome. Definitely more of a cultural vibe than you get in some western cities if you know where to look. ; )
I think the author is more making reference to the fact that before the new airport was built, the area up North was well known to have horrendous fog problems but they decided to put the airport in there regardless. The massive delays last year were just the first taste of the kind of problems you get when you put a multi-billion dollar installation in a perhaps less than suitable location (especially as Yunnan Gov. would like to make Kunming the air hub of Southeast Asia).
Slight unrated update here... I was in again and spoke to Sandra's partner, and he agreed there could be a greater selection of items (especially meat/cheese-wise) so he mentioned that several new products would be coming out shortly. So, not to say that dudeson's review was inaccurate (given his description, it's an entirely fair assessment from his experience), but mostly just to report that there should be some things worth going back to try.
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Yunnan air routes a hot commodity
Posted byMore direct flights (full ones) that do not require excessive connections as well as flights on smaller aircraft that do not go as fast or so high into the troposphere are actually net advantages to helping combat the negative influences of air travel. And yes, the current form is arguably unsustainable, but advances in aircraft design, fuel efficiency and better logistics are easing the burden somewhat. Telling people not to fly is probably pretty ineffective... most of us got here that way. But telling people to fly smarter and more sustainably might work.
Yunnan Baiyao rebounds after rough start to 2013
Posted byActually there are quite a few scientists in Kunming who only study the effects of TCM. Baiyao (and most TCM) have active ingredients that actually cause the effect, and a few fillers that have been added over the years that are either inert (as far as tests show) or merely serve some physical function (taste, binding, etc.). Not sure about Baiyao itself, but quite a few other products the company makes are well established and clinically showen to be quite effective complements to typical western-style medical treatments. Some of that may be due to the placebo effect, but testing the chemical compounds on cell-lines has shown some positive effects as well.
Changshui once again closed by fog
Posted byActually, don't get a horse. Chicago, NYC and London of the 19th centuries were cess pools of disease caused by too many horses in an urban atmosphere. The old Brownstones of NYC had raised porches so that there were a few feet of distance from the road level to give a place for the manure to go... oh, and if a horse died, it stayed in the street till it decayed and could be moved. Add to that rampant disease and insanely high amounts of methane (which isn't great for the atmos either....), and well... maybe don't get a horse.
Kunming to monetize street vendor chaos
Posted bytotally irrelevant, but @mmkunmingteacher, actually Salt Lake City proper is pretty awesome. Definitely more of a cultural vibe than you get in some western cities if you know where to look. ; )
Changshui once again closed by fog
Posted byI think the author is more making reference to the fact that before the new airport was built, the area up North was well known to have horrendous fog problems but they decided to put the airport in there regardless. The massive delays last year were just the first taste of the kind of problems you get when you put a multi-billion dollar installation in a perhaps less than suitable location (especially as Yunnan Gov. would like to make Kunming the air hub of Southeast Asia).