BillDan, i honestly don't have any kind obsessive disdain for you at all. I just disagree with much of what you say, it's nothing personal.

My point is that to say that all the food in Kunming is bad simply isn't true, just as it's also untrue that there's nothing to do here. Just takes a bit of imagination is all. I'm fully aware that Kunming is no paradise either. Trust me, there are things about living here which drive me crazy on an almost daily basis, but you deal with it. You take the rough with the smooth. Seems like for you, there is no smooth, but as i said in my original post - each to their own.

There are tennis courts (a brand new shiny one at Haigen) and another at Wu Hua, ice skating, badminton courts, squash courts, swimming pools, gyms with tons of specialized classes, there's at least one yoga studio, tons of new shopping malls with both Chinese and western brands, there is a local ultimate frisbee team, a local football team, a local rugby team, one of the best golf courses in Asia, tons of bars, tons of cafes, tons of restaurants with tons of variety from Tibetan food to Dai, there are endless cycling and running routes in the mountains surrounding this city, numerous schools that teach mandarin, art studios, poetry nights, open mic nights and live bands, movie nights, a generally great expat community, the list goes on.

MUST: check out all the truly amazing places outside of Kunming in this most diverse province: Dali, Lijiang, the gorge, Shangri la and further north into spectacular mountains, Xishaungbanna, Tengchong, Honghe, Mile, the rice terraces at Yuanyang, and not forgetting Laos and Vietnam which a both a bus ride or short flight away.

Try as much of the diverse food on offer here as you can.

Learn the language.

Keep an open mind and accept that this isn't your hometown, it isn't your native country and things are done differently. The locals are friendly for the most part, more so if you immerse yourself in their culture and smile while you're doing it.

MUSN'T: Listen to jaded foreigners lacking imagination who tell you that there's nothing to do here.

A good place to start might be to join the benefit this weekend for the the victims of the Philippines Typhoon.

Enjoy your time in Kunming.

This ^

...sardine and tomato sandwich spread, salad cream, marmite, Branston sweet pickle, McDonalds, Cup-o-soup, 'And Lays chips with french Onion dip! Food does not get better than that mate!' (Yes, it really does), Frozen dinners FFS!

Each to his own i suppose but most of the stuff listed here makes me wince. Crappy, salty, sweet food full of chemicals.

Honestly, if you can't find good food here you're just not looking hard enough. And for all those other things which you pine for... make it yourself! Burgers, guacamole, soups (made with actual vegetables rather than flavored powder), gravy (again not made from powder) bread... all easily made and with fresh ingredients, bought cheaply. One poster here complains about 'inedible gristle ad cartridge serving as the beef' and uses Mcdonalds as a substitute. Oh the irony. Do you know what goes into a Mcdonalds burger? It 'aint tenderloin that's for sure.

Half the other stuff can be found quite easily with a little effort.

Thanks Eng Tutor and Tiger. 'Basically add ingredients and walk away', that was what i was hoping. Will give it a try this weekend and report back soon :-)