Continuing on topic of cleaning the "business environment", prior to our successful pregnancy we had one miscarriage, and for the cleanup operation we were listed 3 or 4 different prices in same maternity hospital.
The difference came from the technique used, which varies in price and safety. The cheaper ones arguably have heightened risk for further complications which may reduce chance of future pregnancy. Most expensive ones probably medically unnecessary in most cases.
I would expect the government to focus on these details (and put money if necessary), so that hospitals could offer the safer options to everyone, and stop offering things that aren't medically justified.
Another experience on softer side of medicine, relating to bed side manners that are not high on priority in China.
After the procedure we were put to a room to wait and observe that everything is OK. In the adjacent bed there was a girl surrounded by a bunch of female friends.
After we left, my wife told me that she overheard the group speaking with language that made her convinced that these women were working in the oldest profession, which only so many years ago was still quite openly practiced here.
The experience rang a bell in my head, because I had just recently read an article (from another country) describing medical professionals to be wary of not placing patients with unwanted miscarriages in same rooms with people who want to get rid of their babies.
Few years ago we had a foreign visitor staying with us. She was wondering why all over the place, from TV to buses, there are advertisements for maternity clinics (read: abortion clinics), but nothing to advertise contraceptives.
The government may well restrict advertising of abortion clinics, and start revoking business licenses from clinics that may appear profiting from abortions. That it can call "cleaning the business environment", without directly banning anything from the general public.
Well there are lot of places where it is considered religious, anti-so at least. Perhaps also in this area China could do well to utilize religion as a vehicle for the desired effect. Study tour to Texas for example.
Our own Chenggong district was listed as ghost town once. I don't think that it qualifies as such anymore.
In many cities with ghost developments, the improvement has been orchestrated by moving better schools and other middle-class attractions to them, which families with money have followed.
I bet the continuation of this story runs tangential to recent education and child raising reforms, not just financial foes of developers.
On the note of wasted finance, good sign here is that safety of people was put before financial gains.
If the information is to be believed, the development was paused for so long that the foundation work for the houses was damaged - although I bet that some flaws in the original work contributed to putting it on hold in the first place.
In "old China" the construction would have probably went on anyway, and people could have ended up dying or losing their apartments due to unreported damages.
One less thing to cover up in coming years, by transparently blowing up the whole thing.
Is it free, if it is funded by tax payers? Or state-owned tobacco sales?
Most foreigners in China I expect to break above the 4800 RMB monthly income limit, and therefore be interested to know that their tax contributions provide (among other things) education to Chinese youth.
But Chinese not so much. Many do not earn over 3500 RMB a month, and especially not the typical villagers and parents in locales where children drop out of compulsory education.
I argue that however little people earn, they should have to provide even a marginal tax contribution to raise awareness about efficient spending of those contributions.
Then again, that may still not be in best interest of the Chinese state.
Yes, I agree that China is far behind many countries, and when measuring happiness in international level, money starts to play less important role.
China has obvious disadvantages when it comes to civil liberties and democracy for example. People in countries that are arguably better positioned in those aspects, that knowledge alone will make them feel better about their own lives - even if financially they would not fare relatively any better than average Chinese.
But these awards in OP were limited to Chinese cities and I assume to Chinese respondents (by huge proportion anyway).
In Chinese context, Chengu has still been boasting GDP growth in the double digits or very close anyway, and while few will admit that money brings happiness, increase in GDP will translate to some degree of hope and positive vibe among the Chinese residents.
In national level, China's double digit days are over, but they were there anyway at some point. Was it ever so for Kunming? (not that I know if it still is)
I don't get this part (or I probably do, but disagree wholeheartedly):
"an official at a county-level education bureau in Yunnan told local media in 2014, explaining the local attitudes. "By the time he finishes school, all the good girls would be married, and it'd be hard for him to find a wife.""
Is (was) this "official" saying that if a boy takes his compulsory education to the end and finishes school at 15-or-so old, all good girls are married by then?
Hello?
"No marriage may be contracted before the man has reached 22 years of age and the woman 20 years of age."
Perhaps the schools should have more classes about the laws of China, so at least the future generations wouldn't need to be sued to take their kids to school.
Well, I for one am closing on 5th full year in Kunming, and can not speak Chinese more than casual greetings or understanding how much money to give when I buy something.
Local spouse contributes a lot to avoid having to learn, and since neither of us are teachers, family happiness comes before frustrating teacher/student relationship.
Also, to me it seems that it gets easier to manage without Chinese every year - I suppose it is some kind of development both ways.
But I have been considering taking formal classes - not so much to hold a conversation, but as backup plan if things change career or otherwise.
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Government sues parents to get kids back to school
Posted byBut what is free?
Is it free, if it is funded by tax payers? Or state-owned tobacco sales?
Most foreigners in China I expect to break above the 4800 RMB monthly income limit, and therefore be interested to know that their tax contributions provide (among other things) education to Chinese youth.
But Chinese not so much. Many do not earn over 3500 RMB a month, and especially not the typical villagers and parents in locales where children drop out of compulsory education.
I argue that however little people earn, they should have to provide even a marginal tax contribution to raise awareness about efficient spending of those contributions.
Then again, that may still not be in best interest of the Chinese state.
China hands out happy city awards, Kunming sad
Posted by@bilingualexpat:
Yes, I agree that China is far behind many countries, and when measuring happiness in international level, money starts to play less important role.
China has obvious disadvantages when it comes to civil liberties and democracy for example. People in countries that are arguably better positioned in those aspects, that knowledge alone will make them feel better about their own lives - even if financially they would not fare relatively any better than average Chinese.
But these awards in OP were limited to Chinese cities and I assume to Chinese respondents (by huge proportion anyway).
China hands out happy city awards, Kunming sad
Posted byIn Chinese context, Chengu has still been boasting GDP growth in the double digits or very close anyway, and while few will admit that money brings happiness, increase in GDP will translate to some degree of hope and positive vibe among the Chinese residents.
In national level, China's double digit days are over, but they were there anyway at some point. Was it ever so for Kunming? (not that I know if it still is)
Government sues parents to get kids back to school
Posted byI don't get this part (or I probably do, but disagree wholeheartedly):
"an official at a county-level education bureau in Yunnan told local media in 2014, explaining the local attitudes. "By the time he finishes school, all the good girls would be married, and it'd be hard for him to find a wife.""
Is (was) this "official" saying that if a boy takes his compulsory education to the end and finishes school at 15-or-so old, all good girls are married by then?
Hello?
"No marriage may be contracted before the man has reached 22 years of age and the woman 20 years of age."
Perhaps the schools should have more classes about the laws of China, so at least the future generations wouldn't need to be sued to take their kids to school.
Life in Kunming: Studying Chinese in the Spring City
Posted byWell, I for one am closing on 5th full year in Kunming, and can not speak Chinese more than casual greetings or understanding how much money to give when I buy something.
Local spouse contributes a lot to avoid having to learn, and since neither of us are teachers, family happiness comes before frustrating teacher/student relationship.
Also, to me it seems that it gets easier to manage without Chinese every year - I suppose it is some kind of development both ways.
But I have been considering taking formal classes - not so much to hold a conversation, but as backup plan if things change career or otherwise.