@michael2015: " I'll try again using JanJal's message instead. SWIFT transfers are a major problem if you're traveling as you'll need to go to a main branch"
Actually I've used the message specifically with SWIFT transfers, and with that have been able to get it cleared without going to any branch.
Don't know if your problem is this, but regulations changed a couple of years ago, that Chinese banks started requiring a message in the bank transfer indicating what the money from abroad is for.
Initially after the change my bank transfer got stuck in Bank of China, and they didn't even inform me in any way - I had to go ask in person where's my money. It was cleared the same day if I recall correctly.
I started putting "money for living expenses in China" in the message field, and no problem since then. In your situation of sending to a relative in China rather than for your own use, may be more complicated.
Yeah, I guess there will be lot of Chinese English teachers looking for jobs too. Maybe it will lead to better level of English in some service establishments here. Or exodus of young English speaking natives to other countries.
We rent our 3 bedroom apartment at roughly 2500 a month, in northern Kunming. I suspect that place like this might be more difficult to find in the very inner city.
"xiaoqu" is usually a complex of 1-5 residential houses within a single gated community. Typically these are high-rise houses, so quite a lot of people live in one, and in newer developments these also service the residents with decent outdoor area within the community - in addition to actual parks nearby.
For example our place has 4 high-rise residential houses within the xiaoqu, and between the 4 houses there is a quite large landscaped area with trees, sitting places, children's playground, and even a kind of running/walking track.
I often see dog-owners taking their poodles out to this area instead of ever going out of the main gates to the street. Incidentally one of the street-facing shops in back of this xiaoqu is some kind of pet shop or grooming shop - the owners have at least one big dog themselves.
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Paying a visit to the Cool Mountain Yi
Posted byDevelopment brings changes to old rituals as well.
About two years ago I was in a funeral ceremony of a close relative-by-law deep in Changning county in eastern Baoshan prefecture.
The deceased was not really an Yi, but was written off as such in the population records. Rest of the family, as well as most of the villagers, were Yi.
New regulations from authorities state that the deceased may no longer be just buried like they were in past. Instead, they must now always be cremated. I assume this is to save valuable farmland in the mountains, and perhaps for hygiene reasons as well..
Since this cremation is done in a separate facility, it means that the deceased (and his or her left-behind spirit), who previously remained in the family house until buried, have to be taken out of the house for cremation and then returned to the house in a small coffin.
The spirits are known to have some temper, so much care is always put to making them happy.
In that specific village, this was the first case of implementing the new regulations. The ritual specialist had to establish new rituals so the spirit could safely travel outside the house and then return.
Wooden stools were lined in the courtyard, and a line was attached to them to form a kind of bridge, which the spirit could use to leave the household and then return there for further rituals. Firecrackers naturally escorted the way.
This was a variation of a case where somebody would die (accidentally for example) outside of the house. In that case, a similar pathway would be created so the spirit could return to the house for rituals, before usually returning to the mountains where the death occurred.
I was told of a spirit of a man who lives in the nearby mountainside. At that time guns were still allowed, and the poor guy fell to his death when taking a shot at a wild goat or similar animal.
On top of the mountain there are half a dozen shrines for everyone who has died in the mountains. Visitors to the mountain top are expected to kowtow to each of these shrines, or risk wrath of the spirits on their way down.
Sichuan water release devastates parts of northwest Yunnan
Posted byI was going to mention that. Also If there were (even) more dams and associated buffer lakes along the river, then those (unless already full of course) could dampen the impact of this kind of natural disasters further along the stream. But that would be man vs. nature of course, at cost of nature.
Beijing approves massive Changshui International Airport expansion
Posted bySince many Chinese tourists will not stay in Kunming, but head to more touristy places in Yunnan, I'm wondering how many will change plane at Changshui to get to their final destinations, and how many will take subway or other transport downtown and then to other travel nodes - like the high speed train terminal.
I'm thinking that for many the latter option would give a chance to see at least a bit of the provincial capital, and also some countryside from train or bus that they wouldn't catch from air.
Thus the question is, how rest of Kunming's transport system is up to take this expected increase in air passengers.
Bringing classic Shanghai elegance to Kunming
Posted by@Montaigne: The 2pm opening time in end of the advertisement refers to opening time of the original Shanghai location. This ad does not mention opening time of the Kunming location at all, but clicking to the official event calendar entry, it seems to be at 11am.
Study: Air pollution causes loss of intelligence
Posted byI would tend to think, that it is not easy to separate loss of cognitive performance caused directly by air pollution, and loss of same abilities indirectly by otherwise weakened other abilities (ranging from lung performance to worse sleep for example) arising from the same pollution.
Considering the wide range of parameters that may affect ones cognitive performance, it should be no-brainer to conclude that (one way or another) air pollution affects cognitive performance.