What don't you like about Kunming?

Posted in: Forums > Living in Kunming • 43 posts • Newest

• • Danmairen
    February 24, 2009
    427 posts
  • Let's go for a controversial thread for once,, God knows this site could use one. :-) "Kunming" can easily be replaced by "China" if you prefer.

    1. People spit everywhere and all the time.

    2. The traffic is getting worse and worse.

    3. A kid is one thing but I've seen grownups taking a dump in the street too.

    4. The Lets-all-get-together-and-puke-our-guts-out gatherings in Kundu every morning from 3 to 5 AM.

    5. Seeing people beating up their girlfriend in the street and noone does anything about it.

    6. Seeing people fighting in the 5-v-1 style and noone stops untill the guy is near to death.

    7. Taxi drivers having no clue where to go unless you put on a hefty Kunminghua dialect.

    8. The women with a rent-a-kid on their backs grabbing your arm and screaming insults if you don't give them money.

    9. The amount of thieves.

    10. The way people look at you if you are walking together with a Chinese girl.

    I gotta say I kinda like this city though,, I much prefer it to Beijing or one of the other cities I've seen in China. It's definately not the worst place you can be in the world :-)

• • PerNordin
    February 25, 2009
    50 posts
  • I guess not just KunMing:

    The constant distorted noise of music through broken speakers (seems to be a sound-ideal) blaring from every other shop.

    If the above is not enough: the blaring out of sales-pitches, impossible to hear what they say because of the sound-ideal of distortion or broken speakers.

    That EVERYthing must be through a speaker, so even a fairly nice Erhu player playing on the square ruins the sound of his Erhu by playing it through a bad speaker even though there is no real need, turning what would be a pleasant experience to a distorted menace.

    No insulation, central heating or double-glased windows (or windows that fit so bad they cant close) during the late autumn to mid spring, so you need to wear coat and mittens indoors, as the indoor temperature is the same as the out door temperature.

    They way some smile so politely while blatantly ripping you off big time. The nicer the smile, the bigger the rip-off.

    All the professional beggars operating on JinMaBiJi Square. And the fact that they actually thus make people ignorant of the _real_ beggars, who are actually down and out and need a helping hand when you happen to meet them around the corner. (Seems almost like the square is a professional territory and they make sure to keep the real beggars off "their" turf and to the side streets).

    All the low-life foreigners giving us foreigners a bad rep.

• • nnoble
    February 25, 2009
    178 posts
  • Is there a positive objective to this discussion? Or is it simply a venue to be objectionable? Why not get out there and enjoy what is!

• • JJ and Janice
    February 25, 2009
    253 posts
  • As to Danmairen:
    1. Try East LA where the winos puke all over the sidewalk
    2. Traffic?? again, try LA
    3. Where - - I haven't seen that (been here 2 yrs)
    4. If you slept fm 11:00 pm to 5:00 am wouldn't have that problem
    5. Watching people beat up their girlfriend - - did you "just watch" or did you do something about it?
    6. See #5
    7. I have no problem with taxis - - and if I'm in doubt I'll have someone write it down before i go out
    8. You must go different places than we go - - no problem
    9. World-wide problem. Try the muggers with guns and knives
    10. I walk with a "Chinese girl" all the time (my wife) well, she's a classy beautiful lady so folks pay no attention to me!!

    AND - - if you fins a perfect place, let me know - - but don't put on this site because all those "low lifes" will then go there.

    In the spirit of things - - I must remark that I am 71 years old - - retired U.S. Navy SEAL - - and I've seen LOTS of bad places and people in the world - - and I like Kunming.

    Cheers - - JJ

• • TheSwedishGuy
    February 25, 2009
    64 posts
  • There are some annoying aspects of this city of course, here are a few more:

    1. People carefully checking traffic only from one side of the road while crossing when there is only traffic coming from the other.

    2. The Guandu dialect (shivers)

    3. All-knowing-foreigners that have been in China for about a year and now feel as if a part of the culture, thus telling you the truth about Chinese people and how to reach success in China. All served with a smug grin on their faces. They usually have a Chinese fiancee and claims to know more Kunminghua than Putonghua. (I was probably one of those before too)

    4. People that constantly smokes everywhere... toilet, elevator, restaurants, bars etc.

    5. The beggar you just handed your last kuai to receives a call on his cellphone as he thanks you for it.

    6. Children collecting bottles for grownups or begging money on the street for their "mother"

    7. Old-fashioned Chinese thinking that really messes up a conversation completely and leave you with a feeling that you really can't say anything to something that so completely lacks reason and logic.

    8. The family of peasants that stands in the middle of a crossing all smiling and without any sense of what to do in traffic.

    9. Traffic jam in the bike lanes.

    10. The fact that you actually starts staring at other foreigners and feel uncomfortable at Salvadors because there are so many "laowai" there. (Happened to me the other day and I kind of wonder when in the world I got so used to Chinese people that I actually don't hang around with foreigners anymore.)

• • TheSwedishGuy
    February 25, 2009
    64 posts
  • All said with a smile though people. I love the fact that this city is so disordered. Sometimes it annoys me but most of the time it just amuse me.

• • Tonyaod
    February 25, 2009
    181 posts
  • Now write to your local Senator and Congressperson to express your personal experience with China so they can remember that China is still a backward, developing country despite the glitz of Shanghai, Beijing, and Canton, and that there there are much more pressing issues to the Chinese then human rights, copyrights, or whatever the issue of the month is...

    In all seriousness, there is no Shangri-la....unless you been to Zhongdian, wink wink. Even in the most advanced countries in Europe or the US, there will be things that are not so nice, it's the human condition. Even in the Star Trek Universe where there is no money and everyone pursue ventures for the greater good of mankind, there's still the Klingons, Romulans, and the Borg to deal with.

    Yes, those things you've listed are annoying and I too get frustrated with the traffic but take it in stride, look at the positives and I'm sure you'll be much happier.

    BTW, what's point of stirring up controversy? It's usually used to stir up public sentiment so that the people can take action to remedy the said ailments. This is China...the PSB is everywhere...careful that they don't come knocking. (Satire intended)

• • DanTheMan
    February 25, 2009
    235 posts
  • I just feel bad for that poor girl that Danmairen is walking together with.

• • Danmairen
    February 25, 2009
    427 posts
  • I can balance the scale a bit if you'd like:

    1. The climate is nice and comfy
    2. The food is good and cheap
    3. Housing is affordable
    4. The lifestyle is relaxed
    5. The girls are hot and approachable :-)
    6. Most of the people I've met are nice and friendly
    7. You can smoke without people beating you up
    8. Taxis are cheap and all around if you need one (very different from my country), so are busses.
    9. Vendors generally don't try to rip you off, Beijing sucks to that extent.
    10. Kunming is probably one of the best tier 2 cities to live in in China.

• • trailblazer18
    February 25, 2009
    6 posts
  • #3 made me laugh so hard!!! (from the original post) I have witnessed the same thing...haha. Still laughing!!!

• • PerNordin
    February 25, 2009
    50 posts
  • What is the purpose? Well, I can see a few, depending on the person.

    - A vent for the things that one actually gets annoyed at, but dont want to show when it happens.

    - Or an info for people who are planning to come, to see that - even though I do agree that KM is a great city and I love it - there are things that are "different" so they wont come with some hyper-idealistic idea of how lovely EVERYthing is. For the locals, children taking a dump on the road is natural and for a grown up to do it, its not all _that_ big of a deal, but for most westerners is its such a foreign behavior that it commands a reaction. Some see it as quaint (I do), while others may see it as horrid.

    - Or as a common humor: they look at much of our behavior and laugh or grunt at what we do and how we look and act (with all right), and for us its the same. The biggest difference is that they can comment on the spot to their friend, but many of us dont have contact with each other - or other foreigners - than by this forum.

    - Or just a waste of time.

    Pick which reason you feel fits your universe. :)

    As for me, I love KM and China and the culture, etc. But just as I can get annoyed at my home city Uppsala, or country men in Sweden, I can also sometimes get annoyed or make observations about KM.
    So I dont see it as gripe. And if it is, I really dont see any problem with griping. People should be allowed to gripe about the things that annoy them as they are allowed to praise the things that they love. Just because some maybe gripe here about a few things, doesnt mean they dont love KM or the people or the country.
    Or am I wrong?
    :)

    And for balance - if that is really needed - I can second Danmairen, except maybe part two of number 5. Yes, the girls/ women are beautiful and hot, but I have not had much success in approaching them beyond very polite and friendly conversations. But I think thats my problem... I have the same lack of success in Sweden too :D
    Id also like to add to 2, 6 and 9, that put together, you get a small lovely local restaurant where they treat you as family. I have one that I really love and where most of my meals are taken.

• • krystel
    February 25, 2009
    7 posts
  • People Spitting is just the ;ost disgusting thing I have ever seen...

• • lucky
    February 25, 2009
    6 posts
  • the blatantly sneaking in front of you whilst you stand stupidly in a quueue for ages...the non-existence of the queueing up! the old ladies are particularly sneaky.

• • PerNordin
    February 25, 2009
    50 posts
  • Oh, one thing, about spitting...
    Spitting on the floor in a restaurant.
    Walking into a small side-street restaurant (my fav) at the end of lunchtime can be hazardous, as the floor is just filled with morsels spat out whilst eating. Slippery as hell, especially when mixed with snot!

    But again... for them its just natural. I almost fainted (but made no fuss about it) when I had a Chinese woman (from Harbin) over for dinner in my home in Sweden, and she gets some bit in her mouth she didnt want and just spit it out on the floor. I calmly walked to the kitchen and got a small bowl and calmly offered that she rather use that if she gets something in her mouth she didnt want. She answered "thats ok", meaning she didnt need it since the floor was there... :D
    That was my first real encounter. But coming to KM I realized that this is normal behavior.

• • Danmairen
    February 25, 2009
    427 posts
  • hehe,, I completely forgot about the queue issue. 5000 years of history and noone figured out that everything runs more smoothly if you accept this weird and decievingly simple concept. Next time I'll have to get on a bus I'll tiptoe around the old ladies, trip a kid and elbow a couple of guys. If they start to complain I'll have my "This is China,, if you don't like it,," speech ready.

• • Tiger
    February 26, 2009
    66 posts
  • But, do we do anything about it? What do you do?

• • atomic
    February 26, 2009
    64 posts
  • When I see anyone spitting or blowing their nose onto the floor anywhere near me, I give them a look of disgust. When someone tries to push into a line in front of me I simply push them back out. On one occasion I was about to put down my money down to pay for a bus ticket, when a bloke jumped up beside me and put his money into the payment area. I grabbed his money, scrunched it up and threw it on the floor. This kind of behaviour is not simply a cultural anomaly to be shrugged off, but actually needs to be discouraged by all.

• • david.jorm
    February 26, 2009
    11 posts
  • By far the worst thing in Kunming and China in general is the SMOKING! And the foreigners are by far the worst! They take full license to smoke everywhere in an obnoxious manner. I can't wait to get back home just so I don't have to passively smoke, it is absolutely horrible.

• • Danmairen
    February 26, 2009
    427 posts
  • DavidJorm, "And the foreigners are by far the worst". Right,, coz the Chinese are very considerate when it comes to smoking. How exactly do you smoke "in an obnoxious manner",, do people come up to you to blow smoke in your face? Most foreigners here only smoke where Chinese people smoke in the first place,, I do not believe we are worse than the Chinese when it comes to that. The nanny state you (we) have back home wants smokers to wear flourescent green jackets when we smoke outside so that innocent bystanders can keep their distance. If you don't like smoking you sure came to the wrong part of the world :-)

• • BBinKMG
    February 26, 2009
    37 posts
  • Well, I do love Kunming but I'll add a couple to the negative list

    1. I really hate the constant car alarms. I can't figure it out...seems almost like a contest to have the loudest, most obnoxious sound and they seem to set them to go on and leave them running for a long time...especially when going into a store. Like I said, I don't understand but it sure is noisy for no clear reason.
    2. And, of course, for noise there's little competition with car horns. I think they should disable all car horns on cars sold here. Horns get lots more wear and tear than brakes I suspect.
    OK, that's enuf....still do love this place and these warm people.

• • LaoNaiYangYu
    February 26, 2009
    27 posts
  • I hated it when I first arrived in KM because everyone seemed to be staring at me. But I've learnt a trick or two - now I spit in the most disgusting manner and snot up all over the place, and people just ignore me as if I'm a local. I love it.

• • bucko
    February 26, 2009
    246 posts
  • Your spitting trick sounds like my bathroom trick. I enjoy a good pee on the street and it makes me look like a local as well. I am so grateful Kunming added so many more trees. I am terrible at squatting to dump without them.
    Gotta cut this short so I can light up before I get into the bank!

• • JJ and Janice
    February 26, 2009
    253 posts
  • We came here from Arizona - - where it is legal to wear a gun almost anywhere (except for bars and government offices). If everyone here wore a gun - - I think manners could/would improve overnight.

• • seahorse62
    February 26, 2009
    87 posts
  • I really do love Kunming, but I would love it more if people would use deodorant and toothpaste daily.

• • Tiger
    February 27, 2009
    66 posts
  • No one seems to have mentioned the infuriating rudeness of vehicles that ignore pedestrian crossings. That is why you'll see many vehicles on the road with a long scratch on their vehicles -- because they came too close to my feet ... and my sharp claws (keys).

• • atomic
    February 27, 2009
    64 posts
  • When I first came to China I also found it annoying that drivers ignored the pedestrians right of way at zebra crossings, but quickly realised that if they did then there would be huge traffic jams. The flow of pedestrians attempting to cross at these points simply doesn't stop. What they need to do is install more traffic lights particularly near schools, hospitals, etc.

• • hillaryrong
    February 27, 2009
    7 posts
  • you are tender,the city is tender: you are harsh,the city is harsh :you are open,the city is abundantly :you are passion,the city is friendly :you are lonely,the city is closed :you are cold,the city is frozen!

• • DanTheMan
    February 28, 2009
    235 posts
  • Hillaryrong, you scare me just a little bit.

• • PerNordin
    February 28, 2009
    50 posts
  • Tiger: "No one seems to have mentioned the infuriating rudeness of vehicles that ignore pedestrian crossings. ..."
    I was (as left-most part of a normal crowd) beginning to cross the pedestrian crossing at JinBi, as the light had just turned green for us and was red for traffic. A woman comes cycling down the street at full speed, in spite of it being red for her. She had to swerve as I and the rest started crossing, and she fell off her bike. I went up to assist her, but she started cussing at ME for having been in HER way, thus forcing her to swerve and thereby causing her to fall. :D
    It seems some think "wow, it turned red for me 3 seconds ago, so if I really pick up speed these last 20 yards I can make it before the herd of pedestrians get a green light." And "its my right to make it". :)

• • Liumingke1234
    February 28, 2009
    90 posts
  • Being here almost 3 years. The main this I hate is the smoking,spitting and the "everybody get on the bus at the same time" syndrome. It cracks me up when the "ai xin ka" people want NOT only a free ride but they expect a SEAT too!

• • Dr Doom
    March 1, 2009
    14 posts
  • When I first moved here all the things listed above seemed to jump out and disgust/annoy me. Obviously it wasn't bad enough to make me leave and I would say the same is true for all the above that are still living here. Now I don't even notice the things listed above anymore. I am glad I am still living here. I enjoy getting suprised by strange behavior after almost 5 years i have known Kunming. And if you think the day to day stuff is bad, try starting a business. If you don't like it you can always leave. Lets throw some positives down:

    1. Far less fat people. Always the first thing I notice when I visit the states is how the doorways look narrower.
    2. Cigarettes, health care, dining out, taxis, and pretty much anything but cars and computers are cheap.
    3. There is food for sale everywhere.
    4. Many more happy people then anywhere I have lived before.
    5. Different minority cultures and foreigners from all over.
    6. Night life variety from rietous Kundu, to classy Green Lake, and laid back Wei Lin Jie. There are a ton of parks and now minigolf. Other China cities I have been to seem boring.
    7. Run of the mill foreign stuff is new and interesting here.
    8. There is always more room on the bus or elevator. If you think its full 10 more people will get on/in.

    I am sure I can go on about this for awhile. Only thing I can find wrong is Kunming is changing too fast and Xiaoximen Wal-Mart is insane on a Saturday. Kunming has its own life and grove that is different than anywhere else. I like it! ;)

• • Tiger
    March 2, 2009
    66 posts
  • *PerNordin* To be honest, as I am at times and, of course, said anonymously, I go out of my way to make them fall off their bikes! At one time, I even stopped a police car - they just smiled sheepishly. It made my day.

• • wo jiao dong dong
    March 4, 2009
    2 posts
  • wei wei wei wei... WAAA! WAAA!
    gei wo yi kuai qian. wo yao yi kuai qian.

    WAA.
    wo jiao dong dong.

• • PerNordin
    March 5, 2009
    50 posts
  • *Tiger*, as for me, I would never purposefully try to trip anyone or do damage or even intentionally offend or irritate. I love the people. I have simply learned to look more carefully, even though I have a green light and they dont. But it takes me by surprise when a cyclist almost rams me or I see one ramming into a crowd across the street bringing themselves and 5 others to the ground (and they cuss at the pedestrians who have a green light). :) On the other hand... as I mentioned before, even WE (at least, even _I_) have sides that offend or disturb or discomfort or makes the local KunMingneese laugh or shake their head.

    *Dr Doom* I agree.
    There is so much I love about KunMing and its people that it by far outweighs the things that I dont like.... well, maybe with the exception of the blurting-out-broken-speaker syndrome. Being a composer, it is _really_ hard on my ears, drains me and makes me totally exhausted. I quickly learned to navigate around whatever I dont like or makes me sad or dont understand, except the broken speakers at 100dB-plus each, all trying to overpower the sound of the traffic. It makes me tired, just to think of it!
    BUT, still, I can tell you more of what I dont like in my native city Uppsala Sweden, than what I dont like about KunMing. :)

• • Danmairen
    March 5, 2009
    427 posts
  • I just remembered one. I don't mind eating at (almost) all sorts of tiny food places but there is one thing that annoys the hell out of me. Whenever the cook pours the food into your styrofoam whateveritscalled and some of it falls onto the kitchen table the cook or waitress will just scoop it up with their hands and put it back onto your food. It happens quite often but since there isn't much I can do about it my "solution" so far has been to not look at the cook-at-work. Out of sight out of mind. Unless someone can teach me how to say "I'd rather have a little less food than to eat something that fell onto the table where you cut the raw chicken 5 mins ago" hehe,, but I guess if I had to say that it would already be too late :-)

• • Leolu
    April 20, 2009
    2 posts
  • To foreigners with negative thinking:
    1. Think of your home country, is that perfect? 0 criminal and everyone behaves gentle no matter when or what?
    2. Think of yourself, why don't you just go back home when you ask for a paradise on earth.
    3. Does your home country educate people to shit at where you eat? Don't you know we need to enjoy where we are and there is always a chance to leave. Ask yourself what's the point you keep on complaining while still eat,sleep,live there.

• • timkunming
    April 20, 2009
    85 posts
  • This is a kind of outlet for foreigners living in a foreign environment...don't take it to heart! Sometimes, by picking out things that are different than what we are used to at home, helps us relate. It's a coping mechanism, I guess?

    Nowhere is perfect...but it would be silly to turn a blind eye to things that need improving. I think it's clear that most people who stay here, like it here..and despite small annoyances Kunming is a nice place to live, the food is good, and (most) of the people are really friendly and cool.

• • Danmairen
    April 20, 2009
    427 posts
  • Gotta love the "Get the f... out of the country" responses you always get from a certain kind of people whenever you dare to open your mouth in some areas of the world. Leolu,, I can't really be bothered with you but read timkunming's post a couple of times. We complain at least as much about things we think are counterproductive or just plain nuts back in our own countries. It's called living. I think the good things outweigh the bad in Kunming by a pretty big margin but everyone has the right to express his oppinion if there is something he finds weird, disgusting or plain wrong. Deal with it.

• • Mars316
    May 3, 2010
    20 posts
  • the hatest part of this city:the people.
    less educated,no polite at all, so many thieves everywhere,snobbish people,hypocritical

    of course i believe there are good people and bad people in every city,but kunming's people can not be the reason to make me love this city.

    just personal feeling,no offense

• • putonghua73
    May 4, 2010
    34 posts
  • This is my 3rd time to China, and my first time living somewhere as opposed to vacation. I've been here [Kunming] nearly 4 weeks now, and perhaps I am more 'tolerant' but I cannot find an awful lot that is genuinely specific to Kunming as opposed to China.

    1. Smoking
    My big bugbear - but prevalent throughout China and Japan for that matter (where I was going to live before the split with my ex-girlfriend).

    2. Spitting
    Am I the only one who thinks that spitting here in Kunming is much better than other places in China? The sheer amount of spitting and hawking in Lijiang, felt like the Government mandated it as a new Olympic sport and people were trying out for the Olympics in 2012!

    3. Lack of green parks i.e. grass that one can sit on
    London has spoilt me in one important regard: availability of green, open spaces (Regent's Park, Hyde Park, Hamstead Heath, etc). This was my biggest gripe when I first arrived, and is still a bone of contention. However, I am adapting and am arranging with Chinese friends to go hiking, visit Anning i.e. outdoor stuff outside Kunming.

    4. Lack of cultural pursuits
    Museums, galleries etc. But if this bothered me I would have chosen another city.

    5. Night-life
    Kundu is an argument against democracy! I originally thought that the choice of music and Lady Gaga on constant rotation was a post-modern joke. Sadly, David 1855 is what passes for night-life in Kundu.

    Bars are equally limited. That said, I didn't choose this city for it's night-life, and am in a relationship (once I stopped looking in all the wrong places), so no biggie. But thought I'd mention it because an American girl on Chinese-Forums.com is considering Kunming, and one of her questions was quality of night-life.

    6. Construction work 24/7

    7. Damn trucks that blurt out 'Happy Birthday' or what sounds like 'Scarborough Fair' at stupid o'clock in the morning (then again, I do live on Dong Feng Dong Lu).

    There was a similar thread on Gaijinpot (Japanese forum) and it was used by regulars to vent now and again. This thread may serve a similar purpose.

    Cheers!

• • laotou
    May 4, 2010
    620 posts
  • Spitting - It's a national pasttime used to prepare for the return of Taiwan to China - a Sichuan (who else?) once commented that if China wanted to return Taiwan - they don't need to send weapons - everyone in China will just rush to the east coast and spit in the ocean (environmental hazards aside) which would tidal wave the island leaving it "clean" and sanitized. US has no defense against the mass spit weapon.

    Aside from that - I really want to go poop in front of some of my dog-owning neighbors' doors - y'all know why.

• • bucko
    May 4, 2010
    246 posts
  • 1. Car and truck horns blasting constantly for no reason.
    2. Yes, useless car and moto alarms
    3. Brain dead driving
    4. very impolite attitudes
    5. talking loudly on cell phones
    6. thieves everywhere
    7. personal hygene... actually lack thereof

• • rejected_goods
    May 4, 2010
    96 posts
  • ...7. personal hygene... actually lack thereof

    if you know that it costs 7 kuai for a shower if someone has to use a public bath house....... :-P

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