Forums > Living in Kunming > Where to buy Wii in Kunming Go to the location "Neverwinter" gave you in the post above. There are several shops selling gaming consoles.
But please, please, please... do not try to start the next media hype about those shops not being "authenticated resellers". As Chinese law states, gaming consoles with exchangeable programs are banned in China, only those with fixed programs are allowed, but the producers have to get a permit in order for the consoles to be legally sold (only Chinese consoles, with Chinese games have this permit). Everything else (PS1, PSP, PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox360, Wii, hell even Gameboys) is/are illegally imported to China.
That's one reason to look out which version is being sold to you, especially important for the Wii you're planning to buy. Check if it's a NTSC or PAL (I don't know which one is better, or even if one is better), and check which games are available for each version; choose accordingly.
And because everything IS illegal, they make it even better by selling you a cracked version of the console, so that you can download or buy plain copies of the games.
Price-wise I recommend the following practice. Go on Taobao and check for the usual price of a Wii. Add about 10-15% to this price and it should represent the street-price you'll have to pay. If the vendor is actually kind or offering customer service you might even want think about paying 20% extra (keep in mind possible future "warranty" [read re-cracking] cases).
Do not expect getting a Fapaio (official recede), but try getting an "official" Shouju at least.
Have fun!!!
Forums > Living in Kunming > Skype 5.3 I usually get my skype from cnet (download.cnet.com) or softpedia.com. They always host the newest version and most of the time their mirrors are reasonably fast.
Forums > Living in Kunming > Proxy to be logged in China I heard that some VPN's offer a server in China, so that people can experience the Internet in China, but this is a paid solution.
Other than that, like onlyone said, try googling for proxies here in China and not abroad. Some proxy sites will let you sort after country, choose one in China and you should be fine.
Forums > Living in Kunming > Kunming Tap Water I wouldn't do water filtering in Kunming for drinking water. Not because I do not trust (good) filters to function, but because of the costs.
I'd say that water here has a lot of sediment in it. You do not need to put it aside in bottles, in our house(es) it was enough not to run the tap for 12hrs and then take a look at what color the water has for the first seconds (I guess to prevent clogging your filter, you would need to build a slow moving water basin to let the sediment settle to the ground). I also noticed that Kunming's water some days has quite high amounts of chlorine, sometimes when I shower it reminds me of the water in a public pool (shudder...) and I won't drink that. I do not know about the bacteria content, but I would guess that, with the level of chlorine, it should be quite low, so I use it to brush my teeth and do not feel uncomfortable.
As far as drinking water goes, I think it's safer, cheaper and more convenient to switch to bottled water. The 5-gallon bottle runs around 10yuan, some more expensive, some cheaper (you also have to pay a deposit for the first bottle, and sometimes on company will not take the bottles from another with them). The "taste" (combination of minerals in the water) differs from brand to brand, so I would try some first and then pre-order them to get them even cheaper (some brands also offer smaller bottles so it's even easier to try). It's even delivered not only to your doorstep, but into your water dispenser. I also think that most of it is quite real drinking/table water. Almost everybody uses it and it never made me sick or had a strange taste. The only thing you need to do is to clean your water dispenser regularly to prevent bacteria from spreading (like with a filter), but other than that it's really hassle free.
Forums > Living in Kunming > Disposal of Depleted Batteries Saw a place once where scooter batteries were disposed here in Kunming, near the airport... had to fight the urge to hold my breath...
Batteries just lying on one big (3 meter) pile exposed to the elements (rain), with a small stream of liquid forming at the bottom running down the street and into the sewers.
Correct information here at the end of this thread: gokunming.com/en/forums/thread/1411/recycling_batteries
Interview: Ming Yi
发布者Hi Peter,
Haobao is in GoKunmings listings.
gokunming.com/en/listings/item/hao_22234/haobao_organic_farm
They have the exact address and phone number there. They also had an option to pick you up at your home (for a reasonable fee), bring you to their farm and take you back home, but I don't know if this info still up to date.
Getting Away: Rock Climbing in Dali
发布者Very interesting, I am looking forward for more (give me a teaser, is it white water kajaking?).
Getting away: Changchong Mountain
发布者Blobbles,
I can second tigertiger, you can use Google Earth to preplan your route. I even find the resolution good enough to find my way without a GPS. Learn your route by heart on the screen or print out a map with several predefined routes.
If you're planning on descending on one of this farmers tracks let me give you a word of warning. These tracks tend to become very steep and narrow (especially near the top) with quickly changing surfaces (sharp rocks followed by a slippery clay-like surface for example). I hike them quite often and I am not sure you can completely negotiate them with a bike, unless your last name is Atherton though. I guess you'll have to carry your bike at some points.
If you want to try it, never ride alone and tell people where you will be riding, and then, please don't divert from your route(s).
Zoo stunned by dog attack, foul play suspected
发布者I am more astonished that a pack of five dogs would actually attack deers... On the photos the dogs do not look that big, the typical Kunming city mix. Yes, the deers lived in a zoo, when they saw the pack (no matter how it got in), they definitely panicked, as they never had an encounter with another predator before and of course the dogs chased them. But it's beyond me why a well fed, or at least not starving dog (see pictures) would bite to kill.
Except they were well trained. I mean five dogs and six dead deer?! Very well trained.
Sad sad sad.
I hope that this will have no repercussions on domestic local dogs (as I own one), and I hope that the police will realize that this was a well planned and well executed attack (don't get me wrong, no positive vibrations here).
Getting away: Changchong Mountain
发布者Hey, short question:
Who of you managed to climb the first steep (concrete) ramp directly behind the cigarette factory??
I'm a beginner, just started riding mtb. But man this is so steep. I made it all the way to the park entrance without putting a foot on the ground except the first ramp.
Just now it seems that the roads in the "park" are being paved so I couldn't ride in. The construction starts directly after the first small parking lot. As I live very close by, I'll try to go up the mountain regularly and keep you updated.