The Book Club will meet Tuesday, January 9, 2018, at The Park, to discuss Mikhail Bulgakov's novel, THE MASTER AND MARGARITA, in which Satan arrives in both Roman Jerusalem 2000 years ago and in Moscow in the stalinist 1930's and turns out to be the most interesting and dramatic dude in town (think Milton's PARADISE LOST).
The Kunming Book Club has a wechat group in which many regular attendees participate, but meetings are open to all. Readings, locations and times of meets are chosen by attendees. New participants welcome.
That's creeping up on Chinese New Year, so you might want to check early on tickets to Jinghong. From Jinghong on you can probably just buy tickets the day before at the bus station.
Yahoo is not a brilliant site for news, but it works consistently for me here - perhaps there was a glitch for a week or so once, but that was a long time ago, can't quite remember.
I am a foreigner and at my local PSB I have never needed my landlord to go with me to register, I just needed lease and photocopy of his ID the first time, when I moved in. Later trips in and out of the country, I just had to show up with my passport - did this last week.
@Kate: 1st question, my guess is that it's both. Destruction of the environment started centuries ago, here and elsewhere, particularly severe in China thanks to the population and other factors such as the low percentage of flat land in China - destruction evident even in the 19th century to foreign visitors. AS for Beijing, the comparison with 20th-century growth of Los Angeles & the virtual disappearance of the Colorado River in its lower reaches. and US lawns in places like Tucson and Phoenix. Emptying of aquifers in North Africa (Libya, for example).
Yes, governments and human populations need to wise up. There are indeed more efficient ways to manage water, but at any rate there are too many of us, and there will be more. The human species is arrogant, and ideas of Progress, a product of the French Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution, need to be re-examined and toned down, here and everywhere.
I think Kate has a good point and that a lot of water is probably used in wasteful construction. But there really is a drought, has been for recent years, and I think it's true that people everywhere, of whom there are way too many, are careless about wasting water. As for washing cars, there are too many of them too.
Not quite what you'd call a jumping place, but not bad at all for rather standard US-type meals, not overly expensive, and with a really good salad bar that's cheap, or free with most dinner dishes after 5:30PM. You can get a bottle of beer or even wine if you really want to, but I've never seen anybody do it - maybe that's just to take out. Chinese Christian run, and they hire people with physical disadvantages, who are pleasant and helpful. Frequented by foreign (mostly North American) Christians and Chinese Christians - was started by a Canadian couple associated with Bless China (previously, Project Grace), who are no longer here, but no religious pressure or any of that. Steaks are nothing special, and I avoid the Korean dishes, which I've had a few times but which did not impress me.
As a shop and bakery, it's very good bread at reasonable prices, of various kinds (Y18 for a good multigrain loaf that certainly weighs well over a pound. Other stuff too, like granola and oatmeal that is local, as well as imported things, including American cornflakes and so forth, which some people seem to require.
Large portions, seriously so with the pizza, which is Brooklyn/American style, I guess. Convivial, conversational, good place to drink with good folks on both sides of the bar, especially after about 9PM.
Kunming neighborhoods face water rationing
发布者@Kate: 1st question, my guess is that it's both. Destruction of the environment started centuries ago, here and elsewhere, particularly severe in China thanks to the population and other factors such as the low percentage of flat land in China - destruction evident even in the 19th century to foreign visitors. AS for Beijing, the comparison with 20th-century growth of Los Angeles & the virtual disappearance of the Colorado River in its lower reaches. and US lawns in places like Tucson and Phoenix. Emptying of aquifers in North Africa (Libya, for example).
Yes, governments and human populations need to wise up. There are indeed more efficient ways to manage water, but at any rate there are too many of us, and there will be more. The human species is arrogant, and ideas of Progress, a product of the French Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution, need to be re-examined and toned down, here and everywhere.
Kunming neighborhoods face water rationing
发布者I think Kate has a good point and that a lot of water is probably used in wasteful construction. But there really is a drought, has been for recent years, and I think it's true that people everywhere, of whom there are way too many, are careless about wasting water. As for washing cars, there are too many of them too.
Scores of Kunming officials investigated for corruption
发布者@laotou: you're right - but then, if the people are 'easily riled up', there remains the question of Why?
Fundraiser: Helping out with impossible medical bills
发布者Gompo, I hope so too, but you and I both know it's not necessary to wait to do one's own thinking, and doing, even if it's not currently fashionable.
Scores of Kunming officials investigated for corruption
发布者The Xi regime is about control. The anti-corruption part is good. As for the rest...