@Magnifico: repeating 'modernization' & 'development' mistakes made everywhere, originally, primarily, in the US. They didn't know then - now everybody should - all a bad idea, the planet can't afford it. Bicycles are progress.
@Alex: maybe I'm wrong, but I think the entire road to Huayxai was built by Chinese companies. In fact the road south from the border to Luang Prabang was originally (? I don't know what was there before) built by the Chinese in the 60s to aid the Pathet Lao & Viet Minh in their war effort (the north of Laos had not been under the control of the central government, or the Americans, for years. It's winding and indeed rather tiring - the road to Huay Xai is much better.
@Alex: yeah, I don't know what I was thinking - pinyin in restaurants is indeed not common, tho there are plenty of restaurants (not the majority, of course - the majority of Chinese restaurant owners surely cannot be expected to go around worrying about the minority of their customers who might not speak or read the national language) that have English on the menu.
Frankly I think all these concerns are pretty minor - does anyone expect to go to a foreign country and NOT have some problems adjusting? And obviously it's only the foreigners who can reasonably be expected to do the great majority of the adjusting. Cultural differences are indeed just that, and if there weren't any the world would be pretty damn boring and very mono-brain unidimensional. Is it all always convenient or 'fair'? No. Life is so damn hard!!
Strongly suggest that you learn at least basic spoken Chinese once you get here, if you haven't already - you shouldn't think of the difficulty of 'mastering' the language, unless you're a real enthusiast, as that daunting prospect will keep you from even leearning how to say 'sige baozi'. Why would anybody want to live someplace where they couldn't speak to people? Karina, until you learn some characters, there are plenty of restaurants with menus written in pinyin, and/or in English.
As for learning to live in 'the real Chinese way', that's okay if you want to, although what that means is not quite clear to me, and I don't think the only alternative is to insist on re-creating 'the West' in China. So do what you want, but I strongly suggest you not close yourself off to everything to the point where you don't quite know where you are or how to do what you want, or for that matter not quite know what you want. Otherwise, why come here at all - for the money???
@HFCAMPO: Odd comparison.
No results found.
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.
Too bourgeois.
Really good pizza and steaks. The wine machine fuddles me when I'm a bit fuddled, & seems unnecessary. Good folks on both sides of the bar.
Ain't no flies on Salvador's.
Seeing beyond the visible: Gender and peace-building in Myanmar
发布者Good article. Note also the lack of peace in Muslim areas near the Bangla Deshi border, the population of which has suffered considerable violence over the past 4-5 years or so. Hard to say that peace-building has been going on there.
European visa centers open to Chinese citizens in Kunming
发布者Is most most of the raft of documents required by Chinese authorities or Italian ones?
The French, Miao and Yi in Mengzi
发布者Is there a French or English translation?
The French, Miao and Yi in Mengzi
发布者The novel looks like it might be interesting.
The French, Miao and Yi in Mengzi
发布者Rocher's account of his travels, which took place during the final years of the Panthay Rebellion, also has plenty on the silver mines in the nearby area, where conflicts between Han and Hui took place over mining rights, etc., the mines themselves being one of the major reasons for the later building of the RR from Haiphong to Kunming and the establishment of the French in Mengzi and Yunnan in the first place.