Forums > Living in Kunming > Long term health (feeling) I have just come back from a dentist. Had a lose crown re-fixed and four fillings, two of those on the gum line, caused by receding gums (age). I was told a few years ago in UK that gum line fillings were not possible. Today in China, they are. I was also given a choice of filling materials, 3M or Japanese. Total cost, 1200 rmb, a lot less than back home.
The older generation of Chinese may not have had much knowledge, or culture of dental care. The middle aged people I know all care a lot about their, and their family's dental health. Dental care has moved forward a lot in China in the last 15 years. Dental implants and veneers are now common place, for those with the money. A Hollywood smile can be had for much less than people expect here.
Forums > Living in Kunming > Long term health (feeling) Health and happiness are two very separate things and for most people are not related.
Forums > Food & Drink > Blue ice cream I was in Dicos yesterday, and the current ice cream promotion is blue in color. Is it mint?, you wonder - no. Is it caramel and sea salt? No. Is it Danish Blue cheese flavor? - Yes it jolly well is.
Forums > Study > One-to-one classes with VISA Actually, from personal experience, small group classes (6-8 students) work very well, and one to one may not provide the best learning experience. There are several reasons I have found this to be so, including the following.
Some role plays are designed as pair or group activities. Pair work can be done with a teacher, but group work activities are often skipped, and this is missed learning.
At times all students will get stuck, and from my own teaching experience, being able to shift the focus to another student in the class maintains the flow and still provides learning for the student who got stuck. In one to one work the getting stuck can lead to loss of face and confidence on the part of the student. The student also learns that if they get stuck the teacher will often fill the gap sooner than needed and this can short-circuit the learning.
Small groups lead to a small amount of competitiveness, and this can be a motivator both in the class and at homework time.
Generally the teaching material covered is a very large part of the learning, and this is covered in the same way for both one to one and groups.
One to one classes may still have pretty strict scheduling that will fit the needs of the school's resource allocation and may not suit your own schedule perfectly, and in the worst cases may be no more convenient than the standard group class timetables.
A note on teachers. As a resource manager, I would allocate my best teachers to my core business, which for most language centers is their group classes.
Of course I recognize that different people have different learning styles, and one to one classes may be best for some individuals. However, group classes are much cheaper and also worth serious consideration. IMHO
One final point, you mention convenient location. I have found this to be very important, in the same way that finding a gym within 10 minutes of home or work is really helpful, so will finding a class nearby.
Forums > Study > One-to-one classes with VISA Huayang fee is for 60 classes.
Tenwest fee if for 140 hours.
Keats has a minimal requirement of 140 hours, which is probably to fit in with visa requirements.
I am not sure if a 60 class course would be sufficient to get a student visa.
Trafficking in endangered animals on the rise
发布者The guys selling pelts usually arrive in late autumn, all over China. The ones I am thinking of look a bit like frontiersmen, with their fur hats and scrawny black beards. These guys sell dog pelts, they are often sprayed to look like leopard, tiger, etc.
Ancient 'Red Deer Cave' people discovered in Yunnan
发布者There is a need for people to update knowledge bases
Darwin's Law of Evolution by Natural Selection (traditionally referred to as a "theory" to honor Darwin's original treatise, but now confirmed through observation and experiment) consists of five main tenets.
www.genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/Darwin.htm
Google of [Darwin's Law] will bring up many scientific websites.
The semantic argument that this is a theory and not a law is out of date.
Yunnan's economy outpacing national average
发布者@blobbles
It was clear to me that this was a year on year growth. Because growth is always expressed in that way.
Kunming discovers two more fake Apple stores
发布者I did see a report that although the Apple Stores were fake, the products were not.
If true this is more an argument for Apple to license more resellers.
Kunming orders English added to outdoor signs
发布者@85 cents. The article says 'only relevant to new signs'. In other words traders won't have to pay for a new sign. But when a new sign is required it needs to be in Pinyin or English, in addition to Hanzi.
This sounds good to me. It will help me find places and improve my Chinese a lot. Why will it improve my Chinese? because I will recognise more words that I have learned in Pinyin (many more than I could in Hanzi) and recognising words will help my language acquisition.
If the words are in English it may also help local kids with their English, in the same manner as Pinyin would help me.
Making the road signs in Pinyin and Chinese was a good idea. It has helped me a lot in navigating the city. Extending the policy to shop signs can only add benefit. And nobody has to buy a new sign.