This is really too bad. I was not going to involved in the conference directly, but have had many people contact me asking about the city and the province, especially about what to do after as they planned to stay and travel. I am not going to suggest that this was going to put Kunming on the map, but it was certainly a step in the right direction. We are far from Beijing and the conference topics, from what I know, hardly seemed controversial. This pre-Olympics paranoia is way out of hand.

I'm certain that we've not heard the last of this 'tip of the iceburg'.

They were so cute...

If the exhibition recently closed, where can I go to see the pieces?

That was great. I wish I had half of their energy.

damn, that's funny

very funy he he, thx sir o'connor :))

Thanks Bernie..

Hope you come along sometime...

There is no doubt that a rigid wing sailplane has more preformance in speed, altitude and glide distance,
although,

Paragliding is a different tool used to fly, you dont need a support / retreival crew, truck and trailer, towing plane, mechanical repairs ect....oh yes and money..lots

I personaly know 2 airline pilots that paraglide because of it's simplicity.You feel as one with your wing and nature.

Here are some other pilot's quotes..
Pilot Name: Ben Whyte Age: 32

Occupation: Commercial Helicopter Pilot (VIH)

Flying Since: 1997

Reason for learning to Paraglide: Since my earliest memories, I have felt the need to be in the air and flying. I believe paragliding is a more true form of flight than anything involving an engine. A paraglider is at peace with the sky.

Top 10 Reasons to fly Paragliders
By: Matthew Carter

1.) Fluid, free 3 dimensional movement through earth's biggest and most complex medium.

2.) The cheapest, simplest, and quickest to learn airsport, with zero mechanical components to fix, maintain or break down. A wing, a harness and you.

3.) Portable, light equipment that can be checked on an airplane and hiked up a mountain. A truly unique way to travel and experience the world.

4.) The only way to fully explore and experience the silent, chill magic of the clouds, and the invisible thermal world unnoticed above our heads.

5.) Flying in a plane is like swimming in a boat- get on a paraglider and out there in the airstream!!

6.) If you love mountain sports and the outdoors, only Paragliding allows you to explode your vision and experience of mountain landscapes into a rich, 3-dimensional understanding.

7.) If you have ever watched the birds and envied them, dreamed of stepping off a mountain and floating away freely into the wind, this is your chance. You are lucky enough to be part of the first human generation ever to realise a dream as old as mankind- personal, silent, portable aviation that allows the brakelines on your hands to act as your wings, and feel the wing as an extension of your body.

8.) Paragliding allows you to choose everything from the strongest burst of adrenaline to the most peaceful meditation, often on the very same day.

9.) Free flight is probably the most intellectually challenging, complex and most rewarding thing you'll ever do, and your learning curve never stops going.

10.) Ever looked from an aeroplane and wished you could walk on the clouds?

Deep down, you've always wanted to fly, haven't you?

so, I didn't have a good fun!!!

Xin : the demonstrators in France and UK did not burned a chinese flag nor heckles chinese tourists.
Those game are already fu cked up and it's some chinese fault.
Those demnostration prove that they are not mature enough to hoist the games.

Congratulations to Mike for bringing the sport of Para-sailing to Kunming. As a Canadian pilot, I can attest to the thrill of flying and para-flying is an economic way to start - then, you'll want to progress to sailplanes, the ultimate way of sport flying. I encourage everyone to give Mike a call (and I don't even know him).
Thanks Chris for an interesting article.

As a foreigner who attended the show, I never felt unwelcome, although the soldiers ' noisy arrival was rather odd.

As the writer of this article, I can only report what I can confirm.

Posts are dated in the header, with 'Today' and 'Yesterday' being used where appropriate. these change to a date of the format 'Saturday, 19th April 2008'.

GoKunming's timezone is Beijing time (GMT+8).

Interesting point about outdoor car-parking - i've been arguing the case lately for more multi-storey parking, as Kunming's streets seem to be filling up. It's good to have light shed on the problem from another angle.

i heard someone say that a young chinese person climbed on the stage and started yelling anti-foreign slogans

this seems like bigger news than anything else in this report.

I want to make a request that reports have dates on them. When a report says something happened 'yesterday' and that something else is happening 'today', this may mean a great deal to the writer, but there is nowhere in this article which allows me to see when 'yesterday' and 'today' actually are.

As for the use of mains re-charging - I think the report actually says that the solar panels on the car supply about half the energy required. I guess this car is on the road much longer each day than the average car.

I guess solar powered cars will signal an end to multi-storey, underground and in building car parks. We will all want our cars roasting in the sun all day to get the batteries charged up ready for our daily commuting.