Does anyone have any experience having large packages (10+ kilos) shipped from the US to China? I'm just concerned about reliability and cost, not time. Would it be best just to have the stuff shipped by the US Postal Service, or to use EMS? (I guess UPS doesn't operate out here?)

I'm planning to buy a camcorder in the US when I go back in January, but I'm worried about two potential problems:

China TVs use a standard called PAL whereas US TVs use something called NTSC.

China uses a different voltage than the US.

Has anyone tried to use a US camcorder in Kunming? Have you had any problems with the PAL/NTSC distinction? (Our TV claims to be able to handle both, but who knows.) Also, did your camcorder's AC unit come equipped to handle 110 and 220 voltage? (Amazingly, none of the camcorder reviews specified this information.)

Thanks,

Ryan

Thanks very much!

Does anyone know where you can buy a Western-style (i.e. soft) mattress in Kunming?

I don't know what dishes you've already tried, but here are a few good ones that we often have. You can find these in most restaurants.

小葱豆腐 xiao2 cong1 dou4 fu3 (tofu fried with green onions)

松仁豆腐 song1 ren2 dou4 fu3 (tofu and pine nuts in a light sauce)

番茄炒豆腐 fan1 qie2 chao3 dou4 fu3 (tofu fried with tomatoes)

腌菜炒红豆 yan1 cai2 chao3 hong2 dou4 (red beans fried with pickled cabbage)

苦菜酥红豆 ku3 cai4 su1 hong2 dou4 (red beans fried with a kind of green leafy vegetable)

两亩地 liang3 mu3 di4 (green beans and corn)

老奶洋芋 lao3 nai1 yang2 yu4 (Chinese mashed potatoes)

饵块 er3 kuai4 (a kind of glutinous "rice tofu." Hard to describe. Chewier than tofu.)

虎皮青椒 hu3 pi2 qing1 jiao1 (bell peppers fried with soy sauce and chili powder)

西芹炒百合 xi1 qin2 chao3 bai3 he (Lily petals and celery)

My wife and I are vegans, so we know it can sometimes be hard to find variety. We mostly cook at home. But we find it's pretty easy to be vegetarian in Kunming (much easier than in northern China, anyway). But you often have to tell the waiter 别放肉 (bie2 fang4 rou4, "don't add meat"). This usually works, but a few times to get my point across I've had to tell them I'm Buddhist.

We've got a lot of recipes for making western-style vegetarian dishes (i.e. not fried in oil) with ingredients available at markets here. Feel free to email me.

Ryan