Dear all, I have a question for the community. Yesterday I wiped my phone to the factory settings because it was unbearably slow. But it is now booting in a Samsung - Google environment which seems to be blocked over here.That means I'm stuck in an endless loop of "Checking network connection... This can take up to 2 minutes..." I guess the only way around this is a WIFI signal that has a VPN activated over it. Does anyone around here know of a place where I could go and connect quickly to get through this initial stages of setting up the phone and equipping it with a VPN? Thanks in advance!
Reflections on the Tea Horse Road
Posted byGreat article indeed. It is always the first thing I try to communicate to our guests when they arrive in Yunnan. The depth of the historic relevance of the Tea Horse Road is unmatched. Funny that the mainstream tourism industry decided to use it as an umbrella and then promptly started to simplify it as some sort of static movement in which you can almost imagine a single caravan hauling their tea straight to Lhasa, and bringing back horses, unregarding during which season. Not only the actual movement but also the influence is so much underestimated and not given the attention it deserves. Your article makes my legs itch to pack up some mules and GO!
George Forrest: Scotland's Qing-era plant hunter
Posted byReally interesting, I'm really fascinated by the life and achievements of Forrest!
Brendan, is there a lot of info on his life in the coffee table book? I'd LOVE to read it but can't get it anywhere, seems like an expensive collector's item.
Peter, that is so interesting that you actually tried to locate his grave! Wow. I can't find the story on the Geographical Society Bulletin, do you have a link or website? Thanks!
Myanmar jails scores of Chinese loggers, Beijing incensed
Posted byServes the bastard right! Hope they stay locked up for at least the period they were convicted for.
For those interested in some extra thoughts about this matter: www.eastbysoutheast.com/[...]
Bullfighting culture in rural China
Posted byI helped out covering some big bullfights over Torch Festival in Luliang for the Wall Street Journal. Very similar experience. Thanks Jim for all the extra background on all the fascinating minority dresses and garments.
www.wsj.com/[...]
Resurrecting history in downtown Kunming
Posted byGreat article, thank you, Gokunming! I will definitely check out this hotel when I get to town next time.
And yes, at a time when half the province was high on opium, and Kunming was a huge market for this specific good, which came from the west, it is funny to think that the richest family was actually exporting a milk-papaya snack along that same route. Maybe it was milk of the poppy? :-)