Forums > Living in Kunming > Am I really in a place that bad? Are you really in a place that bad?
No! But it's not that great either.
These city rankings, they do all over the globe and they don't always represent what we think personally but they are usually pretty accurate for what they stand for.
And I agree with the authors of the ranking.
Kunming, as nice as it is, is not a very good city for establishing businesses, families, nightlife, lifestyle, relaxation and so on.
Well compared with some of the other cities.
Kunming is nice but not exactly up to par with the bigger cities.
Kunming doesn't even have real parks, unless you want to go to Xishan or Chengong.
I have been to most of the cities mentioned in the article and I agree with most of it. I have friends living in many of these cities and we compare often.
Kunming is great if you are a student, just want to hang out for a while in a city with some conveniences, enjoy the weather, or just want to be a city-hippy for a while.
But in terms of professional career jobs, which seems to be the most important link to stay in Kunming for a longer period of time, or settle and start a family, -Kunming is a nightmare.
I know of maybe five major companies, hiring professional foreign experts and offering a good work and career environment.
About rent I have been back and forth in Kunming over the last 10 years and my Chinese wife or I have never got a lease under 6 month rent upfront payment.
Prices in Kunming are ridiculous compared to quality of life and standards in these cities mentioned in the ranking.
The same goes for food and dining.
Salaries have gone up for Chinese talents, thank god but for foreigners it's still 2001 in Kunming.
To summarize, the ranking article is accurate, sadly.
That said, Kunming is a great little town, by Chinese city standards to live in, but to catch up with the big winners, there is still a lot of room.
The weather and climate is great, the local food is nice.
A small expat community, people know each other.
Locals are very open to meet new people and strangers, which is nice.
But why does it bother you so much? You already live in Kunming, so you made a good decision, enjoy it, why do you care where others rank Kunming or think about it?
Your little gem stays hidden a little longer, isn't that great?
My family and I, we moved to Dali, because it's the new-old Kunming. And it's soooooooo much cheaper and even offers plenty of professional job opportunities. And you can do a lot of office work from your porch, watching the mountain or lake.
A look back at April's Spirit Tribe Trance celebration
Posted by@ASG91 @Macky
I don't know, if you were involved in the planning.
I have done event-planning at the East coast for 5 years and there are no; 'no-profit', events.
I don't want to sound rude but you should thank Kiara for her comments and in case you were in the team.
Because, she went to the festival.
She is a paying customer, being condescending or defending, is not helpful.
Do you want people to feel sorry for the staff, or not having the perfect event?
Then I can only recommend,....don't do gigs like that.
If you need your customers to feel sorry for the volunteers, that's not very good.
Next time give 'em a sticker 'Volunteer', if you need them to get more sympathy.
Or just invest and pay them, most volunteers are happy to be there and have a few free drinks and their entrance fee covered.
I think you should actually ask Kiara what the exact problems were.
We all know planning gigs isn't easy, but as customers, we have the privilege, to not wanting to hear about it.
If you want to get your festival more famous (and please don't tell me that you don't want it to grow bigger) that would be helpful.
So, I can't let that that stand -what you wrote.
Events in rural China are cheaper than in the city, usually permission is easier to get, especially if the region is not on the grid.
Looking at the pictures I can't see that you did spend loads of money on location, i.e. security.
A few basics;
Usual planning of an event is 6 month to 8 month and that is Beijing-time, including, fire-code, security planning and briefing, harmony-background check of the artist, etc.
And I am sure you guys got a little bit of [well deserved] money. And that is O.K.
What seems to be the issue of Kiara and customers telling about the event, has nothing, to do with money but with planning and managing.
I don't know the prices you charged but I am sure it wasn't cheap and giving people no other choices but all of them these eating [three meals a day] and drinking at your food stall only....I guess there was something falling off the table, financially.
My little advice, split the bar[s] up next time, and away from the food.
It diverts the event-goers, and naturally shortens waiting lines.
So are little snack shops, which you can run or rent and make even more money.
They also divert event-goers.
Separating the booze from beer and soft drinks is a must, especially when understaffed.
People know what they want to buy, they go by the beer, booze, or beverage instinct
.
That way it is less stress for the volunteers.
An old saying in the field; the bar is more important than the stage.
From what I see and hear, it hasn't been planned very well. Which is alright, I mean it's the second open air festival, so it takes time. But planning is the key, and being overly cost-efficient is not helping.
Let other F&B's in, you make much more and easier money, by renting out stalls and asking for profit share. And you have far less work.
And thus, allow people to get more variety and chose prices and items they like.
The bar only stacks, what is easiest for you to produce, -quickly!
People are very generous when it comes to drink choices at concerts. That way, you don't have to worry about an angry beer mob.
Make it easy for you, to offer mixed and ready-to-go drinks.
Well, even beer you can be put out on the counter for a few minutes.
The gig looks awesome though, and I will go for sure next time, problems fixed, or not. I just really like small gigs.
For me it looks like a great and worthy event to go to, but it suffered the usual, make it cheap and sell it with profit, China-gig.
Throw some money out of the window, you will lose money either way, if you run those festivals like that.
But in the long run, you will only make real profit, and achieve success when the festival grows.
The faster you accept that thought, the sooner you will have success.
P.M. me if you want help, for the next gig. If you guys are really, absolutely non-profit, I will help you for free.
P.S. I know it's difficult to plan events in China, but please, if there is even the tiniest negative comment, take it and live it. It is the result of your planning, so accept it and make it perfect next time.
In the end, congratulations and Good Luck for next year.
China's national meat scandal hits Yunnan
Posted by@tiger
i still don't get why anyone would keep bad meat for that long, cooling it storage rent, transportation, blocked storage space etc.
i mean most meats or fish, even deepfrozen store about a year or two,maybe a little more, if you are crazy enough to try.
somebody must have had a long and intimate relation with that meat, to hold onto it for that long.
China's national meat scandal hits Yunnan
Posted bywhat i can't wrap my head around is, why would anyone, in his right mind, store rotten meat for half a century?
Book Review: Great Leaps
Posted byI am honored that Colin let me (test)read it a few month back. And it was a wonderful read. I actually enjoyed the pace and structure in the beginning, which i think is very helpful, if you don't know him or the other Sal's guys.
the book is witty and very funny at the right spots. I can only recommend it.
If you just want a nice afternoon read, if you want to open a business and get an inside view on how to change and better employment standards and motivation in China, knowing Sal's and Colin better, or reading on how to handle massive tradegy in a rough place....it's a long list.
the onlycrticism it gets from me is, that it is two short. So, Colin i am waiting for the sequel!