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Forums > Living in Kunming > Cultural Colonialism

I don't remember mmkunming writing anything about race at all, much less about any conceptual absurdities of racial purity.

@mmkunming: I know what you're on about, but I still think the term 'cultural colonialism' to describe the attitudes of numerous foreigners in Kunming is misplaced. Colonialism, I think, implies either the possibility or the reality of taking over, and foreigners in Kunming are in no position to do so. I've suggested 'cultural arrogance', which I think is sufficiently descriptive and sufficiently annoying and obviously present (and not only among foreigners, but that's irrelevant, unless one has some 'THEY do it so we should too' type of attitude). 'Willful cultural ignorance', which likely leads to cultural arrogance, might be another one - the elimination of such ignorance requiring learning through experience, not just some kind of academic thing.
Ruling groups, in government, massive private corporations, the media, are of course all about cultural hegemony, and always have been - these people can back up their efforts with law, cops, education, money, tourist sites and museums etc., and do so in their own interests. Very frequently nationalistic. Some call this progress, even some kind of social evolutionary progress - I have my doubts - but all indisputably involved in cultural change (as is the groundroot resistance & necessary adaptation that rises from below).
I also think it's worthwhile to consider the concept of expat culture, a kind of offshoot of globalizing culture which is not necessarily monolithic and not necessarily 'good' or 'bad' and which develops in some autonomy from national cultures, including both the one that surrounds it ('Chinese', here) and the ones from which its members originate, has its own internal conflicts, compromises & cross-fertilization, within which, thanks to numerous accidents of history, the English language might be considered to represent cultural colonialism, as it tends to dominate expat communities...hey, I can go on like this.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Monthly expenses in Kunming

@I think the difference between salary, ideally actually earned through socially useful labor, and income, which might come from almost anywhere in exchange for little or nothing on the part of the one getting the income, is one that more people should try to understand.

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Forums > Food & Drink > McDonald's

I doubt if mmkunming would put the Brother Jiang in the same category with 5-star restaurants. I think he's on a mission to try to get people to 1. understand that there are things they don't know (necessary 1st step) about food, and that 2. they might try to do something about it.
Having said that, I'm a slow learner, though even I have discovered a few things through experience. You can, too.

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Forums > Food & Drink > McDonald's

@right, Magnifico, quackery - just like the stone-cold musical equality between music produced by guys who can play chopsticks on a piano and those who can play Mozart. This doesn't mean you have to like Mozart, even after hearing it a thousand times, but it may indicate to you that you may be missing something.

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Forums > Food & Drink > McDonald's

@Kate: Well, all that seems to make sense to me, though I can't really do any of these things. But I'm certainly persuaded to try anything that anybody produces on the basis of consideration of these principles - beats the hell out of some unconsidered positive reaction to, say, sugar - ants can do that.

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@Dazzer: But I am interested in answers, and what they indicate (e.g., when few people acquire enormous amounts of wealth, influence, power and publicity and then give some of it to causes that THEY choose, what does this indicate? And what does it indicate to recognize that they can choose NOT to do so and be protected by the law?).

@HFCampo: in your history research you might notice a number of changes in the world over the past 2000 or 200 years, or perhaps over the past 2 minutes, and that even history written by 'the rich' makes a note of these changes.
@Dazzer: the system that put all that wealth in the hands of the people you mention is the same system that created the problems these people now have been empowered to decide to influence, as THEY choose, in one way or another. I didn't choose to give them this power to decide where money should go, did you?

It's not that the poor play the lottery because they're greedy, it's that greed is the basis of the whole system of exploitation/'suck-cess' and control of production/distribution that assures there will be few rich/powerful and many poor/weak. So the poor pay for gym equipment in parks for the elderly, who are not too well-off either.
@HFCampo: what makes you think the world doesn't change? When did history stop?

Reviews

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Not quite what you'd call a jumping place, but not bad at all for rather standard US-type meals, not overly expensive, and with a really good salad bar that's cheap, or free with most dinner dishes after 5:30PM. You can get a bottle of beer or even wine if you really want to, but I've never seen anybody do it - maybe that's just to take out. Chinese Christian run, and they hire people with physical disadvantages, who are pleasant and helpful. Frequented by foreign (mostly North American) Christians and Chinese Christians - was started by a Canadian couple associated with Bless China (previously, Project Grace), who are no longer here, but no religious pressure or any of that. Steaks are nothing special, and I avoid the Korean dishes, which I've had a few times but which did not impress me.

As a shop and bakery, it's very good bread at reasonable prices, of various kinds (Y18 for a good multigrain loaf that certainly weighs well over a pound. Other stuff too, like granola and oatmeal that is local, as well as imported things, including American cornflakes and so forth, which some people seem to require.

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Large portions, seriously so with the pizza, which is Brooklyn/American style, I guess. Convivial, conversational, good place to drink with good folks on both sides of the bar, especially after about 9PM.

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Really good pizza and steaks. The wine machine fuddles me when I'm a bit fuddled, & seems unnecessary. Good folks on both sides of the bar.