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Forums > Travel Yunnan > 小矮人王国 - Kingdom of the Dwarfs

1. I do not understand the relevance of what does or doesn't go on in the U.S. to this discussion.
2. 'Voluntarily' traveling to work and live in the Dwarf Empire is not entirely voluntary, as an above message itself: the message mentions how poorly small people are treated when applying for other jobs - i.e., the problem is one of establishing a level playing field in the society itself - dwarf kingdoms etc. are merely escapes, which increase the public attitude that these people are a globally 'special' group who can perform cuddly roles, etc., for tourist amusement, and can't do anything else.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Last night's scuffle on Wenhua Xiang

I think the stupidest way to approach this sort of thing is to consider it some kind of conflict between 20% of the world's people (Chinese citizens) and the other 80% (non-Chinese citizens) - but that seems to be the kind of bottom line idiocy that nationalist indoctrination everywhere puts in people's heads - the idea that the world can intelligently be divided, anywhere, into 2 groups - 'Us' and 'foreigners'. However, the fact that many foreigners choose to live here for years without learning more than 6 words of the language does not exactly lead them to any intelligent understanding of their social environment, or of any specific individual within it.

As for the specific incident and the individuals involved, I know nothing but second-hand stories.

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Forums > Travel Yunnan > 小矮人王国 - Kingdom of the Dwarfs

I see: accept the cultural attitudes as unchangeable or eternal or something, and then attempt to protect the people from the culture. Martin Luther King perhaps once considered racial segregation as a protective measure for African Americans - but then he changed his mind.

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I feel better already.
Concerning the article: I'm glad that Yunnan authorities are perhaps a little more human than those in the rest of the country.

The Air America film is very heavy fictionalized. However, the book on which it was based does mention that the opium grown by the Hmong people in Laos (the Chinese call them Miao) who were corralled into being the CIA's 'secret army' in the 1960s, did indeed often go out in Air America planes. There are some who suggest that this means that the CIA was financing its 'secret' guerrilla war with Hmong opium. This doesn't necessarily follow and is far from proven,. At any rate it does not help your argument much one way or the other.

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.