User profile: Alien

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Forums > Living in Kunming > environmental documentary

@Geezer: As you imply, the universal yardstick is money, which is in essence a relation between capital and labour. Capital in private hands leads to power in private hands, which leads to decisions made by private persons or groups (including national governing CLASSES in a competitive nationalist world), who are playing a global ball game in their own perceived interests, not those of society in general - the yardstick you mention is thus narrowly defined everywhere, regardless of whether immediate decision-makers are defined by private or national-public institutions - the planet is the playing field, not the interior affairs of the (constructed) nation-state. Relatively short-term goals thus tend to predominate within international competitions, and nationalism itself acts as a function of, rather than the basis of, global competition - which is capitalist - it's the World System, and isn't working well.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > U.S. students losing interest in China

@Liumingke: Chinese has already been accepted by the masses, it's just that it's less suitable internationally, as Campo says, for practical and historical reasons in 'modern' culture (whether it's Chinese-modern or Anglo-modern is secondary, despite the fact that, under the influence of historically established cultural influence promoted very strongly by modern nationalism, people do a great deal to ignore the fact in their own heads).

'They couldn't be bothered to come up with enough sounds or syllables...' - okay, then elevate Arabic as superior to English because of the very many more sounds that it employs...
Cultural prejudice does not equate with racism, which is all about the idea of genetic determination. This exists in China too, but is not necessarily involved.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Bike Stealing in Kunming

@Campo: too much for too little, I think, but it's an interesting idea. On the other hand, I'd hate to come out of a bar too loaded & forget to disengage the...
@laotou: Bike thieves are worse than taxi drivers, the large majority of whom are okay, in my experience.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > environmental documentary

@Geezeer: I know the difference between capital and Capitalism. haven't mentioned 'socialism', and if I did it would have little to do with your idea of 'true' socialism.
Your repeated statement: "China chose to...." - ok - next question is, Why did 'they' choose to? Wanting to 'win at any cost' is indeed 'an economic decision to obtain the business regardless'. That has meant: use coal, of which there's plenty in China. The Chinese leadership now begins to understand the downside - but they still have to 'win at any cost', and they've been moving away from a command economy for decades. China is a mixed economy - with a bit more command than many others, to be sure.

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@ redjon: OK, I agree.
@ForeignGuy: (1) I appreciate the problem, but it's possible to know a language and control its use in the classroom. (2) What about living in KM? Don't know your Chinese ability, but I'm not pretending everybody become fluent, which is the kind of irrational and impossible goal that has kept friends of mine from learning any Chinese at all - and that is a stupid mistake. On the other hand, if you can only buy things in the market in Chinese etc. you are shortchanging yourself, as well as those you attempt to communicate with and live among.

Although I have studied at Keats and find it's the bet place to study Chinese in Kunming that I know of, the article sounds a bit like a plug for Keats.
As for studying Chinese, imagine how idiotic it would be to live in any country for more than about 6 months and not be abler to hold a conversation in that country's language.

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.