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Forums > Living in Kunming > Sirens today

Sirens were in Haigeng Daba area. These went on for several minutes. Some time later more sirens. Maybe this is connected with the International Dragon Boat event that starts on Wednesday.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > International School in Kunming

Unless you studied specifically for Gaokao (3 years of hard study), there would be little chance of getting a score that would allow university entrance. I believe you cannot just sit for Gaokao, I think you need to be enrolled into a Chinese high school program. I have been told that without Gaokao, Chinese nationals cannot enter Chinese universities.
Chinese parents that decide that their children will opt out of Gaokao are closing the door on Chinese university entrance. The decision will have been made to study abroad. I have known one student to revert back to Chinese education, but he had worked hard to keep up with all of his Gaokao studies, as well as studying in an international program (amazing feat). He reverted back 2/3 way through year one.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > International School in Kunming

I know a local Chinese student who went to KIA. I do know that there is mandatory Basic Education, up to completing middle school, in China. Highs chool is not mandatory, and there may be flexibility here. I also know that mandatory can be/and is skated around.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > International School in Kunming

A little bit of what tuna says is correct. KIA is a fully international school, I am not sure, but Pollard might also be.
The bit about studying in bicultural schools does not apply to any of the international programs that I am aware of in Kunming (I worked for 3 of them).
The international programs are post middle school (students have already taken Zhongkao) and programs come under the licenses of local schools, i.e. they are a partnership, although they are run independently. This means that even though the student does not do Gaokao (or study for it) the student will get an official high school graduation certificate from the Chinese partner school. They need this to apply for study abroad. Some programs are even partnered with Universities overseas. The students are not left high and dry.
The students study for recognized qualifications that can include ACT, GAC, IB, IGCSE, and GED, in addition to IELTS or equivalent. All are recognized internationally.

NB KIA is not secular, it is a Christian organisation, which may be a plus or a minus to some people.

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Great article.
The place is well worth a visit.

I had the pleasure of visiting last year. The old town is a bit like Dali without the tourists. Food and service are also good in hotels and restaurants, perhaps service ethic influenced by the old confucian culture. We didn't get price gouged either.
The area is also famous for its pottery. Some of it is really nice.
Tuanshan is great and well worth the money. Compared to other Yunnan sites (150+) it is good value too. Tuanshan is largely intact and un-modernised. You can actually see original painted beams with gold leaf, those that are in the shade are still very colorful.

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The posh new stations have different gates, but these bullet trains stop at many stations on route, that are not super modern. The trains then stop at regular ungated platforms, however the train stops on a mark, and the passengers are pre-lined up at the appropriate marks on the platforms.

I am glad for the delay. That should mean more time spent constructing the tracks to the standards required, and not just a rush to finish the line asap, with possible associated construction quality issues.

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Actually, if you go the the 3.5 website they have some nice recipes there. It is in Italian, but Google chrome translates it.
I will give the recipe a go. It can't be worse than some of the stuff I have been told to eat.

Reviews

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A reasonable choice of lumber that has improved over time. Fancy hardwoods like walnut, and mahogany are in abundance. There are some plywood and rubber-wood boards available. There are also some kiln dried imported softwoods and merbao available. Some of the lumber is very green, so look for the kiln dried if you need stable timbers.

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Echo everything said by others.
Breakfast great and the serve from 8am. Most other places say 9am and they still are not ready.
Sandwiches are cheap 22-32, and really packed full of filling. We got some sandwiches for a day out, the only mistake I made was ordering two, as this was too much. These are seriously good sangars, and they are wrapped in alu foil.

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In fairness to Metro, they are a wholesalers, and not really a supermarket. Hence the need for a card, which can be got around.

They have improved in the year I have been away. They now carry a more consistent range of imported foodstuffs and they also seem to have sorted out the mported milk supply.

They have a wider range of electrical appliances now, there is a coice of more than one toast. There is also a better range of seasonal non foods, like clothes, shoes, garden furniture and camping gear.