Kunming: I Might Live Here Someday

When I said in the last post that this turn of events ended up being a good thing, it had a lot to do with the city and the people. Kunming has a population of a little over a million. But unlike Nashville or Jacksonville, it’s much denser. This makes for bad traffic (what do I care?), but a very intimate city. It’s modern, with skyscrapers, Starbucks, and chic shopping districts, yet still has the back alleys and side streets where you can buy a hot breakfast for under a dollar from locals who want to know everything and anything about you.

And it has all the activities you could need. There is a plentiful offering of KTV karaoke houses, flashy and hyper disco joints, and a large variety of bars. One of the cool places to go is Green Lake, where there are all kinds of restaurants and quaint tea houses lining the lake. In the morning, when I run around it, it seems that every old person in the city convenes to partake in Taichi.

What’s just as good is my support network. Like I said, Mrs. Wang is extremely nice, and accommodating. She put me up in her apartment in the middle of the city, rent-free of course, complete with free (clean) water, microwave, refrigerator, and a washing machine. They are setting me up with teachers and professors to help me on my research and English teaching. I came back from a meeting at a school yesterday (after being taken out to eat again), and Mrs. Wang’s friend was busy washing my clothes. I keep telling them they don’t have to do all this, but then they only think of something else to do for me.

The city has a lot of local foods that it is proud of, including Over-the-Bridge-Noodles, which I’m eating in the picture. I didn’t try the chicken feet in the next picture, but stuff like that is here if you want it (the cook said they were good, but I don’t know exactly what you would be eating…).

History is not lost on the city either. You know the Burma Road in WW2? I ran down the street yesterday that marks its ending point. It’s also got your pagodas (see the pic) and a good amount of temples, due to the large Muslim population…check the history if you really want to know more.

Lastly, the weather is a huge factor. Kunming isn’t called “The City of Eternal Spring” for no reason. Because the city is up on a plateau at 1,800 meters in the deep south of the country (usually very hot), it experiences a year-round temperate climate, averaging mid-70s with lows of around 60 and highs under 80. This kind of environment is perfect for flowers and trees to flourish year round. Yunnan University has a campus that gives me the feel of Vanderbilt (they even have the little signs on their trees that tell you what type they are).

I mentioned to my mom that if I had to move anywhere in the world right now, it’d probably be this place. (Okay, I'm done selling the city to you) Mrs. Wang, however, said that there are other cities, especially in Yunnan province, that even trump Kunming. I need to do some traveling.

By the way, thanks everyone for all the interest. It gives me a reason to go into these thrilling internet cafes. Keep the dream.