The best thing about the antique/used furniture market in Kunming is that you can find about anything there. The hardest thing is finding it. It’s on the north side, just on the edge of the city where new construction butts up to real life pages of national geographic. You’ll make a right on a small “Am-I-on-the-right-street?” kinda street. ” […]
Kunming Antique Furniture Market
Chinese Costco
The rumors are true. There is a Costco store in China. The bummer is, the store in online, meaning no free samples of pigs in the blanket in the frozen aisle. I mean, without samples, what’s the point of Costco? But in the quaint village Kunming, (population approaching seven million), there is Metro. It’s a German version of the popular […]
Dang Zhang Lang!
Nothing says you’re in china like a cockroach in your refrigerator. So I sublet an apartment in Kunming from a young Canadian with slightly bad hygiene. (The locals really didn’t notice. All westerners stink to them). But this guy looked like he needed a shower right after he toweled off, the smell of BO reminiscent of a high school locker room. […]
Cheers to a pint.
Tears came to my Dad’s eyes as he answered the phone that Saturday morning. Only one person would be calling at that time. “Hello, Mr. Sinsabaugh,” the perky voice started, “How would you like a new kidney today?” “Very much, “the words got stuck by the lump in his throat. ” That would be better than watching the game.” As I happily […]
I very vrery miss you
The end of the school year is always moving. But when a 6 foot third grade teacher moves back to Australia, he leaves quite a hole in his classroom. I helped his three of his youngest students put together a short film. David, the smiley 9 year old who keeps on forgetting his lines, tugs my heart every time. Only students who love their […]
Smell Advisor: Top Smells of China
OK. I’ve created a few reviews for Trip Advisor, letting folks know the real deal about Kunming, China. It’s a lot more fun than writing updates on FB. But these travel websites always have the same categories: cool places to eat, visit and sleep. But hey–you are missing out on the real Chinese experience: the smells. So here are […]
Zhunk Food
It’s Dragon Day festival in China, another holiday that revolves around food. Lots of it. These are called zhongzi (pronounced jong-gee) a pyramid shaped package of rice and sweet fruit filling–at least I think it’s fruit–with a few good size seeds. You can crack a tooth on one of them if you’re not careful. You can’t buy zhongi from a […]
One star.
I just came back from a quick trip to Vietnam. The trip to Vietnam from my abode in Kunming was about the same schlepp as from Chicago to Charlevoix, Michigan. There aren’t any McDonald’s to stop at along the way, but a lot of fun sights that made this get-away memorable as well as reasonable. The entire adventure costing […]
Twice as bright, half as long
It was even too twisted for a Stephen King novel. I got the text from my husband and the waves of pain from southern California hit Kunming China like a tsunami. A friend lost his second son in eighteen months. To make the nightmare even worse, both deaths were the result of suicide. The second son, like his brother, pried open […]
After School Snacks
Chinese teens are no different than American teens: as soon as school lets out, they reach for a snack. This lady had a Chinese burrito. An eggy “tortilla” packed with spices, chips and a Chinese hotdog. I’d rather have my fingernails removed than eat a Chinese hot dog. The ping pong team was still practicing… but the girls were at […]