Gutenberg solves book supply problem...again
The dearth of good English reading material is a complaint often heard in China. Many of the bookstores only carry the classics of the English cannon: Figuring the books will never grow out of date, the managers can just leave the same box of books on the shelf indefinitely. Although the books these stores offer can be great, they are often overpriced and don't provide enough depth of selection. A more attractive option is to find e-books on www.gutenberg.org, save them to your USB stick and get them printed at a local copy shop. For less than a dollar you can own physical copies of classics like the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, the Wealth of Nations, the Prince and thousands of others.
Labels: china
posted by Ryan Petersen @ 1:38 PM
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5 Comments:
Hello Ryan,
I'm coming to Kunming from New York City in two weeks time for my summer vacation. I'll be more than happy to bring you some books.
Well, it will be helpful if I leave you a contact info so that you can let me know what books you want...
You are probably one of the very few none-NGO expats living and working in KM.I was told most expats in KM are NGO types.
Any good places to hang out in KM such as restaurants, pubs, galleries, museums, around town excursions etc. I will be there for the next two months! I'll appreciate any advices and directions.
cheers,
chingalingcn@gmail.com
Hey,
That is one of the kindest offers I've ever had from a stranger. Thanks a bunch!! Actually, my birthday is in July and my mom is sending me a box of books :) I also have Gutenberg.org and recently discovered the massive Kunming public library which has a great selection of English books as well. Thanks though!
You are right, most of the Americans living in Kunming are from Christian NGOs (a.k.a. missionaries). However, that's just the Americans and there is a good number of expats from all around the world who are predominantly here just to study Chinese. On a side note, I am fascinated by the missionaries and very curious about their success rate in converting the Chinese. I will write about this soon, as I have some interesting experiences and insights in that area.
Personally I don't go to the pubs except to watch the world cup. If you get here while that is still going, you should come down to Chapter One on Wen Lin Jie (you'll find it, I'm sure). That's been the spot for watching the games, a real blast.
Every restaurant I've eaten at in Kunming has been delicious, so my advice there would just be not to worry. There are a couple of museums, one of which has an exhibit about the ethnic minorities in China. I haven't found the time yet, but I've had it recommended several times.
My advice for around town excursions is of course to get a bike on your first day in town. You'll be able to get around town fast (faster than cabs by a good deal) and there are lots of cool spots outside of town that will be available to you. Xi Shan (the western mountains) is spectacular, and takes about an hour by bike each way. The same can be said of rides to the north and east of town. The south is not so good for bike riding, as there's too much traffic.
The place I most recommend you visit if you have a few free days is Tiger Leaping Gorge, north of Lijiang. There's great some pictures on this site taken by a friend of mine, but even those can't do the place justice. I would rank it as one of the five most beautiful places I've ever visited, along with Yosemite Valley, Machu Pichu, the Atacama desert and Iguacu Falls.
Good luck! Contact me again when you get into town, maybe we can meet up.
Ryan
Hi Ryan,
Thanks for all the tips. The Tiger Leaping Gorge sounds wonderful as I LOVE Yosemite. I was in LiJiang just a year ago from Hanoi but didn't make to the Tiger Leaping Gorge, instead I rode a horse and climbed a mountain. It was a beautiful but very short visit.
In all cases, please do feel free to let me know if you need anything from the states. I will see how I can help.
Your lastest posting on "convenient store" makes me laugh. It reminds me of many shops I saw in Laos and Vietnam. Well, the importance of the mid-day nap...
Super color scheme, I like it! Good job. Go on.
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