Pace of life in Kunming

[abcdefg]

You often hear that the pace of life in Kunming is "relaxed" or "slow and easy" or "laid back." You may say to yourself, "Cool, that's just the spot for me; I'm tired of the frantic rat race in this big Western city where I've lived and worked for so many years.

It's probably time to let you know how the reality of the situation may differ from your expectations. I'll try to do it through a recent example.

Yesterday I went to the cinema during early afternoon bargain matinee. Walked up to purchase my ticket and the ticket seller said, "Sorry, the system is down. You cannot buy a ticket." 系统开不了。He turned his computer screen a bit and I could see it just had pastoral Windows wallpaper, and the usual seat selection information was not displayed.

It was about 30 or 40 minutes before show time, so I said, "No problem, I'll just walk around and get a snack." This theater is one of Kunming's newer and nicer ones, located in an upscale shopping center. I returned about 10 minutes before show time and the ticket selling system was still broken. I asked the young attendant what I should do. 那怎么办？He casually replied, "wait a while." 等一会儿。He was not sweating bullets and looking distressed or embarrassed.

A steady stream of other patrons (locals) was being turned away from the ticket counter also and people were now sitting quietly in the lobby eating their popcorn and drinking the sodas they had bought at the concession stand to enjoy during the film. Nobody was jumping up and down red-faced demanding to see the manager "right this minute if not sooner." After a while, we all gradually drifted off to go other places and do other things.

Something like that happens to me a couple times or more every week here. I could give dozens of examples, some more egregious than others. If you demand Swiss or Germanic precision from life, Kunming may not be the best place for you. If unpredictable last minute changes upset you, you might be upset a lot of the time. Kunming requires compromise and adaptation. It requires a modified mind-set.

I'm not making a value judgment about whether such a situation is good or bad. Just stating a reality.

[skylee]

I would die of frustration if this happened to me. I have no patience at all if I am not at work. If I can't board a train after waiting for 3 or 4 minutes at a subway platform I start to get nervous.

My city (HK) is already dying. We can't function in the Kunming way, it seems. Not during office hours. And not after office hours for cinemas. There will be heads rolling if tickets are not sold simply because of a system fault. The cinema should have a contingency plan to deal with it.

[xiaoxiaocao]

If you demand Swiss or Germanic precision from life, Kunming may not be the best place for you. If unpredictable last minute changes upset you, you might be upset a lot of the time. Kunming requires compromise and adaptation. It requires a modified mind-set.

Well said. I think this applies to the whole of China.

[Silent]

It's probably time to let you know how the reality of the situation may differ from your expectations.

How does your example differ from the stetment:

Kunming is "relaxed" or "slow and easy" or "laid back."

To me what you describe is relaxed, slow and easy and laidback........

[Scandinavian]

I think this is one of the major things to get used to in China. It's a big puzzle how there can be so little response to something like a ticket system failing, from the employees there. Why not close and put a sign on the door saying "our of order" (perhaps a little too general)

Strong generalization coming up!!!

China - Things fail, noone explains what to do

Hong Kong - Things fail, you get told nicely when it is expected to be working

Germany - Nothing fails

That being said, whenever things like this happen to me, I cannot help but envy the locals, that they can be so relaxed about it.

[abcdefg]

To me what you describe is relaxed, slow and easy and laidback........

#4 -- @Silent -- You have a good point. I guess what I would like best is to enjoy the benefits of a place that is relaxed and laid back without having to put up with the frustrations that those same qualities can at times produce.

I'm guilty of wanting to have my cake and eat it too, even though I realize that can't ever happen. I'm trying my best to modify expectations and adopt local ways. Some days it works out better than others.

[Meng Lelan]

Germany - Nothing fails

That's really about right. Maybe time for those who desire precision to switch to German.

[abcdefg]

Went back today and got to see the film. The theater had gotten their computer problems sorted out. 林肯律师 ("Lincoln Lawyer") starring Matthew McConaughey. I had read the book and wanted to see the film. It had been dubbed into Mandarin, at least for the Kunming market, and I enjoyed seeing it. Good solid acting by all the lead players plus an interesting plot.