The Two Kunmings
A friend of mine recently told me that, if the US presidential election were decided amongst American expats in Kunming, Obama would win by about a 10 to 1 margin. I thought about it for a minute, and then disagreed. "You're forgetting the people on the other side of town," I said.
Unlike cities like Shanghai or Shenzhen, there are very few foreign businessmen on fixed contracts living here. Most of the foreigners can be broadly divided into two camps: the Christians and the Bacchanalians.
I, it goes without saying, am firmly planted in the latter camp. This has little to do with my actual religious beliefs (I'm an atheist, for the record) but more to do with my lifestyle. The foreigners whom I know and see regularly typically hang out in one neighborhood, filled with restaurants, cafes, and bars. Most are single, though some are married. None have small children. Most are between 20 and 40, though there are some in their 50s and 60s. Most drink, some heavily. Many smoke. Some do hard drugs, others don't. Most enjoy smoking cannabis. Most are left-wing. Few are religious. Most are well-traveled, well-read, and sociable conversationalists. Some are obnoxious and disagreeable.
Many of the expats I know seldom stray far from this scene. Several live, work, and play within a 2-mile radius of Yunnan University and venture out only on special occasions. These are the Bacchanalians.
Yet there's another tribe, if you will, that also lives in the city. Most of these people inhabit the more modern apartment complexes in the city's northern end, or around the western part of the second ring road. I would guess that the median age would be about the same as in the Bacchanalian tribe, but most in the Christian camp are married with children. Life is centered around church, and a couple of cafes/restaurants in their neighborhood. Unlike the hangouts around YunDa, these watering holes do not serve alcohol and prohibit smoking. While the Christian types work and study with the Bacchanalians, they tend to keep their distance from us. They are mainly conservative politically, temperate, and non-smokers.
When I first arrived in Kunming I wanted to do an investigation of the Christian community, as many of them are quietly (and illegally) missionaries. The ones I met were polite but extremely cautious; they understood that they had to shield their religious activity somewhat from authorities. The writing project got nowhere, perhaps because they could smell my skepticism of their life choice. One of the challenges of being a journalist is covering a story in which one feels a strong emotional pull. I believe that moving to a foreign country to spread religion is deeply wrong. It disgusts me that people think that the Chinese to whom they proselytize are somehow in need of spiritual salvation. What arrogance!
That, I suppose, is what keeps the two camps so far apart. And with an election on the horizon, this sort of tribalism will be evident.
