tourist...

The best thing about having guests in your city is that you get to act like a tourist. It's been a long time since the original shock and awe has worn off on me. I find it refreshing to kind of relive that experience vicariously through other tourists who visit. It's interesting that they may notice something you haven't seen, or offer a prospective that you had yet to consider. With people's expedited schedules, things you put on the back burner are quickly brought to a boil. The DMZ was one such menu item.

Even on the back burner the DMZ was a trip that I had semi planned out. I knew that I wanted to go on the USO tour. Not for some love or trust in the military, but because of their unparalleled access to Panmunjom. Panmunjom is a town constructed in the middle of the DMZ, where the two Koreas meet for talks (when they feel like talking). It's an area that many DMZ tours cannot take you to, as you have to be guarded while in this zone. There are brief times where you enter North Korea (sorry grandma, I broke my promise), you're also apparently under constant surveillance while in this zone, from both sides.

While Panmunjom is the highlight of the tour, you are brought to other sites. My tour started at the 3rd tunnel. Because the DMZ puts serious dampers on an invasion of Seoul, the North Koreans started to build tunnels that run underneath the 4km stretch of land. The third tunnel, was the third tunnel that the South Koreans found. In total four tunnels have been found, and it is believed that the North Koreans have upwards of eleven tunnels dug underneath the DMZ. You aren't allowed to take photos in the tunnel, and I spent most of the journey inside the tunnel hunched over. It is not an area that plays kind with tall folk.

The ability to take photos while inside the Panmunjom was a question that not only I had, but other tourists on the bus. It turns out that you are able (as you can see) albeit with strict guidelines. The American troops escorting you through the zone strictly regulate when you are allowed to take photos. The basic rule of thumb is that you are allowed to take photos of communist North Korea, but you aren't allowed to take photos of the South Korean side of the DMZ. I know that I have photos of the ROK army, but my camera is pointed towards the North, and that is basically the big rule. Understandably they ROK is concerned with people taking photos of their fortifications, and if you're caught taking pictures of them your camera will be confiscated and your photos deleted.

The South Korean soldiers inside this zone, are apparently the cream of the crop. They are all black belts in various styles of martial arts, and standing in a 'ready' position (above, and below). The reason why one of the soldiers is standing partially hidden by the wall is to make him a harder target should the North Koreans decide to shoot at him. I liked how comfortable I felt knowing that, even as I was clearly exposed in the open. At least the trained soldier would be safe!

 Rule in check, the overall feel my time in Panmunjom was unreal. It was as close as I've ever been to an actual hot spot on global conflict maps. There was definitely a tense atmosphere (added to by our 'briefing' in Camp Casey) but it was a very odd feeling having to be under tight security, and knowing that you are being watched. It's something that I suggest to anyone on the South Korean peninsula to experience, but I'm not entirely sure why I'm making that recommendation, as I can't fully put into words my own experience there.

Besides the experience in Panmunjom, the most interesting part of the tour was the propaganda. I was expecting to hear a lot about the North Koreans, and the lines that they fed to their populous, but I was surprised to hear a lot coming the other way as well. The South Koreans seemed to be playing the game as well. There were a couple examples of this, the tunnels being one, the bridge of no return another (pictured right), but it was best exemplified through the last train station. There were many scripted lines that the tour guide said, but the poster that hangs in the station is nothing but propaganda. It's something that should be checked out for yourself, and make up your own mind, but I left the tour with a sense that the pro South propaganda wasn't required. I'm not a Northern sympathiser, but I feel that the South doesn't need to sell their side. A little less bias, and a rational perspective would have given the tour a bigger impact.

The gang deals with the North Korea situation (II)... 'nobody loves you when youre down and out'

The situation in the North has pretty much become a same same issue. In Canada there are cold fronts that drift down in from the arctic. They are often despised, and yet Canadians weather these cold spells. They do so while uttering under their breaths that global warming should take them out at some point.

In Korea we have a similar issue, although instead of being a cold front that drifts down, it is a large ego that descends south. I don`t know how much detail I need to go into on that, so I`ll leave it like that. Yet like Canadians it seems to have become a practice for Koreans to utter that the ego will be dealt with at some point. That silencing will occur through starvation, or a communist extinction event.

Both appear to occur with the same frequency as well. Since I've arrived in Korea this is the 4 or 5th time the North has stirred up shit. That seems close if not higher than the amount of cold fronts in Canada.
After my (not so) brief introduction I can reach my point.

I have a small theory as to why the north chose Tuesday to attack. I think it was because they were jealous, I don't think it has anything to do with wanting to start a war. If they really wanted to start a war, they could have easily attacked last week while the G20 was going on. They wouldn't have to worry about the Obama if they knocked him off (although that might lead to a communist extinction event ie. an American invasion).

I've done some brief searches online, and have come up with a possible conclusion. After a (short) search I was unable to find any information on music in the North. People don't really know what the Kim's listen to, well besides their propaganda filled national anthem. This goes for father and son, well more father than son. Either or we know very little.

Shortly before I found out about the attack I secured my tickets for the upcoming Eric Clapton concert. In fact I found out about the concert about an hour before I found out about the attacks. I think they were upset that Eric isn`t visiting them, and that was why they attacked. You may say that that notion is preposterous, absurd, or horribly implausible, so I will present another argument supporting my asinine conclusion.

Last week there were fears that North Korea would attack in some way shape or form. Security at the G20 summit was insane, they had an entire section of the city cordoned off, so that the leaders of the free world could gather Gangnam to chit chat. As we all know there wasn't an attack, and that one actually occured this week, the same day that Eric Clapton tickets were shown on Interpark (a Korean equivalent of Ticketmaster. I highly doubt this was a delayed reaction, and that it took the North a week to fully hit the launch button.

So there it is, a somewhat rational argument for why the North was pissed off.

just a thought.

It's already half over ... or has it only begun halfway through?

I’ve been here for six months and that thought is CRAZY. I can’t quite put it into words, so instead I’ll relate it to a story (I like stories, if you don’t…umm… then why would you be reading my posts?). STORY!! Yesterday morning I was walking out of Gusan subway station there was a man at the top of the stairs, there is very little special about that fact alone. Except that this man was dressed in full green army combat fatigues complete with green and brown face paint. I was a little thrown back; Seoul has very few trees so green camo isn’t a great choice. Then I realized he was looking at me, and holding a fucking assault rifle.

The first thought to run through my head was “I’m not North Korean, I don’t look like any Korean; I really hope this guy realizes I’m not North Korean.” That led me to realize perhaps this could be a good moment to look back; perhaps to see if there was a North Korean platoon using me as a human shield (they could probably hide behind me, they are tiny tiny people). I also realized I probably didn’t want that question answered, what would I do if they were? really? I’d probably be so scared my knee would dislocate itself. I decided to walk past the soldier, my problem is that it takes me a while to walk up stairs. After infinity and beyond, I passed the soldier. I took a quick look back to reassure myself that the North Koreans weren’t hiding behind me. Turns out there was just an aujima, she was probably having the same thoughts run through her head.

Although it was a dramatic story, I feel that it is representative to where I stand. No not literally looking at a soldier with a gun, or with the North Korean Army behind me. But at a crossroads, do I look back already and celebrate what I’ve done in the past six months, or do I motor on forward and look back at some point in the future.

After a little bit of a debate I think that it would be best to stumble on. Although I’ve done a lot of great things in this country, I’ve got a lot of things I’d still like to accomplish. The biggest one that springs to mind is to learn and master Hangeul, the Korean alphabet and writing system. I feel if I can read Korean then I will at least be able to understand what’s going on around me a little more. I’ll be like a 5 year old again! I used to read store signs to my mother when I first learned to read. I think I annoyed her, but I loved know what was going on, even if it was only ‘Tim Hortons’ every 500 feet.

I also feel that going forward is the most optimistic thing to do. Why should I gaze back at this point, what would I do if I ever saw the North Koreans hiding back there? I’d like to think of the rest of the trip with a glass half full state of mind, even though the glass is only exactly half full today.

scheduling Conflicts...

The situation at school hasn’t been the greatest for the past couple weeks. Brian, the only other male in my small social circle, left at the end of May (kinda shitty). The beginning of June triggered the start of two more foreign teachers. They are slowly integrating themselves into the fold of Korean life (not like my jump in with both feet) Anywho, the school also decided that it would be a great idea to fire one of the Korean teacher’s for speaking her mind. Her schedule was unfair she told them this BOOM fired. We are now 2 korean teachers short.

The current state of the Korean teachers shook the new session schedule for June. They have decided to take away one of my classes. They took away my 3pm treasures class. The only class I had every day of the week, some of you have seen the photographs of these kids. They were one of my favourite classes, not to mention cutest, and the best way to start any day teaching. I was really sad. The removal of that class leaves a 40 minute void in my schedule that leaves me with a VERY long prep period. I don’t teach for the first 3.5 hours I am at work, BRUTAL!! Although some make work projects have sprung up to bide some time, I’m sure more blog entries will venture their way online (Lucky you!!).

The brighter side. The weather has gotten a lot better in Seoul. It has been around 30 and sunny for the past two weeks. It’s truly amazing, I sneak out in the morning and try to soak up some of the sun, but I spend most of my time watching it in unair conditioned rooms at school (some are air conditioned though, not all is lost). I am jealous when I hear stories of the morning teachers sitting on patios and rooftops enjoying the sunsets.

I’ve started checking the weather reports everyday, and more often than not you see a clear sun logo with Hi: 30 Lo: 18. Considering the possible conflict with North Korea I wonder if the weather network will warn me through weather reports if things get worse ie… sunny with a chance of missiles.

The gang deals with the North Korea situation... UPDATED...

In light of recent events the situation in Korea should be a lot more tense than it is. There is a lot going on here at this point. I’m about to start another school session. I’ve shipped home pretty much all of my money, being forced to eat hot pockets out of the trash. What are your thoughts about that?...um… perhaps I should just talk about the North Korea situation.

If you’ve read some of the media reports you might expect the air of caution and fear in the streets of Seoul. Well, I hate to inform you that things have barely changed here. A couple teachers have noticed an increased police and military presence in the city, but for the most part its life as usual. Could CNN be lying to us, and over hyping the situation. NO WAY!!

Last Thursday I read an article on CNN that proclaimed the DMZ was ‘the scariest place on earth’. Yet I knew of a couple people on Saturday that went to visit the DMZ, none of which came back spewing tales of horror. In the end it appears CNN was doing a pretty good job at creating an online aura of fear in Korea. I wonder if people read it and didn’t care, or didn’t read it and are acting obliviously. OR just perhaps fear mongering only works in the US?

The situation surrounding the Chonan definitely does create some legit concerns, don’t get me wrong. Yet a war between the North and South wouldn’t really benefit anyone. China is the North’s only ally and they aren’t saying anything. The Americans have openly backed the South, yet can they afford to fight ANOTHER country? If there is an attack, the North would probably no longer exist and the Seoul might have some rebuilding to do. The part that makes this whole situation troubling is that the North isn’t really that predictable. THAT creates a little tension, but things are relatively normal here. There is some banter between some of the waygook teachers at work. There is however, a lack of a Korean presence in this banter, I can’t really explain that.

Read what you will about the situation; know this, I’m not really that worried. I’m reading the same articles you are, and Hey! CNN has already moved on to more coverage of oil covered birds. Also see if you can find info about the ‘civil war’ in Thailand in the top stories. Things have died down there, they will here as well.


*****UPDATE*****

Okay i wrote that.. and the day after the Korean teachers started talking about the situation. When that happened i have to be honest that it freaked me out a little bit. The tight lipped Korean's opened up about their fears.

Tension definitely appeared to be a little high there for a bit, things have calmed down in the recent days. ALWAYS good, but i had to mention that the situation changed a little, and the koreans spoke. my attitude remains pretty steadfast, i don't think anything will happen, and that its mostly political posturing.

Yo!