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Monday, July 4, 2011

Abundance Thinks: North Korea

It comes with the territory if you are en expat in Korea. That is living close to North Korea and even closer to the history and turmoil that people of both sides have faced. However, life trucks on in South Korea as if the North doesn't even exist. You hardly ever hear about it from colleagues at work, and usually it is just political news that carries on in the background.

Now and then, though the North and South will have a big clash and family back home get worried and call upon you to reassure them you are okay. Also, many bloggers use their writing forum to get out their worries or express to other people just how safe we are. Today's post is to show a few listings of folks who have written about North Korea and their experience with it.

1. I'm No Picasso: We'll start of with her blog as she can give great insight into this matter. Her post mainly touches on the shellings that occurred last year and how we can make sense of it all.
You have to understand --- this shit has been going on forever. And Koreans aren't really into airing their dirty laundry amongst foreigners, either.
Check the post for some very insightful thoughts.

2. Shotgun Korea: Speaking of the shelling incident this blogger team exposed how they were reacting to the situation. You can tell they weren't too worried, especially in the line...
The thing is, no one here (just on the street etc.) is freaking out, people are acting like nothing has happened, and as long as they’re doing that, we’re going to do it too.
This is exactly how I measure my proper reaction when such events occur. If South Korean folks aren't running around like crazy, than why should I?

3. 아름답다, ah-lum-dahp-dah:For some just being the observer is not enough, and getting involved is the drive. You can have the opportunity to teach North Koreans English here in the South and she got just the chance, and expressed her excitement...

I never imagined I'd ever get the opportunity to meet a North Korean, never mind teach them English! It would be stupid for me to pass something like this up.
Check the post out more for details and interesting views of this kind of work.

Whether you have been to the DMZ or had a long conversation about North Korea, the topic does come up and we all have to figure it out someday. Certainly, there are times when I think about how developed it is out here and there are people young and old with gadgets in their hands, and how up there people are living much-much differently. It reminds me of how grateful I am for my Korean life.

6 comments:

  1. I was here back in 2006 when the north conducted their first nuclear test. I kept receiving emails asking if I was going to come home, wanting to know how average Koreans were reacting, and saying things like "Things must be really tense on the ground over there!" - the thing is, if I hadn't read about it on the internet, I never would've known... that's how "worried" all the Koreans I interacted with were!

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  2. Thanks for adding me to your Adventurers blog list! I visited Geumgangsan, North Korea back in 20007. You can check it out here: http://daleskoreantempleadventures.blogspot.com/search/label/North%20Korea

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  3. Thanks for the link Dale. And cat lady....;) Yep it is so much like that.

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  4. Joy, why are you giving David Willis PR? This is a racist cretin who considers your boyfriend to be both a "rice-tard" and a "peasant."

    That's pretty messed up.

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  5. Oh I didn't know that....I will see to fixing that.

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  6. I took him off the blogroll...but for the sake of the post he will remain...ouch!

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