Yes, I have been neglecting my blog lately. Apologies to those who check in regular-like to read about the goings on in my life. I have been fairly busy, with school, friends, etc. I went to Chiak Mountain a couple of times, learned to make Mak-Ci (I don't know the spelling, but pronounced Mahk-sigh), visited the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, lost and replaced my passport.....all in all, no excuses for ignoring my blog, but there it is. Oh, yeah, and I finished a a pair of socks, too. I'll show those shortly. Meanwhile, my trip to North Korea (same as the email many of you got.)



This is the view into North Korea that you get from the part of the DMZ that we are allowed to cross. South Koreans are not allowed to come here, out of fear of defection. The actual line is inside the blue buildings. Our American tour guide is the friendly looking guy at the bottom. Behind the blue buildings is North Korea, and the building their representatives come out of. We saw 2 soldiers at the top of the steps. It was a hazy day, which is common here, so good shots are hard to come by.



There are 3 Swedes and 3 Swiss military personnel at all times on site. These are two of the three Swedes.



This is me, in one of the blue buildings. There are clear markers (speakers and a flag) in the middle of a central table to show where either Korea ends/begins. The reps from either side sit on their own sides. However, there have been times when North Koreans have come in and walked (considering the lack of dancing I have seen here, I doubt they were dancing, despite our guide's description) on the tables. Whatever is on the boots, those responsible for the South Korean maintenance have been unable to remove the boot prints. By the way, in this picture, I am actually in North Korea.



See how fierce he looks? Apparently South Korean (or ROK) soldiers posted here are supposed to do this at all times. The Taekwondo stance, balled fists, and even the sunglasses meant for intimidation. You do not walk between this soldier and the flag on the table in front of him out of respect. He is standing on either side of the line. When they lock/unlock the door on the far side, they now do it in pairs-one with weapon drawn-as there was at least one instance of them being charged by North Korean soldiers. ANd, yeah, don't I look thrilled? You are allowed to take these shots as long as you do not touch them. Still, I felt a little disrespectful, unit it was pointed out by a friend that they do this all day long. Maybe they get a kick out of it?



There are 2 towns in the DMZ-one South Korean, one North Korean. The North Koreans built a fancier one than the South Koreans had, along with music and propaganda that used to be broadcast VERY loudly for the ROK residents to hear, telling them they should defect. ROK built an impressive flag pole, to which DPROK (North Korea) responded by building an even larger one. The flag weight is some insane hundreds of pounds and is cranked manually. Not much breeze that day, and very hazy. Nowadays, ROK residents that live in the DMZ have it pretty good. They are all descendants of original residence from before the war. They are exempt from the 18 month military service required of SK men. They have nice houses built by the government, and do not pay taxes. The average income is about $82,000.00 which is many times the average of most Koreans. Many hire workers to work the farms here, while they live in Seoul (among the most expensive cities in the world) and own businesses. The DMZ is a wild life refuge, having many animals that now live nowhere else in Korea. It will never be reclaimed, as there are too many mines laid by both sides.