Musings of the Obsessive Kind

1. I checked out the first episode of the British show Being Human (about a vampire, werewolf and a ghost being rommates - sounds like a start of a very bad joke) and I really really loved it. Shall watch more.

2. I am obsessed by one of the books I am currently reading - North of the DMZ by Andrei Lankov. It's the best nonficition book I've read in months. Lankov writes about every day life in North Korea - if you want to read about nukes and politics this is not the book for you, but he goes into everything from market operation to wedding customs to texbooks. (Sample math problem involves having the children count how many "wolf-like imperialist bastards" did the "brave uncles" of the North Korean army managed to kill).

This book is impeccably researched and written but what really appeals to me is that Lankov is a former USSR citizen (currently working in Seoul) who studied at the Kim Il Sung university as an exchange student in the 1980s - he brings a perspective I haven't seen in books about NK before - as someone from a communist country he is able to see the distorted twisted taken-to-extreme parallels with other communist regimes and lacks the sense of shock that I see in so many Western accounts. Maybe I love it because his attitude is closest to mine (I grew up in the USSR too and my best friend's father worked in North Korea - she lived there for a time. I remember Soviet people thought N.Koreans were insane too). Plus, his information on relationship between USSR, China and NK is fascinating. I was especially interested in defectors from NK to Soviet Union in the 1950s - NK allowed a bunch of NK students to study in Moskow and Moskow was paradise compared to NK. A large number defected, Khruschev took them in, and NK clamped down on studying abroad. (I particularly liked the story of a Korean War hero who led the defectors and whom the NK forces tried to kidnap back in Moskow but he escaped, became a journalist and wrote accounts of NK defectors in the 1970s - I want to get my hands on that book).

I cannot recommend this highly enough.

3. Watched the second ep of this season's Doctor Who. I am OK with Eleven and Amy - I am not invested in them but at least they don't bore me. The ep had plotholes the size of Titanic though (really, all the other countries had tech to leave earth but not England? And none of them would share? As this was what was implied as they were the only ones floating on a whale. Bleh). Also, it got so OTT sentimental, I was ready to claw the screen. Still, at least it kept me mildly amused.

4. Ep 8 of Oh My Lady was cute - favorite part being MW buying Ye Eun all those toys and ruffling her hair or watching the tape of her performance and getting all melty and then seeing a little boy pull her hair and getting indignant. And of course his offer at the end to finance the musical so Gae Hwa will have a job. OML isn't a masterpiece or anything but it is enjoyable.

5. They cast Lee Ji Ah as the secondary female lead in Athena. I was so happy for the male cast but their female casting decisions are wrecking this. Don't misunderstand me - I am a rabd Le Ji Ah fan - I've only seen her in Legend but Sujink, the character she played, was arguably my favorite female character ever. That's the problem. They case boring as dirt Soo Ae as the female lead (whom I don't care for at the best of times) and my darling Sujini as the secondary? WTF? If they expect me to root for Soo Ae over LJA, they are insane.

1. I checked out the first episode of the British show Being Human (about a vampire, werewolf and a ghost being rommates - sounds like a start of a very bad joke) and I really really loved it. Shall watch more.

2. I am obsessed by one of the books I am currently reading - North of the DMZ by Andrei Lankov. It's the best nonficition book I've read in months. Lankov writes about every day life in North Korea - if you want to read about nukes and politics this is not the book for you, but he goes into everything from market operation to wedding customs to texbooks. (Sample math problem involves having the children count how many "wolf-like imperialist bastards" did the "brave uncles" of the North Korean army managed to kill).

This book is impeccably researched and written but what really appeals to me is that Lankov is a former USSR citizen (currently working in Seoul) who studied at the Kim Il Sung university as an exchange student in the 1980s - he brings a perspective I haven't seen in books about NK before - as someone from a communist country he is able to see the distorted twisted taken-to-extreme parallels with other communist regimes and lacks the sense of shock that I see in so many Western accounts. Maybe I love it because his attitude is closest to mine (I grew up in the USSR too and my best friend's father worked in North Korea - she lived there for a time. I remember Soviet people thought N.Koreans were insane too). Plus, his information on relationship between USSR, China and NK is fascinating. I was especially interested in defectors from NK to Soviet Union in the 1950s - NK allowed a bunch of NK students to study in Moskow and Moskow was paradise compared to NK. A large number defected, Khruschev took them in, and NK clamped down on studying abroad. (I particularly liked the story of a Korean War hero who led the defectors and whom the NK forces tried to kidnap back in Moskow but he escaped, became a journalist and wrote accounts of NK defectors in the 1970s - I want to get my hands on that book).

I cannot recommend this highly enough.

3. Watched the second ep of this season's Doctor Who. I am OK with Eleven and Amy - I am not invested in them but at least they don't bore me. The ep had plotholes the size of Titanic though (really, all the other countries had tech to leave earth but not England? And none of them would share? As this was what was implied as they were the only ones floating on a whale. Bleh). Also, it got so OTT sentimental, I was ready to claw the screen. Still, at least it kept me mildly amused.

4. Ep 8 of Oh My Lady was cute - favorite part being MW buying Ye Eun all those toys and ruffling her hair or watching the tape of her performance and getting all melty and then seeing a little boy pull her hair and getting indignant. And of course his offer at the end to finance the musical so Gae Hwa will have a job. OML isn't a masterpiece or anything but it is enjoyable.

5. They cast Lee Ji Ah as the secondary female lead in Athena. I was so happy for the male cast but their female casting decisions are wrecking this. Don't misunderstand me - I am a rabd Le Ji Ah fan - I've only seen her in Legend but Sujink, the character she played, was arguably my favorite female character ever. That's the problem. They case boring as dirt Soo Ae as the female lead (whom I don't care for at the best of times) and my darling Sujini as the secondary? WTF? If they expect me to root for Soo Ae over LJA, they are insane.

Sorry, I need to vent.

Grrr.

GRRRRR.

I just read a post where somebody defends North Korea and states it's all Western propaganda that the place is a hellhole just because it's communist.

I come from a "communist paradise" of former Soviet Union (and lived there while it was still USSR). I am hardly going to be screaming that any communist country = total misery. USSR post Stalin was not the worst place in the world and plenty of people had happy enough lives there before the economy tanked, even with political restrictions, corruption, and ethnic discrimination.

North Korea (which used to be sorta-buddies with USSR - When I was growing up, my best friend's Dad used to work in North Korea) is not the same thing! Leaving aside the cult of personality that makes Stalin's/Mao's/etc seem tame (did you know that Kim Il Sung could walk on water? That Kim Jong Il's birth was profesied by swallows and that he can manipulate time?), the creepy forced political education two times a week, and even hideous labor camps (gulags, NK-style) for anyone accused of slightest unorthodoxy and their entire families, children included!!!! Living in an Asian 1984 is bad enough, but I am not talking about that.

ECONOMY.

I don't mean healthcare and safety procedures still stuck in the stone age or the fact that there is not much one can buy or own.

I mean famine. Yes, under the glorious leadership of Kim Jong Il (who imports brandy, live lobster, and other staples), as many as 3 million people died in North Korea during a famine in mid-90s. Apparently that's 10% of N Korean population! (US, China, and other countries sent food aid, which ended up in hands of political bigwigs and not where it was supposed to go).

I have nothing against Communist regimes, even if I prefer democracies - China, Laos, Cuba, Vietnam - as long as the population at large is relatively OK with it, there are worse place to live in.

North Korea? COME ON!

Yeah, all those people are escaping to China because NKorea is such a great place.

I get so mad precisely because a person posting this is from a Western country - never had to undergo any financial/political restrictions - how easy it is to be smug. Also, the fact that the place is so horrifically controlled and has turned into a modern dystopia, soon with nukes, is scary as hell.

ETA: And now there is a moron who says people in Pyongyang appear very friendly - some wedding party even took pictures with foreigners. Ahhhh, isn't it precious!

That will teach me to read ONTD_political. (Don't even get me started on some of the posters on Iran who think Ahmadinejad is OK simply because US doesn't like him).

In case you think your usual television is too mainstream, look what I found! A promo for a North Korean television show!



Jaw. Open. It's like those Soviet propaganda musicals from 1930s/40s that I saw when a kid only times eleven. I think my brain checked out at dancing Kim Jong Il army people and never came back.

I am going to laugh otherwise I'll cry.

In case you think your usual television is too mainstream, look what I found! A promo for a North Korean television show!



Jaw. Open. It's like those Soviet propaganda musicals from 1930s/40s that I saw when a kid only times eleven. I think my brain checked out at dancing Kim Jong Il army people and never came back.

I am going to laugh otherwise I'll cry.

This North Korean cartoon with fake English subs is one of the funniest things ever...(I posted this once before but am rewatching it...)

Sometimes, the internet is marvelous.

Being bored, and in a weird frame of mind (same as every day), I went looking on youtube for 'entertainment' produced by North Korea. And what do yoe know, it's there.

Behind the cut are North Korean news (one poster referred to it as filmed radio, as the announcers literally stand in front of a blank wall, no imagws, photos, videos or movement). There is a compilation of North Korean movie clips (all the movies seem to be about military personnel gloriously keeling over for country), a scene from some movie about a marathon runner who finds new strength by gazing at King Jong Il's portrait (which shines with a special light), and, my favorite of all, some North Korean animation, the uploader of which put up a fake 'translation' for what they are saying which made me ROFL.

( Vids here )

Btw, I've read elsewhere that in between shoots they send the movie personnel into the fields. And don't put names of anyone anywhere because there should be only one star in the country: Dear Leader.

Sometimes, the internet is marvelous.

Being bored, and in a weird frame of mind (same as every day), I went looking on youtube for 'entertainment' produced by North Korea. And what do yoe know, it's there.

Behind the cut are North Korean news (one poster referred to it as filmed radio, as the announcers literally stand in front of a blank wall, no imagws, photos, videos or movement). There is a compilation of North Korean movie clips (all the movies seem to be about military personnel gloriously keeling over for country), a scene from some movie about a marathon runner who finds new strength by gazing at King Jong Il's portrait (which shines with a special light), and, my favorite of all, some North Korean animation, the uploader of which put up a fake 'translation' for what they are saying which made me ROFL.

( Vids here )

Btw, I've read elsewhere that in between shoots they send the movie personnel into the fields. And don't put names of anyone anywhere because there should be only one star in the country: Dear Leader.

In the annals of craziness? I bought a wonderful book on art in North Korea while in the British Museum. The art part is interesting enough, but the description of North Korean lifestyle was by far the most interesting part: it sounded completely horrific. Besides the shortages, regimentation etc etc, men are in the army for eight or so years, nobody but the healthiest and most loyal are allowed to live in the capital, women don’t even ride bycicles and are still subservient, the class stricture is as rigid as during the royal times (only the extensive background records are about your family’s class and loyalty under different criteria) and men can’t marry until 29 or women until 25. Entertainment consists of public classes/readings of works of the leaders, done publically, so family life is almost non-existent. It reads scarily like 1984. (I also went and found The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag by by Kang Chol-Hwan, a child prisoner who eventually escaped to South Korea. It reminds me of those books i read about Soviet Gulags. Really chilling.)

And the deceased Kim Il-Sung is viewed as some sort of Jesus-type being, because not only do New Year’s gifts come from him, but apparently his death had supernatural omens etc etc.

Even better? His son, Kim Jong-Il. According to wikipedia: The official biography also holds that his birth at Mount Paektu was foretold by a swallow, and heralded by the appearance of a double rainbow over the mountain and a new star in the heavens.

Moreover according to wikipedia, a Russian emissary who traveled with Kim across Russia by train, told reporters that Kim had live lobsters air-lifted to the train every day which he ate with silver chopsticks - historically used in the Chinese Imperial Palace to detect poison. Kim has a reputation for expensive taste. His annual purchases of Hennessy cognac reportedly total to $700,000, while the average North Korean earns the rough estimate equivalent of $900 per year.

Creepy.

Also, apparently, in 1978, on the orders of Kim, South Korean film director Shin Sang-ok and his actress wife Choe Eun-hui were kidnapped in order to build a North Korean film industry.

Here is a BBC article about it. ( It is behind the cut )