The Offical Thread.
This post coming to you from Seoul, South Korea, 50km south of the scariest place EVER...the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.
The war ended 50 years ago and still, the tension is palpable. The north digs tunnels under the DMZ, the soldiers make throat cutting gestures while South Korean soldiers don't move, the North Koreans STAND on the UN peace talks table, etc.
Also, scrunchies are totally in fashion in Seoul.
Strange Places to Post From
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Betty Felon
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Re: Strange Places to Post From
Betty Felon wrote: The north digs tunnels under the DMZ
Also, scrunchies are totally in fashion in Seoul.
ah, DMZ, yes. that must be what ted leo's singing about in "my vien ilin."
so they're what, 15 years behind us in terms of hair accessory fashion?
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Betty Felon
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This is a contest? I just thought it was a cool board game. Eh, South Korea is an hour an a half away, so it's like going to Canada for me.
The DMZ is seriously sobering. You can sign up for a USO tour and go in the UN buildings, actually standing in North Korea (of course a soldier guards the door in case you get the idea to defect) There were footprints on the UN table from the tours North Korea holds. You can also go in the Third Tunnel, which is big enough for heavy artilery.
The tour even made the super complainer tourists shut up. But you can't really whine about the bus when you have to sign a paper saying you won't provoke another war and/or hold the US military or South Korea accountable in the case of enemy fire.
South Korean soldiers are standing at attention facing North Korean soldiers three meters away. There is also a huge fake town on the border of the DMZ. Its like a movie set, no one has ever lived there, but it looks like a prosperous city. Until 2004 it would just blast propaghanda for 12 hours a day to encourage people to defect to paradise.
Seriously it was the strangest, scariest, thing I've ever seen.
Re: Scrunchies I'm not entirely sure that the SK's are behind us in hair accessory fashion per se. They might be leading the next scrunchie revolution. Seoul has to be the knock off capitol of the world.
Need a naugahide Louie? Dior wallet...I mean 'Diof'? Frada anyone? Chanel Scrunchie? There are giant markets with this stuff in the open (as opposed to Hong Kong where, I'm told, you have to look through a book and then go into someones apartment to purchase). Its like a gigantic Swap-o-Rama that never closes. It goes all night. Its full of Russians buying knockoffs in huge quanities. The amalgamation of languages-- english, russian, hangeul, japanese, chinese- the pushing and shoving, food stands, garbage and packaging everywhere, soliciting, etc. is total insanity.
Highly recommended!
The DMZ is seriously sobering. You can sign up for a USO tour and go in the UN buildings, actually standing in North Korea (of course a soldier guards the door in case you get the idea to defect) There were footprints on the UN table from the tours North Korea holds. You can also go in the Third Tunnel, which is big enough for heavy artilery.
The tour even made the super complainer tourists shut up. But you can't really whine about the bus when you have to sign a paper saying you won't provoke another war and/or hold the US military or South Korea accountable in the case of enemy fire.
South Korean soldiers are standing at attention facing North Korean soldiers three meters away. There is also a huge fake town on the border of the DMZ. Its like a movie set, no one has ever lived there, but it looks like a prosperous city. Until 2004 it would just blast propaghanda for 12 hours a day to encourage people to defect to paradise.
Seriously it was the strangest, scariest, thing I've ever seen.
Re: Scrunchies I'm not entirely sure that the SK's are behind us in hair accessory fashion per se. They might be leading the next scrunchie revolution. Seoul has to be the knock off capitol of the world.
Need a naugahide Louie? Dior wallet...I mean 'Diof'? Frada anyone? Chanel Scrunchie? There are giant markets with this stuff in the open (as opposed to Hong Kong where, I'm told, you have to look through a book and then go into someones apartment to purchase). Its like a gigantic Swap-o-Rama that never closes. It goes all night. Its full of Russians buying knockoffs in huge quanities. The amalgamation of languages-- english, russian, hangeul, japanese, chinese- the pushing and shoving, food stands, garbage and packaging everywhere, soliciting, etc. is total insanity.
Highly recommended!
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mildlyrestarted
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my friend morgan lives in south korea right now. you may have actually met her, being that she used to come to tLW shows with steph and me.. she's been living there/teaching english for many a months. if you need a midwesterner/english-speaking buddy, i can hook you guys up... actually, she lives in busan (sp?), and i have no idea how far that is from you.
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Betty Felon
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Naw galleta, Seoul is, like, one of the safest cities in the world. The people are pushy, loud and proud, but gosh, I loved that. Japan is so polite I forgot how fun lively people can be. Sometimes quiet neighbors are too quiet.
I remember Morgan. She looks like Betty Page. Sure, thanks. Busan is actually even closer. I've already used all my vacation until August (curse this corporate job, english teaching is where it's at! Korea pays like $30/hr plus free room and flights) but if Morgan wants to vist Japan, totally hook us up.
How's she doing? I've heard Korea is especially tough for western women because of that Confucian ethic. We don't cotton to being thought of as inferior creatures.
Being a westerner living in any really non-western enviroment is incredibly isolating. There is a big difference between Americans I know living in, say, Australia or Europe, and those living in Africa or Asia. You have the emotional stability of a pregnant woman until you get used to it.
Of course, I suspect I'll miss that isolation when I leave.
mildlyrestarted wrote:my friend morgan lives in south korea right now. you may have actually met her, being that she used to come to tLW shows with steph and me.. she's been living there/teaching english for many a months. if you need a midwesterner/english-speaking buddy, i can hook you guys up... actually, she lives in busan (sp?), and i have no idea how far that is from you.
I remember Morgan. She looks like Betty Page. Sure, thanks. Busan is actually even closer. I've already used all my vacation until August (curse this corporate job, english teaching is where it's at! Korea pays like $30/hr plus free room and flights) but if Morgan wants to vist Japan, totally hook us up.
How's she doing? I've heard Korea is especially tough for western women because of that Confucian ethic. We don't cotton to being thought of as inferior creatures.
Being a westerner living in any really non-western enviroment is incredibly isolating. There is a big difference between Americans I know living in, say, Australia or Europe, and those living in Africa or Asia. You have the emotional stability of a pregnant woman until you get used to it.
Of course, I suspect I'll miss that isolation when I leave.
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mildlyrestarted
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as far as i can tell, she loves it. she's actually staying a lot longer than she originally planned to. here's her myspace if you do actually want to hook up
http://myspace.com/moonchild
http://myspace.com/moonchild
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Betty Felon
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AWESOME!
"Mariánské Lázn? was developed at the beginning of the 19th century in a valley where many excellent healing streams spring from the ground."
http://www.marianskelazne.cz/en/
"Curiosity: The Singing Fountain in front of the main colonnade performs every odd hour to the accompaniment of music, and at 9 and 10 p.m. with a light show."
Singing Fountain w/ LIGHT SHOW?! WOWZA.
"Mariánské Lázn? was developed at the beginning of the 19th century in a valley where many excellent healing streams spring from the ground."
http://www.marianskelazne.cz/en/
"Curiosity: The Singing Fountain in front of the main colonnade performs every odd hour to the accompaniment of music, and at 9 and 10 p.m. with a light show."
Singing Fountain w/ LIGHT SHOW?! WOWZA.
Coming to you live from Celebration IV in LA! You know what rules? Oh, how about I show you the Darth Vader / Death Star Transformer ? SuhWEET.
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Betty Felon
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grant
- wears the boots
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Sorry, I don't mean to be cryptic:
This is Garuda:
Hindu divine messenger, emblem of Indonesia, namesake of the national airline.
More images here
The Bird-Man of Bali.
This is Garuda:
Hindu divine messenger, emblem of Indonesia, namesake of the national airline.
More images here
The Bird-Man of Bali.
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