I was not aware of that. That's quite interesting. I'll have to read up on that. I know that most Korean people, whether North and South, consider themselves to be of one people divided by other people's politics. Who they feel is responsible for that division will differ depending on who you ask. Fair enough.
Noriega was hated by the Panamanian people. Are you defending him? We helped them overthrow him. We protect the canal zone for them even after giving them control of the canal we dug. Before the canal we built their rail line. We contribute greatly to their economy.
So it's good as long as the people are against their ruler? Do you think all North Koreans actually Adore their leader? I had met a guy at my university, who was Korean, but only after going to a pub with him and a few others did I learn, to my surprise, that he was actually from North Korea and has to return the next semester. And he wasn't one bit happy about it. I would be surprised if people there were happy with the system. Anyway, I think South Korea would be great to visit. I have been to Okinawa, Bali, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Asian part of Russia - Baikal Lake and I really, really like the Asian culture (although the Rssian one was quite specific ) and hope to make more visits, so I am sure a trip to Korea would be awesome, so good luck with your goal!
Lake Baikal would be great to see. And fish. I hear its a fishermans paradise. Bet its cold water though.
In South Korea there is a community of NKs who escaped across the DMZ. I would like to hear their stories. I will never visit NK as long as the commies are in charge.
Yep, it was awesome! I stayed there a month doing ornithological research we got a grant for. We lived right on its shore by getting a special permit and the fish (omul) were the only fresh meat we got and we particularly enjoyed it (although we paid for it with vodka to exchange with local fishermen)... if I discount a taste of a dead Loon we found... It is cold... Like it prevented me from washing myself for a week when we arrived in June and there was still ice there. It is a great pity, though, that the water gets dirty, so while we relied on it as a water source for drinking, sort of, we had to filter it through T-shirts or something as there was stuff in it. If you get an opportunity to visit there, though, I highly recommend it!
My brother says the troops make a fortune selling whiskey on the black market. I don't know if its illegal in Korea or just that popular. So perhaps I should take all the JD and JB I can carry.
You should to Soju when you get there. It's very cheap and available almost anywhere. Has your brother ever been to Texas Street in Busan?
And he was put into power and protected by the US government / CIA, when he overthrew a democratically elected government, so he was your friend until he wasn't. Manuel Noriega - Wikipedia I'm No fan of dictators, but also I'm aware of how US foreign policy works.
What's with all the sheep-calling? Seems like an interesting way to insult without actually doing so. Now, that's interesting to me. What exactly has North Korea down to *you*? I mean, did they sent some people over to the US to kick your behind? Threw stones at your windows? I wouldn't even get the idea to call an entire people "my enemy", because my Government is playing the "mines's bigger"-game, like dumb teenagers. I always wonder, if there wouldn't be a way to claim asylum/ refuge. But I guess the NK government makes sure, that that isn't an option.
My grandpa is a Korean war veteran. When he last saw it, Korean industry was in its infancy. Its come so far since then. He doesn't talk a lot about the war but he does talk about Korea, another reason im fascinated by it.
I was fortunate to be able to live in South Korea for four years (as a public school teacher working for the Korean Gov't). I loved it and highly recommend visiting. I am a bit biased though because I lived the rural areas... I found them much more exciting than the big cities. In my opinion, the big cities were too rapidly changing to be more like 'Western Cities' (and Japanese influence was huge too). As far as 'geisha houses' go (not a Korean term), there are a lot of prostitutes and related businesses throughout Korea, especially near the military bases. The weather was not as much weird as it was predictable. They have 4 distinct seasons that each run almost exactly 3 months. Summer is hot and humid, winter is cold. Spring and Fall are mild and comfortable. I enjoyed the food and the ease of public travel. Prices were good and the people were very friendly (although sometimes a bit overwhelming with their stereotypes and interest in non Koreans... a little Korean language smooths this out though). There are employment opportunities for native English speakers with a college degree... doing a year or so in Korea is not that hard and the money can be great. Check out Dave's ESL Cafe for some cool forums about living in Korea.
Foreign made alcohol is heavily taxed and can be quite expensive. It is also a status symbol. Military personnel can buy it cheaply on base (back in the day in Germany, we had ration cards to limit how much we could buy) and sell it on the economy. It is illegal. Korean made booze is quite good and is very cheap.
