Sometimes they simply give you a deep bow. Apparently they
have been instructed to treat foreigners with extreme deference, maybe
to boost tourist revenue.
Kids in North Korea are exceedingly polite. They greet foreigners (and
each other) with a comical vertical-arm salute and a ringing "Aniyong
Hasimnika!".
Sometimes they simply give you a deep bow. Apparently they
have been instructed to treat foreigners with extreme deference, maybe
to boost tourist revenue.
Today we were visiting the School Children's Palace in Pyongyang, where
talented children could participate in after-school activities. I
found this idea of voluntary participation a bit out of step with what
I'd seen so far, and separate questioning of the guides failed to
reveal whether this institution was for all kids or not, and whether
attendance was optional. The Palace was certainly magnificently
maintained and well equipped, with an impressive theatre and a large
indoor swimming pool. The 10-metre dive tower
even had a glass elevator.
We were taken for a brief visit to a classroom where we saw children
playing accordions, for goodness' sake. They all smiled and looked
happy, but the suffering that room must have seen is unimaginable. We
were then rushed on to the theatre, where our entrance was greeted with
a thunderous applause by the school-age audience. They do this just to
impress foreigners, I'm sure, and it certainly worked! The show
cute, but I was suddenly reminded of the performing animals at the
Circus and wondered how long it had taken to etch the frozen smiles
onto these young faces. We saw 5-year-olds playing violin, and other
obvious examples of child abuse.
North Korea was easily one of the most interesting trips we have ever made. We can recommend it to anyone, as our guides earnestly hoped we would (we told them we would be posting a travelogue on the 'net). There seems to be little of the apathy of the Eastern European regimes that turned those countries into garbage heaps even before they collapsed. The streets really are spotless in Pyongyang (okay, you'll find the occasional scrap of paper) and the guides are friendly, extremely helpful and informative - we could, and did, ask them anything.
North Korea is in big economical trouble, as the recent acceptance of aid from South Korea and Japan surely demonstrates (not that they deny that they are a "developing" country). Russia is no longer interested in supporting Communist regimes and China doesn't seem to be too generous lately either. Like the Soviet Union and East Germany, if this country collapses then it will simply cease to exist. You'd better hurry if you want to experience this fascinating historical oddity before it disappears forever.
comments are welcome - especially from Koreans!
cheers,
Paul & Rick Bakker
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Copyright 1995 - Paul Bakker