Demilitarized Zone: Across North Korea, the Last Living Relic of Cold War

It was around a year ago, November 23, 2010, when North Korea fired scores of artillery shells at a South Korean island, killing two soldiers, in one of the heaviest attacks on its neighbor since the Korean War ended in 1953[1]. The attack came as the reclusive Northern part of Korea and its ally China pressed regional powers to return to negotiations on its nuclear weapons program –Pyongyang is indeed fast developing another source of material to make atomic bombs. It also followed moves by leader Kim Jong-il to make his youngest, but unproven son his heir apparent, leading into assumptions whether the bombardment might have been an attempt to burnish the ruling family’s image with the military.

Amidst the alarmingly bad bilateral relationship between North and South Korea at that point of time, I was still yearning for a year-end visit to the borderline between North and South Korea, which is hallmarked by the Demilitarized Zone and Civilization Village. An (alternative) history freak I am, it didn’t take a second to book the cheap air-ticket to Seoul from Tokyo –a place where I currently live. Don’t get me wrong, my reason to visit Seoul isn’t galvanized by the fancy Korean wave Hallyu culture, but more into culinary errands and the curiosity over “Demilitarized Zone”, the last living relic of Cold War.

image source: Wikipedia

 

The Cluster Web of Technological Innovation Across Japan: Recapturing the Economic Growth

Disclaimer: my takeout on “reinventing japan’s economy” and recent essay submitted for a writing competition.

The recent calamity of Tohoku earthquake and Fukushima nuclear-plant incident have made Japan re-grasp the importance to constantly innovate and to reclaim its power as major economic hub in Asia. Japan, once a country with continuous double-digit growth rate and rapid technological innovation during the 1970-80, has faced bubble economy phenomenon following the zero economic growth after the 1990s. The ever-changing policies (altogether with numerous inconsistencies inside) have been done to tackle the issues of economy stagnancy, but only a little worked out. The inability of the government to engage in a real-plan to reconstruct the whole country’s economy, let alone the Tohoku area, has more or less reflected by its slow crisis management preparedness post Tohoku disaster.

 

Random Art

Found this old art of mine. I think I made it around two years ago in 2009. When I draw, I tend to form a mental portrayal of the imaginary character and then sewing a certain background story that fits the mood of the characters.

Unfortunately, I totally forgot the backstory of this illustration . The only thing I could recall is the fact that the color pencils I used were too solidified -hence not a good material to use. I think I am old and senile already.

I hope I can spare more time to write and draw. For my own consumption purposes .

 

Life and the lack thereof~

Gustav Klimt’s the Tree of Life

I have graduated from the University, am now in a stable job and promising career ahead. I am independent financially, can no longer ask for more. I get everything I want in life, and am already happy with my current situation. Don’t you think my journey on earth is kind of finished now; and time to focus on the Afterlife?

Someone overwhelmed me with that contemplation today; as long as we could manage to get the satisfaction in life, particularly in terms of financial matters, then life is more or less finished. Realistically speaking, how much money do we normally consume for daily living? A medium-sized bowl of rice, meat and pickles for three times a day. Sometimes with the dessert, and fruits. And probably some nice drinks, not necessarily expensive but just enough to appease the thirst. And then how much do we spend for rent (or mortgage), with some additional bucks for the sake of entertainment? Buying books, CDs, electronic-gadgets, theater tickets, and traveling occasionally. That’s pretty much it. We don’t have to be filthy rich like the Kardashians or the Trumps in order to ace our life and elicit the so-called “satisfactory” feeling . A person that I talked with today, has admitted that he is quite happy with how life treats him. Occasionally he recited the prayers and gratitude to The Almighty. Perhaps “life” on earth has finished for him, as he no longer has desires to attain more than he think he could get. Now it is the time to focus on the future-life, which is Life after the Life, by dedicating all of his resources in the God’s way to be able to get closer to God. The life is cast, and the God of abundance has given him a perfect life, a flawless one that he could ever think of. It is the moment to payback all God’s gifts.

 

Perfection = Happiness?

If perfection means happiness, then does the pursuit of happiness mean the pursuit of perfection?

Ever since I was a kid, I was taught to do everything perfectly -or almost without flaw- and to be politically correct at all times. Perhaps that’s the most common thing of Asian (read: third-world country) value: of being perfect from head to toe and live up the expectation of others. If I didn’t get perfect score in Math quiz, I would likely be humiliated at home. If I didn’t dress quite pleasantly with ruffles-embellished socks and Mary-Jane shoes when meeting people, I would be called a disgrace to family. Even when I unintentionally said a silly remark when seeing the Doctor or when having a witless bargain-battle with the street-vendors, I would too become a subject of derision during family gathering. There were so much rules of the game revolving around my life, and I never blame my family for those. Afterall, they just taught me how the game of life is supposed to be played tactically in the world of adults; I too, thought that the mental (and physical?) exercise would benefit me in the near future. However, I realized that there is no way I can be perfect since the very beginning, but I was too impotent to fight back to gain my independence, even too reluctant to talk-back. Nah, maybe I was just lazy hence the indifference :p.

 

Summer Revolution

So I start a revolution from my bed
‘Cos you said the brains I had went to my head
Step outside, summertime’s in bloom

Don’t Look Back in Anger- Oasis

Apparently, a caliber of Oasis starts a revolution from the bed in Summertime! O’ summertime, summertime, how awesome is that? I still think that mankind ought to formulate new resolutions (or revolution!) everytime the new season comes, not just in a lagging yearly basis. Corporate slaves might understand my points quite articulately, as Nasdaq or Bloomberg listed-companies always possess Key Performance Indicators (KPI) on a quarterly or even on a monthly basis to track and maintain their every progress. Now now, we want to lead our life professionally, right? We have of no reason why we shouldn’t operate our life like the Fortune top 500 companies do. Let’s turn into an individual living a professional life. Alas, Summer Revolution!

Winter by Hendrick Avercamp, early 17th century. Induce depression enough?

 

Tokyo: The Center of the Universe and The Promised Land of Superheroes

A view of tranquil sunset in Tokyo –before an attack from outer space!

Disclaimer: What are you expecting me to write about Tokyo? An elaborative Lonely Planet-ish travel guide with details on prices and transportation means, or psychedelic visual treats on major tourist spots like the ones DK eyewitness depicted? No way. This is going to be bizarre in maximum scale, and don’t tell me I haven’t warned you before~

Totoro and friends; cutesy and innocent, but who knows what lies beneath?

People around me reckoned that Tokyo resembles a perverted old-man hiding in the façade of a cute little girl. Only in this outlandish cosmopolitan megapolis that one can find a bizarre obscene materials situated side-by-side with cutesy wutesy ingredients like Hello Kitty and Totoro altogether in the same shop and even same floor. Hardly any salary-man with stoic appearance fully combined with corporate gear in cities other than Tokyo can read an X-rated magazine quite idyllically in the crowded morning train.

I guess it takes a pervert to know a pervert.

 

The Goddamned SLR camera

I want an SLR camera!

Okay, I can’t deny the facts that I -being 25 years old, am supposed to be financially independent, able to feed my belly and satisfy my lust over reasonable wish-list. I am just a poor graduate student who has to compose a pitiable essay every semester to get a stipend far from decent lifestyle. But people said that happiness is a way of travel, not an ultimate destination. So yeah, despite being petulant over things I cannot control (read: my welfare!), I am quite happy with the way things work now, compared to few years ago when I was still glued within a merciless new-age slavery system which people called “corporate life” .

But, I want an SLR camera!

 

The Age of Chivalry

Positivity is contagious.

It’s always nice to see people a lot younger than I am, having relentless passion to explore the world and develop their innate capacity.

However I couldn’t fathom the feeling inside me, a twisted feeling of the weariness and the powerlessness to do the same when I was such a young age as they are.

Is this a sign of me getting old? For God’s sake! =__=

 

I heart Celtic music :)

Last February I traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland. So why the hell I jotted it down exactly 8 months after? -pardon me if you never give a damn about that .

I am literally on the verge of mental breakdown. My brain goes paralyzed and my mind goes blank intensely, which clearly reveals how severe my thesis progress turns out to be. Not only my physical ability that’s questionable -I am a slowpoke, what can you expect?- but my intellectual ability is also equally handicapped. I struggle so much with Statistics, not to mention the logic behind the rigorous calculation and the mind-bending formulas. However, during the time of hardships I listened a lot to Celtic music, the instrumentals with serene sounds of bagpipe, whistles and a beat of soft drums . I can never listen to Japanese songs no matter how I love them, as I often end up singing and experience a short-term memory loss after a while and lost trace of my study. Sometimes I even google the translation of the songs and end up learning the kanjis. I am really bad at concentrating, so I need music that didn’t ‘talk‘ .

It is during my trip to Edinburgh that I discovered this genre of music and fell in love with them at once. The music kinda reminded me of some background music of the classic RPG games -I am a veteran gamer afterall-, so while listening to them I tend to visualize myself as the hero, run an impossible errands in the land where dragons exist and the evil lord dominated over the once-prosperous land . The street musicians were all around the corner, graciously playing the instruments and let it whisper to the town folks’ ears, not to care of some shameless free-riders who didn’t give money yet enjoy their music thoroughly. I went to a nearest souvenir shop, dig amongst the sale corner and found various Celtic CDs for around 5 pounds for 2 pieces. I bought 4 without thinking. And here I am now, working on my research while listening to them, it sure brings back all the memories.

I only spent like 3 days traveling around Scotland, covered Edinburgh area. I hope I will be able to return someday and explore a little bit of its beauty of nature and the scenic landscape -definitely not on winter though~