Category Archives: North Korea

North Korean Motivational Music

We just had this one day in the year, whence everything will improve. Eat more healthily, get up earlier, study harder, work more productively and of course plenty of exercise. All of these endeavors require the right kind of music … Continue reading

Posted in Music, North Korea | 12 Comments

“Sovietistan” and “The Border” by Erika Fatland

Hier gibt es diese Rezension auf Deutsch. Do you also have so many travel guides at home for countries you never made it to? I still got a Lonely Planet guidebook for Central Asia, which I bought in 2007. Apparently, … Continue reading

Posted in Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Books, China, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, North Korea, Norway, Poland, Ukraine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Ceaușescu in North Korea

When I lived in Romania, some people said about the long-term dictator, who was overthrown in 1989: “You know, in the beginning, Ceaușescu was not even that bad. After he came to power in 1965, he distanced Romania from the … Continue reading

Posted in Cold War, Economics, History, Music, North Korea, Politics, Romania, Travel | 16 Comments

Two Books on North Korea

If there will be a nuclear war in 2018, it will most likely have something to do with North Korea. So you may as well use your last weeks alive to read about that country. Suki Kim pulled off a … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Economics, Human Rights, North Korea, Politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Random Thoughts (18)

“Time is more valuable than money could ever dream of being.” (Dan Kieran in The Idle Traveller) Thanks to Thomas Kuban for pointing me to The Ultimate Productivity Blog. Thanks to Priscila Serrano for the book 60 Degrees North, in … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Brazil, Europe, Germany, North Korea, Religion, Romania, Time, UK | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Random Thoughts (16)

Finland has some weird sports competitions.  Each time I return to Europe, rents have doubled. Tweets cannot change laws, regulations or rules. Each time Donald Trump tries to do so, he should be laughed at. Why can’t Microsoft Windows move … Continue reading

Posted in Bolivia, Czech Republic, Finland, Language, Military, North Korea, Philosophy, Poland, Politics, Religion, Sports, Technology, USA, World War II | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Random Thoughts (14)

If I am ever on a quiz show, my telephone joker will be the dude who wrote Wikipedia. Suki Kim has done impressive undercover reporting in North Korea, fooling both her employer, by pretending that she was a devout Christian, and of course the … Continue reading

Posted in Bolivia, Books, China, Colombia, Economics, Language, Life, Mexico, North Korea, Religion, Saudi Arabia, Technology, Travel, UK | Tagged , , , , , | 19 Comments

The Disadvantage of the Home Office

Or should I say the disadvantage of having children, a family, or anyone else living at your house?

Posted in North Korea, Politics | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

How far can you get by train?

Zur deutschen Fassung dieses Artikels. One of my readers wrote that he had been wondering how far he could get if he took his local commuter train and continued traveling with no other means of transport than the railway. As a train enthusiast, … Continue reading

Posted in Belarus, China, Europe, Germany, Italy, Montenegro, North Korea, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Sicily, Syria, Technology, Travel, UK | Tagged , , , | 27 Comments

Easily Confused (20) Two Koreas

South Koreans acting in a silly and uncontrolled way: – – – North Koreans acting in a silly but controlled way: – – – Imagining a combination of these two styles makes me afraid of Korean unification.

Posted in Cinema, Music, North Korea | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments