Now I have two sources of anger. First I wrote a very long post just now and then my computer froze up and it was lost, so I have to rewrite and probably lose some of my original passion. Second I only got one measly comment on my last post. One comment!? Am I talking to myself out here?! Am I going crazy and just conversing with myself here in blogworld?!

Now for the comrades. We went to a North Korean restaurant this weekend - the food was excellent, very similar to S. Korean but even better than a lot of S. Korean I've had. I don't know why this surprises me (maybe visions of food aid packages being dropped from planes), but it does. But the atmosphere is distinctly creepy. The restaurant is staffed with real live North Korean waitresses who are given permission to come here by the N. Korean government (they must be the elite and the charmed of society). This also means that they are constantly chaperoned when they're not at work, subject to curfews, probably reprogrammed regularly, etc. On their uniforms they wear pins with Kim Jong-Il's face (not the most appetizing of faces). They also call customers (in Korean) “female teacher” and “brother comrade.” During your meal, they loop these videos of N. Korean singers and dancers singing songs of the homeland - usually women in military uniforms who look extra cheerful about their lives. These videos look like they were done in the 70s, but I actually think they're quite new because a few of the dance moves look like they were harvested straight from some modern Western music videos (and the new moves are probably then credited to Kim Jong-Il as I'm sure the dancers aren't allowed to watch the videos necessary to cull these moves). On Saturday nights they have a live entertainment show which we were lucky enough to catch – it’s basically like the videos except you have to clap along and pretend your spine isn’t tingling with horror.

But the N. Koreans weren’t the only ones creeping me out – some of the S. Korean tourists were completely nuts. Lots of S. Koreans go to this restaurant I guess because they’re always super curious about N. Koreans (like Americans with Canadians, eh?). There were two tables of S. Korean men that night who were harassing the N. Korean waitresses like mad. They kept calling them over and grabbing their arms and putting their hands on the small of their backs (a little too familiar for a woman you don’t know, and also a little perverted paternalistic since these dudes were old and the women are young and famous for being chosen to work at this restaurant because they’re N. Korea’s most beautiful); repeatedly buying bouquets of fake flowers they sold onstage and presenting them to the singers on bended knee; taking tons of cheesy staged photos with the waitresses; shushing them by putting their fingers to their lips; whispering in their ears; etc, etc, etc. This went on and on, and I was so pissed but completely impotent to respond except with dirty looks. I felt bad for the waitresses, and I’m pretty sure the guys’ behavior caused them to be deprogrammed that very night. Maybe even deported back to their real paternal figure, Kim Jong-Il.

In spite of these offenses, Min and I are headed to the land of South Koreans this Saturday for a 5-day visit to Seoul. We may even hit up the DMZ for more interaction with our Northern brethren if we can swing it (Korean citizens can’t freely visit the DMZ – they can only go to certain parts or they need a special permit, so much for the Sunshine Policy). Chinese New Year is in full effect in Beijing. It’s as big as Christmas in the US so you can imagine the decorations and the humanity. I’ll send pics of Korea when we get back!

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