Beth Fluke sat next to me at lunch. She owns a retail store in Philadelphia called "Dandelion" that sells jewelry designed by Guatemalans and Native Americans. "How are the primaries coming in Pennsylvania?" I asked her.
"Clinton is supposed to be in the lead but everyone I know is voting for Obama. However, the mayor of Philly has endorsed Hillary because Obama had endorsed his rival during the 2006 election campaign."
Sylvia Sabo had an interesting story. She was the wife of a long-time Minnesota Congressman. "What was that like?"
"At election time every other year, he used to campaign door-to-door every day and stand in front of supermarkets on weekends. It was hectic. And I almost didn't get to come on this trip because my husband retired in 2006 but we couldn't sell our house in DC until just last week." So the housing slump has effected Congressmen too.
I loved all of these women, but I really enjoyed spending time with Carol Whitmore. She teaches school in Texas -- but not just any school. "We have an entire town peopled by special-needs adults. They run a nursery, a cafe and a gift shop. It's called Brookwood." That's inspiring. Then she showed me an album from her daughter's recent wedding. I'm a sucker for wedding photos.
Then all of us trooped off to a massage parlor for an amazing massage treatment that lasted two and a half hours. We were all put into this one little room and worked over from head to foot by professionals -- take your mind out of the gutter, not THAT kind of professional! Anyway, they pounded us with hammers, soaked our feet in boiling water, lit candles and used our ears as candlesticks in order to draw the wax out of our ears and would have walked on our backs if we had let them. It was a very bonding experience -- and it only cost $25 each.
My massager guy was not really very talented but boy was he enthusiastic. He was like someone who really wanted to learn the piano but didn't really have the ear for it. So he put in a lot of effort. At first I just wanted him to go away and stop poking at me. But after an hour or two, it just simply felt really good.
When the six women got onto their bus to drive off to the airport without me, I was really sad. I would miss them. These six women have been traveling together for years, trying to bring peace and friendship to the world. Go them!
Here's their itinerary. I'm totally happy for them that they got to go to the DPRK. But, darn it, it shoulda been me doing all this cool stuff too!
"Wednesday -- Dinner at the Hotel Koryo in Pyongyang.
"Thursday -- Visit to home of President Kim Il Sung and Arch of Triumph built to commemorate the Korean resistance to Japan from 1925-1945. Lunch. Visit to the Kimilsungia flower festival and the Mangyongdae Children's Palace school of the arts. Leave hotel for Youth Soiree.
"Friday -- Go to Mount Myohyang. Mountain climbing. Lunch. Visit farm and Buddhist temple.
"Saturday -- Visit the USS Pueblo and the Sinchon War Museum. Lunch. Visit National Women's Organization. Lunch. Dinner.
"Sunday -- visit Panmunjom Demilitarized Zone, concrete wall built by the U.S. to divide North and South Korea. Lunch. Dinner.
"Monday -- Meet with government representative to discuss US/DPRK relations. Visit Central Historical Museum. Lunch. Visit Kunchaek University of Technology, Pyongyang Maternity Hospital, children's school and Pyongyang cultural exhibition. Dinner.
"Tuesday -- All-day visit to a farming co-op and rural community. Farewell dinner."
Stillwater is a freelance writer who hates injustice and corruption in any form but especially injustice and corruption paid for by American taxpayers. She has recently published a book entitled, "Bring Your Own Flak Jacket: Helpful Tips For Touring Today's Middle East". According to Ms. Stillwater, "It's a fabulous and entertaining book. I loved writing it. And I hope that you will love reading it too." It's available at http://www.amazon.com/Bring-Your-Own-Flak-Jacket/dp/0978615719 or you can special order it at any independent bookstore.
"noble" cause, and disappointed you couldn't continue with them into N.Korea, but why did they receive visas in the first place and you didn't?
Your slowly letting out the whole story, and only now providing the info of what your "members" are. Reading your first couple articles sounded like you were solo, in a thrown together group to see N. Korea.
You have 5 days before you depart China and if you haven't received the visa yet, doubtful you'll get it at all this being Saturday. Are you just going to hang out in Shengyang the duration of your time, or see some of the Chinese culture other then where you now are? You can always leave a message with your group to re-meet at the airport in Beijing.
shucai chaofan=fried rice with vegetables, shucai chaomian=fried noodles with vegetables, su shi jin=vegetables
by
Stanimal (0 articles, 4 quicklinks, 23 diaries, 668 comments)
on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 12:02:32 AM
I finally broke down and bought a train ticket to Dandong, on the famous Yalu River, after my visa fell throuigh today. And yes, China Hand, this place IS amazing and I am glad I came. More stories to come, trust me on that one. And I did meet a lot of really nice North Koreans here. That counts for something.
I was thrown in with the women's group originally by accident, but am surely glad that I had the opportunity to meet them, accident or not.
by
Jane Stillwater (453 articles, 0 quicklinks, 9 diaries, 62 comments)
on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 12:20:10 AM
Count the number of times you see cops with or without guns.
Count how many times you see a Chinese person under arrest in handcuffs. I spoke to an American teacher who said that in inner city America she sees a rough average of 1 person a week in hancuffs. In her ten months in China she has yet to see one.
Compared to the "Land of the Free" China has 80% less people in prison. i.e., USA 700+/100,000. China 120/100,000. Most Americans say they can feel the difference on the streets. There is a very different relationship between cops and citizens.
Make sure you visit the War Museum in Dandong.
by
John Haigh (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 107 comments)
on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 12:48:43 PM
The buildings you photographed look like they were built in the time of Chairman Mao but they are actually circa 1990 - 1997. The outsides of buildings in China age very quickly. They will most likely be torn down within ten years.
There are very few ordinary apartments left from the 1980s or before, and they look like they are 100 years old - real hovels. It is easy to forget how poor most people were before the economic miracle started in the early 90s.
by
John Haigh (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 107 comments)
on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 1:08:38 PM
Jane you say you are against Injustice and corruption paid for by taxpayers, well that pretty much sums up illegal immigration. Big business bribes politicians to ignore immigration laws so they can hire illegals at near slave labor and then let the taxpayers pick up the tabs for education, housing health care, food and a variety of other social services.
Maybe you should join forces with Lou Dobbs To battle this corruption.
by
Gary Denson (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 244 comments)
on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 7:45:35 PM
Why is North Korea trying to keep people out? Could it be because they do not want people like you seeing what goes on? I read an article about traveling the NK that said they couldn't go anywhere without a 'minder' who had to approve of everything - who they talked to, what pictures they took, where they went, etc. It would be fascinating to visit there. But also scary. One misstep and you would never be seen again.
The comment about seeing 1 person a day in handcuffs in the US was hilarious. In NK and China they haul people off for 'thought' crimes as well as the usual crimes we are familiar with. There is absolutely no comparsion between the criminal justice system in the US and the ones in China and NK. You have to really hate this country to think otherwise. It would be downright suicide to commit even a minor crime in China or NK. They use the death penalty in those countries for things we give criminals probation for.
by
Mad Jayhawk (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 399 comments)
on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 10:22:55 PM
Mad Jayhawk said, "In NK and China they haul people off for 'thought' crimes as well as the usual crimes we are familiar with." Where did you get that information from? I can't speak for NK, but that is a ridiculous misrepresentation of conditions in present day China.
Also the American here in China said she saw a person in handcuffs about once a week at home.
China does have the death penalty and applies it a lot more often than I would approve of. But I don't approve of it ever. As for applying it to crimes that would be punished by probation in the US - perhaps, but only if you are a white millionaire in The States. The death penalty is given for murder, very serious corruption and corporate crime where there are a lot of victims.
by
John Haigh (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 107 comments)
on Sunday, April 13, 2008 at 4:51:23 AM
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