Smoldering guns at DMZ – North Korea (Part 3)

DMZ is a point in history, a point of contradictions, a point of turmoil, a point of distrust, a point where the two countries sit eyeball to eyeball waiting for the other to blink

DMZ is a point in history, a point of contradictions, a point of turmoil, a point of distrust, a point where the two countries sit eyeball to eyeball waiting for the other to blink

Comrade, have you carried out the plan for today? North Korea (Part 2)

Love for country has no definition. Maybe this is why defectors regardless of their reasons are frowned upon. In the DPRK, nationalism is engineered by state but then again, where is it not?

Love for country has no definition. Maybe this is why defectors regardless of their reasons are frowned upon. In the DPRK, nationalism is engineered by state but then again, where is it not?

North Korea: Obedience; orderliness; obligation (Part 1)

DPRK – the last remaining bastion of socialism which has hung onto the idealism of Marxist Leninism amidst strict sanctions and few friends

DPRK – the last remaining bastion of socialism which has hung onto the idealism of Marxist Leninism amidst strict sanctions and few friends

Flying the so-called “world’s worst airline”

The next leg of my trip is to the Hermit Kingdom. I’m standing here outside the boarding gates of Air Koryo’s flight to Pyongyang, the capital of DPRK where I will have no internet, no SIM card to connect to the outside world and no external influence of any kind. I am told the calls from the…

Farewell Beijing – you have won my heart

Beijing city dates back more than 3 millenia – the city has remained the political and cultural capital through the centuries. In just under 20 years, Beijing has become a centre of power for not just China, but also Asia, and now for the rest of the world. The city has continually reinvented itself to…

Things that didn’t quite live up to their promise in Beijing

Beijing is a beautiful city but there are some things you can afford to miss: 1. Tea Market – It may sound fancy to go and taste some tea but aside from the fact that the place is far away from the city and has no character, it is really a place for retailers who…

The Great Wall – a phenomenal feat

Imagine a fortress that runs for miles – through the forest, through the villages, from the sea on one side to the vast desert on the other; fortified with watch towers, walls, command posts, gates, shrines and temples; steep in some places, a gentle climb in others, contouring through the mountain ranges like a dragon…

National Library of China – a sanctuary of silence in Beijing

  Whether it is to re-live your student days or to look at work of architecture, a trip to the National Library of China is a must. With more than 24 million items, including rare books, foreign publications, historical documents, ancient, hand-written Buddhist scriptures, tablets, maps and diagrams in its collection, NLC is the 5th largest in…

A rare encounter with Tesla in Beijing

Tesla, the manufacturer of premium electric vehicles has achieved a cult status, somewhat similar to Apple about a decade ago before it became the icon of luxury and design. Interestingly, Tesla chose the world’s largest car market: China, to open its showroom. I came across the showroom quite by chance, and as curiosity led me to knowing more about the…