Lather Your Lobes

Welcome to class Ladies and Gentlemen. Today’s topic is brainwashing. Now brainwashing has gotten bad rap over the past few decades, and yes there is good reason for that. However, I would like to purpose a thought. That we have actually done our society (who is that you may ask – well silly, it is are the relatively small group of people around you {small in comparison to the population of the planet as a whole} who you have weeded out - that agree with you on at least 8 out of 10 issue. Now you have allowed for this margin of disagreement so that you can claim to have diverse environment.) Sorry I digress. We have actually done our society a great disservice by shielding them from the grand scope of brainwashing that could be produced.

Now think about it – the primary goal of brainwashing is to have the subject believe that their life will be easier, happier, and healthier if they support a particular idea. Come on people, who would not want to have a life that was easier, happier, and healthier. Don’t lie – it will only hurt you on the inside – and that will certainly not make your life happier or healthier.

As my first example, I would like to present an orientation video presented to visitor at the DMZ and Panmunjom. The Thursday before Josh left we participated in a tour to aforementioned location. Early that morning we boarded a bus that would take us the hour or so north (yes I live that close to the DMZ) to the border. Now like my last trip, we would not be crossing the border so there would be no need to go through immigration. For this I am very sorry. I was hoping to see the happy – communist – fun time – brown bear again. Oh well. So after going through check points and having our bus boarded by a South Korean soldier in order to check our passports, we shuttled off to a small auditorium were we would receive a basic run down of the history between the two Koreas and outside nations that lead to the DMZ being established. One thing that was stressed a few times during the visit was that the war is not over. A ceasefire not a peace treaty was signed. These two areas are still at war. In fact as Josh had pointed out a week or so before, South Korea never signed these papers. The US did and with the US out – South Korea did have what was needed to fight at the time. I hope I got that right sweetie.

This was not where the brainwashing took place. I will get to that. So from there we move on to the Administration Building at the Demarcation Line – the actual border of the two Koreas. Here you enter the little building where current peace talks are taking place. Oh side comment. On the way to this building you drive past a little golf course. On the DMZ fence right beside the course there is sign that reads : “ Caution Land Mines Do Not Retrieve Golf Balls”. And you know that is there because some moron did it. Okay back to the peace talk building. The table in the middle of the room actually straddles the border. There is a door on either side of the room where members of the delegations can enter from and exit to their respective sides. It is bizarrely amusing to look out the window and see an actual concrete block that divides the area. Within eyeshot there are not that many soldiers of either side in the area (yes, I know very well there is plenty I cannot see – I am simply trying to paint a picture here). However, there is this strange diamond formation on either side. Each army has one soldier standing less than ten feet from the concrete block – facing off with the other side. Then there are two soldiers – one to the left and right of this soldier. They are standing at the corners of the two small buildings that create the alley of sorts they are all standing in. From inside the conference room I spoke about, you can get an almost front view of these soldiers. The South Korean soldiers actually stand so that half their body is protected by the building. I know why they do it, but it is very odd to see. The fourth stands in front of the door of their administration building. The other noteworthy part to this leg of the visit is that when moving from the shuttle to the builds – you had to walk two by two in a straight line. There is also a dress code. The interesting part about the dress code was the shoe requirement. You had to wear shoe that were closed or at least had a strap across the back. One person in our group was not wearing such shoes and was given a pair to borrow. When she asked why – she was told it was because of the sound that backless shoes can make. Interesting.

Move along folks the tour must continue. Now that you are feeling rather at ease – you are figuring out the photography rules – let the brainwashing begin. Don’t worry we are very experienced at this. We will take is slow.

We then take the shuttle to a shiny new train station. This station has been built in the hopes of one day unifying the two Koreas. And actually it is already being used to heal the wounds. A South Korean company has actually been allowed to build a factory on the North Korean side. They are helping to repair the North Korean economy and heal hurts. Twice a day this train station is used as a train from South Korea takes supplies to the factory and then comes back through the station later in the day. Please not as we enter the station – the design of the roof. One side is curved upward and the other downward – like two hands clasping from afar. (feeling a little cleaner?) And once inside also note the signs. The signs for the gates leading to the trains that will one day take passengers to the north parts of Korea and beyond – are already mounted. Ah Hope! Oops almost missed a spot there.

Step lively now – move along – time is a wasting. Onto the tunnels. Tunnels? What tunnels you ask. Well, a number of years ago so South Korea soldiers realized that something what wrong out in the mine field. Snow was melting in only certain areas and strange sounds could be heard at times, but nothing could be seen. Well after drilling a few holes – and water spraying up out of pipes that were dropped down these holes, but only in occasional bursts as if being forced out by an explosion – the South Korean army decided to do some of their own digging. What they found was a tunnel coming from the north. The walls of the tunnel had even been painted black in parts to look as if they were coalmine tunnels. Yes, yes do not jump to conclusions. Maybe they were. Okay possible. Until a North Korean engineers was able to defect. It was his job to design such tunnels. He informed the South Korean government of their number and purpose. Four have been found and there is believed to be 16 more. These tunnels were being built as part of an invasion plan. Although not large, the tunnels are wide enough for three average Korean men to walk side by side or motorcycles or small vehicle pulling small artillery. Wonder how many people you could move through such a tunnels – especially if you lay tracks down. All this and hour’s car ride from Seoul.

First you were comforted by the oddly peaceful surroundings – Then I showed you the shinning hope that we are working towards – But wait I cannot let you forget the dangers that lurk – Nevertheless one cannot live in the past, let me show you the future. Hold on a second I need to change brushes. Okay come watch another film:

A young girl is running through an open field when all of a sudden explosions are heard. She falls, but is unhurt. She is crying for her mother – her family. As she searches, a fence appears behind her – a fence that stops her from completing her search. Yes this is the history of this small country, but fear not there is hope. For within the borders of this highly militarized stretch of land an amazing things has happened. Nature has flourished. Bunnies, deer, and birds have been allowed to mingle among the wildflowers undisturbed by man. (That is when they have not stepped on one of thousands of land mines that are still out there.) So taking a note from nature, we are working to create a place of serenity and relaxation. As I tell you this, that little girl is once again standing before the fence but this time the grass is turning green and the flowers are growing around her. And in case you are not tearing up yet, a happy little butterfly had come to visit her. Now let me take a moment to show you our development plans. A multi-angled graphics display of park benches and blossoming trees. Oh the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees.

As the light come back up in the theater, if you are anything like some of our visitors you will feel a little cleaner, sparkly, and perhaps a bit happier with the world around you.

Guys I am really not kidding you. It was that bad. As soon as it was over Josh and I looked at each other. Our jaws were on the floor. I said, “Wow propaganda!” He responded wit “yes I think we were just brainwashed”. As we stood up four other people in front of us all turned around looking a little stunned. It was actually after this cleaning that we went down into the tunnel.

I am very, very glad that I went on the actually crossing into North Korea trip before doing this tour. I was actually getting a little annoyed at some of the other people on the trip. I do not think they were grasping why this place exist. I also felt like the guides we had on this trip were working really hard to lay on “the look how benevolent the South Koreans are”. But then again two different trips – two different purposes; I am glad I did the border crossing one first.

Since I thought I was very clever and could not help the roll I was on, I skipped over New Year’s Eve in Busan. After a nap and some stomach repair, we went over to Haeyundae beach. Compared to the crowds at Christmas time in Seoul this was very nice. We had dinner and then walked over to the beach where people were making sand sculptures and two groups of kids were playing traditional drums. I have a short video of one of the groups. The other thing I have a video of is Josh, my dear brave darling, eating snails. The next day as we were killing time before our train, we went over to the largest fish market in Korea. Now I was expecting a street market, and there was some of that, but what we found was a huge three story building. The bottom floor was filled with vendors with ever kind of seafood and a few you never wanted to imagine could be thought as fit for human consumption. My personal favorites were the king crabs and yard long octopuses that were trying to crawl out of the tanks. I was waiting for something to reach out and try and go for a ride. Upstairs was filled with little, independent restaurants. Having just eaten a few hours before, we were not very hungry. However, after ignoring a few salespeople, we were confronted with an energetic and smooth young fellow who knew which buttons to push. “King Crab” was all he needed to say – Josh (okay we) took the bait – all pun intended. It was a pretty awesome spread. Included in this spread were four snails in their shells. In the sense of adventure, I tried to eat one – I really did. After digging it out, I popped it in my mouth and thought I can get this down before my brain knows what I have done, but alas I was wrong. I popped the whole thing in my mouth and bit down once – and there it was - this sensation of biting into a firm grape. Oh no, oh there will be none of that. I spit it out; however, my brave darling did eat the other three. And I took video. YUCK!!!!

Well, it has now been one week since Josh left. Sigh. Monday starts a two-week winter camp at school. It is only a half-day camp, and it is more interactive and cultural than academic so I am really looking forward to it. I am teaching a dance, crocheting, jazz music, card games, and cooking (thumbprint cookies with the Hershey’s Kisses). It should be rather fun. I am working on plans for a vacation at the end of the month. Once my details are all together I will fill you in. So for now take care. And remember to increase you weekly dose of propaganda. It should not be hard just watch a few more movies for their product placement or pick-up a copy of Redbook or watch the news – it is always a good time. Come on there is an election coming up – that is always good for a few bubbles.

Miss you all.