One Plus One Equals Three

The Human Typography of Pyongyang

CNN (click here, then 'What will North Korea do Next?') has been showing footage of night-time marches in Pyongyang. Whether they're related to the current situation, and are a response to the new UN sanctions on that country – that's a little unclear. They could be of any old night-time DPRK march. North Korea sometimes puts on displays such as this. Their most well known are the Mass Games held each year, which I blogged last year.

This new footage is both eerie and remarkable: thousands of DPRK citizens are marching in unison, at night, holding torches and forming images and Korean Hangul typography (which is a bit hard to read properly as you only see snippets of the type). If this sort of display wasn't quite so terrifying (many North Koreans are starving, now facing winter, and may barely have enough energy to perform such strenuous feats) – I'd be trying to get a copy on DVD. It's a very impressive display of animated typography – created by a cast of thousands marching to satisfy North Korea's PR machine.

The Slippery are Very Crafty

When travelling through Asia (and elsewhere) it's sometimes hard to suppress a smile when you see a sign, notice or instruction somewhere that approximates English – but doesn't quite get there. A hotel I nearly booked for our Japanese stay featured this little spiel on their web site:

"Forgetting it is shallow the grass where the roman which was applied breathes even now. Amenity of the city and the ideal hotel which has silence."

The Chinese Government is attempting to eradicate mis-translations (and just plain old bad English) in the lead-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Chinglish, as it's known, has sister variants in Japan and Korea – Japlish and Konglish (and there are others as well). Previous attempts in China to correct poor English met with little success and I have to say, for me, coming across some of these signs enhances the travel experience. For example: I really need to get my pants ironed or pressed... where should I go?... why, I could get them pruned... it is quite hot outside today after all. Or – rushing to get to the airport, caught the wrong train, where do I check in? – ah! no need to panic. I'm leaving the country by lift (and with a smile).

An entire world populated by signs in correct and proper (and antiseptic) 'Queen's English'? No thanks. Besides, I have to admire the sign-makers' language and communication skills and their uncanny abilities to proffer interesting lateral suggestions. And - the clincher - their English is way, way better than my Chinese/Japanese/Korean.

From North-east Asia with Love

Have returned from 3 wonderful weeks in Tokyo and South Korea (one of my very favourite corners of the globe). Much to report on, many photos to show. We happily wandered around for miles (and miles... and miles) eating, photographing and eating some more. Only hit the web to check my email once – and wow, does that feel good for a change. I flew out of Seoul just as the DPRK flicked the switch on their nuclear test... it's going to be an interesting and even more testing time (pardon the pun) in this region in the coming months.

Quite a few of the upcoming posts will be related to things experienced and spotted in Tokyo, Seoul and some of the regional South Korean cities. And, as the young Korean schoolboy cheerily yelled to me: 'Go kimchi - yeah!'. I couldn't agree more.

Colourful in the Extreme

Had you been in Papua New Guinea this weekend, you could have seen the extraordinary (and decidedly colourful) Goroka Show, one of PNG's major cultural events. The Show was originally devised to soothe tensions between warring tribes by allowing the spectacularly bedecked performers, including the famous Asaro Mud Men, to perform and compete against each other peacefully.

View (from previous years' shows): Gallery1     Gallery 2     Gallery 3     Gallery 4

The Kites of Dahyeh

Arofish is a stencil graffiti artist who visited Dahyeh, Beirut – one of most bombed out areas of that city. These stencil works succinctly (and eerily) communicate both a sense of loss and a celebration of human spirit. "The children you can see here are flying kites to celebrate the spirit of the people of Dahyeh. Some kites you can see are flying away. These are for the children who are no longer here; they are no longer held down to the Earth." Read more and view gallery. Via Boing-Boing.

4 Galleries x North Korean Socialist Realist Art

Some images from the Communist North of the Korean peninsula. These art/design works have been created in an approach best described as Socialist Realist. This differs to the somewhat similar school of Social Realism.

In 20 words or less: Socialist Realism endeavours to further the goals of communism and socialism by glorifying the efforts of the working class, whilst Social Realism chronicles the struggle of the working class and the poor. As you will see, North Korean Socialist Realism also displays a particular fondness for tractors. 

Gallery 1    Gallery 2    Gallery 3     Gallery 4

Welcome to my MiniHompy: Korea's Cyworld Community

Imagine one third of your country's population online. Now, imagine them all designing and endlessly redecorating their own personal online space (a virtual room) to make their home page more inviting and appealing to visitors. Imagine all these people existing within this online community as a person, a dog or maybe even a pie. Welcome to South Korea's Cyworld*, an extraordinary online phenomenon.

Cyworld is a web-based online community/social networking system that has its own currency, and, in part, consists of small virtual rooms (Minirooms) where your personal avatar lives. You can spend some Cyworld currency (known as acorns) to redecorate your Miniroom how you like and invite online friends over to visit. MySpace and Friendster are other such online systems, but for me these pale in comparison to Cyworld's sense of immersive, interactive, creative fun. Who could resist an invitation to visit a friend's recently redesigned 'cyber room', housed on one's own 'MiniHompy' (or mini home page)? This room may also be complete with a mix of your favourite top 40 hits on the Miniroom's audio.

*Note: Cyworld doesn't work happily in Firefox. Safari (Mac) and Explorer (PC) work best. Scroll down to 'Best Hit' at bottom to see an ever-changing display of the popular MiniHompys (not all of which have Minirooms).

Conflicts 'R' Us?

...or so it seems at present. Being in the digital age sure throws up a few interesting, compelling, informative and downright chilling artefacts. Lets hope there's a ceasefire soon.

+ The bombings in Lebanon: a Flickr photoset
+ The range of Hezbollah and Hamas missiles into Israel
+ Google-Earthing the North Korean military
+ Bomb shelters in Israel: a Flickr photoset
+ Making sense of the Israel/Hezbollah conflict: an interactive
+ A musical interpretation of the bombing of Lebanon by a Beirut artist

The Shock of the New World: an Englishman in Australia

"Australia was familiar - same language; a shared culture to a large degree, more so than America - but utterly foreign at the same time, and I hadn't expected that difference to be articulated so immediately through its natural environment."

An "impressionistic selection of notes and images on encountering Australian flora, fauna and environment for the first time". City of Sound, one of our favourite blogs, delivers an extraordinary post on the above. Best read in a comfy chair.

Read 'The Shock of the New World, with respect to the flora and fauna of Australia'.

One Plus Tokyo-details: makeshft

makeshft has captured some of the jewel-like, colourful details of Tokyo in 1+1=3's newest photo gallery, 'one plus tokyo-details'. makeshft spends her time time designing photographic stickers, paste-ups and posters that colour public space. Visit image gallery >