Looks like smiling is frowned up in all the photos.
How do you photograph one of the most secretive countries in the world?
For Charlie Crane the answer was simple, photograph what they want you to see. If there is no possibility of getting underneath the surface then the answer was to photograph the surface itself. This series is taken from a larger body of work in Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea.
Although not commonly thought of as a holiday destination all these photographs have been taken at tourist sites throughout the city.
# 11 – LDA
Having nobody use the facilities means no wear and tear and makes them easier to maintain. No customers is every shop assistant’s dream.
Notice how the combat plane is isolated between columns (to prevent it from being flown out of the museum, perchance?).
msbpodcast said, “Whenever somebody says: “Things used to be so much simpler in the past,” just point him to North Korea and offer to buy him a boat ticket.
*) Imagine HAVING to live that way…”
Yeah, but isn’t that how Algore and all his ultra greeny friends want us to live? There’s so much money to be made off of global warming, it’s absurd. But not there! Their carbon credits are pencil marks in the last column of a bank ledger.
# 2 tdkyo said, “there is actually a fast food place, probably in Pyongyang”
Yes, it is in Pyongyang. Ate lunch there about a year and a half ago. I had pizza, and it was worth every won! Actually, the guide paid – or, at least, she took care of the bill. There were exactly six NK citizens eating eating at three tables when our group was there. We had the distinct impression they were props as they were in place when we got there and managed to make small servings last a long time, they were still eating – silently – when we departed. IIRC the won was worth about US ten cents and the price tag for my dinner sized plate of pizza was W150. It was really more of a lavash than pizza.
# 11 LDA said, “most of the photos have a lone person. Even the train station is practically empty”
You do not get to look around. You are constantly in the company of a government tourist guide and followed by an observer. Someone in our UN group asked the guide where everyone was and she told us they were all at work. Very little traffic, less noise. Staid architecture and absolutely spotless streets. We did see several street sweepers and lots of gardeners. Three of us were there to see the hospital bur we were given such a tightly guided tour none of us were able to evaluate the medical care honestly. In fact, we again felt some of the patients were props! The only time we were alone was in our fancy hotel room at night. And I’m not really sure we were alone even then. Can’t recall the name of the hotel – something like Rungyang? Some of the sexiest (though modestly dressed) cocktail waitresses ever!
The only reason one might want to live there is because no matter how hungry anyone else is, they take care of visitors.
# 25 Yankinwaoz said, “North Korean’s aren’t allowed on the Internet.”
Exactly true. However, there WAS an internet cafe in Pyongyang. I don’t know if it’s still there and I’m sure they were heavily censored. Our group had a couple of Thuraya sat phones and did some email. Not such good surfing at ~400 kbs! But, if we could do it, I’m sure others do. We never saw a cell phone but I’ve heard they are smuggled in from China and can often get a signal from there. I’m sure tethering isn’t as hard as finding a computer to tether to.
Tiny gals with big guns.
I am so turned on.
Terrific images indeed and the concept of photographing what they want you to see is clever. Doing this in Cuba would be fascinating as well.
checking out some u-tube vids they sure seem to have the traffic problem solved. rarely any cars on the road. when you do see traffic it’s like one car on a superhighway. now, that’s nirvana.
in stark contrast to what we see in the Pyongyang shoot, check out this photo shoot (from the same website) in the USA.
http://goo.gl/P51uz
#44 You need a double tap
TEAD, please seek help.
In #32, Taxed Enough Already Dude said: few societies would tolerate the suffering this long…its unique in history.
Sadly, it is not unique. It was the norm until the end of the second world war. (Only a little older than I am.)
In # 36 BubbaRay said: Yeah, but isn’t that how Algore and all his ultra greeny friends want us to live?
Nope. Al Gore wants ro enrich himself and his friends by selling us a way out of these war for oil.
Is that more noble?
I doubt it, but the alternative is more-and-more war for less-and-less oil.
Ultimately, setting oil on fire instead of using it is not sustainable.
In various posts, Taxed Enough Already Dude has once again proved that he doesn’t speak our language.
Its is useless to try to maintain civil social intercourse with someone who doesn’t use words with clear denotation properly.
TEAD figures that “Everybody uses word X to mean X, but I think I’ll use it to mean Y instead. And then I’ll criticize them that aren’t using the word properly*”
Might as well argue that the sun shines green, despite the fact that green is defined as 530nm, while what reaches our eyes is primarily light at 600nm.
Taxed Enough Already Dude reminds me of somebody I use to know who was in love with the sound of his own voice and would argue, (because he loved to argue, to him every conversation had to have screaming and fisticuffs,) that “the Soviet Union is the best place in the world for Jews,” and other indefensible positions. (I am glad I never introduced him to a co-worker at Canadian National Railroad in the early eighties because [name witheld] would have kicked him a new ass-hole. She was jewish, and she had been Russian, [she spent almost 20 years trying to emigrate. She eventually made it but it took her forever because she had worked on their nuclear armement program in the 50s.])
*) It reminds of The Argument clinic by Monty Python.
LOL TEAD, I a business man, and see the detrimental effects of Government regulation everywhere.…
Sounds like somebody need to drop a few of Mothers Little Helpers.
You know why I’m writing this don’t you. 🙂
Capitalism is redistribution of wealth as well as getting the better end of a bargain is the goal of both parties. Some are more successful at a disproportionate exchange than others. On the whole, its easiest to think the excesses average out to “fair” but the average hides all kinds of excesses.
tdkayo==what is this “benefit” you talk of?
Mike, let me fix that for ya: “Its flaws are those of communism.”
Hey, people? That wheel on your mouse? If you spin it just right, you can skip right past TEAD’s posts. Ooops! I probably shouldn’t have said that. Alfie might change his name again.
Alfie portrays himself as a thinker but is actually little more than a rebroadcast of Limbaugh. On he days he strays from Rush’s line it is only because he’s been listening to Alex Jones!
Spin that wheel…
Animby—you didn’t spin fast enough: “Alfie portrays himself as a thinker……..” //// bbwhaaaaaahhahahahah! That was a good one.
Say Alfie–do as you will but you do have the brains to write a sentence. Are enough people here giving you the feedback you want? If so, then soldier on. If not, then MODIFY your approach unless you only want to HOWL into the darkness that reflects your own soul.
Modify, change, adapt, overcome, WIN! For yourself.
Yea, verily.
#3 Dallas “A good photographer would have said…”
I didn’t see any women with much in the breast department in the photos. Since breast tissue is largely fat, I took that as an indication that even the “model citizens” paraded for foreigners are living on a bare subsistance diet. Roots, shoots and leaves aren’t very high in calories. It’s too bad we can’t export body fat- they could use all we have.
# 68 Quantum said,”too bad we can’t export body fat- they could use all we have” Hmmmm. I have some surgeon friends who pay a fortune to dispose of bottles of the stuff. It is, I suppose, hazardous “waist” material. Have to give this some thought.
# 66 bobbo, “you didn’t spin fast enough” Sadly, true. Seems odd, in retrospect, but I seldom look at the poster’s name until I’ve read the entry. A bad habit if I wish to skip such drivelous comments as are most of Alfie’s. (I may trademark that word.) I’m guessing you truly appeciate his humor as you seem to be encouraging his Limbaugh-inspired drivelousness.™ In truth, I sort of enjoyed his biblical drivilosity™ but in politics? Limbaugh Lite. Very light.
Looks like a busmans’ holiday to me
Wonder what else was on the travel itinerary and how the travel guide explained the sites of the town and landscape
I’m sure the poorer, common folk, smile all the time. It’s just the paid government employees, which is everyone who doesn’t work a dirt farm, that’s told never to smile. Get caught smiling, on film, and you lose your job. Especially if you can remember what it was you were smiling about. Was it a joke at the government’s expense? Why can’t you remember what was so funny? Kind of reminds me of my early days in US military boot camp. Anyway, I guess the North Korean government can’t come down on the hundreds of millions of dirt farmers, for smiling. So they just don’t bother.
I know that rifle.
72 fracek – (I know that rifle)
.762 Sniper rifle used for snipe hunts. Snipe are currently a major food source in North Korea.