New Adventures in Korea

Last week, I found myself back in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) for an International Astronautical Congress, which is in other words, a nerdy meeting of rocket scientists. Granted, I am not truly equal to the academic elite who frequent these events, but I represent a company of real rocket scientists and was pushing some new capabilities we're offering to help prevent satellites from crashing into each other.

Anyway, in addition to presenting a paper on space surveillance, I attended a lot of meetings and exhibitions of the world's space agencies. South Korea, Japan, India, China, and even countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore are all taking major steps into space, and it is great to see it up close. Here are some pictures from Korea's Space Festival: MORE KOREA PICTURES

From Expoloring Korea 09 (IAC and DMZ)

And after my long week of work, I had a bit of a wait before my flight back home to Singapore. So I was lucky enough to get a local friend and chaperon from our business partner to take me on a tour with his family to a destination that fascinates foreigners about the Korean Peninsula... The De-Militarized Zone, or DMZ between North and South Korea.

So a bit of history: After the Japanese invaded then vacated the Korean Peninsula following WWII, a power vacuum was filled by two competing ideologies: Communism from the Soviets in the North, and free-market Republican Democracy from the US in the South. The division sparked a fratricidal civil war that divided the country in two and never really ended, but resulted in the longest standing armistice in modern history.

Both sides still long for unification, but neither is willing to give up on their ideology, so the stalemate continues.

Anyway, one of the most interesting attractions of the south side of the DMZ are the North Korean Invasion Tunnels! Lemme e'splain. After the cease fire was signed and a 2 km DMZ buffer was built on either side of the border, the North was still determined to invade the South. So the North Koreans embarked on an ambitious plan to dig miles of tunnels under the entire DMZ so troops could march from North to South towards the Southern Capital, Seoul.

4 of these tunnels were discovered between the 70's and 90's although it is believed that there are up to 20 somewhere under the border! Here are some videos I took as I explored the tunnels and got within 170 meters of the Korean border 200 feet underground! (Don't worry, it has been sealed off by 3 concrete barriers for years).







So while the communitst North is stifled by a strict, communist military regime, the South enjoys a flourishing free political and economic system that has shown such impressive growth that it has become part of our daily lives probably without you knowing it. Brands like Samsung, LG, Kia Motors, and Hyundai are all Korean companies that have gone global and are everyday names in the States. South Koreans don't even think twice about making a video call on their Samsung phones. I never ceased to be amazed by the innovation possible where business is encouraged.

Ironically, these tunnels are not regularly visited by Koreans. They consider Korea one country that just happens to have been split up by a crazy totalitarian leader and his henchmen. Most Koreans still have family across the border, and they are just waiting for the time when the fences come down, and the country is unified. I think the most telling sign of this was literally a sign. The last stop on the train line that runs the entire length of the Peninsula clearly marks Seoul (South Korean capital) in one direction and Pyongyang (North Korean capital) in the other even though now the trains do not cross the border... Hopefully someday in the near future this train can finally reach both destinations with no borders to cross...

PICTURES

No Earthquakes in Singapore

Hey all. I thought I'd make a quick post to let you know that everything is fine here in Singapore. The earthquakes in Indonesia and Tonga and Samoa this week were really pretty far from where we are.

Singapore is very much in the middle of a plate and far removed from the faults where the Earthquakes occur (see the map below from the Wall Street Journal)

Also, Singapore is pretty sheltered by Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines from any Tsunami-type activity. The seas around here are very calm (one of the reasons Singapore is such a nice shipping hub).

Anyway, please use your thoughts and prayers for those in Indonesia and the Pacific Islands, and know that all's well here. Our puppy is growing and somehow finding more reserves of energy and follows us wherever we go. Kate's really busy at work, and we're finally making progress with my work. All around things are going well.

Miss you all!

We Got a PUPPY!!!

This story isn't about travel, but it is news for us. If you know us, you know we're both animal lovers. I can't count how many time Kate has wanted to stop into pet stores just to get an animal fix.


Well, a few weeks ago we were in a Singapore mall and stopped by a local pet shop... We were both instantly striken by an adorable maltese puppy. We went home to talk it over and think about everything it would entail considering our schedules, our travel, and the training it would require.... but we were both still hooked.
So this is the newest member of our family, Bella. She is just about 2 lbs now and will probably only grow to 5 or 7 lbs fully grown.


She is an energizer bunny of playfulness, but she is just as happy to cuddle up and make us feel human again in the midst of the daily grind.

She's already doing well in her puppy toilet training, and we've only had this little 3-month-old pup for 3 days. The family just got a little bigger. :)

You can see some more pictures of Bella here: MORE PICTURES OF BELLA

Taipei, Taiwan - Day 2

I'll keep this short because we have a lot more to talk about.

Day two of Kate's visit with me in Taiwan was a lot of fun too. We visited the famous National Palace Museum. This is cool because when Japan invaded China in WWII, the republican government of China took all of the ancient imperial art and moved it into hiding. After 10,000 miles the government took the treasure with them when they retreated from the new Chinese communist party to the Island of Formosa (Portugese for Beautiful Island), aka, Taiwan.

So this museum has the single largest collection of ancient chinese art (8,000 years worth) even though it isn't "technically" in China. (although China would disagree).

Anyway, enough history. After wandering through awesome sculptures, paintings, porcelean, etc, we took a blind adventure to one of Taiwan's many natural hot springs. We were able to find some in the city, but it is still summer, so getting into hot water didn't sound too inviting. Like Kate said, we'll definately have to explore the mountains in the winter some time.

Finally, we explored the Gongguan night market. Another exciting culinary adventure, Gongguan is more spread out down side streets and therefore less crowded (it was also a sunday). But the food was delicious, and we enjoyed this market as well.

The rest of the Day 2 pictures are here: MORE PICTURES

Crash Course Taiwan Day 1

A long weekend in Singapore means time to explore a new country. As Adam was in Japan for work and needed in Taiwan on Monday, I met him in Taipei on Saturday. The rushed trip proved worth the hassle of flying through Manila and we had a wonderful time.

We started the trip with the obligatory visit to Taipei 101, the tallest building the world...we'll see how long that title lasts. The Sears Tower and Empire state building were among the top ten highest listed, but the real race seems to be in Asia. I'm not a fan of elevator rides but the trip to the top took about 40 seconds and the elevator put on a little show, lighting up like stars on the ceiling and letting you track your speed and floor on a display. The top offered great views of the city as well as the mountains. It was mighty windy at the top...

Next we wondered around the city and came across a street fair with local delights. There was even some nice live music.

Next door there was an event run by the SPCA. There were some dogs with some crazy hair styles. Dogs are very popular in Taipei. I lost count of the number of pups we saw being carried around the city in bags and riding on scooters. Even cats went around with their owners.

Then it was time for the Night Markets!! AKA - Heaven for foodies like Adam and me.

We had a blast exploring the tiny alleys and seeing what culinary creation we could find next. The key to finding the best food? Long lines. If locals are lined up it will be worth the wait. We joined lines and had no idea what we would get until we got to the front but were never disappointed. The language barrier was more prevelant in Taipei than in Singapore where most people speak English. This trip I wished I new more Mandarin other than Hi and Thank You. But the universal point to "I want that thing" and showing how many with your fingers worked well.

One item that I wasn't even temped to try was stinky tofu.

We enjoyed the Shi Lin Night Market the best but the adventure of going to snake alley at another market was exciting/terrifying. There was a cobra just sitting on top of a cage ready to strike. These scaly creatures were not just for show, they were to eat. Needless to say, one walk through and I couldn't get out of there fast enough. I managed to snap one picture of a boa but the shop owners don't like pictures to be taken. I couldn't help but think that PETA would have a hissy fit here.

Here's everything in pictures.

I'll let Adam tell you about Day 2. We stayed in the city for this trip but I'd love to go back and explore the mountains.

End of the AUS Trip

Life has been a whirlwind since we got back from AUS. Work has been busy for both of us, but it's about time I wrap up the AUS story. It all seems like a dream now that we're back to reality.



After our excitement in Sydney we rented a car and drove about two hours to the Blue Mountains. Adam had found a beautiful little cottage in a valley for us to stay for two days. It took us awhile to find the place as we had to drive from the top of a valley down to the floor. On the journey down there was a drastic change in landscape as the surroundings turned from rain forest to rollings hills.



A husband wife team run the Sunset Lodge and small winery. We arrived right as the sun was setting on the picturesque scenery and you couldn't help but take a deep breath to try and absorb the moment. Living in Singapore there is never a need for a fire to heat the room so it was a wonderful change get a fire crackling.



Much to my delight we went horse back riding the next day. I wasn't looking for a trail ride where you follow the butt in front of you and go slow as molasses for 2 hrs...thankfully we booked a ride on an off day and was just Adam, me and our guide, a girl from the states who was traveling after finishing college. We were able to gallop and canter and I was reminded how much I love horses. We even came across some wild kangaroos in a clearing. I couldn't help but think, would someone from a country without deer freak out about seeing them like we did seeing the kangaroos?

Here's some mountain pictures

We drove back to Sydney the next day and walked around the city some more. We ended up going to the aquarium that was well worth the admission fee. Aquarium pictures. We stayed in the Lord Nelson pub the last night - Adam was very excited about this. On a 6 day journey we managed to stay at a pub and a winery.

It was a trip of a lifetime and just thinking about it reminds me how lucky I am to have opportunities to explore the world and how how blessed I am to have found Adam.

Were off to Taipei next!

Australia Holiday - Day 2 (The Proposal!)

OK, so I figured I owed it to all of you to fill you in on how this all actually went down. Once I set it up, I'll let Kate do the rest.

I've been planning this for some time. I mean, Kate is a very speacial woman, and I wanted this to be a very special event. So I had a couple conditions: 1) it had to be beautiful and memorable, 2) it needed to be recorded so it could be shared with family and friends, 3) it needed to be at a convenient time so we could call home (not as easy as it sounds)

We do live on the other side of the planet. So I got the idea to get the proposal on video.

Great idea!!! but how do I get cameras close enought to do this without Kate getting VERY suspicious?

Well, I figured I'd use Kate's long-time dream to be the "travel channel chick" to my advantage. I got the idea to find a film crew who was (or would pretend to be) doing a tourism show on Sydney, and use that for my "stage."

So after calling a lot of different wedding videographers, I came across Caroline and Howard from All About You Videos (there's a free plug for them). Caroline was a huge help, and I think she was as excited about the proposal as I was. I told her some spots that I thought fit the bill as far as scenery (I may have even simulated them to get a perspective), and they helped choose what was logistically feasible and good with the lighting.

I decided on Lady MacQuarie's Point in the Royal Botanical gardens with a beatiful backdrop of the harbour, opera house, and bridge, and we coordinated on a story scheduled for the morning of Saturday, August 1st. (Late afternoon back home...)

Thankfully, Kate was exhausted from the trip down on Friday, and we went to bed early the night before. Well she was asleep... I had a million things going through my head, so I went out in the hall to go over what I was going to say.

The morning of, we awoke to a beautidul morning and a clear view of the harbour from our window at the hotel. After breakfast I asked if we could go walk off breakfast in the botanical gardens. "I hear they have great views in the morning light." I'm so cheesy...

So Kate and I walked through the Botanical Gardens, stopping here and there to take pictures. The air was cool and sharp, and there was not a cloud in the sky. When we got to the end of a sea-side walkway we could see a camera crew talking to another couple. By this point I was so nervous I was talking but barely making sense.

I eventually stuttered out that this was a good spot and we should take some pictures. After I got a shot of Kate in front of the Harbour, the camera crew came up to us. They told Kate and me that they were from the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company) and were interviewing tourists for a show. They wanted to know if we would do a short interview. Kate said yes.

So they put a microphone on me and had us walk over, sat us down, and had us talk about our experiences in Sydney.

Kate talked about the zoo, and I talked about what I really like about Sydney, that I could share it with the woman I love... (queue the romantic music)

There was a lot more, but we got it all on tape, and by the time we left Australia, Caroline and Howard had edited the footage into a wonderful DVD that we now have.

The DVD video is too big to put up here, but here is the same story in pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/kateandadam09/AustraliaHoliday09Day2#

PS... she said yes ;)