Insight into North Korea - A State of Mind

[scroobal]

Those who are keen to get an insight into North Korea, the British documentary "A State of Mind" about 2 young gymnast training is excellent. It shows the society and it very interesting. For instance, during the famine, the ration allowed per family was 1 chicken and 5 eggs each month and this was for those in the capital. They also showed a chicken and it looked half the size that we have. English is taught in schools "as a weapon to fight the foreigners". Interestingly the young girls spoke English that was clear but I noticed that it had a faint Indian accent. Should see the class curruclumn - propaganda and practially worshipping the leader. He apparently has got 3 greatness - greatness in ideology, greatness in leadership and greatness in aura.

Also shows families and family life.

Not sure if it available in any stores here but you can get it online here - I http://www.astateofmind.co.uk/

Here is the trailer -

http://youtu.be/_Nd-iSCy1og

 

[neddy]

Scroobal,

I hve not watch the documentary, but the Korean language speakers in general do remind me of how the Indian speak. It is the way they stressed the last consonant in speech. ( faucalized ? )

 

[Windsor]

Thanks very much for pointing the videos out. Seen the first one and it was interesting, something to do during this long weekend watching the other parts.

 

[zhihau]

Should see the class curruclumn - propaganda and practially worshipping the leader. He apparently has got 3 greatness - greatness in ideology, greatness in leadership and greatness in aura

looking at the 6 National Education messages, me think we're better off, we only worship Singapore :o:o:o

source: http://www.ne.edu.sg/ne_messages.htm

 

[jw5]

Interestingly the young girls spoke English that was clear but I noticed that it had a faint Indian accent.

Oh no! Have they started to kidnap Indians too, to teach them Indian english?

 

[Windsor]

Oh no! Have they started to kidnap Indians too, to teach them Indian english?

They also learn to make nuclear weapons besides language from them Indians I bet.

 

[bullfrog]

I am actually quite amazed with the amount of mourning going on in NK. Looking at the people in the streets - I want to think that they are faking, or a case of mass hysteria, primed by agent provocateurs, but some scenes seemed so real. How come these people cried so hard if they have been treated badly?

Those who are keen to get an insight into North Korea, the British documentary "A State of Mind" about 2 young gymnast training is excellent. It shows the society and it very interesting. For instance, during the famine, the ration allowed per family was 1 chicken and 5 eggs each month and this was for those in the capital. They also showed a chicken and it looked half the size that we have. English is taught in schools "as a weapon to fight the foreigners". Interestingly the young girls spoke English that was clear but I noticed that it had a faint Indian accent. Should see the class curruclumn - propaganda and practially worshipping the leader. He apparently has got 3 greatness - greatness in ideology, greatness in leadership and greatness in aura.

Also shows families and family life.

Not sure if it available in any stores here but you can get it online here - I http://www.astateofmind.co.uk/

Here is the trailer -

http://youtu.be/_Nd-iSCy1og

 

[Nice-Gook]

I hve not watch the documentary, but the Korean language speakers in general do remind me of how the Indian speak. It is the way they stressed the last consonant in speech. ( faucalized ? )

Apparently there is a lot of similarity between Tamil and Japanese languages.Here is what Professor Susumu Ohno an Asian American geneticist and evolutionary biologist , and seminal researcher in the field of molecular evolution.says.

"In search of languages genetically related to Japanese, linguists over the last one hundred years have compared Japanese with almost every other language in the world-not only those of neighbouring peoples such as Ainu, Korean and Indonesian, but even Greek; yet none of these efforts have succeeded in establishing any kind of kinship.

It was more than ten years ago that interest in the Dravidian languages of South Indian began to spread among some Japanese researchers. Similarities between Japanese and Dravidian had been first pointed out in the mid-nineteenth century. In his major work, A Co~nparative Grammar of the Dravidian or South-Indian Family of Language, the English missionary R. Caidwell, cites resemblances and discusses the connection between the two languages."

 

[Fook Seng]

I am actually quite amazed with the amount of mourning going on in NK. Looking at the people in the streets - I want to think that they are faking, or a case of mass hysteria, primed by agent provocateurs, but some scenes seemed so real. How come these people cried so hard if they have been treated badly?

There is no comparison of hardship. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

 

[sleaguepunter]

dont believe everything u see on TV, even the BBC who suppose to be impartial can be bias. somethime listening to BBC radio programs, u can hear bbc presenter trying to lead the interviewee to the answer the presenter want.

Those pictures we now see on TV of crying NK civilians are real. One must remember only vetted, NK communist members and family are allow to stay in capital, pyongyang. While the countryside maybe suffering, those who live in the cities are generally taken care of by the NK govt. NK citizens are not as poor as the TV protray, they have the $$ but no place to spend it and also unwilling to spend as it attract unwanted attention. i remember the NK govt try to pull a fast one by revaluing the NK wons, wiping out citizens saving and causing ppl to withdrew $$ from banks. It cause the citizens to riot in the street and to appease the citizens, a middle level cadre was shot. (pap wont even fire DFS salegirl)

there are NKs studying here in local uni, while they maybe children of the elite but as being more worldy when compare to their relatives in NK, their love of the communist regime as just as strong. their loyalty to the NK regime as still strong even they are already here for more than 10yrs and study in local school sytem and interraction with spore children.

 

[scroobal]

I was actually surprised. If a N.Korean spoke to me on the phone, I would not think it came from someone with Far East Origin. The diction was very clear. I have been to South Korea and spoken to people from various strata and none of them spoke in that manner and clearly you could see the Far East accent in it. The exception were those who studied in the US.

Scroobal, I hve not watch the documentary, but the Korean language speakers in general do remind me of how the Indian speak. It is the way they stressed the last consonant in speech. ( faucalized ? )

 

[scroobal]

Very impressed with the beauty of the countryside, the innocence of the people, their HDB like flats, sitting around the TV set like the old days. Also the shops and what they stocked. The school propaganda however was overwhelming - 2 things stood out, the greatness of the leader and the US imperialist. Their National Day parade is huge and over 20 days. Got day and night versions.

Thanks very much for pointing the videos out. Seen the first one and it was interesting, something to do during this long weekend watching the other parts.

 

[scroobal]

I am sure you and I would love to sit thru their curriculumn to see what is going on. I was surprised that students aged less than 10 years old spoke good English during the class session. They showed them conversing and it seem to me that they were thinking in English.

looking at the 6 National Education messages, me think we're better off, we only worship Singapore :o:o:osource: http://www.ne.edu.sg/ne_messages.htm

 

[scroobal]

I was thinking just that. There has to be Aston why they spoke that way. The teacher was very distinct in her Indian like accent.

Oh no! Have they started to kidnap Indians too, to teach them Indian english?

 

[scroobal]

One day, i was in Business class and returning from India when a Japanese gentleman asked for a Tamil Newspaper and began reading it. At least it looked Tamil to me. Then another Japanese told me about words similarity. Did not take it seriously until I saw the docuementary.

Apparently there is a lot of similarity between Tamil and Japanese languages.Here is what Professor Susumu Ohno an Asian American geneticist and evolutionary biologist , and seminal researcher in the field of molecular evolution.says. It was more than ten years ago that interest in the Dravidian languages of South Indian began to spread among some Japanese researchers. Similarities between Japanese and Dravidian had been first pointed out in the mid-nineteenth century. In his major work, A Co~nparative Grammar of the Dravidian or South-Indian Family of Language, the English missionary R. Caidwell, cites resemblances and discusses the connection between the two languages."

 

[scroobal]

Bro, from what I saw in the documentary, it looked like that they genuinely think he saved them from the Amercians. When you isolate a country completely, they don't know what they don't know. Really sad. You can see the mum in the doc sincerely believe in the country. And she looked like a very genuine and dear person. The type that will readily help someone.

I am actually quite amazed with the amount of mourning going on in NK. Looking at the people in the streets - I want to think that they are faking, or a case of mass hysteria, primed by agent provocateurs, but some scenes seemed so real. How come these people cried so hard if they have been treated badly?

 

[scroobal]

Actually the documentary was a fine balancing act. You could see that it was a highly oppressed society and the propaganda that driven into the population was fast and thick.

My initial impression was that it was organised but you can have only one impression after looking at it - George Orwell's 1984 in real life. The producers are clearly very intelligent and it was meant for the intelligent audience. Can you imagine in the classroom they had a poster to study foreign language and the slogan clearly stated that it is a "weapon" . It was shocking.

Here is a trivial example - the chicken that the family bought was itself highly emancipated. I would have fucked the Cold Storage Manager if I saw it on display in the their supermarket. By showing the chicken, the producers were clearly sending a message. To the North Korean authorities, because of 50 years of isolation, they probably thought the docuemtary was showing affluence. Their MITA equivalent probably had no clue what a real chicken looks like after 50 years of isolation. I am sure Kim Il Jong had no time to vet it himself.

Only the British can do documentaries that carry subliminal messages. This is one.

dont believe everything u see on TV, even the BBC who suppose to be impartial can be bias. somethime listening to BBC radio programs, u can hear bbc presenter trying to lead the interviewee to the answer the presenter want.there are NKs studying here in local uni, while they maybe children of the elite but as being more worldy when compare to their relatives in NK, their love of the communist regime as just as strong. their loyalty to the NK regime as still strong even they are already here for more than 10yrs and study in local school sytem and interraction with spore children.

 

[kingrant]

So despite 50 years of PAP, we need a dose of North korea. Tightly knit, highly disciplined society, glory of the State and the Leader, group before self...all the things Singapore lacks and needs now!

Sam better give me 300 points for cheering our great leader for his wise sayings and infallible philosophy. I would give my life to perform for the Great Leader before he conked.

 

[Candide]

I would like to introduce this interesting documentary about the North Korea's legendary World Cup team of 1966. Of course, like the State of Mind, it covers more than just sports.

[video=youtube;fZcARgTqADU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZcARgTqADU[/video]

 

[sleaguepunter]

Here is a trivial example - the chicken that the family bought was itself highly emancipated. I would have fucked the Cold Storage Manager if I saw it on display in the their supermarket. By showing the chicken, the producers were clearly sending a message. To the North Korean authorities, because of 50 years of isolation, they probably thought the docuemtary was showing affluence. Their MITA equivalent probably had no clue what a real chicken looks like after 50 years of isolation. I am sure Kim Il Jong had no time to vet it himself.

Only the British can do documentaries that carry subliminal messages. This is one.

ah, the chicken. bro, u been eating battery farm chicken too long so u dont like the look of the chicken. but from my POV, it a free range raised chicken, more healthy than what u can get from ntuc.

i agree on the part where the NK minders did more damage than good when they try to make NK living standard as higher than it real. There another documentary that also show how the NK mindset. It on national geographic, the show series is "dont tell my mother" i think, where a french/spanish guy travel ard the world, one of it show him in NK. it show the korean ppl mindset, from govt officials to normal citizens.

NK govt is slowly opening up its economy. it sort of letting it ppl to trade openly in the market for their fresh produces which in the past only happen in the black market. thousands of PRCs pour over the border carrying with them the cheap chinese products. if the NKs are as poor as protray on the media, would the PRCs bother to lug their goods to sell in NK?

as for the nuclear thingy, i personally think it a bluff. PRC would not want a nuclear korea at it doorstep, especially a regime it cannot control. PRC didnt call NK bluff because PRC knew the americans will fall for it. PRC and Putin prefer the current status, anything to keep the west busy while both try to catch up economily and militarily. CIA are useless in the east asia, they counted heavily on the south korean and japanese intelligence agencies which have their own selfish agendas regarding transfer of intel info.