Eddard Stark.... Jon Snow..... Edward Snowden?

and all three are hero's of a sort.

On a more serious note, the revelation that the US government has been spying on us for the last six years is more than a bit scary, but not for some of the reasons that conspiracy nuts seem to think.

First - if you post something on facebook or twitter is is NOT private. It says so right in your terms of service if you had bothered to read them. You post something on your facebook wall it is in a public place. Same for twitter, blogs etc.

Second - The NSA is not reading your facebook page. Get over yourself.

The problem that I see is twofold. One that emails, phone calls and even facebook messages (where there is some assumption of privacy) are monitored as well. The other is that the US government is Cercei Lannister, seeing threats and enemies at every corner.




First, the US NSA has said that they monitor where phone calls are going, where emails are sent etc. but can only read them/listen in with a court order. Fair enough. Except that my sending an email to Lebanon is not suspect in any way. But more importantly, why should a US judge be making rulings that effect citizens of other countries? The excuse given from the White House with respect to this intrusion on individuals around the world was that they do nothing without a judges approval and do not spy within the US. Those things directly contradict one another. If you want to spy on Russian citizens shouldn't a Russian judge sign off on that? (good luck). Since when is US law applicable outside US territory? By that logic a Chinese judge can sign a court order to spy on US citizens?

Second, when did Barack Obama become Cersei Lannister? Every corner has a new enemy, every dissenting voice is treason, every slight an aggression or a threat. Bankrupt King's Landing on enough swords to keep yourself safe. Spy's ad spy's for those spy's. Instead billions are spent in security and countries refusing to extradite Snowden are threatened with "serious consequences" (the phrase often used by British prime minister's since 1947). Bellicose, paranoid, financially ruinous and largely ineffective because neither Cersei nor Barack ever stopped to ask WHY people want to blow them up. I see no reason NOT to blow the whistle on that.

As to Snowden. Yes he broke a contract by revealing this spy programme, but what is the greater evil, breaking your word or allowing a spy agency to act in defiance of all laws WHERE IT IS ACTUALLY OPERATING? To me that is an easy one. I am with the majority outside the US who thinks that Snowden will be remembered as a hero, even within the US. Remember that Gandhi was once seen as an enemy by the majority of Britons. For now, I hope he has a nice home in Equador waiting for him.

Seoul Again

I was recently up in Seoul to visit friends and meet up to discuss school related stuff.

I headed up on Friday night and got out to Mokdong to visit Kris. We had a late dinner and a beer and crashed. Saturday I went out to COEX to meet Mike to talk about our papers and catch up. Jenny and daughter showed up and we hung out for a bit, then it was back to Mokdong.

Kris was an amazing host as usual and I had a great and productive weekend.

Mokdong

Jenny passed out again

and the movie was Suburban Commando

It is hard to say much new about Seoul at this point. I did try bbq octopus for the first time and explored a lot more of Mokdong, a very cool area.

Five Less Known Places in Asia You Should See

There are endless blogs and travel articles about places like Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok etc. Recommending them is a bit like saying "Have you heard of London?" While all are worth a visit (I assume Tokyo is, I have never been) there are a few out of the way places that many people have never heard of (at least outside of the country they are in) that are well worth a look. In no particular order:


Ifugao, Philippines:

Everyone talks beaches in the Philippines but the Cordillera Mountain Range tops any beach. Cities of Banaue and Batad give access to one of the most amazing sights man has ever created. Rice terraces carved in to the side of mountains. Jungles with rivers and hot springs. The friendliest people I have ever met.

Taroko Gorge, Taiwan

It's the Grand canyon, with a jungle. This gorge, carved much like the one in Arizona, is among the most beautiful places on earth. It is on the east coast of Taiwan and easily accessible from Taipei. It CAN be done as a day trip but overnight is better. Hiking in the jingle with monkeys, birds and stations serving Taiwan Lager every few kilometers. 

Ayutthaya, Thailand

I guess it is not a beach party resort where you can fly halfway around the world to drink and party with people from back home like Phuket or full of hookers and drinks like Bangkok so it gets passed over by the majority of western tourism. Good for the smarter folks out there. It is the ancient capital of most of Thailand. It was sacked by the Burmese in the 18th century and the capital moved to Bangkok. What is left is a living museum. It's an amazing place to spend a few days and it is only 45 minutes from Bangkok.

Jejudo, Korea

Well I better put something Korea in here before I get in trouble. To be fair though, Jejudo is actually a very cool island that is more closely related to Okinawa than mainland Korea. It is firmly subtropical and despite Koreans best effort to make it as unappealing to western tourism as possible (Teddy Bear Museum anyone?) it remains an amazing island well worth a weekend trip. 

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Another Thai city but again, well worth the trip. The old northern capital was an independent country for much of Thai history and still has a unique culture and history. Plus it's a great place to grab a beer and listen to live music. The mountains around it are full of temples and elephants as well, making for fun day trips.

Jeonju

Last weekend I wet on an overnight trip to Jeonju to see the Hanok village and city.

Jeonju is an old city in Jeolla-buk do. It makes for a great weekend trip, as it's less than 3 hours from Daegu and can reasonable be done in two days. We left from Seobu station at 930am and were in Jeonju by 12. Jeonju is the birthplace of the Joseon dynasty, which ruled Korea from the mid 14th century until 1910, when they were removed to Japan by the Japanese colonial government. King Taejo's birthplace and home are here (he founded the dynasty) in the Hanok Village. The city also boasts three universities including Cheonbuk, which is among the largest universities outside Seoul and has a beautiful campus.

First stop was the Hanok village, and old district of Korea that managed to escape both WWII and the Korean war, though most of the old style houses have been renovated. Then we went downtown to the university area for food and more sightseeing. Jeonju's downtown could actually give Daegu a run for its money despite Jeonju being such a small town (660,000 according to website). Anyway here are a few pics:

welcome

Part of Village

Kings of Joseon Korea

recreations are everywhere

Gate to House of King Taejo

Jeonju Catholic Church

South Gate

Shopping street on a Quiet Sunday Morning

New York Style Banana Restaurant. 

Homesick yet?

The Mighty Jeonju River 

I actually really like Jeolla-do. It is far more laid back and relaxed than Gyeongsan-do. In Daegu people can be very pushy, competitive and even aggressive. In contrast Jeolla people let their kids play and drink rice wine at two in the afternoon. I may have to look for a job at Cheonbuk University next year.