April 5 - 11

Oh dear...
I haven't done very well with the past month. I'm sure I could blame it on a whole range of things (school projects, Praxis test, being sick...), but this is basically only for me, and I'd be lying to myself, and that's pretty silly. So while I had a bit of a lapse, I feel that it was kind of inevitable, and this wasn't really so bad. I was consistent for about 6 or 7 months, which is pretty good! I *did* have drafts of my last posts, even if they were fairly scant. Anyway, here are my recent reads!!

Without You, There Is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea's Elite by Suki Kim
I had put a hold on this book at the end of a long waiting list a while back when I stumbled upon it and it came available recently, so I really had to jump on it even though I was pretty busy. I'm so glad I did! I'm not sure where my recent fascination with the Koreas came from, but this book fed into it pretty well.

Suki Kim managed to score a job at a school run and funded by Christian missionaries in North Korea, despite not being exactly religious herself... and despite being a journalist, and using the time to gather information and experiences for this very book. Reading about the struggles there... well, I don't really know what to say about it. It was certainly an enlightening book, and was even more engaging for me because of the unique perspective of a teacher with her students. What a difficult situation, to be a foreigner teaching students who have been taught their whole lives to fear and hate the two very nationalities that you are! It was touching, and chilling, and funny. It was truly heartbreaking. Really, just read it for yourself, and you will be able to see all that I mean. It was dangerous every day and probably one of the most taxing experiences someone could have, but I appreciate Suki's efforts for what she was able to share with us.