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North (and South) Korea
Day 256 (21st of November, 2016) – In Transit
In transit.
Day 257 (22nd of November, 2016) – Taipei, Taiwan
It was a strange route which my flight took from Los Angeles, flying over Alaska, Russia and Japan.
Meanwhile Dylan, Lachie and Ben were enjoying the longer layover in Singapore being out and about in the city.
Day 257, and from now until January 29, I will always have company (bar one day when switching groups).
But, lo and behold, the excitement of joining friends was to be delayed by yet another few hours. A late take-off and some circling in the air meant that I arrived at 7:30am, a full two hours after Dylan, Lachie and Ben arrived at Taipei International Airport. They kindly waited around.
And what a happy moment it was to see them. As much as you make friends around the world, there's nothing quite like your school mates. I feel like this was strengthened a lot in boarding. I lived with these boys for two whole years, and as such we experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows together. It was good to be reunited with some lifelong brothers.
And the journey began.
Let me introduce you to Taiwan. This country of 24 million, officially called the Republic of China, is inhabited almost completely by Han Chinese (just like mainland China). This is because of the country's interesting history, all stemming from the Chinese Civil War in which the Nationalist Party (now Taiwan) were defeated by the Communist Party (now China) and forced back to the island of Taiwan. A peace treaty still hasn't been signed over that conflict.
One of the most interesting facts of the complicated sovereignty of Taiwan is that it is not a member of the UN. In fact, it is the most populous non-UN state and the largest economy outside the UN. The government of Chiang Kai-shek, the original leader of Taiwan, represented China at the UN until 1971 when the mainland Chinese government took their seat under Resolution 2758, mainly prompted by China's rapidly increasing importance on the global stage.
My Chinese quickly got a workout when finding our way into Taipei's city centre. A half-an-hour long bus ride found us at Taipei Main Station where we lugged our gear down to the metro.
And there we found ourselves – smack bang in the middle of Ximending, the bustling neighborhood and shopping district in the Wanhua District of Taipei. Ximending has been called the "Harajuku of Taipei" and the "Shibuya of Taipei", and you can see why. Here's the picture which inspired me to stay here.
We resisted the temptation to begin exploring the surrounding pedestrian streets early and instead decided to drop our luggage off at our accommodation. We've booked a mix of accommodation for this Taiwan/Korea trip: a hostel, a guesthouse, a temple, an AirBnB and a Hanok. The hostel was first – an easy step before gradually lowering ourselves into more and more local accommodation. This hostel, the "WOW Hostel", quickly became a bit of a meme for us (amongst many memes, may I add). But the wacky name aside, it was actually quite an enjoyable space. The lounge area was trendy, the coffee was high quality and the balcony was relaxing.
There was just one downside.
This was the entrance to the elevator which led us up to the hostel – a wall full of advertisements for everything from singers to escorts scattered on the floors around us.
With it still being early in the day, we weren't able to check-in to our rooms. That didn't stop us from chilling out on the balcony for the first hour of our day.
Passers-by looked up to us from the street below, likely noticing the billboard for a pay-by-the-hour "Love Hotel" situated just one floor above us.
The hostel sold us unlimited data SIM cards for just over $10 on Taiwan's largest network. I had heard that telecom companies had insanely good rates in this country, but I didn't think it would be that good.
We quickly found ourselves all thinking the same thing: we couldn't spend too much time enjoying our accommodation. We had enough time to do that already. Instead, we ventured out to explore the surrounding streets with the intention of eventually winding our way towards Taipei 101.
Within metres of our hostel, Dylan, Ben and I had found ourselves wanting to try some street pancakes, and Lachie (who once lived in Tokyo) was back in his element with 7/11 onigiri.
At the crippling price of $1, this thing was more than worth its price. It felt good to be back in a cheap part of the world. Back to being a big consumer!
We dipped in and out of gimmicky Taiwanese toy shops and arcades, laughing at the absurdity of it all.
It was like being thrown straight back into high school Chinese exchanges, only that this place was a whole lot more high-tech and civil than China. But for once, I was able to laugh at the things which I used to laugh at all the time. Experiencing these countries on your own is entirely different because humour is substituted for seeing things matter-of-factly. It was refreshing to see it all in a more youthful light. I was remembering why learning Chinese was a hobby in the first place rather than just a necessity when living and travelling in this part of Asia.
It took some effort to drag us away from the laneways of Ximending, but eventually we were on our way to Taipei 101 via some currency exchange shops.
We also passed through the Peace Park on the way to the metro station which, as the name suggests, was very peaceful.
Taipei 101 was the world's tallest in 2004, and remained such until the completion of Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2009. The building is also considered the most "green" tall building on Earth, and also houses the fastest elevator on the planet which zooms up at 17 metres per second.
Exiting the Taipei 101 metro station, we craned our necks upwards to see this sight.
The feeling of inferiority these megastructures give you is intoxicating. But at the same time, it's a really pleasurable feeling of inferiority. One which makes you feel like you are part of a process much bigger than just yourself.
This was as much of the building as a we fit into the photo whilst still including all of ourselves.
For the uninitiated, that is from left to right: Lachie, Dylan, Ben and I.
The pedestrian photographer did give us a piece of advice for including the whole building: a selfie. So we got to work.
We rushed inside to figure out how to scale this building. What makes Taipei's skyline so unique is that few other buildings even approach the height of this building and its spire. A view from the top would surely then provide the best birds-eye view into the veins of this city.
We worked our way through the luxury shopping mall at the building's base to the observatory deck entrance.
After purchasing our tickets we were funnelled into a compulsory photo stop. We simply copied the demonstration image.
We're fairly sure we wrecked most of the others passengers' journey by becoming fascinated with the difficulty of jumping in an elevator going at such a great speed.
We were hit by a fascinating view over the city.
I sometimes find that views like this don't put the world into perspective, but rather make everything seem so… fake. Almost like a big lego set. Courtney Barnett puts it best in her song "Elevator Operator" in the lyric, "I come up here for perception and clarity. I like to imagine I'm playing SimCity. All the people look like ants from up here, and the wind's the only traffic you can hear".
One of the notable things about this city is its striking similarity to Hong Kong. As a city bordering on mountains, its buildings extend right up to the borderline of the greenery. It gives the area quite a rainforest-y feel, which is a welcome break from the intensity of the city itself.
And then, this rolled in.
Pollution, fog, I don't know what it was. Probably a mix of both. We got a few photos in front of the now even more alien view for the laughs.
I'm holding back from telling Dylan that he does his peace signs backwards. The more photos that appears in, the funnier.
The next part of the building we got to see was one of its most famous features, officially called the "super big wind damper", also known as the "tuned mass damper" or "harmonic absorber". This structure is suspended in the middle of the building to reduce the amplitude of mechanical vibrations during an earthquake. It's enormous. The photos don't do it justice.
A small contemporary art gallery marked the end of the Taipei 101 visit.
On the way home I gave the boys their first introduction to the Chinese world of fashion drinks. They got around it. Especially the "latte milk tea with pearls".
By the time we finished the drink we were able to check in. It turns out that our room had 17 beds in it, but it certainly didn't seem like it. Why? Well, let me emphasise this when I say that we owned the room. Our corner quickly became the life of the party, and the more comfortable we became the messier the place got. Boarding all over again.
We weren't back for long – we had to make the booking which I'd made for the first night. It was dinner at "Modern Toilet", the famous toilet-themed restaurant in Ximen.
When I say toilet-themed, I mean toilet-themed. Our seats were toilets. Urinals adorned the hallways. Greeting us under our glass table was a perfectly formed turd.
Even the food was designed to look like turds.
We drank out of urinals. The first time we could say that we genuinely were "on the piss".
We embraced the theme. Much of the dinner was spent hurling phrases (excuse the language) like "ya shithead" and "eat shit".
Needless to say, we did eat shit. Directly out of the toilet bowl.
Walking back to the hotel we were able to see Ximending in full flight. Roaming it in the early morning was great fun, but it was only at this point that we realised that we really hadn't seen it for what it was. This was consumer and cultural paradise all in the one precinct.
We spent the next few hours having a drink and exchanging anecdotes from the last year. All of us ended up on different paths – Ben is in Mosman studying at Macquarie Uni, Lachie's living in the inner city studying at UNSW and Dylan's at college in Canberra doing a combined law degree. Dylan and I sound like we're actually taking almost identical paths, only that I'm going to be pursuing it in Sydney.
Day 258 (23rd of November, 2016) – Taipei, Taiwan
Happy birthday to Lachie! What a way to spend a 19th. And what a 19 years it's been – few people have such a likeable and friendly character. I really hope today ended up being the birthday Lachie had hopes for.
I pushed through the jet lag to wake up on time. Thankfully, we'd all had a great sleep. An excellent sleep, in fact. Everyone was really liking this hostel. After some discussions over dinner yesterday we decided that today would be as good of a day as any to go to 香山 (xiangshan, or Elephant Mountain). Elephant Mountain is to Taipei what Victoria Peak is to Hong Kong. Only that its much lesser known, meaning less crowds, more isolation and better views.
As with so many big Asian cities, the mountains are accessible directly by metro.
We emerged from Xiangshan metro station on an insane curved escalator.
We were immediately led through luscious parks with apartment blocks nestled amongst them.
Dylan was the first to point out what stood directly behind us as we worked our way through some suburban streets.
Photo time.
And another.
The walk up, whilst all paved and on stairs, was steep and tiring at times (especially for my jet-lagged self).
But turning around halfway up made it all worth it.
It was a perfectly secluded window into this great city.
We continued the hike up to the top, passing the odd family on the way up. We found a secluded viewpoint poking through the overhanging canopy, and it happened to sport the view from one of the photos I'd uploaded on this blog in the past.
Dyl's face when he was looking at the view.
Before long it was the afternoon. We strolled back down Elephant Mountain towards Ximending with the aim of finding a restaurant to fill up at. One of the things about travelling independently is that you always forget to eat, and being with friends is exactly the same. Perhaps we've grown up in lifestyles where food always ends up in front of us on the table…
Couldn't hurt getting a bit more meat on these bones.
We tracked down one of the most highly rated cheap eat joints in Ximending and found a huge crowd of people downing boat noodles. We joined in the fun to mixed reactions at the food. Lachie loved them the most.
Roaming Ximending at night was equally as exciting as yesterday.
We returned to the room for a couple of drinks and some music. The Smiths, (old) Coldplay and Flume heavily featured. We spotted a big wheelchair tour group going through the city below us.
And before we knew it, we were out on the town again to celebrate Lachie's birthday. Of all the things we did, one of the weirdest was going to a virtual reality centre to fight some dragons.
And this hallway…
Day 259 (24th of November, 2016) – Taipei, Taiwan
"WOW Hostel" had an average DIY breakfast at best. We ended up making plates and plates of shoddy looking French toast to satisfy our morning appetites.
Today we had decided to do a day trip. One of my friends who used to live here had highly recommended going to a city of 100,000 people on Taiwan's East Coast called "Hualien". He primarily recommended this place because of its stunning mountainous scenery and the presence of Taroko Gorge. With pictures like this appearing after one Google search, we couldn't resist.
We found our way to the main railway station later than we should have and weren't able to secure tickets for another hour. At least it was a spectacularly grand station.
An onigiri each went down well while we waited.
And this was an interesting concept found on the platform.
The train ride out to Hualien was quite scenic. We traversed landscapes of valleys, mountains, beaches and cliffs.
Unfortunately the ride did take longer than we had expected, and by the time we arrived in the city we had just over two hours before we had to board a train to return. We thought that this would be enough time to get deep in the gorge, but after some warnings from local shop owners and tour guides about the fading light, we decided that it wasn't the smartest idea.
Instead, we paid a guy to drive us closer to the mountain with some bikes.
This was probably the best experience of the trip so far – it was a real insight into the daily life of regular Taiwanese people.
We wound our way up narrow alleyways, pedalling past rural houses and spotting the occasional farmer wearing a bamboo hat.
At one point we were riding while playing music over my portable speaker, and suddenly we heard the barks of a dog growing louder. Then, this Rottweiler appeared.
We sped as fast as we could away from the dog which spurred it to start chasing us. I was the last one to turn around, and we were engaged in a heart-racing high-speed chase for a few hundred metres.
After getting away from it, we moved away from the mountains and closer to the sea, dashing through the seaside streets and around the fountains.
Unfortunately the day really wasn't as long as we would have liked for it to have been, but we all agreed that it was still a worthwhile little adventure. We slightly miscalculated how long it would take to ride back to the bike shop before we had to get our train, and ended up in a mad rush after hastily paying.
We dipped our way in and out of hawkers and confused locals during our dash for the train back to Taipei, and we only just made it. We jumped onto the first carriage and then walked through about ten more with me leading the way and running face flat into a door. I was able to complete some more tutoring on the train with my SIM card's unlimited data. The two-hour train got pretty boring for the others.
Upon disembarking the train we decided not to return to the hostel but rather to push straight on to the Shillin Night Markets.
The metro there also grew pretty boring.
Just outside the metro station, there was a building designed in an optical illusion which threw a lot of us off. It had a huge, slightly distorted sphere in it.
This market, often considered the largest and most famous in Taiwan, sells all kinds of clothes and street food. The market consists of two sections: the old Shilin Market building which houses almost 540 food stalls, and an outdoor area with hundreds more stores selling nonfood items. The markets open around 4pm and it doesn't start closing until at least 1am, and upon arriving we could see why. This place was absolutely packed with every demographic you could think of: young students, old people, tourists, immigrants, you name it.
We quickly made our way towards the only kind of stalls we were really interested in: food.
We passed some interesting vehicles on the way.
Arriving at the food stalls, we quickly tucked in to some of Shilin's specialities, namely 炸鸡排 (fried chicken steak), 大肠包小肠 (small sausage in large sausage) and 珍珠奶茶 (pearl milk tea). Dares to eat the putrid "stinky tofu" were never followed through with.
He still doesn't know which way the peace sign is meant to be…
The walk back through Ximending on the way back to the hostel was exciting as always, but with the fatigue kicking in we decided to call it a night.
We woke up this morning to this notification ringing on all of our phones.
In Chinese, that explains that there was a 5.5 magnitude earthquake at 5:55am. That earthquake happened to be centred in Hualien, the very city we were in yesterday. Only Ben and Lachie felt the tremors.
With our flight out to Seoul being in the afternoon, we didn't have enough time to see any attractions outside of the city centre. So, after discussing it with the hostel staff, we decided that it was best to go and see two sights which were nearby: the Lungshan Temple of Manka and the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. It's interesting how in Taiwan they use English transliterations which are distinctly different from the actual pronunciation of the Chinese word in pinyin. For example, Lungshan Temple is "龙山寺". There are two options for how you would write that in English: one is "Dragon Mountain Temple" (the English translation), and the other is "Longshan Temple" (the pinyin transliteration). But instead, the translation used in Taiwan is neither. I wonder who decided on the names.
Lungshan Temple was first up.
The boys quickly vied for the best photo.
The inside of the temple was where things started to get really interesting – we were seeing a live demonstration of Taiwanese Buddhists praying and laying incense. It all seemed very familiar to the temples I'd seen in China, and that would make a lot of sense. That's because this place was built in 1738 by settlers from Fujian Province in China.
What's unique about this temple is not only does it contain Buddhist statues, but it also includes halls and altars to Chinese deities such as Mazu and Guan Yu.
We joined in with the incense ceremony, but it's fair to say that we weren't quite dedicated enough to sacrifice any food.
One of the nicest things about the complex was the juxtaposition between the temple and the office buildings just outside. It wouldn't be a bad view if you were working in one of them.
It's sad to think that the Americans bombed this temple during World War II to prevent the Japanese from hiding armaments there.
Just outside the Temple was a garden and waterfall.
Just a few metro stations away was the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. This national monument was erected in memory of Chiang Kai-shek, the former President of the Taiwan (the Republic of China). Why was this man so important? Well, he was the leader of the Republic of China from 1928 to 1975. That is, he led the Nationalist Government of China against the Communist Party when the Nationalists were ousted to Taiwan. This was a particularly interesting sight for me to see since it contrasted directly with the memorials for the leaders of the opposite side which I saw dotted all over China, including Xuzhou. If you recall from my earlier blogs, I visited a lot of places which glorified the Communist's defeat of the Kuomintang (which Chiang led).
The main structure of the memorial is a white building with an octagonal blue roof (used because of the lucky Chinese number eight). Two sets of 89 steps lead up to the memorial hall, representing the President's age at the time of his death.
Inside was the statue dedicated to the President.
Guards stood watch over it.
They even participated in a mannequin challenge.
The hall provided a spectacular view over the gardens and halls below. The architectural style of these buildings, while obviously rooted in Chinese style, is distinctly Taiwanese.
It was those gardens which the other boys explored next while I headed back to get some things done. The photos afterwards made me wish that I could have stayed.
It wasn't long until we had gathered our bags, argued our way out of a late check-out fee and were finding our way to a bus to the airport. Realising that our (my) organisation had been sub-par, we jumped in an Uber to play it safe. Yet more boring transport.
This has been Lachie, Ben and Dyl's third "Scoot" flight of the trip. This Singapore Airline-owned budget airline is about as low quality as they get, but it's always a good laugh. It ended up that our flight wasn't full and that we were in an exit row, though. So it was actually very comfortable.
We arrived to a crystal clean Incheon Airport in Seoul where the organisational perfection and air-freshener smells were sustaining Lachie's nostalgia from having lived in Tokyo. We quickly exchanged money and revelled in the fact that we were now considered millionaires.
Disappointed by the fact that the Maglev (a 430km/h train which levitates) only ran between airport facilities, we boarded the metro towards Hongdae. Seoul is a city of 10 million people. It's. Huge. Selecting which district you will stay in is therefore as important as choosing which city you'll visit in a country. Hongdae is centred around Hongik University.
As AirBnB describes it, "Watch trends take form in Hongdae, a fashion-forward and forward-thinking Seoulneighbourhood. To the west of business-savvy Jongno, Hongdae's business consists of blankets at sidewalk markets and all-night dance clubs blanketed in bright lights. Wear what you like and say what you mean in Hongdae. Here, self-expression is paramount – it's written on walls, espoused in streets, and danced in front of gathered crowds. What you see today in Hongdae, you'll hear about tomorrow everywhere else."
Arriving just before midnight, this description immediately seemed accurate. The town was alive, with the only sleepy bit being the very alternative street leading all the way towards our guesthouse.
Stepping into the "Bounce Guesthouse" was a welcome relief from the zero degree weather outside. The location was convenient, the people warm and the rooms homely.
But within minutes, we wanted to be out again. We all loved the fresh, crisp air.
We knew what we wanted, and we wanted it now: Korean BBQ. We got walking to try and find it.
It wasn't long until we ran into dozens of them in a row. We picked a full one and found a seat.
The food started flowing out. We didn't need to order anything.
It was very humorous, actually. We genuinely had no idea what we were doing. We were just going off my memories from having eaten with Koreans in Xuzhou. We would only be instructed on how to do things when we did something wrong. The waiter would only appear when we burned our meat, ate something the wrong way or mixed the wrong ingredients. We were using our hands for some time before we even found the cutlery drawer.
It was getting frustratingly difficult when out of desperation I asked the waiter if he spoke Chinese. And he did! It was good to see that the language was coming in handy elsewhere in Asia. He explained all the instructions to me and we got cooking.
By the end of dinner it was approaching 2am and we headed back anticipating an early wake-up for tomorrow's activity. It also happened to be the activity which I was most looking forward to on the trip and one of the top things on my bucket list. I was excited to say the least.
Today, we would step foot in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (a.k.a. North Korea). This totalitarian dictatorship of 25 million people was founded in 1948 in the aftermath of World War II, and it was their division from the South which sparked the Korean War. North Korea follows "Songun", or "military-first" policy. It is the country with the highest number of military and paramilitary personnel, with a total of 9,495,000 active, reserve, and paramilitary personnel. Its active duty army of 1.21 million is the fourth largest in the world, after China, the U.S., and India. They possess nuclear weapons.
Perhaps the most famous figures of the North are Kim Il-Sung (appointed by the Soviet Union as the original leader), Kim Jong-Il and Kim Jong-Un, North Korea's successive "Great Leaders". The personality cult they have conducted means that North Koreans are often observed weeping in front of their statues, and all must wear badges bearing their faces.
But we wouldn't be going very deep into North Korea. To be more exact, we were going a few metres into their territory.
We were going on a tour to a number of locations in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) including the Third Infiltration Tunnel, Dora Observatory, Dorasan train station and the Joint Security Area (JSA) where we were able to enter the North.
We arrived at the President Hotel in central Seoul for the hour-long journey to the border.
During the bus journey, we received the necessary documents and information. One such document was the UN Visitor Declaration. With the border being a UN-controlled zone, we had to abide by their rules.
We also received our official UN visitor passes.
One of the more interesting rules was that we couldn't wear any torn jeans or sandals. This was because North Korean guards had a history of taking pictures of tourists in these clothes and sending them to the government for use as propaganda against the West (since those items of clothing are perceived as symbols of poverty).
After a clothing check and two passport checks by South Korean military, we entered the DMZ. The landscape, which is home to some of the world's most diverse selection of flora and fauna (due to it being relatively untouched) instantly became more rural.
We passed by 'Freedom Village', ironically situated just behind this fence.
This is a small farming community, but one out of limits to all but those living or working here. These are among the richest farmers in Korea: they pay no rent or tax, and DMZ produce fetches big bucks at markets around the country. Technically, residents have to spend 240 days of the year at home, but most commute here from their condos in Seoul. One of the rules is that they must be back in town by nightfall, and have their doors and windows locked and bolted by midnight. Women are allowed to marry into this tight society, but men are not; those who choose to raise their children here also benefit from a school that at the last count had eleven teachers and only eight students.
Eventually, we reached the DMZ tourist centre. This place included a souvenir shop and temple for the soldiers. Marching by our sides were groups of American and South Korean military personnel. We were told that we could take pictures later, and were quickly shuffled into the hall for a briefing on the history of the DMZ.
Of all the stories told, the most interesting was that of the "Axe Murder Incident" when two American soldiers were killed by a pack of axe-wielding North Koreans. The cause of the trouble was a poplar tree which stood next to the Bridge of No Return. A UN outpost stood next to the bridge, but its direct line of sight to the next Allied checkpoint was blocked by the leaves of the tree, so on August 18 a five-man American detail was dispatched to perform some trimming. Although the mission had apparently been agreed in advance with the North, sixteen soldiers from the North turned up and demanded that the trimming stop. Met with refusal, they launched a swift attack on the UNC troops using the axes the team had been using to prune the tree. The attack lasted less than a minute, but claimed the life of First Lieutenant Mark Barrett as well as Captain Bonifas.
My favourite part of the story is that three days later, the US launched Operation Paul Bunyan. A convoy of 24 UNC vehicles streamed towards the plant, carrying more than 800 men, some trained in taekwondo, and all armed to the teeth. These were backed up by attack helicopters, fighter planes and B-52 bombers, while an aircraft carrier had also been stationed just off the Korean shore. This carefully managed operation drew no response from the North, and the tree was successfully trimmed.
Before we knew it, we were marched back onto a different bus (with a driver who was trained for "emergency situations") to drive all the way to the JSA. We disembarked the bus and were marched in two neat lines right up to the front lines of the North Korean border. I instantly recognised the bright blue buildings and the iconic building on the North Korean side, Panmungak, from pictures and documentaries.
It was very, very rushed. And extremely strict. Within a matter of seconds, we were told that we would have no longer than 30 seconds for photos. With the people guarding us holding assault rifles and some potentially hostile North Korean soldiers staring us down from just metres away, there was no messing around with that rule. We started snapping away.
Here is an overview of the area.
That grey building in the background is the main North Korean military post at the border. If you look closely, you can spot a guard of the Korean Republic Army.
Facing the North Korean side, 24/7 365 days a year are an American and a South Korean soldier. Flanking them are two more South Korean soldiers, half hidden behind the UN Conference Room for ease of cover in the case of an attack.
That blue building in the centre is the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission Conference Building. Half of it lies in North Korean territory, the other half in South Korean territory. And that was the building which we were whisked away into in single file as soon as the photo time had finished.
Here was the table which the two governments have at times agreed to hold negotiations.
And that concrete slab, ladies and gentlemen, marks the border between North and South Korea. I am standing on the northern side. That will be one of the few photos in this blog ever taken in North Korea, and maybe even one of the only photos I will ever take there in my life.
Standing directly on the border is a South Korean guard, badass sunglasses and all.
We joined in the fun.
This is also where many world leaders have been photographed, including our very own Tony Abbott. When he was here, some of the North Korean soldiers took it upon themselves to approach and take a closer look.
Here is a glimpse straight into the North.
This guard stands firmly in North Korean territory. The blue door behind him, if entered, symbolises complete defection. At any point in time we were free to enter that door, but it would be regarded as a defection by international law, and at that point North Korea would have their way with us.
We weren't really in a defecting sort of mood today. The possibility of one of us defecting, escaping to China and then meeting us back in Seoul was discussed, but ultimately not followed through on.
There was a story in the news a few months ago of a North Korean guard who defected into the South through that very door.
We literally had less than a minute for photographs. And after frustratingly being the last people in line to get a photo with that guard before our time was cut short, we thought better than to resist demands to exit immediately.
We were shuffled out of the JSA with as much speed as we were rushed in, and before we knew it we were back at the DMZ tourist centre, still dizzy from how much of a surreal experience it all was.
Realising that we didn't get an opportunity for a photo with that last soldier, our English-speaking escort kindly jumped in our photo.
He is a teenager completing his compulsory two years of military service, and is only able to go home once every two months. He, along with many of his peers, are put in charge of manning one of the most tense and volatile borders on Earth. It was chillingly relatable being the same age. Wally, my Korean friend from Xuzhou, once counted himself among these soldiers.
There were plenty more American soldiers roaming the compound, such as these two on the outside just next to the temple. Regardless of people's opinions on whether it's America's responsibility to stick their hands in every pie and "keep the peace" internationally, there's no denying that it's exactly what they're achieving here. Unless you were to argue that it's an unnecessary aggravator for the North.
And right on queue, the first snow of the season grew substantially heavier.
We also had to be able to say that we danced our way along the North Korean border, and we were able to do this in Imjingak Park.
The park had some harrowing sights, including this shot up train leftover from the Korean War and this border shrine strewn with prayer flags.
It's hard to imagine the families which, by sheer bad luck, were separated by this almost arbitrarily placed fence, never to see each other again. All because of the conflicting ideologies of a few leaders, split by the ideas of Communism and Democracy. Some of those prayer flags were surely hung by those very people. My Year 11 creative writing assignment was based on these families, so it's something which interests me greatly. Specifically, it was based on this rare meeting of long lost family members which you might enjoy reading about here. The negotiations to have this occur happened in the UN Conference room which we visited.
It was eerie to see the theme parks and carnivals which South Korea have strategically set up on the border to tempt North Koreans to defect and as a preparation for an eventual reunification.
The next stop was the Dora Observatory, but only after a lunch break.
Dora Observatory is situated on top of Dorasan (Mount Dora), and the observatory looks across the North's side of the DMZ.
On a clear day, you would be able to see deep into the North including Propaganda Village. Unfortunately today it was just fog.
What was interesting about this wasn't the view, but rather the sounds. I clumsily uploaded a video of the speakers on Snapchat and forgot to save it permanently.
You'd likely recall news stories at the beginning of the year of the huge speakers which North Korea set up along the border to blast propaganda audio into the South. The South retaliated by erecting their own. They oscillate between proclamations of the freedoms on offer in the South to music (everything from classical to K-Pop) designed to block out the North's constant pestering.
It's quite infantile, really. I've thought this a lot about international relations: in the end, it all comes down to who can flex bigger muscles. It only gets dangerous when a country loses their temper or a flex is interpreted as a threat. There's plenty of examples for what this international "flex" looks like: the U.S. flying stealth bombers along the border of North Korea, the U.S. sending warships through the South China Sea just to remind everyone of who's "boss", Russia circling Australia with warships in 2014 following Abbott's threat to "shirtfront" Putin at the G20. The only people who hear these threats loud and clear are coastguards and foreign ministers. For the general population, it's just another part of the evening news (and often, it's not even newsworthy). Seriously childish. It reminds me of trying to make a bigger pile of sand in the sandpit at preschool, or waving a Nerf gun in front of Bianca and Anneke as an eight year old. Even on the highest levels, we all descend back to our tribal instincts. It's cringeworthy.
Why's it cringeworthy? Well, because it does things like this:
Maybe it takes a picture for some governments to have the slightest heart.
Our next stop was something which the whole group had been looking forward to all day: the Third Infiltration Tunnel. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take any photographs of it. I only got a picture of the entrance.
Here's some sourced from Google.
The Third Infiltration Tunnel is one of the four known tunnels under the border between North Korea and South Korea. 30,000 soldiers could pass through here every hour into Seoul. Only 44 km from Seoul, this incomplete tunnel was discovered in 1978 following the detection of an underground explosion apparently caused by the tunnellers who had progressed 435 metres under the south side of the DMZ. It took four months to locate the tunnel precisely and dig an intercept tunnel. The tunnel is 1,635m long with a maximum heigh of 1.95m and maximum width of 2.1m wide. It runs through the bedrock at a depth of about 73m below ground.
The tunnel was much smaller than advertised. We were squatting the whole time – a disaster for anyone with even the slightest claustrophobia. It was incredible seeing the holes where the North Koreans had placed dynamite only a few decades ago. While in the monorail out of the tunnel, Ben lost his helmet in an incident which is best not to recount. What happens in the tunnel stays in the tunnel.
One the way out of the DMZ we passed through Dorasan, the last rail station before the North Korean border. As much a symbol as a functioning station, this place marks the point which the South hopes will one day be rejoined to the North.
Korea has grander visions, hoping that this line down to the southernmost tip of the country will one day act as an extension to the Trans-Korean, Trans-Siberian and Trans-China railways. At one point, Aimee and I were planning on taking that Trans-Siberian train at the end of the year.
After a long, long, long bus ride home (peak hour traffic is some of the worst I've seen in this country), we emerged at a metro station where we indulged in some long-awaited snacks. Fish-shaped custard cakes ended up being the hit.
And finally, we could use tonight to see Hongdae properly.
We stood around watching subcultures go about their way, attracting crowds in the hundreds for obscure dances and K-Pop boyband covers.
IMG_1193.MOV
^ Anneke take note – this is where you could end up. But maybe a little less twerking.
I just wish that Australia had this sort of culture. It's an incredible atmosphere, and apparently it happens EVERY night. You walk around Newtown at night, and sure it's eccentric, but you're certainly not seeing this sort of culture. Especially with the lockout laws killing businesses and keeping young people from the streets. It's a real shame, and we all agreed, but we vowed to enjoy the treat in Seoul while we were here.
We found ourselves in a Korean restaurant attempting to get chicken. Instead, we ended up with far too many dishes of everything but chicken. And it was very, very spicy.
A good chat later and we were back outdoors, enjoying the dozens of vibrant streets in the district.
Initially planning to find a bar, our priorities quickly changed when we saw "Funnyland". This arcade wonderland had it all. Just look at this freak of nature.
We soon found ourselves reattempting the BB-rifle range an absurd amount of times.
And the batting cage, of course. It didn't really work for left-handers…
And then the karaoke booths. Normally meant for Korean couples wanting to smash out a rendition of their favourite K-Pop song, now redefined for Westerners looking to make a fool of themselves.
Originally we couldn't figure out how to work the system since it was all in Korean, so we resorted to some freestyling.
But eventually, the staff helped us whack out a Lean On by DJ Snake and Fix You by Coldplay.
It made for a good end to a good day.
Despite the late night last night, we still managed to wake up and drag ourselves to City Hall on time. Here I had arranged that we meet Wally Hong – one of my closest friends from Xuzhou. It was great of Ben, Lachie and Dyl to tag along. It ended up being a good choice, because Wally showed us a bit more of what real Korea is like. Wally, who's originally from a country town much closer to the centre of Korea, has had quite an eclectic adulthood so far. He's lived in Melbourne packing meat, in Goulburn working at the local pub, outside of Seoul as a military Commando, in Nigeria on an extended work placement, in Xuzhou with me as a Chinese scholar and now in Seoul working at Point UV Implant.
Other than Todd's unannounced arrivals, this is the first meeting with someone from Xuzhou which I've had outside of the city. Unlike Todd's presence, this brought back positive nostalgia than negative memories.
Wally took us to see Deoksugung Palace in central Seoul. Deoksugung Palace was inhabited by members of Korea's royal family during the Joseon monarchy until colonial period around the turn of the 20th century. It is one of the "Five Grand Palaces" built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty.
For its central location, the compound had a remarkably peaceful vibe to it.
The structures were mostly built in the traditional Korean style.
The only exception to that was a Western building used for diplomats and a European building for the art gallery.
This was my favourite picture taken during the visit.
Closely rivalled by this one.
Wally told us that the street bordering the palace, Deoksugung-gil, is the traditional street for young Korean couples to meander down early in their relationship. Since the establishment of that tradition, though, it has also become rumoured that a walk down this street marks an impending break-up.
Our favourite feature of the street was the knitting graffiti.
And this sculpture, which really was the most mind-altering thing I've seen in the physical world. I could not get a grip of the real proportions of anything for quite some time after looking at this.
Wally, also a closeted street food fanatic, took us on something of a culinary tour of the city. We started with a Korean version of peanut brittle, traditionally eaten before a big exam.
We then moved on to the egg tarts and red bean fish-shaped cakes.
A few metro stations later, we found ourselves in Myeong-dong. This district is the commercial centre of Seoul, marked by its endless skin cosmetics stores and extensive fashion streets.
None of us had known that Samsung released their own line of fashion.
It didn't take long to pick up some easy gifts for the females of our lives (sorry girls).
Wally was more interested in the food, though. And so were we.
We found ourselves at a Korean BBQ eating a very different style dish to what we ate on the first night. It came with sides of kimchi soup and other vegetables.
It got raving reviews from all of us, and at under AU$10 we still had some money left over for yet more street food. Among the snacks, the mooncake honey pancake was by far the standout.
Ben was in the game of fitting in with the locals. I respect that.
At the end of the main street as we weaved our way through the crowds, we could spy the North Seoul Tower. The iconic tower stands guard over this incredible metropolis.
We rounded a corner and made our way to another famous site in the area – the Myeongdong Cathedral.
Completed in 1898, this place is dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the principal patron saint of Korea and the Korean people.
It was nearing the end of the day and we were all tired, so we didn't overstay our welcome and said goodbye to Wally so that he could continue on. He was extremely kind to show us around his country for a whole day.
Amidst his touchy-feely chatter and hugs, old Wally left us with one parting piece of wisdom: Go to chimaek. Tonight.
"Chimaek" means "chicken and beer". It's a bit of a Korean tradition. It's a genius idea which, as the name suggests, combines two great things: chicken, and beer.
After a brief break in the guesthouse, that was our next destination.
The jug was markedly bigger than we had expected.
And the chicken, markedly tastier than we had expected.
Good leftover photos = a good night.
It's been an incredible start to the trip. The delay in the blog is a testament to that! I can't wait to see what else is in store in Korea.
Previous: Previous post: Cali: Part #2
Next: Next post: Deeper Into Korea


Ugh. The holidays. There's a lot of information out there on holiday stress and how to manage things like overspending, overeating, and sitting around the table with annoying family members. While those are valid concerns and it is important to be mindful about emotional coping in the midst of stressful situations, this blog is not for you.
This blog is for the holiday haters. For those who walk through a store filled with lights, cheerful music, and clove/cinnamon scented air and feel their world begin to crumble. It's for those lost in nostalgia. For those that have never had a "holly, jolly Christmas." Or any other holly, jolly anything, for that matter.
I once had a 19-year-old client that began grieving the holiday season somewhere around July. She knew what was coming in the following months and could feel her chest shrinking with the fear and immense sadness. In her childhood, they had never had a holiday celebration. Money that her parents made went to drugs and not toys. This little girl never had presents under the tree. She never had a tree. She never had a fluffy, warm robe and a mug of hot chocolate. Yet, she still had to go to school with all of the other children that had those things. And wore their new clothes proudly. And brought their new toys to show-and-tell.
This 19-year-old girl was still embracing the inner 5-year-old that wanted not the new doll but the joyful laughter of family and the comfort of a peaceful home.
For those that would rather sleep through the season.
Those that do not worry about over-spending because there is nothing to spend.
Those that are simply trying to stay sober and well.
Those that have lost more than this holiday could ever possibly give.
Start by recognizing what you are feeling.
Our emotions are often like little raging children that demand attention. If you continue to ignore them, they will scream louder. If you try to chain them up or lock them away, they will burn down the house. It's okay to simply acknowledge those feelings. Let them be.
It's okay to take care of YOU.
That client that I told you about earlier? Her solution was to buy one special present for herself, avoid all obligatory holiday gatherings, meet a few times with special friends, and stay in bed watching Netflix for the rest of the time. This was her self-care solution and it worked well. What might work for you? Try to avoid self-destructiveness or over-indulging in anything. Sleep. Breathe. Take a walk. Look out the window and try to spot one beautiful thing. Cry.
Guess what? You're a survivor. You've made it this far. If you're reading this, that means that you are alive and have come through quite a bit of suffering and hardship to make it to this point. You will make it through the holidays. One step at a time. One moment at a time. Because you're a survivor. And you have what it takes to make this year better than the last. Or at least, manageable and survivable. You've got this.
You're right. I don't know you. And I don't know your situation or your life. But I believe deeply in the ability of each person. I believe that you have strength within you that you may not even recognize yet. It is in all of us. It is in you. And maybe you're tired of being strong. That's okay too. Take care of YOU.
From one survivor to another. From one who dreads the holidays as much as anyone else. Hear me say that you've got this.
We've got this, my friends.


Over the last few years the whole of the UK has seen harsh winters, each seemingly worse than the last. Snow, gale force winds and heavy rain have been commonplace and flooding has dominated the news.
With the cold winters, we have also seen an increase in boiler breakdowns and a massive rise in the demand for boiler repairs.
However, preparation and foresight is key. There are steps you can take to ensure that you aren't left without heating whilst waiting for a plumber to carry out boiler repairs.
Throughout the year, we recommend that you regularly check that your heating is working sufficiently, and once the temperature starts to drop, ensure that you turn it on now and again. This means that your boiler is less likely to break down when you start to use it regularly.
Combi boilers often stop working purely due to a drop in pressure. If you do experience problems with your boiler, check the pressure dial and check your radiator pipes for any signs of a leak. If you don't have a leak then you should be able to increase your pressure using the valve handle – but make sure you check the instructions first.
When your heating is on, check the temperature of your radiators at the top and the bottom. If there are patches that are hot and some that are cold then there could be air pockets trapped in the system. This means that you need to bleed your radiators – or removing the trapped air. If you still have a problem once you have bled your radiators then it could be due to sludge, therefore a chemical flush could be required which will need to be carried out by an engineer.
If you have a condensing boiler, pipes are more prone to freezing. Therefore to prevent expensive boiler repairs you will need to insulate your pipes with 'lagging', which can be bought at most DIY shops. If the problem persists, you may need to move pipes so that they are internal – this will prevent any future freezing.
You may want to consider taking out a boiler care programme. Most boilers last for between 8 and 12 years, and it's believed that around six million boilers could be near the end of their life-span. A boiler care programme will give you that added peace of mind.
You could avoid boiler breakdowns or expensive boiler repair costs by having a thorough check before the weather turns. This could work out much cheaper than replacing the boiler as any parts required would be identified before you get the point where the system needs replacing in its entirety. Boilers should be serviced every year, especially when it's so important to make sure the system is safe.
If you would like further advice on boiler care or a boiler service before it's too late and you need to have boiler repairs carried out, contact us today. If you smell gas, call the National Grid on 0800 111 999 immediately.


Picture perfect, expanded Cape Cod on a nearly 1/2 acre corner lot replete with updates and ideal for entertaining! The oversized deck with built-in seating & ample yard space provide a versatile setting that could be used for relaxing, recreation, gardening (self-watering flowerbeds), or hosting large gatherings. Plenty of parking with the 4 car tandem garage & extended driveway that can easily accommodate 10 vehicles. 2nd story addition in 2008; newer roof, siding, windows, exterior doors, & furnace. Coated cedar Tahoe Slipfence (2016); newer master bath with radiant heat & steam shower (2012), & remodeled kitchen/bathrooms. Other features include hardwood flooring, wood-burning fireplace, 2.5 baths on the main level + 1 full bath upstairs, & two spacious 2nd floor bedrooms w/vaulted ceilings. Highly rated Plesantdale & LT schools. Easy access to highways & commuter train; moments from Edgewood Valley CC, Walker Recreation Center, Flagg Creek Golf Course, & Burr Ridge Village Center.
Additional Information: This property is located in the La Grange neighborhood, IL. This 4 bedrooms detached single property is priced at $186.4/sqft.


text:
Bamiyan Airport är en flygplats i Afghanistan.   Den ligger i provinsen Bamiyan, i den centrala delen av landet,  kilometer väster om huvudstaden Kabul. Bamiyan Airport ligger  meter över havet.

Terrängen runt Bamiyan Airport är huvudsakligen kuperad, men norrut är den bergig. Bamiyan Airport ligger nere i en dal. Den högsta punkten i närheten är  meter över havet,  kilometer väster om Bamiyan Airport. Närmaste större samhälle är Bāmyān,  kilometer nordost om Bamiyan Airport.

Trakten runt Bamiyan Airport består i huvudsak av gräsmarker. Runt Bamiyan Airport är det ganska glesbefolkat, med  invånare per kvadratkilometer.  I trakten råder ett kallt ökenklimat. Årsmedeltemperaturen i trakten är  °C. Den varmaste månaden är juli, då medeltemperaturen är  °C, och den kallaste är januari, med  °C. Genomsnittlig årsnederbörd är  millimeter. Den regnigaste månaden är april, med i genomsnitt  mm nederbörd, och den torraste är juli, med  mm nederbörd.

Kommentarer

Källor

Flygplatser i Bamiyan (provins)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
The terror war comes home to Australia, UK
Noah Rothman Sep 25, 2014 10:01 AM ET
Last week, with information suggesting attacks were imminent, Australian police mounted the largest counterterrorism raids in that country's history. The raids came after ISIS commander Mohammad Ali Baryalei instructed his followers in Australia to execute specific attacks which local police believed would have resulted in mass casualty events and beheadings.
800 officers in multiple cities fanned out and arrested 15 terror suspects, resulting in mass protests from Australia's Muslim community. The raids did not, however, preempt violence. In a scenario out of a law enforcement officer's nightmare, on Australian officer was forced to shoot and kill an 18-year-old when the teen attacked two police officers with a knife.
One of the officers, from the Australian Federal Police (AFP), was in a serious but stable condition in hospital with "knife wounds to his neck, stomach and head," Lay said. The other, a Victorian police officer, suffered a serious slash wound to his arm.
Australia to deploy force against ISIS Australia raises terror threat rating Acting Prime Minister Warren Truss told parliament the seriously injured AFP officer, a 43-year-old father of two, was a joint counter-terrorism officer who had been with the AFP since June 2012.
Australian politicians revealed the deceased suspect was Abdul Numan Haider, a person of interest for law enforcement who had posted images of ISIS propaganda on his Facebook page and was reportedly shopping for the black flag commonly deployed by Islamic State fighters.
Australia is not the only home front engaged in a war to head off attacks from homegrown fundamentalist Islamic militants. Overnight, nine people were arrested in massive counterterrorism raids in the United Kingdom, including one of the country's most prominent Islamist clerics, Anjem Choudary.
The Telegraph reported overnight that the nine who were arrested were suspected of being members of Choudary's organization, Al-Muhajiroun, which was banned in the U.K. in 2010.
Mr Choudary also said he had been "closely associated" with [convicted terrorist Abu Hamza al-Masri] since the early 1990s.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Mr Choudary said he has no sympathy for Alan Henning, a volunteer aid worker captured in Syria whose life was threatened in a recent video released by IS.
Mr Choudary is reported to have said: "In the Koran it is not allowed for you to feel sorry for non-Muslims. I don't feel sorry for him."
Australia is involved in support for the coalition mission aimed at rolling back ISIS in Iraq and degrading it in Syria, and the government is currently considering a tougher counterterrorism law. The United Kingdom is expected to soon pass a resolution which will commit British forces to engaging in airstrikes on ISIS targets in Iraq.
America's tradition of assimilating immigrants has reduced the threat from with homegrown Islamic radicalism, but not entirely mitigated it. "Assuming ISIS does turn its gaze more to the U.S., and tries to train and deploy anti-American terrorists, as Obama fears, its recruiting will likely be helped by America's new war on it," The Atlantic's Robert Wright fretted last week.
Wright noted that the Fort Hood shooting and the Boston Marathon bombings were attacks inspired by radical Islam and were committed by individuals who were, by all accounts, naturalized Americans. The FBI has already posted warnings to local police advising them to be on the lookout for lone wolf actors with only tenuous links to foreign handlers who may be planning to execute small-scale attacks – plots which would be difficult to detect in advance.
If the United States ever experienced what Australia is involved with now, a world in which police must fear that radicalized youth will charge at them from the shadows with the intent to kill, American society would likely change for the worse in short order. The president's approach to neutralizing this threat, to demand that moderate Muslims in the U.S. and around the world more vocally condemn the actions of Islamic radical terror networks, is a good start. But will it be enough to entirely prevent homegrown terror attacks inside the United States?
Tags: TERRORISM BARACK OBAMA UNITED KINGDOM AUSTRALIA ISIS ANJEM CHOUDARY
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Sunday morning talking heads
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Why the Media Is About to Run Away From the Texas Synagogue Hostage Story
Biden Supporter Makes Trouble at Trump Rally, but She Immediately Has Cause to Regret It
And Just Like That, I Figured Out Who's to Blame for the Grotesque Reboot of 'Sex and the City'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Let's put this into viewpoint. Back again in the day when you had been single you may have absent into an establishment that served alcohol. Now maintain in mind I would by no means do some thing like that. Ha!
Allow the Texture Pave to dry according shoes tree to the expert's recommendations to the point it is match to stamp the concrete. Start with the outdoors edge of the concrete area and apply the stamp operating in the direction of the middle. Overlap the edges by three to 4 inches and allow it to dry for several hrs.
Items needed (some are optional): night robe, bib, teddy bear, slippers with rough base to wear outdoors, pacifier, bottle, bonnet & fairly a lot anything else you can believe of to make you appear like a baby. For Male: You can get matching sweat pants and sweatshirt. Light blue would appear fantastic! Long johns would well too.
Is your floor sensation outdated? If you are formidable, you can pull up your flooring and lay down sticky wood flooring. Some believe it is inexpensive, but it looks very good. Not only that, but it is easy enough for most individuals to do it by on their own.
How I put it together: Extremely easy to put together. I wore a night robe that arrived just about to my knees and wore short underneath. At the time we lived in VA but I don't remember it being cold out that evening. I borrowed a bid, baby bottle and pacifier from my subsequent door neighbor. I place on some slippers that experienced tough bottoms so they would be similar to shoe tree. I put the pacifier on a lengthy necklace & wore the necklace. I held the teddy bear and I think I put the bottle between my bears paws making him maintain it for me.
When your puppy is over four months previous you can begin formal dog coaching. In fact, it is very best to start at this younger age simply because older dogs get stuck in their ways and are a great deal tougher to train. That doesn't imply you start out with the hardest part of training with these you types, you want to start puppy training with just ten minutes a day.
Hey! Wouldn't you like to be notified by a charmingly unobtrusive e-mail concept each time I publish a new post? Just click on on the lovely blue "subscribe" button beneath this box. That way you gained't miss a thing!


text:
Memo: SEC didn't block Freeze hire in 2018
57dChris Low
Buckeyes great Laurinaitis joins Ohio State staff
1dAdam Rittenberg
Spartans making deals in fracas vs. Wolverines
Miami dismisses Gattis as OC after one season
1dAndrea Adelson
Audit: LSU accidentally overpaid Kelly $1M in '22
Washington State extends Dickert through '27
Vols' Heupel lands extension, raise to $9M/year
4dChris Low
Michigan RB Corum says prized Camaro stolen
College football players to watch in 2023: Heisman candidates, freshman phenoms and surprises
College football's Way-Too-Early 2023 All-America team
A $13-million NIL deal gone wrong, a top QB recruit and what happens next
The final 2022 college football Power Rankings
17dESPN staff
Memo: SEC didn't prohibit hiring of Hugh Freeze in 2018
How Auburn decided on Hugh Freeze (0:57)
Paul Finebaum discusses what went into Auburn picking Hugh Freeze as its next football coach. (0:57)
Chris LowESPN Senior Writer
College football reporter
Joined ESPN.com in 2007
Graduate of the University of Tennessee
In 2018 when several SEC schools were interested in hiring Hugh Freeze, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey sent out a memorandum to conference presidents, chancellors and athletic directors to inform them of Freeze's "status with respect to the conference."
Freeze was hired Tuesday as Auburn's head football coach.
While Sankey's 2018 memo, which was obtained by ESPN, did not prohibit schools from hiring Freeze, it was a stern reminder of the conditions and restrictions related to Freeze if an SEC school had chosen to hire him at that point. Per NCAA penalties, Freeze would have faced a suspension for the first two conference games of the 2018 season, but only as a head coach and not as an assistant coach.
Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee were among schools interested in hiring Freeze in an assistant coaching and/or coordinator role following his ouster at Ole Miss.
A guide to LSU-Georgia, Kansas State-TCU and the rest of the conference title games
Freeze hoping to earn 'trust' with Auburn faithful
Freeze was out of coaching for the 2017 and 2018 seasons after running afoul of NCAA rules while the head coach at Ole Miss from 2012 to 2016. He was the Liberty head coach for the previous four seasons before getting a second chance in the SEC at Auburn.
After rebuilding Ole Miss' program to a Top-25 level, Freeze resigned in the weeks leading up to preseason practice in 2017. University officials discovered he made a series of calls on his university-issued cell phone to multiple numbers associated with a female escort service. Ole Miss was being investigated by the NCAA at the time. Ross Bjork, then the Ole Miss athletic director, said the two matters were separate, but said he would have fired Freeze for a "pattern of misconduct" had Freeze not resigned.
Later in 2017, Ole Miss was placed on NCAA probation for violations that occurred in part under Freeze, and the sanctions included a two-year bowl ban. Freeze was charged individually by the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions of a Level 1 violation and found guilty of failing to adequately monitor his football staff and its interaction with boosters.
"We had a number of institutions in 2018 with interest in considering Hugh which were inquiring about what had transpired at his previous institution [Ole Miss] and if there was any applicable conference accountability," Sankey told ESPN on Friday. "The purpose of the letter was to put all of our institutions on the same page with consistent information."
Sources told ESPN that Sankey never told anyone during that time that he was blocking SEC schools from hiring Freeze. However, Sankey did tell Freeze that it was his strong preference that Freeze leave the SEC and go coach elsewhere without anymore NCAA issues -- especially with Ole Miss still on probation -- and then come back to the SEC if he had opportunities.
Sankey said he and Freeze spoke on the phone earlier this week and that Sankey congratulated Freeze on his hiring at Auburn.
"I look from this point forward. We're informed by people's past," said Sankey, adding that he and Freeze have had multiple phone conversations over the past five years. "I appreciated the way he responded during his press conference, and I respect the fact that he and I, over the succeeding years since his departure from Ole Miss, could have candid and honest conversation."
Freeze said several times during his press conference Tuesday that he was thankful for second chances and added, "I'm not sure that's accurate," when asked about reports that Sankey had previously blocked him from being hired within the league.
"He's never done anything but shoot me dead straight and tell me what he thought was best, not only for the conference, but for me," Freeze said of Sankey. "I appreciate a man that treats you like that."
In his Nov. 12, 2018 memo, Sankey noted that SEC schools make independent decisions on who they want to hire, but those decisions must meet the expectations of SEC Bylaw 19.8.1.2, which requires institutions to contact the NCAA and SEC offices regarding a potential hire's compliance background prior to offering employment.
In addition, Sankey wrote in his memo that the Committee on Infractions described Ole Miss' violations "as cutting against and undermining core principles of the collegiate model." Sankey added that Freeze was "directly involved in some of the less serious violations."
Under the authority granted to him as commissioner, Sankey outlined in 2018 some of the conditions and restrictions related to Freeze should he be hired by an SEC school.
Those conditions included:
• Because Freeze had been found guilty of committing a Level I violation, the president or chancellor would be expected to consult directly with Sankey prior to offering Freeze a job.
• Within 30 days of Freeze's hiring, the school's president, faculty athletics representative, athletic director, head coach and Freeze would have to meet with Sankey at the conference office in Birmingham. Prior to that meeting, the school would provide Sankey with a written plan explaining its complete compliance oversight of Freeze and that plan would have to be approved and signed by the school's president or chancellor.
• Freeze would be required to attend an NCAA Regional Rules meeting in 2019 and 2020 and remain for at least two days.
• Freeze would be prohibited from off-campus recruiting activities until Aug. 1, 2019.
• Any future violation of NCAA rules or SEC bylaws involving Freeze would be subject to additional scrutiny.
On Nov. 27, 2020, Sankey sent out a revised version of Bylaw 19.8.1.2 to presidents, chancellors and athletic directors that did not mention Freeze by name, but it included stipulations about the hiring of any coaches in the SEC that had prior NCAA issues.
In that 2020 memo, Sankey pointed out that SEC institutions were required to "thoroughly evaluate every candidate's rules compliance record prior to offering employment, including asking the candidate directly and communicating with the NCAA and SEC regarding the candidate's compliance record."
Also, Sankey said in that 2020 memo that a school's president or chancellor was expected to contact him directly to discuss any coaching candidate being considered for employment that had "engaged in unethical conduct or participated in activity that resulted or may result in Level I, Level II or major infractions."
Sankey added that over the past few years he had received several inquiries from SEC schools about the status of "several of these individuals [primarily assistant coaches] and expect these inquiries will continue."


text:
#ifndef CORE_LOG_H
#define CORE_LOG_H

#include <vector>

// General logging functions. All logging should be done through these macros.
//
// The system supports the following log levels with the specified meanings:
// * LOG_LEVEL_FATAL:   Serious error. No recovery is possible and the system will die immediately.
// * LOG_LEVEL_ERROR:   Serious error. We can continue, but it should not happen during normal use.
// * LOG_LEVEL_WARNING: Possible issue. It is not technically an error, but it is suspicious.
// * LOG_LEVEL_INFO:    Normal behaviour. Small amount of messages that indicate program progress.
// * LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG    Used only for debugging. The amount of logging may slow down the program.
// * LOG_LEVEL_VERBOSE: Very verbose debug logging. It may log excessive amount of information.

#include "target.h"

// Levels of logging from least verbose to most verbose.
// These log levels correspond to Android log levels.
#define LOG_LEVEL_FATAL   0
#define LOG_LEVEL_ERROR   1
#define LOG_LEVEL_WARNING 2
#define LOG_LEVEL_INFO    3
#define LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG   4
#define LOG_LEVEL_VERBOSE 5

// If no log level specified then use the default one.
#ifndef LOG_LEVEL
#   define LOG_LEVEL LOG_LEVEL_INFO
#endif

#define GAPID_STR(S) GAPID_STR2(S)
#define GAPID_STR2(S) #S

#if TARGET_OS == GAPID_OS_WINDOWS
  #define PRIsize "Iu"
#else
  #define PRIsize "zu"
#endif

#if TARGET_OS == GAPID_OS_ANDROID

#include <android/log.h>

#define GAPID_LOGGER_INIT(...)
#define GAPID_SHOULD_LOG(LEVEL) (LOG_LEVEL >= LEVEL)
#define GAPID_LOG(LEVEL, ANDROID_LOG_LEVEL, FORMAT, ...)                                          \
  if GAPID_SHOULD_LOG(LEVEL) {                                                                    \
    if (LEVEL == LOG_LEVEL_FATAL) {                                                               \
      __android_log_assert(nullptr, "GAPID", "[%s:%u] " FORMAT,                                   \
                           __FILE__, __LINE__, ##__VA_ARGS__);                                    \
    } else {                                                                                \
      __android_log_print(ANDROID_LOG_LEVEL, "GAPID", "[%s:%u] " FORMAT,                          \
                          __FILE__, __LINE__, ##__VA_ARGS__);                                     \
    }                                                                                \
  }
#define GAPID_FATAL(FORMAT, ...) GAPID_LOG(LOG_LEVEL_FATAL, ANDROID_LOG_FATAL, FORMAT, ##__VA_ARGS__)
#define GAPID_ERROR(FORMAT, ...) GAPID_LOG(LOG_LEVEL_ERROR, ANDROID_LOG_ERROR, FORMAT, ##__VA_ARGS__)
#define GAPID_WARNING(FORMAT, ...) GAPID_LOG(LOG_LEVEL_WARNING, ANDROID_LOG_WARN, FORMAT, ##__VA_ARGS__)
#define GAPID_INFO(FORMAT, ...) GAPID_LOG(LOG_LEVEL_INFO, ANDROID_LOG_INFO, FORMAT, ##__VA_ARGS__)
#define GAPID_DEBUG(FORMAT, ...) GAPID_LOG(LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG, ANDROID_LOG_DEBUG, FORMAT, ##__VA_ARGS__)
#define GAPID_VERBOSE(FORMAT, ...) GAPID_LOG(LOG_LEVEL_VERBOSE, ANDROID_LOG_VERBOSE, FORMAT, ##__VA_ARGS__)

#else  // TARGET_OS == GAPID_OS_ANDROID

#include <stdio.h>

namespace core {

// Singleton logger implementation for PCs to write formatted log messages.
class Logger {
public:
    // Initializes the logger to write to the log file at path.
    static void init(unsigned level, const char* system, const char* path);

    // Write a log message to the log output with the specific log level. The location should
    // contain the place where the log is written from and the format is a standard C format string
    // If a message is logged with level LOG_LEVEL_FATAL, the program will terminate after the
    // message is printed.
    // Log messages take the form: <time> <level> <system> <file:line> : <message>
    void logf(unsigned level, const char* file, unsigned line, const char* format, ...) const;

    void vlogf(unsigned level, const char* file, unsigned line, const char* format, va_list args) const;

    static const Logger& instance() { return mInstance; }

    static unsigned level() { return mInstance.mLevel; }

private:
    // mInstance is the single logger instance.
    static Logger mInstance;

    Logger();
    ~Logger();

    unsigned mLevel;
    const char* mSystem;
    std::vector<FILE*> mFiles;
};

}  // namespace core

#define GAPID_LOGGER_INIT(...) ::core::Logger::init(__VA_ARGS__)
#define GAPID_SHOULD_LOG(LEVEL) (::core::Logger::level() >= LEVEL)
#define GAPID_LOG(LEVEL, FORMAT, ...)                                                             \
  if GAPID_SHOULD_LOG(LEVEL) {                                                                    \
    ::core::Logger::instance().logf(LEVEL, __FILE__, __LINE__, FORMAT, ##__VA_ARGS__);            \
  }
#define GAPID_FATAL(FORMAT, ...) GAPID_LOG(LOG_LEVEL_FATAL, FORMAT, ##__VA_ARGS__)
#define GAPID_ERROR(FORMAT, ...) GAPID_LOG(LOG_LEVEL_ERROR, FORMAT, ##__VA_ARGS__)
#define GAPID_WARNING(FORMAT, ...) GAPID_LOG(LOG_LEVEL_WARNING, FORMAT, ##__VA_ARGS__)
#define GAPID_INFO(FORMAT, ...) GAPID_LOG(LOG_LEVEL_INFO, FORMAT, ##__VA_ARGS__)
#define GAPID_DEBUG(FORMAT, ...) GAPID_LOG(LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG, FORMAT, ##__VA_ARGS__)
#define GAPID_VERBOSE(FORMAT, ...) GAPID_LOG(LOG_LEVEL_VERBOSE, FORMAT, ##__VA_ARGS__)

#endif  // TARGET_OS == GAPID_OS_ANDROID

// Define the required log macros based on the specified log level

#endif  // CORE_LOG_H

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Why Imagen
Home » Resources » Why it's so important for sport brands to give audiences what they want
Why it's so important for sport brands to give audiences what they want
Right now, the number of people watching sport on TV is declining. However, people aren't turning away from the genre; they're just consuming sports content in different ways.
The question is, do sports content owners recognise the importance of the shift and are they ready to give consumers what they want?
The cause of the issue
We've investigated this recently while writing a report on the consumption of sports content, and found the big issue to be that many consumers today want content as quickly as possible. Usually at the expense of quality. This has led to a big rise in the availability of illegally streamed content online, taking viewers away from the traditional broadcasters and official sports channels.
These changes in viewer behaviour have meant that the type of content being consumed is evolving too. There has been a rise in the popularity of 'near-live' content, and fans no longer set aside significant chunks of time to consume sports. Instead, they 'snack' on it throughout the day using social media updates and push notifications, watching edited highlights and clips as opposed to full versions of content.
There is also a continuing rise in fan-generated content (such as Arsenal Fan TV or FullTimeDevils) that is pulling viewers away from official programming produced by clubs and content owners. These channels grow in popularity daily, already boasting hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
The impact - and what to do about it
So why does this all matter? Sports organisations are still getting their TV deals. They also have their own online platforms, so can't they just ride the storm?
In our view, it's very unlikely. Audiences are becoming too frequently engaged elsewhere, and not with the official brand - taking valuable revenue and community engagement opportunities away from content owners.
These content owners need to ask themselves: how have they ended up in a position where people would rather look for illegal or fanzine style programming than official licensed content? Surely the official sources should be holding the cards in terms of quality, exclusivity and value-added features and promotions?
Over the last year, this is something that Imagen has researched and given considerable thought to. We've produced two reports as part of this process, which demonstrate that, so far, content owners have simply been too slow to react to their audience's changing requirements.
The first report – Beyond Live – surveys the landscape in detail, and explains why content owners feel they don't currently have the capability to rapidly produce content that will grow their audience online.
The second report – Who Moved the Goalposts – takes the issue a step further, by explaining where the technical shortfalls are and what you can do to address them.
Just to reassure you, we're not trying to be all doom and gloom; there is huge opportunity still out there. According to research from Nielsen, overall sports media consumption actually grew 13 per cent in 2016 because of content viewed online.
Content owners who get their online presence and programming right will have ample opportunity to engage with their community, allowing them to foster brand loyalty as well as create revenue opportunities.
New report: who moved the goalposts?
Capitalising on changing viewing habits and the future of sports media distribution.
Access and download our latest report, investigating the changing nature of sports media consumption, and what the future holds for owners and distributors of sports video content.
Discoverability crucial for satisfying increased demand for sports content
Sports footage is one of the most popular and sought after products across the world and fantastical...
Content is Queen, Digital Lessons from the International Netball Federation
Netball has found innovative ways to gain visibility across an array of platforms. In our recent rep...
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Calling Nurse A 'Hero,' Utah Hospital Bars Police From Patient-Care Areas
The Salt Lake City hospital where a police officer roughly arrested a nurse who was protecting her patient's rights in July will no longer allow law enforcement agents inside its patient care areas. They'll now have to check in, rather than enter through the emergency room
"Law enforcement who come to the hospital for any reason involving patients will be required to check in to the front desk of the hospital," said chief nursing officer Margaret Pearce of the University of Utah Hospital. "There, a hospital house supervisor will meet the officers to work through each request."
Hospital officials say they created the policy one day after the July incident in which nurse Alex Wubbels refused to allow a police investigator identified as Jeff Payne to get a blood sample from a patient who was injured in a deadly collision with another driver. Wubbels was following the hospital's policy (and a recent Supreme Court decision) that requires either a warrant, the patient's consent, or the patient being under arrest for such a sample to be obtained legally.
Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that the Fourth Amendment bars blood tests from being obtained without a warrant in drunk-driving cases.
Image: By UofUHealthCare at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56696604
NPR The Two Way
Study: Medicaid Expansion Had No Significant Impact on MD ER Visits
"…there were some people who believed that the expansion would swamp the emergency department. Thirty-six thousand may seem like a lot of visits, but in Maryland, that only equates to about a 1 percent change. So the effect of expanding Medicaid seems to have had no effect on emergency department utilization at an aggregate level."
The study also showed that Medicaid-covered visits increased by almost 6 percent, while the number of uninsured patient visits decreased almost 6 percent.
Among uninsured patients who visited an emergency department before the ACA, 37 percent made at least one visit to an emergency department during the post-ACA study period. About 28 percent of those patients remained uninsured for all visits, while 31 percent were consistently enrolled in Medicaid.
"It was unrealistic to expect emergency department visits to decrease immediately after the ACA enactment," said Gabor Kelen, director of the Johns Hopkins Department of Emergency Medicine. "The ACA did not really address incremental primary care access for the newly insured. Many new Medicaid-insured patients are still dealing with serious conditions that require emergency hospital care. Also, a population who could only previously receive care in the emergency department is not likely to immediately change this tendency."
Image: CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=458919
The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
Early last year, executives at a small hospital an hour north of Spokane, Wash., started using a company called EmCare to staff and run their emergency room. The hospital had been struggling to find doctors to work in its E.R., and turning to EmCare was something hundreds of other hospitals across the country had done. That's when the trouble began
Before EmCare, about 6 percent of patient visits in the hospital's emergency room were billed for the most complex, expensive level of care. After EmCare arrived, nearly 28 percent got the highest-level billing code.
On top of that, the hospital, Newport Hospital and Health Services, was getting calls from confused patients who had received surprisingly large bills from the emergency room doctors. Although the hospital had negotiated rates for its fees with many major health insurers, the EmCare physicians were not part of those networks and were sending high bills directly to the patients. For a patient needing care with the highest-level billing code, the hospital's previous physicians had been charging $467; EmCare's charged $1,649.
"The billing scenario, that was the real fiasco and caught us off guard," said Tom Wilbur, the chief executive of Newport Hospital. "Hindsight being 20/20, we never would have done that." Faced with angry patients, the hospital took back control of its coding and billing.
NYTimes The Upahot
Emergency Room Patients Routinely Overcharged
Johns Hopkins study finds 'Price gouging' especially prevalent among for-profit hospitals that treat minorities, uninsured patients
Friday, June 2nd, 2017
In emergency rooms across the U.S., people are charged on average 340 percent more than what Medicare pays for services and treatments, with minorities and uninsured patients bearing the brunt of overcharges, a new study from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has found.
The study, published online today in JAMA Internal Medicine, illustrates the need for greater transparency in hospital pricing, says senior investigator Martin Makary, a professor of surgery at JHU's School of Medicine.
"There are massive disparities in service costs across emergency rooms, and that price gouging is the worst for the most vulnerable populations," Makary says. "Our study found that inequality is then further compounded on poor, minority groups, who are more likely to receive services from hospitals that charge the most."
Image: By Coolcaesar at the English language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15853256
Saving Chance
Hopkins ER tested when a child is shot within the womb in East Baltimore
When the bullet pierced her back and cracked her spine, Vanessa Sims began to blame herself. Why was she, at eight months pregnant, on North Avenue at midnight?
"That was so inappropriate," she still says of being out that night.
It was Father's Day and the moon rose full above East Baltimore. Stay in bed, her boyfriend had told her. He would pick up the fried rice she craved.
Instead, she left their rooming-house apartment, walked down Greenmount Avenue and turned on North Avenue for the carryout. She said she wanted to show off the cute sneakers her boyfriend had given her — purple Jordans.
In Alameda County, A Big Data Effort To Prevent Frequent ER Visits
Almost every day, a patient comes into Dr. Arthur Sorrell's San Francisco emergency room still wearing a wristband from another hospital nearby
"There are folks who have a life of going from emergency department to emergency department, and that's how their day is spent," said Sorrell, an emergency physician and administrator at Sutter Health. "It's sad and tragic, but that's what happens."
The wristband is at least a hint.
Without it, emergency room staff often have no idea they are sharing patients with other hospitals just a mile away. So they treat those patients completely independently, often repeating tests unnecessarily, assigning them multiple case managers when only one is needed and offering contradictory advice.
A Dearth Of Hospital Beds For Patients In Psychiatric Crisis
When Pam Lipp's 18-year-old daughter Amanda needed to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital in 2010, she thought it would be easy to find her a bed. Instead, Lipp says, "It was a nightmare."
Her daughter had been admitted to a psychiatric crisis center during an episode of psychosis but she could only stay there for 72 hours. Lipp asked the crisis center for help finding her a bed and was told she was on her own.
So Lipp plugged her phone into the wall in the waiting room and started calling one hospital after the next. They were all full. They wouldn't reserve a spot when a bed opened, nor would they call to let her know. So she called each one every half hour to check. After eight hours, she found her daughter an open bed near their home in Fair Oaks, California.
Usually, it's an emergency room staff or medical providers making such calls, rather than a patient or caregiver. The result, however, is the same: Finding an available inpatient psychiatric bed in the state of California can be extremely difficult. Many patients with acute psychiatric conditions spend days deteriorating in hospital emergency departmentswhile they wait.
Seeking Painkillers in the Emergency Room
A couple of months ago, a patient well known to the emergency room where I work came in requesting his usual cocktail of narcotic pain medications. It was early Saturday morning, before the usual bustle of patients had begun, and I had some time
The patient was well documented in the electronic medical record for his frequent emergency room visits for painkillers. To further confirm, I called his pharmacy, and as soon as the pharmacist heard the patient's name, he sighed loudly, said he knew him well, and began listing the litany of different doctors and hospitals from which the patient had gotten narcotic painkillers.
I then sat down with the patient for a good 25 minutes — a considerably long time in a busy, urban emergency room— and explained why I could not give him what he wanted. It was clearly stated in his medical record that he had an extensive history of opioid abuse, and the shopping-around for prescriptions, as suggested by his pharmacy, further validated that. I knew if I waved him off with another supply of painkillers, I would only perpetuate his addiction problem.
NY Times Well Blog


text:
Reservoir GT Tour Carbon IDEC Sport 2021 Edition
Watches & Wonders 2020: Our Interview With IWC Schaffhausen CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr
We sit down with the head of IWC Schaffhausen to go through the new Portugieser collection, talk Yachting, and the new Manufakturzentrum.
By Josh Shanks
Before the virtual shutdown of the world. We sat down with Christoph Grainger-Herr, the CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. This interview took place at the brand's Madison Avenue boutique and covered a variety of topics, including the brand's new Portugieser collection.
Interview with Christoph Grainger-Herr
Josh Shanks: 2020 is shaping up to be the year of the Portugieser (read our overview HERE), despite the situation in China and Europe, how's 2020 been for IWC?
Christoph Grainger-Herr: We're not called the International Watch Company for no reason. We've always really focused on a strong representation in all different markets focused on local clients. We're used to turmoil ever since the first financial crisis of 2009. It's become a regular occurrence, but the point is that you have a good customer base and a good flexible manufacturing and distribution network.
Josh: The new Portugieser Yacht Club is obviously tied to the sea, do you have a personal interest in sailing?
Christoph Grainger-Herr: Absolutely, this comes in quite handy to our passions! So we're not only creating a watch, but we're doing something tangible.
The new Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph
Josh: What was the inspiration behind the Moon & Tide reference.
Christoph Grainger-Herr: This watch is made to reflect a mood. Akin to daytime sailing and another version for nighttime, which is reflected in a marina at night with the lights on with a dark blue sky. These color codes give a luxurious representation of that lifestyle.
The Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide
Josh: I noticed a red version (ref. IW371616). I might know where the inspiration came from for this piece (Lewis Hamilton, read HERE):
Christoph Grainger-Herr: We have two versions, which represent a maritime component, a green piece, and a red piece representing starboard and port side for navigation on a yacht, but absolutely this was based on a successful Lewis Hamilton launch. He's amazing, just a dedicated and super hard-working driver, and we're happy to have him.
The new Portugieser Chronograph
Josh: Now that the new manufacture (read HERE) is up and running, is it meeting your expectations?
Christoph Grainger-Herr: It's exceeding our expectations by far. With the new in-house calibers, we're going through a massive ramp-up in terms of quantities. This new manufacture is the only way we can do that. We built for flexibility, and it seems that every ten days, we move around again, which is great.
Josh: Could you give us an example of how the new manufacture has changed the way the IWC Schaffhausen teams work?
Christoph Grainger-Herr: The ability to have all the departments in a logical workflow in one open space and being able to talk to each other has really sped up the learning process in the organization. People are not afraid to speak to each other [and learn best practices]. Plus, on the new Portugieser, these watches are being assembled start to finish in one dedicated area in our movement assembly line. This allows us to massively ramp up the production of in-house calibers.
Josh: You also talk about the visitor experience, could you tell us more?
Christoph Grainger-Herr: We're the only one that I'm aware of in Switzerland where the visitor experience has not been an afterthought. We worked in parallel teams from the beginning to determine the most efficient layout but also how we can tell the story [of IWC]. We can start with a magazine of raw bars of metal and go to the finished watch case and movement, and you really understand step-by-step how it all goes together.
Josh: Your new novelties focus heavily on the new manufacture (read HERE) and in-house movements. Any hints about what's to come later in 2020? Perhaps new Pilots or other things coming down the pipe?
Christoph Grainger-Herr: Of course! It's all hidden behind the door. There will be key novelties across the families, and some interesting new functionalities are coming.
Josh: In speaking with you, I can tell you're quite passionate about IWC. But I have to ask what keeps you coming to work every day?
Christoph Grainger-Herr: It's really a pure joy and fun that we have. Broadly speaking, we make emotional products that people want, but they don't necessarily need. So there's a feel-good factor in our industry. We're providing a positive experience to our clients that makes a difference to their lives and adds meaning and self-expression to their lives. To see that and see the passion that goes into the creation, production, and advertising of these products, it's an awful lot of fun.
Josh: Do you still get excited when you see someone out at a restaurant wearing an IWC?
Christoph Grainger-Herr: Absolutely! I would get even more passionate to see more people wearing IWC. I can't think of any other objects that packs so much meaning and symbolism in such a small piece. But with a watch, you take it everywhere. It's the one thing where you can very quickly figure out what someone is trying to say about themselves and where their values are.
(Photography by Liam O'Donnell)
Start Your 2021 Off Right With The IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar
Celebrate the new year and raise a glass to a long and happy life with these classic complications.
A Portuguese Take On The Portugieser: My Four Favorite IWC Releases
With IWC recently announcing an abundance of beautiful new Portugiesers during Watches and Wonders 2020, we here at Watchonista thought, who better to give...
Watches & Wonders 2020: Tracing The Roots Of IWC Schaffhausen's New Portugieser Collection
An overview of the Schaffhausen-based brand's newest timepieces.


text:
Hundreds turn out for swine showmanship at county fair
ZANESVILLE - About 400 area youth waited in the sweltering heat of the hog barn Monday evening as the 2016 Junior Fair Swine Showmanship got underway.
Months of hard work were put to the test as hogs were led through the arena by handlers, each vying for a win.
Showmanship is an exhibitor's ability to present an animal in a competitive show ring environment. It is the one area of livestock showing over which the exhibitor has the most control. In showmanship, participants are judged on their abilities to control and present their animals in the show ring and holding pen.
Winning takes practice but can be achieved by working with the hog and preparing it for show.
For John Brown, of Chandlersville, practice paid off. The 9-year-old took second place in Class 13 of Division 2.
"Me and my father spend 30 minutes getting (the pig) cleaned up before I show," John said. "I spend much more time than that getting him fully prepared for the fair."
Raising a pig for show takes a lot of effort from both the child and the parents. Feed has to be constantly regulated and adjusted according to how the pig is growing. They require daily grooming and walking to prepare show.
The daily routine isn't always met with enthusiasm, according to the patriarch of the family, Charles Brown.
Despite the hard work, John said he loves to be judged because it shows him how well he has done with his pig.
For his sister, Shelby Brown, 11, a mistake at registration was quite disappointing.
"When they were registered, the names got put with the wrong pig," Brown said. "So John is showing Shelby's pig and Shelby is showing John's."
Ultimately, however, the mistake put Shelby Brown at the top of her class.


A new curved geometrical light with a microscopic precision-pierced surface and soft nickel silver coating. Curve internally reflects and emits a filtered glow of ethereal light.
This wall version of the Curve lighting range will look great offset against one of the Curve Pendant lights, why not mix and match with the rest of the range.


text:
Skipper insists Saints can cope without Pelle
Saints captain Jose Fonte is confident that the club can get a positive result against Manchester City despite Graziano Pelle's absence.
By DanNoutch Nov 25, 2015, 11:04am GMT
Share All sharing options for: Skipper insists Saints can cope without Pelle
Steve Bardens/Getty Images
Southampton captain Jose Fonte is confident that the Saints can pick up a positive result at the Etihad despite top scorer Graziano Pelle being suspended.
The Italian striker was booked late on in the defeat to Stoke for a deliberate handball. That was his fifth booking of the season which means he will miss the trip to the Etihad on Saturday.
However, Fonte is confident that the side can cope without the striker.
"Well, we have other players in the team so we need to deal with it," Fonte told the Daily Echo.
"Obviously he's [Pelle] an important part in our team and it is going to be difficult without him.
"But we have trust in the other players as well. We all know the philosophy that we have and we'll try and play our game there."
Shane Long is the likely choice to lead the line for the Saints with Jay Rodriguez reported to have had another operation, this time on his foot. The only other possibility is Ryan Seager but Ronald Koeman will be unlikely to start the youngster.
Fonte believes it will be a good opportunity for Long to start down the middle rather than the wide position that Koeman prefers to utilise the forward.
"It is a good opportunity for Shane to show that he can play up there as well. He's going to have his chance there so let's hope he can get some goals."
Koeman's side will travel to the Etihad buoyed by City's poor performance against Liverpool which saw them suffer a 4-1 defeat at home to Klopp's side.
"We know it's going to be tough but obviously we're going to go there and try and get a result."
Fonte will be hoping that the Saints will put on a better performance than the one that saw them lose 1-0 at home to Stoke. The Portuguese international bemoaned the international break for the side's lacklustre performance against The Potters.
"We didn't create enough. We didn't have clear-cut chances, so today wasn't our best and we have to move on from this, have a good rest and prepare ourselves for the difficult fixtures that we have now.
"We didn't start well and I guess the international break took its toll on us. Most of the players played a lot of minutes and we came back a little bit lethargic and it wasn't the best of performances."