Book Review: Nothing to Envy - Real Lives in North Korea

For a bit of background information, North Korea (officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea) is a communist country in East Asia bordering South Korea. North Korea also shares land borders with China and Russia. Following the Korean War in 1950, the Korean peninsula was divided into North and South Korea divided by the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone. During the war, the Soviet Union and China backed North Korea while the United States fought on behalf of South Korea. The consequence of the war was that North Korea was led by the Korean Workers' Party (KWP) with Kim II-sung as president while South Korea was declared a democracy with Syngman Rhee instated as president. No peace treaty was signed, resulting in the two countries remaining at loggerheads with each other. At least 2.5 million people died during the Korean War and is considered by many to be one of the most futile wars ever waged in history.

Sailing across the seas

These pics were taken during a three day holiday in August 2006 aboard the Star Virgo Cruise. 

The cruise we took was to "no destination" which meant that for three days, we were just sailing across the seas. It worked fine for us as we got to explore the cruise ship for the entire duration.

As you walk onto the deck, you listen to the subtle splashing of water, feel the gentle breeze in your hair and take in the fresh salty air....time almost comes to a standstill. Back in the room, you still can't stop gazing at the endless sea. 

There is just something so incredibly peaceful and alluring about that blue sparkling water...

Memories of Malaysia

One of the advantages of living in Singapore is that it just an arms length away from several countries, Malaysia being one of them. 

Much like Singapore, Malaysia is a melting pot of cultures. The diversity of races, religions and cultures make this country a popular tourist destination. Malaysia is so much bigger than Singapore and has an abundance of natural beauty in the form of forests, valleys, mountains, caves and beaches. 

We have been to Malaysia several times now (November 2006, April 2007, February 2008 and February 2010). It is just a 4-5 hr journey from Singapore to the capital city of Kuala Lumpur (KL) and having relatives in KL meant that we always had a reason to visit.

One of our first holidays after coming to Singapore, was to Desaru (April 2006), a small coastal resort town in Johor. A 25 min ferry ride from Singapore, this place is the ideal place for a relaxing weekend getaway.