One year ago... visiting North Korea

A year ago at this time I was spending a memorable week inside the DPRK (North Korea) fulfilling a dream of visiting the country. I was not there on any political mission. I simply wanted to see it for myself so I could make an assessment for myself and (admittedly) for bragging rights. It is common to complain that the DPRK is a place where the government has significant control over the media, decides rigidly who can enter the country and gives its people a very strict view on the outside world. Sounds to me like a lot of western countries. Aside from all of the seriousness of the situation there, it was an enjoyable experience. With the exception of the border crossing from the DPRK to China, there was no time I ever felt in danger or harassed. We ate well, the hosts were great and the sights interesting. The highlight of my trip took place when one of our guides felt comfortable enough with me to allow me ten minutes alone to walk the streets of downtown Pyongyang unaccompanied. This slideshow is a collection of some of my photos from the trip. Be warned... there is a soundtrack with the photo show. Careful with the audio! I hope you enjoy the photos.

 

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Face Recognition on Snow Leopard? My Predicition

I have been a Mac user for years. My first Apple was a Lisa. Enough said there. I've converted enough people from Windows to Mac to earn an invitation to Steve's annual year end bash. But the reasons are not selfish. I just like to see people be productive, creative and enjoying their time with a computer.
 
Over the years I have watched Apple grow, fail and rebound. I'll be the first admit I didn't see many of the revolutionary products coming. I still recall, though, a moment in late 2001 when I stood in a computer store in Tokyo and saw the PowerBook G3 and the 1G iPod. I bought both on the spot and still have them. I knew at that point a change at Apple was underway. And since that time, Apple doesn't do anything without a strategic approach to product development and enhancement. Think about 'cover flow' and you get the idea. But I generally don't make predictions. Until now.
 
Apple introduced face recognition with the latest version of iPhoto. I think this technology was too expensive to develop and too valuable to leave alone. With most MacBooks, MacBook Pros and iMacs now equipped with iSight cameras, why not use the face recognition technology as a means to log in to the computer? When you start the computer or awake it, the computer reads your visual image from the camera and decides if you are right person. Of course, it should have a secondary back up password entry option. The idea seems also foolproof and seamless at the same time. How about it Apple?

Yurikamome Line in Tokyo

Tokyo is a fascinating and interesting place to visit, even more so as a place to live. Among one of more enjoyable yet inexpensive things to do in Tokyo is to ride the Yurikamome Line. The line, named after the black-headed seagull (the official prefectural bird), connects Shimbashi to Toyosu, passing through the artificial island of Odaiba. Yurikamome was Tokyo's first fully automated transit system, controlled entirely by computers with no drivers on board. Each of stations use the recorded voices of different renown voice actors for their announcements.

What makes it such a interesting journey is the elevated track that takes you past the warehouses and shipyards of Takeshiba, across the Rainbow with a terrific view of Tokyo Harbor and through Odaiba. Departing from Shibaura-futo Station, the train glides high above the port below and makes a 270-degree loop, providing panoramic views. Get off at Daiba Station and walk to the waterfront. Walk northeast (to your right) along the beach for about twenty minutes until you get to Daiba Koen, a small park on a peninsula with spectacular views of the city and the bridge. Or walk in the opposite direction and end up at the Fune-no-kakagukan (Maritime Museum) where there are plenty of boats and ships to see, some retired and many working vessels. The Japan Coast Guard keeps a small fleet of its boats in this area.

If time and energy permit, there is an entrance to the walking path across the Rainbow Bridge located near the Daiba Koen. Just make sure it is open at the time you are there. Usually the bridge path is open 9-5 and shorter hours in the winter. There is a walkway on both sides of the bridge and access is free. Take along your camera but roaming guards discourage the use of tripods. There are several places along the bridge where you can sit and rest, and there are openings in the wire fence for photography. But the noise from the traffic is anything but relaxing.

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The cat and the window washer

Today is a national holiday in Japan, Shunbun no hi (春分の日) or Vernal Equinox. Some rain in the morning but this afternoon is clear and warm. This afternoon was exterior window washing day at our condo, done four times a year by a contracted company. When the window washer descended to our living room windows, our cat Spago just had to investigate what was going behind the curtains. What we say about a cat's curiosity is true. I happened to see the shadows on the two of them and grabbed my camera. I can only imagine what the window washer was thinking when he encountered Spago.

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Rain coming to Tokyo this morning

A warm early morning gave way to low storm clouds that rolled in from the southwest (right side of this image) and rain is forecasted this morning and into the afternoon. Back to bright sunshine and spring weather tomorrow when I think the first of the cherry blossoms will be blooming.
 
Note: Sorry for catching part of the veranda in the lower right corner. I jumped up from the kitchen table, grabbed my camera to take this image just as the light was changing and the clouds rolled in over the neighborhood. Less than five minutes later, the sky was flat and grey. Maybe I ought to leave the camera out there permanently.

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My Mona Lisa

I took this photo in Wan Chai in Hong Kong on Thursday as I walked through a building en route to a meeting. These are the winning entries in an international "My Mona Lisa" art competition, designed to promote art by students with disabilities across Asia. The competition attracted entries from China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Korea and Singapore. Winners of the competition will travel to Paris to see the original Mona Lisa in the Louvre.

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