DMZ
"So mom, I went to the Axis of Evil today," says Alicia. This weekend provided one of the most surreal experiences yet. Accompanied by my friends Joseph, Ashley and Heather, we took a trip to the Demilitarized Zone aka the DMZ. It's the border between communist North Korea and my beloved South. The actual border is buffered by 4 km of this zone where both countries co-exist "peaceably". This zone is technically still a war zone. We signed a paper literally freeing the US of any responsibility if we get shot, now thats a good time.

We had 4 stops on the tour with various landmarks relevant to the area. One was the place where, in the 70's, a US officer was literally axed to death by North Koreans for chopping a tree down. There was the 3rd tunnel, which the North Koreans secretly dug into South Korea in preparation for an attack. It could facilitate 30,000 soldiers in an hour...crazy. In all there was so much history there, and all within the last 40 years. North Korea has no cars, television, and most modern conveniences...a communist country at it's finest. There is so much competetion evident... S.K. constructs a flag pole, N.K. builds a taller one. There are two towns in this area, one North and one South, obviously closely guarded and monitored. But people actually live in this war zone, and get paid about $80k USD to do so. The North has a "Propaganda Village" which is literally empty buildings; built to give the appearance of a thriving nation. Though we didn't see the North close up, there was this eerie feeling that despite the similar appearance to the South, you knew something just wasn't right.

Our last stop was to the JSA, Joint Security Area which is literally the border between the North and the South. There is a building where all the meetings and negotiations are held, split by this line. Before entering this section, our tour guide, Sgt. Fleming (i heart army rangers), tells us to pull out our bullet-proof vests from under the seats...I nearly peed my pants. No joke. Our group of 40 was lined up facing the North building across a large courtyard. At this point we were not allowed to point or make any gestures of sorts, because the North takes pictures to use as propaganda. About 50 yards away in their building we watched a curtain open up and a figure start taking pictures of us. I was tangibly scared. Not to get too metaphorical, but we were literally staring in the face of communism. You could feel the tension and oppression. This building has two doors on both end, the opposing side's door is locked while people are in there. They do this because at one visit with the President, North Korean guards came in, grabbed an American flag and started wiping their shoes with it. Understandably locked. So, so many other stories that won't fit here.

Guards from both sides stand half-hidden by the building (pic), to create less of a target, if shot. The South Korean guards could only be called badasses. While cartoonish, by far some of the most intimidating people I've ever seen. North guards face the North to prevent defecters. If a citizen manages to defect, their entire family will be killed. The weirdest thing is all the talk and anticipation of reuniting the two countries. Koreans still consider them one in their minds. There are highways, train tracks, train stations all built but sitting empty in anticipation of that day. I can't even fathom the gathering of these two distinctly opposing governments. But perhaps in our lifetime...

Though just a few hours, this visit reminded me of the truth behind the evening news. God Bless America. Truly. I recieved a reality check of the goodness of our lives. Whether it be North or South Korea, we have it good. We can live, travel, think, and worship freely. As Americans, we tend to disassociate ourselves from the real atrocities present in the world, we avoid the uncomfortableness of truth outside our bubble. My aim is to live outside that farce. Our lives are good.