I was speaking to my Korean friend after church this morning.  He is on a working holiday in Australia.  This is what I can remember of what he told me, in my words:

South Koreans have to do two years "national service" in the armed (defence) forces.  North Koreans must do 10 years of compulsory national service!

North Korean children are compulsorily institutionalised from the age of three.

North Koreans do not have the freedom to travel, even within their own country!  Neither do they have the internet.

"South Korea is one of the world's most wired countries whereas North Korea has few computers, almost no Internet access outside the capital Pyongyang and teaches students about the Web by showing them photocopied papers of monitor displays."

In 1945, following WWII, North Korea was occupied by Russia; South Korea by the USA.

Two kms either side of the North Korea/South Korea border there are landmines & bombs - it's the Korean Demilitarised Zone.

 

Here is a video, by journeymanpictures, taken inside North Korea.  The voiceover is by an Australian.

Here's another glimpse of North Korea, by VBSdotTV, this time the voice is American.

Sightseeing North Korea with Google satellite maps.

Click here for a Wall Street Journal article about mapping North Korea, with the help of Google Earth.  This is the slideshow which accompanies the article.

Recent scenes from North Korea: great photos, interesting captions, from boston.com.

North Korea on Wikipedia.

 

These are my favourite perfumes, which I have worn over the last few years:

Nina by Nina Ricci 

Nina by Nina Ricci is a new modern-day, magical and enchanting fairy tale. Nina, a pretty and refreshing heroine, a modern-day, romantic fairy. This is an original fragrance, a scent like no other. An elixir, a promise of enchantment with a radiant power of seduction. The fragrance of secret dreams.

Featuring calabrian lemon and caipirinha lime - this magical and enchanting fragrance blends temptation, femininity and modernity. Its sparkling and spontaneous top notes are a dynamic accord built around citrus pulp. The heart notes consist of moon flower, vanilla infusion, red toffee apple and peony petals, showcasing a dual facet, mouth-watering and caramelized scent, which mingles with a precious, feminine, delicate and sweet floral note. The base notes are appletree wood, cotton musk. It is a soft and delicate seduction brought by the silky and reassuring embrace of light woods.

 

First by Van Cleef & Arpels 

A floral aldehyde, First by Van Cleef & Arpels relies only on the prime choice of noble components and white flowers - the most luxurious and seductive of all components. It is a tribute to femininity, shrouded in mystery and remains sophisticated which conveys a feeling of exclusiveness.

Top notes : aldehyde, raspberry, prach, hyacinth
Heart notes : mayrose, carnation, jasmin, orchid, lily of the valley, tuberose, orris
Base notes : oakmoss, amber, civet, honey, sandalwood, vetiver

(This, First, is my current perfume.)

 

Gucci Envy Me  

 

Gucci Envy Me has a sensual blend of peony, jasmine, and pink pepper, melded with notes of sweet litchi and pomegranate and pineapple, and smoothed with musk, white tea, and warm woods. 

 

Yves Saint Laurent Paris Baby Doll

Yves Saint Laurent Baby Doll Paris is a sweet, spicy fragrance with top notes of floral fruity harmony. Base notes of red currant, wild rose, and grenadine.

 

I also have liked JLo's Live & Elizabeth Arden's Sunflowers.

 

Hmmmm peony was mentioned a couple of times.  Maybe I should grow peonies?  

Here is an Australian fact sheet about peonies - & here is a better one.

Click here to see some peonies.

 

Check out my birthday nails:

 

Thank-you Flavia.

I'm thinking I'll be 38 today - & until further notice.  ;-)

These were hand painted, using a wooden toothpick with a blunted tip.

Take a look at this Nail Art Gallery. One of my favourite's is Keiko's 4th.

Here's a tutorial for some easy dotted nail art.

Lastly, another easy tutorial for flowers (the white flowers look the best, imo).

It's an everyday miracle:

 

 

I saw this for the first time on Rage (ABC TV) this morning, & I love it!

 

It's a video clip of Beyonce singing Halo.  Click on the picture to listen to it on YouTube.

The piano is wonderful, Beyonce is beautiful, her voice is magnificent, the guy is _gorgeous_ (Check out his eyes! Who is he?!), it's all about _love_, I like the lyrics, they're meaningful to me, & the gathered, draped bodice of her wedding dress is the type I want for mine.

 

What do men really want out of women?

Evan Marc Katz reckons the most important trait is:

How you make him FEEL.

That's right. It's not your list of credentials that impress men - it's how they feel about themselves when they're with you.

Who does he want to date?

• The woman who asks him about himself.
• The woman who laughs at his jokes.
• The woman who doesn't give him a hard time about working or hanging out with his friends.
• The woman who trusts him.
• The woman who is up for anything on the weekends and everything in bed.
• The woman whose default setting is happy, not stressed/angry/anxious.

If he feels GOOD about hanging around with you, he's going to want to hang around with you forever.

Just by understanding that men like to FEEL good - not hectored, not emasculated, not second guessed, not browbeaten - you can become the ideal girlfriend instantly!

What do you think?