So I think most of my friends in real life pretty much know that I'm heading to Beijing for a work trip! My first real work trip, outside of being a flight attendant! WOO! And to think I thought pushing papers sucked.

I must say that I'm quite fortunate and it makes up for the really crappy time that happened with me after Jetsgo went under. Luckily I was not one of those stranded flight attendants or pilots stuck in the US, or in Mexico or on the other side of the country! But I was one of the employees who became stuck in a rut after this disastrous finish to an airline that employed several hard working individuals. I mean how do you feel when something you felt soo happy to be apart of jet setting from one part of the country to the other, working with such great crews -- of course sometimes assholes, and just feeling such happiness for an enjoyable and always changing job.

Many tried to apply to other airlines, others just lost faith and hung around -- some a little too often at Arizona's. Of course I was one of those who decided to laze around, live off of Employment Insurance. Of this lasted only a few months and I found myself in peculiar trouble. So panicking I started sending out résumé’s and such and moved my ass off to the beautiful Toronto again. Ugh. I thought about my friend who worked at Kookookachu, pseudonym of course because I want to protect my workplace for the moment, and thought well I could apply there. I didn’t know for what position but I just applied. A few days later Raphaelle called and told me about the position for Asia Desk!

Apparently Kookookachu started a new Asia desk to compliment their existing vacation packages. WOO! So after the interview and a very intense in person interview and with me basically going in there with balls, and making comments that are very un Johan – I ended up with the job! Shitting myself I did not expect the privilege of obtaining such a job! And now with my own business card, cubicle, phone line, I’m shedding tears! But not only that I get to travel! Holy cows!

I’m heading to Beijing for a weekend in September, which is super cool. And eventually going to Thailand once we have figured out the status of airline seats. Ah. I’m soo very lucky! I absolutely am! I think it’s been worth all the crap that I have gone through in the past few months – ah! Oh boy! What a job. Time to just relax and let it all flow.... i.e the picture...

I neglect to write about the "***ot Express" incident from last entry due to it being such a long time after. So now I write about the following:

I was reading the online version of the Chosun-Ilbo, a Korean newspaper based out of Seoul, and came across an article entitled "Defector Asks N.K. [North Korean] Embassy to Let Him Visit Home.” [http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200508/200508190008.html]

The article highlights a defectors longing for his family and for his roots. Numerous Koreans, not only in Korea, but also around the world are at odds with the North Korean regime as well as with their own governments to go back to their hometowns or seeing their long separated next of kin. Currently the few means of being able to go to North Korea is through package tours via Beijing or to Mt. Kumgang (a revered mountain for all Koreans), or placing your name in a lottery of sorts being one of a number of a group able to participate in inter-Korean family reunions. Of course both trips have a government guide ensuring that no capitalist ideology or intelligentsia ops are going on.

More dangerously another means is by escaping over the Yalu river which provides as a natural border between China and Korea, is by crossing it to make some income and then escaping back into the country as to not arouse suspicion and having your family have to denounce the income seeker or all be thrown into a labour camp. Alas this defector unsuccesffuly attempted to defect to South Korea via China and was forcibly returned to North Korea where he was admitted to a forced labour camp. He then managed to escape and with his family make it all the way to the South Korean Embassy and found refuge in South Korea.

Mr Kim highlights several Koreans’ story of loss. My father is an example of this. Born in Hamhung, Korea – quite a bit before the Korean War and the drawing of the border along the 38^th occurred. Lines and international power politics came to play and lines became permanent and when all calm ensued the bloody Korean War people found themselves on the wrong side of the border. Then with 50 years of history since the fall of the Soviet Union and the collapse of communism, we started to see the need for the North Koreans to branch out to make ends meet i.e drug trafficking off the coast of Australia, being paid to take nuclear waste from Taiwan, etc. Each inter-Korean reunion certainly brings them a nice wad of cash as well.

It would be once every few months that my father would bring up his relatives in North Korea. Few times a month because he was fearful of my nature to go out there and dig up info that I may try and attempt to contact these relatives. He’d always make sure to tell me “it’s not worth it to start putting your name on a list for the Red Cross to start looking for my relatives – basically it’s the Red Cross setting up a target for the North Koreans to shoot.” I knew my fathers longing and how he wanted to go back. We had a huge painted canvass of Mt. Baekdu in our living room, and he’d always seem to manage to scramble up some North Korean videos and music.

This whole article makes me want to walk into the North Korean Embassy as well and request something, but I mean is it the right time – or do I have any right to? My dream is always to see my father’s hometown and see life through his eyes when he was young. I think Mr. Kim in the article has certainly been brave. But maybe he has a good assumption that reunification is not too far away.

So over the past two weeks there was a very special visitor that arrived in Canada, living in Korea but from France. It was his first visit to Canada and lets just say he had quite the fun time.

But nonetheless his stay was quite fun and as a Torontonian I was able to put myself in the shoes of a tourist to this city. I found that Toronto does lack many touristy attractions and such. I mean how much CN Tower, Ontario Place, Toronto Islands, Eaton Center and Harbourfront can you do? I realized though that Toronto is a spectacular city from the Islands, and that the clothing optional beach is the place to people watch and enjoy a bit of privacy. We rented some bikes and cycled like mad men around the islands as well. Note…Bikes on sand is a no go.  Though I think the one thing that my friend learned was that Toronto is really quite diverse and expansive and that you can literally just survive on Korean food. 

On the weekend we went to Montreal via train. Now that was a pretty fun trip. I think it was much more of a highlight because you could go out for good food, enjoy the sites and sounds of the city, which did include the Jazz fest, have a grand breakfast (Gargantua) at Chez Cora, dance till dawn at the after hours club Stereo, and watch the sunrise on Mont Royal – the large hill/little mountain of Montreal. Of course there were things in which could have been skipped like the visit to the Stade Olympique, which is beautiful to look at but not necessary to go up or see the Biodome beside it. Waste of money. I think it was all right though that we went and got bagels for a Quebecois friend back in Korea who misses real bagels. Though I’m sure he’s going to soon realize that they’re hard as rocks. 

I got to see a great friend who lives in Montreal Mr Albert, and his beau who’s terribly Korean though not. It’s scary. I missed riding on the metro, so I finally got to do so and I was completely giddy – it always brings good memories for me. Montreal is just such an amazing place. 

We came back on the train again, but we upgraded ourselves to the couchette on the overnight train for Sunday night arriving Monday so I could go straight into work. This was soo worth it, having your own little dorm room bunk bed situation going on. Of course there were the little things that made you go, that’s really sweet. Like the porter who collect your bags, complimentary chocolates that they leave for you on your bed when you enter, towels and VIA Soap and shampoo, a pretty decent washroom with shower, and of course a wonderful breakfast which had all ran out by the time I showered and such. Damnit. But I got a decent breakfast anyway which was yummy. Of course we arrived right on time, but I was still late for work… by an hour! J

Oh well.. so that the end of my trip report. Yay!