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“The Scariest Place On Earth”: The North Korean DMZ.

“The Scariest Place On Earth”: The North Korean DMZ.

by Calvin Sun | Aug 18, 2011 | Crisis, Mythbusters, North Korea, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Travel Warnings

 The DMZ. Former president Bill Clinton had named it the “scariest place on Earth.” It is the most heavily militarized border in the world, with over a million soldiers ready to go to war at a moment’s notice if either side dared to cross the...
I (Actually) Got Struck By Lightning: Mandalay

I (Actually) Got Struck By Lightning: Mandalay

by Calvin Sun | Aug 3, 2011 | Crisis, How's the weather?, Myanmar, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Walking Tours, What Dreams May Come

Remember the game we used to play when we were young? We’d see a flash of lightning, count the number of seconds before hearing the sound of thunder, and then multiply that number by the speed of sound to find out how far away that lightning strike was? I tried...
South India In 2 Days & Auroville

South India In 2 Days & Auroville

by Calvin Sun | Jul 19, 2011 | Crisis, India, Let me tell you a Story..., Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Travel Warnings

Back on the road: literally hit the ground running.  Stephanie, having no interest in seeing Madurai, stayed behind Mumbai an extra few hours while Karen and I headed to Madurai in the morning. After a stopover in Bangalore, we arrived at the “Taj...
The Dharavi Slum

The Dharavi Slum

by Calvin Sun | Jul 17, 2011 | Crisis, India, Introspection, Mythbusters, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea

  I learned today that in India, the word “slum” has an official definition where the land is owned by the government, and the property is owned by the people.  Back when Mumbai was a port city and textile industry magnet, swaths of...
I (Actually) Got Struck By Lightning: Mandalay

A Stressful Afternoon

by Stephanie Quan | Jul 9, 2011 | Crisis, Fail, India, Let me tell you a Story..., Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea

Okay. I’m being a little dramatic. But I also haven’t eaten in almost 12 hours. Those of you who know me well are probably amazed I’m not completely comatose. Recap of yesterday afternoon: I saw cremations. They were really really interesting, but I...
I (Actually) Got Struck By Lightning: Mandalay

Varanasi, Why?!

by Stephanie Quan | Jul 8, 2011 | Crisis, Doctor in the House, Fail, India, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea

There’s nothing like watching the sun rise over the Ganges at 5am and then vomiting over the side of your hotel balcony. Found some Electral, slowly consuming porridge, meeting some nice people despite my lethargy. Still no cremations sightings. Second Sitar...
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