Podcast Much?

You might have noticed the lack of a SeoulPodcast over the last Fortnight.

Real life has been catching up with not only Me, but also JenniferTeacher and Joe so last week was a wash out.

We actually recorded a show the week before that, the audio of which sat on my desktop for almost two weeks before I got round to editing it was *ahem* lost for a short period.

But it's up now and we crossed directly to Canadia for (what was then) a relevant on the spot Olympic update from none other than Karl.

Get the Podcast Here. [mp3 1:32:47]

The Many Faces of The Dear Leader Comrade General Kim Jong Il™

Via The Marmot's Hole, Boston.com has an enormous (well 30 odd) images of The Dear Leader Comrade General Kim Jong Il™ on a number of field inspections to give on the spot guidance to various works of industry  throughout The Worker's Paradise.

Said Images have been released by the North's offical News Agency the KCNA as recent as March 11th, but others date back as far as July Last year.

You can't tell when exactly they were taken of course, but all the ones dated during winter have The Dear Leader Comrade General Kim Jong Il™ dressed up in his usual jacket (which I was depressed to find from other pictures isn't a KJI original, with other members of his entourage sporting the same look) and a couple of images dated from the Summer showing The Dear Leader Comrade General Kim Jong Il™ in short sleeves, and actually not looking too bad (as in lithe and tanned) for someone who has apparently had a stroke in the last 12 months and who is also now supposed to be suffering from liver failure. (See The Many Hands of Kim Jong Il at Korea Beat)

There is nothing too striking about the images as a whole - the usual propagandist crap - fisheries bulging with the days catch, vegetables and fruit readily available at department stores (Their actual locations undisclosed). But of them the following three grabbed my attention:

Kim Jong-il looks at produce displayed on shelves at a newly built shop at an undisclosed place in North Korea. Photo released on August 17, 2009. (REUTERS/KCNA ) 

Like I said tanned and looking good in short sleeves.

Kim Jong-il visits a factory in Pyongyang. Photo released on September 29, 2009. (REUTERS/KCNA). 

Funny because they all look like they've had a couple of shots of what ever is in those bottles. (Though it might be the last for some of them)

And finally

Kim Jong-il visits Ryongsong Foodstuff Factory in Pyongyang. Photo released on January 24, 2010. (REUTERS/KCNA)

Because the dude on the right looks like he's about to crap himself.

Go have a look at the rest.

Minolta X-300 Results

I think I know why we moved to Digital. There is, by a couple of accounts, only one outfit left in Korea that develops black and white film. Photopia in Chungmuro. (And Gangnam). And it's a touch expensive. 

Nevertheless, Some nice results, despite showing a crutch for autofocus! 

There is no rhyme or reason to this series of photographs, just seeing what I could do, most of these shots were photographed at ISO200 aperture f/1.4 without a flash at various focal lengths using the 50mm kit lens.

Yongsan Station exterior, Seoul

Church steeple, Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do.

San Miguel, 3 Alley Pub, Itaewon, Seoul

Tarts. Tartine, Itaewon, Seoul.

Dr Pepper.

Saturday afternoon. (Or was it morning?)

Yongsan Station, metro platform, Seoul.

If anyone would like to offer some constructive feedback in the comments or give me some ideas for a project I'd be much obliged.

And While I Remember...

It looked like we might for a while there, but what do you know.

We're not talking about the Cricket.

Reports Of My Death etc etc.

I'm not far from some sort of academic breakdown / murder spree at the moment. Posting to return to normal by Monday night at the very latest.