13 
Eric Schmidt’s trip to North Korea in order to spread the good word about open Internet has been kind of strange from the start. Today, he posted on Google+ how he warned the country that it might be left behind. You know, Internet. Politics. All that jazz. Schmidt’s daughter, who accompanied him on the “vacation” has now shared her—more candid—take too. And man, it seems like it was a weird trek.
Sophie recount of the adventure is a refreshingly straight forward one. As said on the site devoted to the story: “Straightforward trip report here: no discussion of meeting details or intentions—just some observations.” And allow me to cherry-pick a few of the good’uns.
- On the Kim Il Sung University e-Library: “No one was actually doing anything. A few scrolled or clicked, but the rest just stared. More disturbing: when our group walked in—a noisy bunch, with media in tow—not one of them looked up from their desks. Not a head turn, no eye contact, no reaction to stimuli. They might as well have been figurines.”
- “They made sure to show us the American-style fast food restaurant, though their timing appeared to be off: the place was shuttered when we arrived. Workers scrambled to put on aprons and turn on the lights.”
- “We were told well ahead of time to assume that everything was bugged: phones, cars, rooms, meetings, restaurants and who knows what else. I looked for cameras in the room but came up short. But then, why bother with cameras when you have minders? After a day in frigid Pyongyang, I was just thankful it was warm.”
You can read more of Sophie’s quite blunt, occasionally off-color, and humorously pithy recount of the trip at the site devoted to it, which also includes pictures. All in all, it sounds like an “interesting” trip, but in the way that unnerving experiences can be “interesting” in that at least they’re not boring.
So if you’re planning to make the trip to North Korea—to talk about the Internet or otherwise—consider this a good primer, and then consider changing your mind. [Sophie in North Korea via Hacker News]
No internet or mobiles is not a bad thing tbh. The internet has been like an addiction for me since the 90s that I cannot leave alone. I’ve just turned into a drunk who browses on the web constantly and would love to be able to put it all down and do something with my life. It is hard to though as it is so addicting and I don’t have the will too.
Also though because I’m sick of seeing people on their phones all the time and smart phones have just given people an excuse to spend even more time because internet browsers are actually ok to use now.
I just want to bin all mobiles since texting was invented, lets go back to the time where you had to call people and mobiles were cumbersome to use.
Tell you what, you’ll never get anywhere unless you take the first step. Turn off the Internet, sell your smartphone and find a job that has no need for a connection to the net. Maybe some time in an amish Community, or among buddhists. I’m totally serious by the way, if that is what you want from life, go do it.
This is why I like cinema, no phones and no internet, bliss
Having just read the original source article I have to say Eric should have words with his daughter about the horrible web page she used…..it hurt my eyes (& brain) to read it but it is worth trying as there’s more info there.
Glad I’m not the only one that didn’t get on with the format of that site! Interesting read though – incredible that in 2013 there’s a country that lives like that.