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But I also know that the spark of human dignity is never completely extinguished, and that given the oxygen of freedom and the power of love, it can grow again.
But there was human intimacy and connection, something that is hard to find in the modern world I inhabit today.
When you have so little, just the smallest thing can make you happy—and that is one of the very few features of life in North Korea that I actually miss.
They need to control you through your emotions, making you a slave to the state by destroying your individuality, and your ability to react to situations based on your own experience of the world.
I relived every step we took in the Gobi Desert; I remembered the frozen river we had crossed into China, and my narrow escapes from the brokers and gangsters before we finally made it to Mongolia.
the pastor in Qingdao
Prostitutes in China can often be identified by tattoos on their arms or backs.
There were times when I wondered whether, if it wasn’t for the constant hunger, I would be better off in North Korea, where all my thinking and all my choices were taken care of for me.
our living arrangement in Asan,
after we arrived in Asan,
songbun
when you have more words to describe the world, you increase your ability to think complex thoughts.
Everything, even basic human emotions, has to be taught.
Reducing the horror of North Korea into a simple allegory erased its power over me. It helped set me free.
It amazed me how quickly a lie loses its power in the face of truth. Within minutes, something I had believed for many years simply vanished.
we all have our own deserts. They may not be the same as my desert, but we all have to cross them to find a purpose in life and be free.
