The difference is perspective.
It was quite a strange position to be in, to have a streak of nervousness coursing through me when really I had no idea what I was nervous about. I found myself on a plane, and seated beside me was the Nobel Laureate in Medicine, Sir Richard J. Roberts – or Rich as I later know him – and we were headed into the dark zone.
Like most, I have had many unremarkable conversations on the phone but I do remember one that Uwe Morawetz and I had a couple of months ago. An old friend and the Chairman of the International Peace Foundation (IPF), Uwe requested that I join him on a trip to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), otherwise known as North Korea. I responded as I usually do with old friends, and a few months later we were having dinner in Beijing while the team awaited for our visas to be processed.
As the plane descended onto North Korean soil, it swayed and buckled in the turbulence, adding to the tension. This was no ordinary place, though it was not like there was ordinary company with us on the plane. Our ChinaAir plan taxied in, and as Sir Richard and I peered suspiciously out of the cabin window to survey the newly-built Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, we noticed the three gates serving the airport.
“Why would they need three? One should suffice with this traffic,” said Sir Richard as he looked out onto the vacant runway and plane-less sky.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة AG 119 2016 من ASIAN Geographic.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة AG 119 2016 من ASIAN Geographic.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Green Dreams
With its tea plantations and rice paddies, dense jungles and expansive forests, the region is well known as a green paradise. But many of the most impressive Asian landscapes have names you may never have heard of. Journey with us as we reveal just some of the incredible locations that make the rest of the world green with envy!
Life On The Edge
In the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, in the remote northern Russian Far East, indigenous ethnic groups like the Chukchi and the Yupik live in the most extreme conditions, hunting seals in their traditional kayaks as they have for millennia
The Karakoram Anomaly Decoded
For decades, scientists have believed that glaciers in the Karakoram Range are defying the trend of those across the globe-resisting glacial melt due to human-induced global warming. But as we trek up the Karakoram's second-longest glacier in July, as the United Nations announces the world's hottest ever month on record, does the melting ice beneath our feet suggest the so-called Karakoram Anomaly is slowing? Or is there a ray of hope it will continue to delay the inevitable?
Green Water Revolution
Southeast Asia's Quest to Sustainable Wastewater Management in an Era of Climate Sensitivity
Green Philippines
The Philippine Archipelago may be synonymous with perfect beach holidays, but the Southeast Asian nation is also a great choice for your next ecotourism adventure
Why so Green?
From the Green Dome of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina to the fluorescent greens of flags and political campaigns, Islam has established itself as the world's \"green\" religion
Pilgrimage To Japan
The Land of the Rising Sun is as eclectic as it is fascinating, an exotic blend of ancient and modern. But two destinations in particular offer visitors an authentic taste of this unique nation: Wakayama, its spiritual centre, and Kyoto, its cultural heartland.
The Silk Road Through Uzbekistan
High-speed trains may ply some of this route today, but the historical, religious and cultural significance of the great cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva remains intact
10 Awe-Inspiring Reasons To Visit Sri Lanka
From eye-popping temples and tea estates to jaw-dropping national parks and natural wonders, the "teardrop island" has it all
Nepal: In The Shadow Of Giants
Sandwiched between China to the north and India to the south, Nepal receives influences from Asia's two major powers, but this unique land bordered by the greatest mountain range on Earth promises experiences offered nowhere else
