News From KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY of DPRK

Reading the North Korean news is very enjoyable.  Highly recommended.

US Urged to Abandon Its War Plan

Pyongyang, September 23 (KCNA) -- The U.S., seized by megalomania that it is the world's only "super power", is going reckless without any elementary calculation only falling into ruin. Rodong Sinmun on Sunday says this in a bylined article. It goes on: Anachronistic is the intention of the U.S. to ignite the second war to invade the DPRK in order to escape the crisis. What the U.S. has forgotten is its bitter defeat in the past Korean War. The Korean War in the 1950s clearly proved that there is no match in the world to the Korean people all out for the just cause. The U.S. experienced the great might of the stout-hearted people for the first time in its history of aggression. It was more horrible than A-bomb. The present U.S. ruling quarters and warlike forces are now oblivious of this. They are also forgetful of the reason why the preceding administrations dared not unleash a war for aggression on the DPRK though they eagerly wanted to start it. If the U.S. provokes a new war against the DPRK, it will suffer the great defeat incomparable with the one in the past Korean War. A new Korean war being attempted by the U.S. is a hopeless adventure. The war will bring the U.S. nothing but only ruin.

Got to Narrabri

Apparently the World's largest sundial

After 515 or so kilometres we have arrived at the telescope.  My GPS made it quite an adventure again.  I'm sure that we went on every small, windy road that was in the GPS's database.  We did pass lots of vineyards, the world's largest sundial, a burning mountain (that has been burning for 6000+ years), a mountain road that was burnt yesterday, two foxes, a wedge-tailed eagle that we forced to drop a live rabbit, lots of kangaroos, the Gundegah Noodle House and the "Who'd a thought it lookout" (which, admittedly was a bit of a disappointment).

The burning mountain

Our rather unexpected route to Narrabri -- but it was enjoyable

Lots of yellow fields

Arrival into Narrabri

In Beijing

Some more photos of China ...

Going to another Chinese wedding

Here comes the bride

Bride and groom

Trying to find a cup of coffee

Sha and nephew

At home

The forbidden city

Behai park

Arriving at the forbidden city

Find Rob Hollow!

Having a "Sydney fire tea"

At the Lama temple

The mathematics hall where everyone worships all the mathematics!!

da shizi

buying incense

From Xinjiang to Beijing

Dick and the people that he has worked with over the years in China

A lot of people at Dick's birthday party

I'm becoming forgetful.  So much has happened in the last couple of weeks.  On the last evening in Urumqi, we had a party to celebrate Dick's 70th birthday.  This involved him getting a lot of presents and various songs and dances.

Then I flew back to Beijing.  The flight was crazy.  Everyone (including myself) had bought at least one box of grapes.  Unfortunately all boxes of grapes look the same and so this led to some disagreements when we were all trying to pick up our luggage when we arrived.

I was met by Sha and her uncle (who seemed remarkably impressed by my Chinese). The next day, Sha, her parents and I went to the history museum.  The museum started with the Peking Man and went on to almost the current day.

The first section was just as you'd expect from a major history museum.  Very informative.  Lots of pots.  Interesting exhibits.  The second section was much more fun.  It started with a "preface" that read "The Chinese nation is a great nation whose people are Industrious, courageous, intelligent and peace-loving and have made indelible contributions to the progress of human civilization ... highlights the glorious history of China under the leadership of the Communist Part of China."  Apparently people like Sha are "standing firm in the east".

Actually Sha was telling me how, when she was a little girl, she tried to steal the frogs in the earthquake detector.  Anyway, the exhibition continued and said that we should all "hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics" and "strive for the great goals of implementing the 12th Five-Year Program and building a moderately prosperous society."  Why would any country strive towards a "moderately" prosperous society?