Trip to the DMZ

Usually on any trip, it's just work, work, work, work. I can't tell you how many places I've been to where I can't say I've really seen anything. Occasionally, we have some down time and we make the most of it. But on this trip, the WH arranged what some called a "field trip" to take the media to the DMZ and I can honestly say it was one of the most educational, informative trips I've ever taken.

We got on a bus and drove about 45 minutes to the DMZ while POTUS was busy doing meetings for the summit. We got to Camp Bonifas and had to wait for our military escort/tour guide. Let me stop for a moment and explain that before this trip, most of my knowledge of Korea came from watching M*A*S*H reruns with my dad. He's seen all of them and my basic understanding of the Korean war includes Radar and Hawkeye and Klinger. Sadly, watching M*A*S*H episodes leaves a lot to be desired in the actual history. My understanding of the conflict with North Korea was definitely deepened to a whole new level from the tour of the DMZ.
Once our military escort/tour guide met up with us, we went to the DMZ visitor's center for a presentation on the history of the DMZ. I think I was a sponge because I couldn't keep track of all the interesting facts the major was telling us.We loaded into a UN bus and started our way to the Joint Security Area. Along the way, we were told that we were not allowed to take pictures until our guide told us to and that we were not allowed to point or gesture to the North Korean side of the line. We also learned about the ax massacre of 1976 and why it used to be that North Koreans and South Koreans co-existed in this area. You should definitely google it because it's a fascinating story. Bottom line is the North Koreans killed two Americans in a massacre basically over the pruning of one tree. I felt reassured because knowing that the last killing took place before I was born made me feel like the chances of something bad happening to me 24 days before my wedding were extremely small!The bus stopped at the Freedom House and we were told we had to go inside and wait in two lines until it was time to walk through. The building was rebuilt in 1998 and we were told that it was supposed to be where reunions between South Koreans and their family members who are in North Korea but no reunions have ever taken place. We didn't really tour the building, just waited in line with our cool press armbands they had given for us to wear. We had to wear them because it's part of the armistice apparently. Too bad we had to give them back at the end of the tour.We walked through the building outside to a building where the armistice was signed. It's basically a conference room. The military demarcation line ran across the middle of the room so half of it is in South Korea, half is in North Korea. (I was standing in North Korea.) Both countries have use of this room but only one at a time. We were instructed that if we did see any North Korean soldiers (which we didn't), we were under no circumstances allowed to communicate with them. Inside the room were two South Korean soldiers standing guard. They were very serious and didn't smile. Our military escort gave us a brief presentation about the historical significance of the Armistice Room and then let us take pictures with the guards and of North Korea outside the window. It was such a surreal experience!After hanging out in that room, we walked back across to the outside of the Freedom House. We looked across to North Korea and saw their main building. Outside was a North Korean soldier who was looking at us through his binoculars. This was as close to a North Korean that we got. He stared at us for a few minutes but then went back to just standing post. We were told that we could take pictures but we had to stay in certain parameters and that no gesturing or pointing to the North Korean side. Of course some of my colleagues missed that part but thankfully, nothing happened to us!After that stop, we went to an South Korean outpost and saw the demarcation line. At that spot, we were surrounded by North Korea on three sides.On one of the sides, we could see the North Korean village of Kijong-dong. Our military guide told us that the North Koreans refer to it as the Peace Village because it shows how nice it is to live in North Korea. But our guide said that really it is a Propaganda Village because no one actually officially lived there and many buildings had the windows and doors painted on or some were actually only shells of buildings. Unfortunately, nearly all North Koreans live in hunger and poverty. Kijong-dong also has an extremely large flagpole which flies a flag that weighs nearly 600 pounds. They said it was the third largest in the world and constructed to outdo a huge flagpole on the South Korean side.Our last stop on the tour was a brief pause at the site of the infamous tree incident of 1976. We could see where the tree had eventually been cut down in Operation Paul Bunyan. That's another thing that is totally worth the Google effort. The amount of back-up support to cut down one tree was amazing!!Nearby, we saw the Bridge to No Return. After the ax massacre, they had 72 hours for the North Koreans to get back on their side. Once across, they were never allowed back into South Korea. There was a movie about it and after being there, I definitely want to see it!We returned to the visitor's center and we were all set to go to the gift shop. I could think of nothing better than getting a "I've stepped into North Korea" t-shirt. Those gifts would have been the most unique from any trip I've taken. But alas, the gift shop was CLOSED!! We were soooo bummed!!I guess we'll have to buy souvenirs on the next trip to the DMZ! :) Even with the gift shop closed, it was totally worth it to go on the tour. Like I said, I have a much better understanding of both history and today's conflict. If ever presented with the opportunity to take a tour, I vote that you should totally do it!

Korea's Blue House adventures

What do most brides do a few weeks before the wedding? The usual answer is not to go on a work trip to South Korea. But it has been on my checklist! POTUS headed to Seoul for the Nuclear Security Summit and I went with him. It was definitely the best option among my choices. This trip to Korea or a weekend trip to Cartagena, Colombia the weekend before the wedding. So I just made sure that we had all the big things definitely planned before I went so that when I got back, I could spend the next three weeks tying up the loose ends.

So we headed to Seoul last Friday on a, commercial flight. But don't feel too sorry for me because it was a direct flight to Seoul in Prestige Class on Korean Air which was a rather pleasant experience. The 14 hour flight went by exceptionally quickly and I was so productive! We got there about 12 hours before POTUS did which allowed us the time to go out to dinner at an awesome real Korean BBQ place and then get some sleep.

When POTUS arrived, he basically went straight to the DMZ (we went on a different day which I will blog about separately!) and we did some liveshots. But in the evening, I was assigned to be the pool producer for part of the events at the President of Korea's house. The Koreans are really original in their name of the executive mansion. Since it has a blue roof, it's called the Blue House. I think they copied our originality.I was supposed to be the pool producer for the official arrival and book signing. I admit, it's not heavy lifting in the producer world and pretty much a trained four year-old with a security pass could produce the event. But it's a great opportunity to get out of the workspace and actually see something beyond the conference room in which we work.

So POTUS arrived and Mr. Lee (I went to Detroit with the two of them last fall!) greeted him with a big hug. The first thing POTUS did was to go sign the guest book. And after that, the pair of leaders stopped to get their picture taken. And then they walked up these huge steps to where they were going to meet.We thought we had some extra time to go get set up for the press conference with the two leaders but all of a sudden, the WH press handlers told us we had to run upstairs because the travel pool (not my network) had been stopped by security and they weren't allowed in. So we literally sprinted through the Blue House and up the stairs and went into some room where POTUS and PMoRoK were seated chatting having a bilateral meeting. The whole event lasted about a minute and I never had a chance to take a picture because I was busy catching my breath. I know you're not supposed to run in the house but in this case, we had no choice.

After the bilateral meeting, we finally went to the room where the press conference would take place. The rest of the US press corps was still stuck in security and they kept saying that the presser would start on time. Which if that had happened, it would have been a problem because on the American side, it was me and one print reporter. We would have been the only ones who would have had to ask questions. Not that I wasn't prepared but I wasn't really prepared! :) I would have come up with something but I was exceptionally relieved when the rest of the press corps was finally let in!!

The British are Coming, (Actually they came!!!)

Last week, two of my favorite things came to the White House. A state visit and the British. I love both of them. As I blogged about before, I love a good official state visit because of all the pomp and circumstance. And I love the British because, well, they are British and I'm such an Anglophile. I blame my heritage and maybe my last name.

This time, I was assigned to cover the official arrival ceremony and then later the press conference with POTUS and PM Cameron. But the morning started out with one of my faves. It was a beautiful day on the South Lawn as I watched the pageantry of the honor guards marching in, the bands playing and then of course my favorite, the US Army Old Guard Drum and Fife Corps!! I've been to many of these ceremonies for world figures and leaders. For example, the Mexican President, the Pope, and even Queen Elizabeth but it just never gets old! It's even better when I see the crowd waving little American flags and Union Jacks!Later in the afternoon, POTUS and PM Cameron came to the Rose Garden for their press conference. It was so nice to finally have an event outside!! You know spring has sprung when we can be outside covering an event and we're not either freezing or burning up. The weather was absolutely perfect for a presser!

The past month

Just checking in with all four of my blog readers! I know I've been MIA the past month but I'm still alive and doing fairly well. I'll be honest, February was a blur for me. After Missy's funeral, I wouldn't say that I was in a complete funk because I was very much in the wedding planning mode (and that is exciting) but I was just in a blur. God did (and continues to) teach me several things during that time. I definitely felt His presence and comfort and I so very much appreciate the prayers of so many friends. Knowing that there were so many other people going through the same situation was very comforting and knowing that Missy had impacted so many people just made me feel better.

Many times, God uses music to teach me and get my attention. This situation was no different. During the time I visited Missy in the hospital, God showed me two songs that really spoke to me. The first is from Phillips Craig & Dean called ""You are God Alone" which comforted me in so many ways but mainly just telling me that no matter what I was going through, God is God and He never changes. The line that stuck out to me was "from before time began, you are on your throne. You are God alone. And right now, in the good times and bad, you are on your throne, you are God alone." The only way to get through watching one of your best friends die is to know that God is sovereign and that He knows what He is doing. Also it's possible to praise God during both a good time while planning a wedding and a bad time like what I experienced during the month of February. He's unstoppable and unchangeable and praise the Lord for His sovereignty!



The other song God spoke to me through is Steven Curtis Chapman's "Be Still and Know" which I believe has been on my iPod for almost a decade but it's amazing how He pulls the exact song and puts it in my head at the exact right time. When I was visiting Missy in the hospital, as I mentioned before, she was induced into a coma. But I knew she could hear me because she would turn her head ever so slightly or she tried to open her eyes. It really was a precious time. However, at one point, she all of a sudden would move her arms up which honestly, the first time kind of freaked me out. I wasn't expecting that at all. God laid Psalms 46:10 on my mind. "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." I kept telling Missy that she had two things to do, according to this verse and God would do His part. Of course this song came to my mind and I think I tried to sing to her at one point. I knew she heard me because she would immediately put her hands down. But this song was even more comforting to me in the days after she died. God really had to slow me down from my busy life and just showed me in a real way the same message as the other song. He is God no matter what and I just clung to that core principle.



Luckily for me, the Christian radio station in my neck of the woods only plays about 20 songs in a continual shuffle and these two songs are still in the rotation. Normally, I complain about hearing the same songs over and over again but in this situation, I just know God's still using these songs to reinforce what He's been teaching me over the past month.