These guns in Pyongyang were prop perhaps for a drill but they reflect North Korea's milltary mind-set

Arm's length I used to dream about seeing North Korea,the milltantly communist Hermit Kingdom that few outsiders get to visit.Unfortunately,North Korea didn't want to see me.For three years I tried and failed to get a journalist visa,so I traveled as a tourist instead,flying to Pyongyang with a small,state-sanctioned group led by government appointed guides.Since visitors are forbidden to carry professional cameras photography,in general,makes officals nervours,I packed two small,amateur models.When I used them,I often shot from the hip-literally-snapping pictures without looking through the viewfinder.Every night at the hotel I'd download my photo to an MP3 player while my roommate slept.Sometime I felt like a spy.Other days I felt like an extra on a huge movie set,where citizen were the actors,and the director hovered somewhere in the shadows,making sure we stuck to the script.



I wasn't surprised by the nation's story line-the revolutionary passion,the emphasis on ethnic purity,the near deification of the son,the Dear Leader,Kim II Sung and the reverence for his son,the Dear Leader Kim Jong II .But I didn't expect North Koreans to be so happy.They wave at me.They smiled.They seemed unfazed by or unwave of how the world perceived their country.Sure,maybe that's part of the performance,but it's tough to tell.I could'nt ask provocative questions,and most people were afraid to talk.While I managed to capture some hidden corners of this country,it was the errie silence that really opened my eyes.