Ex-presidents often retain their fame after leaving office, but few ascend to the status of tourist destination. Choe Sang-hun reports on how South Korea’s Roh Moo Hyun has become a popular sensation after returning to his hometown — never mind his poor ratings while he was commander-in-chief.
I might have to eat my words about the likelihood of Bush’s skipping the opening ceremonies; CNN says the White House has left the door open for a symbolic protest of China’s recent crackdown.
This is a few weeks old, but if you missed the NYT article about how Japanese Haiku is still being written in South Korea despite the taboo, it’s worth a read.
The IHT’s Roger Cohen explains why Europe wants a democrat in the US, while Asia is pulling for a republican.
And this just in from CNN, a former Lonely Planet writer brags to an Australian paper about how he plagiarized material, accepted free travel and sold drugs to supplement his income. Laziness, questionable ethics — does this guy think he’s cool?
Welcome to TDT. This blog is a mishmash of reflections on world news, essays on life and travel, poetry and narratives from my own journeys.
