nothing to envy

i just finished reading this book and it broke my heart. i've never read any books on north korea, but i was immediately drawn to this when i saw it one afternoon. i don't know if it's because i'm korean or because i wanted a better glimpse of what it's like to live in north korea, but i couldn't put it down and i found myself welling-up with tears every time i opened it. it's so easy for me to forget that there are millions of people living in today's times without the absolute BASIC necessities in life. that people wake up at the break of dawn in search for the freshest blades of grass to blend it with tree bark and corn husks. that people are brainwashed to believe that their fearless leader is the greatest provider in all of the world. that the rest of the world looks as bleak as north korea. that you can live your entire life and never hear the words "jesus christ". this book is a realistic glimpse into the lives of a few individuals that have defected. some would argue that they are the lucky ones, but others argue that their "new life" in south korea is so much harder to adjust to. it's a heartbreaking story.

i don't know which is better.. to live in "blissful" ignorance? starving and fighting for your life everyday, but being in the same situation as everyone else around you? or be given a chance at "the good life" and struggle everyday through it as the outcast, all on your own? it's unfathomable that people would pick a life like the ones i read about in this book over a "fresh" start in south korea. but some have admitted that they wished they never left nkorea. i'll never be able to understand their struggle.

yes, i've faced some difficulties in my life, who hasn't? everyone has a different degree of struggle and pain that they've experience, but it is absolutely minor in comparison to what these people have faced and are still facing. i have so much to be thankful for and i have an abundance of blessings in my life. i never have to wake up at 3 in the morning in search for dropped uncooked rice on the street. or travel by foot through a freezing cold river in search for hope, terrified that i'll be persecuted.

read it. it'll give you a new perspective on struggling.