North Korean Airport Shop
Leaving China out of Harbin International Airport on Wednesday, I wanted to buy some Duty-free stuff - Toblerone and Mars Bars are what I had in mind. I checked out the two pathetic excuses for Duty-free shops that they had, and there was no imported chocolate to be found, only souvenir stuff like chocolate-coated macadamias in boxes with pictures of China. Despite the best efforts of the aggressive saleswomen, I walked out with only a bottle of water.
Then I noticed another shop that looked like it was selling some North Korean cigarettes, and when I saw two women wearing North Korean flag lapel-pins I realised that it was a whole shop full of North Korean products! I asked them if they were Korean, and they said yes, and then asked them if they were North Korean, and they said yes, smiling and correcting my use of the South Korean word for North Korea.
I was very excited to talk to them, and asked them lots of questions, but nothing political, because I didn't want to spoil the mood. They were from Pyongyang but lived in Harbin, and tried their best to sell me all sorts of tacky stuff. The one on the left in the photo was very happy to talk to me, but the other one looked sour and didn't seem to be my biggest fan. She'd fit right in in Seoul.
I ended up buying a pack of cigarettes for my friend Ryan because I was grateful for the conversation. There was nothing much else to buy, except for alcohol and 한약 Korean traditional medicine. The paintings and trinkets were pretty awful, and the medicine looked like it was made in the 70s. The bottle in the photo is called 뱀술 Snake Liquor.
When I left they told me to come back again, so five minutes later I did, and asked them for a photo. The nice one seemed excited, and the other one wasn't happy but participated reluctantly in the end. Then I offered them some of the Australian Easter chocolate that Mum had given me. Again, the nice one looked pleased and the other one looked suspicious. I bet she threw it away.
When I got home I looked up the middle three words on the sign, 만수대, and found out that it's the name of a North Korean art gallery. They even have a website. The whole sign says "Pyongyang Mansudae Art Souvenirs". The art was mostly paintings of mountains and tigers, but bizarrely there was also a portrait of Jesus, the top of which can be seen near the elbow of the girl on the left.
Then I noticed another shop that looked like it was selling some North Korean cigarettes, and when I saw two women wearing North Korean flag lapel-pins I realised that it was a whole shop full of North Korean products! I asked them if they were Korean, and they said yes, and then asked them if they were North Korean, and they said yes, smiling and correcting my use of the South Korean word for North Korea.
I was very excited to talk to them, and asked them lots of questions, but nothing political, because I didn't want to spoil the mood. They were from Pyongyang but lived in Harbin, and tried their best to sell me all sorts of tacky stuff. The one on the left in the photo was very happy to talk to me, but the other one looked sour and didn't seem to be my biggest fan. She'd fit right in in Seoul.
I ended up buying a pack of cigarettes for my friend Ryan because I was grateful for the conversation. There was nothing much else to buy, except for alcohol and 한약 Korean traditional medicine. The paintings and trinkets were pretty awful, and the medicine looked like it was made in the 70s. The bottle in the photo is called 뱀술 Snake Liquor.
When I left they told me to come back again, so five minutes later I did, and asked them for a photo. The nice one seemed excited, and the other one wasn't happy but participated reluctantly in the end. Then I offered them some of the Australian Easter chocolate that Mum had given me. Again, the nice one looked pleased and the other one looked suspicious. I bet she threw it away.
When I got home I looked up the middle three words on the sign, 만수대, and found out that it's the name of a North Korean art gallery. They even have a website. The whole sign says "Pyongyang Mansudae Art Souvenirs". The art was mostly paintings of mountains and tigers, but bizarrely there was also a portrait of Jesus, the top of which can be seen near the elbow of the girl on the left.
posted by Sam at 8:22 PM
4 Comments:
did u taste the snake thingy ?:O haha looks really crazy xP
I wonder if you can bring North Korean Cigarettes into the U.S?
Never mind found out Apparently not (UN does not allow it) I just wanted to know out of curiosity.
I currently have a bottle of North Korean Snake Wine. It looks just like the one's in the picture. I was just reseraching to see what it would be worth. I've had it for over 22 years now. I also have a bottle of North Korean Beer and a bottle of North Korean Ginsing liquer. The Ginsing liquer sold in South Korea normally has the root inside the bottle, but this one does not. I'm not sure if that's normal in the north or what, but I do know it was made with Ginsing. To answer someone elses question, I've had a couple packs of North Korean Cigarettes before, but at the time, I used to smoke. So, my curiousity got the best of me and I smoked them. I'll tell you this, they tasted terrible. Worst and strongest cigarettes in the world :-) If anyone has an idea what my North Korean Snake Wine, Beer and Ginsing liquer is worth, please let me know at joe.guilfoyle@gmail.com. Thanks.
Post a Comment
<< Home