Pyongyang Blues

One of the iconic images that always sticks in the mind is that of an unflinching North Korean child tenaciously playing a musical instrument during the Arirang Mass Games. An anonymous non-entity in a cast of thousands. Cold sweat trickling down their furrowed brows, patently fake smile pasted on their tense faces.

And who could blame them? One disastrous slip of the bowstring - and it could literally mean the end for their entire family. And nine generations after possibly :P

Imagine my surprise when I found my niece Chatty Carmen looking pretty much the same while playing Band Hero on PS3. All stern-faced unsmiling while she robotically tapped the electronic drums for the game.


Sing out sister!
You'd imagine she was being forced to play for the Supreme Leader Kim Jong-il.

And this for a Playstation game my brother hoped would help her relax. Or at least learn how to.

So much for child's play. Poor girl takes things so seriously. Hoping to please, Carmen looked pitifully crushed even when she missed a few notes, botched the concert and got booed out of the mall of fame. I'd probably have laughed it off but Carmen obviously saw things differently. Wept buckets instead! Telling Carmen it was just an insignificant game didn't seem to diminish any of her pent-up tension in the least.

Sometimes it makes me wonder whether we're giving her just a lil too much stress to excel. Far too many perfectionistas in the family to catch up with!