tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18947592.post117006049336343352..comments2023-11-06T00:01:30.085+13:00Comments on New Zeal: Repeat After Me-Russia is Our Friend...Russia is Our Friend...Russia is Our Friend.....Trevor Loudonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040453691836232676noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18947592.post-1170314202027363622007-02-01T20:16:00.000+13:002007-02-01T20:16:00.000+13:00Well, they seemed a pretty happy and healthy bunch...Well, they seemed a pretty happy and healthy bunch, but I'm told the longevity was a bit of a myth. Nice place though, amazing scenery, good food, especially the apricots, and very easy-going, they are mostly Ismaili, but religion doesn't seem a big deal there. <BR/><BR/>The economy has taken a dive as they were getting a decent tourist trade before the post-September 11 fear-mongering, but I didn't see any sign of severe poverty.Sam Buchananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13074652659949626273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18947592.post-1170280014952021462007-02-01T10:46:00.000+13:002007-02-01T10:46:00.000+13:00The Hunza are pretty legendary-longevity, great he...The Hunza are pretty legendary-longevity, great health etc. <BR/><BR/>Did they live up to their rep, or was it mainly just health food company hype?Trevor Loudonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040453691836232676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18947592.post-1170277822855295752007-02-01T10:10:00.000+13:002007-02-01T10:10:00.000+13:00I was in London and keen to see Hunza in the north...I was in London and keen to see Hunza in the north of Pakistan. For a number of reasons this mission snowballed into an overland trip from London to Bangkok.<BR/>I don't particularly recommend trips like that for pleasure (Mongolia is much more fun), but it was very educational.Sam Buchananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13074652659949626273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18947592.post-1170216867864740902007-01-31T17:14:00.000+13:002007-01-31T17:14:00.000+13:00Gee Sam. I hadn't considered that angle. The Russi...Gee Sam. I hadn't considered that angle. The Russians are into everything.<BR/><BR/>What were you in Iran for Sam?<BR/><BR/>Are you an Iranarchist?Trevor Loudonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040453691836232676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18947592.post-1170209386432168242007-01-31T15:09:00.000+13:002007-01-31T15:09:00.000+13:00My office has run out of tea. Given the significan...My office has run out of tea. Given the significant cultural role tea plays in Russia and the Soviet prediliction for commodity shortages, this problem appears to have the fingerprints of the Russian government all over it.<BR/><BR/>I further note that the old Russian tradition of placing a lump of sugar in the mouth before drinking bitter tea has died out there, but is still common in Iran. This clearly demonstrates that one or other country is a client state of the other. <BR/><BR/>Come to think of it, I once ducked into a small factory in Yazd, Iran that produced the cones of sugar used for this purpose and discovered one of the workers was from Iraq. I smell an axis of evil forming.Sam Buchananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13074652659949626273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18947592.post-1170106718902848912007-01-30T10:38:00.000+13:002007-01-30T10:38:00.000+13:00Russia's finger prints are on the training tactics...Russia's finger prints are on the training tactics of the terrorist insurgency in Iraq. That is for sure consider Saddam himself was also a close ally of Russia along with Syria and Iran and despite the differences between Saddam and the Iranian regime back in the Iraq-Iran War, Saddam was still supplied by the Soviets even more so than the U.S. ever did and China was backing Iran and Iraq at the same time!mah29001https://www.blogger.com/profile/14534560947847502694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18947592.post-1170103305851352922007-01-30T09:41:00.000+13:002007-01-30T09:41:00.000+13:00You're quick anon.You're quick anon.Trevor Loudonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040453691836232676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18947592.post-1170101417783211762007-01-30T09:10:00.000+13:002007-01-30T09:10:00.000+13:00Are you saying that Russia is "our" enemy?Are you saying that Russia is "our" enemy?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com