* Press Day: 31 March (Thu) 08:00~16:00
* Opening Day: 1 April (Fri) 11:00
* Open to Public’ Day: 1 April (Fri) 12:00~19:00/ 2 April (Sat)~ 10 April (Sun) 10:00~19:00
- Location: Kintex, Gyeonggi-do Ilsan
Sunday, April 17, 2011
2011 Seoul Motor Show
* Press Day: 31 March (Thu) 08:00~16:00
* Opening Day: 1 April (Fri) 11:00
* Open to Public’ Day: 1 April (Fri) 12:00~19:00/ 2 April (Sat)~ 10 April (Sun) 10:00~19:00
- Location: Kintex, Gyeonggi-do Ilsan
The 49th Gunhang Je, Changwon city
Jinhae Gunhang Je, which is also called cherry-blossom festival, has started since it had the statue of Admiral Yi Sun-shin on Bukwon rotary and gave the memorial service on 13 April, 1952. After then, it became a spring festival including cultural arts festival, tour festival, and Folk Flea Market of eight provinces that people can enjoy them with beautiful cherry-blossom.
- Date : 1 April, 2011 (Fri)~ 10 April (Sun), for 10days
- Location : Jungwon Rotary, Gyeongsangnam-do Changwon
This is real! The world of natural dyes
On January 11, Maronie exhibition in Kyoto.
Gyeongnam Natural Dyeing Association in Korea held a six-day exhibition in Kyoto which is said to be a city of vivid traditional culture of Japan. Nine members of Gyeongnam Natural Dyeing Association introduced various kinds of natural dyeing products that were made with passion, which received favorite comments from not only Japanese but also the same industry. Let’s take a closer look at this globally recognized and beautiful field of natural dyeing.
< Gyeongbuk Natural Dyeing Association declared that it will become a Mecca of the natural dyeing after hosting ‘Symposium for the Vitalization of the Natural dyeing Industry’ last June.> (Photograph: Fashion Journal)
Natural dyes, the solution of Health and environment
In the Three Kingdom period, while the kings and nobles wore the silk costumes which were imported from China, commoners began to dress themselves with the naturally-dyed clothes. At the beginning, they used grass and polygonum indigo from mountains and fields for navy, persimmon for dark blue, and charcoal for black. In other words, Korean ancestors wear the nature colored clothes, which are different from the recent clothes with unnatural colors made of the artificial fibers and chemical compounds.
Actually, the naturally-dyed clothes do good to skin. Some clothes with chemical dyes cause an atopic dermatitis or other skin diseases to some children who have a delicate skin. However, considering the fact that natural dyes from vegetables are harmless to human and kill the harmful virus, it can be said that clothes save our health.
While the chemical dyes cause serious environmental problems with waste water in dyeing process, natural dyes reduce those damage, which can be said an environmental-friendly dyeing method. In addition, if we make clothes with natural dyes which are extracted from the plants that have unique ingredients or smells to protect them from the harmful insects or animals, it will also protect your body from those. As an example, some ancestors used polygonum indigo as a dyeing material from their knowledge that snakes dislike its smell. Their wisdom of life is just amazing!
< Exhibition of Gyeongnam Natural Dyeing Association in Kyoto. Muffler(left) by Lee Kyung-ran, representative and printed scarf by You Chang-ho, the chairman of the association> (Photograph: Fashion Journal)
Despite the time and hard work, considered a ‘Must Try’ among foreigners
Then, what is the process of making such a wonderful natural dye? The beautiful naturally-dyed cloth can be born only after passing through the 20 manual labor steps, such as boiling, drying, and adding mordant in it. Mordant is an ingredient which helps the color last longer. As it requires a long time and hard work, accordingly the costs rise and become more expensive than the artificial colored-one.
However, as the public interests on environmentally-friendly products increase, the ideas on those products are also rapidly changing. In particular, the experiencing event of natural-dyeing became very popular among foreigners. Moreover, many naturally-dyed clothes are being sold in Jongro area, including Insadong, where foreign visitors mostly visit, and the number of foreigners who come and try the events from a word of mouth also increases. It is said that every single Japanese tourist who is said to have a lot interests on beauty are also impressed with Korea’s naturally-dyed products. It shows that natural dyeing can be worth being one of the representative brands in Korea. That seems enough to enter the global market, considering the Kyoto exhibition which introduced naturally-dyed products at the first on the list.
Korean central government and local government which early saw the potentials have prepared the systematic supporting plan to step forward. Since when the natural dyeing industry was selected by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy as a nurturing business of the local government’s laboratory last 2008, the government finished the preparation to make Gyeongnam Natural Dyeing Association as a core center for natural dyeing industry, and now they are working on it for the development of the field. On the following, ‘Symposium for the Vitalization of the Natural dyeing Industry’ was held in June 2011, and the MOU with Daegu and Gyeongbuk fabric fashion Institute was embedded as well, which actively promotes the natural dyeing industry.
Fascinating Bicycle Trip
In spite of the landscapes you’ve seen many times while going to work, home, or other places on foot, by train or airplane, every time you will get a different impression according to which vehicle you are riding, and how you look at it. Of course, there is no need to tell that riding a bicycle is the perfect choice to enjoy this recent spring breeze. Then, how much do you know about the bicycle and how far have you traveled with it? Get ready to leave into the warm spring sunlight, if you don’t want to miss the beautiful landscapes of Korea!
Pleasant playground for bicycle riders, Gwangnaru Bicycle Park
▲ Bicycle riders along the path in Gwangnaru bicycle park Have you been to Gwangnaru Bicycle Park? It is a new park which has many facilities including the 124,000㎡(1,335 square feet) wide of bicycle racing stadium, a bicycle experiencing park, a bicycle training place for children, and a rail bike place. Especially, the racing stadium which placed the bumpy paths and other challenging obstacles is very popular among riders and manias who have special bicycles like Mountain bike (MTB) or Bicycle Motocross (BMX). Besides, you can try about 80 kinds of unique bicycles such as the one riding on square wheels, the one moving aside, the one that moves when lying on it and the one that a couple can drive facing each other, which is the first ‘Bicycle experiencing place’ in Korea. ‘Rail bike’ that is drawing a huge popularity in Jeongseon in Gangwon-do, Gokseong in Jeollanam-do is also open to public. Why don’t you have this exciting experience that will keep yourself out of the stuffy city! Location: 483-8 Cheonho 2dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul Holidays: every Monday Available hours: 09:00~18:00, (Nov~Feb) 10:00~17:00, (May~August) 09:00~19:00 Contact/Info.: 02-120 / Night time: 02-3780-0777
Memoir on ‘Nostalgia’ bicycle paths in OkCheon
While passing through the ‘Nostalgia’ bicycle paths in Okcheon, visitors can enjoy not only the beautiful Daecheong Lake but also the spirit of the poetry town where the pioneer of Korea’s modern poet and the writer of ‘Nostalgia’, Jeong Ji-yong was born. Why don’t you give a wonderful day-off to yourself to get out of the repeated routine and soak up the beautiful scenery of the countryside and its friendly atmosphere? Through the hiking course, ‘Nostalgia 100li(=24 miles)’, people can have a look at the overall shape of Korean peninsula from Mt. Dunjoo after visiting the birthplace of Jeong Ji-yong and the literary museum where people can still feel his spirit. It became very popular after being introduced by one of the famous TV programs in Korea, reality-variety show ‘1 night and 2 days’ show on the KBS2. The length of the course is about 82km (=132 miles) long, and it takes approximately five hours and a half to complete it. It includes smooth paths for beginners and unpaved roads and forest roads which are the favorites of intermediate and advanced mountain bikers and manias. Location: Okcheon-eub, Okcheon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do Contact/Info.: 043-730-3501~2 (Okcheon-gun Division of Culture and Tourism)
All About Bicycle, Sangju Bicycle Museum  ▲ Unique Bicycles displayed in exhibit hall of Sangju Bicycle Museum
No worries for those who cannot ride a bicycle! Sangju Bicycle Museum will give you the satisfaction. This museum, which focuses on bicycle for the first time in Korea, was established in Sangju which is famous for a number of bicycles and its citizens who enjoy riding them rather than cars on their way to school, work, home and even picnic. In this museum, which is called ‘the heaven of bicycle’ and ‘a school of bicycle’, you can take a whole look at everything about bicycle including its history, design, and so on. It introduces the history of bicycles through its 60 bicycles displayed in the exhibit hall and you will definitely enjoy the various experiencing halls about bicycles, including the souvenir shop. Sangju must be the wonderful place to remind you of all the happiness, heartbeat, other memories with lovers. Location : Ilwon San 3-4, Donam-dong, Sangju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Contact/Info.: 054-534-4973 Available Hour : Summer (April~ Oct) 09:00 ~ 18:00, Winter (Nov~March) 09:00 ~ 17:00 Holiday : every Monday (Tuesday applies when Monday is a National Holiday) Jan 1, Luna New Years day, Chuseok (Thanksgiving day of Korea), and other closing days by Sangju mayor Why don’t we go on the bicycle trip to every corner of Korea this coming Spring! |
Friday, April 15, 2011
Tips for Dating Korean GF ㅋㅋ
Here are a few tips from other blog I found and revised
Be nice to her family and to her best friend, too, but not that nice because then she’ll assume you’re hitting on her friends and that would NOT bode well for you. They like gifts too.
Every Korean girl likes expensive brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dior and Chanel. Remember dates, like the 100th day after you met, the 100th day after you first kissed her, the 100th day. And buy her a little something accordingly. So you must be rich or at least keep up appearances that you are. Your first gift can’t be something too cheap or else she’ll think you’ll never be able to provide for her “stay at home and look hot” lifestyle. but at the same time, you can NEVER downgrade. it’s all up from there.
Carry her designer purse for her when she asks you to. As embarrassing as it is, it is less embarrassing than when she starts to whine and starts sobbing, “but so and so’s boyfriend carries her bag for her, don’t you love me baby? why won’t you carry my bag for me, my arm hurts so on so on.
Prepare to get fat. Korean girls love to feed their men. Fatten them up for the kill, so to speak? They’ll make you so fat that no woman would want to see you naked.
Pretend not to notice when she’s stuffing her face. Most Korean girls will pretend that she doesn’t eat that much but once you get closer you will know that a Korean girl’s stomach has no limitations. She was lying when she said she wasn’t hungry the first time you took her out to dinner. As soon as you dropped her off at home, she busted out the biggest pot in the kitchen and made herself some bomb ass bibimbap with the four bowls of leftover rice. And ate it all. In one sitting. And probably downed it with a beer.
Korean girls like to feel special. Don’t check out other girls when you’re spending time with her. She has eyes like a hawk and will notice if you so much a glance at another girl. She’ll make a big deal and start a fight with you in the middle of the street. If you do get busted, your first words better be, “Why are all girls so damn ugly next to you, baby? Let’s go to shoppingl.”
When you go drinking remember that she drinks way more than she’s letting on. Korean girls hardly get drunk but they would like to appear it so you can take care of her. But then again Korean girls like to drink soju, so it can’t actually be that much. She’s probably faking the whole drunk act just so you can give her a piggy back ride.
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Pada Zaman Dahulu
Tertulis di situ : "Catrina, ikhlas dan perlukan sahabat." Tergerak hati jejaka untuk mengutus surat kepada si gadis misteri itu. Setelah pulang ke rumah, jejaka itu menulis surat untuk memberitahu niat ingin berkawan dengan gadis itu. Beberapa hari kemudian si jejaka mendapat balasan daripada gadis tersebut bahawa dia juga bersetuju untuk berkawan dengan si jejaka. Hari betukar minggu dan minggu bertukar bulan. Persahabatan mula bertukar kepada perasaan sayang. Namun begitu mereka masih belum pernah bersua muka. Si jejaka ingin sekali bertemu si gadis misteri dan begitu juga dengan si gadis. Walaupun kedua-keduanya masih belum melihat rupa masing-masing, tetapi perasaan sayang tetap berbuku di hati.
Pada suatu hari, si jejaka dipanggil oleh bala tentera untuk pergi ke medan perang. Si jejaka merasa amat susah hati kerana dia bimbang sekiranya dia mungkin tidak dapat berjumpa dengan si gadis kesayangannya. Maka diutuskannya sepucuk surat berbunyi, "kalau Allah panjangkan jodoh kita, dan andai kamu masih sayang padaku, kita berjumpalah di stesen keretapi pada hari perang diumumkan tamat nanti. Aku akan memakai pakaian tenteraku dan membawa sekuntum mawar berwarna merah. Aku akan mengenali kamu sekiranya kamu juga memegang sekuntum bunga mawar merah. Setelah itu izinkanlah aku membawamu untuk makan malam dan bertemu orang tuaku." Maka pergi lah jejaka ke medan perang dengan tenang setelah mengutuskan surat itu... Beberapa bulan kemudian... Pada hari pengumuman perang tamat, si jejaka pergi ke stesen keretapi yang dijanjikan sambil memegang sekuntum bunga mawar merah di tangannya. Diperhatikannya seorang demi seorang gadis yang berada di stesen keretapi itu sekiranya ada yang turut memegang bunga mawar merah sepertinya. Tiba-tiba, si jejaka ternampak seorang gadis yang agak berisi, sedikit hitam dan berjerawat mukanya duduk di kerusi roda sambil melihat sekeliling seolah-olah mencari seseorang. Kakinya kudung dan tangannya cacat sebelah. Sebelah lagi tangannya memegang sekuntum bunga mawar berwarna merah. Si jejaka sangat terkejut melihat keadaan fizikal dan wajah gadis pujaannya selama ini amat berbeza dari imaginasinya, namun dia memberanikan diri menghampiri gadis tersebut.
"Catrina?"
Gadis itu melihat ke arah si jejaka dan tersenyum ceria. Si jejaka terus menghulurkan bunga mawar kepada si gadis dan berkata, "aku amat merinduimu. Terimalah bunga ini dan pelawaanku untuk makan malam bersama kedua ibu bapaku. Orang tuaku tidak sabar-sabar lagi untuk bertemu denganmu," kata jejaka itu. Si gadis itu tersenyum lagi dan berkata, "Aku tidak tahu apa yang terjadi. Tetapi ada seorang gadis cantik jelita memberikan bunga ini kepadaku sebentar tadi. Dia memintaku memberitahu kamu bahawa dia sedang menunggu kamu di restoran di hadapan stesen ini sekiranya kamu mempelawaku makan malam dan bertemu orang tuamu.
" **Berapa ramaikah manusia yang sesuci hati jejaka ini? Dia melihat kepada hati dan bukan kepada rupa. Dia telah mengotakan janjinya dan tetap berpegang kepada perasaan sayang walaupun pada mulanya dia menjangkakan gadis cacat itu adalah Catrina. Masihkah lagi wujud lelaki seikhlas dan seluhur hati pemuda itu?
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Let's vote for the next new 7wonders of the world...
Sunday, February 27, 2011
2011 National Gugak Center First Full Moon Festival “Ttwil-pan (jumping), Nol-pan (playing), and Han-pan making happy”
Enjoy the First Full Moon Festival with National Gugak Center
Date : Feb 16, Wed ~ Feb 17, Thurs (19:30)
Venue : Yeakdang & Front yard, National Gugak Center
* The event is free but requires an advance reservation http://www.gugak.go.kr/
A New Start, Daboreum (the year’s first full moon) Festival
Experience the seasonal customs of Daeborrum, a traditional Korean holiday and enjoy folk performance shows
Date : Feb 17, Thurs (10:00~17:00)
Venue : Front Yard (Main bldg), The National Folk Museum of Korea, Jongno, Seoul
Korean Mushrooms Occupies the Tables of the Swiss
Korean mushrooms spotlighted as high-quality food
Jelomli, a grand department store of Zurich, the largest city in Swiss has Korean mushrooms on their sales list, sold at the lower ground grocery section, along with a variety of other raw mushrooms. Here Korean king oyster mushrooms are sold by 30-40 franc per kilogram, quite expensive which is equivalent to 35,000 ~ 47,000 won in Korean dollars.
Swiss people, on sunny days, often enjoy barbeque parties with their family and friends sharing grilled meat and sausages, and the Korean king oyster mushrooms as the only vegetable to be added on the main grill list. Taken as a high-quality food item, the king oyster mushrooms are enjoyed for its bigger size and thick texture that is much suitable for a grill party compared to button mushrooms.
In Swiss, now it is not that difficult to meet these mushrooms from Korea in Swiss as they are not only supplied to department stores but also to Migros, the largest supermarket franchise in Swiss.
a Swiss restaurant in Itaewon, Korea> (Photo: Naver blog) In Swiss, mushrooms are widely enjoyed by the people being one of the most popular food often used as an ingredient for sauces or even as main dishes. Regarding the sales of button mushrooms the amount of its consumption are 13,000 tons annually; 8,000 tons of raw mushrooms and 5,000 tons of cooked mushrooms. Here 7,000 tons of raw mushrooms are produced in Swiss and the import! rate of the total market consists of 15 percent. The Swiss people do seem to favor mushrooms a lot! Cannot imagine a life without mushrooms! The Swiss people in love with mushrooms Even the economic crisis did not stop the Swiss fondness for mushrooms. In the second half of 2008 when the economic situation was not favorable, consumers did not cease to spend money on mushrooms. In 2009, rather the total consumption increased adding 300 tons compared to the former year. In fact, the fastidious Swiss customers looking for the best qualities seem to continuously increase the needs for fresh mushrooms. Now the annual amount of mushroom import!s are over two hundred million Korean won. This was possible by both continuous efforts put to improving species and through quality control. In 2009 renowned chefs from all over the world have visited Korea to participate in the ‘Amazing Korean Table,’ and Korean mushroom was used by all chefs. A variety of mushrooms were grilled or slightly boiled to be used as ingredients or become the main dish itself.
Button mushroom is the most largely produced and consumed one in Swiss, which is a very traditional kind. However, Asian kinds started to receive attention along with the rising popularity of foreign mushroom species. These days foreign mushrooms that have been introduced during the 1980~1990s including shiitake, king oyster mushroom, grifola frondosa are now receiving some spotlight. Especially shiitake is enjoying popularity being ranked second in the consumer preference.
The Medical Service Project Shares New Life and Hope!
Regrettably, there are many people who are in need of medical surgery but not all receive the opportune treatment. The high costs and lack of professional medical hospitals are doubling the burden. Fortunately, movements of medical support for the global neighborhood have been started, the ‘Korea Medical Service Share Project’ being one of them.
The Korean government financially supports children of neighboring undeveloped regions suffering from the lack of medical facilities by paying all expenses on their visit to Korea for medical treatment; Private medical institutions support the medical expenses by offering voluntary surgical operations. This year’s first patient is Danilya, a young boy from Russia.
A new life to a six-year-boy Danilya
The Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare has developed a project to position Korea as a global healthcare leader and promote voluntary services overseas.
The project is significant for being a public-private collaboration case while the Korean government provides financial aids covering flight fees and expenses during the stay and medical institutions covers the medical expenses. This year’s budget is 250,000,000 Korean won, which will be used to cure fifteen patients from the neighbors of Korea including China, Russia, Kazakhstan and so on.
Danilya, a six-year-old boy from Havarovsk, Russia was the first patient to meet the Korea Medical Service Share Project. Danilya was diagnosed as congenial heart disease and ventricular septal defect however the family could not afford a surgery and in fact no hospitals specializing in heart disease could be found near the village. It was grateful to receive Irina’s - the mother’s joy and appreciation when she heard the good news from Korea about the medical and financial support.
Sejong Hospital, specializing in heart disease, was responsible for the young boy’s surgery this time. The hospital has conducted about 900 free medical operations for children from twenty nations including Russia, China, Vietnam, and Iraq for the last twenty-nine years bringing new life to them. The hospital explains that it is time for Korea to give back the help it has received from their neighbors in the past and this medical service project could be one example of it.
Sharing the advanced medical technology of Korea with Russia
conducted by Korean surgeons at major Hospitals of Korea> The operation process of Danilya was covered by RTR, the Russian public broadcasting media and will be broadcasted across Russia in March. ‘Pulse,’ RTR’s self-produced medical documentary program that usually deals with new trends in the medical field e.g. modern medical science, diagnosis and diverse diseases, and new medical treatments, will feature the story on Danilya in three parts. This may as well be a good opportunity for Korea to introduce its advanced medical technology. In fact, RTR did not only take report of Danilya’s surgery but also covered the current medical technology for cancer, cardiac and vascular diseases, oriental medicine, brain and spine treatment of Korea in depth, introducing the excellence of Korean medical technology. to a patient that will work as a real arm> (photo: The Joongang Daily) The Korea Medical Service Share Project will actively continue to support the young patients of China, Kazakhstan and so on. ‘Medical Korea,’ a medical institution to operate free surgery, will be established and promoted through the local media. ‘Global Medical Service Share Corps’ program supported by Hanlyu celebrities will be carried out as well. We expect the project would gradually expand its activity reaching out to more regions and covering more diseases to be cured. The project embraces the idea of coexistence and the global community. It is grateful for both, Korea who can be help and its neighbors who calls for help – the young children suffering from illness, and the parents who need support to afford medical treatment. A better global community can be upheld by being help for those who need a hand, and this project can be one way to practice the idea. We hope to see more medical institutions willing to donate their excellence in medical technology to bring new lives to our neighbors.
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