Donguibogam Village, Sancheong-gun, Thursday 12 September, 9am. At the main entrance to the Expo there is a long parade of information booths and gift stalls. One of the booths was there to promote Hallyu 4.0. Hallyu 1.0 and Hallyu 2.0 are the first and second waves of Korean pop culture spreading through Asia. First came … [Read More]
Month: September 2013 (page 3)
2013 Travel Diary #24: Yin, Yang and Ginseng
Donguibogam Village, Sancheong-gun, Wednesday 11 September, 5:30pm. Refreshed by our nap on the fragrant pillow, we move on from the Traditional Medicine Experience Pavilion to the Theme Hall, outside which stand the statues of the two best known figures in Korean Traditional Medicine, who have now made it into popular culture courtesy of TV dramas: … [Read More]
2013 Travel Diary #23: The pillow of eternal youth
Donguibogam Village, Sancheong-gun, Wednesday 11 September, 5pm. At Korean expos, the emphasis is not on the looking. It is on the experiencing. You have to immerse yourself, to touch, to feel, to try something out. At the Sancheong International Traditional Medicine Fair and Festival, then, it was no surprise when the organisers, who had come … [Read More]
2013 Travel Diary #22: Tiger, Bear and herb: the traditional Korean medicine experience
Donguibogam Village, Sancheong-gun, Wednesday 11 September, 4pm. In Korean mythology, it seems that it’s not the bear that has the sore head. It’s the tiger. In the Korean Medicine Theme Park, which forms part of the Donguibogam Village, the exhibits focus on the different parts of the human body, but throughout there is the recurring … [Read More]
2013 Travel Diary #21: Return to Sancheong
Unjusa, Hwasun-gun, Wednesday 11 September, 10am. It’s not yet mid-morning, but the temperature is already uncomfortable despite the lack of sun. Once again, it’s pleasant to get inside the air-conditioned car to head back to Sancheong. As we drive back, I give Sena a call to arrange to see her later that afternoon. As LKL’s … [Read More]
Korean designers at 100% Design London 2013
The annual 100% Design London exhibition will be held at Earls Court, 18-21 September, and as usual there will be a Korean pavilion showing designers supported by the Korea Institute of Design Promotion. And you’ll probably find, as you stroll around the arena, that there are some independent Korean designers there as well. But here … [Read More]
2013 Travel Diary #20: The temple of a thousand pagodas
Unjusa, Hwasun-gun, Wednesday 11 September, 3:45am. My phone wakes me up at 3:45 am, and I struggle into my trousers, splash some water onto my face, and make my way to the main shrine. I’m the first one there, and soon Kyung-sook arrives, then Wonsan himself. Later, a couple of the temple women join us. … [Read More]
Sprout (콩나물, 2013) review: a young child’s first solo exploration
The warmth, depth and meaning with which Yoon Ga-eun so successfully infuses this gentle, sweet and simple tale not only clearly shows her sheer talent as a director and storyteller but also deftly underlines how beautiful Korean cinema truly can be. [Read More]
Hur Shan and Won Jiho awarded bursaries by Royal British Society of Sculptors
Congratulations to Hur Shan and Won Jiho for winning bursaries from the Royal British Society of Scultpors. Along with other winners they will be featured in a group show at the society’s headquarters in South Kensington: Bursary Awards 2013 12 September 2013 – 18 October 2013 Wednesday–Friday, 12:30–5:30pm 108 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3RA … [Read More]
2013 Travel Diary #19: Mosquitoes at Unjusa
Suncheon-si, Tuesday 10 September, 12:30pm We head back to the hotel for a quick shower and change of clothes, before lunch at a nearby eatery – a deliciously delicate clam noodle soup. The soup is brought in a large bowl full of a light broth. At the bottom of the bowl is a mound of … [Read More]
2013 Travel Diary #18: Suncheon Garden Expo — The Korean Garden
Suncheon-si, Tuesday 10 September, 11:30am. As we emerge from the container tunnels on the western bank of the river we are beginning to wilt in the heat and we are sorely tempted to exit the expo at the nearest gate. But then we catch sight of a frozen (and non-alcoholic) cocktail stall which gives us … [Read More]
2013 Travel Diary #17: Suncheon Garden Expo — The Bridge of Dreams
Suncheon-si, Tuesday 10 September, 11am. The expo precincts are shaped like an inverted triangle, its long northern baseline lying on a straight road which leads eastwards to Gwangwang and westwards towards the tea fields of Boseong. This baseline is about two kilometres long, but in the heat it feels three times that. At the Sancheong … [Read More]
2013 Travel Diary #16: Suncheon Garden Expo — The Lugworm’s Trail
Suncheon-si, Tuesday 10 September, 10am. Like many areas of the Suncheon Garden Expo, Hwang Ji-hae’s garden, which was the main reason for my coming to Suncheon in the first place, also limits its reliance on floral colour. Looked at from above, or viewed from the source of the water (top left of above image) which … [Read More]
2013 Travel Diary #15: Swirls and spirals in the Suncheon Lake Garden
Suncheon-si, Tuesday 10 September, 8am. After the rich variety of the hanjeongsik food the previous evening, the buffet breakfast at the hotel offered comfort for a lazy western palette. I could have had some Korean food – miso soup, noodles, rice, the normal offering – but instead I went for toast, omelette, frankfurter, and tomato … [Read More]
BKWS monthly meeting: a tour of the V&A
Something different for the British Korean Women’s Society this month: Tour of the Victoria & Albert Museum Friday 20th September 2013 6.45pm MAIN ENTRANCE FOYER THE VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM South Kensington London SW7 2RL The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) was founded in 1852 with the aim of giving British artists and manufacturers the … [Read More]
Antique Bakery (서양 골동 양과자점 앤티크, 2008) review: a pleasing millefeuille of genres
Initially appearing to simply be a warm and genuinely funny comedy that gently details themes of sexuality and acceptance, Antique Bakery nonetheless quickly proves itself to be so much more; deftly accenting numerous genres along its ultimately cathartic path. [Read More]