Eat like a king in a Georgia mountain town

BLUE RIDGE, Georgia ― When I’ve had enough of the heat, humidity and bugs during the dog days of summer, sometimes I just need an altitude adjustment. That’s when I start barking and plan a getaway to the North Georgia mountain town of Blue Ridge.The summer day I drive into Blue Ridge is warm, but not hot. The nearly 1,800 feet of elevation offers a smidge of insurance that, unless there is some sort of climatic anomaly, the temperatures rarely climb out of the mid-eighties.With the peaks of the

TravelAug. 23, 2013

Beer served colder than ice-cold

A mere two weeks into business and word must have spread like wildfire because right when the clock hits 5 p.m. and Asahi Super Dry Extra Cold Bar’s first overseas outlet opens, customers start filing in. Within 30 minutes five out of a total of 10 tables are already taken. The drinks start flowing and so does the conversation. What’s the main attraction? The beer ― which is served between 0 to -2.2 degrees Celsius, lower than the average serving temperature of around 3 ― appears to be the prima

FoodAug. 23, 2013

Around the Hotels

Luxurious Chuseok gift sets at Park Hyatt SeoulCornerstone, the main restaurant of Park Hyatt Seoul, has various gift sets to celebrate Chuseok, on sale from Aug. 16 to Sept. 20. The gift sets include a variety of quality products. A homemade sugar-free tart set is priced at 30,000 won. Homemade chocolate truffles with ginseng, omija and green-tea fillings are priced at 48,000 won. Homemade sour plum syrup is priced at 60,000 won. Organic honey from Worak is priced at 140,000 won. Premium wine a

FoodAug. 23, 2013

Yangbaechu kimchi, (green cabbage kimchi)

In the summer, when traditional napa cabbages are not in their prime season, Yangbaechu (green cabbage) comes in handy for making kimchi. Yangbaechu is naturally sweet and crunchy, which makes it a good source for kimchi. Unlike napa cabbage, which requires many hours of salting, yangbaechu doesn’t need to be salted for very long. All you need is about two hours to soften the cabbage and bring out the flavors. Lightly seasoned, this yangbaechu kimchi is light and refreshing! Ingredients:● 1 head

FoodAug. 23, 2013

Crayon Pop captivates foreign media

The almost embarrassingly silly concept of the nation’s latest girl group craze Crayon Pop has managed to grab the attention of overseas broadcasters. Journalists from the U.S.’ ABC News as well China’s Shanghai TV came to Korea on Thursday to spend the day with the five ladies of Crayon Pop since the quirky choreography to the group’s hit single “Bar Bar Bar” has begun to blow up virally, resulting in people asking whether it may follow in the footsteps of Psy’s “Gangnam Style” and “Gentleman.”

PerformanceAug. 23, 2013

Hyun Jin-young to release first new track in 6 years

Hyun Jin-young, artist and producer of his own label “Made In H.J.Y.,” is coming out with a new track in October. The track titled, “Musang munyeom,” reportedly is a mix of electronic, hip-hop, and jazz sounds, and is the first song that Hyun has released in six years. Hyun recently participated in the recording of a program on CTS TV’s smartphone radio app and talked about how he experienced being homeless for a month, staying in Seoul Station for the making of his new track.He said that he wan

PeopleAug. 23, 2013

New driving for aging, traffic-congested world

Yeonggwang County in South Jeolla Province, one of the largest nuclear power plant sites in Korea, was the first county in Korea to recognize the need for personal electric vehicles as a way to offer safe and comfortable mobility for the elderly, who make up around 25 percent of the county’s total population. The county also reports frequent accidents involving tractors that are used by many elderly for not just farming, but also for short commutes. In 2011, 4 out of 10 car accidents involved ag

Arts & DesignAug. 22, 2013

Design innovation in electric vehicles

The electric personal mobility vehicle ― a one-passenger car that comes in various shapes and sizes ― should break away from traditional automobile design in order for people to adopt the innovative vehicle for the urban lifestyle, according to Lee Keun, dean of the International Design School for Advanced Studies at Hongik University.“It’s a new genre of mobility. The material, design and fuel are completely different from gas-powered cars. The reason people feel hesitant to embrace the electri

Arts & DesignAug. 22, 2013

Language of design reinterpreted

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea is holding a one-of-a-kind exhibition titled “Design: Another Language,” which attempts to capture and interpret the language behind the concept of design within contemporary art.At the recently opened design exhibition, visitors can see around 100 carefully selected pieces related to the realm of design including graphic design, furniture design, advertisement and fashion design.  The exhibition highlights a group of artists and their at

CultureAug. 22, 2013

Art students open exhibition in Seoul City Hall

United Exhibition, a group of 80 art students from Seoul National University, Kookmin University, Hongik University and Ewha Womans University, are holding an exhibition titled “How Dare You” in Seoul City Hall’s Citizen Gallery from Aug. 20 to 29. Sponsored by Seoul City, the exhibition includes a wide range of creative work. “Cut Me” by Hongik University student Kim Ji-yeon features strings sewn onto a canvas with scissors hung beside it. Visitors are encouraged to take the scissors and cut so

PerformanceAug. 22, 2013

Spanish artist to share riches from botched fresco makeover

MADRID (AFP) ― An 82-year-old Spanish woman whose botched restoration of a painting of Christ made her a global laughing stock is to reap nearly half the riches from worldwide merchandising of the monkey-like image.Cecilia Gimenez took it upon herself a year ago to fix up Ecce Homo (Behold the Man), a flaking, century-old fresco of Christ painted on a pillar in a church in Borja, northeastern Spain.The touched-up result resembled a pale-faced ape with cartoon-style eyes and mouth and a crooked s

PerformanceAug. 22, 2013

The Killers to bring 'hot fuss' to Korea with first concert

American rock band The Killers, who brought listeners hits “Somebody Told Me” and “Mr. Brightside,” will be hitting the stage in Seoul for the band’s first concert in Korea on Oct. 5. The upcoming concert is the 12th installment of the “Hyundai Card Culture Project” series, which in the past brought acts such as Keane, John Legend, Ke$ha, Jason Mraz, Kraftwerk, Mika and Damien Rice. Formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by lead vocalist Brandon Flowers and guitarist Dave Keuning ― later joined by Mark Sto

PerformanceAug. 22, 2013

Girl group Sistar returns to stage

Girl group Sistar is to hold its second live concert “S” on Oct. 12 at Olympic Park’s Olympic Hall in Seoul. The four-member group debuted in June 2010 with the song “Push Push” and quickly shot up in the local music charts with the release of a slew of hit songs such as “So Cool” and “Alone.” In June 2012 the group released its second album with title track “Give it To Me” and landed No. 1 slots on numerous major music charts. “Sistar has a lot to offer to fans,” a representative of the group’s

Aug. 22, 2013

Comics + math = entertainment

Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to the Comic Book UniverseBy Tim Leong (Chronicle)“Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to the Comic Book Universe” demands a soft toilet seat and, I estimate, 17.4 hours of your time. That’s a compliment. In fact, if you don’t own a bathroom, build one immediately so you may luxuriate for obnoxiously long, undisturbed stretches with artist Tim Leong’s self-described “love letter to the medium,” an absorbing, wonderfully unnecessary pairing of inventive, beautiful designs

BooksAug. 22, 2013