Barbie doll maker Mattel’s latest attempt at embracing diversity, curvy Barbies, will exclusively go on sale at Toys R Us stores in Korea on Thursday, prior to the line’s official launch in the country in July.  (Mattel)This is the first time the new Fashionista Barbies have been introduced in Asia, according to Lotte Mart, the Korean handler of Toys R Us.There are seven different curvy Fashionista Barbies. Only 600 are to be sold this time, through four Toys R Us shops here -- Jamsil, Gimpo, Gu

Arts & DesignApril 14, 2016

Korean writer Han Kang has been shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize for her novel “The Vegetarian,” becoming the first Korean writer to be considered for the prestigious literary accolade. 　The award body announced the six final nominees for this year’s prize on its website on Thursday. The five other nominated works are “A Strangeness in My Mind” by Turkish novelist and Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk; “A General Theory of Oblivion” by Angola’s Jose Eduardo Angualusa; “The Story of th

BooksApril 14, 2016

Streaming and downloading may be the most popular ways of listening to music these days, but for fans of physical albums, two upcoming events offer a chance to purchase LPs, CDs and DVDs at reduced prices. 　Universal Music is holding special events at Garosu-gil and Sangsu-dong in Seoul, where visitors can browse and buy at discount prices a vast array of albums spanning classical music to pop music. Promotional image of Deutsche Grammophon Yard Sale, which will be held at the Garosugil ODE Pop-

PerformanceApril 14, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) -- The downtown Tribeca Film Festival kicked off with a bit of uptown style. 　The 15th annual festival was to open Wednesday with the premiere of Andrew Rossi's “The First Monday in May,” a behind-the-scenes documentary about the mounting of an ambitious fashion exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the museum’s annual star-studded Met Gala. 　The film is an intimate and lively look at the highest aspirations of fashion, revealing everything from Anna Wintour fretting over s

FilmApril 14, 2016

Hallyu king Kim Jun-su of JYJ has jumped on the “Descendants of the Sun” craze bandwagon with the release of his newest single, “How Can I Love You,” as part of the drama series’ latest “Part 10” sound track.　The romantic ballad single, which appeared in the penultimate episode of the smash-hit KBS TV drama Wednesday night, was released Thursday and quickly snagged the No. 1 spot on all of the country’s major music sites, including Melon, Naver and Mnet.   Kim Jun-su of JYJ (C-JeS Entertainment)

PerformanceApril 14, 2016

Korean hip-hop trio Epik High will be performing at popular American festival Coachella Valley Music and Arts.　In an interview with the group released Tuesday, Billboard reported, “Epik High plans to make history at Coachella as the first major South Korean act playing (at) the music festival.”　“It is definitely a venue that we always dreamed of performing at,” the group’s rapper Tablo said in the interview. He also urged festivalgoers to come check out their stage, promising to make it worthwhi

PerformanceApril 14, 2016

Brazil’s modernist architecture may be better known, but the country's distinctive midcentury modern furniture is getting new international attention.　Sensuous curves, tropical woods, woven leathers and traditional techniques like caning and netting were all part of a style that developed from the 1940s to the 1970s called Brazil Modern.　“When it all comes together, it’s like the music of Gilberto Gil,” said Juliet Kinchin, curator of modern design in the department of architecture and design at

Arts & DesignApril 14, 2016

VERONA (AFP) - As he swirls a glass of yellowy green wine made from the trendy pecorino grape, Fabio Centini purrs with enthusiasm.　“I hadn't even heard of this grape 15 years ago,” the Italian-born chef-restaurateur from Calgary, Canada tells AFP between slurps at a tasting of top pecorinos from the Offida area of the Marche region.　“But it is exactly what my customers want. People are looking for new varietals, new experiences.” A man walks past a column of wine bottles on April 10 during the

FoodApril 14, 2016

Lotte Department Store will host a giant flea market at Icheon, Gyeonggi Province’s Lotte Premium Outlet on Saturday and Sunday, coinciding with its “Black Shopping Day” sales.According to LDS, this will be the biggest flea market to be organized by a corporation to date in terms of area and the number of participants -- 300 sellers in a 5,000-square-meter space.(Lotte Department Store)Apart from popular local foods and individual collections and handcrafted art, belongings of hallyu stars such

CultureApril 14, 2016

Jeonju-based expat Terry Lyons will be walking the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage trail this spring to raise money for a severely disabled girl and awareness of orphanages’ needs.Lyons began walking to raise money for Esther Park in 2010, dividing the funds between the Holt orphanage that looked after her and Esther herself, who needed money to pay for growth hormone injections.When Lyons first met Esther, she was in hospital. Her condition meant that, although she was 8 years old, she was ju

Expat LivingApril 13, 2016

Performers in Gwangju will stage “The Vagina Monologues” next week to help raise money for a single mothers’ shelter in the city and promote awareness of violence against women.Funds raised through the production will go to help My House (Uri Jip), a shelter for young single mothers and their children, which the group has helped since it started V-Day productions in 2012. “This year we decided to give all the proceeds to them because we have seen their organization grow and their facilities and

Expat LivingApril 13, 2016