Nearing the end of autumn, music fans from across the country start hikingup a prostitute-laden hill, running the gauntlet of temptation and protectingthemselves from the cold weather with hopes of countless rewards when theyget to the top. The Stompers Battle of the Bands is one of the most successfulindependent music showcases in Seoul, and it all started with an idea.

  For Bernhard Brender, general manager of the Grand Hilton Seoul, it is not a question of how fast you ski, but how safely you ski.

  Tucked away in the quiet alleys of Changsong-dong, this tiny café offers more than just rare alcohols and a charming atmosphere. This is the place in Seoul for cupcakes.  

“Does your hagwon have a zombie infestation plan?”  

A few years ago I did a brief stint as a teacher here in Korea. My first class of the day was kindergarten. They were an energetic group of tiny little people with giant bobble heads and short attention spans. I was informed by the director that these kids were all 5 years old. Two of them wore diapers and none of them stood higher than my knee. I wrote it off to the fact that I hadn’t reall ...

The waitress brought my desert and said with a smile, “You may notice that something’s missing.” I looked down at the banana split I had ordered. No banana. “Isn’t this a tropical island?” I thought. A tropical island with no bananas. Luckily for Guam, it has other things to offer.

Look up. See the billboard-size picture of a white Jesus, lamb in arm. He’s holding a shepherd’s crook. His face is peaceful. He’s gazing down at the lamb, or perhaps the small town below. He seems to say, “Welcome to Bokjeong. You’ve traveled far down the yellow subway line. Now take a rest. Enjoy our humble village.”

Dirty Gangneung A True Story: As Gangneung’s premiere (only) dirty rock-heavymetal band, we naturally have a positive relationship with the local constabulary. A few months ago we were practicing in our drummer’s pregnant wife’s art studio. Hearing the sound pounding out on the street, some police officers dropped by to have a listen. Seeing our new audience, we decided to play ...

 For many people November is just a grey, dull month on the long plod to Christmas. But for a number of perhaps slightly crazed individuals, November means National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo) one of the largest, funnest writing events of the year.   The challenge of Nanowrimo is to write a 50,000 word novel, around 175 pages, in 30 days. It doesn’t have to be a complete projec ...

The JangHeung Area Children’s Center in Jangheung, Jeollanamdo, would like some help in providing a very special Christmas to some children with very special needs.   The JACC serves children of low-income families by offering education, extracurricular activities and financial assistance. John Wurth, an expat who teaches in Jangheung and volunteers at the center, says the center serves ...