Month: December 2017

Spin Kicks, Spirituality, and a Sunrise: Templestay at Golgusa Temple

It’s never a bad idea to start out a new year with a few extra good karma points… you never know when you’ll need them. So, instead of spending New Year’s Eve drinking too much in a crowded bar and waking up to feelings of pain and regret, I decided to ring it in at …

6 Ways to Ring in the New Year, Korean Style

New Year’s Eve in Korea is action packed. Hotels host swanky soirées, restaurants lure in hungry diners with holiday specials, and the masses gather in the streets, unmoved by subzero temperatures, eager to share a final shot of soju with one another before the clock strikes midnight. But, contrary to what many think, there is …

Hanok Hideaways

The creak of old wooden floors.  The sliding of beautifully crafted doors.  The upward curves of tiled roofs and the enchanting calm of courtyards.  Hanok, or traditional Korean houses, are delightful dwellings where those who enter them can’t help but be hypnotized by their charm.  Constructed in accordance with nature and geographical location, hanoks were …

8 Gifts for Your Koreaphile Friends

If you’re like me, when it comes time for shopping for the holidays, birthdays or other events, you stress over what to buy, what to give and if it’ll actually be used and enjoyed by the receiver. That’s why I’ve put together this fool-proof gift list of eight of my favorite Korean-inspired goodies from around …

An Interview with Joey Rositano, Photographer of Jeju Shamanism

Joey Rositano is not your ordinary expat. Hailing from Nashville, the Tennessee native has called Jeju-do, an island off the southern coast of South Korea, home for the past nine years.  But it’s not just the island’s tropical charms and beautiful beaches that keep him there. Rather, his interests in shamanism, a religion that has …