Collecting donations for children's center in Jangheung.

A teacher in Jeollanam-do's Jangheung county has passed along information about a fundraising effort for this coming holiday season. John Wurth emails about the Jangheung Area Children's Center:

We provide education for children from low income families that can't afford hagwons and tutors for their children.

We also run a group home. The children who stay in our group home have either lost one or both parents. They have no family able to take care of them for a multitude of reasons. We have 6 children- 4 boys and 2 girls- who stay in our group home.

Given their situation you might imagine that these children do not have much in life. We are only able to provide them with what our donors give us for them.

My request to you is this. Christmas is coming soon. I want to do something nice for these kids.

My thinking is to give each one a gift certificate for one of the internet clothing stores like GMarket. Things here in JangHeung are too expensive. I would also like to get them a game console and some games (XBox, Playstation, whatever).

I am requesting your help to make this happen. You know what's next! I need to get some money for this. I am hoping to ask everyone to give 20,000w-40,000w each for the effort. Anything would of course be appreciated!!!

Donations can be wired to a bank account set up with NongHyup Bank:

JangHeung TamJin Group Home (장흥탐진그룹홈)
Nonghyup Bank / 농협은행
657-01-075935

More information can be found on the Jangheung Area Children's Center (장흥지역아동센터) Korean-language homepage or the new English-language Facebook group.

Yeongam track behind schedule, on Korean time; F1 chief worried.

The story out of Yeongam county Sunday and Monday is that the Formula One head is concerned over the future of the Korean Grand Prix---scheduled for Yeongam county on October 24th---because of the heretofore inability to get the track done and meet deadlines. From the BBC:

Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone has expressed doubts over whether October's Korean Grand Prix will go ahead.

Ecclestone hopes the race will happen but says concerns will remain until the Yeongam track passes an FIA inspection.

"It's not good. It should have been inspected six weeks ago," he told BBC Sport at Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix.

. . .

"We will have no problem in hosting the race on October 24 as we have almost completed work," revealed Korea Auto Valley Operation (KAVO) spokesman Kim Jae-Ho.

The Korean International Circuit, which has still to be completed, was initially scheduled for an inspection on 21 September, but that was a public holiday in Korea.

FIA press officer Alexandra Schieren said the new inspection, by FIA race director Charlie Whiting, would take place on 11 October.

"We will rush to complete work and FIA officials will see a complete circuit when they conduct a final inspection in two weeks," said Kim.

. . .

Ecclestone had expressed doubts that the race would go ahead.

"We normally have a 90-day check before a race and now we are sort of putting this off," he stated.

"What we've done is quite dangerous. It's a question of do we cancel the race or not? They say everything will be OK - we have to hope they're right."

The Korea Herald, though, optimistically writes "No worries about Korean Grand Prix: F1 boss".

However, the F1 boss insists that he has no doubts the Yeongam circuit will be ready in time for the inaugural race on Oct. 24.

“We’re happy with the circuit at the moment,” Formula One commercial-rights holder Bernie Ecclestone told The Korea Herald in a telephone interview.

When asked if he was concerned about the rumors, Ecclestone replied, “I don’t take a lot of notice of rumors.”

The Telegraph wrote on the 3rd that Formula One "could break its own rules" to make sure Korea's inaugural race is ready bbali bbali:

Formula One's governing body admitted on Thursday that "a lot of work remains to be completed" at the 120,000-capacity circuit being built in Yeongam, 400km south of Seoul, but told Telegraph Sport it had given organisers until Sept 21 before its final inspection.

Appendix O of the International Sporting Code clearly states that "for permanent circuits, the final inspection should be made not later than 60 days (or 90 days for FIA Formula One World Championship events) before the first international event to be held, at which inspection of all work relating to the track surface, permanent features and safety installations should be completed to the FIA's satisfaction".

The Korean International Circuit is part permanent, part temporary, which means the final inspection for the Oct 24 race ought to have taken place by July 26.

News that Yeongam county would host Formula One racing came in October 2006.

A few links from my inbox and Favorites folders:

+ Grrrl Traveler made a recent trip to Boseong county, and has several good posts about getting there, visiting the tea fields, enjoying local green tea, and being productive in the toilet stall.

+ Steve of Steve and Sandy's Journey emailed today to say they also recently took a trip to Jeollanam-do. And from their site comes a few examples of excessively-difficult English from a recent exam. He comments:

Most kids struggle with saying anything past, "How are you?" and "What's your name?", but they are expected to understand ridiculously complex written questions that most native English speakers would have to read a few times (like I did) to understand.

I took a look at the college entrance exams last year and the large gap between the test items and students' practical English proficiency.

+ The Chronicle of Higher Education has written on South Korean colleges and their ambitions in the online education market.

[. . .]Hanyang has begun a new strategy: to look beyond its borders to attract more students from around the globe. The country exports flat-screen TVs and cars, so why not export high-tech education as well?

"Our market will be in Southeast Asia, maybe Africa, maybe the United States," said Byung Tae Yoo, the university's vice president. The university has even changed its motto, painted with a world map on a wall of Mr. Yoo's office: "To the world, for the future."

+ The informative and prolific Gwangjublog is looking for contributors from Gwangju and Jeollanam-do.

+ Good news: K-blogger Mike McStay's doctor says he's 100% cancer-free.

Fall festivals in and around Jeollanam-do, 2010 edition.

Here is a list of major and minor festivals in and around Jeollanam-do this October and November, a supplement to the list for September a couple weeks ago. I've focused on South Jeolla province because I always have, and because it's more readable to focus on one particular area than to try to be everything to everybody, but it's worth remembering that there are tons of festivals each fall all over the country worth seeing. A few of the big ones not profiled here are the Andong International Mask Dance Festival, the Busan World Fireworks Festival, and the Ulsan World Music Festival. Last year hundreds of festivals, including those three and many listed below, were cancelled ostensibly because of swine flu, and will be making a welcome comeback this fall.

The profiles are shorter than in years past as I had to squeeze in research between loads of visa paperwork, far too much time behind the wheel, and a wedding. My apologies to the Shinan Salted Shrimp Festival, I'm sure it deserves more of my attention than it got. *cough* Nonetheless by browsing some of the links below you'll have enough information on the area's numerous attractions to get you to explore your "home" province more, or to finally spend a weekend in Jeollanam-do if you've never been.


Gwangju Biennale (광주비엔날레), September 3rd - November 7th
The huge art exhibition Gwangju Biennale (광주비엔날레) continues through November 7th, and for a week in October will be next door to the Kimchi Festival.


Gokseong Simcheong Festival (곡성심청축제), October 1st - October 3rd
The Gokseong Simcheong Festival (곡성심청축제) is held annually in and around Gokseong county's Train Village.


Jeonju International Sori Festival (전주세계소리축제), October 1st - October 5th
The Jeonju International Sori Festival (전주세계소리축제) is one of several traditional music festivals in the country this fall, and one of several large festivals in Jeonju this month.


Jinju Lantern Festival (진주남강유등축제), October 1st - October 12th
The Jinju Lantern Festival (진주남강유등축제) is one of the best and brightest in the country, a must-visit for anyone in southern South Korea. In 2008 a million people went in one weekend to dozens of illuminated lanterns floating along the river and thousands more on its shores. Posts from earlier years have pictures and more information, though last year it was one of many cancelled because of swine flu. Held a couple hours' bus ride from Gwangju or Suncheon in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, in and along the Namgang.


Source.


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There are two other festivals in Jinju at the same time at basically the same place: the Jinju Silk Fair (진주실크박람회) and the Gaecheon Art Festival (개천예술제), both from October 3rd through the 10th.


Gwangju Chungjangro Festival (추억의 7080 충장축제), October 5th - October 10th
The Gwangju Chungjangno Festival (추억의 7080 충장축제) takes place in downtown Gwangju from October 5th through the 10th, and is held in celebration, sort of, of Gwangju's history a few decades ago. Attractions include concerts, performances, parades, and street vendors, about which you can find times and information on the Korean-language event pages and schedule. By "sort of" a celebration I mean that unlike our fondness for the "good old days," little of South Korea's and Gwangju's history the past few generations is considered "good." The festival will take place on the large road Chungjangno in front of the Old Provincial Hall and in the eponymous pedestrian shopping area near the Geumnamno 4-ga and Culture Complex subway stations.


Gwangju International Food Show (광주국제식품전), October 7th - October 10th
The Gwangju International Food Show (광주국제식품전) is a trade show held at the Kim Daejung Convention Center. Though Gwangju and Jeollanam-do have made big improvements over the past year in the variety and availability of international foods, my experience in 2008 tells me you'd be better off choosing a different festival this busy weekend.


Gwangyang Bulgogi Festival (광양전통숯불구이축제) , October 7th - October 10th
The annual Gwangyang Bulgogi Festival (광양전통숯불구이축제) is one that perenially has little to no useful information online in English or even advance warning.


The Great Battle of Myeongryang Festival (명량대첩축제), October 8th - October 10th
The Great Battle of Myeongryang Festival (명량대첩축제) is held each fall between Haenam and Jindo counties. The large recreation of the famous 1597 battle between Japan and Admiral Yi Sun-Shin's forces has prompted earlier posts to call it the "Rejoice at the Slaughter of Thousands Festival. You can keep up with festival information by following it on twitter @myeongryang.


Gwangju International Community Day (광주국제교류의 날), October 9th


The 16th annual Gwangju International Community [GIC] Day (광주국제교류의 날) is put on by the Gwangju International Center. There's a GIC Day Facebook group and a Gwangju Blog post with a little more information.


Naro Seafood Festival (나로도수산물축제), October 9th - October 10th
The Naro Seafood Festival (나로도수산물축제) is held in Goheung county on the island best known for being the launch site for South Korea's rockets.


Seopyeonje Boseong Sound Festival, October 16th - October 17th
The Seopyeonje Boseong Sound Festival (서편제보성소리축제) is an awkward translation for a festival held in honor of the county's connection to pansori music.


Suncheon Bay Reeds Festival (순천만갈대축제), October 9th - October 24th
The Suncheon Bay Reeds Festival (순천만갈대축제) is held, of course, at the attractive Suncheon Bay. I've never been during the festival, but it was worth a visit one September, and looks worth one all year round.


Korea Grand Prix (2010 포뮬러1 월드 챔피언십 코리아 그랑프리), October 22nd - October 24th
Not a festival, really, but worth mentioning that South Korea's first Formula One race will be coming to Yeongam county this October.


Jeonju Bibimbap Festival (전주비빔밥축제), October 21st - October 24th
The Jeonju Bibimbap Festival (전주비빔밥축제) is held in celebration of the city's signature dish. Held at the regionally-famous Hanok Village, where I spent a good bit of a pleasant Saturday last October.


Korea Food Tourism Festival (한국음식관광축제), October 21st - October 24th
The Korea Food Tourism Festival (한국음식관광축제) is held in Jeonju the same weekend as the Bibimbap Festival, um, either to draw off it or compete with it.


Naju Yeongsan River Culture Festival (나주영산강문화축제), October 22nd - October 24th
Little information available about the Yeongsan River Culture Festival (나주영산강문화축제) held in Naju each fall. It looks like it celebrates history and folk culture, and Naju is a pretty underrated place for points of historical interest.


Gwangju Kimchi Culture Festival (광주김치문화축제), October 23rd - October 27th
The Gwangju Kimchi Culture Festival (광주김치문화축제) is a celebration of the national dish, and cultural phenomenon, that makes Gwangju proud. I visited the Gwangju Kimchi Festival in 2009 and had a pleasant time, especially viewing the kimchi pop art. This year it's back at the park between the Folk Museum and Biennale Hall, accessible by a number of city buses.


Namdo Food Culture Festival, October 23rd - October 31st

Finally, a website that makes its promotional poster easy to find and share.

The Namdo Food Culture Festival (남도음식문화큰잔치) is held each year in Suncheon at Nagan Folk Village to celebrate the region as the self-proclaimed and widely-acknowledged home of hte best food in the country. The variety of food available to visitors---key word being available---is admittedly underwhelming, but Nagan Fortress and Folk Village is well worth the visit, and is one of my favorite places in Korea (blogged here and here).


Korea Chrysanthemum Festival (대한민국 국향대전), October 29 - November 14
Hampyeong county's second-biggest annual festival, the Korea Chrysanthemum Festival (대한민국 국향대전) is one of several such flower festivals throughout the country each fall. Browse posts from earlier years for a few pictures.


2010 Green Gwangju and Jeonnam Bike Festival (2010 Green 광주&전남 자전거 축제 대회) , October 31st
The 2010 Green Gwangju and Jeonnam Bike Festival (2010 Green 광주&전남 자전거 축제 대회) is a 46-km road race held around Gwangju, from Honam University counter-clockwise to City Hall.


From the official site.

More taxes for Native Speaker English Teachers coming.

On Waygook.org several posters were recently informed by their Korean public schools that they will be taxed on housing allowances and reimbursed airfare. From pippo11:

I have just been informed that the tax office has recently told all schools to include bonus payments, settlement allowances and airplane fees in their tax calculations from now on.

This means that as well as paying tax on our earnings (no problem with that of course) we will also be paying tax on money we dont earn. eg. the round trip airplane tickets that we are reimbursed for at the start and end of our contracts.

On tax forms in the US we are also asked to account for housing allowances, travel expenses, and other items, but in the case of airfare reimbursement for foreign teachers in South Korea it is of course teachers' own money being fronted at the beginning and end of contracts and isn't "earned" income. Poster eunny continues:

I just got notification from my school that they want to start taxing housing stipends, flight reimbursements, settlement allowances, and overtime pay. This is strange to me because I currently pay 5% of salary to the health insurance organization. I called the health insurance organization and they told me that this tax has always been in effect. There policy has always been that salary is inclusive of housing stipends, flight reimbursements, settlement allowances, and overtime pay. Supposedly, this had not been enforced for some time. They want to start enforcing it again. So, all those people that came before us were not taxed in this way. Another problem that I have is making retroactive payments.

. . .

According to my co-teacher, every foreign teacher in Gyeonggi province will be notified sooner or later. I have tried to talk to the gepik coordinator Dain Bae but she is honestly useless [...]

. . .

My chief complaint with this whole taxation law is that I have to make retroactive payments. I have told my school that I am willing abide by the new taxation law as long as I don't have to make any retroactive payments. However, my school isn't willing to negotiate. I want to dispute this matter through the proper channels but don't know where to go about doing this.

The issue of retroactive payments and other costly amendments was first discussed on the forums and this site in October 2009 regarding vacation time when schools started retroactively fining teachers who took time greater than contractually allowed. As poster Gillian wrote on Dave's ESL Cafe at the time from Naju:

This actually happened to me and the othe foreign teacher at my school. Our pay for the month of September was reduced by the amount of time we had spent "Out of Korea beyond our 2 weeks" for summer vacation AND they went back to last WINTER vacation and did the same! All of this was deducted in one lump sum from September's pay.

Apparently the school received the memo stating this change in enforcement policy, but my "Co-teacher" neglected to read the dang thing, so the other foreign teacher and I went our merry way none-the-wiser.

Michael Simning benefit concert, September 18th.

From Gwangju's GFN 98.7 FM comes news of a concert to benefit Michael Simning, the GFN host and prominent member of the local expatriate community fighting leukemia. A limited amount of information provided on the poster below:



with a GFN producer writing me that events will include a Korean singer, a video message from Mike's friends, a real-time message from Mike, and free beer. The concert will be held at the GFN building, at the entrance to Sajik Park (사직공원). More updates to come on "The Official Michael Simning Fan Club" Facebook page, no doubt.

Dick Stick, by popular demand.

A digression from the conversation about the recent MBC piece on awkward English in Seoul's public places focused on "Dick Sticks" (딕스틱), an arguably worse name for a snack product than "Ricetard." From commenter Mark:

I was shopping in a corner store with my wife once when I spotted a small ramyeon sized container of pepero sticks. What caught my attention was the name of the product: Dick Sticks. :| At least they got the English right though. I figured those would be a collectors item so I bought a batch.

Fortunately a Naver blog entry from July provides pictures and a taste test:

Mitch Albom on Korean education in the Detroit Free Press.

Mitch Albom in Seoul on the 6th, via the Chosun Ilbo.
Columnist and author Mitch Albom spent a week in South Korea and wrote about its education culture in a piece for the Detroit Free Press headlined "Korea's kids just like ours, 100 years ago."

There is an obsession with getting ahead here that begins with the classroom and permeates the adult workplace, where rigid hours and meager vacation days are the norm. The attitude mimics one you heard among American immigrants in the early 20th Century: "If you don't do well in school, you won't get to college, if you don't get to college you won't get a god job, and if you don't get a good job, you'll be a loser."

There is no shame in that lecture here. It is not viewed as corny or clichéd. It is part of the national pride, if not the national obsession.
How are American kids going to copy that? We're not disciplined enough, we're not hungry enough, and, most importantly, either parents don't say it enough, or if they do, kids ignore them.

He certainly raises interesting points within the confines of a column regarding Koreans' work ethic and approach to education, but for some commentary on Albom's piece and South Korean education by people who have spent more than a week in Korea it's worth visiting the post on The Marmot's Hole, the thread on Dave's ESL Cafe, or the numerous entries on this blog about Obama's comments on South Korean education.

MBC asks, "'콩글리시'로 한국을 알린다?"

Last week I---along with a few other K-bloggers---got an email from an MBC intern looking for material for a piece about awkward English in Korea. On the 10th MBC aired, and posted online, a sixteen-minute piece about misinforming and confusing foreigners in Korea through "Konglish" and the potential for further embarrassment ahead of the G-20 next year.

Some of my submissions in the reply email included "Visit Korea Year: 2010-2012" (discussed from around 5:20 in the video), the Summer Bitch Festival, those awkward signs in Geoje, ubiquitous Gibberlish, bizarre city and county slogans, and the ifriendly.kr website mess.

"Konglish" is a word often misused to mean any bit of strange English or Gibberlish, and in the context of this news report it's not really accurate: "Konglish," as in English changed to suit Korean and Koreans for domestic use, oughtn't apply to English created ostensibly for foreign consumption, such as official tourism slogans like "Visit Korea Year: 2010 - 2012" and "Korea Be Inspired" or webpages written in English for the benefit of English-speaking browsers. As I've written before I'm annoyed by the thoughtless overuse of English, and aware of the consequences it has for a nation of English learners, but there is a difference between Gibberlish on t-shirts that nobody reads and confusing English on items designed to instruct or inform expatriates. The video shows what we've heard anecdotally a million times: Korean executives in charge---with little to no actual English ability---frequently don't consult native English speakers or take their advice under consideration.

Coffee shop changes in Gwangju, and Burger King probably coming to Yeosu.

KoreaMaria writes that Gwangju got it's first Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, occupying the location of Rodem Tree across from the side entrance to Chonnam National University. She runs down a list of other recent changes to the local coffee shop and fastfood scene, though none of it will be news to people who still live in Gwangju.

Another interesting development is that Jeollanam-do is shaping up to get its first Burger King. A Naver search turns up a Dolsan Hospital (돌산병원) location (map), though its not yet listed on the official Burger King Korea site. Another Naver search brings up online job postings for positions with Burger King throughout Jeollanam-do. It will be a welcome addition, for at least in my opinion the best burgers in Korea outside of Seoul can be found at Burger King.


Curious image choice by JobKorea.

Gwangju to Seoul in 71 minutes.

GFN 98.7 FM says on its local news page:

With the construction of the Ho-nam high speed rail in 2014, traveling between Gwangju and Seoul is to take an hour and 11 minutes.

This is because the next generation train being developed in 2012 can run as fast as 430 kilometers an hour and the rail system will also adopt up-to-date technology.
This is 20 minutes faster than the current high speed train and an hour and 41 minutes less than the current time duration.

On this topic the Chosun Ilbo wrote on the 2nd that "Korea Can Soon Be Crossed in 90 Minutes," and the JoongAng Ilbo wrote

High-speed rail networks will be expanded to connect major cities, and travel time within 95 percent of Korea will be reduced to two hours or less by 2020, the government announced yesterday.

Gwangju Blog has two recent posts on Michael Simning: one a lengthy update on his condition and the blood drive, and one a fantastic poster made by a friend.

Another typhoon to hit Mokpo, Korea, on Tuesday.

The Chosun Ilbo summarizes the latest developments off the southwestern coast of the peninsula:

This year's ninth tropical storm Malou is heading north and will make landfall on the southwestern coast near Mokpo, South Jeolla Province around 12 noon on Tuesday, the Korea Meteorological Administration announced Sunday. The storm will travel through the southern inland area on Wednesday morning.

Malou is expected to bring weaker winds and travels much slower than the earlier typhoon Kompasu, which hit the Seoul metropolitan region last Thursday but it will bring more than 250 mm of heavy rains in Jeju, the southern coast and Mt. Jiri.

Map showing the projected path of Malou, from the Dong-A Ilbo, showing dates on the left and hours on the right.

A report by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, according to the Korea Herald, says the most-expensive 30-pyeong apartment in the country is in Gangnam's Gaepo-gu, 75-times the cheapest of that size in Gangjin county's Byeongyeong-myeon. From the 매일경제 on the 4th:

이 중 가장 비싼 아파트는 서울시 강남구 개포동 주공아파트2단지로 80.15㎡ 면적에 공시지가 12억8000만원에 달했다. 반면 제일 싼 아파트는 전라남도 강진군 병영면 성남리 상우아파트로 84.87㎡ 면적에 공시지가 1700만원을 기록했다.

Festivals in and around Jeollanam-do, September 2010 edition.

Here are short profiles for seven festivals taking place in Jeollanam-do this month, as well as a few others close enough that I included to fill out an otherwise dull post. Fall is an excellent season for festival-going in Jeollanam-do and indeed in all of the country, but September is mainly full of smaller local festivals.

Don't bother with a Korean Templestay, new book says.

The new book 101 Places Not To See Before You Die unfortunately includes two destinations in South Korea. Last year on this blog I asked "Should you see Korea before you die?" in response to news from a reader that the country was snubbed from the lengthier book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. The question generated a lot of responses, with two of the most talked-up places in South Korea being Jeju's lava tubes and the DMZ. The tunnel at the latter is one of the places not worth seeing, according to author Catherine Price. From the NPR write-up:

She expected it to be a "Berlin Wall-type thing" and was surprised to find "it's actually more of a sidewalk curb" with North Korea on one side and South Korea on the other with "soldiers on either side just staring at each other."

The tunnel is an organized tourist attraction — visitors are told to store their personal items in cubbies, don helmets and step onto a little train. Price says she was "lulled into complacency because it kind of seems like a Disneyland ride." But that didn't last long. "All of a sudden, with no explanation, they take you down into this narrow, claustrophobic tunnel blasted into solid rock."

Lest you mistakenly think the tunnel was designed with an invasion in mind ... think again! North Korea insists it's just a coalmine.

Gee, I'm sorry the goddamn Demilitarized Zone between two at-war countries didn't tickle your tourist fancy. She'll be glad to know it's gearing up to be "the next hot spot for overseas tourists," according to the government's official webpage.

Also making her list of 101 underwhelming spots is a South Korean templestay, more bad news for the Korea Tourism Organization. I actually had planned a lengthier post on my templestay experience for later this fall, to coincide with the one-year anniversary of it, though I guess I can speak on it a little now. Here are a few excerpts from the book, via NPR:

In theory, an overnight stay at a Korean temple sounds like the perfect activity for anyone struggling to escape the pressures of modern life. You'll meditate, you'll learn about Buddhism, you'll go vegetarian. Concerns and cares will slip away as you drift into a blissful state of conscious awareness.

Unfortunately, that's not what it's like.

. . .

When my friend and I arrived — several hours late, thanks to trouble reading the bus schedule — the Templestay coordinator introduced herself in fluent English and led us to the room where we'd be staying. It was empty except for sleeping pads, blankets, and small pillows stuffed with plastic beads. After we'd dropped off our bags, she handed us our clothes for the weekend: two identical extra-large sets of baggy gray pants and vests, along with sun hats and blue plastic slippers. We looked like we'd stepped out of a propaganda poster for Maoist China.

I'd assumed that most temple life involved sitting still and cultivating enlightenment, but instead our first activity was community work time. Clad in our Mao suits, we followed the coordinator to the garden, where eight other Templestay guests squatted between raised rows of dirt, piles of potatoes scattered around them. They gave us hostile glances as we approached — thanks to our late arrival, they'd been forced to harvest potatoes for three hours in eighty-degree heat. I couldn't blame them for their animosity; if I'd been digging in the dirt while some assholes took the slow route to Ganghwa Island, I'd be pretty pissed off too. But such negativity seemed to go against the spirit of the retreat. I adjusted my sun hat and joined them in the field.

. . .

A highly choreographed process of place-setting, serving, and eating, it included a final inspection by a head monk to see if our bowls were clean. "You do not want to disappoint him," said the coordinator. "Doing so would reflect poorly."

She then walked us through what would take place during the meal ceremony, including a final cleansing: we were to take a piece of pickled radish and use it to swab our dishes. This caught the attention of a young Canadian woman.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," she said. "But how is wiping my bowl with a radish going to make it clean? What about germs?"

"We fill the bowls with very hot water," said the coordinator, sidestepping the question. "So when you use the radish, the bowl is already very clean."

"Is it, like, a hygienic radish?" asked the Canadian woman.

"Yes," said the coordinator. "It is a hygienic radish."

Things went downhill from there. Exhausted and cranky, one by one we began refusing to play monk. If one of the whole points of Buddhism was to cultivate acceptance, why, I asked, did we have to go through such an elaborate meal ceremony?

Much more at the excerpt and in her 2006 piece on Korean templestays for the New York Times.

[T]he point of the temple stay is not, as the pictures on its Web site might make it seem, to lounge next to a brook nibbling crackers as you consider what it means to reach nirvana. The point is to live like a monk. And monks, it turns out, keep strict schedules, are vegetarian and spend a lot of time silently meditating in positions that can become, quickly and without much warning, incredibly uncomfortable for those unused to them.

My templestay in rural Jeollanam-do early last winter was also quite different from my expectations, as I'll write in further detail later. I was expecting something simple and escetic---which is really counter to many of the temples I've visited in Korea---something rather like Price's experience, but instead found good meals, comfortable sleeping quarters, and plenty of tea and snacks.

I didn't realize at the time, though, that there are a number of different templestay programs available, some of them rough and rigid, others comfortable and serene. I have no complaints about my short stay, and was pleased to spend a weekend in very rural Korea, actually seeing stars and hearing . . . nothing, true rarities in South Korea. Furthermore it was relaxing in spite of the language barrier: unlike the few programs marketed to foreign guests, this one was conducted in Korean for the benefit of domestic tourists.

With her book Price "decided to create an antidote," according to the introduction,

a list of places and experiences that you don’t need to worry about missing out on. I called upon travel-loving friends, family and, in some cases, complete strangers, to tell me about overhyped tourist sites, boring museums, stupid historical attractions and circumstances that can make even worthwhile destinations miserable.

Some entries on the list are unquestionably unappealing, like a field strewn with decomposing bodies, or fan hours at the Las Vegas porn convention. Some depend on context—Pamplona’s a very different city from the perspective of a bull. Some are just good stories, albeit ones that are more fun to read about than to experience firsthand.

In closing, I'm not sure it's fair to criticize that particular templestay program for being too hard and labor-intensive, for at least in the western imagination---and contrary to my experience---that's how Asian monks live. In addition, the point of wiping the bowl with a slice of cabbage isn't to clean and sanitize it, but to cultivate mindful eating and to eliminate the food waste we take for granted in our lives. If you get to a point where you start fighting with a monk, I'd suggest you're the one with the issues, not the organizers.

If you are looking for something bad to say about the templestay program, I guess you could choose "overhyped tourist sites," and the "overhyped tourist site" tag is something you could really apply to a lot of South Korea, if on the inside looking out. In spite of haughty language and lofty goals, local tourism authorities have shown difficulty marketing attractions to foreigners, to consider their target audience when creating foreign-language material, and to place the interests of potential visitors ahead of the image of the country they'd like to project. But, I suspect few would actually come to South Korea for a templestay, and since most of the foreigners who participate are ones already living in Korea, I'd bet they'd find it an interesting experience, if not a terribly authentic or comfortable one.

Gwangju has 224 coffee shops.

"Coffee shops just keep on multiplying," writes the JoongAng Daily in a quick look at the country's largest chains.

Industry representatives say such growth is possible because coffeehouses in Korea provide a space to be rather than just a cup of coffee. They cite the coining of a new word - “coffice,” which combines “coffee” with “office” - as how customers see their local coffee shop. It’s a place to work, study or socialize.

Ugh. The Gwangju Ilbo writes that Gwangju has 224 coffee shops, um, not including the ones that deliver (ubiquitious in, and increasingly exclusive to, that southwestern city).