Taking Tea With The Master

I've been focusing on far too many little things this month and completely forgot to urge you to rush out and snatch a copy of the May edition of 10 Magazine (though it's probably too late now, unless you plead with them for a back issue). I was fortunate enough to snag the cover story (The Way Of Tea) and a chance to interview Brother Anthony of Taizé.

In my delightful chat with Brother Anthony he talked about the Great Tea Master Chae Won-hwa and with the Tea Gods smiling down upon me I was given the chance to meet her a few weeks later at her studio in Insadong.

I spent a couple of hours in the company of Master Chae and two of her students. We sat cross-legged on the floor of the small room where she teaches The Way Of Tea and talked about her life, her passions and about tea itself. It was a wonderful experience and a meeting that I'll remember for a very long time to come.

Here's just a few shots from my time with Master Chae, if you ever get a chance to meet her then be prepared for intelligent passionate conversation and a magnificent cup of Panyaro tea.

Time To Get Your Crayons Out

If you enjoy writing and aren't afraid to publicly put pen to paper then there's an exciting opportunity that may just be for you...

Head on over to The New Korea Files, where you're invited to submit pieces for a brand new book of "original English-language writing by blogging expatriates living in Korea". I'll be typing out my own piece this month and I encourage you to do the same.

Here's the info:

Eligibility

Submissions will be accepted from English-language writers who currently live in Korea and blog about their experiences.

Submissions

We are looking for short essays, creative non-fiction, poetry pieces, art and lists that center around the theme Beyond Bulgogi.

Submissions should be emailed to book1@nanoomi.net with the subject line “BB Article Submission” or “BB Submission, other” by July 1st. Submissions must be attached as a Word .doc/.docx, .txt, .or rtf file. Any submissions in other formats will not be considered. Please indicate how you wish your name to appear if your piece is selected for inclusion.

The New Korea Files assumes only first-publication rights to selected pieces, to include printing in South Korea and in an online edition via online retailers. All other rights, including subsequent publication, are retained by the author.

Please be aware that TNKF will exercise editorial control over submissions.

Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but if a submission is accepted by other publications, it must be withdrawn from The New Korea Files. Please contact TNKF via email immediately if a submission is accepted by another publication. Authors will be notified in July if their pieces have been chosen for inclusion / returned for rewrite / rejected for inclusion.

Articles: Works of up to 3,000 words will be considered, although we prefer shorter. Authors may submit any number of pieces for consideration.

Poetry, Art, etc.: Any number of pieces will be accepted for submission.

Head on over to their website for more details and also the chance to submit pieces to their "The Kindness of Strangers" category.

One Rule For Expat Life In Korea

I'm a little late to this party, but I've just seen the CNNGO article by Kyle Burton and the responses from Chris in South Korea, Roboseyo and David Wills. They all have interesting things to say and some useful tips of their own (Go read them now if you haven't already).

I've got one little rule for expat life in Korea. It's a simple one, but I've found it to be fairly effective wherever I've gone:

Don't be a wanker.

Welcome to Korea, I hope you enjoy yourself, but please don't be tempted to act like an idiot just because you're in a new and exciting place. Like it or not, you're a cultural ambassador for your community and when in Korea, you need to respect not only the local laws, but also the people around you. I'm not saying you shouldn't have fun, but be aware of the consequences of your actions. Last year Ask A Korean wrote a great post titled "Ask a Korean! Wiki: How Not to be an Arrogant American?". It's worth a read and it applies not just to Americans, but to every foreign visitor or resident in Korea.

Concrete Window

A picturesque view of the Yongsan Army base from the outside looking in. The grass does look greener on the other side...

Summer Spaghetti

Summer is most definitely here (and judging from this week's weather it may well be rainy season) and the basil in our balcony garden is growing strong, so to celebrate we made a tomato and pepper spaghetti to brighten up our rainy lunchtime.

The Girl And The Whale

I had a little time on my hands this afternoon and decided to explore the Hongdae/Shincheon area. I got off at Sangsu subway station and discovered this gorgeous slightly faded mural at the crossroad. I'm not sure why it's there, I'm not sure what it means, but I have fallen in love with this girl and her whale. My new favourite piece of street art in Seoul.

Things To Do On A Wednesday Night

Roboseyo has already posted about the rather interesting party going on tomorrow night, but I thought I'd throw my two pennies worth in and let you know about it. Project Obangsaek is a documentary and website set up by documentary maker Benson Lee and it already has a fair few bits and pieces of interest on the web. Aurelien Laine (French film producer) has some interesting things to say on the South Korean film market and Hae Hee Joung writes about the Korean graffiti scene.

But back to tomorrow night's party. I've heard rumour that some stars of the K-blogosphere will be in attendance at Project Obangsaek's launch party to talk about Nanoomi at 7.30 and it'll be a good chance to get your funk on when the Seoul Train Party gets on the rails at 9.00.

Bibiming Your Bap

Ever wondered what the best way to mix your 비빔밥 (bibimbap) might be? Well down at the 중앙회관 restaurant in Jeonju, they bibim your bap for you.

What follows is a minute's worth of uncut, hot and steamy mixing action...

If you're in Jeonju then I strongly advise you to take time out of your busy schedule and make your way down to what may well be the best bibimbap restaurant in the country.

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Sage Sanitary Advice

"Prosperity is a great teach;

adversity is a greater."

Wise words, toilet wall sign, wise words... Seen in a toilet next to Dunkin Donuts at City Hall.

Comics Trading Day

A little info for connoisseurs of comics...

This weekend seems to be the perfect time to dig out your unwanted comic books and to head to Hongdae. On May 14th from 1.00 till 5.00 pm at Thanks Books in Hongdae there will be a comics trading day.

If you fancy finding out more about it then contact pow.boom.crash [at] gmail.com for more info and the chance to secure your spot.

It may well be a treasure trove of graphic delights.