< Do you want to watch a movie? come to 오! 재미동 >

For those who loves watching movies, come to Chungmuro충무로! 

Chungmuro refers to an avenue 1.75 km in length and 10∼20m in width and the area nearby the street, located in Jung-gu, central Seoul of South Korea. Since the 1960s, Chungmuro has been known as the street of culture, artists, and film industry. Dansungsa, the first movie theaters of Korea is also situated in the area. Since the establishment in 1907, the theater has been in today near Jongno 3-ga Station. Chungmuro was named after Chungmugong, the posthumous title of Korean Admiral Yi Sun-shin, which means "martial subject of loyalty." The last syllable "ro" refers to road in Korean.

There is a hidden spot inside the metro station where they rent DVDs for free. It is called Oh! Jaemi Dong, Chungmuro Media Center. 

Jaemi Dong 재미동, media center

Chungmuro Media Center has different types of rooms: Archive, Gallery, Creative study room, conference room and media atelier. 

different types of DVDs are displayed. 

You can choose a DVD and make reservation for the room. They also have monthly theater and each month introduce different types of movies. 

My choice of the day was <Attila Marcel (2013)>. Attila Marcel is a 2013 French comedy film written and directed by Sylvain Chomet. It was screened in the Special Presentation section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.The main character recovers his memory of the past, the traumatic one which made him to shut his mouth for the rest of his life but just to play the piano pretty good. He finds the memory of his parents  and the missing pieces of his moment of happiness, that his parent did not just disappeared and that he was not alone. 

* reference material: wikipedia

< Happy New Year 2015, and Have a Good Brunch! >

Are you craving for good brunch, a healthy meal? 

In the middle of Shinchon(신촌, meaning New Village) street, there is a place: bakery, grocery market, and a restaurant. The shop sells fresh bakery and also the Korokke.

Korokke (Japanese: コロッケ) is the Japanese name for a deep-fried dish originally related to a French dish, the croquette. It was introduced in the early 1900s.

Korokke is made by mixing cooked chopped meat, seafood, or vegetables with mashed potato or white sauce, rolling it in wheat flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs, then deep frying this until brown on the outside. Korokke are usually shaped like a flat patty. They are generally called (ingredient) Korokke. For example, those using beef would be called gyuniku korokke, those using shrimp, ebi korokke, etc.. Those using white sauce may also be called Cream Korokke. They are also available in curry flavor

 (reference: wikipedia)

Delicious Korokke; various flavors - Sweet Potato, Curry, Veggie!

They are making in Korean style too with sweet potatoes!

They make meals form the fresh vegetables they also sell in the shop. All kinds of sauce, ketchup or Thai spice are for the sale as well.

fresh potatoes, onions, cabbages and sweet potatoes

Waiting for the delicious meal to come! 

New York Brunch Pack with mushroom cream soup.

Sausage, bacon, eggs, bread and fresh salad!

Half of the shop looks more like a grocery market however, the inside of dining hall has modern feeling to it. 

counter to take orders - self order service,

The ceiling is made out of glass and sunshine penetrates through the ceiling. 

It is becoming more common to have half shop and half restaurant. 

For example, it was a hot trend in Korea in 2012 where furniture store also was customized as a cafe. 

Welcome to Seoul, where different cafes you can visit and have healthy diet!

The Korean Gandhi, Bringing New Peace to India

The world renowned peace activist, Mr. Man Hee Lee, joined the International Conference of Chief Justices of the World (ICCJW) in India and delivered the keynote speech. In this conference, chief justices of the world gathered and signed, on an unprecedented scale, the agreement for the enactment of an international law to end all wars, a law proposed by Mr. Lee. He also joined the Peace Walk at Montessori School, with the student body, chief justices of the world, and former and current heads-of-state.

Mr. Lee giving the speech to the audience

Rabindranath Tagore, an Indian poet who is a winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, named the Republic of Korea as ‘the lamp of the East.’ And now the light of world peace is shining from the Republic of Korea. A renowned peace activist of Korea, the chairman of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light, Mr. Man Hee Lee became the topic of the day with his visit to India during his newest wave of the peace movement. Mr. Lee was invited to ICCJW, hosted by the Montessori School in India on December 14^th (local time), and delivered the keynote speech emphasizing the enactment of the international law as a solution to achieve world peace and the cessation of wars. For this effort, 160 chief justices from around the world signed the agreement.

City Montessori School [CMS], Lucknow, Indiaw, India

In Lucknow, India, for three days starting from December 13^th, the 15^th ICCJW was convened with 160 judicial officers from 43 different nations. This was the largest ever meeting of its kind. In attendance were Former President Emil Constantinescu of Romania, Former President Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa, Chief Justice of the Afghan Supreme Tribunal Abdul Salam Azimi, Indian First Secretary to the Permanent Mission to the UN Prakash Gupta, Chairman of the International Judicial Conference, USA Frederick Furth, and other former and current heads-of-state.

The eyes and ears of the world focused on the 160 chief justices in attendance who signed the written agreement for an enactment of the international law for world peace and the cessation of wars.

Furthermore, the judicial officers in attendance were invited to Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) as members of the advisory committee for establishing an international law. This is expected to expedite the enactment of the international law for world peace and the cessation of wars.

On the 13^th, Mr. Lee delivered his congratulatory remarks at the ICCJW, pleading, “If the leaders truly want world peace and love their nation and its people, then they must add a clause to end all wars in the international law and sign the agreement for world peace.” Also in this conference, Mr. Lee put the world-wide peace movement into action and pled for “an enactment of the international law to end all wars.” He drew the participation of legal, political, and religious leaders for the movement. Soon after the conference, Mr. Lee joined the Peace Walk with more than 2,000 students and judicial officers to promote world peace and the cessation of wars. Mr. Lee’s efforts are being broadcasted through many media including a state-run broadcasting station of India, DD News “Insight Asia.”

Also on the 14^th, Mr. Lee mentioned in his speech that “the world is living in anxiety and is in chaos: nations fighting nations, civilizations fighting civilizations, fellow countrymen killing each other, believers killing other believers, the youth killing the youth. The world is in the midst of this conflict where nation and ideology are divided.” Moreover, this is because “there is no clause in the international law to end all wars on this earth and create peace.” The pragmatic solution to this issue is to have former and current heads-of-state implement the cessation of wars and world peace in the international law with HWPL, and Mr. Lee pled that the international law must be enacted.

Chairwoman Nam Hee Kim giving the speech

In September, HWPL amazed the world with the World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Summit in Seoul and since then the organization has continued working tirelessly to end wars and usher in world peace pragmatically. Assembled at the Peace Summit were national and international political, religious, and youth leaders and members of media from 170 nations. Each party promised to gather their strengths to achieve peace. Political leaders signed to collaborate for the enactment of the international law, religious leaders signed to unite as one, and the youth and the media made commitments to do their part to bring about peace.

Mr. Lee in DD broadcasting station

< Korean traditional Village, Han-ok village 한옥마을 >

On a sunny day,in the frosty air, visited Korean traditional village.
At Bukchon Hanok Village, Sam-chung Dong, Seoul - 

# Hanok 
Hanok is a term to describe Korean traditional houses. Korean architecture lends consideration to the positioning of the house in relation to its surroundings, with thought given to the land and seasons.

The interior structure of the house is also planned accordingly. This principle is also called Baesanimsu (Korean: 배산임수; 背山臨水), literally meaning that the ideal house is built with a mountain in the back and a river in the front, with the ondol heated rock system for unique heating system of South Korea during cold winters and a wide daecheong (대청) front porch for keeping the house cool during hot summers.

doors and interior made out of wood

# Characteristic - 
The environment-friendly aspects of traditional Korean houses range from the structure's inner layout to the building materials which were used. Another unique feature of traditional houses is their special design for cooling the interior in summer and heating the interior in winter.

# Origin of the term Hanok-
According to old paper about house in April 23 of 1907, the terms that Hanok appeared on the history for the first time. In that paper, Hanok was figure out the specific region where Jeong-dongroad, from Donuimun to Baejae school.  When era of Korea under Japanese rule, the ruler used terms such as 'Jooga' 'Joseon House' when they were talking about house improvement.

Hanok is an eco-friendly architecture

#  Bukchon Hanok Village

Surrounded by Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine, Bukchon Hanok Village is home to hundreds of traditional houses called 'hanok' that date back to the Joseon Dynasty. The name, 'Bukchon,' which literally translates to 'northern village,' came about as the neighborhoods that the village covers lie to the north of the two significant Seoul landmarks, Cheonggyecheon Stream and Jongno. Today, many of these hanoks operate as cultural centers, guesthouses, restaurants and tea houses, providing an opportunity to experience, learn and immerse in Korean traditional culture.

Rooftop seen from the hill top

< European Fairy Tales depicted by Korean Artist, Na Young Woo > 

# 1  Snow White 백설공주

"Snow White" is a German fairy tale known across much of Europe and is today one of the most famous fairy tales worldwide. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection Grimms' Fairy Tales. The fairy tale features such elements as the magic mirror, the poisoned apple, the glass coffin, and the characters of the evil queen and the seven dwarfs, who were first given individual names in the Broadway play Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1912) and then given different names in Walt Disney's 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  

# 2  Beauty and the Beast 미녀와 야수

Beauty and the Beast (French: Belle et la Bête) is a traditional fairy tale written by French novelist Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont and published in 1756. Variants of the tale are known across Europe. Belle begins to feel guilty about breaking her promise to the Beast and uses the mirror to see him back at the castle. She is horrified to discover that the Beast is lying half-dead from heartbreak near the rose bushes her father had stolen from and she immediately uses the ring to return to the Beast. Belle weeps over the Beast, saying that she loves him. When her tears strike him, the Beast is transformed into the handsome prince from Belle's dreams. The Prince informs her that long ago a fairy turned him into a hideous beast after he refused to let her in from the rain, and that only by finding true love, despite his ugliness, could the curse be broken. He and Belle are married and they live happily ever after together.

# 3  The Little Mermaid 인어공주

"The Little Mermaid" (Danish: Den lille havfrue, literally: "the little mermaid") is a well-known fairy tale by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen about a young mermaidwilling to give up her life in the sea and her identity as a mermaid to gain a human soul and the love of a human prince.

The tale was first published in 1837 and has been adapted to various media, including musical theatre and animated film. 

However the Little Mermaid cannot bring herself to kill the sleeping prince lying with his bride, and she throws herself into the sea as dawn breaks. Her body dissolves into foam, but instead of ceasing to exist, she feels the sun; she has turned into a spirit, a daughter of the air. The other daughters tell her she has become like them because she strove with all her heart to obtain an immortal soul. She will earn her own soul by doing good deeds and she will eventually rise up into the kingdom of God.

# 4  The Frog Prince

"The Frog Prince; or, Iron Henry" (German: Der Froschkönig oder der eiserne Heinrich, literally "The Frog King; or, The Iron Heinrich") is a fairy tale, best known through theBrothers Grimm's written version; traditionally it is the first story in their collection. The 2009 Disney film, The Princess and the Frog, is loosely based on this story. In the tale, a spoiled princess reluctantly befriends the Frog Prince (meeting him after dropping a gold ball into a pond), who magically transforms into a handsome prince. Although in modern versions the transformation is invariably triggered by the princess kissing the frog, in the original Grimm version of the story the frog's spell was broken when the princess threw it against a wall in disgust.

#5  Alice's Adventure in Wonderland 이상한 나라의 앨리스 

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonymLewis Carroll.^[1] It tells of a girl named Alice falling through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children.^[2] It is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre.^[2][3] Its narrative course and structure, characters and imagery have been enormously influential^[3] in both popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre.

*reference: Wikipedia, http://imgur.com/gallery/

< Merry Christmas and Pizza! > 

Among the crowded streets in Hongdae, one small shop called Monster Pizza!
Lots of people especially youth had gathered, short break for pizza- 

The menus are simple, you can taste real American pizza

Pepperoni, Cheese, Superspreme. 

We ordered pepperoni and cheese.yum yum.

  

Thin crust pizza surely taste good! 

Enjoy holidays and good food! 

This was Kate from Seoul, Korea.