Korea’s Jeju Island has a wealth of outdoor experiences, so many, in fact that it’s easy to miss several good ones. Here at WoWasis, we feel that the Jeju Art Park is something you shouldn’t miss. The Art Park has more than 160 art works by Korean sculptors, laid out over a large 430,000 square […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'Culture & History' Category
WoWasis book review: Sung Bum-Young’s ‘The Spirited Garden’ (Korean Bonsai Culture)
Sung Bum-Young founded ‘The Spirited Garden’ on Korea’s Jeju island, in 1968. The garden is a world-renowned bonsai venue, and is in Jeju’s Top Ten attractions. You simply can’t miss seeing it when you’re there. What every visitor yearns to discover is how this garden was built. This book, The Spirited Garden: The Story of […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Brenda Sunoo’s ‘Moon Tides: Jeju Island Grannies of the Sea’
One of the most compelling cultural elements of Korea are the haenyeo, women who free-dive in the sea to catch food and capture seaweed. There are two books currently available on the haenyeo. One of them, Mother of the Sea: the Jeju Haenyeo, is also the subject of a WoWasis book review. Brenda Paik Sunoo’s […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: ‘Mother of the Sea: the Jeju Haenyeo’
The haenyeo are female Korean divers, who for centuries have been going underwater without breathing apparatus, in search seafood and seaweed. They stay under for a period of up to 2 1/2 minutes. It’s a tough job and a tough life. There are few books written in English about the haenyeo, and one of them […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: ‘The Two Koreas: a Contemporary History,’ by Don Oberdorfer
Veteran journalist and Korea-watcher Don Oberdorfer’s revised edition of his classic The Two Koreas: a Contemporary History (2002, ISBN 0-465-05162-6) remains an essential text on 20th century Korean history. Revised shortly after Kim Jong Il took power, the book traces the histories of North and South Korea, focusing on the Korean War and post-war years. […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: ‘The Korean War: a History,’ by Bruce Cumings
There are an awful lot of books on the history of the Korean War. So many, in fact, that it’s confusing determining which one to pick. The best we here at WoWasis have read, as well the shortest (at 243 pages of text), is Bruce Cumings’ The Korean War: a History (2010, ISBN 978-0-679-64357-9). The […]
Read the rest of this entry »Bachelor in Bangkok: Khun Lee on great-looking Thai women and bad-smelling foreigners
One of the things I really enjoy about living in Paradise is the lack of the political correctness that is so pervasive in the west. It really is refreshing to be able to make an observation about others without having to become the victim of the PC brigade. I can remember being on the sky […]
Read the rest of this entry »The Korea Furniture Museum: a world-class museum in Seoul that for westerners, is nearly impossible to visit (but worth the try)
The Korea Furniture Museum is world-class, but not that easy to visit
Read the rest of this entry »Korean Hahoe Masks and Theatrical Performances
Hahoe masks and performances offer a rich cultural experience to travelers visiting South Korea
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Boye de Mente’s ‘Etiquette Guide to Korea’ and ‘Korean Business Etiquette’
Boyé Lafayette De Mente has been writing books on Asian themes for decades. And not just books on Asian etiquette, either. He’s written on Asian women, Hawaiian culture, and Japanese Geisha. He certainly qualifies as an old Asia Hand. So it shouldn’t have surprised us here at WoWasis that Korea’s been on the Korea beat, as […]
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