It seems like most years in Korea, you get that one last big snowfall in late February or early March. And once again, the weather obliged.
And an hour later:
Month: February 2016
We had a late Lunar New Year this year, coming the week before Valentine’s Day. So welcome to the year of the red monkey (丙申年). To celebrate, here’s a look at a pretty Seollal sunset through a dirty subway window.
For reasons I do not quite understand, my old post about Hongdae coffee shops from 18 months ago appears to be getting more interest. But of course, being Korea, 18 months is a long time, and most of the post is now out of date. So if you’re looking for good coffee in Hongdae, check before going anywhere.
In particular, Coffee Me is gone, having shut down last summer. Cafe Belief still exists, but it has moved to the Hapjeong area, behind the Mecenatpolis
Anthracite has apparently had some issues with its workers, but they seem to have solved those problems are going strong still. Yri and Jebi are still good, too, if you’re in the Sangsu area. On the Donggyo side of Hongdae, Gabia is still your best bet (imho), and Cafe Libre in Yeonnam-dong.
Anyhow, happy lunar new year.
Young-hee and the Pullocho
Young-hee stumbles into a magical world, where the fairy stories of her childhood are real and all the frustrations of her everyday life fade away — until her little brother is kidnapped by a goblin. The only way Young-hee can save him is by finding a magical plant called a pullocho, but little does she realize the fate of a whole world hangs in the balance.
On sale now at:
Amazon
Pop Goes Korea
Pop Goes Korea: Behind the Revolution in Movies, Music and Internet Culture (2nd edition) is the only English-language book to examine the whole of Korea's entertainment industry and how it became such a powerhouse over the past 20 years. With profiles of many of Korea's top stars (including Lee Byung-hun and Rain), Pop Goes Korea features chapters on movies, music, television, comic books, the Internet, and more.
On sale now at:
Amazon.com
Kobo eBooks
And hopefully more ebooks stores very soon.
The original edition of Pop Goes Korea is now out of print.
K-Pop Now!
K-Pop Now! takes a fun look at Korea’s high-energy pop music, and is written for its growing legions of fans. It features all the famous groups and singers, and takes an insider’s look at how they have made it to the top.
You can buy at:
Amazon.com
Chapters Indigo
Tuttle (my publisher)
Kyobo Books (in Korea)
Goodreads (not for buying, but still a good link)