In case you missed last year’s, you can pre-register here. There weren’t any big surprises from Nikon last time (the D800 rumours never materialized), so I’m hoping this time around they’ll blow us away. The event’s a blast with plenty of gear to sample or buy and dozens of models to photograph – for any of you hoping to graduate from landscape to portrait photography. Check it out. With 200 participating exhibitors from 20 countries and 65,000 visitors, it’s a whole lot of fun. It runs from Thursday, April 29th to Sunday, May 2nd.
If you happen to be strolling around Sinchon, give Starbucks a miss and pop in to Cabae Duream. Baristas here are experts and have the training to prove it. CNNGo took notice and ran my story this morning.
For all you nocturnal creatures out there, Seoul Grid has cooked up a quintessential list on where to score the best mojito the city has to offer.
Those of you that didn’t make it to Jeju Island for the Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival be sure to check out Jeju Life’s nice write-up. Some great photos in there. Derek Winchester and crew also went down. You can view his slideshow here.
Fire Festival Glory | Photo by Mike Laidman
Plenty of powdery fun in Asia. Not convinced? Adrenaline junkies take note: I tracked down eight choice destinations for snowboarders and skiers alike that puts the best of the west to the test. It was tricky picking two of Korea’s best spots, but I managed to narrow it down to High 1 Resort and Muju Resort.
UPDATE: This piece went international. It’s up on CNN’s Travel page.
Some very good English blogs out there at the moment. 10 Magazine is asking readers to vote for their favourite. Roboseyo and Gusts of Popular Feeling are both excellent. Marmot’s Hole is in the lead, but there’s time yet to topple Mr. Koehler and take the throne. Drop by and vote if you get a chance.
Think you’ve tried dumplings? Think again. I tracked down the best restaurant that serves up the tasty, minced pork treat and have the pics and words to prove it. Go grab a copy of next month’s SEOUL magazine to find out more. I love the newly revamped cover.
Leaving much of the competition pretty much in her wake, Kim Yu-na just won herself a second world record with a score of 78.50, beating last year’s 76.12 she set in Los Angeles. She’s the first skater to pass 200 points under the International Skating Union judging system.
I’ve thrown up a few posts on here in regards to branding. As to how Korea should improve its global campaign initiatives has been a pretty popular topic as of late. But the reality remains that it just won’t happen over night. Sunny Lee made a good point in yesterday’s Korea Times:
At the end of the day, once Korea commits itself to becoming a global player and cares about how it is seen in the eyes of others in an effort to boost its international image, it needs to learn to appreciate the perspectives the expatriate community brings. They are from different cultures. And they will tell you what strikes them unusual, good, bad, impressive and lacking in Korea.
On a positive note, it does seem more and more like organizations are taking action by targeting the foreign community – namely bloggers – to get feedback. The Korea Tourism Organization, for starters, has been doing a considerable amount of legwork in roping in foreigners that administer blogs to get a sense of what’s out there. Definitely a big step in the right direction. But it is just a step. Other measures must also be carried out. I agree with Roboseyo:
If Korea really wants to be a world class country, work on the people and the institutions that form the foundation of the society; the rest will follow, naturally enough.
Korea doesn’t necessarily have to go back to the drawing board, it simply has to work with what it already has. That is something that’s seriously lost on those in charge. This whole idea about branding has been blown out of proportion. Branding involves providing a promise to people, an image that visitors can warm to or relate to on some level. In order for that to work effectively, it requires a great deal of investment – creative investment – and the collective involvement of expats and Koreans alike, not simply the ones with titles to flaunt.
Jamie Cullum’s got a new album out. Ain’t half bad either. It’s called ‘The Pursuit’. And as part of his world tour he’ll be making a stop in Seoul on Saturday, April 10th to play AX-Hall. Tickets are 99,000 won. To get to the gig take subway Line #5 to Gwangnaru Station and hop out exit #2.
After an impressive performance on Parkinson, the British jazz-pop singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist signed a £1m contract with Universal for three albums, and later went on to become the UK’s biggest selling jazz artist of all time. He was just 23 at the time. It promises to be a good show. Grab tickets at Private Curve: (02) 563-0595 or info@privatecurve.com. English service is available.
One gifted photographer I’ve been following recently is Jason Teale. 10 Magazine featured one of his shots in their ‘Korea Awaits’ section this month. He has a great eye for composition. I hope to collaborate with him in the near future. You can view more of his work at his website.
My piece on Seoul’s new massive USD 84 million waterfront development project is up. “Viva”, the second largest of the three islands – weighing in at 2,000 tons – was the first to be rolled into the Han River over the weekend.
Got an email this morning from my friend Tracey. She’s put together a slideshow of shots she took in New York City. I was so damn impressed I wanted to share.
