twilight review

'Twilight' Won't Disappoint Book's Fans

Vampire Edward Cullen falls in love with Bella Swan, a human girl, in the film ``Twilight,'' based on the best-selling book series by Stephenie Meyer.
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

``Twilight'' is undeniably one of the most anticipated films of the year. High expectations have surrounded the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's successful young adult book series about a teen vampire love story.

Fans of the book have been eagerly awaiting to see their favorite star-crossed lovers Bella Swan (played by a lovely Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (played by British heartthrob Robert Pattinson) come to life on the screen.

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, Twilight stays faithful to the book's original storyline. It begins when Bella, a sullen 17-year-old, moves from Phoenix, Arizona to live with her father in gloomy Forks, Washington (described in the book as a small town which gets more rain than any other place in the U.S.).

At her new school, Bella attracts the attention of several boys, but she is inexplicably drawn to the broodingly handsome Edward. Mystery surrounds Edward and his equally good-looking, pale-skinned siblings, who are generally shunned by the rest of the school.

After an accident brings them closer, Bella and Edward fall for each other. At first Edward tries to distance himself from her, asking her ``What if I'm the bad guy?'' But as everyone knows, good girls always fall for the bad boys. Bella is so head-over-heels in love that she doesn't run screaming when she finds out his deep, dark secret ― he's a vampire.

Bella is seemingly oblivious to the danger posed by having a vampire as a boyfriend. But then again, if your boyfriend is as gorgeous as Edward (who describes himself as a ``monster''), then you probably won't mind that he's hungry for your blood. Edward and his family may feed only on animal blood, but that doesn't mean they're immune to the appeal of human blood.

``So the lion fell for the lamb,'' Edward says, summing up the entire story. Twilight is all about the forbidden love between a vampire and a human, so much of its success hinged on the casting of its two lead stars. Fortunately, Stewart and Pattison both give strong performances, and have undeniable chemistry.

Stewart portrays Bella as an innocent yet strong-willed teenager, while Pattinson plays Edward as a gentleman with a slight rebellious streak (think: vampire James Dean). It's hard to believe that when Pattinson was first cast as Edward, die-hard fans criticized the choice so much, but now female fans everywhere are swooning over him.

For people who have not read the books, the film's plot may seem flimsy and filled with loopholes. The sub-plot about a rival group of vampires who kill humans around town, which was supposed to add some suspense in the film, feels half-baked.

Overall, fans of the book will not be disappointed with the film adaptation, but it will only whet their appetite for more. A sequel ``New Moon'' is reportedly in the works, but Hardwicke has declined to be the director due to timing constraints.

In theaters now. 121 minutes. 12 and over. Distributed by N.E.W.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

ne-yo again!

Ne-Yo Returns to Seoul in January

R&B star Ne-yo will return to Seoul for another concert in January.

/ Courtesy of All Access

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Grammy-award winning R&B star Ne-Yo returns to Seoul for a concert in January, after thrilling Korean fans at his successful first concert last April.

Ne-Yo will perform Jan. 11 at Olympic Hall, Olympic Park, southern Seoul. He will be singing songs from his Grammy Award-nominated album ``Year of the Gentleman'', such as ``Closer'' and ``Miss Independent,'' and other hit songs ``So Sick'' and ``Because of You.''

Last April, Ne-Yo staged his first concert in Seoul with Jamaican reggae singer Sean Kingston. The success of Ne-Yo's first concert prompted organizers to invite him again.

Ne-Yo recently received six Grammy Award nominations, including Album of the Year for his third album ``Year of the Gentleman.'' He also got nominations for Best Male Pop Performance for ``Closer'' and Best Male R&B Performance for ``Miss Independent.''

Ne-Yo, whose real name is Shaffer Chimere Smith, started as a songwriter. He wrote songs for Youngstown, Christina Milian and Mario, whose single ``Let Me Love You'' became a hit in 2004.

In 2006, Ne-Yo released his debut album ``In My Own Words,'' which sold 301,000 copies in the first week alone. His first single ``So Sick'' reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. The album sold over four million copies around the world.

Ne-Yo's second album ``Because of You'' was also a big success, and also won him a Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B album. He continued collaborations with other artists, such as Fabolous on ``Make Me Better'' and Rihanna with ``Hate That I Love You,'' and New Kids on the Block on their comeback song ``Single.''

Ne-Yo is one of the most in-demand songwriters today. He has written chart-topping songs like Rihanna's ``Unfaithful,'' Mario Vasquez's ``Gallery'' and Beyonce's ``Irreplaceable.'' ``Irreplaceable'' stayed on the number one spot on Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks, and was nominated for Record of the Year.

Ne-Yo has also written songs for Michael Jackson, Jay-Z, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Enrique Iglesias, Usher, Mary J. Blige and Jennifer Hudson.

Tickets for Ne-Yo's concert are 110,000 won, 99,000 won and 77,000 won. Call (02) 3141-3488 or visit ticket.interpark.com

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

steaks at isabelle's

Juicy Steaks at Isabelle's Porterhouse

Isabelle’s Porterhouse’s specialty is the porterhouse steak, grilled to juicy perfection.
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Isabelle's Porterhouse is one of the new additions to Itaewon's ever expanding list of restaurants.

Isabelle's is trying to stand out from the rest by serving only the finest prime beef that has been dry-aged for 21 days for maximum tenderness and flavor.

The restaurant exudes a cozy but luxurious atmosphere, thanks to the lit candles on the tables, portraits hung on the dark walls and a pretty crystal chandelier. It has the ambience for a romantic date or a special dinner with a small group of friends.

The menu primarily features steak, such as fillet mignon, sliced tenderloin, rib eye in spicy rub and bone in rib eye. Some of the dishes may seem a bit pricey, but the restaurant ensures the high quality of its beef.

The house specialty is the porterhouse steak (45,000 won per person). Isabelle's serves a pretty sizeable prime porterhouse steak (30 oz and 1 1/3 inches thick), grilled to juicy perfection. The steak is quite tender and has a hearty flavor, so there is really no need for additional sauces to enjoy it.

The menu has a good selection of starters including French onion soup, crab cakes and fried calamari, as well as salads such as Caesar salad, house salad and crispy chicken breast with rucola salad.

We tried the tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad (12,000 won) ― it featured generous slices of buffalo mozzarella, tomato slices and rucola leaves, drizzled with sweet vinaigrette dressing.

For side dishes, we had the garlic mashed potatoes (7,000 won) and grilled corn on the cob (8,000 won). The mashed potatoes are light and creamy, with a slight garlicky flavor, and served with a small cup of gravy. The corn on the cob was surprisingly spicy in a good way, and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

The daily lunch special offers more affordable choices, New York Strip, chopped steak, Isabelle's steak sandwich (25,000 won) and classic burger (15,000 won). The steaks are served with potatoes and vegetables, while the sandwiches are served with fries.

Brunch is available on weekends, New York strip and chopped steak served with two eggs and homemade hash browns.

Incidentally, the same owners of the popular hamburger place Smokey Saloon run Isabelle's. To go to Isabelle's Porterhouse, get off Itaewon Station Subway Line 6, Exit 1. Turn right at the second alley, walk a few meters and the restaurant is located on the corner.

The restaurant is open Tuesday to Friday 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. On weekends, it is open 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. For reservations, call (02) 749-9827.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

european masterpieces

European Masterpieces From Pushkin Museum

Francois Boucher's "Hercules and Omphale" / Courtesy of organizers
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Masterpieces by famous European painters from the 17th and 18th century are now on display at the Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul Arts Center complex.

Seventy-six art works, including works by Rembrandt, Rubens and Van Dyck, are from the permanent collection of the State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, Russia. ``Great Masters of European Art: Meet Rembrandt'' runs through Feb. 26 on the third floor of the Hangaram Art Museum.

The State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts has the largest collection of European art in Moscow. It includes paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries, with representative works from artists from the Netherlands, Italy, France and Spain.

Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, a Dutch artist considered one of the great Baroque masters, was famous for his portraits and illustrations of scenes from the Bible. Shown in the exhibit is the painting ``Portrait of an Elderly Woman,'' and religious-themed etchings such as ``The Descent from the Cross,'' showing the lifeless body of Christ being brought down from the Cross, and ``The Good Samaritan,'' showing the Samaritan bringing the wounded traveler to an inn.



Also at the exhibit is Francois Boucher's beautiful oil painting ``Hercules and Omphale.'' It depicts the myth of Hercules, sold into slavery and having to serve Lydian Queen Omphale, who he falls in love with. Boucher was a leading figure in the French Rococo movement.

Anthony van Dyck was a famous court painter in England who made portraits of King Charles I of England and other royal figures. One of his portraits, ``Lady d'Aubigny and the Countess of Portland,'' is included in the exhibition.

Other notable works include Nicholas Poussin's ``Satyr and the Nymph,'' Peter Paul Rubens' ``The Virgin Giving the Rosary to Saint Dominic,'' Pieter Brueghel Jr.'s ``Winter: Skating,'' Bartolome Esteban Murillo's ``Girl Selling Fruit,'' and Louise-Elisabeth Vigee-LeBrun's ``Portrait of Prince Ivan Baryatinsky.''

The exhibit is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Guided tours and audio guides are only available in Korean. Tickets are 12,000 won for adults, 9,000 won for 13-18 year olds and 7,000 won for children. Call (02) 2113-3400.

To get to Seoul Arts Center, get off Nambu Bus Terminal Station Subway Line 3, Exit 5. Take the Seoul Arts Center shuttle bus, Green bus no. 12 or Blue bus no. 4429. Visit www.sac.or.kr (English, Korean).

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

winter looks

Hottest Looks for Winter

Red lips are the highlight of Clinique's 2008 holiday makeup collection, ``Party Red,'' as worn by the model.

/ Courtesy of Clinique

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Heat up the cold winter days and holiday parties with the season's hottest makeup collections. Women can update their look with new shades of red lipstick, dark eye shadow, shimmering powders and metallic nail polish.

Be Radiant in Red

Red is the color of the season, as seen in the numerous holiday makeup collections revolving around the color.

Clinique's 2008 holiday makeup collection, ``Party Red,'' is perfect for winter dates and holiday parties. Red lips are the main focus, with six new shades of lipstick; Red-y to Wear, Angel Red, Vintage Wine, Party Red, Parisian Red and Cranberry Cream, that would suit anyone's skin tone and preference. The lipsticks come in different formulations such as glossy, long-lasting, all-day shine and matte.

Always remember to match red lipstick with soft muted eye shadows, defined eyes and subtle blusher.

The cold winter weather is always harsh on the skin, especially the face. Protect the skin, not just from the weather, but also from signs of aging, with the new Clinique Superdefense SPF 25 Age Defense Moisturizer. Having a good foundation is also important, such as the new Supermoisture Makeup, which is ultra-creamy, yet lightweight. It helps keep the skin looking soft and radiant.

MAC Cosmetics also unveiled its holiday collection ``Passion of Red.'' Get a glowing holiday look with MAC's decadent eye shadows and luscious lip colors. Choose from four eye shadow palettes, ranging from warm, cool, classic and smoky palettes.

The MAC VIVA GLAM lip compact includes two shades of lipstick and one gloss in holiday shades. Proceeds from the sale of the VIVA GLAM compact are donated to the MAC AIDS Fund to support people living with HIV and AIDS.

Both eye shadow and lip palettes are housed in snakeskin-embossed metal compact cases adorned with a faux jewel.

MAC also came out with the Adoring Carmine Lip set, which include two full-size lipsticks and 1 gloss in holiday shades in a red makeup bag, perfect as a holiday present.

Golden Look

Women can recreate the season's trendy look with The Face Shop's new makeup collection, ``Fairy Gold.'' With gold and wine as the main colors, the collection features glossy lip colors, gold eye shadows and apricot-colored blush.

The Face Shop released its new line of anti-wrinkle products, MyeongHan Miindo Lyn, to protect the skin from the harsh weather. The MyeongHan Miindo makeup base smoothens the skin, while the foundation helps brighten the face.

To get the bright-eyed look, apply the gold bronze eye shadow on the lids. Then, use the gel eyeliner and jet black Extreme Volume mascara to define the eyes. Lightly apply the Baked Shimmer Apricot blusher on the cheekbones. On the lips, use the wine-colored Diamond Shine Lipgloss for a glamorous look, or the pinkish gloss for a more natural look.

Chanel's 2008 Christmas collection features beige, pink and red colors, accented gold and silver pearly particles. Among the new items are the Les 4 Ombres eye shadow in 79 Spices, and glossy lip colors in Gold Shine and Red Shine.

Chanel also introduced limited edition beige-pink Perlee Rosee and sexy Gold Shimmer nail polishes. Finish off your holiday look by brushing a sweep of the limited edition Poudre Precieuse Or highlighting powder on the face and body for a golden halo effect.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

thanks to Al for the tip about Dubai!

Kebabs, Falafels at Dubai Restaurant

Lamb shish kebab, with falafels and babaganoush at Dubai Restaurant.
/ Korea Times Photo by Cathy Rose A. Garcia
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

There has been a noticeable increase in the number of restaurants serving diverse ethnic cuisine from India, Pakistan and Middle Eastern countries, especially in the Itaewon area.

There are several places to choose from when you crave curry, kebabs and pita sandwiches. But the quality of the food can be hit-or-miss, depending on the restaurant. Dubai Restaurant is one of the relatively new additions in Itaewon, and is proving to be a good place to grab some authentic cuisine.

The menu includes many staples such as baba ghanoush, hummus, falafel, salads, as well as different kinds of curry and kebabs. For the appetizer, we had the baba ghanoush (6,000 won), which had a simple, smoky flavor and went well with the warm, soft pita bread.

The aubergines were mashed well and topped with a dash of olive oil and parsley. Falafels (6,000 won), or chickpea patties, were deep-fried and topped with a crust of sesame seeds. It was quite a lot crunchier than expected, which was good while the falafels were hot. However, when they cooled, the crust turned a bit hard.

As for the main dishes, the lamb shish kebab (13,000 won) and chicken curry (10,000 won) were better than we thought. There were two skewers of grilled lamb, which were bigger than expected.

The lamb had a rich spiciness but not so much that it overwhelmed the meat’s flavor. The meat was cooked just right, since the inside was quite tender. It was served with French fries and a salad.

The chicken curry was not very thick but had a full flavor. The chicken helped balance out the zesty curry. It wasn’t served with any side dishes, so it helped to order either pita bread (1,000 won) or yellow basmati rice (2,500 won). The pita bread was perfect for sopping up the remains of the curry.

The restaurant is quite spacious and has a Middle Eastern-inspired decor. Service was quick and efficient, and the food was reasonably priced. The only complaint was the appetizers were served at the same time as the main dishes.

Named after the financial capital of the United Arab Emirates, you would think the restaurant owner is from Dubai, but he’s actually from Iraq. To get to Dubai Restaurant, get off at Itaewon Station Subway Line 6, Exit 3 and walk straight for about 50 meters.

The restaurant is located above the Dunkin Donuts, just before the corner. Call (02) 798-9277.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

pompidou center's exhibit at seoul moa

Heaven Through Artists' Eyes at Seoul MoA

``Ploynesie, le ciel (Polynesia, The Sky)'' by Henri Matisse

/ Courtesy of Seoul Musem of Art

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Everyone has his or her own concept of what heaven is. It may mean the sky, but for some, it is where angels and gods live, while others believe heaven is a place of eternal happiness. Some even say heaven is on Earth.

Throughout the centuries, artists have tried to convey their concept of heaven through art. Now, art lovers will have a rare chance to see it as depicted by famous artists like Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Fernand Leger, Marc Chagall, Georges Braque and Paul Klee.

``Heaven for Artists,'' currently on-going at the Seoul Museum of Art, downtown Seoul, features works from the renowned Pompidou Center in Paris, France.

With the theme ``Arcadia,'' the art works revolve around the images of heaven as interpreted by European artists in Paris after the 20th century. Relationships with European mythology, history and literature are explored through the works.

``The word 'Arcadia' refers to an actual region in central Greece but was depicted as a blessed, affluent land by the Latin culture as well as Virgil, a poet in ancient Rome. It implies an imaginary world, a heaven of fantasy full of shepherds enjoying music, thus portraying an idealized fictional world of heaven,'' organizers said.

The exhibit, organized by Pompidou Center chief curator Didier Ottinger, features a total of 79 paintings, installations and video works.



At the exhibition hall, visitors are greeted with French artist Nicholas Poussin's ``The Arcadian Shepherds'' (Les Bergers d'Arcadie). The image of the painting is projected on a white wall, surrounded by a dozen sheep by sculptor Francois Xavier-Lalanne.

Poussin's painting, which inspired the exhibit, includes the subtitle ``Et in Arcadia Ego,'' which means ``Even in Arcadia, I Am,'' a quote attributed to Death. ``Therefore, it can be seen that heaven which used to be the symbol of abundance in the Golden Age was changed to an extensive root for examining the conscience of human beings,'' organizers said.

The exhibit is divided into several sub-themes, ``Golden Age,'' ``Joy,'' ``Messenger,'' ``Recovered Arcadia'' and ``Harmony,'' on the second and third floors of the Seoul Museum of Art.

Visitors will have a chance to see Matisse's art works such as ``Polynesia, The Sea,'' ``Polynesia, The Sky,'' ``Still Life with Magnolia,'' and one of his most famous, ``Large Red Interior.''

There are also several Picasso works such as ``Woman Reclining,'' ``A Portrait of Marie-Therese'' and ``Bread,'' as well as Miro's ``Woman and Bird in the Night'' and ``Blue II.''



Also at the exhibit are Leger's ``Leisure: Homage to David,'' Chagall's ``The Rainbow,'' Klee's ``Villas Florentines'' and Braque's ``Musical Instruments.'' Works by Raoul Dufy, Wassily Kandinsky, Yves Klein, Gary Hill, Francis Picabia, Philip Guston, Martial Raysse and Andre Masson are also on display.

The exhibition runs through March 22. Tickets are 12,000 won for adults, 9,000 won for 12-17 year olds, and 7,000 won for 6-11 year olds. To get there, get off City Hall Station Line 1 Exit 1 or Line 2 Exit 11. It is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. Visit www.seoulmoa.org or www.pompidou2008.kr.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

docu about josh wolf

Korean-American Director Makes Documentary About Video Blogger

Korean-American filmmaker Donna LeeBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Many Koreans may not be familiar with the story of an American blogger named Josh Wolf, who was jailed for his refusal to surrender his video of a G8 protest in San Francisco to federal authorities in 2005. But the issue of freedom of the press is something that may ring true in Korea, where citizen journalism is on the rise.

Korean-American filmmaker Donna Lee was fascinated with Wolf's story, and decided to make it the subject of a documentary. ``Adventures of Josh Wolf: Activist Video Blogger" made its world premiere at the prestigious Mill Valley Film Festival in San Rafael, California, last month.

``The film has to do with bloggers, freedom of the press, the role the press plays, and just the new world of the Internet and what the definition of a journalist is. I think all these things are very timely, not just in the U.S., but also internationally, in Korea. Josh is also part of citizen journalism," Lee told The Korea Times over coffee in downtown Seoul, Monday.

The documentary received good reviews when it was shown as part of the Mill Valley Film Festival's ``The Home in My Heart'' short documentary program.

Hard to believe but the documentary was her first film project. Lee, who was born in Seoul but moved to the U.S. as a child, spent ten years working for a leading education management company. As director of communications, she produced several local TV ads for the company.

After quitting her job in New York last year, she moved back to the San Francisco Bay area. ``I wanted to explore my interest, that I've always had, in filmmaking. After I left my job last year, instead of getting another job right away, I wanted to take a few more classes. I wanted to exercise my freedom. I didn't know when I would have the time to do this again," she said.

So she decided to make a documentary about Wolf, as part of a class project. ``I met Josh just a month before I had taken a class. I heard his story and I thought it was really interesting. I thought it would make a great documentary at that time. When I started taking the class, I suddenly had the time and equipment to do it. It started off as a project for the video class. But I thought if I was going to spend time and effort on this, I wanted it to be meaningful," she said.

Luckily, she managed to set up the interviews quickly and shot it in three weeks. It took another three and a half months to finish editing it. After finishing the film at the end of April, she sent it to the film festival.

``I thought I would get in some smaller film festivals but to have its world premiere at such a prestigious festival was such an honor and very gratifying. The (film festival) programmers told me that they chose only 9 out of hundreds of documentaries," Lee said.

The 28-minute-long documentary presents a profile of Wolf and the issues surrounding his case. Wolf was a blogger who videotaped a G8 protest rally in San Francisco. Federal authorities wanted him to submit the videotape as evidence in their investigation on a separate incident at the protest, where a police officer was attacked and a police vehicle was destroyed.

The federal authorities' involvement in the case also caused controversy, since it usually fell under the jurisdiction of the city government. Another issue was whether Wolf, who was an activist and a blogger, can consider himself a journalist.

Wolf refused to surrender the video, and he spent seven months in a federal prison. It was the longest time a journalist spent in prison for protecting his source in the U.S. Eventually, Wolf was released after agreeing to post the entire video on his blog, but on the condition that he will not be asked to testify in court.

``The primary issue is he felt he was protecting the people he had videotaped in the anti-G8 protest,'' Lee said. ``Some felt the Bush administration was trying to clamp down on journalists who report on things that may be not supportive of their administration.''

Lee hopes to submit the documentary for consideration at several Korean film festivals next year. ``Documentaries are really an efficient way to inform people of issues and ideas that they are not aware of,'' Lee said.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

priscilla ahn

Priscilla Ahn Readies for Seoul

Korean-American singer Priscilla Ahn will do something special for Korean fans at her Dec. 4 concert at Sangsang Madang Live Hall, Hongdae. / Courtesy of Yellow Entertainment
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Korean-American singer Priscilla Ahn is brushing up on her Korean before she heads over to Seoul for her first concert in December.

The pretty, 24-year-old Ahn promises to do something special for her Korean fans at her Dec. 4 concert at the Sangsang Madang Live Hall, Hongdae.

``It will be a very intimate show. I will play my guitar and harmonicas, and my friend Gus Seyffert will play bass. I'm hoping that it will be a successful show so that I can keep coming back to Korea to perform! I'll think of something special I can do for the show, but until then, I'm hoping to brush up on my Korean language before I go over," Ahn said in an email interview with The Korea Times.

Born Priscilla Natalie Hartranft in Fort Stewart, Georgia, Ahn later changed her name to reflect her Korean mother's last name. She believes her Korean heritage is very important.

``Even though my mom is very Americanized now, she still makes delicious Korean food all the time and she watches all the Korean soap operas. When I get sick, only her Korean soups and teas would make me feel better. I loved everything she made and did that was Korean. And I always loved going to Korea," she said.

Ahn has fond memories of visiting Korea as a child, playing with her cousins along the river. ``Even though I didn't know much Korean, and they didn't speak much English, we were still able to communicate, and they'd teach me games. The most impactful trip to Korea was when my grandfather was sick and in his deathbed. I'll never forget the hospitals we slept in, and all the events that led up to his death. … They buried him at the top of a mountain, overlooking miles of rice paddies. It's a beautiful place, and one I like to visit," she said

It was her mother who got Ahn to start singing when she was only seven years old. ``My mom sang a lot at home and at church, and she played the piano. She's very artistic. I watched and listened to her play, and soon took the piano up on my own and taught myself how to read music. She tried to teach me, but I was very impatient when getting lessons, and I wanted to learn it by myself. Years later I picked up the guitar and taught myself how to play that, and that's when I started to write songs," she said.

Ahn describes herself as a ``very sensitive" and ``emotional" person, so she started writing songs to express her emotions and thoughts. She cites Neil Young, Syd Barrett, Radiohead and Andrew Bird as her biggest musical influences.

Even though she had a passion for music, Ahn said until she was 18, she always believed she would be a schoolteacher. Upon the suggestion of a music professor, Ahn packed up her belongings and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. She released an independently produced debut album, which caught the attention of Blue Note Records. She quickly signed a record deal and released a major label album, ``A Good Day," this year.

Ahn said releasing the album was ``like a dream come true." Her song ``Dream" was also featured in the film ``Disturbia" and the TV series ``Grey's Anatomy."

``I never actually thought that I'd ever put out a real record and I did. It's a record that I'm really proud of and one that I was able to make with my friends. I feel very lucky to have had this opportunity," she said.

Tickets to Ahn's concert cost 55,000 won. For English language reservations, call 3444-9969 or email 9ent@naver.com. Visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1544-1555 (Korean only).

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

billy joel

'Piano Man' Billy Joel Rocks Korea

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Billy Joel performs for the first time in Seoul at Olympic Gymnasium, Olympic Park, Saturday.

/ Courtesy of B4H Entertainment

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

American music legend Billy Joel brought the ``New York State of Mind" to Seoul, Saturday evening.

Joel, also known as the ``Piano Man," performed for the first time in Korea at a packed Olympic Gymnasium, Olympic Park, southern Seoul.

The crowd roared with excitement as Joel appeared on stage. He showed off his renowned piano playing with the ``Prelude," before singing ``Angry Young Man."

``Annyonghaseyo, Korea," he shouted, as everyone in the audience cheered. There were initially some technical difficulties, but Joel tried not to let it affect his performance.

``I'm Billy Joel's father. Billy didn't make it tonight," the 59-year-old singer joked about his age. But during the two-hour concert, Joel didn't show signs of his age. He sang almost non-stop, and played the piano, guitar and harmonica with such passion and aplomb.

Joel tried to say a few Korean words like ``kamsahamnida," which he shortened to ``kamsa," but the Korean audience didn't seem to mind.

He gave heartfelt performances of his most successful songs such as ``Honesty," ``She's Always a Woman," and ``New York State of Mind."

For ``Just the Way You Are," one of the band members started whistling the melody as Joel played the piano. After finishing the song which he wrote for his first wife, Joel quipped ``then we get divorced, so much for that."

In the middle of the concert, dozens of fans converged in front of the stage. Organizers tried to disperse the crowd while Joel was performing ``The River of Dreams." When he saw the fans being asked to return to their seats, Joel suddenly stopped playing and got up. He went over to tell the organizers to let the fans remain in front of the stage, much to the delight of the audience.

Joel's backing band has to be given credit for their superb performance, especially saxophonist Mark Rivera, trumpeter Carl Fisher, keyboardist Dave Rosenthal and guitarist Tommy Byrnes.

Joel even passed the microphone to Chainsaw, a stagehand who wanted to sing a ``religious Australian hymn." Chainsaw surprised everyone by singing Australian heavy metal band AC/DC's rock classic ``Highway to Hell," while Joel played the guitar.

Joel's infectious energy had the crowd on its feet and clapping to the beat of songs like ``We Didn't Start the Fire," ``Keeping the Faith," and ``You Maybe Right." As Joel exited the stage, he shouted ``I love you Seoul, Korea."

But the audience started shouting for an encore, so Joel returned to perform ``Only the Good Die Young" and his signature song ``Piano Man." The lyrics to ``Piano Man" were shown on the big screen, allowing everyone to sing along with Joel. Joel played the piano, while alternately singing and playing the harmonica.

``Its a pretty good crowd for a Saturday, and the manager gives me a smile, 'cause he knows that its me they've been comin' to see to forget about life for a while," Joel sang.

For at least two hours on Saturday, the audience at the Olympic Gymnasium managed to forget about their lives and enjoy the wonderful music of the ``Piano Man."

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

more spring fashion

SFAA's Turn to Show Spring Collection

Rubina’s 2009 spring/summer collection / YonhapBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Autumn leaves were falling around Namsan Park last week but inside the Sky Theater at the National Theater of Korea, Korea's top designers unveiled their spring and summer 2009 collection.

Ten designer members of the Seoul Fashion Artists Association (SFAA) participated in the 37th SFAA Seoul Collection, from Thursday to Saturday.

The SFAA chose the theme ``Save Earth,'' reflecting on the issue of environmental protection and conservation. Each of the designers interpreted the theme in different ways, whether through neutral, earth-based colors, eco-friendly fabrics or ethnic prints.

Rubina, who is also the current SFAA president, kicked off the Seoul Collection with her Byzantine culture-inspired collection. She wanted to combine the exotic art and design from the Byzantine era with modern design.

At Rubina's show, models' heads were covered with Byzantine-inspired headdresses, as they wore luxurious, draped gowns. Her silk dresses had loose silhouettes, while other pieces were characterized by bold geometric prints and embellished with crystals. She also designed loose-fitting pants with tapered fits. Most of her designs utilized eco-friendly materials like silk, linen, cotton and organza.

Marc Chagall's vibrant painting ``The Bride and Groom of the Eiffel Tower'' was the inspiration for Park Youn-soo's collection. His theme was described as ``Loving Chagall: The magician of colors, drawing the deep love for his eternal bride.''

Park took the dominant, earthy colors from Chagall's painting, purple, blue, white, yellow and green, and reinterpreted them in printed one-piece dresses and floating tops.

With their uniform vividly red wigs, models looked like clones of Milla Jovovich's character in the sci-fi film ``The Fifth Element.'' The contrast was very striking during the finale, when models wore bright pink outfits.

Jinteok once again presented an impeccable collection for spring and summer. With the theme ``New Cool,'' she created minimalist dresses with exaggerated sleeves, wide-legged trousers and unstructured jackets.

Jinteok's designs showed clean silhouettes and intricate details, especially at the backs of dresses. There were no flashy colors, just muted neutral shades of white and gray.

On the other hand, Sul Yun-young's collection featured a lot of black and white outfits exuding a sexy rocker vibe. There were also sexy sheer tops, shorts and mini-dresses.

Bakangchi gave a new interpretation of modern chic with fresh silhouettes. Kim Ji-woon used the theme ``up-town girl'' to come up with strong outfits in beige, navy blue and orange.

Seoul Collection ended Saturday with Haneza's ``Magical Color Feast'' show, which featured not just fashion but music, art and even juggling. True to the eco-friendly theme, the designer used organic cotton, linen and a bit of rayon for the colorful collection.

Other designers, such as Choi Yen-ok, Ro Sung-un and Kim Dong-soon, also presented their collections.

Unlike most fashion shows that have a long catwalk, the SFAA fashion shows featured mirrored floors placed in the center of the amphitheater.

Aside from the shows by established designers, Seoul Collection also gave young designers a chance to present their works at the Joongang Designer Collection.

The SFAA had previously participated during Seoul Fashion Week, but this fall, they decided to stage a separate event.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

over the rainbow

NY-Based Artists Present `Over the Rainbow'

``Suburban Fury'' bu SunTek ChungBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

New York is widely considered as the art capital of the world. This is why thousands of young artists head to the city, hoping to make a splash in the art scene.

Sixteen young New York-based artists are introducing their works in Seoul this month. ``Over the Rainbow,'' a group exhibit at Yoo Art Space in Cheongdam, features 60 works by artists from the United States, Korea, Mexico, Canada, Japan and China. Curated by Song Si-sun, the exhibit runs through Nov. 23.

``The `rainbow' in the exhibition title suggests the promise and possibilities of the multicultural society that is New York City. It conjures up visions of an `American Dream' that lies somewhere beyond that multi-colored arc, an illusory reality of lofty dreams, bitter promises, and dashed hopes: the collective dreams of New York City, the United States, and the world,'' organizers said, in an exhibition statement.

The theme covers some of today's biggest issues, such as the Iraq war, global financial crisis, environmental problems and xenophobia. However, the artists manage to create pop art works that are bright, colorful and witty.

Participating artists include Alexander Reyna, Annysa Ng, Douglas Ra, Erika Harrsch, Ginger Brooks Takahashi, Hiroshi Kumagai, Jamie Allen, Jaye Rhee, Karina Aguilera Skvirsky, Lisa Dahl, Mike Houston, Martin Mazzora, Aegi Changsuk Park, SunTek Chung, Thomas Doyle and Daniel Baltzer.

Reyna, who was born in N'Djemana, Chad, created the installation, mixed media collage ``Big Money Now.'' He takes familiar corporate and cultural images, but subverts their original intended meaning and creates his own.


``Big Money Now'' by Alexander Reyna is part of the exhibition ``Over the Rainbow'' at Yoo Art Space, Cheongdam, southern Seoul. /Courtesy of Mushroom Arts Chung, a Korean-American, takes photographs of himself in staged scenarios that challenge the stereotypical image of the Asian American. For example, in ``Suburban Fury,'' he is depicted as a suburbanite holding modern gardening tools while standing amid rice paddies.

``Over the Rainbow'' is the first group exhibit in Seoul organized by Mushroom Arts, a New York-based non-profit organization. Song and Kim Ji-yaang formed the organization in 2003 in Hoboken, New Jersey, recognizing the stiff competition among artists in New York.

``Mushroom Arts keeps discovering artists with spirit, and provides a fertile environment for them, and promotes them to the public. We actually started by promoting only young Korean artists, but later realized there are equal demands for artists with diverse ethnic backgrounds. Consequently we now think that curating with no such boundaries will help to promote Korean contemporary art better here in New York,'' Kim, co-director of Mushroom Arts, told The Korea Times in an email interview.

Korean contemporary art is gaining ground in New York, because of its distinctive characteristics compared to Chinese and Japanese contemporary art.

``It is almost impossible to define Korean contemporary art in a word or a sentence. Of course diversity and variety are good virtues in art, but in today's commoditized art world, we need representative images of our art. Star artists need to come out to the major art cities in the world. I suppose we lack it so far,'' Kim said.

Since 2005, Mushroom Arts has moved its base to Chelsea, New York City, and has produced over 30 art events including exhibitions, experimental music concerts, film festivals and performances.

To get to Yoo Art Space, get off at Cheongdam Station Line 7, Exit 9. It is a 15-minute walk from the station. A map and information are available on www.yooartspace.com.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Yo-Yo Ma is funny

Yo-Yo Ma Brings 'Joy' in New Album

World-famous cellist Yo-yo Ma holds a press conference to promote his new album ``Songs of Joy and Peace'' at the J.W. Marriott Hotel, Gangnam, Wednesday.

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

World-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma wanted to recreate and share the ``joy'' of the holidays with his latest album ``Songs of Joy and Peace.''

``I'm happy this album has come out at this particular moment because for me, music is a personal thing that we all share, but sometimes I feel there's a distance between what goes on stage and what happens at home when we listen to music,'' Ma said, during a press conference at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Gangnam, Wednesday.

Ma said his family and friends usually spend the holidays at home having fun and playing music, which includes him ``playing the piano badly.'' He wanted to recreate these special moments on an album, but this time with his ``best musical friends, who feel like family.''

As a result, ``Songs of Joy and Peace'' features collaborations with top artists like Dave Brubeck, James Taylor, Renee Fleming, Chris Botti, Diana Krall, Pacquito D'Rivera and the Assad family.

``This is an album that can never tour. It's impossible to bring everyone together to do five minutes of music each. I think recording the album was like watching all the Korean athletes at the Beijing Olympics… Every day, there would be one extraordinary artist like Krall coming in the studio, and I'd say, `this is the best thing ever.' The next day, someone would come in, and I'd be wide-eyed and amazed at so much talent and generosity that came in the room,'' Ma said.

There were no difficulties while recording the album in New York last June. Ma asked each of the artists to choose a song that represented joy. Taylor chose the Beatles classic ``Here Comes the Sun,'' which they recorded in a barn.

Another special collaboration is ``Joy to the World,'' featuring jazz legend Brubeck and Cuban musician D'Rivera. Ma admitted he always wanted to perform with the 87-year-old Brubeck, so he asked his friend and Brubeck's son Matt to help him. Fortunately, Brubeck agreed and D'Rivera also joined the project.

Ma personally picked the song ``Dona Nobis Pacem'' (Give Me Peace),'' which was always performed during a community winter event held in Cambridge, Mass. ``It's amazing when the entire hall is doing something together, and the focus is music. It becomes a moment of joy and I wanted to capture it and put in on the CD,'' he said.

He even started an online contest in which anyone could create their own variation of ``Dona.'' The winner of the contest will have a chance to record with Ma.

``My job with the CD is not over when you buy it. It's when you open it and play it and hopefully like it enough to remember something about it. For young and old people, nothing makes it more memorable than if you're a participant,'' he said.

Throughout the press conference, Ma showed his sense of humor. He even elicited giggles with his antics during the photo call, as he struck funny poses as the photographers clicked away.

Ma also collaborates with several Korean musicians including Kim Dong-won and Kim Ji-hyun in the Silk Road Ensemble, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.

``We've taken Korean traditional music all over the place. People are moved by the music because it's so strong,'' he said.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

'Once' stars to perform in Seoul

'Once' Stars to Perform in January

The stars of the hit film "Once" Glen Hansard and Markleta Irglova will perform in Seoul in January. / Courtesy of Private CurveBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

The low-budget independent film ``Once" was a surprise hit around the world, including Korea, last year, thanks to its romantic storyline and hauntingly beautiful songs.

Glen Hansard and Markleta Iglova, the stars of ``Once," will perform as The Swell Season in a concert in Seoul, January. Two concerts are scheduled on Jan. 17 and 18 at the Grand Theater, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Gwanghwamun, downtown Seoul.

Hansard and Irglova are expected to perform their signature acoustic songs from the film, such as ``If You Want Me," ``When Your Mind's Made Up," and, of course, the Grammy and Academy Award-winning song ``Falling Slowly."

Hansard will also play the guitar, while Irglova will play the piano. The band also includes bassist Joe Doyle, violinist Colm MacConIomaire, guitarist Robert Bochnik and drummer Graham Hopkins.

Hansard was the frontman for the Irish rock band The Frames when he was asked to play the role of a struggling street singer in Once by his onetime band mate and director John Carney in 2006. Carney also cast Irglova, a young Czech singer and classically trained pianist, in the female role.

After filming, the duo's collaboration album ``The Swell Season" was released in 2006.

But it was ``Once" that catapulted Hansard and Irglova into the mainstream. The film was released in 2007, and became one of the most successful independent films of the year. The simple story about two musicians who fall in love in Dublin touched audiences around the world. But one of the main reasons for its success was the simple but beautiful melody written and composed by Hansard and Irglova.

With the film's success, Hansard and Irglova started performing together as The Swell Season around the United States and Europe. Millions watched on TV as they gave a stirring performance at the Academy Awards in February.

Hansard, 38, and Irglova, 20, also became a couple in real life. They collaborated on a cover version of Bob Dylan's ``You Ain't Goin' Nowhere," which was included on the 2007 soundtrack of the film "I'm Not There."

There is much interest and anticipation for The Swell Season's first performance in Seoul. The ``Once" soundtrack was one of the best-selling foreign albums of 2007 in Korea.

The concert is part of Private Curve's Beautiful Singer Songwriter Series. Sejong Center for the Performing Arts is located near Gwanghwamun Station Subway Line 5. Tickets are 99,000 won, 77,000 won, 55,000 won and 33,000 won. Call (02) 563-0595 or visit ticket.interpark.com. For ticket reservations in English, send an e-mail to info@privatecurve.com.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

MOMA's humble masterpieces

MoMA's Humble Masterpieces in Seoul

The Post-it Note, developed by 3M in 1977, is part of the “Humble Masterpieces” exhibit at Hangaram Design Museum, Seoul Arts Center.

/ Courtesy of Hyundai Card

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

What do a pair of chopsticks, a Swiss Army knife, a yellow Post-it note, M&M's chocolates, pasta noodles and Bic ball-point pens have in common?

All of these are everyday objects that despite being imbued with simple, timeless, innovative design, are often overlooked. These ordinary items are shown in a new light at The Museum of Modern Art's (MoMA) ``Humble Masterpieces: Everyday Marvels of Design'' exhibit which is currently in Seoul for the first time.

Held at the Hangaram Design Museum, Seoul Arts Center, the ``Humble Masterpieces'' exhibit shines the spotlight on 100 items which may be modest in size and price but are considered ``true masterpieces of the art of design.''

Paola Antonelli, senior curator of the MoMA's department of architecture and design, said design is ``one of the highest expressions of human creativity.'' She was in charge of the exhibit when it was first presented in New York in 2004.

Antonelli, who was in Seoul for the opening of the exhibit, said the toughest part of the exhibit was choosing which objects would be included.

``The objects that we acquired had to be inexpensive, can be purchased somewhere in the world, and they have to be examples of great design. They had to be elegant, functional, environmentally friendly and all together a good addition to the world. … The difficult part was when to stop (choosing),'' she said.

The exhibit may seem quite modest, with the items placed in a glass case in the middle of the room. Among the objects on display are Lego building blocks, Q-tips ear buds, waffles cones, glass marbles, sugar cubes, Tampax tampons, Chinese take-out boxes, flip-flops and Tupperware.

``The concept of design started with beautiful objects that are outstanding in elegance and function, and designed by a human being. Whether there's a name or not, it doesn't matter. I don't care about the signature,'' Antonelli said.

All of the objects in the exhibit can be found anywhere, but it's the stories behind them that hold one's attention.

One of Antonelli's favorite stories is about the ``I love New York'' logo T-shirt, which just like many objects in the exhibit, came out of necessity.

``It was the 1970s, New York was in a crisis. There was high crime, high unemployment, the city was dirty and tourists were not coming. The mayor was worried and decided to launch an ad campaign. By chance, the advertising company was talking with Milton Glaser, a famous graphic artist, who just wrote on a napkin, `I Heart NY', and it became such a powerful symbol. But what I find as the most beautiful thing of all is that its not limited. People can use it for free all over the world. It's a great example of a symbol that is invented and released out to the world for free,'' she said.

Another surprising story is about how the fortune cookie was invented. Contrary to the common belief that the fortune cookie was a Chinese invention, Antonelli said it was actually created by a Japanese chef in San Francisco in 1914.



Not many are also aware the Chupa Chups lollipop's logo was designed by the candy maker Enric Bernat's friend, the artist Salvador Dali. Or that M&M's chocolate candy, invented by Forrest Mars Sr., was initially a convenient snack for soldiers during World War II.

When asked about the inclusion of numerous Japanese-designed items such as the bamboo whisk or chasen, the Kikkoman soy sauce dispenser and Kadokeshi plastic eraser, Antonelli said the Japanese have a long tradition of outstanding design.

During her short stay in Seoul, she has already seen some beautiful designs at a furniture museum, and even the ``T-money'' subway card caught her attention. She said the MoMA is always open to suggestions for the addition of new items from the Korean audience.

Many of the stories behind the objects can be found in Antonelli's book ``Humble Masterpieces.''

The exhibit, jointly organized by the MoMA, Hyundai Card and Seoul Arts Center, runs through Dec. 31. Admission is free. Hangaram Design Museum is located near Nambu Bus Terminal Subway Line 3, Exit 5.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Arashi in Seoul (AAA 2008)

The newspaper treatment was BIG (at least for KT).

 

 

arashi in seoul

Arashi Whips Fans Into Frenzy

Japanese idol group Arashi returned to Seoul over the weekend, staging four sold-out concerts at the Olympic Fencing Stadium in southern Seoul.

/ Courtesy of J-Storm

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Popular Japanese pop group Arashi whipped thousands of Korean fans into a state of frenzy, as they staged four sold-out concerts in Seoul over the weekend.

It has been two years since Arashi performed in Seoul, but judging from the deafening screams at the Olympic Fencing Stadium, their fans are as crazy about them as ever. The group is in the middle of a three-city Asian tour, ``Arashi Around Asia 2008."

Arashi, composed of Masaki Aiba, Jun Matsumoto, Kazunari Ninomiya, Satoshi Ohno and Sho Sakurai, opened the concert with ``Love So Sweet." The song was the theme song for the popular Japanese drama ``Hana Yori Dango Returns (Boys Over Flowers)."

Throughout the nearly three-hour concert, Arashi performed many of their hit songs ``Step and Go," ``Happiness," ``Kitto Daijoubu (You'll Definitely be Okay)," ``We Can Make It," and ``Truth."

Each of the members had solo performances, showing off their distinct personalities and talents. Sakura rapped and danced to ``Hip Pop Boogie, while Aiba sang a cheerful number ``Hello Goodbye." Ninomiya played the piano while singing ``Niji (Rainbow)," and Ohno showed off his smooth vocals and dance moves to ``Take Me Faraway."

Matsumoto grabbed attention when he walked upside down on the ceiling, before flipping down and performing ``Yabai Yabai Yabai."

Arashi definitely knew how to please the Korean audience. Even though they spoke mainly in Japanese, group members sprinkled their comments with Korean phrases throughout the concert. They even included Korean lyrics in some songs, such as ``A-RA-SHI."

Sakurai even showed off the Wonder Girls' dance steps for the hit song ``Nobody," while the crowd sang the lyrics.

At their last concert Sunday evening, Arashi gave four encores before finally ending with the upbeat ``Fight Song."

Fans could not seem to get enough of the Japanese group. Matsumoto promised to return for a third ``Arashi Around Asia" tour.

An estimated 30,000 fans watched the four concerts Saturday and Sunday, including several hundred Japanese fans.

Even with little promotion about the concerts, tickets sold like hotcakes, with all three concerts being sold out on Auction.com in 30 minutes. Organizers had to add another concert, which once again sold out immediately.

Arashi is one of the most popular Japanese pop groups in Korea. Matsumoto is best known for his lead role in ``Boys Over Flowers." Ohno recently appeared in the Japanese drama remake of the Korean drama `The Devil."

Aiba appears on a popular Japanese variety show. Ninomiya received critical acclaim for his role in Clint Eastwood's war movie ``Letters From Iwo Jima." Sakurai starred in the film ``Honey & Clover."

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

seoul fashion week

Spring Style at Seoul Fashion Week

A model shows off a hanbok by Lee Young-hee on the catwalk during Seoul Fashion Week. / Courtesy of Seoul Fashion Week
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Korea's top designers unveiled their fashion forecast for spring and summer 2009 during the eight-day Seoul Fashion Week, which ended Saturday.

Seoul Fashion Week was once again touted by organizers as the ``evolution of Seoul becoming Asia's representative fashion city."

Judging from what was seen on the catwalks, women will look forward to fresh and feminine looks, with just a hint of sexiness, for spring and summer. The romantic trend continued with bold floral prints on flowing maxis and one-piece dresses. Spring and summer fashion is always colorful, and this season is no exception with a lively pink, blue, purple and yellow color palette.

Men will have to update their wardrobes with smartly cut jackets and clean sportswear. Black, white, navy, brown and beige dominated the color spectrum of men's wear designers, as well as check prints.

Men's Wear

As always, Seoul Fashion Week kicked off with two days of men's wear fashion shows attended by male Korean celebrities like Ji Jin-hee, Lee Dong-wook, Joo Ji-hoon and Dennis Oh.

Park Jong-chul unveiled his spring/ summer collection for Sling Stone, combining Oriental ethnic look with futuristic details. Inspired by the fibrous tissues of a tree, he used these tree fibers in the fabrics for his collection.

Song Zio aimed for French chic clothes for men this season, showing loose-fitting cocoon silhouettes. Actor Cha Seung-won walked down the runway wearing a jacket with thin, haphazardly drawn vertical stripes and slim navy trousers.

Chang Kwang-ho injected a hint of trendiness to classic men's suits. He used basic colors, with pastel colors; and added fun details in the jackets.

``Caribbean travel" is the main theme of Park He-rin's collection. She focused on luxury sportswear, with comfortable but stylishly cut weekend suits and tailored denim.

Suh Sang-young said there was no main item for his collection, but instead he tried to show subtle differences in color and shape. One model wore a gray suit with a peek of bright pink peeking from the sleeves, while another wore loose shorts and vests.

Woo Young-mi, a successful Europe-based designer, celebrated the 20th anniversary of her brand ``Solid Homme." With the theme ``half-transparent beauty," Woo used blue, gray, light purple and beige for her men's wear collection.

Park Sung-chul's theme was taken from the Tom Hanks film ``Big." Park said he wanted to show fathers wearing big clothes, as if children playing with their father's wardrobe. Thus, his collection featured deliberately mismatched, oversized jackets and baggy trousers.

Seo Eun-gil infused his collection with traditional Korean culture by modernizing the traditional Hanbok into a pair of easy, loose-fitting pants.

Punk doesn't seem to go out of style. Song Hye-myung's collection for Dominic's Way brought punk rock fashion to forefront, with all-black motorcycle leather jackets and pants.

Women's Wear

The women's wear fashion shows are always the main attractions for Seoul Fashion Week. Big-name designers like Song Jain, Lee Young-hee and Gee Choon-hee did not fail to attract crowds. .

Song, one of the most popular designers today, introduced a modern sportswear collection with a romantic twist. Her collection featured slim pants, hooded jackets, tank tops, tiny running shorts and sporty dresses with number logos.

Gee's Miss Gee Collection is always one of the most eagerly anticipated fashion shows of every season. Gee turned to neo-classic British style, creating high-waist tailored hot pants with matching jackets and pretty English rose-print dresses.

World-renowned designer Lee Young-hee continued to impress with the innovative ways she has modernized hanbok. With the theme ``hanbok," Lee's collection showed different styles of Korean traditional dress in contrasting and layered colors, as well as unique patterns.

Cho Sung-kyung's collection for her brand Latulle is utterly feminine, with lace popping up in silky pink tops, white blazers and tiered evening gowns.

Seo Seung-hee was inspired by the idea of bringing American illustrator Tasha Tudor's 18th century traditional costumes in her books to a modern style. The results are pretty vintage floral prints with cropped trousers, and earthy brown one-piece dresses.

Yang Hee-duk created billowing dresses with oversize floral prints in a refreshing mix of color, perfect for a vacation aboard a cruise ship. Yang decided to tone down the volume for the maxi, giving it a more streamlined fit.

The 80s, inspired Shin Young-jae to create a collection full of maxi dresses, jumpsuits and zipper vests. .

Ha Sang-beg wanted to combine street wear with couture on the runway. Models wore all-white ensembles, sparkly silver jackets and whimsical peach-colored ruffled dresses

An Yoon-jung used a lot of black and white color, as well as Baroque-style grandeur elements in her collection.

The Japanese art of paper folding or origami inspired Hong Eun-ju for this season's collection. Using fabric as ``paper," she created unique silhouettes in natural materials.

Black was the dominant color at Lee Moon-hee's fashion show for ``Bitter & Sweet," with sexy all black dresses with lace details.

Math mixed with fashion at Lee Bo-mi's understated collection. Lee applied algorithms in her designs, resulting in geometric patterns, smooth lines and clean silhouettes.

Park Yoon-jung, costume designer for the hit drama ``Taewangsasingi (The Four Guardian Gods of the King)," successfully combined her avant-garde designs with femininity. She used Japanese-inspired woodblock prints in sexy gowns and robes for her brand Vack Yuun Zung.

Paris-based Jeong Hee-seok showed off his Jaison Couture collection of intricately detailed couture gowns, including an alluring red gown with beads and feathers.

Foreign Flair

For the first time, Seoul Fashion Week featured four top designers of Asian descent as part of the International Fashion Exchange.

Vietnamese-American designer Thuy Diep presented the spring/ summer collection for her ``Thuy,'' label. The show featured Diep's signature soft structured pieces in lime yellow and orange and black dresses with ruffled detail on the side.

London-based Korean design duo Steve J & Yoni P sent models on the catwalk wearing Gothic-Lolita-inspired slip dresses and chiffon baby doll dresses that bordered between girlish innocence and sexiness. Their designs are always modern and refreshing, with a sprinkling of eccentricity.

The runways for Eley Kishimoto, a brand designed by Mark Eley and Wakako Kishimoto, were filled with color block dresses with graphic lines and sweet summer frocks. There were flirty pink floral dresses paired with lacy tights embellished with pink flowers, as well as prim skirts and tops.

Ravage, the Bangalore-based design team of Raj Shroff and Neetu Gupta, presented bohemian-romantic style clothes in vibrant colors on the catwalk. The brand is known for its unique Indian fabrics and textures.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

dose of HOPE

'HOPE' Teaches English to Underprivileged Kids

Matt Romer teaches English to a group of underprivileged children at a welfare center in Mia-dong, northern Seoul.

/ Korea Times Photo by Cathy Rose A. Garcia

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporters

It's a Wednesday afternoon in Mia-dong, northern Seoul. A group of boys and girls aged between 10 and 13 noisily chat with each other in Korean as they enter the classroom.

Matt Romer, a 27-year-old Canadian teacher, tries to get the children to quiet down before starting with the English lesson.

``How old are you?,'' Romer asks one boy.

The boy's forehead wrinkles in confusion, before saying, ``one-three.''

``Thirteen,'' Romer corrects the boy gently.

It may seem like an ordinary English class, but it's not, Romer is a volunteer who teaches the children for free at a community center. The children are from low-income families who cannot afford the expensive fees hagwon charge for English classes.

Romer is one of several foreigners who are part of a non-profit organization HOPE, which stands for Helping Others Prosper through English. HOPE is the brainchild of a group of Canadian teachers who were looking to make a positive contribution to Korean society.

For Romer, it's a way for him to give back something to the Korean community. He teaches the one-hour class every Wednesday, his day off from work as an English teacher at a hagwon.

``I wanted to help these underprivileged kids. It doesn't take up much time at all. I wanted to give something back to Korea, and teaching English to these kids is a great way to do that,'' Romer told The Korea Times.

HOPE was formed earlier this year, when a group of Canadian teachers, Maria Salken, Sylvia Soo and Philip Lozano were looking to do some volunteer work during their free time.

As English teachers, they know very well that learning English as a second language is a top priority for Korean families. Parents pay hundreds of thousands of won for classes at language academies for their children. Yet there are many families who cannot afford the high fees, leaving their children at a disadvantage.

So, the group thought of doing what they knew best, teaching English. But this time, teaching English to underprivileged children.

The plan was good, but there were concerns that doing volunteer work might be a violation of the working visa's given to English teachers.

``We always wanted to do volunteer work before, but there were problems with regulations. We heard that it might be a violation of our E-2 visas and stuff. We were frustrated with this. We work with public schools and hagwon, but we know there are many kids who can't afford to get English education,'' Maria Salken, HOPE director of recruiting and public relations, told The Korea Times.

The group tried to get a clear and definite answer from the immigration office on the question of whether foreigners can be allowed to do volunteer work in Korea, without it being a violation of their work visas.

After several attempts, the immigration office finally said that it was okay for foreigners to do volunteer work.

``The immigration office said it was okay as long as the organization remains non-profit, and the host centers were also non-profit,'' Salken said.

After clearing the hurdle, HOPE started mobilizing friends and co-workers to sign up as volunteers. The group also started to find orphanages and community and welfare centers where they could offer their services.

On its Web site (www.alwayshope.or.kr), HOPE states its objective is ``to provide a free, safe and accessible place for underprivileged children to develop their English skills and equip them for a brighter future in further education.''

HOPE is entirely run by volunteers, and has limited resources. The group does not accept monetary donations, but would appreciate donations of textbooks and basic school supplies like pencils, erasers, glue and paper.

``We are relatively new and still somewhat small. But every member of the team has a lot of heart with only the best of intentions. We want to help as many as possible. The demand is certainly out there. We are constantly in need of more volunteers as the number of children from low-income families and orphanages is overwhelming,'' Salken said.

HOPE has received very positive responses from the communities where it has volunteers.

Romer, originally from Toronto, is one of the first volunteers, and signed up to teach a one-hour English class in Mia-dong.

``I've always been interested in volunteering. I recently went to Cambodia to volunteer teaching at a school there. In Korea, I've been busy with school so there was no time to volunteer, until I had this opportunity to volunteer for HOPE," he said.

During his one-hour class, it was obvious Romer enjoyed teaching English to the children through fun games. His students were enthusiastic about learning English, especially when they played word games like Hangman.

``After going to class last week, I was on cloud nine. It's been great to teach the kids. That's why I'm here in Korea teaching kids, because I love kids,'' Romer said.

Romer doesn't mind giving up a few hours of his day-off to go across town and teach the class of underprivileged children. ``It doesn't really take much time. I wanted to give back something to Korea. Teaching kids is a good way to give back to the community,'' he said

Aside from the community center in Mia-dong, there are programs in a center in Changsin-dong, as well as an orphanage in Namsan,

While HOPE is optimistic about the future, the group acknowledges the fact that many of its members and volunteers are only in Korea temporarily. Many foreign teachers tend to stay only a year or two before moving back home, so there's a problem of how to sustain the program in the coming years.

HOPE continues to look for more volunteer teachers and partner host centers that help underprivileged children in Seoul. Volunteer teachers should be a native speaker of English, have a secure visa status and be willing to volunteer for at least one hour a week for at least three months. Interested parties can visit the group's Web site www.alwayshope.or.kr.

``Life in Korea is so transitory and temporary. We're hoping we can get enough volunteers to keep this going for the next few years. We hope it will become self-sustaining,'' Salken said.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

"walking to the sky"

Walk to the Sky With Jonathan Borofsky

"Walking to the Sky," a new sculpture by Jonathan Borofsky, is located in front of the Kiturami Homsys Co. building, Hwagok-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul. / YonhapBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

American artist Jonathan Borofsky's ``Hammering Man,'' a giant sculpture of a worker ceaselessly hammering away, has become a well-known landmark in Gwanghwamun in downtown Seoul.

Borofsky was back in Seoul to unveil a new sculpture ``Walking to the Sky,'' located in front of the Kiturami Homsys Co. building, Hwagok-dong, Gangseo-gu, that is expected to be another landmark. The sculpture features a row of seven life-sized people walking on a pole jutting into the sky, as three people look on from the ground.

``It's a symbol of all of humanity. All of us are connected together and walking to an unknown future,'' he said in a press conference Wednesday.

As a child, Borofsky was fascinated by the philosophical title of a Paul Gauguin painting, ``Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?''


American artist
Jonathan Borofsky``I'm still involved with the same question myself. Maybe the sculpture represents every one of us being involved in the same question, in the deepest sense. I would say all of my work has a philosophical and psychological meaning to it. This is why I made the work to try and understand how our minds work and why they work the way they do,'' Borofsky said.

In 1992, Borofsky made his first sculpture, ``Man Walking to the Sky,'' for the Documenta art show in Kassel, Germany, where it can still be found today. The man is actually a clay sculpture patterned after Borofsky himself. Later, the city of Strasbourg, France also commissioned him to do a similar piece, but this time it was ``Woman Walking to the Sky.''

``I had this very romantic idea that possibly I can locate `Man Walking to the Sky' in Kassel, and `Woman Walking to the Sky' in Strasbourg from another direction, and then we can get the trajectory to meet. But the cities wanted to place it where they wanted to,'' he said, with a chuckle.

A decade later Borofsky expanded his original idea, creating ``Walking to the Sky'' for a temporary installation at the Rockefeller Center in New York. ``Instead of a man or a woman, I decided to make it humanity, all of us together walking up to the sky,'' he said.

The original piece can now be found at the Nasher Collection in Dallas, Texas. He also created another one for his alma mater, Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Penn.

The sculpture in Seoul features people of different ages and ethnicities, including three Asian people. The pole is angled at 75 degrees, because ``the idea is to walk to the sky, not to the building across the street,'' Borofsky joked.

Borofsky said ``Walking to the Sky'' may have also been inspired by a childhood story his father told him about going up to the sky and talking to the friendly giants. ``As I was making the first sculpture in Germany, I certainly flashed back to that story and it gave me an understanding of where parts of the sculpture came from. But the spirituality that was encompassed in the relationship with my father in that story is all in my work,'' he said.

Well-known around the world for his large-scale public sculptures such as the ``Hammering Man,'' Borofsky admitted feeling ``uncomfortable'' when seeing his old works because he always sees something that could have been done differently.

Always the optimist, Borofsky admitted there are always challenges to this every day, whether it's the news about war or personal problems.

``How to maintain your personal energy to go forward is sometimes difficult but I don't see any reason to put my personal unhappiness in a public sculpture. In general, I'm quite happy to be alive. It is quite an amazing thing. We should all be reminded of that in the face of the struggles that we face,'' he said.

Borofsky is also holding a solo exhibition of his small-scale works including ``Human Structures'' and ``Human Structures and the Light of Consciousness,'' at the Pyo Gallery, Itaewon. It runs through Dec. 31. Visit www.pyoart.com or call (02) 543-7337.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

future of fashion

Experts Ponder Future of Fashion

International designers and fashion experts attended the International Fashion Exchange, Seoul Fashion Week, Monday. From left, London-based Korean design duo Steve J and Yoni P, designer Mark Eley of Eley Kishimoto and fashion icon and blogger Diane Pernet, pose for the cameras before attending a fashion show. / Yonhap
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Seoul Fashion Week is in full swing this week, but the lack of buzz and sometimes sparse crowds at fashion shows seem to reinforce doubts whether Seoul has what it takes to become the fashion capital of Asia.

At the Global Fashion Forum held Monday, fashion industry experts weighed in on the prospects of Seoul Fashion Week.

Nicole Fall, head of a Tokyo-based Asian consumer intelligence agency Five by Fifty, believes there is a strong case for Seoul as a fashion capital.

``There will be five billion consumers living in Asia by the year 2050, with an astonishing 60 percent of the world's population in Asia. The richest countries will be in Asia. How can Europeans and Americans simply dictate to Asia what to wear? We believe Seoul has the essential ingredients to become the future capital of Asian fashion,'' Fall said.

She cited Seoul's prime location, wealth, four seasons, manufacturing expertise, thriving telecommunications technology and rich culture. ``Korea is also a key influencer in trends in Asia. Its celebrities, talent and culture are highly valued in Asia. There is a potential for the country to build its own brands,''' she said.

To distinguish itself from other fashion events, Fall suggested Seoul Fashion Week take its cue from the popular Tokyo Girls Collection, a semi-annual fashion festival that incorporates digital lifestyle trends. Tokyo Girls Collection features fashion shows by affordable, trendy Japanese brands and is open to the public. Visitors to the fashion shows receive real-time text message updates on how to buy the clothes on the runway.

``We have a vision that incorporates technology and democracy with the buying public. Fashion trends are in the hands of the consumers, not the fashion press. Seoul can capitalize on its technology and heritage. Our idea mixes commercialism with the realities of the fashion world today and incorporates the much-needed entertainment factor missing in traditional fashion shows,'' Fall said.

Asian designers, including Korean designers, are also becoming more visible on the international fashion scene. Unlike in the 1980s when Japanese designers such as Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake started a wave of avant-garde fashion, this time Asians from different countries are attracting attention.

``With the world becoming a global village, the cultural gap between the East and West is narrowing. Differences in style and looks are also narrowing. Another reason for the success of Asian designers in the West is the backing they have received from domestic customers,'' Felix Boukobza, a leading French creative director, said.

Fashion Films

The future of fashion may not be on the traditional runways, but in film. Diane Pernet, a well-known fashion critic and influential fashion blogger, believes that if the magazine era focused on photography, the Internet era focuses on films.

A fashion icon to many, Pernet writes about the global fashion scene on her popular blog www.ashadedviewonfashion.com and founded ``A Shaded View on Fashion Film,'' a festival showcasing films about fashion.

Pernet cited the growing phenomenon of fashion companies making short films for the Internet, sometimes to sell the product and sometimes just as a visually exciting experiment in design.

``(Dutch designers) Victor & Rolf decided this year that instead of having a runway show, they would present their collection on the Internet, giving everyone a front row seat. I think that's the future,'' she said.

Pernet only had good things to say about the fashion shows she saw during Seoul Fashion Week.

``I thought it was very well done and production wise, it was on an international level. It's the same with every emerging market, everyone wants to be on the same level as Milan or Paris or New York and London, but it takes time to build an international following. I think what (Seoul is) doing right now, inviting international people and press to come, its what should be done to get a higher profile,'' Pernet said.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

flies in space

'Fly Me to the Moon' Lacks Buzz

A scene from the 3-D animated film "Fly Me to the Moon."
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

It has been nearly 40 years since Astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong became the first men to step on the moon's surface.

``Fly Me to the Moon'' takes the audience back to July 1969, when the whole world eagerly awaited man's first landing on the moon. Even houseflies are buzzing about the historic space flight. Perhaps most excited are three young flies, the adventurous Nat, the nerdy IQ and the chubby Scooter, who are even building their own makeshift space shuttle.

Nat dreams of excitement and adventure, inspired by his grandfather who accompanied female pilot Amelia Earhart on her historic trans-Atlantic flight. Grandfather McFly apparently saved Earhart from crashing her plane, by going up her nose and causing her to sneeze.

Nat comes up with a plan for him and his buddies to fly to the moon with the Apollo 11 astronauts. They sneak out from under the noses of their protective mothers, slip into NASA and manage to hitch a ride inside the astronauts' helmets.

Directed by Ben Stassen, ``Fly Me to the Moon'' is the first ever computer animated feature film created and produced solely for 3D projection.

Thanks to the 3D technology, you'll find yourself looking at the world through the flies' eyes and gliding through blades of grass. You may even find yourself squinting as you anticipate the blades of grass hitting your eyes.

One of the highlights of the film is Apollo 11's take off from the Kennedy Space Center. It makes you feel as if you were there watching the spectacular blast off. The scenes in outer space are also equally impressive.

The animators created cute characters, with huge dopey eyes, translucent wings and bluish skin color, that bear little resemblance to real houseflies.

However, the problem with ``Fly Me to the Moon'' is that once you take out the 3D technology there's not enough excitement or charm in the film. Nat, Scooter and IQ are cute but bland, and fail to connect with the audience.

The plot takes an odd turn when some Russian flies, apparently envious of Apollo 11's achievement, head to the U.S. to sabotage the return flight. Of course, everyone already knows the Apollo 11 astronauts returned home safely, so there's no suspense. But the real question is will the houseflies survive? It's a no-brainer.

At the end of the film, Buzz Aldrin even makes a cameo appearance to shoot down the film's entire premise that flies could have traveled with the astronauts on the lunar module. It's not exactly the equivalent of someone telling the kids there's no Santa Claus, but it does take some of the fun out of the movie.

The film is dubbed in Korean and opens at IMAX theaters Oct. 30.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr