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