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Fall 2010

PeopleSeon Meditation: The Art of Harmonious Well-being

The G20 Comes to Seoul

Explore KoreaAnmyeondo: A Little Slice of Pleasure

Go For a Hike on the Baekdu-Daegan Trail

TravelItaly in Winter

Book ReviewNo Place to Envy Through the LensHantaek Botanical Garden

Fall 2010

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Fall 2010

Contents

People

Explore Korea

Travel

Book Review

Editor’s Notes

Peggy Edersheim Kalb explains the Framework for Strong and Sustainable Growth, an oft-repeated mantra for the G20.

9 The G20 Comes to Seoul

14 Go For a Hike on the Baekdu-Daegan Trail

David A. Mason has travelled the remote spine of the Korean mountains. You don’t have to be a serious hiker to visit small segments of this historic trail.

Misoo Jung shares the benefits of Seon Meditation. Feel better and have fun doing it with this gentle form of meditation.

5 Seon Meditation: The Art of Harmonious Well-Being

Jimalee Sowell takes us on a journey to some terrific beaches and magnificent forests as she explores this amazing area on the Yellow Sea.

11 Anmyeondo: A Little Slice of Pleasure

Lynette Hinings-Marshall visits Milan and the surrounding area during the winter sea-son and explores its fabulous shopping and dining.

17 Italy in Winter

Through the Lens

Editor, Suzanne Han, introduces the wonderful activities for all to enjoy during the spectacular Korean Fall season.

3 Autumn in Korea

21 No Place to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea Jimalee Sowell reviews Barbara Demick’s award winning book about North Ko-rea and the difficult conditions experienced by ordinary residents in the city of Chongjin.

23 Hantaek Botanical GardenSally Bilski visits Hantaek Botanical Garden, a wonderful day trip from Seoul spent in the amazing and diverse collection of plants from all over the world.

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Fall 2010

The air is getting cooler, the leaves are changing, the rice fields are becoming golden, the sky is blue… Autumn is a great time to get out and explore Korea. I hope that Jimalee Sowell’s article about Anmyeondo, an island on Korea’s west coast, and David Mason’s article about the Baekdu-daegan, a 1,400-kilometer mountain-system that forms the backbone of the Ko-rean Peninsula, will inspire you to get out and see more of this beautiful country. In our Through the Lens, Sally Bilski shares with us some photographs she took on a recent visit to the Hantaek Botanical Garden, which is a great place to visit for fall foliage. As autumn is traditionally a time for reading in Ko-rea, we have a review of a book about North Korea.

You can also learn about an ancient meditation cul-ture that can lead to peace of mind and good health. And if you’re itching to get away to some other part of the world, check out our Travel Section.

I would like to thank all our contributors, and as-sistant editor Sally Bilski and the other members of the arirang team.

Comments, suggestions, and contributions are always welcome. Please feel free to contact me at crowdhan@hotmail.com.

Happy reading! Suzanne Crowder-HanEditor

Editor’s NotesAutumn - A great time to explore Korea

North and South Korea combine to form the shape of a tiger.

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Fall 2010

Each nation has its popular folk songs. They are the most basic expression of a people, a pulse of sorts of the country's joy and sorrow. In Korea, the best-known folk song is "Arirang," which tells of two lovers parting at Arirang Pass. In addition to its wide popularity, the lyrics have been woven into the tap-estry of Korea's national history as a symbol of Ko-rean culture.

The origin of the song is unknown, though there are a multitude of theories. In fact, there is no one universal "Arirang," but many renditions with vary-ing melodies, each with different rhythm and lyrics indigenous to a province or region of Korea.

One explanation of the lyrics is that they tell the story of Arang, the beautiful daughter of a govern-ment official living in Milyang, who died at the hands of the lover she had rejected. This version is also told in reverse, being the maiden's lament at being abandoned by her insensitive sweetheart. Another explanation is that the words refer to a farmer's di-lemma in meeting the deadline for paying taxes. The refrain "A-ri-rang, a-ra-ri-o" is a meaningless melis-ma of the fa-la-la type. It is said to have originated when the Taewon-gun, or Prince Regent, the father of King Kojong (r. 1863-1907), was rebuilding Kyo-ngbok Palace, court officers sent out to solicit funds for the building project were cynically received with the phrase a-i-rong, "my ears are deaf."

Transformed by time and mood, the song has meant many things to many people Under foreign occupation and domination, it was sung surrepti-tiously as a balm and as a promise and in later times as a rallying song. Because the song captures the essence of the Korean people's sentiment about their nation and is identified with the art of storytelling about Korea, its name seems an appropriate title for a magazine dedicated to helping readers learn about Korea and enjoy their time in the country.

EDITOR Suzanne Crowder-Han

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Sally Bilski

arirang is published by theAmerican Women’s Club of Korea by

volunteers.

All rights to any material in arirang areheld by the writer except the right to reprint.

That is held by the magazine and may berequested by writing to:

Suzanne Crowder-Han, Arirang Editor,

Chongmaek Prince Ville #201,Shindang 2-dong 432-1695,

Chung-gu, Seoul, Korea 100-835.

arirang is dedicated to:introducing Korea to expatriate women;

promoting cultural exchanges;and keeping a historical record of the

foreigner’s perspective of living in Korea.

AMERICAN WOMEN’S CLUBMember of Federation of American Women’s Clubs

Overseas (FAWCO)http://www.awcseoul.org

The photo on the cover was taken by David A. Mason.

The beauty of South Korea is reflected in the many temples found in remote moun-tain areas.

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Fall 2010

SEON MEDITATIONThe Art of Harmonious Well-BeingBy Jung Misoo

Do you spend all day and sometimes all night too in a whirlwind of thoughts? What should I fix for din-ner, what tasks do I need to do today, what am I go-ing to say in my upcoming meeting? Do you neglect time for yourself?

Let’s put our thinking and busy minds to rest and try this ancient exercise and breathing meditation program which will get your body and mind back into shape. You will then learn how to cultivate your mind and body so you will obtain the power to live the life you want to live.

History of seon Meditation

Seon Do is Korea's several thou-sand-year-old meditation culture. Before Buddhism and Confucian-ism in Korea, there was Seon. Despite its long history, it has not been popularly known to the out-side world. The Korean word "Seon" is a combination of two words--man and mountain. The mountain symbolizes nature as well as the universe. Do (pronounced Doh) means the road, the way, the path.

Seon’s goal is, in short, to attain peace by fully knowing and lov-

ing yourself (humankind) and to preserve nature by knowing and loving it.

Seon culture aims to pursue a community, by way of meditation and well-being living, where human beings, nature, and the universe coexist harmoni-ously. It originated from ancient East Asia, and it was already a life tradition of the people and a state ideology during the period of Gochosun over 5,000 years ago. Seon culture was formed during the Go-chosun period and has been with the Korean people from that time to the present.

WHat is seon Meditation?Seon meditation is mainly de-

signed for balancing your body and mind through five elements Seon exercises and Danjeon breathing.

five eleMents exercises In Asian culture, the five ele-

ments (Tree, Fire, Soil, Metal, and Water) describe interactions and relationships between phe-nomena and represent all things in the world, e.g., the seasons,

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Fall 2010people, sounds, and movement. Five elements Seon exercise is an exercise program that relaxes muscles and joints through motions such as shaking, tap-ping, rubbing, extending or pulling. This exercise also stimulates acupoints in the body and makes the circulation of blood and energy flow smoothly. While Western styles of physical exercise have developed by focusing on the movements of muscles and joints, five elements energy exercises have developed with an emphasis on how to establish control and accu-mulate invisible vital energy.

The principles of five elements exercises are based on the understanding of the human body in the field of traditional oriental medicine. In traditional orien-tal medicine, there are 12 meridian channels in the body. Human organs and body parts interact with one another through these channels.

For example, the stomach is connected to the thighs and knees through the meridian channel. So to improve the functions of the stomach one should do energy exercises which strengthen the thighs and knees. The heart is linked to the forearms and elbows through the energy channels, thus exercis-es that make the forearms and elbows strong will strengthen the heart. And the effects are immediate!

However these movements are not aimed at mus-cular strength but at vital energy. That is why these exercises are composed of slow movements of parts

of the body. Slow movements are helpful to strength-ening and smoothing the flow of internal energy.

But exercise itself is not enough. The body is an energy system. It's composed of 20% matter and 80% mind. We need to find fundamental mental comfort to balance the body.

So the effects of Seon exercise doubles when you perform these exercises with Danjeon breathing. When you practice Danjeon breathing, vital energy is accumulated in the body. The accumulated energy makes each movement powerful, and thus slow dy-namic exercises will bring much more desirable re-sults when properly combined with Danjeon breath-ing.

WHat is danjeon BreatHing?There are three kinds of breathing: chest breath-

ing which concentrates on the chest area, abdomi-nal breathing which extends our lungs, and Danjeon breathing which focuses on the area three inches below the belly button. Newborn babies breathe through their Danjeon.

East Asian culture believes that the Danjeon is shaped like a pottery vase and that its function is to gather vital energy while you meditate. Breath-ing from the Danjeon pulls in 5-6 times more oxy-

Jung Misoo, Director

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Fall 2010You will experience complete rest and peace within you. You will feel joy in everyday living.

Seon meditation is the art of harmonious well-be-ing. Breathe deeply and make every day a creative journey, not a guided tour.

Jung Misoo worked as a plant project manager in the Middle East for 8 years. Five years ago she returned to Seoul and changed her life direction to meditation. She is Director of the Suseonjae Health and Meditation Center, Foreigner’s branch, and also an instructor at the Center. Suseonjae pro-vides meditation and breathing programs designed to pro-mote health, well-being, internal strength and will-power and eventually lead to that special self within you.

gen and regenerates aging cells. It helps you to have natural healing power. Danjeon breathing can also change one’s brain waves.

Benefits of seon Meditation

Meditation not only controls our emotions but changes our brain waves. Various medical studies in America have shown that 10 minutes of meditation can produce alpha waves in the brain. Why are alpha waves important? Alpha waves produce the natural healing ability of the body, provide relaxation, and enhance innate creativity. Meditation taps into these alpha waves which is why it’s so important. One can relax, sleep, feel less tension and emotional stress when these waves are sustained by Danjeon breath-ing throughout the day.

Through Seon meditation, you will find your body’s and mind’s natural balance. This is the starting point to control yourself and realize your own creativity.

Members in a meditation pose.

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Fall 2010exaMples of a feW of tHe five eleMents exercises: (for additional exercises and additional inforMation go to: Http://suseonjae.org)

Bouncing on Heels (Minister Fire/Nerve, Immune system)

Place both legs shoulder-width apart and lift your heels up and down without touching the floor; at the same time breathe down your body and out your feet.

Releases toxics and makes the body lighter

Shoulder Ups (Fire/Heart)

With legs shoulder-width apart, lift the shoulders up and down.

Good for stiff shoulders.

Toe smacking (Soil, Minister fire/Stomach, nervous system)

In a seated position, stretch your legs forward as far as possible and smack them together.

Good for sleep disorders.

Create a calm and peaceful environment before you begin.

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Fall 2010

THE G20 COMES TO SEOULBy Peggy Edersheim Kalb

In mid-November the 20 leaders of the most eco-nomically powerful countries in the world will meet in Seoul at the fifth Group of 20 (G20) Leaders Sum-mit. In the days during, before and after, the city will play host to their finance ministers and central bank governors, heads of some of the world’s most influential international organizations, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, as well as countless members of the diplomatic delega-tions and thousands of journalists.

Although the leaders of the Group of 20 countries have been meeting regularly since 2008, it was only last year that they decided to hold annual meetings going forward, cementing the role of the G20 Sum-mit as an informal steering committee for the world economy. And the November Seoul Summit marks the first G20 Leaders Summit in a country that isn’t traditionally considered a member of the advanced countries (the G8: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, Russia).

For Korea in general and Seoul in particular, this is an unparalleled opportunity to show how far the city and the country have come as a country that only recently evolved from being an aid recipient to an aid donor. Now, as Chair of the Summit for 2010, the Korean government has been producing issue papers, drafting communiqués and helping to coor-dinate agreements through all the meetings leading up to the Summit itself. At the top of the agenda for the Seoul Summit: ensuring that the less-than-robust global economic recovery gets on a firmer

footing. The Framework for Strong and Sustainable Growth, agreed to at the Pittsburgh Summit, has be-come an oft-repeated mantra for the G20. Reform of the financial regulatory and supervisory systems—to spot another crisis before it becomes a crisis, and reform of international financial institutions—will also be on the agenda; both are moving along ac-cording to timelines agreed to at earlier summits. The recent debt crisis in Greece and subsequent fall-out for the other euro zone countries, has lead to a greater emphasis on fiscal sustainability as well, with the G20 now calling for “growth friendly policies in a framework of fiscal sustainability.” At the Toronto Summit in June, governments agreed to significantly

Delegates from 2009 G20

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Fall 2010

decrease debt by 2013. Korea has added two initia-tives to the G20 agenda, both reflecting its unique position as a bridge between the so-called developed countries and the emerging countries. Having just recently joined the OECD (Organization for Econom-ic Cooperation and Development), Koreans bring a different perspective to developing infrastructure and markets. By introducing the concept of a global safety net, Korea is hoping to minimize the spillover effect when large financial institutions overseas run into trouble. For example, a large bank in a devel-oped country goes under; panicked investors pull liq-uid assets from a perceived riskier investment, often in emerging markets, leading to a liquidity crisis in relatively small countries far from the original prob-lem.

Ideally, Korea would also like to see the G20 de-vote more resources to building a lasting economic infrastructure in developing countries, replacing the traditional aid-based paradigm. The poorer countries would be better able to sustain their own growth, and the potential growth of developing economies could boost global growth.

Finally, a hundred or so CEOs will be in town just before the Seoul Summit, to attend a Korea led Busi-ness Summit. President Lee Myeung-bak has made it clear that a strong recovery will have to be led by the private sector; the Business Summit has been designed to figure out ways to shift from a govern-ment led recovery to a private sector led recovery.

If you have family or friends who want to come to town in November, you might want to suggest they come before or after. Hotels are likely to be fully booked and traffic—during the two days of the ac-tual Summit—could be tough. It will be a good time to get to know the subway system. In the coming

Peggy Edersheim Kalb is a writer based in Seoul. She is currently Chief Editor for the Presidential Committee for the G20 and has written for the Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine and Smart Money, among other publications. She is also the former producer of CNN’s Moneyline and Busi-ness Morning and co-authored a book on international in-vesting with her husband, Scott Kalb.

weeks, the G20 presidential committee will launch its English language website, offering insight and up-dates on G20 activities, as well as a guide for tourists in town for the occasion.

Students prepare to welcome G20 Summit delegates.

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Fall 2010

ANMYEONDO A Little Slice of PleasureBy Jimalee Sowell

Anmyeondo is a mid-size island (according to sta-tistics, it is Korea’s sixth largest) in Taean-gun Coun-ty in Chungcheongnam-do Province on Korea’s west coast. If you look at a map of Korea, it’s at about the midpoint of the country. It was once a peninsula attached to the mainland, but it was cut off to make a canal during the late Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and was bridged in 1970. But what you really need to know about Anmyeondo is why you should go there.

Go to Anmyeondo for the fresh air, the picturesque green rolling hills and fields dotted with orange and blue rooftops. Go to Anmyeondo to walk among the pine trees. Go to Anmyeondo to see some of Ko-rea’s famous sunset beaches. Go to Anmyeondo to see lots of green. Go to Anmyeondo to do some fly-ing. Go to Anmyeondo to enjoy sensual spa treat-ments. But mostly go to Anmyeondo to get away for a while. Anmyeondo is a resort area, and making you feel that you are away from it all—even for a short while—is what it does best.

WHere to go/WHat to do tHere Visit famous sunset places/west coast beaches.

There are many swimming beaches on the west coast of Anmyeondo. Hae-soo-yoke-jang means swimming beach and will likely be indicated on maps with para-sols. These beaches are also known for beautiful sun-sets: KKotchi Beach, possibly ranking as the most well-known, with Bangpo Beach and Sambong Beach being close runners-up. Keep in mind, though, that

Anmyeondo Recreational Forest

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Fall 2010while these beaches are called swimming beaches, they may not be what you would expect in a swim-ming beach. Rather than seeing lots of bikini-clad sunbathers, you’re more likely to see Koreans with their trowels and buckets digging up shellfish and crabs when the tide is low. KKotchi Beach is known for two rock formations lovingly called Grandmother Rock and Grandfather Rock that jut out from the sea and are completely exposed during low tide. A quick Internet search on Anmyeondo will let you know this is the beach to visit and photograph.

Walk through a recreational forest. The Anmyeondo Recreational Forest, pronounced Ja-yeon Hyoo-yang-rim, on Anmyeondo is a must-see place. It is known for its rare red pine trees called Anmyeonsong that have reportedly been growing on the island since the Joseon Dynasty. Take a walk among the trees. Feel small again while you breathe the fresh pine-scented air. There are several well-mapped trails with cours-es for every fitness level ranging from one kilome-ter to three kilometers. There’s also a small museum that provides information about the trees, plants, animals, and insects that live in the forest. Outside the museum is a zoo—well, a cage really—of exotic birds (peacocks) and not-so-exotic birds (chickens). The recreational forest is a great place to visit for those cutting back on entertainment expenditures as the entrance fee is only 1,000 KRW per adult and a mere 400 to 800 KRW for children depending on age. If you’re up for sleeping in the woods, you can

also rent a log cabin in the forest for a very reason-able price, and large groups are accommodated. Call 041-674-5019 (only in Korean) far in advance for reservations or make a reservation online at http://www.anmyonhuyang.go.kr/ (only in Korean).

Go fly a plane. Really! For those of you who have always had that fantasy about being in the cockpit—here’s your chance. I’m not kidding, yes, without a pilot’s license, you can enjoy the thrill of flight. Aero Tour operates a flight school on Anmyeondo, and this is where you can learn to man the controls of a light sports plane. For information about how to make a reservation with Aero Tour and other details, go to http://www.expatflyers.net/airplane.html (in Eng-lish).

Take a cruise. If you’re up for a cruise, you can choose from the inner cruise that will take you along the east coast of the island or the outer cruise that will take you along the west coast. For the inner cruise, call 041-675-5220 (only in Korean). For the outer cruise, call 041-674-1603 (only in Korean).

KKotchi Beach is perfect for beachcombers. Hunt for clams at low tide or wander down the beach in search of shells.

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Fall 2010food

Like most islands and coastal areas, the specialty food in Anmyeondo is fresh seafood. In particular, Anmyeondo is known for prawn and blue crab. You’ll find the best seafood restaurants near the beaches. But if you’re not a seafood fan, you can find a rela-tively good selection of Korean restaurants as well as chicken and pizza places in the downtown area.

WHen to go Anmyeondo is a nice place to visit any time of year,

but keep in mind that the rainy season is in June and July. Although this might mean just light afternoon showers, a heavy downpour could prevent you from getting good sunset pictures and being able to fly.

WHere to stay You’ll have no trouble finding a place to stay as

the island is literally filled with accommodations for visitors, and there’s something to suit every taste and budget. The hotels near the bus terminal are in a great location for getting to the recreational for-est and KKotchi Beach. The first four websites below have extensive lists of pensions. A pension is a fan-cier sort of accommodation that is more homey than a motel and usually equipped with a kitchen, and other accommodations, albeit in Korean. If you’re in the mood for a spa treatment, try the Ocean Castle

Aquaworld Resort where you can indulge yourself in indoor and outdoor sulfur spas and mud baths. Contact the resort at 041-671-7000 or check out their website at http://www.resom.co.kr/eng/ocean/info_01.html (in English and Korean).

transportation There are always plenty of taxis near the Taean

Bus Terminal (041-674-2009, in Korean only), and there’s a bus stop for local buses near the terminal.

HoW to get tHere From Seoul, you can take a public bus for Tae-

an from the Express Bus Terminal (subway line 3). Travel time is approximately two and a half hours and tickets from Seoul are 10,000 KRW. Buses from Seoul to Taean run every 20 minutes from 6:30 am to 7:10 pm.

If you prefer to drive, there are three routes from Seoul to choose from and it usually takes between two and three hours depending on the route. The three routes are:

• Seoul>Seohaean Expressway>Seosan IC or Haemi IC>Taean (2 hours)

• SeoulGyeongbu Expressway>Pyeongtak>Sapgy-ocheon>Dangjin>Seosan>Taean (2 hours 30 min-utes)

• Seoul>Cheonan>Onyang>Yesan(Deoksan)> Seosan>Taean (3 hours)

You can find information about Anmyeondo at these websites:www.anmyon.net (Korean); www.anmyondo.com (Korean);www.anmyondo.org (Ko-rean); www.anmyondo.co.kr (Korean);www.taean.go.kr/html/en/ (English); www.asia-planet.net/ko-rea/chungcheongnam-do.htm (English)

Jimalee Sowell has lived in Korea since 1999. She worked at a language school for a year and a half, at Daelim College for eight years, and is now working at Seoul National University.

Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks are easily hiked at low tide and are lovely in their isolation when the tide is high.

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Fall 2010

GO FOR A HIKE On the Baekdu-Daegan Trail, the Spine of KoreaBy David Mason

The world has around two dozen long-distance hiking-trails, including famous tracts like America’s Appalachian Trail and New Zealand’s Milford Track, and there is now a fresh addition to the list right here in South Korea. Many of the international resi-dents here may not have heard of the Baekdu-dae-gan Trail, as it has just recently been burgeoning into the public consciousness of outdoors-loving Koreans themselves. Ask your Korean friends and co-work-ers, and you’ll find they probably have at least heard of it—and maybe are surprised that an international resident is asking about it.

All of the long-distance trails around the globe offer their trekkers spectacular vistas and intimate experi-ences of deep wilderness. The Baekdu-daegan Trail has plenty of that, but is nearly unique in the amount of traditional cultural sites that are also found along the way. A remarkably-high percentage of aspects of Korea’s history, religious culture and folk-tales are on display in hundreds of sites on or close to the trail.

Exploring the Baekdu-daegan becomes a powerful discovery of this nation’s energetic Buddhist, Sha-manistic, Confucian, Nationalist and Christian beliefs, which emanate their reverence from the hundreds of temples, shrines, doltap cairns (pagodas of oiled stones), ancient and modern monuments, stone-carved buddhas, churches and altars that decorate the ridgeline, slopes and valleys. The friendly Kore-ans you will meet along the way, including monks, shamans, farmers, herb-gatherers and fellow hikers,

are eager to show you their culture and lifestyle and explain the significance of the sites. Shamans, farm-ers, herb-gatherers and fellow hikers, are eager to show you their culture and lifestyle and explain the significance of the sites.

The Baekdu-daegan or “White-head Great-ridge” is a 1,400-kilometer moun-tain-system.

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Fall 2010The Baekdu-daegan or “White-head Great-ridge”

is a 1,400-kilometer mountain-system that forms the backbone of the Korean Peninsula. It starts on the peninsula’s highest feature and fount of mytholo-gy, Mt. Baekdu-san, which is a dormant volcano with a gigantic crater-lake that sits on the current bor-der between China and North Korea. From there the range-line runs south down the east coast of North Korea, becoming what is called the Taebaek (Grand White) Range, entering South Korea through the barb-wired frontier of the DMZ just north of Seor-ak-san National Park, and then staying close to the coast all the way down to mystic Taebaek-san on the border between the Gangwon and North Gyeongsang provinces. It then turns west toward central South

Korea, becoming what is called the Sobaek (Smaller White) Range, and when it reaches the middle of this nation it turns back south until it ends at South Ko-rea’s highest mainland peak, the Cheonwang-bong of Jiri-san National Park.

This ridgeline is genuine in that it never crosses water, and is therefore the origin and disperser of all streams and rivers along the peninsula. Assisting the Baekdu-daegan with water-management are 14 subsidiary-ranges known as jeong-maek that chan-nel all of Korea’s major rivers into its flanking seas.

The Baekdu-daegan’s geographical territory there-fore includes most of Korea’s highest peaks, many of which have been regarded as holy places since ancient times. The sacred virtues of the mountains of Korea were historically recorded by early Korean scholars and Buddhists more than a thousand years ago, and the topography of this nation is recognized as a living entity consisting of mountains that pro-vide the water that sustains our lives. This has been a constant theme in Korea’s cultural development and the sense of itself as a single nation.

The idea of hiking along the crest-line of the Baek-du-daegan seems to have developed only as recently as the 1980s, as South Korea’s modern hiking-cul-ture flourished. It has become a very popular activity among the many public and private mountain-hiking associations (sanak-hoi), with strong patriotic over-tones. Most people seem to begin down at Jiri-san and hike northward, both for keeping the sun gener-ally behind you for better viewing and for the con-cept of trekking toward Mt. Baekdu, reluctantly stop-ping at the DMZ, in a gesture of desire for national reunification.

Within South Korea there is now a trail, well-es-tablished and marked in some parts and still rather wild in others, extending for 735 kilometers. It pass-es through seven national parks and four provincial parks, although some of its crest-line sections in the national parks have been temporarily closed for na-ture preservation concerns (alternative pathways can be used). Some parts of this trail are quite dif-ficult, repeatedly climbing up and down rough rocky peaks, but others feature gentler terrain with long winding ridges that anyone in good shape can enjoy.

There are many Buddhist temples to be found on the slopes beneath the trail, some of which are grand monasteries offering the popular Temple-Stay pro-gram. This creates an opportunity to combine trek-king with overnight stays learning about Korea’s Buddhist culture—a new kind of pilgrimage.

The best times of the year to walk on the Baekdu-daegan Trail are April through June and September through November—winters are too cold and snowy, while summers are too hot, humid and rainy for most people to endure.

Most of us don’t have the freedom or energy to do the whole thing at once in a grand two-month

Stunning views are the reward for the often strenuous climbs on the remote mountain spines.

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Fall 2010trek. Fortunately, it’s easy to accomplish sections of it on weekends and holidays, and most of the Korean Baekdu-daegan hiking-associations are employing that strategy, their members committing to complet-ing the great trail within about three years. Interna-tional residents can just enjoy hiking short parts of it, wherever interests them most.

Trailheads for entering and leaving the range-line are found at the more than two dozen passes that national and provincial highways run over, easily ac-cessible from the bus terminals or train stations of rural towns. Some sections of the trail are relatively remote wilderness, where you can see some of Ko-rea’s rare wild animals but you won’t find many of the comforts of civilization. Other parts of the trail run past or through villages that contain restaurants and tea houses for the hikers, and plenty of minbak rooms to sleep in (a minbak is a countryside house that rents its extra rooms to travellers, at fairly low rates; the owners rarely speak English). There are often rest areas including markets and restaurants up on the passes, and usually yeogwan (motels) nearby down the road.

Guidebooks and maps in Korean are widely avail-able, and the more popular sections of the trail en-joy increasingly better signage in both Korean and English, often posted by the local governments or the Korea Forest Service. There is now one detailed guidebook in English, written by my two partners with my assistance, and a website in English devot-ed to this mountain range and its trail—see www.baekdu-daegan.com.

For international residents of Korea, hiking in the Baekdu-daegan region offers some of the best op-portunities to experience some of the best parts of the nation outside of the big cities, featuring some of its most-interesting cultural sites and nicest people. It's also a very low-cost and health-promoting way to spend some of your free time. You can experi-ence amazing views, spiritual shrines, shy wildlife, colorful mountain-spirit paintings, delicious hard-earned meals, lofty peaks and waterfall-filled gorges all along the Baekdu-daegan long-distance trail. And much still remains to be discovered out there.

David A. Mason is a Professor of Korean Tourism at Seoul’s Kyung Hee University, and researcher on the re-ligious characteristics of Korea's mountains. He has au-thored six books on Korean culture and tourism; see his websites http://www.san-shin.org/ http://zozayong.com/ and http://baekdu-daegan.com/.

Roger Shepherd, David A. Mason, Andrew Douch

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Fall 2010

ITALY IN WINTERChristmas Markets and Roasted Chestnuts, Cultural Events and No CrowdsBy Lynette Hinings-Marshall

I fell in love with Italy when I saw Fellini’s “La Dol-ce Vita” and have visited several times in summer since. I have fond memories of sipping chianti ac-companied by antipasti of local salamis and crostini, but as there were also long queues and shoulder to shoulder crowds I decided to discover what Italy was like in winter.

Teatro La Scala in Milan was the starting point be-cause here the opera season opens December 7, the feast day of Saint Ambrogio. Some older Milanese still call themselves Ambrogians and the Basilica Saint Ambrogio, built in A.D. 379, and named after this patron saint of Milan, was on our must-see list. I had secured excellent box seats via La Scala’s online booking and I particularly wanted to see the 35-year-old British conductor Daniel Harding because reviews about him are so mixed. After experiencing his inter-pretation of Stravinsky I am definitely a fan.

What is Italy without cathedrals? My favorite was the Milan Duomo, the third largest church in the world. It’s mixture of styles from the first level ba-roque to the neo-Gothic windows and spires have come about because it was started in 1386, conse-crated in 1418 but not completed until Napoleon was crowned King of Italy in the 19th century. We walked through the entrance immediately upon arrival and after viewing the beautiful nativity scene followed the guide book’s directions through this magnificent edifice to the vault above the choir. Here, a red light

marks the location of a nail from Christ’s cross that has been kept safely in this spot since 1461.

The Duomo is only one highlight of the Piazza del Duomo and on the left perimeter is the elegant Galle-ria Vittoria Emmanuele II. This iron and glass-domed atrium houses elegant arcades of cafes, shops and the famous Milanese restaurant, Savini. We started one evening with a Campari at Zucca in the Galleria where this Italian cocktail was created in the late 1800s. Directly opposite the Duomo is Teatro La Sca-la and we spent some evenings, rugged up against the cold, just gazing upon these three magnificent architectural monuments. The Duomo in particular when brilliantly lit against the deep blue night sky is radiant and resplendent.

Milan is a small city and one day we started at the medieval Castello Sforzesco, walked to Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper (tickets need to be booked well in advance) then on to Saint Ambrogio. As we were now in the fashionable Navigli district we stopped frequently at attractive bars and restaurants. It was here I learned that Italians stand at counters to drink their espresso because sitting at a table incurs a €2 surcharge. The pedestrian quarter of Brera is the other main entertainment district. Mid-afternoon we visited Pinacoteca di Brera art gallery to view the masters including Raphael and Caravaggio so that we could remain in the Brera district for dinner. Many restaurants in this pedestrian quarter lure patrons

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Fall 2010with an American-style happy hour offering two-for-one drinks and large platters of complimentary food but we chose Trattoria Il Molo that specializes in sea-food and has occupied the same premises for more than 70 years. We did drop into the Jamaica café in Brera for a drink and salad one day and after attend-ing the performance at La Scala went to the Victoria Café. After a few days sightseeing and dining it was time for fashion.

I had visited Prada in the Galleria but no woman could leave Milan without visiting the famous fash-ion street of Via Montenapoleone. We started at the crowded counter in the historic Cova for our un caffe and un cornetto then ventured into Versace, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and several other designer bou-tiques. After experiencing serious sticker shock my husband was visibly relieved when I told him I was only checking the prices because the Serravalle de-signer outlet stores offer the major designers’ prod-ucts at substantial discounts. Getting to Serravalle was easy because their coach departs daily from downtown Milan and is worth a visit if you have a day to spare and enjoy brand-name shopping.

We took advantage of travelling off season by rent-ing via the online site www.homelidays.co.uk a large two-storey, two-bedroom apartment in the heart of the city for the same cost as a tiny hotel room dur-

ing tourist season. The owner welcomed us with a bottle of Italian champagne and a beautifully pack-aged Panettone. My favorite legend about the origin of Panettone is how Ughetta, a young nun celebrated Christmas by adding sugar, butter, candied fruit and raisins (in Milanese dialect the word for raisin hap-pens to be ughetta) to the dough, then made the sign of the cross on the top to bless it. The owner of our apartment had also booked both Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day luncheon for us as we wanted somewhere traditional and authentic. When we arrived the apartment owner patiently ex-plained how to get to both Lake Como and Bergamo by public transport and even helped with taxi book-ings to the restaurants. The Christmas day luncheon was the highlight of our trip even though the local families who did not speak English stared at us as if unaccustomed to strangers at their annual ritual. But they made us feel welcome and the memory of the Sardinian style mouth-watering food and delicious wines that kept appearing on our table for more than four hours still lingers.

Bergamo, the sixth century town at the foothills of the Alps, was our first full day excursion and we visited during the Saint Lucia Fair which is a family event. Following the crowd along the Sentierone, we ate polenta taragna (polenta sprinkled with grated Bitto cheese and covered with melted butter)and our first roasted chestnuts. The traditional Christmas market in Lower Bergamo was tempting as so many of the items, particularly the wooden toys and pup-pets, were hand-made. We next visited Donizetti’s house then took the funicular to Upper Bergamo. When we hopped off at the Piazza Mercato delle Scarpe we were immediately immersed in a magical atmosphere. Pastry shop windows filled with ginger-bread houses, fashionable wine bars, several tavo-la caldas (cafeteria-style restaurants) with a huge variety of both savory and sweet snacks lined the cobblestone medieval alleyways, but kept walking to ensure enough time at the Monastery of Saint Agos-tine and Colleoni Chapel. Our lunch of Risotto alla Milanese (risotto made with chopped onion flavored with saffron and grated Parmesan cheese) was at a restaurant that clung to the side of the mountain and this magnificent view of Bergamo, along with excel-lent food made it difficult to leave. We ended our day at the Palazzo della Ragione and finally the San Vigilio Castle before heading back down to the train station at Lower Bergamo for our one hour journey back to Milan.

The Lakes District is also only an hour from Mi-lan and we had decided upon Lake Como. After we passed through several tunnels the bright sunlight sparkled on the snow-capped mountains and the lake seemed larger without a flurry of boats and peo-ple, the summer scene I remembered. We arrived at Varenna and took a ferry to Bellagio which was quiet and shuttered for the winter. We found a pleasant café for lunch then caught the local bus to Como.

Milan offers a spectacular shopping experience, Versace, and so much more.

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This bus ride for less than €2 was a highlight because the route took us within meters of the lake for the entire journey. The main streets of the villages en route were barely wider than the bus, which stopped for passengers, who obviously used the service for their daily needs. After sightseeing in Como we had an interesting dinner of rabbit stew and pumpkin flowers before boarding the train back to Milan.

It was time to head south and as we had now learned that Italian trains are well below par by most Western standards we booked a Euro Star high-speed service to take us to Florence. Our plan was to set up a base in Florence and visit Tuscany. Because every site in Florence is accessible by walking and trains and buses are frequent within Tuscany we pre-ferred not to hire a car. Drizzling rain fell during our first day in Florence so we visited the Palazzo Vec-chio where the copy of Michelangelo’s David stands. Around the corner we visited the Uffizi, the oldest gallery in the world and spent hours awestruck by the art by Titan, Botticelli, Michelangelo and the fa-mous Piero della Francesca’s panels, recognized as the first true Renaissance portraits. Friends suggest-ed a visit to the Pitti Gola e Cantinia wine bar and as the village of Montepulciano was not on our itinerary it was at this bar that we first sampled Vino Nobile wines. These were accompanied by a dish of ravioli with pecorino and pears and crostini which we later walked off starting at the Ponte Vecchio. It was fun to window shop all the jewelers that line the bridge

but I was more interested in Via de’ Tornabuoni’s designer stores with an emphasis on shoes as this is the site of Ferragamo’s Shoe Museum. We spent the remainder of the afternoon walking through the area of town that houses the church of San Lorenzo, the Medici’s Tombs, the Duomo and the Baptistery.

Next day, with a promise of sun, we boarded the train to Siena. Having previously experienced the dense and jostling summer crowds in Siena it was a welcome relief to stroll with space on the cobble-stone streets to sightsee and window shop. On our way to Piazza del Campo we stopped to buy coffee beans from Café A. Naninni where we enjoyed un caffe and of course the famous torta garfagnana (tarts and cakes). Close by the Piazza del Campo we enjoyed a lunch of salt cod soup and another bot-tle of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano before walking to the Duomo. We then climbed the tower around the corner to view the Piazza del Campo from above and photographed a magnificent 360 degree view of Siena and the surrounding countryside before board-ing a bus to San Gimingnano.

San Gimignano is known as “the city of beautiful towers” and is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Tuscany. The towers that welcomed pilgrims as far back as the 13th century still stand today. The Piazza del Duomo was our starting point and as we had by now visited many cathedrals, galleries and medieval towers we chose to just enjoy the small shops and sights until darkness fell and we settled

The elegant Galleria Vittoria Emmanuele II. This iron and glass-domed atrium houses elegant arcades of cafes and shops.

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Fall 2010into a cozy restaurant we had booked in advance. Against all my instincts, I was pleased that I tried the pasta and pigeon sauce served on creamy mush-rooms.

Our Italian winter holiday was drawing to a close and I spent an entire day walking the markets of Florence shopping for souvenirs and buying shoes along Via del Corso while my husband took a recom-mended tour of Renaissance Florence. On our final day we took the train to Western Tuscany to see the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa. There were people mill-ing about the grounds but fortunately no queues to enter it, so we were able to tour immediately. We then boarded another train to Northern Tuscany to visit the popular beach resort of Viareggio which is famous for its Art Nouveau villas and hotels of the 1920s. We strolled along Viareggio’s promenade and then enjoyed a leisurely Sunday lunch at Da Oliviera so we could try their Cacciucco alla Viareggina (sea-food stew). This bright sunny Sunday was the per-fect arrivederci to Italy and next day we flew home happy and relaxed.

We had been able to see so much more during this visit as we never had to wait in line, and we spent more time strolling because we weren’t constantly buffeted by tourists along the narrow streets. It was also less expensive than previous trips because ac-commodations and meals were considerably less than during tourist season. Winter touring is not for everybody but it worked well for us and if you are prepared for a little inclement weather it can work well for you too.

Lynette Hinings-Marshall has travelled abroad every year since her 19th birthday and has lived for long peri-ods in Australia, Cyprus, Puerto Rico, Korea, the Unit-ed States, Mexico and Malaysia. She has a Diploma in Professional Writing and Editing and is currently writing a textbook for the tour guiding profession.

One of the many wonders of Western Tuscany is the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The sky above Siena’s Piazza del Campo brings the warm tones of the skyline into a sharp focus.

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If you only read one book on North Korea, read Nothing to Envy. Of course, we all have heard of the inhumane conditions average North Koreans endure—the starvation, the prison camps, the ex-tensive torture for even the smallest infractions. We have read horrific stories about North Korea in the news, and we have seen the heartbreaking photos of starving adults and malnourished children with heads too big for their bodies. We know conditions are bad in North Korea, but nothing will give you an appreciation for what life is like for the average North Korean like Nothing to Envy. And the reality of life in North Korea is far worse than is imaginable. This book will disturb you. It will haunt you. It will make you question how such a regime can still exist. But it is an important book. At the risk of being cliché, it is a must-read for anyone interested in North or South Korea, for anyone at all interested in human rights.

Author Barbara Demick had been to North Korea, but discovered that North Koreans are masters of disguise and that a trip to North Korea gets you no closer to knowing about the regime than not see-ing it, so she tells the story of North Korea through the eyes of six defectors she interviewed in South Korea. The book follows them from a relatively healthy North Korea to a famine-ravaged North Ko-rea through their defections and into their lives in South Korea, skillfully intertwining their stories. We meet Mi-ran, born of tainted blood (her father was

South Korean), and her secret lover Jun-sang, born to a respectable, politically upper-class family; Dr. Kim, a dedicated medical doctor who is extremely loyal to the Workers’ Party; Hyuck, a cunning orphan who from childhood learns how to hustle to survive; Mrs. Song, a model communist who whole-heartedly embraces North Korean propaganda in spite of the increasing deaths around her including the deaths of family members; and Oak-hee, Mrs. Song’s daugh-ter who has a streak of utilitarian rebelliousness that ultimately might be what saves her and her mother’s life.

NOTHING TO ENVYOrdinary Lives in North Korea

By Barbara Demick

Reviewed by Jimalee Sowell

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Fall 2010 We read about how North Koreans eat bark soup,

rotten fruit, and grass to survive; how they have be-come immune to dead bodies in the streets; how a man was killed publically by a firing squad because he had stolen copper wire to buy food; how patients are required to bring their own beer bottles to hos-pitals for their IVs; how in less than a year a kinder-garten class shrinks from fifty to fifteen students. These are just some of the unfathomable horrors of North Korea.

Demick’s choice of setting for Nothing to Envy is important for getting an accurate glimpse of what life is like for the majority of average North Koreans. Instead of setting Nothing to Envy in Pyongyang, the nation’s capital, Demick has chosen Chongjin, a once-thriving industrial city in the country’s northern area. While efforts have been made to keep Pyong-yang presentable to the outside world, Chongjin, like most of North Korea, has been allowed to fall into a pitiful state of dilapidation.

Nothing to Envy gives us a good appreciation of what life is like for a defector living in the South. While North Korean defectors no longer face the hor-rors of daily starvation and the fear of imprisonment for speaking out against the regime, their lives are certainly not without struggle. North Koreans in the South find themselves in an alien world of modern conveniences such as ATMs and broadband Internet. They don’t really fit in. They don’t dress like South Koreans; they don’t speak English; and their North Korean education is of little value in the South. Inevi-tably defectors also must deal with crushing feelings of guilt for having left behind relatives very likely imprisoned for their crime of defecting.

The title of the book comes from a song called “We have nothing to envy in the world” that children learn in school. North Koreans are taught that their country is paradise and that they have nothing to envy of other nations, and North Koreans sheltered from the outside world wholeheartedly embrace this propaganda; those who question the regime must never speak out.

Nothing to Envy opens with the stark image of a country that seems not to exist if you see it at night from a satellite photograph. While surrounding coun-tries are lit up and bright, North Korea seems to be an empty abyss. North Korea is a country like no other, and Nothing to Envy is a book like no other. When I went to get a second copy of this book at a popular South Korean bookstore just a few months after its release, it was already sold out. That says more about this book than I ever can. Read it.

Jimalee Sowell has lived in Korea since 1999. She worked at a language school for a year and a half, at Daelim Col-lege for eight years, and is now working at Seoul National University.

A small boy poses in front of “Dear Leader” in Chongjin.

Chongjin school poster praising North Korean leaders.

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THROUGH THE LENSHantaek Botanical Garden

Hantaek Botanical Garden’s development began in the late 1970s when there were no botanical gardens in Korea and the country’s wild plants were being neglected. The motto of the garden founders is “the garden is not a private property but must be shared among those who love plants.” Today the garden boasts over 30 theme gardens and approximately 8,000 plant species. At the plant research center, which is located on the garden’s property, research-ers perform many functions such as restoring wild plant habitats, breeding endangered plants and de-veloping medicinal herbs.

A meandering pathway leads visitors to the garden areas. Along this pathway one sees lush trees and foliage, waterfalls, ponds, and numerous plants and flowers. Various types of butterflies and insects are attracted to the garden’s colorful flowers. The garden is a nature-lover’s paradise and can be enjoyed in any season.

by Sally Bilski

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Hantaek Botanical Garden is southeast of Osan off highway 17. Address: San 153-1, Oksan-ri, Baekam-myon, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi doThe following is a link in English to information about the garden, including driving directions and infor-

mation about getting there by public transportation: http://eng.gg.go.kr/entry/Come-and-See-Wild-Flowers-Hantaek-Botanical-Garden

The garden’s website (in Korean) is: www.hantaek.co.kr

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