The Korea Herald

Couch potatoes have lower sperm counts

HealthFeb 7, 2013

PARIS (AFP) ― Men who watch television for 20 hours per week have almost half the sperm count of those who watch very little television or none at all, according to a study published on Tuesday.U.S. researchers recruited 189 young men aged between 18 to 22, questioned them about their exercise, diet and TV habits and asked them to provide a sperm sample.Men in the top quarter of TV-watchers ― those who watched for 20 hours or more ― had a 44-percent lower sperm count than those who watched least
Sleep could prevent age-related memory loss

HealthFeb 7, 2013

Forgetfulness is viewed by many as an inevitable part of getting older. But a new study has found there may be a way to help stem age-related memory decline ― and it could be as simple as getting a good night’s sleep.The study, led by neuroscientists at the University of California, Berkeley, examined the relationship between memory retention, age and the quality of an individual’s slow wave non-rapid eye movement sleep.“We wanted to understand whether sleep was a chief factor in memory loss,” e
Scent like no other

CultureFeb 7, 2013

Create the perfect aroma with customized perfumes and colognes
Croatia plans to invest $9 billion in tourism by 2020

TravelFeb 7, 2013

ZAGREB (AFP) ― Croatia plans to invest 7 billion euros ($9 billion) in tourism by 2020 in a bid to reach the world’s top-twenty list of attractive holiday destinations, a minister said Wednesday.Around one third of the amount would be invested in the construction of new hotels and resorts, mostly on Croatia’s popular Adriatic coast, as well as into renewing existing structures such as camps or ports, Tourism Minister Veljko Ostojic said.The aim is to double the country’s current income from tour
Hotel The Designers opens new branch in Hongdae

TravelFeb 7, 2013

An affordable concept hotel opened in the trendy neighborhood of Hongdae this month. Hotel The Designers, which opened its first branch in Samseong-dong last June, opened a second one in Hongdae on Feb. 1. The hotel has received attention for its affordable price and quality service since opening. The 16-story Hongdae branch features 80 rooms with a restaurant and a lounge bar. The restaurant “Plate Plate” on the first floor offers all-day dining and dishes using organic ingredients. The rooms a
Hyatt Regency Incheon named a top hotel by TripAdvisor

TravelFeb 7, 2013

Hyatt Regency Incheon has been named one of the “Top 25 Hotels in South Korea” in terms of service and one of the “Top 25 Luxury Hotels in South Korea” by TripAdvisor, a hotel review and travel forum website. The “2013 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards” ranked the hotel as the No. 1 service hotel in South Korea; fourth in the top 25 luxury hotels and fifth in the general top 25 hotels in the country. “It’s very pleasing to be awarded in the three divisions at the TripAdvisor awards,” said Pau
Cruises focusing more on food, family groups

TravelFeb 7, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) ― Cruise trends as the 2013 season gets under way are shaping up to include a bigger focus on multi-generational groups, more specialty food offerings, and continued efforts to wow passengers with new onboard firsts like an aquapark, a glass walkway and a vertical garden. Here are some details on what’s new in cruising.The new ‘It’ shipsCruiseCritic.com editor Carolyn Spencer Brown says two of the hottest new ships debuting in 2013 are the Norwegian Breakaway, which will be the lar
Lotte Hotel Jeju’s He:on reinvents meaning of outdoor pool

TravelFeb 7, 2013

Heated pool makes outdoor swimming possible year round on southern island
One true Valentine’s Day at Grand Hyatt Seoul

Food&BeverageFeb 7, 2013

The hotel’s restaurant The Paris Grill will be presenting a special dining experience in celebration of Valentine’s Day. The romantic dinner will serve seared sea scallops on mango carpaccio, Atlantic lobster bisque sauted with cauliflower and basil, roasted lamb, and prime rib eye with celeriac puree, accompanied by a bottle of Moet & Chandon Rose champagne, all for 245,000 won, including tax. Customers can upgrade the five-course dinner with additional options. Those who are interested can add
Valentine’s Day menu at Seoul Palace

Food&BeverageFeb 7, 2013

The hotel’s buffet restaurant Stone Plate will offer a special course dinner “My Sweet Valentine” for this year’s romantic event. In addition to the wide selection of dishes provided at the buffet, guests will be offered a main menu of their pick. Menu A includes tuna carpaccio with sea urchin and salmon eggs, foie gras, black caviar and grilled tenderloin steak, and menu B includes grilled prawns dipped in rubus coreanus fruit, salmon steak along with basil puree and lemon butter sauce. For des
Romantic package at Sheraton Grande Walkerhill

Food&BeverageFeb 7, 2013

The hotel’s two restaurants will each be offering a Valentine’s Day dinner. The hotel’s European restaurant Clock 16 will present a romantic eight-course set dinner, priced at 180,000 won, tax excluded, while the hotel’s buffet restaurant The View will offer a fresh seafood buffet at 120,000 won, tax excluded. Customers of the two restaurants will receive a 15 percent discount for the hotel’s seasonal dessert promotion, “Very Berry Strawberry Buffet.” For more information, call Clock 16 at (02)
“Be My Valentine” dining packages at Grand Ambassador Seoul

Food&BeverageFeb 7, 2013

The hotel’s two premium restaurants will each be offering a romantic “Be My Valentine” dinner. At Caf de Chef, a special six-course French meal will be served with a bottle of wine handpicked by the sommelier. The main course will include king prawns, lamb shanks, tenderloin steak, foie gras, sea urchin custard, crab tempura and much more. Guests will also receive a flower basket and a Valentine’s Day cake. The dinner is 150,000 won per person, tax included. Alternatively, the hotel’s buffet THE
Valentine’s Day romance package at Hyatt Regency Jeju

Food&BeverageFeb 7, 2013

The hotel presents the “Romance” package for couples for Valentine’s Day from Feb. 1 to March 13. The package includes an overnight stay at an exclusive Regency Club room, a continental buffet breakfast and a happy hour at the hotel’s Regency Club Lounge. Guests will be offered homemade chocolates and red wine. In addition, package guests can enjoy complimentary use of the indoor swimming pool, gym and sauna. The hotel also offers various in-room decorations at various prices, which include tax.
Tteokguk (Rice cake soup)

Food&BeverageFeb 7, 2013

Tteokguk is a soup made with sliced rice cakes, usually in beef broth. It’s a traditional New Year’s dish made with garaetteok, which is unsweetened and shaped like a long cylinder. For the soup, garaetteok is sliced into thin oval shapes. The white oval shape symbolizes a bright and prosperous new year. Growing up, I always loved to eat long steaming garaetteok my mother would bring home from a rice cake mill in preparation for the New Year’s feast. She would wait a couple of days for the garae
Healthy New Year: Try recipes that add grains, greens and healthy protein to your diet

Food&BeverageFeb 7, 2013

It seems every year, the New Year is the time when so many of us make healthy eating resolutions. Of course, January is when memberships for weight-loss programs boom. But, inevitably, the resolve to diet withers, and we go back to scarfing and feeling guilty.So what’s the long-term solution? “People need diners’ education just like they need drivers’ education,” says Carolyn O’Neil, a dietitian and journalist, who writes The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Healthy Eating column.“Nutrition advice