Consumers likely to react to hyper speed, hyper connectivity by seeking slower paceThe year 2012 promises to be a tumultuous one, with general elections and a presidential election taking place within eight months of each other. The death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has introduced an additional element of uncertainty.While it would be difficult to predict the outcome of the elections or the state of South-North relations, many forecasts have been made concerning major trends that affect o

Local surfers embrace ‘best time of year’POHANG, North Gyeongsang Province ― Now that we are in the deep of winter, most of us try to escape the winter chills, seeking the warmth of our homes. But for surfers in Korea this is the best time of the year to go to the beach.Many may raise their eyebrows if you say you are going to stand on a surfboard, waiting to be hit by waves, especially in these sub-zero temperatures.But the number of people surfing in our waters has increased significantly in

Pianist Paik’s ‘romance’ with Brahms Paik Kun-woo“Brahms-Intermezzi” (Universal Music)Paik Kun-woo’s second album on Brahms is more evidence that this Korean musician’s fingertips can bring back to life almost any composer.Filled with 13 pieces chosen among those written in the latter half of Johannes Brahms’ life, the album will serve as a gift for any fan of the German composer.Playing through the intermezzi, capriccios and romance pieces Op. 76 through Op. 119 (in random order), Paik has tran

CHITWAN, Nepal (AP) ― Soccer-playing elephants used all four feet and even their trunks trying to score goals. Racing pachyderm thundered to the finish line to the cheers of the crowds. And in the elephant beauty pageant, contestants sported nail polish on their not-so-dainty toes.It was all part of an elephant-themed festival in Nepal that wrapped up Wednesday. The three-day event was held to promote conservation awareness and lure foreign visitors to Nepal.The elephants were trained for weeks

Planes (jet and prop), trains (speedy and meandering), and automobiles (convertible, utility and luxury) took me on my journeys in 2011, along with an odd assortment of motorboats, canoes and a monorail.I’ve had more hyperbolic years in the past, but a mixture of financial limits and contemplative mood had me slowing down my travels this year. I took time to savor a slice of southern Europe and three islands in Hawaii, to drive the Pacific Coast (on three different occasions) and to visit every

A poignant reliving of a teen’s first romanceWhy We Broke UpBy Daniel Handler(Brown) Most of us have been there, experiencing the unprecedented high of a first love followed by the debilitating low when it crumbles. But few of these tragic trajectories have been written about as poignantly as in “Why We Broke Up.” The young-adult debut from Daniel Handler, better known as Lemony Snicket, is an illustrated novel that is its own series of unfortunate events, chronicling a brief but intense teen re

One thing I’ve always admired about Patti Smith is her refusal to be characterized. Rocker, poet, artist, mother: She seems to inhabit each of these roles almost effortlessly, moving among them as if the only difference was in our heads. And why not? For Smith, they all come out of the same impulse, a kind of ecstatic self-engagement, in which the line separating life and creativity, the mundane and the mystical, is an illusion, a border we create to bound ourselves. “Oh, God, I fell for you,” s

The Rape of Nanjing is foreground and backdrop of Ha Jin’s novel “Nanjing Requiem.” A fictionalized yet faithful portrayal of events during that nightmare time, “Nanjing Requiem” is two tragedies in one, a vast tragedy for the human race and a terrible misfortune for a good person, repaid for selflessness with disregard and mental breakdown.Despite the screams of pain and chatter of machine guns, despite the clash and conflict, “Nanjing Requiem” remains muted in memory. What you most remember, o

German wines can sometimes be astonishing bargains. This gorgeous Riesling Kabinett from St. Urbans-Hof winery in the heart of Germany’s Mosel is a case in point.Juicy and fragrant as a ripe white peach, the 2010 Riesling Kabinett is sheer nectar laced with the bright acidity that makes these wines so food-friendly.Open a bottle for a Moroccan or Thai meal. It’s also a terrific match with cheese. Or simply enjoy it as an aperitif before dinner.● Region: Mosel, Germany● Price: $17 to $20● Style:

PARIS (AP) ― Paris, once regarded as the gastronomical center of the world, is looking to a cadre of young chefs from a country derided for its love of processed cheese ― gasp, the United States ― to help raise the bar.French chefs have been opening fine restaurants stateside for years, but up until about a decade ago, the opposite would have been almost unthinkable. Now, bright young things from New York, Chicago and Seattle are behind some of the City of Light’s most-hyped, hardest-to-get-into

Mu-malgeunjangguk is a soup made with sliced squares of Korean radish boiled in water. It is seasoned with soy sauce and salt. Mu-malgeunjangguk is a basic everyday soup that is easily digested and thus good for children and the elderly. According to Oriental medicine, Korean radishes quench thirst, stop coughing and help digestion. Ingredients ● 300g beef (brisket, shank), 8 cups water● fragrant seasoning: 20g green onion, 10g garlic● seasoning sauce: 1/2 tsp clear soy sauce, 1.1g (1/4 tsp) min