Midnight in Siberia: A Train Journey into the Heart of RussiaBy David Greene (W.W. Norton)As the West nervously watches a newly aggressive Russia, many commentators are trying to figure out what Vladimir Putin is thinking. But “Midnight in Siberia” reminds us of another important question: What are the Russian people thinking?David Greene took a 6,000-mile train journey from Moscow to Vladivostok to find out, and the result is a mesmerizing, confounding, comforting and thought-provoking book. Gr

DUBLIN (AFP) ― Ten years since setting a trend with its workplace smoking ban, Ireland is pushing ahead to be the first EU state with plain packaging for cigarettes despite fierce opposition from tobacco companies.As part of Dublin’s plan to make Ireland a smoke-free society by 2025 ― meaning a prevalence rate of under 5 percent ― lawmakers will vote to introduce plain packaging in the new year.Under the draft legislation before parliament, all forms of branding, including logos and colors, woul

The cast of French musical “Notre-Dame de Paris” showcases the show’s famous numbers during a press conference in Seoul on Monday. (Mast Entertainment)Nine years after the original French production of the musical “Notre-Dame de Paris” closed its wildly successful run in Paris, the show’s creators have united for a grand revival. And Korean fans will be the first to watch it. In Gyeongju, a small, unassuming Korean town in North Gyeongsang Province known for its long history, director Gilles Mah

MINNEAPOLIS ― A.J. Paron-Wildes’ home, a walk-out rambler in suburban Oak Park Heights, Minnesota, is a study in calm ― all clean, uncluttered spaces and earthy, neutral hues that echo the autumn leaves framing the view of the St. Croix River. On an autumn afternoon, daughter Eva, 6, is having an after-school snack, while son Devin, 19, sketches intently, seated at the studio desk in his orderly bedroom.This peaceful environment is entirely by design. When you have an autistic child, calm is a p

Blame wet feet.It took several days of rain on a Colorado family vacation to move Julianne Vanden Wyngaard from tent camper to motor home owner.“I thought when cooking outside one wet evening, please get me off the ground,” says the carillonneur and Grand Valley State University faculty member from Grand Rapids, Michigan.The Vanden Wyngaards started with a 24-foot motor home, which they used for camping. Some 10 years ago, anticipating semiretirement and a chance to be snowbirds, they took the p

A group of six jewelry designers will present a collection inspired by the Christmas ritual ballet performance “The Nutcracker” for the coming Christmas season. The jewels are made in collaboration with the Korea National Ballet and The Showcase Lab, which consists of leading jewelry designers in Korea. They will be on exhibit at the trendy shopping spot 10 Corso Como in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, from Dec. 11-25. The collection features 50 jewelry pieces with five Nutcracker characters adorned with

Charity rock and hip-hop concert series CLASH is returning Saturday with a concert featuring top hip-hop acts Garion and Insane Deegie to benefit the Butterfly Fund, which helps women across the world affected by wartime sexual violence.The Butterfly Fund was started by Kim Bok-dong and Gil Won-ok, two victims of sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II, in coordination with the Korean Council for the Women Drafted into Military Sexual Slavery by Japan. The money from the fund

The Tanzanians in Korea and the Kenya Community in Korea held their first East African Urafiki Party in Seoul on Saturday. The party, named after the word for “friendship” in the two countries’ common language of Swahili, was a chance for people from both nations to sample some traditional cooking, while members also shared some cultural performances.The performances included dancing by a group of Daejeon-based students from across Africa, a performance poem and a Tanzanian song and dance. One m