ANKARA, Turkey (AP) ― An American tourist who collected stones during a six-day beach holiday with his wife was briefly detained in Turkey and faces trial for attempting to smuggle historical artifacts, he said on Wednesday.Jason Dement was taken into custody by security officials at Antalya airport, near Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, on Sunday because two of the pieces inside a bag of stones appeared to be artifacts. On Monday, a court released him from custody but barred him from leaving Turke

REYKJAVIK, Iceland ― This is the only country that gives you a bath before they send you home.The Blue Lagoon, open year-round, rain or shine, envelops thousands of tourists from all over the world in its misty embrace.Many of them come in big tourist buses on the way to the airport, which is only 15 minutes away.They leave, freshly scrubbed and silky soft, after an hour or three at Iceland’s most famous tourist attraction ― and yes, it’s really blue, thanks to the silica, other minerals and ben

The hotel’s Japanese restaurant Momoyama invites Keiji Nakazawa, the master chef at Sushisho in Tokyo, to present matured sushi which uses fermented fish. Sushisho is considered to be one of the best sushi places in Tokyo. The event “Sushisho Presentation” is limited to 40 customers only. Lunch is priced at 300,000 won and dinner is 500,000 won including tax. Each serving has limited counter seats for 10 guests per day. The event is available from April 29 to April 30. For reservations, call (02

The hotel’s outdoor sky lounge Kloud offers a barbecue buffet with unlimited draft beer. At the barbecue stations, the chefs will grill on the spot. It offers steak, Korean BBQ, pork, prawn, sausage, chicken, and grilled vegetables along with salads and fruit desserts. The buffet is only available on Fridays and Saturdays from 6-9 p.m. starting on April 19. The price is 66,000 won per person including tax. Those coming on opening day, April 19, will receive a 30 percent discount. The hotel also

The hotel’s Japanese restaurant Hanazono presents omakase dishes through “The Art of Sushi.” Meaning “I entrust myself to you,” omakase is all about the customer leaving it to the chef to create and serve dishes in accordance with the customer’s personal preferences. Each day brings a new selection of fresh ingredients and a new range of dishes. Customers may also specify their favorite ingredients in advance when making reservations. Omakase is available exclusively at the restaurant’s sushi co

The hotel presents “Pororo Adventure Package” for family guests planning an exciting day with their children. A popular children’s animation created in Korea, “Pororo” features the adventures of Pororo and his friends who live in the snowy village of Porong Porong Forest. Children can experience a day in Pororo Park, located in D-Cube Department Store, where they can take the mini train, watch Pororo shows and other educational programs. The package includes a one-night stay in a deluxe room, co

The hotel presents “Plaza Carnival” for Children’s Day at Xystum House on May 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There will be a play area with snacks, face painting and a dance show. The first segment includes a special buffet and second segment has finger foods and beverages. Prices are 50,000 won for children, 80,000 won for first segment, and 40,000 won for second for adults including tax. Children under three receive free entrance. The hotel’s buffet The Seven Square offers the “Bubbly Buffet”

Three eclectic spots in three hip, new eat-and-drink neighborhoods

Sigeumchi namul is a simple Korean side dish made with spinach. Namul is a general term that refers to a seasoned vegetable dish. Although the cooking methods and seasonings vary, the vegetables are typically blanched first and then dressed with seasonings. Spinach is one of the most common and often used in bibimbap. The sigeumchi namul can be lightly seasoned with salt. Here, I have another variation seasoned with gochujang (red chili pepper paste) and soy sauce.Ingredients:● 1 bunch spinach (

Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates will visit Seoul National University for a talk with students on April 21, the school said. Gates will speak to about 300 students at the university, presided over by Lee Woo-il, dean of the college of engineering, in the memorial hall for the centennial of modern law education on the Gwanak campus in Seoul from 2 p.m. The American business magnate and philanthropist is expected to emphasize creativity, innovative thought and a challenging spirit as traits for

LONDON (AP) ― English graphic designer Storm Thorgerson, whose eye-popping album art for Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin encapsulated the spirit of 1970s psychedelia, died Thursday. He was 69. In a statement, Thorgerson’s family said that his death “was peaceful and he was surrounded by family and friends.” The statement gave few further details but said that the artist, who suffered a stroke in 2003, had been ill for some time. Even those who are not familiar with Thorgerson’s name will have seen h

One out of 5 Korean men is projected to die of an illness linked to smoking, according to research by the state-run Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. The institute unveiled the study Thursday as the Ministry of Health and Welfare pushes to raise prices of cigarettes to help smokers kick the habit. The research claimed that 79,917, or 21.6 percent, of about 370,000 high school seniors in 2010 were likely to die of smoking-related illness by age 85.It added that 26.9 percent of adults

We find it hard to fall asleep when we travel to the United States or Europe, waking up often during the night. This leads to fatigue during the day, drowsiness, decreased appetite and concentration. Such symptoms are referred to as “jet lag,” and are caused by the biological clock in the hypothalamus of the brain. The biological clock set in Korea does not quickly adjust to the time zone in another country. It usually takes one day to adjust for one hour of time difference. For example, in orde