Take a Trip Back in Time to Gyodong Island

With its pristine environment, ranging from golden fields to pine trees and mountain trails, Gyodong Island near the western port city of Incheon makes for a great respite from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Meanwhile, its historical relics and cultural assets add another dimension to any trip here.

Although a bridge will soon connect it to the mainland, the islet, which lies near Ganghwa Insland in Incheon, can only be reached at present by a 15-minute boat ride.

Ferries run regularly from a port on Gwanghwa Island between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. But visitors are advised to check the schedule in advance as they can change depending on the prevailing weather conditions.

One of the top attractions is a site where visitors can find traces of Korea's oldest Confucian school, called "Hyanggyo." Ancestral tablets of famous scholars also mark the spot.

Another top draw is Mt. Hwagae, which rises 259.6 m above sea level. It takes about 90 minutes to reach the peak. The trail leading to the mountain is dotted with historical sites and traces, including a place where fires were lit to warn of invaders, and a mountain fortress built to repel foreign aggressors.

The thickly-wooded trail is also filled with the aromatic scent of pine trees and wild flowers. From the peak, visitors can enjoy breathtaking natural views.

After soaking up the scenery from a mountain pavilion, they can head back down to a small local market. Old-fashioned signboards create a sense of nostalgia in this 400-m alley, which feels like a throwback to the 1980s with its home-appliance repair shop, barber shop and roast chicken eatery. It takes just 10 minutes to stroll around it.

For more information on Gyodong Island, visit http://www.nadeulgil.com.

DMZ Documentary Festival to Be Held in Mid-October

The 5th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival will take place for a week from Oct. 17 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, marking the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

The festival, largely non-competitive, will feature 119 documentaries from 38 countries.

The opening ceremony will be held in Camp Greaves, a former U.S. military base near the demilitarized zone on Oct. 17, with a screening of "Ten Thousand Spirits" by director Park Chan-kyong. The fantasy documentary looks back on the stormy life of a female shaman.

Tickets will be available online from Oct. 1. For more information, visit the festival's website at http://www.dmzdocs.com.

 

Finally our darling Star couple Lee Bo-young and her hubby Ji Sung with their wedding attire ! Let's blessed them for their new inning.

The Classy Looks : Samsung Sells Gold-Finish Phone in Mideast

 

Samsung Electronics is selling gold Galaxy S4 smartphones in the Middle East to fit in with what has been called the "Louis Farouk" style favored in the region.

The company's United Arab Emirates office tweeted pictures of the phone in colors it described as "gold brown" and "gold pink" on Tuesday.

These products were made specifically for consumers in China and the Middle East, who like their Bling, and have been on sale since August.

Apple also showcased a golden iPhone 5S, which sold out its online store in just one hour.

 

Colorful Pants Promise to Be Hot Autumn Trend

 

Long pants in vivid colors are gaining popularity among fashion-conscious women this fall. But though they may look good by themselves, not many women find them easy to wear.

Women who have never worn trousers in vivid colors before may find it easier to start off with practical and versatile toned-down blue pants, which can be paired with virtually anything. Matched with a simple top and a bag with a unique design, they can create a cheerful image.

Red pants are a slightly bolder move. A very sophisticated look can be created with red pants, an achromatic top and gold accessories.

 

Does Raw Food Really Good for Us ?

 

Raw food is once again in a vogue as a healthy lifestyle fad, with restaurants springing up and cook books hitting the stores.

Basing their ideas on the nutritionist Norman Wardhaugh Walker, who lived to the age of 99, proponents argue that humans evolved to eat raw food in small quantities, but everything went downhill when they started to "destroy" nutrients by cooking them.

This, they claim, resulted in an emergence of various civilization diseases like obesity, hypertension, diabetes, chronic fatigue and pain. They believe that going back to raw food will set things right.

Whether or not that is sound scientific reasoning, there are certainly advantages to eating more fresh fruit and vegetables.

◆ Weight Loss

Food prepared at any heat under 45 degrees Celsius is considered "raw," with obvious examples including vegetable or fruit juice, green leaf salad, nuts and dried fruit.

Jeon Joo-ri, a cook specializing in raw food, said, "You could call bibimbap raw food. It would be great for your health if you have one raw meal a day."

One of the greatest advantages of raw food is that it is good for losing weight. "If you eat raw food, it takes longer to chew, and you can't eat as much because of the tough fiber," said Jeon. By eating food raw, people can take in natural enzymes and vitamins as they are, whereas high temperatures reduce the vitality of enzymes.

Uncooked food has a high level of active enzymes, helping the metabolism and detoxifying the body because high dietary fiber helps it discharge body waste and cholesterol.

◆ Not for Everyone

But those with weak digestive systems should be careful. Min Hye-sun, a professor of food and nutrition at Hannam University, said, "A raw food diet can help people lose weight, but it can also cause digestive problem."

Jeong Hye-kyung of Hoseo University said, "By eating raw food, you risk not getting enough essential nutrients as our bodies can digest and absorb much less from uncooked food."

Lee Jeong-joo, a nutritionist at Kyunghee University Hospital at Gangdong, said, "Dietary fiber is the most difficult nutrient to digest. Those suffering from gastritis or the elderly with less gastric acid and digestive enzymes are advised to eat cooked food."

Raw food is also not recommended for those with anemia or osteoporosis, because dietary fiber will discharge minerals such as calcium and iron crucial for treating the two conditions.

The key to healthy eating, it seems, is really is to maintain a balanced between raw and cooked food.

 

Samgyeopsal and Soju the Top Pick for After-Work Dinners among the Koreans

Almost one in three workers eat samgyeopsal or Korean-style bacon when they get together with colleagues for dinner, a recent poll suggests.

Job search portal site Career carried out a poll on 825 employees to find out the most popular dinner menus among those who head out to eat together after work, and 30 percent of the respondents named samgyeopsal.

Bar snacks with beer were the second-favorite choice with 12.3 percent, and fried or roasted chicken came third with 11.7 percent. Sashimi, or sliced raw fish, was fourth with 9.8 percent.

Soju was named the top tipple (40 percent), followed by beer (33.8 percent), and a mixture of the two (20 percent). Makgeolli, or traditional Korean rice wine, was fourth with 3.4 percent, wine came fifth with 1.4 percent, and cocktails and whiskey followed with 1.2 percent and 0.2 percent of colleagues opting to drink these, respectively.

However, experts recommend workers temper their consumption of samgyeopsal, fried chicken and hard liquor, and opt for more low-fat and low-calorie choices that are rich in vitamins and minerals in order to keep their cholesterol and blood sugar levels down.