Lifestyle - The Korea Times

A guide to wearing socks

By Todd SampleFor many men, socks are one of the most overlooked parts of the overall look.While appreciated for keeping the feet dry and free from abrasion, how or even whether those tubes of cotton or wool we slip on our feet every day should play a role in expressing one’s style isn’t, for most men, high on the list of considerations when putting an outfit together.This may be true because compared to a suit, shirt or pants, socks are the least consistently visible part of an outfit.However, anyone residing in Korea knows that once indoors, there are many occasions when we have to remove our shoes - be it at home or at a restaurant. Thus, we should be aware of some of the basic things to keep in mind regarding our socks.First and foremost, make sure your socks are the same color and have no holes.It may sound simple, but wearing mismatched socks is something almost every man has done.There are fewer situations more embarrassing in Korea when you’re invited to someone’s house and upon walking into the living room, everyone there can see that you’re spo

Feb 11, 2015

The art of climbing and the necessary preparations

/ Photos in courtesy of Mammut KoreaClimbing highMammut Korea CEO highlights growing outdoor sports market, importance of safetyBy Yun Suh-youngAndy SuhMammut Korea CEOLast month, two American climbers, one of whom has only nine fingers, successfully completed their free climb to the top of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in 19 days. The climbers set a record — nobody else has taken the 3,000-foot Dawn Wall route by using only his or her hands and feet. They used ropes but only as a safety device.The Dawn Wall is the most difficult among the hundreds of routes attempted by climbers up the El Capitan. After finishing the climb, Kevin Jorgeson, who climbed the rock formation with Tommy Caldwell, said he hoped the conquest “inspired people to find their own Dawn Wall.”Excitement and satisfactionLike Caldwell and Jorgeson, many have attempted to climb some of the most difficult summits in the world.When asked why he thinks extreme sports such as rock climbing appeals to people, Mammut Korea CEO Andy Suh cited their strong satisfaction rate.“There are differen

Feb 11, 2015

Keeping sane with three kids

By Jane Han Since my third baby was born, people keep asking me how I’m surviving. Interestingly, instead of the typical congratulatory comments women receive after delivering a baby, I’ve been getting a whole lot of concerned looks and remarks.Clearly, to many, having toddler twins and a newborn is a situation that calls for the word "survival.’’I wish I could tell them they’re wrong. Oh, I wish. But they are so right.The past month has been one crazy ride for everyone in this household. Three babies under the age two means a lot of crying, a lot of diapers and little to no sleep for mom. Honestly, it’s almost a miracle that I’m sitting down to write this column. I was lucky enough to find a time when all three girls are asleep. But even as I type this very word, I’m nervous that one of them will wake up any second and start crying.Through nine months of pregnancy, I tried hard to imagine and envision what my daily life would be like with the newest addition to the family. I’m realizing nowadays that my effort to somehow ``p

Feb 8, 2015

Check-ups on hip joints crucial for aging parents

By Song Sang-Ho With the Lunar New Year Day’s holiday approaching, there are a lot of people worrying about what gift to buy for their parents. As it was before the most important gift for filial duty is “health.”But with the flow of time, the trend in gifts is changing. In the past, products such as fruit, fresh meat and marine products were essential.But today, people try to find an opportunity to check on the health of their parents by seeking professional treatment.It is essential for people to prepare for old age as 100-year life spans are approaching. There are a lot of children who now thinking of placing more importance in providing a healthy and valuable life to their aging parents.     Arthritis cannot be avoided with old age and needs active treatment, and yet, there are many of the older generation enduring it, thinking it as a natural symptom that comes with aging. Also, many parents do not want to alarm their children so they tend to hide their symptoms, despite having severe joint pain and limitations of their movement.If

Feb 8, 2015

Check-ups on hip joints crucial for aging parents

(300) How saju portrays one's married life

By Janet Shin A woman wanted her saju read. It took me a long time to touch the bottom line due to a certain reluctance. Some elements were showing intricacies in her marriage, especially related with her husband. The woman made it clear that her life is affluent now. She was eager to know how her life has been developed and will be like in the future.People often hide their true story and try a fortune teller’s ability. They just wait to hear the fortune teller pointing out what matters. Furthermore, they provide skewed information for various reasons. This woman didn’t intend to put me in a trial but she was just afraid of revealing the truth.She was born in July 1949, the year of cow and her day master is yang wood. Wood represents growth. It is expansive and provides direction to achieving goals. Wood people believe that expansion or growth will resolve any problems. They love to accomplish and complete activities. They have strong tempers and feel frustrated when other people fail to perform to their standards. Wood types may find it difficult to express their i

Feb 5, 2015

(300) How saju portrays one's married life

Hip arthroscopy new way for treatment

By Kim Pil-Sung Providing adequate diagnoses and treatments for hip disorders entails various difficulties. Examinations done frequently in the past, such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs, do not help greatly in providing accurate diagnoses. Furthermore, conservative treatments either provide slow recovery times or carry higher chances of recurrence of the disease. In addition, surgical treatments which make incisions to the joint and provide treatment have certain levels of risk. Considering these aspects, the method of hip arthroscopy is significant in that it can diagnose the condition more accurately and provide the treatment at the same time.Arthroscopic treatment in the hip area was first reported by Burman in 1931, and it was performed clinically by Takagi in 1939. However, this particular method was not used widely among the surgeons until the 1970s. Over the past 30 years, the treatment of knee and shoulder problems with the arthroscopic method has improved significantly, and applying this to the hip has started to show positive outcomes. In the 1980s, a few surgeons like

Feb 1, 2015

Changes through menopause

By Lee Sung-hun A lady in her 50s recently visited my clinic regarding flushing cheeks. She complained that the red hue or flushes worsened each time she came from outside to indoors and the flush lasting too long. This is a typical symptom of menopause commonly known as hot flash (sometimes also called ‘hot flush’). A woman with hot flash may experience uncomfortable heat starting around her face, neck, head or chest areas that radiates to various directions, sometimes all over the body while the face flushes and sweats. According to a Korean survey, approximately 89% of all women in menopause experience one type of symptom of another, and 61% among them have experienced hot flashes. Most patients say that the symptoms last 1 to 2 years and 25% of them last over 5 years. On average, each flash can last about 3 minutes during which time the women feel heat on their faces along with sweating, which is their body’s attempt to cool down its core temperature. Whille hot flashes alone are not harmful to the body, the patient can feel embarrassed about it that hinder

Feb 1, 2015

(299) What makes a happy life?

By Janet Shin Since ancient days, we have been taught several ways to bring luck into our lives. People have mentioned five studies to determine one’s destiny. They are fate, fortune, feng shui, learning and good deeds.To restate their hidden meanings, fate refers to an innate facet of life which one cannot alter, and fortune is something that keeps changing. One should be aware of its comings and goings in order to take advantage of it in the right place and right time. Feng shui is associated with environmental factors. Meanwhile, the latter two, learning and good deeds, may sound irrelevant to the theme of destiny.Saju reveals truths derived by the first two ― fate and fortune. By decoding the secret signs of one’s birth, we may tell one’s given destiny and how to develop one’s life with the addition of incoming fortune. It is mostly based on fatalism, as one cannot revise the saju letters generated from the birth.In this regard, feng shui is different from saju because it is something people can select, modify and apply depending on individual situati

Jan 29, 2015

Age does not equal experience when baby arrives

By Jon RabiroffHaving recently turned 55, there is not much the world can throw at me that I can’t handle. I’ve survived a heart bypass operation. I spent six weeks embedded with U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Heck, I even interviewed 1960s icon/freak Tiny Tim of “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” fame.But nothing I’ve experienced has prepared me for what is about to happen ― I will soon become a first-time father at an age when many are welcoming their second or third grandchild into existence.Of course, parenting is a challenge for first-timers at any age. But I’ve spent a lifetime giving the proverbial stiff-arm to all things related to pregnancy, birth and the raising of children.I have always been happy for my friends and relatives who have had babies. But, over the years, I have mastered how to briefly feign interest in their stories of labor pains, diaper changes and the like, and then politely duck out of the conversation. When they have insisted on throwing their newborns into my lap, I have almost immediately handed back their little bundles o

Jan 25, 2015

Age does not equal experience when baby arrives

Oval legs accelerate degenerative arthritis

By Song Sang-hoAs straight legs are the standard of a beautiful figure, a lot of women longingly wish for so-called ‘11 legs’. There are many women who are stressed because their legs don’t look pretty, especially if they are bandy-legged.If your legs are bent and it is noticeable with the naked eye, you must be cautious because it could be a joint problem, not just an appearance issue.When passing by on the street, I often witness middle-aged or older women with badly O-shaped bandy legs. In general, when you stand straight but your knees are apart more than 5cm, you probably have O-shaped bandy legs. The accurate diagnosis of a knee joint that bends outwards is ‘varus(bowleg)’. Normally the axis from the hip to the shin bone forms a straight line, but bowleg is a bent bone or one incorrectly aligned so there is gap between knees.Apart from genetic causes or congenital diseases, bowleg is mostly caused by incorrect posture and lifestyle. Factors that cause bowleg include being on your mother’s back often in childhood, bad walking habits, wrong pos