Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Campus vegetarianism just sprouting

Lack of schools’ understanding, students’ prejudices stand out as major challenges By Noh Hyun-gi “This isn’t meat, is it? But it tastes just like regular sausage,” exclaimed Kim Joo-hyun, a sophomore at Ewha Womans University, after she took a bite of a fried snack offered at one of many stands set up for the school’s spring festival in Seoul last week. The booth belonged to Cherry, a group of vegetarian students, and the sample Kim tried was a vegan product, meaning that it’s not just free of meat but egg or dairy products as well. Cherry’s has a greater mission than just spreading the benefits of a meat-free life in the hope of converting a few vegetarians — it wants to open a restaurant on campus. To most carnivores, checking out meat alternatives is one thing but accepting a “gospel” of vegetarianism can be totally another. Cho So-hee, who started the organization in 2010, is trying to persuade the school to allow a non-meat restaurant. “I believe schools are the ideal places to explore vegetarianism, My sister turned vegetarian but had to start ea

May 28, 2012

Monk scandal needs wider view

By David Mason Today marks the 2,556th birthday of Sakyamuni Buddha. Just before the festivities began, a scandal erupted among the managerial monks of the mainstream order of Korean Buddhism, the Jogye Order. Outraged charges and countercharges flew in the media and were wildly exaggerated online; non-Buddhist commentators fanned themselves as if they would faint. It all started after some senior monks were videoed playing poker, drinking and smoking, while another bought a car; worst of all, one might even have visited a room-salon over a decade ago! We breathlessly wonder whether this venerable national spiritual tradition can survive the shame of it. Or wait; no, we don’t. Unrealistic expectations A constant expectation attached to religions all over the world is that people longingly desire and even vehemently demand professional practitioners of faith to adhere to higher standards of personal behavior than other members of society. Given that religious professionals are funded by the donations of believers, this is generally justified. Such standard

May 27, 2012

18 minutes of medical miracle

TEDxEonjuro set out to unveil inspirations in Korean healthcare By Noh Hyun-gi Tears broke among the audience as a violinist started playing a variation of “Arirang” at Gangnam Severance Hospital in April. What tugged the heartstrings of the audience was not just the sorrowful melody of one of Korea’s best-known traditional tunes. It was the violinist, Park Ji-hae, a genius for whom the University of Maintz in Germany changed its minimum student age to recruit her when she was 14 years old. More exactly, it was her fight against a sudden bout of depression that forced her to stop her studies and move back to Korea in 2005. The 26-year-old fought her illness with what she could do best — becoming a roving performer. Arirang is one of her favorites. And the 100 people in the audience were ready to empathize with Park, as she shared her experience on stage. Park was the last of six speakers at the TEDxEonjuro event at the hospital, on April 28. TEDx are independent conferences that licensed by TED, a nonprofit organization devoted to spreading

May 25, 2012

Moving to Korea brings medical, social changes

Dear Dr. P: I came to Korea to teach English 3 months ago. I have ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and I need a doctor to prescribe me medication and monitor me. I have been taking Adderall for several years in the U.S. But it seems that the only medications for ADHD available in Korea are Ritalin and Strattera (Atomoxetine) How can I get Adderall for myself in Korea? Also, is there a significant stigma attached to taking ADHD meds in Korea? Should I tell anyone about my ADHD here? (Anonymous) Dear Anonymous: Many people think the attention deficit disorder is only a serious problem for child and adolescents who need to concentrate on studying. In fact, the treatment of adult ADHD is still not covered by national insurance. However you need to be careful to tell anyone about psychiatric treatment. Unfortunately, Adderall, which is a popular prescription medication for ADHD in the United States, is not available in Korea, because one of its ingredient, dextroamphetamine, is prohibited here. So far, I have prescribed other ADHD medications such as Ritalin, Meth

May 25, 2012

Research to make anti-cancer drinks with corn silk

Scientists are seeing progress in attempts to make a drink with anticancer substances from corn silk. The Rural Development Administration (RDA) and Kwang Dong Pharmaceutical have succeeded in developing the technology to extract a large volume of maysin from “corn silk.” The chemical is a type of flavonoid thought to reduce cancer risk in certain cases. Researchers compared multiple maize species and found that kwangpyungok, a genetically modified organism from the National Institute of Crop Science, contained the largest amount of maysin. The protein compound is being studied for its effect in preventing metastases and its antioxidant activities. Coupled with a new extraction method, RDA and Kwang Dong can extract up to 15 times more maysin from maize silk than before. Woo Moon-jae, a researcher at the pharmaceutical company that currently produces corn silk, believes it will take more than three years before a drink with maysin can hit the market. “With this production approach, the cost may up to three times the current price, Therefore it will be a while

May 25, 2012

(190) Saju reveals political attitudes

By Janet Shin Saju has been widely used in Korean society, not only by governing groups but by common people. For common people, it is mingled with shaman and divinations to be practiced for ordinary rituals or weighty events, such as marriage, birth or death, ancestral rites, moves, and various kinds of exams. When it comes to governing people, it was more adroitly utilized to acquire or maintain power, or eliminate an old foe, choose the Crown Princess and even determine the future owner of the throne. Quite a few stories related with saju are handed down either by word of mouth or by historical books. For instance, the saju of Yeong-jo, the 21st king of Joseon kingdom and that of Nongae were the same. The latter was a gisaeng in the late 16th century. She led a Japanese general to a cliff, during a long battle with Japan in Jinju, Jeolla province and there she embraced him and threw herself along with him into the river, resulting in both their deaths. Saju scholars have studied to figure out how the lives of the two are different while having the same saju. It is needless

May 24, 2012

Youth taken hostage by tuition fees

Many collegians buried in part-time work at expense of study By Jung Min-ho, Bahk Eun-ji, Kim Bo-eun, Kim Jung-yoon Paying for school is a nightmare for many collegians. They are stuck in a vicious cycle ― having to do multiple part-time jobs to cover tuition fees at the expense of their studies. With earnings from part-time work far from sufficient, they also have to take out loans to foot education bills, which will hold their futures hostage. Yoon, a 27-year-old junior at Sogang University in Seoul, is juggling three part-time jobs to pay for school. He reenrolled this semester, after taking two semesters off to do a wide range of part-time work. After attending classes in the morning, Yoon starts as a working-scholarship student in an administration office at his college for five hours in the afternoon He usually finishes at around 6 p.m. but sometimes has to stay until midnight. He also works as a private tutor for a high-school student twice a week. On weekends, he heads to a karaoke bar in his neighborhood and from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m., he works behind the

May 23, 2012

Camp for young diabetics opens for registrations

Korean Diabetes Association is hosting the 13th diabetes camp from July 13 to 15 in Gangwon Province. “2030 Diabetes Camp” invites diabetic patients in their 20s and 30s to participate in various programs with doctors, nurses, nutritionists and social workers to better understand their illness management. This year’s event will offer individual consultations, training on glucose level monitoring and insulin injection, and classes on diet planning and exercise routines. To register, download the application form from the Korean Diabetes Association’s website and email it to diabetes@kam.or.kr or fax it to (02) 714-9087 before July 6. The participation fee for the three-day camp is 40,000 won. Sanofi-Aventis helps fund the annual event.

May 21, 2012

Understanding traditional medicine

By Jang Su-hee For people who haven’t experienced the benefits of acupuncture, the idea of having needles poked into the body is a strange, uncomfortable form of medical treatment. At least when we undergo blood tests, the needles used are much thicker to reduce discomfort. Those who have yet to try acupuncture sometimes think the oriental treatment is rooted in superstition and is merely a placebo. Ted J. Kaptchuk mentions in his book “The Web That Has No Weaver,” that East Asian medicine has made a dramatic and unlikely migration. No longer confined to locations such as Seoul, it has become a vibrant component of health care.”’ To overrule that prejudice, various institutions, doctors and scientists are publishing significant statistical data proving its scientific efficacy. Interestingly, when treatment is unsuccessful, people don’t blame the medicine itself, but rather the incompetence of their doctor, so they look elsewhere for help. On the other hand, some who doubt acupuncture before receiving treatment leave clinics relieved of pain and other ailments.

May 21, 2012

Summer vacation health tips

Avoid raw seafood and attend to fractures timely By Noh Hyun-gi The summer vacation season is just around the corner. By observing simple health tips and taking precautions, we can all enjoy our time away from work and get fully recharged. To fully appreciate the importance of staying safe and healthy, just imagine the worst case alternative — vacationing in a hospital bed. For a safe summer vacation, it is extremely important to be careful about eating seafood. In hot weather, bacteria can thrive, resulting in a lethal form of sepsis. The Center for Disease Control issued a warning to fans of sushi after a 77-year old man died from bacterial sepsis in South Jeolla Province on May 12. Sepsis is a condition in which the entire body’s defense mechanism is engaged in fighting an initially localized infection. More than 50 percent of people who undergo septic shock die. The lethal bacterium, vibrio vulnificus, lives in warm seawater. More than 70 percent of seasonal infections come from contaminated fish and shellfish, according to Choi Won-seok, a p

May 21, 2012

Others

Others

Campus vegetarianism just sprouting

Monk scandal needs wider view

18 minutes of medical miracle

Moving to Korea brings medical, social changes

Research to make anti-cancer drinks with corn silk

(190) Saju reveals political attitudes

Youth taken hostage by tuition fees

Camp for young diabetics opens for registrations

Understanding traditional medicine

Summer vacation health tips

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