Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Haein Temple, the Historic Dharma-Jewel Monastery

By David A.Mason Contributing Writer Some Buddhist temples are so significant in Korean history, due to multi-layered factors, that they stand out above the common ones like jewels sparkling in the sun. Haein Temple, one of the country's largest and most famous monasteries, is in fact known as one of the nation's Three Jewel Temples, with profound and legendary ancient origins. One of Korea's greatest monks was Ui Sang-josa (625-702), who after an enlightening stay in China introduced the "Hwaeomjong" (Flower Garland School) to the Silla Kingdom (668-935) and established temples for its propagation. Before leaving his teacher to return home, Ui Sang presented to him his own mandala drawing summarizing the Hwaeom teachings, which became known as the "Haein-do" (Ocean Seal Diagram). "Haein" refers to the way that an enlightened mind peacefully reflects the world without reacting to it with discrimination or judgment, like the reflection of the moon on a perfectly calm sea. This diagram became a key symbol in Korean Buddhism, and inspired the name of this temple when it w

Mar 11, 2010

Pains, Gains, Perils of Laser Eye Surgery

By Cho Jin-seo Staff Reporter Corrective laser eye surgeries have become quite common in South Korea over the past decade but many are still concerned about the safety of such operations. After weeks of searching the Internet and asking for advice, this reporter, with poor vision in both eyes, decided to give it a try and see how it really works out. Among hundreds of eye clinics in Seoul, I chose one of the busiest. The BGN Eye Clinic, near Gangnam Station, where eye and cosmetic surgeons are operating is in a kind of industrial cluster. It was also one of most heavily advertised on the Internet, and its prices looked higher than average. The clinic also had a Web site in Chinese. ``Myopia is more common in Asians than in other races, so we are inviting patients from China as well,'' a nurse said. Beauty Clinic Many plastic surgeons, eye surgeons and dentists in Seoul and Busan nowadays welcome foreign tourists, and this so-called ``medical tourism'' has become a huge industry. BGN seems to know that well. Its lobby was filled with modern couches, cushions, a dri

Mar 7, 2010

Foreign Patients Flock to Busan, Gangnam

By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter Becoming a medical tourism hub isn't so simple. Not only must it provide the best medical service, it also has to have restaurants, hotels, historical sites, shopping districts and other tourists' attractions. A good transportation system and good environment are also essential. Busan, the southern port city, and Gangnam, southern Seoul, have been hailed as perfect spots for medical tourism in that sense. Just over nine months into the medical tourism industry, both districts have proved that they are capable of becoming leaders of a local market that is assumed to exceed 100 billion won. Busan Busan has long been visited by Japanese tourists arriving by ferry and flights for overnight shopping sprees and aesthetic therapies. These days, alongside hair permanents, manicures and pedicures, the city is gearing up to provide cosmetic surgeries and other medical services. "There are many people who bring photos of Korean celebrities and ask for changes to be performed. Most of the time, they express satisfaction and recommend our clini

Mar 4, 2010

Finnish Model Looking for Spouse in Korea

By Park Si-soo Staff Reporter A Finn fashion model is openly looking for a spouse in Korea. Sofia Lumme, 21, recently registered with the nation's largest matchmaking firm, Sunoo (www.couple.net), to find her soul mate in Korea. She is now on a temporary visit to Korea for a project. She has worked as a fashion model since the age of 12 and any man registered on its Web site and who has no difficulty communicating in English can be a candidate, Sunoo said. "Her Prince Charming doesn't have to be a rich man but a well-rounded and gentle guy. She values character most," a spokesman said. She is the first non-Korean to look for her spouse via the matchmaking company. pss@koreatimes.co.kr 핀란드 모델 한국에서 구혼 핀란드 출신 패션 모델이 공개적으로 한국에서 배우자를 구하고 있다. 소피아 룸 (21)양은 최근 국내 최대 결혼정보회사인 선우에 한국에서 이상형의 남친을 찾기 위해 등록했다. 룸은 현재 사업상으로 잠시 한국에 머물고 있다. ㈜선우는 그녀가 12세 때부터 직업 패션 모델 활동을 해왔으며, 영어로 의사소통이 가능한 사람으로 이 웹사이트에 등록되어있으면 누구라도 후보자가 될 수 있다고 밝혔다. 선우 관계자는 "이상형이 부자일 필요는 없으나 성격이 원만하고 신사라야 한다"며 "그녀는 성격을 매우 중요하게 생각한다" 고 전했다. 그녀는 결혼정보회사를 통해 한국에서 공개구혼을 한 첫 외국인이다.

Mar 4, 2010

(80) Victory of Kim Yu-na, Saju of Brian Orser

By Janet Shin The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic is over, but the glory and joy will linger in our minds. In particular, figure skater Kim Yu-na's graceful performance and outstanding record that won her a gold medal will not be forgotten. Credit also goes to Brian Orser, Kim's coach. Kim's saju has been reviewed in a past column, so we will now look at the saju of Orser. In reviewing the saju of Kim, we noticed that the influences from her coach and her mother would be great in helping her achieve success. Here are saju of the two. You may refer to the colors to understand the 5 elements in their saju. And the day stem represents the person. The day master of Kim is Gye, yin water, while that of Orser is Eul, yin wood. Gye water, by itself, represents the flexibility of cold water, with calmness and purity. Eul wood stands for sophistication and elaboration, while both Gye and Eul represent introverted people. Kim was born with the cold energy in the metal month, which denotes a coldness of her saju in general, and surprisingly matches her career a

Mar 4, 2010

Mr. World Contest to Start Next Week

The race to become ``the world's most desirable man'' will begin from March 12 in Korea, with candidates representing some 80 countries from around the world. The United Kingdom's Miss World Organization and The Hankook Ilbo-The Korea Times Media Group, host of the Miss Korea pageant since 1957, are co-organizing the competition, while Incheon City is sponsoring the event. The final contest, to be held on March 27 at the Songdo ConvensiA, Incheon, will feature appearances by British singer-supermodel Alesha Dixon, popular actors Lee Da-hae and Julien Kang, and K-pop groups 2PM and Girls' Generation, among others. Contestants will push the limits of their talents and physical endurance in ``James Bond-style'' competitions around Incheon, Seoul, Gyeongju, Muju and other parts of the country. The men will volunteer for Habitat for Humanity International and walk the runway in a charity fashion show for the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), a United Nations organization based in Seoul. They will also introduce local culture by testing their Korean cuisine cooking skills,

Mar 4, 2010

Tripitaka Koreana: ural Treasure

By David A. Mason Contributing Writer The greatest wisdom that mankind has ever expressed in written form is preserved in collections of the scriptures from the great religions. These are revered by religious believers and spiritual seekers across the world, as the primary literature of our highest aspirations to understand our personal selves, the world around us and our place within it. By their guidance we learn how to live better day-to-day lives, and how to reform the patterns of our minds towards appropriate health, compassion, prosperity, reverence, dignity, love and wisdom. The compilation of all Buddhist scriptures is generally known as the Tripitaka, which is simply the Sanskrit word for "three baskets." This refers to the Sutras or recorded teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha, the Sastras or orthodox commentaries on the Sutras by enlightened masters, and the Vinayas or rules and procedures of the Buddhist monastic communities. At the great Buddhist Council called by Emperor Ashoka the Great to gather and standardize the texts 2,260 years ago, they were written on leaves

Mar 4, 2010

Procedure Gives Hearing to Auditory Disabled

By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter Being able to hear is an intricate process. What we call sound is actually vibrations detected by the ear and transmitted to nerve impulses that are perceived by the brain in the temporal lobe. There are about 214,420 people registered with the Ministry for Health, welfare and Family Affairs with hearing or speaking disorders mainly stemming from problems around the ear. About half of the patients have genetic factors. They were audibly impaired from birth. Many of them have problems with the snail-shaped cochlear in the inner-ear part. About 1.5 to two out of 1,000 are born with a certain level of aural malfunction. "Women with thyroid disorders or diabetes are most likely to give birth to these babies. It is recessive heredity," Professor Chang Sun-o of the Seoul National University Hospital said. For those who have problems in the ears exterior or eardrums, most often the result from an inflammation of the middle ear, replacing the eardrum with an artificial one is an effective procedure. For those with cochlear problems, conventio

Feb 28, 2010

For Younger Brides, Check Your Bank Account First

This is the second in a series of columns by James Lee, CEO of matchmaking firm Sunoo (www.couple.net), about various aspects of marriage on the basis of their 20 years in business. ― ED. Couples with a larger age gap also tend to have husbands with higher incomes. Men still have an illusion regarding marrying much younger women. Despite the passing of time, men still wish to marry much younger members of the opposite sex. Yet, the big age gap can often lead to problems. We conducted a research study to examine married couples' age difference and their income. Based on the data, the larger the age gap between the spouses, the larger the husband's income compared to the wife's. For couples that had an age gap of five years or less, the two spouses had an average of $10,000 difference in their income. On the other hand, couples with an age gap between six and seven years have an income difference of $30,000 to $40,000. One probable reason for the large discrepancy in income between the spouses in these subject groups is the husband's longer career.

Feb 25, 2010

(79) Yin, Yang and 5 Elements in Local Culture

By Janet Shin Yin yang and the five elements are the hidden codes of Korean culture. They are well-known and ingrained in Korean's daily lives, instead of being learned as a difficult philosophical concept. The principles originated with the mythical Fu Xi (Bok Hui in Korean) from the ancient days. They were adopted as a national religion during the Joseon Kingdom, and a lot of historical materials and books were found about people's daily practice in Yin yang and the five elements. Day and night are considered as yang and yin, and circulate one after the other. The seeds grow to blossom and to bear fruit and to return as seeds. The seeds wait for the spring to take root in the ground and to sprout from the frozen ground. In the summer, they blossom to bear fruits for people to harvest in the fall. Then they hide their seeds during the winter and wait for the coming spring. These are the circulation of yin and yang, and the five elements: from water (winter, seeds), wood (spring, sprout), fire (summer, blossom), metal (fall, fruits) and back to water (winter, seeds). The

Feb 25, 2010

Others

Others

Haein Temple, the Historic Dharma-Jewel Monastery

Pains, Gains, Perils of Laser Eye Surgery

Foreign Patients Flock to Busan, Gangnam

Finnish Model Looking for Spouse in Korea

(80) Victory of Kim Yu-na, Saju of Brian Orser

Mr. World Contest to Start Next Week

Tripitaka Koreana: ural Treasure

Procedure Gives Hearing to Auditory Disabled

For Younger Brides, Check Your Bank Account First

(79) Yin, Yang and 5 Elements in Local Culture

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