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364th Turtle Marathon

Those looking for a refreshing morning walk through the woods should join us on the 364th Turtle Marathon. It will be a great chance to enjoy the red and orange autumn leaves of Namsan Mountain, complete with its well-padded jogging tracks and wooden fences. As an added bonus, there is also a chance to win various prizes. Along with regular citizens, 2007 Miss Korea finalists will also participate in the marathon, and Korea & China Future Forest chairman Kwon Byong-hyon will be the honorary head of the event. Much like how the turtle in Aesop's fable would have completed his race, no running is involved. The event ― organized by The Korea Times' sister company, the Hankook Ilbo _ is a scenic seven-kilometer walk through Namsan Mountain, which has taken place once a month since 1978. Afterwards, comedian Lee Sang-yong will host a sideshow with various programs. Participants can help themselves to Nongshim red ginseng drinks and other snacks, and raffle-winners can take home prizes such as kitchen goods and bicycles. Middle and high school students who participate in beaut

Nov 16, 2007

Lesson 122 : Power of a Bend (2)

A bend is always a tempting target for your opponent to cut. In other words, you play a bend to lure the opponent into cutting it. It goes without saying that you must be well prepared against the cut. Diagram 1 This example is taken from a game played between the legendary Dosaku Honinbo (White) and Shunchi Yasui (Black) in 1683. Black attempts to finish the borderline of his territory in the center with 1 and 3. However, Dosaku frustrates Black’s effort with an excellent bend. Diagram 2 All three moves by White shown here are great. Even though there are two cutting points A and B in White’s position, neither can help Black to secure the boundary he originally intended. Diagram 3 It is quite easy to ascertain the brilliance of a move after it is played. If Black cuts at A in Dia.2 to capture the white stones inside his area, the △-marked five black stones will be dead. Diagram 4 Although the result of this sequence is less disastrous for Black, it is still painful.

Nov 15, 2007

How to Get Over Chronic Fatigue

By Park Min-sun . Contributing Writer Tiredness or fatigue is normal, particularly after a days hard work or physical exercise, or under prolonged stress or mental strain. Chronic fatigue, however, is not a normal state. Although it is not a normal state, its definable or curable cause is found among only about 15 percent of patients visiting a primary care clinic. There are common etiologies to consider suggested by family medicine. Fatigue from organic disease is constant and only relieved by sleep and decreased activity, while fatigue from anxiety or depression may be reduced with exercise and is often not relieved by simple rest. Then, what makes 85 percent of patients tired if there is no definable cause? Is it the same chronic fatigue syndrome? The answer is ``No!'' Chronic fatigue syndrome is a specific clinical diagnosis that includes symptoms of a sore throat, joint pain, muscle pain, lymph node swelling, and is at least characterized by 6 weeks of fatigue limiting activities by 50 percent or more. Modern life style per se can be an important cause of ch

Nov 11, 2007

Lesson 121 : Power of Bend (1)

By Nam Chi-hyung It is often said that a fight begins with a cutting move. Of course a cut, separating the opponent's groups of stones, is tangible evidence for the start of a fight. However, there is usually a bend before a cut. A bend does not initiate a fight as it is, but its power evokes your opponent's eager resistance, which then culminates in a fight. This can also be interpreted in the following way; if your opponent doesn't dare to stand against a bend, you can make him yield under the power of the bend. Diagram 1 Black's goal is to reduce White's territory on the left side. As Black attaches at 1, White bends with 2, as in the saying, ``when being attached, bend.'' Even though there is another saying ``when being bent, extend,'' it is too meek a move for Black to extend with A or B and let White secure the side along the third line. Diagram 2 As you may have guessed, to bend at 1 is a good move for Black. It induces White to cut with 2 and capture Black 1 with 4. Then, Black can give atari to the x-marked white stone with A, a

Nov 8, 2007

Salt Is Essential for Healthy Life

By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter Salt is essential for human life. It aids digestion and strengthens the kidneys and bones. A lack of salt can bring about muscle cramp, digestive problems and dizziness. Salt is used to enhance the flavor of food and is one of the most common minerals at tables. However, too much salt can be fatal for the human body, which does not contain much of the substance. A 70 kilogram person has only 63 grams of sodium, which is a mere 0.09 percent. If you eat too much salt you are at risk of higher than normal blood pressure possibly resulting in a stroke. Koreans are eating too much salt, experts said. According to a government report on the nutritional condition of Koreans, 13.5 grams of salt per day per person was being consumed, which is 2.7 times more than the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended five grams. It is also higher than Japan's 10.7 grams and the United Kingdom's 11 grams. A Korean Food and Drug Administration spokesperson said Koreans must watch their salt intake. ``As people eat more fast food, spicy food and fatty foods

Nov 4, 2007

Lesson 120 : Salvation From Outside (2)

By Nam Chi-hyung Although I named the moves introduced in the previous lesson as moves from the “outside,” perhaps that’s because I’m not strong enough to imagine that I can find a good move in an area seemingly not related to the situation at hand. Anyway, it is true that we can find more examples of brilliant moves in areas located far away from the main action. Diagram 1 This example is taken from the game played in 1991 between Cho Chi-hoon 9-dan and Takemia 9-dan, who is famous for his cosmic style. Cho, who was Black, played 2 against White 1, giving atari to the △-marked black stone. Of course, Cho knew that his stone was in atari. Black 2 is not even connected with any black groups. Then, what was the meaning of Black 2? Diagram 2 If Black extends at 2 against White ’ s atari, White will go out with the sequence from 3 to 9. Even though Black can capture the six white stones on the lower side, White’s territory and influence on the right side are too big, making this result quite unacceptable for Black. Diagram 3

Nov 1, 2007

Cry When Your Heart is Aching

By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter Many people think showing tears is showing weakness. To men, showing tears is considered unmanly. There's a Korean saying a man should cry only three times ― when he is born, when his parents die and when his country is lost. JoonAng Ilbo newspaper once reported that the frequency that men cry is one-fifth that of women. It also said the fact that women in general live longer than men is because they cry more often. Being able to cry means you are healthy. Professors at University of Pittsburgh said its is healthy to really turn on the waterworks when crying. American doctor George Guthrie said among those suffering from arteriosclerosis, people who cry have less chances of getting a heart attack than those who don't. Tears dilute antigens and manage the moisture in the eyes. Also, one of the main functions of tears is providing oxygen to the eye. Tears protect, humidify, and lubricate the eye surface so that it stays healthy and shiny. About 99 percent of tears is simple moisture, but the other one percent contains albumin, sodium,

Oct 28, 2007

OK2 Another Good Reason to Eat in Itaewon

By John Redmond Contributing Writer The centrally located district of Itaewon, once described in a Lonely Planet guide as “A Country and Western style ghetto,” has undergone a major face and image lift. Starting about four years ago there was a boom in terms of Mediterranean style cafes and restaurants. This trend continued embracing New York and Middle Eastern style cuisines with Itaewon now home to some of the finest international supermarkets this side of Sainsburys. The most recent addition to this boom is OK2, a New York style restaurant, housed in a restored “hanok,” a traditional Korean house, specializing in European-style cuisine. Seating about 50 people OK2 has the look and feel of a downtown New York restaurant, complete with coffee colored tables, chairs, soft lighting, a combination of booth and group table seating, original art work on the wall, and laid back jazz music adding to the overall ambiance. The menu at OK2 being European is very extensive in terms of pasta, risotto and fish, and I decided to order a dish from the specials menu. Pink salmon w

Oct 25, 2007

Lesson 119 : Salvation From Outside (1)

Lesson 119 : Salvation From Outside (1) It is said that one of the difficulties in writing a Baduk-playing computer program is determining the boundary in which it searches for the candidate moves. In order to do this, the program should be able to differ what is its own force and what is not, what is related and what is not, and what is inside and what is outside, etc. The reason that a computer should know these things is so that a sea of unlimited moves does not haunt it. The program will be designed to deliberate only inside of the boundary. However, sometimes, good moves can be found outside of the situation at hand. Until now, as far as I know, finding this kind of move is only possible for a human being. Diagram 1 White just covered the six black stones with 1. Since six stones are too many to give up, Black has to save them, but how? Diagram 2 Obviously Black cannot save the group if he tries to find an optimal move inside the situation. As shown here, Black 1 and 3 are impotent attempts to escape, that

Oct 25, 2007

Pregnancy Myths

By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter Pregnancy is a great joy, not only for parents but also for the society, which is suffering from a low birthrate. Mothers and fathers-to-be often hear myths about myths about pregnancy, which often makes them anxious. So, which myths are true? 1. Eating legumes can increase the intelligence of a baby: Highly likely so. Nuts contain unsaturated fatty acid, calcium and vitamin B that stabilize the brain’s movement. Eating beans, bean oil and eggs, cold help your baby become bright and clever. 2. Using their hands a lot can make a baby cleverer: True. Using your hands stimulates the muscles in your hands as well as the brain’s nerves. 3. Reading books or listening to music enhances the baby’s intelligence: Partly true. These activities do stimulate the brain. However, if you do not particularly enjoy these activities it is best not to do them as this would result in added stress, which in turn would not be good for the baby. 4. Swimming is good for the baby: Swimming is a wonderful form of exercise. It places vigorous demand on your hear

Oct 21, 2007
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