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Hundertwasser Exhibition to run through March 15 Friedensreich Hundertwasser, known for building the hobbit town in the “Lord of Rings” trilogy, is holding a special exhibition in his first display in Korea. The Hundertwasser Exhibition is currently underway at Hangaram Design Museum atSeoul Arts Center. More than 60 original paintings and eight construction models, original graphics and tapestries are on display. The architect, artist and environmentalist will donate three percent of all general admission fees to the World Vision organization. The exhibition is open from 10 a.m. through 7 p.m. in January and February; and 11 a.m. through 8 p.m. in March. Admission for adults is 15,000 won; for teenagers 7,000 won; and for children 5,000 won The exhibition will run through March 15. For more information, call (02) 545-3944. To get to Seoul Arts Center, drive across Banpo Bridge and keep going straight to the end of the road. The Seoul Arts Center is right in front of you. Turn left and then make an immediate right to get into the parking lot. To park nearer th

Seoul Players audition Death of Joe Egg

By John Redmond Seoul Players are holding auditions for the play “A Day in the Death of Joe Egg” by Peter Nichols to be directed by Lyle Arnason. The Tony Award-winning dark comedy features a young couple who use comedy as they struggle to care of their disabled daughter. Seoul Players is an English-speaking community theater company based in Seoul. It was formed in late 2001 as a non-profit organization by Roman Zolnierczyk, an Australian business executive and keen thespian. The group of (mostly) ex-pats delights in bringing English-language theater to audiences here in Seoul. The auditions will take place at Roofers on Jan. 29 and 30 at Roofers from 11 a.m. through 4 p.m. For those interested contact seoulplayers@gmail.com to set up an audition time. The performance is scheduled for sometime in March.

British rugby enthusiasts cycle on global charity run

By John Redmond Undertaking a 25,000-kilometer bicycle charity ride from one end of the globe to the other might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for rugby fans Tom Hudson, from Lewisham in London, and Jodie Burton, from Harlow, Essex, currently in Seoul, it is without doubt the experience of a lifetime. The two are 14,500 kilometers into their trip. They are cycling to raise awareness of the benefits of the sport of rugby. But also they seek to generate funds for “Rays of Sunshine” a children’s charity dedicated to granting the wishes of children with life threatening illnesses between the ages of three to 18,” and the “Tag Rugby Trust,” which works with orphanages in remote regions around the world. The two have so far raised £5,000 ($8,000) of a £28,000 target. They started out with a send-off at Twickenham Stadium, the largest rugby stadium in the United Kingdom by Rugby Football Union (RFU) President John Owens on May 1, 2010. In Seoul on Monday night, Hudson and Burton took time out of their busy schedule to speak with this reporter at Scrooge Pub in It

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(375) Tobacco (I)

(374) Feng shui (II)

(373) Feng shui (I)

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Starlight Garden Fair in Gapyeong The Starlight Garden Fair will run through Feb 28 in Gapyeong-gun, in Gyeonggi Province. The venue is the Garden of Morning Calm, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province (see Directions below) This is the oldest among private Korean gardens. It is an artistic space with a beautiful balance between Korean concepts of natural curves and asymmetry, plants and other various materials. It was the first to adopt the concept of a garden in Korea, and it is a special place that harmonizes classical grace and modern beauty. Each winter, the garden features a lighting festival to charm all age groups. (To see photos of the event, click on Korean on their website). The fair will open through 5 p.m. Admission for adults are 6,000 won; for youths 4,000 won; and for children 3,000 won For more information call 1544-6703 or Korea Tourism 031-1330 To get there by bus go to Sangbong Intercity Bus Terminal or Dong Seoul Bus Terminal. Get off at Cheongpyeong Bus Terminal and take a bus or a taxi to the garden. From Cheongnyang-ri Station take Bus No. 1330

Embassy misunderstanding leaves expats cold

By John Redmond For most expats living in Korea the simple task of renewing one’s passport should involve nothing more than a morning’s visit to an embassy and handing over the required official documentation. For the most part, the procedure is that simple but sometimes poorly trained and uninformed staff, combined with language barriers, can lead to a series of obstacles that can test the patience of even the most experienced traveler. With the Internet playing an important role in the conveyance of information, the days of spending hours on hold in a telephone queue hoping to be connected with the right department are a thing of the past. Information regarding regulations, prerequisites and exceptions is readily available on embassy websites in many languages. Unfortunately, the act of going in person to the embassy counter can be a little more trying, especially when residing in a part of the Korean Peninsula that is a good three hours away by bus. In such a case, the trip to Seoul could easily consume the best part of the whole day. Canadian native Chris O’Reilly

Say hi to Korea at HiExpat.com

Agnes Yu How much difference can a year living in Korea make? It’s not just about learning how to eat kimchi or drinking “makgeolli” while sitting with the silkworm-peddling street vendors: the fastest growing trend among foreigners over the past twelve months has been the new, interactive social network at HiExpat.com. HiExpat burst upon the scene in February 2010 with an unparalleled website catering to English-speakers living in or contemplating coming to live in Korea. By providing hundreds of free job postings, restaurant and pub listings, housing options and a robust Buy and Sell marketplace geared specifically for foreigners, HiExpat.com quickly skyrocketed to become the main English website in and about Korea. The brainchild of Daniel Behrendt, a long time resident of Korea, the mission of HiExpat.com is quite simple: “Provide foreigners in Korea with the information they need to have a productive, memorable, and fun time while living overseas.” Thus far, that mission has resonated ― in a little over 11 months, HiExpat.com has garnered over 3 million pa