Blogfest.Asia wrapped up in Hong Kong over the weekend. The event brought over three hundred bloggers from twenty-one Asian countries together under one roof, giving everyone a chance to meet one another face to face. There really are some cool blogs out there in Asia at the moment. Austin Bush from Thailand runs a great food blog, and Tokyo Terrace from Japan is equally impressive. Those looking to spruce up their lifestyle, this blog, is, well, rather gnarly too.

My second assignment for CNNGo is now up. I was asked to write a short profile about three influential Korean artists that I felt have made quite a name for themselves in recent years through both their work and humanitarian efforts. From the list of 135 that made the final cut, it looks like they didn’t fare too badly either, scooping up 31st (Kim Jung-man), 33rd (Bae Young-jin) and 37th (Eun Kyung Yang) place overall. If you want to know the ‘who’s who?’ of Asia, give it a read.

For those of you combing through here as of late and finding posting a little light, I apologize. I’ve been busier than a bunny in spring and promise to shift gears this week. I got word this morning from CNNGo that my second assignment will run tomorrow (Thursday) so you can count on me throwing that link up when I grab it. I’m also off to some of the city’s skating rinks this weekend for next month’s issue of SEOUL. It’s been ages since I last strapped on the blades so it promises to be fun, albeit injury inducing.

And this has to be one of the best portrait shots I’ve seen to date. Derek recently had his Nikon D700 stolen but that hasn’t deterred him from pumping out photographs like that. Sifting through his Flickr photostream earlier today I was reminded of just how badly I need to step up my game. Impressive work, indeed. And, while I’m on the subject of portrait photography, Eric Lafforgue’s Papua New Guinea snaps are fantastic. I’ve covered a lot of ground in SE Asia, but I’m itching to head to Papua New Guinea after seeing that set.

You like sundae? For the longest time I was too scared to try the stuff. Then along came the opportunity to put all fears aside. This month’s issue of SEOUL magazine features a piece I wrote on the famous dish (pages 71~72). I explored a few hangouts and found the best place to try it. Go have a peek if your curiosity gets the better of you.

Rakkojae is a beautiful hanok (traditional Korean home) guesthouse in Bukchon. I was in the area the other week shooting for my CNNGo piece and thought I’d head back. If you want to step into Korea of yesteryear and experience homegrown, friendly service, then drop in and rest your head for the night.

The Seoul City Essay Contest is now in its 13th run. If you’re good with a camera, not too shabby with a pen and love Seoul, then by all means hammer out a piece (3,000 words together with three photos) and send it all off to Yun Hee Hwang (pinklucida@seoul.go.kr) before October 31st. Visit the official site for more details. This year’s grand prize is 2 million won. A nice sum indeed. Now go get out there and write your masterpiece!

UPDATE: Looks like that deadline was extended to November 15th.

The first night of the trip took us to this great traditional restaurant called Unamjeong. It was freezing cold that evening (it’s up in the mountains at High 1 Resort) but I managed to step out and snap a couple photos of the courtyard in between courses. The popular Korean movie ‘Le Grand Chef‘ was filmed here. Dinner that evening was bibimbap. One staff member came by our table toward the end of our meals with some Andong Soju. It’s much more flavorful and potent (45%) than regular soju, Korea’s leading spirit of choice. One of the best meals I’ve had in Korea.

Posted in Images of Korea Tagged: High 1 Resort, Korea, Korean Photography

I was asked recently by Herald Biz, a rather large Korean media outfit, to comment on both my blog and that recent blogging trip I went on put together by The Korea Tourism Organization. I’ve translated a segment of it below for your viewing pleasure.

UPDATE: Apparently Naver also featured the piece on Friday.

A group of thirty bloggers from all over the world recently enjoyed an all-expenses paid trip to Korea’s east coast (October 14~October 16). The group has been voluntarily promoting Korea through photography, articles, as well as music. The trip was part of a contest put together by The Korea Tourism Organization. Winners were selected from a pool of over a thousand submissions.

Canadian blogger Gregory Curley launched his site Hermit Hideaways as a way of sharing his travel experiences. He is largely attracted to Korea’s food culture and thinks the country as a whole has a great deal to offer travelers.

“In addition to its incredible landscape, there really is a lot to experience in Korea such as temple stay programs, hiking tours, traditional markets and bustling nightlife.”

His work has also been acknowledged by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. His slogan “Infinitely yours, Seoul” was selected for the city’s newly revised global campaign.

My friends over at Private Curve have been bringing a host of talent to Korea (Jason Mraz, The Swell Season and James Blunt) through their terrific Beautiful Singer-Songwriter Series. And now they’re introducing another very gifted artist to Seoul. Grammy nominated R&B singer Eric Benet will be giving his first-ever concert here on Saturday, December 19th at Yonsei University Auditorium.

His recent album Love & Life has been topping the charts and earned him two Grammy nominations alone. It promises to be a memorable show.

Tickets available at info@privatecurve.com or (02) 563-0595.

Also in Seoul is Norway’s acid jazz outfit, D’Sound, to promote their new CD “Stars & Ends”. They’ll be playing at AX-Hall on Saturday, December 19th. Doors open at 7pm. Tickets are 77,000 won. Here’s a sample. Smooth grooves.

To get to the venue, take subway Line 5 to Gwangnaru Station. AX-Hall is a short walk from Exit #2. Contact info@privatecurve.com or (02) 563-0595. Ask for Jane.

Posted in Music Tagged: D'Sound, Korea, Korean Photography, Seoul

CNN recently launched a new travel site called CNNGo that compiles the best of what Asian cities have to offer. Here’s my first assignment for them. Trying to narrow Seoul down into a 700-word, two-day time frame was one of my toughest challenges to date.

UPDATE: Just heard that my Seoul piece was picked up by CNN International’s Travel section. It was the top travel story all day. Pretty happy indeed.