Newest ‘Hobbit’ locations bring action and adventure to travelers

AUCKLAND, New Zealand ― Bilbo and company are back on the silver screen in the second of director Sir Peter Jackson’s three-part adaptation of the adventure fantasy tome “The Hobbit.” While fans flood to theaters, New Zealand’s tourism machine is pumping out new location tours the way only Kiwis do ― with a dash of down-home and a heaping full of adrenalin. From trekking boulder-strewn meadows in Trollshaw Forest, kayaking the Pelorus River in the wake of barrel-bobbing dwarves to horseback ridi

TravelJan. 3, 2014

High spirits on Maui: Take a distillery tour

KULA, Hawaii ― A new tourist attraction here is adding to what you might call, well, the high spirits of visitors.While the sugar-cane industry may be fleeing Hawaii for lands of lower labor costs, one new industry in Maui‘s upcountry is planting fresh fields of the towering, grassy stalks of tropical sweetness. The sugar cane is going into bottles of premium, Maui-made vodka.Ocean Vodka, an 8-year-old company that opened a new visitor-friendly distillery complex last April, is specializing in s

TravelJan. 3, 2014

Around the hotels

Flight and room package at Lotte Hotel JejuCelebrating the arrival of the New Year, Lotte Hotel Jeju presents flight and room in a package. The New Year’s Airtel (Airline & Hotel) Package consists of a two-night stay in the hotel’s Deluxe Mountain View Room and two round-trip Asiana Airlines tickets to Jeju. Bookings for this package are limited to 10 rooms per day. Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis. As part of the Lotte Mega Gift 5 event, guests can also enjoy five addit

FoodJan. 3, 2014

Modeumjeon (fish, shrimp and zucchini pan-fried in egg batter)

Jeon (or jun) is a term that refers to pan-fried battered food in Korean cuisine. There are typically two types of jeon. The first type is pancake-like dishes such as pajeon and kimchijeon. For these, the main ingredients are mixed with a flour batter and then pan fried into a crispy pancake. The other type is what I made for this recipe. The pieces are individually pan-fried in egg batter to create a soft skin. Variations include: saengseonjeon (fish), hobakjeon (zucchini), saewoojeon (shrimp),

FoodJan. 3, 2014

Flatties and piccolo lattes at Milestone

 Unpresumptuous and no-frills, Milestone, one of the latest artisanal roaster-coffeehouse hybrids to pop up in Seoul, manages to stand out from a bustling crowd of caffeinated hangouts with its Australian-style lineup of flat whites and piccolo lattes.“Flatties” or flat whites are essentially espresso topped with thick, satiny steamed milk called “microfoam” for a brew that many consider stronger than a cappuccino or a latte. Microfoam generally tends to be thick but not too airy in texture, so

FoodJan. 3, 2014

Actor Jung Kyung-ho and SNSD’s Sooyoung dating

Just about two days after Girls’ Generation’s YoonA confirmed that she has been dating TV personality Lee Seung-gi for the past few months, her fellow member Sooyoung revealed her own relationship with actor Jung Kyung-ho.Sooyoung’s agency SM Entertainment confirmed to a local media outlet on Friday that the girl group member and Jung ― who had been close friends since 2012 ― have dated since last year. Rumors of the two dating have previously floated in the local media, one time in February and

TelevisionJan. 3, 2014

Jang withdraws appeal in drug abuse case

Movie actress Jang Mi-in-ae has withdrawn her appeal of a local court’s ruling last year sentencing her to a suspended jail term for abusing propofol, an anesthetic used in surgeries, her attorney said. “It is not that she admits the charge. The decision was made based on her judgment that she stands little chance of victory in another round in court,” said Jeong Dae-hwa, Jang’s attorney. The 29-year-old star was among the three female celebrities who in November were sentenced to eight months i

TelevisionJan. 3, 2014

Saturday Night Live arrives in China

 A popular online video site is bringing the irreverent, topical humor of “Saturday Night Live” to China.The late-night U.S. comedy sketch show that regularly mocks politicians, popular culture and celebrities is being shown exclusively on the website of Sohu Video, a unit of Chinese online media group and Nasdaq-listed Sohu.com Inc.Ten episodes from the current 39th season of “SNL” are available now. Future episodes will be available online without subtitles the Monday after airing in the Unite

TelevisionJan. 3, 2014

Park In-bee voted top female golfer

South Korean LPGA Tour star Park In-bee has been voted the top female golfer for 2013 by American golf journalists.The Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA) announced on Thursday, U.S. time, that Park received 91 percent of the vote to easily capture the Female Player of the Year honors.Park won the first three major championships of the LPGA Tour season in 2013 and led women’s golf with six wins overall. The 25-year-old became the first LPGA golfer to win the first three majors of a season

PeopleJan. 3, 2014

Men want pay rise, women marriage for New Year

Unmarried men and women showed a stark contrast in their New Year‘s hopes as the former selected a pay raise while the latter picked marriage, according to a survey.Matchmaking company Gayeon interviewed 347 singles nationwide aged between the late 20s and mid-30s. According to the poll, 38 percent of males expressed their hopes for a salary hike for 2014 while 27 percent of males responded that their New Year goal is to get a new job. Only 18 percent of the respondent males hoped for marriage.B

PeopleJan. 3, 2014

From Judas to Clyde to Ken: Han Ji-sang evolves

Those who have seen actor Han Ji-sang on stage, especially as Judas in “Jesus Christ Superstar” or the wacky hero in “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” would be surprised to discover that Han calls himself an “extreme introvert.”“One of the things that I hated the most while attending a theater school was having to give a speech about myself,” Han said in an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul, Friday. “I simply did not know what to say. It would be just really awkward. I find it very challenging to

PerformanceJan. 2, 2014

Traditional dance troupe goes experimental

The National Dance Company of Korea is keeping up its efforts to reinvent its performances by making them more approachable and new.Following last year’s “Scent of Ink,” its collaboration with celebrated fashion designer Jung Ku-ho, the troupe ― known for specializing in traditional Korean dance ― is showcasing three experimental projects this month.“Scent of Ink” was a tasteful, modern interpretation of traditional dance, featuring the “four noble ones,” the four plants believed to epitomize Ko

PerformanceJan. 2, 2014

Brave Brothers to celebrate decade anniversary with 10 monthly releases

Rapper and record producer Kang Dong-chul ― best known by his stage name Brave Brothers ― has announced that he will be releasing a special collaborative album in commemoration of his 10th anniversary of his debut. As one of the country’s most famed producers, Brave Brothers has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry and is behind some of K-pop’s biggest hits including Lexy’s “Wipe My Tears And Put On Make Up;” Big Bang’s “Last Farwell;” Son Dam-bi’s “Crazy” and “Saturday Night;”

PerformanceJan. 2, 2014

Rain looks to create storm with ‘Rain Effect’

Singer, dancer, actor and all-around entertainer Rain has finally made his much-awaited return to the local music scene in full force with the release of his sixth studio album “Rain Effect” on Thursday, just six months after being discharged from military service. Coming nearly four years after his last mini-album “Back to the Basics,” which featured the hit track “Love Song,” and more than five years after his previous full-length studio album “Rainism,” the hallyu star was originally schedule

PeopleJan. 2, 2014