Away from the crowds Yoyogi Park. Editors note: At first I hesitated in publishing an article with “party” in the title after such a short period of time since the devastating tsunami, but this post is part of the #JapanLife and #Blog4Japan which aims to bring attention to Japan from bloggers around the world. …
Dear GoMad Nomad, My fiancé and I are looking into trying to teach English in Asia –our short list at the moment is Japan, China, and Korea. This is a new and exciting idea that just popped up a few days ago, so I don’t know a lot. I know that we would want to leave …
By Stephen Bugno So it’s 1440 and you are King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty. You are a well-respected ruler and a champion for the common person. But you have a little problem. Your population is undereducated and you want to communicate with them. “My people cannot write characters even though they have hands, …
Why Korean is the World's Most Interesting Language Read More »
By Stephen Bugno Mokpo is a city in the far southwest of the Korean peninsula that most people told me to avoid. They looked puzzled when I told them I was stopping there. There’s nothing to see in Mokpo. It’s only a place to transit. Not worth staying there for any amount of time. That …
This is the throne hall of Changdeok Palace. The immense room, known as Injeong-jeon or Hall of the Benevolent Government, was used for holding formal functions of the state. It stands out among the other elegant architecture of Changdeok Palace. The palace, located in a hilly section north of dowtown Seoul, was a favorite residence of Korean royalty. …
This series of photos come from the Fergana Valley of Uzbekistan, a famous producer of fine silk. I had the opportunity to travel to the city of Margilan to visit a silk factory when I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uzbekistan. At the Yodgorlik silk factory, you can witness the different stages of …
By Stephen Bugno Circle the coastline of Korea’s Jeju island long enough and eventually you are likely to come across women decked out in diving gear popping up to the surface now and again. These are the haenyeo—the world-famous women divers of Jeju, keeping alive a centuries-old tradition while maintaining the economic viability of their …
Western Wall, Jerusalem Here Jews are praying at the Western Wall, also called Wailing Wall, in the old city of Jerusalem. The retaining wall and sole remnant of Herod’s Second Temple has been a site for Jewish prayer and pilgrimage for centuries, perhaps as far back as the 4th century. The Western Wall Plaza, the large …
Photo of the Week: Mongolian Roads Mongolian Roads. About 15 miles outside of Ulaanbaatar, we made a sharp left turn off the main two-lane highway and started off-roading it in our Russian van south to the Gobi Desert. For another six days we wouldn’t see another paved road. Part of the attraction of driving to …
In Honor of International Worker’s Day, here is one of the ubiquitous public mosaics that once adorned buildings and public spaces across the whole of the Soviet Union, many still remaining to this day. Although there has been a trend over the past decade or so to remove some of these monuments and other artistic …
