Lee Eun Mee & Eugene Park Healing Concert

by Joon Pyo Hong

Billy Joel once said, “I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we’re all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.” Additionally, rather than just listening to music alone at home, attending a concert can be another way to listen as well as experience the thrill of watching a live performance and share an entertaining night out with friends and family.

One such concert is the Lee Eun Mee & Eugene Park Healing Concert which will take place on July 13 at the Gunsan Art Center. There are two times available for the concert, one at 3:30 p.m. and the other at 7:30 p.m. with ticket prices starting at 77,000  Korean Won. Part of the profits from the ticket sales will be donated to charity and as such, the event will be a chance for the audience to enjoy music while also partaking in a noble cause. The organizers claim that renowned vocalist Eun Mee Lee and violinist Eugene Park will provide the audience with an experience that will allow lovers, family, and friends alike to heal their souls.

In Sync with Nature: Temple Stay

by Gyuri Bae

True healing can come from a deep reflection on yourself and being at one with nature, and a temple stay is the perfect way to do so. Temple stay is a program that started in 2002, where it opened 120 Buddhist temples across the nation for the public to experience the life within. Having become popular tourist attractions, over 80 of the temples offer English translators as well. The visitors will follow the daily routine of a monk, including saebyuk yebul (a pre-dawn chanting service), chamsun suhaeng (meditation), balwoo gongyang (an act of eating with appreciation for the food and Buddha), and dado (a ceremonial act of tea drinking). Other activities include making temple food and traditional lanterns. Temple stay is open to all people of different religions, race, and gender to provide a true understanding of and familiarity with the Buddhist religion, coalesce with nature, and release the heavy burdens and stresses of life through meditation and internal reflection. So why not go on this precious healing journey to cleanse the tired body and mind? To find a local temple near you that offers temple stay, visit http://www.templestay.com.

A Wanted Cliché: Seaside at the Daecheon Beach

by Dongsung Park

A journey beyond the borderline of a typical day can be a healing experience as one escapes from the stresses of daily life. And although the seaside trip is a cliché now, few can argue a better place for warm sunlight, vast water, and vacation ambience. There is a reason why so many visit the Caribbean for a memorably relaxing time out from life. However, few have the time or expense available to fly across the globe for a healing experience. Fortunately, the experience is not exclusive to foreign resorts. As a peninsula itself, Korea is abundant in seafronts and boasts a variety of resorts, Daecheon Beach being a prime example.

Daecheon Beach is a popular site located at the Yellow Sea front and has a grand resort while avoiding crowds, which may be impossible in better renowned places such as Haeun Beach and Kyunpo Beach. Only around 10 minutes away from the closest train station, the most comfortable feature about this place is that transportation is little hassle as most attractions are in the vicinity, from accommodation to local cuisine. Speaking of food, Deacheon Beach offers all of characteristic seaside diet, from raw fish to roasted seashells. Rounding a food tour after research of the local restaurants is highly recommended. After eating, one must take a slight dip in the water. If that is too typical, try the special aquatic experiences, such as motor boating, jet skiing, wind surfing, and even fishing. Spare disposable clothes for the typical, seaside sand may be unnecessary as the indigenous sand is composed mostly of grounded seashells and is easily washable with water. With water depth averaging at 1.5 meters, the gentle slope of the landscape is safe for family visits with young children. Finally, the water recedes in sync with the sunset, leaving behind an orange tinted sky and a sandy mudflat where small critters such as crabs can be spotted walking by gently.