Plastic Surgery Central: Gangnam, Seoul

Photo: CC/InsightWAVE

This article came out a few weeks ago, and it is absolutely fascinating!

Did you know that the Gangnam district of Seoul is not only a shopping and fashion mecca in Asia, but also the place for plastic surgery? According to the Global Post article, there are at least 400 plastic surgery hospitals in Gangnam! 400 in one section of a city!!! Needless to say, Gangnam is the new medical tourism hot spot in Asia, but I still think that if you are desperate to get a surgery deal and then heal, Thailand sounds more enticing (Thais are very good at plastic surgery and their beaches and hospitality are lengendary).

Anyhow, the story quotes one university student saying people who don't get cosmetic surgery are considered weird. Weird to be normal... Good title for a story, but it's not a story, it is the truth for the beauty obsessed in South Korea.

My favorite part of the article is the section on the plastic surgery stigma and how older Korean men are not fans of the cosmetic surgery craze:

"South Korean men — especially older ones — revile the idea of dating or marrying a "sung-gui," slang for “plastic surgery monster.” The lewd term refers to a person who has lost natural beauty to inappropriate botox injections and surgical treatments, giving off a fake and sometimes bloated appearance."
-Global Post

Here is a plastic surgery hospital in Gangnam that has an English language website. I have to admit I am just in awe of what they can do to a face! They have several pages to view their work (Real Story, Before and After, and Becoming Cinderella). Here is the link to "Becoming Cinderella" which has videos of the process:

BK Plastic Surgery Hospital "Becoming Cinderella" (BK stands for Beauty Korea)

Estate of Grace

My friend and I recently produced Estate of Grace, a short video about a Greek Orthodox group home for children in New York State. It's a beautiful place that does its best to help children in need. If you are interested in learning about alternatives to foster care, seeing a grand estate once owned by New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert, meeting some exception people and just appreciating the human spirit, please take a look at this site.

View of the Hudson River from the grounds of Saint Basil Academy in Garrison, NY

The Best Culture Watching - Hulu & Netflix

Cold days and long nights entice me to hibernate. So what to do in my little Chelsea cave? Well, cook and watch some great TV shows from around the world. Hulu & Netflix are my new travel/culture buddies. Offering an incredible amount of television series and movies from across the globe, these video streaming sites give me a chance to see what's popular in other countries, visually visit new places, learn some key phrases in other languages, get a taste of the law in faraway lands, and just appreciate what other cultures find entertaining. I've watched some great Korean soap operas, Bollywood movies, Thai trilogies, Vietnamese action films and more.

Right now I'm obsessed with Spiral (aka, Engrenages in France) - a French police series that is very entertaining and well, very French. I've picked up some new words like "flic" - slang for the police or po-po. I've noticed that the characters like to "tsk" quite a bit, but not in a condescending way. And well, the cast is phenomenal.  Gregory Fitoussi definitely stands out in the series and he is bound to become a household name here once the new PBS series "Mr. Selfridge" takes off. So, check out Spiral on Hulu and Netflix!

Another Great Cashmere Collection from Kapra Hiska!

You must think I'm being paid by Kapra Hiska due to all the posts I've written on them. Well, I am not but I do believe in supporting small businesses with great products, and Kapra Hiska is definitely one of them. So, without further ado, here pictures from Kapra Hiska's latest line. Enjoy and get a tissue to catch your drool as you marvel at the refined luxury of this colorful collection!

                  

Need a Read?

When the sunlight starts to fade and the chilly nights begin, I can think of nothing more enjoyable than reading a great book while bundled up in blankets and sipping my favorite cinnamon tea. If you enjoy reading as much as I do, here are some book suggestions:

The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail - But Some Don't by Nate Silver
I love Nate's logic, writing style and his curiosity. If you were a fan of his election coverage on his FiveThirtyEight.com blog, then you will truly enjoy Nate's new book. For full disclosure, Nate is a dear friend and someone I greatly admire.

The Orphan Master's Son: A Novel by Adam Johnson

It's hard to explain this very interesting tale about an orphan's fantastical and ambiguous (in more ways than one) life in North Korea. It is very entertaining though may feel/seem uneven or unexplainable at times.

The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream by Patrick Radden Keefe
Fascinating, deeply entertaining and non-fiction! If you've ever been curious about Chinatown or human smuggling, this is a must read. 

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

If you're an Anglophile or enjoy an unusual love story, this book is for you. I absolutely adore this story and hope they turn this into a movie starring Sean Connery!

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert Masse
Robert Masse is one of my all-time favorite biographers and his biography on Catherine the Great does not disappoint. This is a wonderfully researched book and completely engrossing.

Then They Came for Me by Mazihar Bahari
A first-hand account of a journalist covering the Velvet Revolution and sent to prison in Iran. Very compelling and offers readers an unique view on how the Iranian government works.

Gabriella, Clove and Cinnamon by Jorge Amado
This is an oldie, but goodie. A wonderfully intoxicating and complex story that takes place in Bahia, Brazil. Simply sublime.

The Harafish by Naguib Mahfouz
This book introduced me to Naguib Mahfouz and to the amazing maze of Egyptian life and fantasy. It's a hidden gem among Mahfouz's collection of brilliant novels.

A Gadget Lover's Dream: Quirky.com

Ever wish you were James Bond and had your very own Q to create extremely unique, functional and stylish gadgets for your everyday needs? You probably don't need a tricked out Aston Martin, poison dart pens or frames with laser beams, but you may need a contraption to keep your cords neat and tangle free or a mouse pad that doubles as a writing pad or a flexible power strip. Well, Quirky.com has these cool gadgets and more!

And if they don't have your dream gadget, you can create one with them! Quirky.com allows you to submit ideas and then get all the development support you need! I am oversimplifying here, but that is the general idea. In summary, this site is a gadget lover's dream come true. And if you or your gadget loving friend are just bursting with ideas, you may want to consider becoming a Quirky Pro member...

If you're looking for a unique gift or want to become the next Q, check out Quirky.com. I already have a couple of products on my wish list and some ideas ready to submit....

Kapra Hiska, Part Deux

Did the last Kapra Hiska post raise your blood pressure or make your fashion antennae go a bit nuts?
Can't wait until your next trip to Paris or when Kapra Hiska launches their website? Email them at kaprahiska@gmail.com, and you'll be able to see images from their latest collection of AIR Scarves and sweaters. They did send their brochure, which I've put on this Kapra Hiska Brochure Page.

Until then.... Whet your appetite with an image from their Fall 2012 collection, which was inspired by the nomadic spirit and nature.

Madonna famously wore a t-shirt declaring "Italians Do It Better," but I have to disagree when it comes to featherweight cashmere scarves and sumptuous cashmere sweaters...

Kapra Hiska Does It Best! 

Kapra Hiska Fall 2012 AIR Scarves & Sweaters for men & women