North Korean policy weighs in with a bombing blemish, a minor faux pas, a “fault” once again. What’s your take on this? I realize this is a sensitive subject for many, but please share your thoughts… (and please keep it clean)

High Fashion – The Jalbeun Chima Effect As the spring days dawn earlier and the Cherry Blossoms fall, the skirts rise to the occasion to the joy of most men. As you can guess, this is my favorite season in Korea. And the best thing to look at as I switch from sipping double short lattes to the Iced Shaken concoction otherwise known as the Starbucks Doubleshot on these gradually lengthening afternoons is the shortening of the skirts. Everyone knows that men prefer minis, but are the women wearing their skirts higher just to please us? Is it economic? Or is it something much deeper than that?...

“Coffee or tea?” Not so great a question as “What is the meaning of life?” but a bit of pith for our next coffee shop contemplation. After all, philosophy is the study of being, the issue of who we are and why we are, or in another sense, what we drink, providing a new twist on the old expression: “You are what you eat.” So what are you? (And why am I at Starbucks every day?) Maybe not a debate for the ages, but certainly a taxing question all the flight attendants will accost you with in your brief moment of sleep on the 15 hour flight, with a back-to-reality, ahem or an arm grab just...

Living in Itaewon, I sometimes feel like I’m in another world. Not entirely Korean, and yet not really foreign. I guess it’s roughly equivalent to being in Korea town in LA or China town in New York. This “foreign friendly” neighborhood, this America Town has been infused with the energy of the US Army presence since the 1950’s and they’ve grown up together. Something that many people in Korea don’t realize is that the USFK has been actively reaching out to its hosts to help those in need, to develop personal relationships, to nurture young leaders and to cultivate mutual understanding...

No Sadness Cafe I love espresso,So sweet and so strong.My eyebrows danceAs I sip soft blackness,My mouth, once long, enlivensWith swift speech settingA sun dried arch of life,Spitting out pop culture:Movie quotes of youth.When I drink espressoI cannot contain myself.I speak to strangersOf adventuresAnd far away places.I tell them my dreams And they join me. . . To share sweet dreamsand sip espresso.

If love is red, what is the color of devotion? As I sip the subtly sweet, soft intense flavors of my double-short latte, I contemplate caffeine and passion and ponder the swift approach of Valentine’s Day. Yes, the red day is nearly upon us and love (hopefully) is in the air. Are you ready for the poetry and the passion, the red roses, the chocolate indulgence and the sweet red hearts? And what does Valentine’s mean to you? I asked some PR readers for their thoughts. Their responses varied from introspective to irreverent: “Love is a grave mental disease” (Plato – yes he reads PR) ...

By now you must have tired of all the constant Tra-la-la of Christmas music, the hangovers of year-end parties and, ahem, good cheer. Then in a mirrored moment, you realize that the time has come for shedding holiday pounds and making New Year’s resolutions. Many others will tell you how to make and keep your resolutions, for a slimmer, healthier, happier you, but I say resist the urge!! As the end of 2008 draws near, I hear general intimations of resolve: I’ll study more. I’ll exercise and lose weight. I’m going to quit smoking (again). I’m going to work harder, earn more money,...

Last time, I spoke of Itaewon lost. Well, “I once was lost…” and then I went to the desert. I recently entered the Sahara Race, representing Itaewon (& Korea) while raising money for the Peter Pan Fund in the hardest race on Earth. Why now? – “Why Not?” In the midst of this worldwide financial crisis, failing economies and fears of global depression, I say, “Go on vacation!” Worrying won’t help and working for money that may not be worth anything in the near future seemed futile, so I decided to spend some while it still had value – and value I got. The Sahara Race...

OK, I know, how cliché! A writer sitting at Starbucks, laptop open and nursing a four-hour, four-dollar double tall cappuccino – deal with it… The Task: observe and discover to the heart, the essence of Itaewon’s inner philosophyThe Location: Starbucks of courseThe Deadline: – now dammit, now! Watching out the window amid the Friday afternoon rainy day umbrella rush, everybody walking by looking down, bumping umbrellas as they shuffle home from work, I wonder, what is at the heart of this place, what makes Itaewon different from the rest of Seoul, and what makes the people that come here...

Men in Tights – Riding hard through the streets of Itaewon Michael Wright, Interview with an Itaewon Legend (The Founder of Seoul Synergy Triathlon Team) OK, let’s get down to it – who are you and why are you wearing tights? (Oh, and you have very defined legs – wow! Wait a minute! Do you shave your legs? Why? Oh, why?) Why did you start Seoul Synergy? It was created to provide a club in which athletes could promote fitness, friendship and positive international relationships right here on the peninsula. And where is it based? Team Seoul Synergy was started and is base right in the...