29 Jan 2010, Posted by Matt in Notes from Matt, 0 Comments

I’m on Vacation!

Apologies for the paltry posting over the past few weeks. I’m at the end of a vacation home to visit with family and friends. I’ll be back in Seoul on February 1st and hope to have new posts about Gyeongju, The Dongchun Circus and Korea’s ski resorts up soon… as well as answers to all your questions!

Thanks for sticking around.

Best, Matt

01 Jan 2010, Posted by Matt in Festivals & Holidays, Gyeongsang, Notes from Matt, 4 Comments

Happy New Year!

A snapshot of the first sunrise of 2010 from a few kilometers south of Gampo, on Korea’s eastern coast (near Gyeongju). I hope everyone has a healthy and happy New Year!

04 Dec 2009, Posted by Matt in Notes from Matt, 3 Comments

I’m not hibernating…

Yikes! I know it’s been a while since my last post. I’ve got quite a few in the works but I haven’t had enough time to wrap them up. Apologies and I should get them up shortly. Thanks for your patience!

Best, Matt

22 Sep 2009, Posted by Matt in Gyeongsang, Nature, Notes from Matt, 2 Comments

When You’ll See Autumn Color 2009

I’m getting very excited for the annual danpoong (단풍) or autumn leaves here in Korea. And, thanks to an anonymous commenter, now we have the 2009 “color predication” chart for South Korea (I’ll admit the term is a new one for me).

Anyhow, thanks to David Hasenick’s site and I hope this helps folks plan their autumn trips… I’ve got plans to visit Naejang Mountain, Seorak Mountain, Jusanji and Gyeongju… just hope they all pan out!

11 Sep 2009, Posted by Matt in Notes from Matt, -1 Comments

Under Construction…

Looks a little funny, huh?

I’m in the process of migrating DiscoveringKorea.com to a more flexible blogging software… It will take a few days to re-work the design and fix technical kinks. Afterward, I expect to introduce some great new features.

In the meantime, thanks for your patience!

~Matt

17 Aug 2009, Posted by Matt in News, Notes from Matt, 0 Comments

New Show on TBS eFM

Hey there!

Some of the Discovering Korea blog’s recent visitors came here by way of TBS eFM 101.3, and here’s why. Starting this past Saturday, I’m hosting a new travel segment on the Saturday edition of The Steve Hatherly Show, produced by Jin Min.

Just like my other Korea-related travel and culture shows, each week I’ll describe a new destination in Korea. But what’s different is the show’s conversational format. Originally from Canada, Steve has lived in Korea over nine years, and so far it’s been fun to talk with him on the radio about travel opportunities on this beautiful peninsula. Just like my KBS shows, I’ll cross-post content to this blog.

If you’d like to listen to my new show and you’re located in the greater Seoul area, tune into TBS eFM 101.3 MHz on Saturdays, between 14:05-16:00. The show is also available in Busan, Gwangju and elsewhere in Korea. PC-users can listen via TBS’s TOY Internet Radio – a free download is available on their site.

Finally, I’d like to incorporate listener tips and questions, so I hope you’ll send them my way. Have a great week!

Best, Matt

30 Jul 2009, Posted by Matt in Notes from Matt, 2 Comments

New Toy: Flip Video

Pay no mind to the curious shadows, please.

Hey there,

I wanted to introduce a new device that I picked up during a quick week spent in the U.S. a couple of weeks ago. So far I’m liking my mino-HD Flip Video camcorder. The picture and sound quality is better than my previous camera, and it’s just easier to use, mostly thanks to its small size and built-in USB.

It’s not all great, however. Things get awfully blurry while panning and the zoom button can be awkward to push. Also, when editing it’s been more difficult to stabilize the video… but overall, so far so good. Now I just need to learn how to use a tripod! I’m looking forward to hearing what you think of future videos. If you have other toys to suggest, I’d like to hear about them.

Best, Matt

03 Jul 2009, Posted by Matt in Notes from Matt, 0 Comments

Excuses…

Hi,

Sorry for the 1.5-week blogging hiatus. I’ve been filling in for a friend at the news side of KBS and haven’t had time to post. But thanks for your patience and I’ll upload a couple of video posts and even a good, ole-fashioned non-video post of a destination outside of Seoul shortly.

Best,
Matt

03 Jun 2009, Posted by Matt in Notes from Matt, 0 Comments

Catching Up!

Hello,

I’d like to apologize for the paltry posting of late. After arriving back in Seoul about a week and a half ago, I’ve been in catch up mode on various obligations. I hope to be back to regular travel blogging very soon. Thanks for your patience.

Best,
Matt

05 May 2009, Posted by Matt in Notes from Matt, 2 Comments

Introducing The Map!

I have an announcement to make.

I love maps! I really love maps! Which is why I’ve spent quite a few hours creating one for the DiscoveringKorea.com blog (see the “The Map” tab in-between “Destinations” and “Links” at the bottom of the “Regions” menu (UPDATE!).

Starting today, all of the destinations covered on the blog since we started last September are mapped on our very own, interactive Google Map. Thanks to Google Maps, we now have a new visual resource to help you plan where to go for brunch, or what sights you can check out on your weekend trip to Gangwon Province.

Simply click on one of the markers to see a quick description of the destination. Each write-up also includes a link to the full blog post for more detailed information. Also, I’ve color-coded the markers so you can quickly get an idea of say, what Nature or Buddhist temple destinations, are in your area.

To zoom in on a particular area, just double-click (but try not to click on a marker). You can also customize your map and switch between street detail, satellite, or (my favorite) terrain view.

The map will be constantly updated with new posts, as well as great restaurants and sights I find while traveling but places that don’t get into a blog post. If you have suggestions on places that I should include, please let me know! One of these days, I’ll get to adding a photo to each summary.

I hope you find “The Map” feature useful. For all you fellow map dorks out there, I hope it’s also fun!

Best, Matt