I hope you have a great Christmas and New Year! We have an exciting new look coming for ImAFish very soon! Until then here is a trippy Christmas Tree.
Korea enjoys a rich culture, made up of a mixture of deeply historic elements alongside modern aspects like the blossoming K-pop world. Visitors to Korea can enjoy a variety of cultural and modern experiences unique to this fascinating country. Read on for ten fantastically unique products that can only be found in Korea.
K-Pop and Korean Drama Merchandise
K-pop, or Korean pop music and culture, is taking the world by storm, and is largely responsible for the burgeoning popularity of Korean dramas. Television dramas like Descendants of the Sun have enjoyed worldwide popularity, and Korea knows how to capitalize on the unexpected popularity of its pop culture.
K-pop merchandise can be found almost everywhere in Korea, but the real treasures lie in licensed souvenir shops run by major entertainment agencies.
Socks
While socks are certainly not a uniquely Korean item, the prevalence of sock-buying opportunities and the wide range of colors, designs, and characters available undoubtedly is. And they're not just targeted to children, as wearing socks emblazoned with favorite characters or even political figures is commonplace for modern Korean people too.
In fact, sock buying so common in Korean culture that sock vending machines can be found in popular areas of Seoul.
Cute Trinkets and Phone Cases
Much like the "kawaii" culture in Japan, Koreans love anything tiny and cute. Many cute items can be found throughout Seoul and other parts of Korea, from tiny teddy bears and dolls to intricate miniatures on keychains, and trinkets to attach to bags and cell phones.
As an offshoot of Korea's "cute" culture, the selection of cell phone cases available to purchase is almost unrivaled in Korea. The range of cases in the United States is a tiny proportion of what is available in other parts of the world, so it makes sense to bring home a selection of cell phone cases for yourself and as souvenirs for friends and family.
Beauty Products
BB Cream is one of the hottest beauty items on the market today, and by all accounts its popularity will only continue to rise. With BB Cream being a uniquely Korean invention, it is little wonder why people are exporting it in all its forms around the world.
But the Korean beauty market is so much more than BB Cream, with facial packs being another common and inexpensive item in Korea. In addition, a selection of strange and unusual beauty products can be found, from jaw massagers to double-eyelid tape, and antibacterial hand wipes to facial slimming masks.
Hanbok
Back to the traditional, the hanbok is for Korea what the kimono is for Japan. And just like in Japan, Korean men and women still wear their hanbok with pride during celebrations and social occasions. Visitors to Korea can order a custom-made hanbok, however they don't run cheap and can take up to three weeks to made.
As such, a variety of hanbok dolls and teddy bears are available for sale at various places throughout Korea, which have proven to be popular keepsakes.
Soju
Soju is the Koreans' alcoholic drink of choice, and like much of Korean culture, has become so popular overseas that the most well-known soju brand, Jinro, has been known to outsell other popular liquors in the United States.
A clear liquid like vodka, soju is typically made from rice and is considered to be quite bitter to taste, and not as strong as vodka.
Soju was traditionally made from rice, until rice shortages from the mid-1060s until the turn of the century caused the government to prohibit the use of rice in soju distillation. Creators needed to become inventive, and even today soju can be found with a tapioca, barley, wheat, or sweet potato base. The more expensive brands are once again made from rice, and soju that has been aged ten years in oak barrels carries a premium price.
Traditional Korean Masks
Masks have long featured in Korean culture, in royal courts, battle uniforms, ceremonies, and rituals. Today, traditional Korean masks still play a role in re-enactments of traditional plays and ceremonies, and as good-luck charms.
Korean Tea
Korea has a strong tea culture, with a variety of traditional and newer teas available. Meshil (sweet plum tea) and omija (five taste tea) are traditional variants that are still widely enjoyed today, while jakseolcha, an expensive form of green tea made from only the young buds of the leaves, is a firm favorite.
Hanji
Koreans have been making traditional paper, known as hanji, for thousands of years, and the tradition still endures today. Made from the bark of the mulberry tree hanji was traditionally used to over the windows, doors, and walls in Korean houses, but today is more commonly used for artistic purposes including stationery, paper dolls, and lamps.
Folding Fans
Folding fans have long been a part of Korean culture, with their use being considered essential, even in colder weather. Folding fans are widely available for purchase, and have traditionally been used as props in Korean dances and performances, providing shelter from the elements, and even to hide a person's face from onlookers.
Which of these products would you be most interested in bringing home from a trip to Korea? Are there other quintessentially Korean products that should be included on this list? Have your say in the comments below, and please like and share this article.
References
17 Uniquely Korean Items to Buy in Seoul - http://www.gpsmycity.com/articles/73-17-uniquely-korean-items-to-buy-in-seoul.html
A Guide to Cool “Korean” Things to Buy in Korea - http://grrrltraveler.com/countries/asia/korea/cool-things-to-buy-in-korea/
Top 20 Things To Buy In Seoul To Take Home - https://blog.trazy.com/2016/07/07/top-20-things-to-buy-in-seoul-to-take-home/
Top 13 Korean Souvenirs That Friends Will Love You For - https://www.tripzilla.com/buy-souvenirs-south-korea/19531
10 Best Seoul Souvenirs Worth Your Money - http://www.therealtravelers.com/south-korea/seoul/10-best-seoul-souvenirs-worth-your-money/
Top 10 Items to Buy in Seoul - http://english.visitseoul.net/top10/Top-10-Items-to-Buy-in-Seoul?indexSn=1§ionSn=77
Items to Buy - http://www.lifeinkorea.com/shopping/items.cfm
Local web development agency, The Web Orchard, picked up a gold award at the annual Mayor of Shrewsbury’s awards ceremony last night. The current Mayor of Shrewsbury, Councillor Miles Kenny, presented the annual accolades to individuals and businesses which have made a significant contribution to the town during the twelve months of his office.
After previously picking up gold and silver awards for their other business ventures they were presented the gold business award in recognition of The Web Orchard’s enhancement of the economy of Shrewsbury.
Speaking of their award Pete White, Director at The Web Orchard, said, “We’re thrilled to have recognition for the hard work we’ve put into establishing The Web Orchard as one of Shrewsbury’s leading web development agencies.”
Based in Shrewsbury Town Centre, The Web Orchard, complete projects for organisations from all around the world and provide Drupal and WordPress development, managed hosting and marketing services.
Since The Web Orchard’s formation in 2007 the company has worked with a number of clients including the Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service, Original Shrewsbury, Love Shrewsbury and Telford Shopping Centre.
When someone slips and falls on your property, the law usually goes by “premises liability.” However, in cases involving trespassing, things can quickly get complex. Although it’s rare that a trespasser who gets hurt on another’s property can recover for their injuries, there are exceptions. If you are a property owner, knowing what those exceptions are is imperative so that you don’t leave yourself vulnerable.
The general rule is that if someone is on your property and they do not have permission to be there, then you hold no responsibility if they are hurt. The exceptions are:
- If you have acted either aggressively or violently toward them and those actions end in their injury.
- If you have been egregiously negligent and expected that trespassers might enter your property, and have done nothing to make sure that conditions are safe. An example would be if you knew that there was a serious hazard on a property you owned and that someone could easily gain access, but you didn’t put up signs to warn anyone who came onto your property. Not alerting people that your property is highly dangerous means that you could be found liable for their injuries.
If you are chasing an intruder from your property, that does not make you liable for any injuries they sustain. Also, if you use a “reasonable” amount of force to get them off your property, then you likewise won’t be found liable for any injuries. If you use deadly force, however, or you use the threat of bodily harm, then that might be grounds for liability.
Special cases - like undocumented immigrants who trespass and are injured
In states like Texas where there is a large undocumented immigration population, trespassing is very common. In 2014, the Texas Supreme Court ruled in favor of property owners when it came to liability when their properties were trespassed on by immigrants who got hurt. The specific case involved three undocumented immigrants who were trying to escape border control; they trespassed onto someone’s property and were killed.
The court ruled that the property owner was not liable for the trespassers’ deaths if the deaths were self-inflicted. Also, since the trespassers were engaging in illegal activities at the time, they forfeited their rights. Committing criminal acts, like smuggling drugs, meant that they gave up any rights they had, and the property owner could not be held liable for their deaths.
Do you need to put up a no-trespassing sign?
If you own property where hazards may or may not exist it is always a good idea to post a no- trespassing sign to warn individuals that they can be hurt if they come onto your property. That way people understand that it is private property and that if they pass over the boundaries, they are trespassing onto your private land. In some instances, you can protect yourself from premises liability simply because you gave written or verbal warning not to be on your property.
If you don’t have a fence around your property, then it’s a good idea to post signs to set boundaries. If it is a normal traveling route, then marking it, either through posting signs or putting marking on trees, will indicate to those who are crossing over onto private property that they do not have consent and are trespassing. If you have any specific hazards on the property then, yes, it is always a good idea to put up warning signs to protect yourself and to limit your liability.
If someone is injured while on your property, your liability will be determined by the specifics related to their injuries. One factor that will greatly affect if you are liable for a person’s slip and fall injury is whether or not you gave consent for them to be on your property.
Even if they were trespassing and didn’t have your permission, there is still a chance that you might be held liable for their injuries, which is why you want to have a slip and fall lawyers in your corner to ensure that you know what your rights and responsibilities are as a property owner.
You’ve worked hard your whole life. You’ve saved up, you’re ready to settle down and retire, but you don’t exactly know what’s in store with your state pension. Before you get to retirement age, you should know exactly what’s happening with your pension funds!
When it comes to UK pensions, the triple lock guarantee is what’s currently in the news. The triple lock was created to make sure you could buy what you needed with your pension once your reach retirement age. But what exactly is the triple lock program, and what is going on with it right now?
Pension Basics
Pensions are set aside so that you can pay into state funds during your working years, and take from them when it’s time to retire. It’s not exactly playing the stock market, which can actually take longer than you think to hit it big, it’s more like a government run foundation for your retirement funds.
The current pension plan, known as the triple lock pension plan, will make sure that pensioners get a certain amount of money for their retirement based on inflation rates. The amount paid to retirees will then grow with the rate of inflation over time.
The Triple Lock Pension
Created by the Coalition government in 2010 and 2011, this pension plan was a guarantee to increase the pension payments at a steady rate. The Conservative-Liberal Democrat government from nearly a decade ago decided that the idea was to keep pensioners from suffering from the random increases in pensions that happened in the early 2000’s.
- The triple lock keeps your pension growing at the same rate as inflation.
- This makes is so you can get the same amount of food, goods, services for your money as the year before.
- This leaves the 75p a week rise in state pensions at the door!
- This pension plan makes it so your income isn’t deteriorated by the increasing cost of living in the UK.
The triple lock pension is great on paper, but the reason it’s in the news lately is because the overall price it costs to make this guarantee a reality.
The State of Your State Pension
Because the Triple Lock will cost tax payers an estimated £45 billion in a little over a decade, there is a huge debate over whether it should stick around! Knowing whether you can rely on the triple lock for your retirement income should be priority if you’re at the age of retirement right now.
The current pension was to increase to 6.6% of GDP (gross domestic product) two years ago in 2016 and expected to rise to 8.5% of GDP by the year 2060. However, after 2060, it is predicted that the Triple Lock plan will go down to 8.1% if a cheaper pension is put in place.
However, if retirement isn’t in the cards in the next few years, there are other alternatives that are on the table for state pension plans.
Alternatives
There are plenty of private alternatives for saving for your retirement, but when it comes to the state pension plan, there are tons of options up for discussion. Discussions for reducing it to a double lock, or moving it from a 2.5% minimum growth per year to a smaller growth per year, is being heavily considered
However, trying to predict the rates of inflation can be extremely tricky! Although there are lots of benefits of online gaming, and you can hit it big on the jackpots, you shouldn’t rush out the door to gamble your pension away!
Keep an Eye Out
With a growing society, and many people living for longer, the UK’s elected officials have a lot to consider. From the overall cost, to all of the technicalities of predicting inflation, you should look out for your future by keeping an eye out on what is happening with your pension!
You can check on your pension now, or you can watch the news to see what your future income will be like when you retire. Either way, a lot of changes may be on the horizon for your gold year financials!