Category: Stories

Korean Myths, Korean Fairy Tales (1)- the 1st Verse of Changsega

When I was young, one of the storybooks I loved the most was a collection of Andersen’s fairy tales that my mother read to me when I was going to sleep.

It was a somewhat thick book, containing many stories in small letters. My mother continuously read that book to the three of us siblings when we were young, until the book became worn out from use. I guess I was so young at that time that I could not read the letters by myself. The reason I think so is because I do not have any memory of reading that book on my own. The story I requested from my mother many times was “The Swineherd Prince.” The princess was greedy, wanting only strange and wonderful objects. She had no interest in a person’s heart, and it was the story of the swineherd prince teaching the princess a lesson.

After that, my mother sang Mozart’s and Schubert’s lullabies to me. I have a strangely poor memory for music lyrics, so I sadly cannot memorize any songs. However, the only song I was able to remember was Mozart’s lullaby, thanks to my mother. But I could not memorize the slightly difficult(?) Schubert lullaby, and because of that, I also could not sing it to my two daughters. The Mozart lullaby is simple, and the Schubert lullaby is more sweet and gentle (this is my personal feeling).

While raising my two children, I also sang Mozart’s lullaby to them. However, they asked me to sing the Schubert lullaby that their grandmother sang, and once again I struggled because I could not sing it. My first child fell asleep quickly not through stories, but when I scratched her back and touched her ears. My second child eventually developed the habit of falling asleep quickly not by the fairy tales I read, but by books read aloud by a YouTubers. Both my first and second children liked Andersen’s stories. Both my first and second children also liked Korean myths. However, my second child had no interest at all in Koran fairy tales, so it was difficult for me to read them to her. Also, in reality, I was not able to read many Korean myths to them either. In the USA, the sources are limited.

My first child reads Korean well, but my second child finds reading Korean difficult.

Besides that, since I consider these stories interesting myself, I thought, “Why not write them down here sometimes?” and I started this.

Changsega (창세가): Song of Creation

When one hears the word “Changsega (창세가)”, one would probably think of the Book of Genesis in the Bible.

Among Korean people, I do not know how many have read and remembered this Changsega as a traditional fairy tale or myth. However, because one of my favorite books is Professor Shin Dong-heun’s Living Korean Myths, I thought I would write this story by referring to that book and through internet research.

Changsega is said to be an epic shamanic song (seosa-muga, 서사무가) that was transmitted in the Hamgyeongnam-do region of Korea. More precisely, it was a shamanic song that was passed down orally from generation to generation among shamans (mudang, 무당).

In 1923, a female shaman named Geum Ssang-dol-i (금쌍돌이), who was 68 years old at that time, performed and recited this story. A person named Son Jin-tae (손진태) recorded it and included it in Joseon Singa-yu-pyeon (조선신가유편).

Today, I try to translate the first verse of the Changsega.

Before reading the original text…

Before reading Changsega, it is helpful to understand a little about the traditional Korean view of the universe.

In ancient Korean beliefs, stars were not seen only as distant lights in the sky. They were also believed to have a connection with human life, fate, birth, death, and fortune. Certain groups of stars were thought to influence the destiny of people.

The Bukdu Chilseong (北斗七星, the Big Dipper) was often believed to be connected with death and human lifespan. It was regarded as a group of stars that had power over the length of a person’s life.

The Namdu Chilseong (南斗七星, the Southern Dipper) was traditionally believed to govern birth, and blessings during life.
In folk beliefs, while the Big Dipper was associated with the end of life, the Southern Dipper was associated with the beginning and continuation of life.

The Jikseong star (直星) refers to a star believed to be connected with an individual’s destiny. According to traditional belief, each person was born under a certain Jikseong star, which influenced their lifespan, fortune, misfortune, and blessings. These beliefs show the traditional Korean understanding that the world of heaven and the world of humans were closely connected.

Lord Maitreya (Mireuk-nim, 彌勒): In Buddhist tradition, Maitreya refers to the future Buddha who is believed to appear in the future.
However, in Korean folk mythology, especially in Changsega, Mireuk-nim appears as a creator deity who forms heaven and earth and establishes the world of humans. The figure reflects a blending of Buddhist influence with older Korean mythological traditions.

Jangsam (장삼, 長衫): A traditional long robe worn in Korean Buddhist and ritual contexts. In Changsega, Lord Maitreya creates his own jangsam from kudzu fibers, reflecting his role as a creator figure.

Gokkal (고깔): A traditional Korean pointed ceremonial hat, often associated with Buddhist rituals, shamanic practices, and folk performances. In Changsega, it is part of Lord Maitreya’s sacred clothing.

A mal (말, 斗) was a traditional volume measure, roughly equivalent to about 18 liters in later Korean measurements, although the exact amount varied depending on the historical period and region.

A seom (섬, 石) was a much larger unit of grain measurement. Traditionally: 1 seom = 10 mal

Verse 1 — The Birth of Lord Maitreya and The Formation of Heaven and Earth

<The Beginning of Heaven and Earth>
When heaven and earth came into existence,
Lord Maitreya (Mireuk-nim) was born.
Heaven and earth were joined together,
and they did not separate from each other.
The sky rose upward like the top of a cover,
and copper pillars were erected
at the four corners of the earth.

<The Arrangement of the Sun, Moon, and Stars>
At that time, there were two suns and two moons.
Lord Maitreya took one moon and
arranged the stars of the Big Dipper and the Southern Dipper.
From one sun, he created the great stars.
The smaller stars became the Jikseong stars of ordinary people,
while the great stars became the stars of kings and ministers.

<The Making of Maitreya’s Robe>
Lord Maitreya had no clothes,
and there was no cloth from which to make them.
He dug out the kudzu vines
that stretched across mountains,
cut them down, prepared their fibers, and softened them.
He placed a loom beneath the sky,
and hung its thread-lifting device among the clouds.
Raising it with a pounding sound and lowering it with a pounding sound,
he wove and wove, until he made a jangsam (long robe) from kudzu fibers.

One full pil (匹, 필 — a traditional unit for measuring cloth) became the main body of the robe,
and half a pil became the sleeves.
Five ja (尺, 자 — a traditional unit of length, roughly about 30 centimeters) became the seop (the overlapping front part of the robe),
and three ja became the git (the collar).
When making the pointed head covering,
he adjusted the length by three ja and made it,
but it did not even reach below the eyes.
When he adjusted it to two ja and three chi (치, 寸)
and made the head covering,
it did not even reach the level of the ears.
When he adjusted it to three ja and three chi
and made the head covering,
it reached down to the level of the chin.

When making the gokkal (pointed ceremonial hat),
he adjusted the length by three ja and made it,
but it did not even reach below the eyes.
When he adjusted it to two ja and three chi
and made the gokkal,
it did not even reach the level of the ears.
When he adjusted it to three ja and three chi
and made the gokkal,
it reached down to the level of the chin.

<The Age of Lord Maitreya>
Lord Maitreya came into the world.
During the age of Lord Maitreya,
he ate saenghwasik (生火食),
taking in grains as they were, without the use of fire.
He consumed two seom at a time,
and two mal at a time.
Yet even this could not continue forever.

<Seeking the Origins of Fire and Water>
Now that I have come into this world,
the origin of water and the origin of fire
there is no one but me who must discover them.
He caught a grasshopper,
placed it upon a punishment frame,
and struck its legs three times.

“Tell me, grasshopper, do you know the origin of water and the origin of fire?”

The grasshopper answered,

“At night, I live by receiving dew, and during the day, I live by receiving sunlight. How could a creature like me know the origin of such things? Ask the green frog instead, for it has seen the world before I did.”

Maitreya caught the green frog, struck its legs three times, and asked:

“Do you know the origin of water and the origin of fire?”

The green frog answered,

“At night, I live by receiving dew, and during the day, I live by receiving sunlight. How could a creature like me know? Ask the mouse instead, for it has seen the world long before I did.”

<The Mouse Who Knows the Origin of Fire and Water>
Maitreya caught the mouse, struck its legs three times, and asked,

“Do you know the origin of water and the origin of fire?”

The mouse replied,

“What reward will I receive for this deed?”

Maitreya said,

“I will grant you possession of the world’s granary.”

Then the mouse said,

“Enter Geumdeongsan Mountain. On one side lies flint, and on the other lies steel. Strike them together, and fire will appear.”
“Enter Sohasan Mountain, and clear water will spring forth. That is the origin of water.”

Maitreya learned the origins of water and fire,
and then turned his thoughts toward the human world.

한국어 원문 보기 (클릭)
[전래신화, 전래동화] 시작전에 난 어릴때 가장 좋아했던 동화책 중 하나가 엄마가 잠잘때 읽어 주시던 안데르센동화집이었다.
약간 두꺼운 책에 작은 글씨로 여러편이 들어 있었고, 책이 나글나글할때까지 엄마가 줄곧 우리 삼남매에게 어릴때 읽어 주시던 책이었다.
내가 그 당시 글짜를 스스로 읽지 못할 만큼 어렸을 때였던 것으로 추측한다. 왜냐면, 난 내가 그 책을 직접 읽은 기억은 없기 때문이다. 내가 여러번 엄마한테 요청했던 스토리는 돼지치는 왕자였다. 공주는 신기한 물건만 갖고 싶어하는 욕심장이였고, 사람의 마음에 관심이 없어, 돼지치기 앙자가 공주를 혼내준 이야기!
그 뒤론 엄마가 모자르트, 슈베르트 자장가를 불러주셨다.
난 그 어떤 음악도 이상하리만틈 외울수가 없는 머리라, 그 어떤 노래도 슬프게도 외우지 못한다. 하지만 유일하에 모자르트 자장가를 엄마 덕에 외운다.
하지만, 조금 어려운(?) 슈베르트 자장가는 외울 수가 없어 역시 내 두 딸들에게 불러 주지를 못했다.
모짜르트 자장가는 단순하고 슈베르트 자장가는 더 감미롭다 (개인적 느낌).
나도 두 아이를 기르면서 모짜르트 자장가를 불러 주었다.
그런데, 할머니가 불러주는 슈베르트 자장가를 불러달라고 하여 역시나 애들 먹었고,
첫째는 이야기 보다는 등을 긁어 주고, 귀를 만져주면 금새 잠이 들었다. 둘째는 결국은 내가 읽어 주는 동화책이 아니라, youtuber가 읽어 주는 책에 금새 잠드는 습관이 생겨 버렸다.
첫째도 둘째도 안데르센 이야기를 좋아했다. 그리고 첫째도 둘째도 우리나라 전래신화이야기를 좋아했다. 그런데, 둘째는 전래동화에는 관심이 전혀 없어, 읽어 주기는 힘들었고, 전래신화도 실재론 많이 읽어 주지를 못했다.
첫째는 한국말을 잘 읽지만, 둘째는 한국말 읽기가 어렵다. 그것도 그렇고, 또 스스로 재미있는 이야기라 여기기 때문에, 한번 여기 가끔 써보면 어떨까 하고 시작해 본다.
창세가
창세가라는 단어를 들으면, 성경책 창세기가 떠오를 것이다.
한국 사람중, 이 창세가를 전래동화에서 읽고 기억하는 사람들이 몇명인지는 모르지만,
내가 좋아하는 책들 중 하나가 신동흔 교수님의 살아 있는 우리 신화이기 때문에, 그 책들과 인터넷 조사를 통해서 이 글을 써내려가면 어떨까 한다.
창세가는 한국 함경남도 지역에서 전승되던 서사무가라고 한다. 정확히는 무녀 (무당) 대대로 구전되어 내려오던 무가.
1923년 여무 (여자 무당) 금쌍돌이 (당시 68세)가 구연한 것을 손진태라는 분께서 채록하여 조선신가유편에 수록.

원문을 읽기 전에…
북두칠성은 죽음과 수명을 관장한다고 여겨진 경우가 많고,
남두칠성은 전통적으로 사람의 수명·탄생·복을 관장하는 별로 여겨졌어.
직성(直星) 별은 람마다 정해져 있다고 믿었던 수명·운세·재앙·복을 관장하는 별
하늘과 땅이 생길 적에
미륵(彌勒)님이 탄생(誕生)한즉,
하늘과 땅이 서로 붙어,
떨어지지 아니하소아,
하늘은 북개 꼭지처럼 도드라지고
땅은 사(四)귀에 구리기둥을 세우고.
그때는 해도 둘이요, 달도 둘이요.
달 하나 떼어서 북두칠성(北斗七星) 남두칠성(南斗七星) 마련하고,
해 하나 떼어서 큰 별을 마련하고,
잔 별은 백성(百姓)의 직성(直星) 별을 마련하고,
큰 별은 임금과 대신(大臣) 별로 마련하고.
미륵님이 옷이 없어 짓겠는데, 감(옷감)이 없어,
이 산 저 산 넘어가는, 버들어(뻗어) 가는
칡을 파내어, 베어내어, 삼아내어, 익혀내어,
하늘 아래 베틀 놓고
구름 속에 잉아 걸고,
들고 꽝꽝, 놓고 꽝꽝 짜내어서,
칡 장삼(長衫)을 마련하니,
전필(全匹)이 지개요, 반필(半匹)이 소맬러라.
다섯 자(尺)가 섶일러라, 세 자가 깃일너라.
머리 고깔 지을 때는
자 세 치를 떼쳐내어 지은즉은,
눈 무지(아래)도 아니 내려라,
두자 세치를 떼쳐내어, 머리 고깔 지어내니,
귀 무지도 아니 내려와
석자 세치 떼쳐내어, 머리 고깔 지어내니,
턱 무지에를 내려왔다.
미륵님이 탄생하여,
미륵님 세월에는, 생화식(生火食)을 잡수시와,
불 아니 넣고, 생 낱알을 잡수시와,
미륵님은 섬 두리로 잡수시와,
말(斗) 두리로 잡숫고, 이래서는 못할러라.
내 이리 탄생하야, 물의 근본 불의 근본,
내 밖에는 없다, 내어야 쓰겠다.
풀메뚜기 잡아내어,
스승(刑)틀에 올려놓고,
석문(무릎) 삼치 때려내어,
여봐라, 풀메뚝아, 물의 근본 불의 근본 아느냐.
풀메뚜기 말하기를,
밤이면 이슬 받아먹고,
낮이면 햇발 받아먹고,
사는 짐승이 어찌 알라,
나보다 한 번 더 먼저 본
풀개구리를 불러 물으시오.
풀개구리를 잡아다가,
석문 삼치 때리시며,
물의 근본 불의 근본 아느냐.
풀개구리 말하기를
밤이면 이슬 받아먹고
낮이면 햇발 받아먹고
사는 짐승이 엇지 알라,
내보다 두 번 세 번 더 먼지 본
새앙쥐를 잡아다 물어보시오.
새앙쥐를 잡아다가,
석문 삼치 때려내어,
물의 근본 불의 근본을 네 아느냐.
쥐 말이, 나를 무슨 공(功)을 세워 주겠습니까.
미륵님 말이, 너를 천하의 뒤주를 차지하라,
한즉, 쥐 말이, 금덩산 들어가서,
한쪽은 차돌이오, 한쪽은 시우쇠(鋼鐵)요,
톡톡 치니 불이 났소.
소하산 들어가니,
삼취(泉) 솔솔 나와 물의 근본.
미륵님, 수화(水火) 근본을 알었으니, 인간(人間)말 하여 보자.
Reference (click)

[Wine Bits and Sips] No. 2. Does the Glass Really Matter?


a series of Wine Bits and Sips, written by Junghyun.


for the original Korean version

The four things that determine how a wine tastes: the wine itself, the company, the food and the glass.

They say four things determine how a wine tastes: the wine itself, the people you’re drinking with, the food you pair it with, and the glass. That last one tends to surprise people.

My own glass obsession started not with wine, but with a glass. At a tasting event early in my wine journey, something on the table caught my eye, not what was being poured but what it was being poured into. It was almost impossibly light, with a long, slender stem and a bowl whose rim seemed to vanish against your lips as you drank. I asked the sommelier instructor about it on the spot, and that was my introduction to the Zalto Universal Glass. She told me the backstory with obvious delight: a wine importer-turned-sommelier had ordered them in bulk as gift packages and negotiated them down to roughly half the price of Riedel.  Which is how Zalto quietly became available in Korea at a surprisingly reasonable price. By the time she finished the story, I had already found the glass on my phone and checked out. 😄

Someone on YouTube once said that a luxury wine glass is pure happiness when it’s sitting on the table, and pure dread the moment it hits the sink. Completely agree. My Zalto glasses come out maybe once or twice a year. Washing them is just too nerve-wracking. And yet, I’d still recommend having a set of Universal glasses if you want to experience wine at its best. The clarity of the crystal shows off the color of the wine beautifully; the near-invisible thin rim gets out of the way so the wine can speak for itself; and drinking from something so weightless and refined gives the whole experience a sense of occasion. On a special evening, that feeling makes every penny worth it. My more recent addition, the Zalto Burgundy, has become a favorite for a different reason. The wide bowl is perfect for burying your nose in and chasing aromas. It’s also surprisingly useful as a makeshift decanter: if you couldn’t resist opening a wine that needs more time, pour it into the Burgundy glass and let it breathe until the bouquet opens up.

When people think of premium wine glasses, Riedel comes to mind first, particularly the Sommelier Black Tie and Red Tie series. Both Riedel and Zalto are Austrian crystal glass brands at the top of the category. Riedel leans into curves and feminine volume; Zalto is more linear, with a sleeker, more architectural feel. There are other high-end design-forward brands: Zieher and Josephine, but honestly, for home use, it comes down to personal taste.

The shape of a wine glass is designed to highlight the wine’s specific character. A wide Burgundy bowl lets you nose the glass deeply; a tall, narrow tulip flute keeps the bubbles rising beautifully. If you’re just starting to build a collection, a Bordeaux glass and a Champagne flute are the most versatile starting points. One practical tip that’s easy to overlook is the height. Online photos make it hard to judge actual dimensions, and it’s surprisingly easy to receive a glass that won’t fit on your cabinet shelf. If you’re ever served a premium glass at a restaurant, acknowledge it. Fragile, labor-intensive to care for, and expensive to replace, choosing to use fine glassware is a restaurant owner’s way of saying the guest matters. That kind of hospitality deserves a quiet nod of appreciation.

For relaxed dinners and everyday pours, stock a generous supply of mid-range glasses that neither you nor your guests need to worry about. Reliable options in this category include Germany’s Spiegelau, Switzerland’s budget-friendly Zwiesel, and Villeroy & Boch, which supplied the German royal household and remains a beautifully made, accessible option. My personal daily drivers are the Villeroy & Boch white wine glass and the Luigi Bormioli DOC from Italy, both seamless (no mold line on the stem) and both excellent value.

However, there are no rules that wine should be poured into a wine glass. Some of the most satisfying wine tastes are from a plain stackable tumbler on a weeknight after work, just pulled straight from the fridge. That’s exactly the right glass. 😄

Use a mild dish soap or a baking soda and citric acid mix; this removes wine stains and keeps bacteria from settling in. You may have heard that wine glasses should be rinsed with hot water only, but skipping soap is actually a hygiene concern. If a glass at a restaurant smells off when it arrives, it hasn’t been cleaned properly; ask for a replacement without hesitation.

One more recommendation: the Zalto Balance. I received a set as a birthday gift recently, and it might become my new everyday glass. It’s smaller and more approachable than the Universal or Burgundy, easy to swirl, and the wide bowl concentrates aromas beautifully. It works wonderfully with aromatic whites like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and even holds its own with Champagne. I think it’s going to earn a permanent spot on my table.

Grace Beach on Shelter Island

written by Sooyoung Kim, July 19, 2026

This is a short fiction story inspired by a daytime visit to Grace Beach.

Grace Beach is graceful and peaceful. Located on Shelter Island in California, it is one of my daughters’ second-favorite beach, after Buckroe Beach in Virginia.

On a sunny day in July, the beach is peaceful and almost tranquil. People move gracefully, and everything seems to follow a slow rhythm of waves.

Seagulls and pelicans occupy the light poles and buoys, resting peacefully. A woman in a small boat throws foods into the water, and seagulls gather around her. Suddenly two seagulls dive into the sea as if they have spotted something to eat.

Dogs run freely without leashes, splashing through the water like joyful children. Nearby, an old dog sleeps beside its elderly owner. Two young boys paddle their own small blue canoes. One boy ventures far beyond the buoys before turning back. Another small yellow canoe glides across the water with a father and his son, while the boy’s mother and little sister build sandcastles on the shore. From time to time, passing boats leave gentle ripples across the sea. 

A large family helps a boy with a disability reach the shoreline and gently lower him into the ocean. Every member of the family smiles, as though they have accomplished something deeply meaningful together. Far away, another young boy in a wheelchair makes soft humming sounds as he watches the blue ripples stretching across the sea. His father quietly listens to his song.

A park worker wearing a jacket lettered “Nature Scape” empties the overflowing trash bins and disappears down the path on his skateboard. A man plays beautiful music on his guitar, while another couple sings together half a mile away.

The fishing pier is crowded with men, women, and children. Their buckets hold only a few small fish. Nearby, others enjoy beer, sausages, and hamburgers. The smell of kimchi drifts through the air, adding an unexpected touch to the seaside atmosphere.  

Under the large trees, two or three people sit quietly on folding chairs, gazing at the sea. Men in blue-gray suits and women in pink dresses smile as they take wedding photographs with the bride and groom. 

As the day faded into night, a cool, almost chilly wind arrives. People without home gather along the beach like the sea’s night-time guests and build small fires. Volunteers bring them bottles of water and snacks. They spend the night peacefully with their dogs beside the ocean. Before dawn, they quietly disappear, as though promising to return another night.

This is a fictional story inspired by what I saw and imaged during my visit to Grace Beach on Shelter Island. 

[Wine Bits and Sips] The Charm of Wine

I share a series of Wine Bits and Sips, written by Junghyun. We invite you to start your wine journey right here, with us as your friendly guide, Junghyun.

for the original Korean version

Winery of Chateauneuf du Paoe

D·I·V·E·R·S·I·T·Y.

Before we dive into wine cellars, ratings, and the age-old debate whether an expensive bottle is truly worth its price, let me tell you why I got into wine in the first place.

The beauty of wine, I think, is this: without packing a bag or going anywhere, you can sit still and travel the world through all five senses. That’s the charm, and sometimes, honestly, it can also be the headache. Choosing a wine can feel like a multiple-choice question with answer options that spill onto the next page. You can’t always get it right. But that’s exactly why the moment you stumble upon something extraordinary feels so electrifying. One unexpected sip can make your eyes go wide in wonder. When a wine truly delights you, even the long hunting for that perfect bottle becomes a kind of play. The risk is, of course, that if you fail too many times in a row, the motivation to keep trying quietly fades away. Along with it, you lose the chance of ever finding that one wine that brings you genuine happiness. This is why, rather than picking at random, it helps to improve your odds a little bit.

That’s what this series is about.

Start with a Grape You Like

The usual advice is to begin your journey by finding a grape variety you enjoy.

Build a framework, something to anchor your choices so they’re easier to remember. In the New World, many wines are crafted from a single, well-known variety, which makes comparisons much easier. Mid-range American wines in particular tend to express their grape variety in a direct, straightforward way. Trying different bottles from the same producer, such as Long Barn or Textbook, across different varieties is a great way to map out your preferences. Textbook is best known for its reds and produces across a wide range, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, with Pinot Noir being a more recent addition to their lineup. Each grape brings its own skin thickness, natural sugars, and character, and you’ll taste these differences in the glass as distinct wine’s texture, tannins, acidity, and finishes. Once you discover a variety you love, you can begin expanding your horizons by seeking out the same grape from different countries. However, keep in mind that this is only one of many ways to explore the world of wine. 

Collaborative Harmony of Grape, Terroir, and Tradition

Wine, they say, is a joint creation of the grape, the terroir, and the winemaker’s human hand. In France, it’s traditional not to list the grape variety on the label. Bordeaux-style blends are common, and the French tend to feel that variety alone doesn’t determine the wine’s soul. They see little reason to highlight it as the primary feature. During a Bordeaux winery tour years ago, where most of the guests were American. The winemaker poured a glass of deep, dark red wine and challenged us to guess the grape. Most guessed Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah. The answer? 100% Merlot. These graphs came from vines nearly a hundred years old, rooted in the dry, stony soil of a hillside. While we were in Saint-Émilion on the Right Bank, an area where Merlot is the dominant variety and typically blended with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, that tasting was a revelation. It was the exact moment the concept of terroir finally clicked for me, instantly and completely.

I came to wine with a strong conviction that France was its spiritual home of wine, so I started there, tasting my way across the regions one glass at a time. Unlike the New World, France places terroir at the center of everything. I fell for the rich, brooding tannins of Bordeaux reds: that dark tropical fruit, the weight, and a seductive, perfume-like quality that lingers like a single drop of fragrance. A wine with real complexity doesn’t just speak to your palate. It speaks to your imagination. I’d find myself picturing an elegant woman in a field of wildflowers or something bold, dynamic, almost physical. That’s Bordeaux red to me.

The Pope’s Wine and a New Obsession

Chataeuneuf du pape bottle

Then came Châteauneuf-du-Pape (CDP), often called the Pope’s wine, hailing from the southern Rhône valley. During the Avignon Papacy, Pope John XXII built a summer residence and a winery north of Avignon, giving the region its name, which translates to the “new castle of the Pope.” While history suggests that the wines of the Rhône still required refinement at the time, leading the Pope to reportedly ship in Burgundy until local quality improved. One of the most striking features of these bottles is the embossed papal coat of arms, featuring the tiara over the keys of Saint Peter, which sets them apart from everything else on the shelf. CDP is a blend led by Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre (GSM), along with other permitted varieties [the list has been revised from 13 down to 9 permitted varieties], which gives it a characteristic complexity. As a wine built for long aging, it possesses both power and elegance that never disappoints. Rich and full-bodied, yet more reasonably priced than Bordeaux or Burgundy, so it’s become my trusted bottle. It is a wine that feels particularly right from late autumn through the Christmas season, offering a warmth from the inside out. The only catch: it’s not exactly an everyday-priced bottle. Though when you see the vineyard, where every grape is hand-harvested and farmed organically, the price starts to feel entirely fair.

Southern Rhône Syrah: the Original Heritage

One afternoon at Lotte department store wine event, a staff recommendation led me to a Southern French Syrah. 

Most people associate Syrah with Australia, but it originated in France’s south. Phylloxera (a kind of aphid) devastated the vineyards of the region in the 19th century, and the Syrah planted today is technically a reimported variety; however, something about this land remains unchanged. The combination of limestone and gravel soils, paired with the fierce Mistral wind, gives Southern French Syrah a character entirely unlike its Australian counterpart. I drank a 2012 vintage in 2023 and was struck by the kind of balance and depth that only a well-aged, high-quality wine can offer. That specific wine is no longer imported, but whenever I spot a Syrah from the neighboring Roussillon region, it goes straight into my basket. Roussillon was long known for cheap table wine, but with talented winemakers moving in, the quality has surged, and you now find genuinely excellent value there.

A Recommendation That Changed My Mind

When dining out, I often ask for a wine pairing recommendation, a habit that sometimes leads me to bottles I’d never have chosen for myself.

This is exactly what happened at a wine bar near my home. I typically did not reach for American wines, and when it comes to whites, I rarely stray beyond French Chardonnay, but this was wonderful, offering a rich, almost oily texture and ripe orange fruit, complemented by a touch of oak and just a whisper of mineral on the finish. It was quite simply delicious. Curious to see whether I could find a similar experience elsewhere, I tracked down a South African Chardonnay in the $20 range. South Africa occupies somewhere between the Old World and the New with a wine history that is much longer than most people realize. The Dutch East India Company planted vines there as early as 1662, producing the country’s first wine by 1669. By the 1880s, South Africa had become one of England’s premier wine suppliers until politics, natural disasters, and war pushed it into obscurity for decades. It was only under the presidency of Nelson Mandela that the wine industry began to rebuild. Today, South African winemakers draw from both traditions by studying Burgundian techniques while embracing the expressive, fruit-forward styles of the New World. The result is a collection of wines with a unique identity that often provide exceptional value.

Every new variety, region, and producer weaves together terroir, intention, and craftsmanship into a story that awakens all five senses. The world of wine is truly boundless.

This is how I travel the world, right from the glass on my dinner table.

Spring Flower Hyacinth

written by Younghee Lee, Essayist

for the original Korean version

Drawn by the warm sunlight, I stepped out into the yard and gently brushed aside the fallen persimmon leaves that had piled up since last autumn. As expected, beneath the leaves, pale green shoots and light purple flower buds were pushing their way up here and there. My heart, which had been shriveled during the long winter, filled with joy. I cleared away the leaves so the plants could receive more sunlight.

After Christmas and the year-end holidays pass, there are flowers that announce the arrival of spring first in my yard. It is the purple hyacinth. A long time ago, someone gifted me a pot of this plant. After enjoying its blooms, I planted the bulb under the persimmon tree. Since then, it has multiplied year after year, producing more flowers each spring. Like orchids, hyacinths grow green leaves on both sides, with a flower stalk rising from the center. Dozens of small blossoms cluster neatly along the stem, forming a single beautiful flower. Every morning, new stalks emerge, creating a feast of purple blooms, which is truly a breathtaking sight.

Looking up the meaning of the flower, I found that the hyacinth symbolizes “eternal love.” In Greek mythology, both Apollo, the sun god, and Zephyrus, the god of the west wind, fell in love with a young boy named Hyacinthus. The boy was exceptionally handsome, athletic, and even brave on the battlefield. Ultimately, Apollo and Hyacinthus became lovers.

One day, the two held a competition in a field to see who could throw a discus further. As Apollo caught a discus brilliantly thrown by Hyacinthus and hurled it high back toward him, Zephyrus – watching the scene in a fit of jealousy – blew a gust of wind. The wind caused the discus to strike the boy’s forehead, and he died. Clasping the boy in his arms, Apollo grieved. As he wept, he sprinkled the blood from the boy’s head onto the grass and promised to bring him back to life as a beautiful flower. Soon after, a flower bloomed from the blood-stained grass, and that flower is said to be the purple hyacinth.

Hyacinths carry different meanings depending on their color. Purple is eternal love and sorrowful love.  Red is love that lingers in the heart. Yellow is courage and win in love. Blue is the joy of love. White is peaceful love. Pink is playfulness and charm. While these expressions may seem distinct, all these meanings seem to represent the many emotions we experience when we love someone.

After the hyacinths fade, wood sorrel (Oxalis, called love plant in Korea), though never planted, spreads across the flower bed. Could it be the lingering traces of a love that didn’t fully blossom?

Then, the persimmon tree, jujube tree, and roses bloom in turn, completing the full arrival of spring in the yard. Watching this scene, I feel as though my own heart is blooming along with the flowers.

When spring arrives, flowers, grass, and trees do their absolute best to sprout and bloom. In doing so, they capture people’s attention and receive their love. They don’t even require much: a drink of water every few days and a few grains of fertilizer whenever they come to mind. Often, I don’t give them any fertilizer at all throughout the year. Still, as if keeping a promise, they bring us joy every day with a different appearance each time spring returns. Shouldn’t we also repay someone for the joy and beauty that nature gives us? Shouldn’t we, like the flowers and trees in our garden, sprout and bloom for someone else? It isn’t that difficult. It can be as simple as giving a bright greeting like a flower, yielding your spot in the checkout line at the market to someone with fewer items, not comparing yourself to others, avoiding greed, and not looking down on those around you.

Just as blooming a flower doesn’t require any extraordinary nutrients, we too can achieve this with just a little bit of effort. We are living in the age of AI (Artificial Intelligence), but I don’t believe we should live by relying solely on computers instead of people. No matter how beautifully a computer creates a flower, it is not a “real” flower. No matter how well an AI robot is made, how could it ever be the same as a human? Even the most wicked person has tears, don’t they?

There are times when we must not simply rush forward. If there is a terrifying cliff ahead and you keep running, you might fall and meet with disaster. Looking at a world where AI dominates every field, I am reminded of the 18th-century French Enlightenment thinker Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He argued that the excessive development of civilization, science, and art makes humans dangerous, corrupts them, and causes inequality. This is a theory worth reflecting on once again. For seniors like us, who must gradually slow down, the arrival of an era driven by artificial intelligence feels somewhat worrying.

I believe Rousseau’s famous words, “Return to Nature,” serve as a warning to us. It is a cry to recover the inherent purity, autonomy, and moral intuition of humanity. I fear that “evil robots” might emerge and harm mankind. We humans have a duty to protect this Earth. God gave us this “Garden of Eden” called Earth in the vast universe. Just as every flower has its own unique characteristics, we humans must also exercise our individuality and traits to create a beautiful paradise.

A Christian Funeral


written by Younghee Lee, Oct 30 2025

For the Korean version

A few days ago, my husband and I attended the funeral of someone we barely knew, the wife of a friend of my husband’s. 

I had met her only once before, more than ten years ago, at her father’s funeral. She was the eldest daughter-in-law. After the service, several of my husband’s classmates gathered with their spouses, but she did not greet us. Instead, she stood apart, speaking eagerly with someone else. None of us got over to greet her as well. It was unusual, and I’ve remembered it ever since. 

I hoped to tell my husband to go by himself, but the funeral hall was some distance away from us, and my husband was not young, and we decided to attend together since the bereaved husband had personally sent the notice, and we felt it was right to go.

At the entrance to the funeral hall, we met the deceased’s husband. He looked worn and solemn, dressed in a white mourning suit. We exchanged greetings quietly, offered our condolences, and took a seat inside where the casket was placed. 

The portrait of the deceased—gentle and faintly smiling—was displayed on either side of the altar. That image was completely different from how I vaguely remembered her. She appeared warmer and more serene than I remembered. We met two of my husband’s classmates and sat together with the classmate who had come alone. 

The service began under the guidance of the deceased’s nephew, a pastor.  Prayers were offered and hymns were sung, following the order of service, and three of her four children shared brief memories of their mother. Only the youngest son spoke at length, sharing about his mother and her faith.

Next came the tributes from friends, many of whom were medical doctors like her husband. One man, visibly unwell, spoke while remaining seated. In a steady but solemn voice, he said, “None of us came here today for the deceased or for her family. We came for ourselves. No matter how faithfully one attends church, unless one is born again, one cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” He quoted John 3, the words of Jesus to Nicodemus about spiritual rebirth.  It was continued. Someday, the deceased came and asked, “Were you reborn? While he just does and lives good habits with his mother’s religion. First her question startled him, and he even felt offended and uncomfortable, but the remark of the deceased allowed him to look back and experience the rebirth and still live with the rebirthed religious faith. Soon, the atmosphere became solemn as everyone reflected on themselves. 

Next it was the deceased’s husband’s turn. He spoke of how they met—how she had come to America and devoted herself to raising their four children and supporting him. His voice trembled as he recalled those early years. 

Fresh out of medical school, he was drafted and assigned a pressure sore patient, but he had never had any operation before. He continued that, unable to decline in front of his subordinates, he mustered the courage to proceed with the surgery, and thanks to the use of U.S.-made (Mijae), Mycin, the patient fortunately made a full recovery. At that time, the corpse used U.S.-made medication. The word “Mijae” caused a burst of laughter.  When we were young, the U.S. products were the best. The word that he succeeded in treating that patient spread widely, and even the community school’s principal visited, and that’s how he eventually met his wife. Standing before her, he reminisced about their youthful days.  A quiet ripple of warmth moved through the room. 

He planned to tell five grateful memories about her, but due to time constraints, he only shared three. How could it be only three? Even the fact that, in her youth, she declined a position as a KBS announcer and chose instead to serve as an announcer for Far East Broadcasting in Korea was itself a testament to the death of her faith. 

When he spoke about his wife, he said that memories came flooding out one after another, like sweet potato stems trailing in a row, and once again the funeral hall erupted in laughter. It was a heartwarming funeral.

The deceased, who passed away at the age of 85, wore the same serene smile from the very beginning, as if satisfied, displayed on both the upper corners of the frontal portrait. As the service drew to a close, the daughters continued to weep with the unmistakable grief of forever bidding farewell to their mother.

The words of Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 came to mind: A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death better than the day of birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. 

Most of those present were Christians, yet beyond doctrine, there was a shared understanding, an awareness that life does not end here, and that one must prepare for what lies beyond. 

The essential truth is that before death, no one is exempt. On this autumn day, with the sky so high, I felt I had glimpsed an answer to how I ought to live the remaining time of my life. All the way home, the hymn sung by the deceased’s sister and family, There, in that place, with the Lord, we shall live forever echoed in my ears.

Looking Back on 2024 and 2025, and Still Dreaming of a New Start

When my most recent biotech workplace shut down, I found myself at a crossroads. I still had the energy to dream of building a biotech startup, but after watching two companies I worked for shut down, I couldn’t even convince myself it would succeed.

So, instead, I took a different path. I enrolled in a free nursing course, a CNA program near my home, because I wanted to learn how I could continue helping others. That choice took me back in time to 1997–1998, when I worked with my college seniors in the psychology therapy club Torch Band and visited juvenile detention centers and psychiatric hospitals. Later, in 2008, I also learned about sandplay therapy. Those memories resurfaced as I began my new journey in nursing. After receiving my CNA certification, I worked at a nearby memory center while also preparing for pre-nursing courses. Since my previous college studies hadn’t included all the required U.S. nursing prerequisites. For example, I had taken animal physiology but not human physiology, so I needed to fill such gaps. At the memory care where I worked for a while, I noticed that quite a few seniors struggling with memory loss also had glaucoma. I can’t say that’s scientifically proven. I just noticed that some studies failed to show significant statistics on the connection. Someday, if I have the time, I’d love to dig into Korea’s public medical insurance datasets and explore the common mechanisms behind these conditions in more detail. What made me truly happy was seeing positive changes in the seniors with memory problems I cared for.

Maybe my interest in nursing was also influenced by my first daughter. In high school, she joined a medical club, and before college, she even took part in a high school internship program at Scripps Hospital. Later, even after choosing computer science as her major at UC Davis, she pursued EMT training. But in the summer of 2025, both of us stepped away. I quit my role as a care manager, and she stopped EMT training. That early summer, she was struck by a virus and diagnosed with meningitis. For nearly a month, her life was at risk, and I stayed by her side, helping her fight to survive. It brought back memories of my own hospitalization, when I spent a month with a high fever and no diagnosis. I still remember that near-death moment. Even in that split second, the experience remains etched vividly in my mind.

Even now, I still want to learn more about clinical care, but at the age of 50, it feels too late, less enjoyable, and not quite aligned with my current situation. While taking some pre-nursing courses, I also began exploring computer-related courses online and still hope to keep learning new things. My dream of starting a biotech company inspired me to explore publishing ventures, try self-publishing, and eventually start a nonprofit with my younger daughter. She is actually the founder and guiding force behind the BunnyPals Foundation. BunnyPals started as a small club for kids who had bunnies, but now it has grown to include writing and craft clubs, as well as Korean language learning. I hope to help children nurture creativity, compassion, and environmental awareness through artistic expression, storytelling, and community engagement. I also dream of helping them become authors of their own creative works.

Part of me still dreams of returning to research or building a research-focused nonprofit or startup. I wait for that dream. 

Looking back, my life has been a journey of choices. Some I treasure, some I wonder about. For example, I once had the chance to pursue medical school or clinical psychology, but I didn’t. Do I regret it a little? Yes. But deep down, I know that even if I could go back, I might still choose this same path.

As an undergraduate in Korea, I never knew clinicians could also be researchers. I simply wanted to discover something new and contribute to patients’ well-being as a scientist. Also, I know if I chose a different path, I would have never researched. Now, though, I believe that for most people, education and lifestyle changes should come before medication.

To my juniors, including my daughters, I hope you’ll always find the resources you need for your career paths and that you’ll follow not just ambition but also your heart. May you always be wise enough to find balance between life, work, and money.

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