NEW YORK (AFP) ― An American grandmother, who on Sunday was the oldest woman to compete in the New York marathon, died a day later. She was 86.Joy Johnson from San Jose, California, took just under eight hours to complete the 42.2-km race through all five boroughs of the biggest city in the United States.She stumbled and hit her head at around the 20th mile. But she went to the medical tent only after completing the race and declined their insistence that she go to hospital.“She never really ran

PeopleNov. 6, 2013

Award-winning chef Charlie Trotter, a self-taught culinary master whose eponymous Chicago restaurant elevated the city's cuisine and provided a training ground for some of the nation's other best chefs, has died at the age of 54.Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said rescue crews were called around 10 a.m. Tuesday to his Lincoln Park home, where they found Trotter unresponsive. Langford said an ambulance crew transported Trotter to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he died aft

CultureNov. 6, 2013

Expats in Daegu are invited to “Throw the D’art” with a new cultural event in front of Kyungpook National University on Saturday. The event, organized by the Daegu Green Consumers Network and the I Love Daegu Citizen Association, is an effort to create relationships between local young artists and foreigners.“Through this network, we look forward to consistent activation of culture and art activities in Daegu,” the organizers said.The stage events for “Throw the D’art” will start at 4 p.m. with

Expat LivingNov. 5, 2013

Community Korea will celebrate its fourth Expats’ Day on Nov. 17 at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Discounted tickets are available to expats for the match that day against Incheon United. Seoul, which is in this year’s Asian Champions’ League Final, is fourth in the K League Classic, while Incheon is sixth. Tickets are 8,000 won in advance and 10,000 won on the day. Regular price tickets are 12,000 to 20,000 won.More than 10,000 expats attended the event last year, organizers said. Performances by b-

Expat LivingNov. 5, 2013

Daegu Theatre Troupe will hold a 24-Hour Theater Project on Friday and Saturday, with teams looking to come up with a short play in just a day.Writers and actors will meet at Who’s Bob on Friday at 10:30 p.m., where they will be assigned into groups.Writers will then each be given three props that they have to write into a script by 8 a.m. These scripts will be given to the acting groups to practice on, eventually performing the plays later that day, at 8 p.m. at the YMCA.Participants in the fes

Expat LivingNov. 5, 2013

Remembrance Poppies are now available from the British and Canadian Embassies.They can be obtained from the front gate of the British Embassy and the lobby of the Canadian Embassy in Seoul.The poppies are free, but the British Embassy is accepting donations for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal, which supports former and current military personnel. Bracelets and other poppy items are also available from the British Embassy.Poppies are worn in Britain and Canada around Remembrance Day, whic

Expat LivingNov. 5, 2013

STOCKHOLM (AFP) ― When the Stockholm Film Festival opens Wednesday, the jury will include world-famous Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei ― in spirit only, represented by an empty chair he designed himself.The 56-year-old Ai, who is not allowed to leave China, was deliberately chosen for the film fest, whose theme this year is “freedom,” even though he was never likely to attend.“I feel very good about being part of the jury because for me it’s always important to get involved,” he told AFP by t

FilmNov. 5, 2013

BERLIN (AFP) ― The discovery in a rubbish-strewn flat in Germany of nearly 1,500 paintings including works by Picasso and Matisse looted by the Nazis sparked urgent calls Monday to hunt for their rightful owners.The shock find was reported Sunday by news weekly Focus, which valued the works at around 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion). German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Berlin had been aware of the case for “several months” and was assisting an investigation by public prosecutors with

PerformanceNov. 5, 2013

HONG KONG (AFP) ― Jung Chang says she does not enjoy arguments, but the latest book from the writer whose works are banned in China is proving to be typically contentious.The “Wild Swans” author has offered a revisionist account of Empress Dowager Cixi, the concubine who ruled behind the scenes from 1861 until her death in 1908.A powerful figure who unofficially controlled the Manchu Qing Dynasty for nearly 50 years, Cixi governed during a tumultuous period in which she faced internal rebellions

CultureNov. 5, 2013

PARIS (AFP) ― The voice of Marilyn Monroe will feature in a new television ad for Chanel No. 5 after previously unheard audio was unearthed of the screen siren confirming she wore only the iconic perfume to bed.The recording, from an interview given to Marie Claire journalist Georges Belmont in 1960, was discovered by Chanel last year and will be used in a global campaign rolling out this month.“You know, they ask you questions. Well just an example, ‘What do you wear to bed? Do you wear a pyjam

PerformanceNov. 5, 2013