Groove Korea — June 2011 by dan thwaits

The Adoption Scapegoats: Single Moms P. 86

June 2011 | Issue 56

A Photographic Journey Into Adoption P. 14

John Legend Tells Groove Why He Loves Seoul

Cooking Garak

Read Urban and Josh Foreman take a trip down to Seoul’s Garak Market to see all that it has to offer.

By Josh Foreman P. 54

P. 26

Mirrorhouse: A Full-On Musical Attack P. 38

Tunnel Rats: A Jaunt Through Seoul’s Bowels P. 52

Food & Drink June 2011

Cooking Garak P. 54

Analysis

A Photographic Journey Into Adoption P. 14

June 2011 | Issue 56 Interview: John Legend

P. 26

P. 36

P. 60

P. 52

P. 68

8 Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s On Korea Beat 10 Expats Rank Seoul Life 11 Korean Texts Slammed 12 Expat Rescues Korean Man 13 Teacher Busted for Beating Analysis 14 Adoption Photo Essay 22 Raising a Family in Korea Arts & Culture 26 John Legend Interview 32 Slaughterhouse Jive Style 33 The Finn 34 International Friends Night 36 Seoul Factory 37 Jose Antonio Nigro 38 Mirrorhouse 44 Riverstock Groove with Seoulvibes 46 Fergie

P. 46

Website: www.groovekorea.com Twitter: twitter.com/groovekorea Facebook: Groove Korea (Magazine/Group)

Destinations 50 Philippine Fishing Village 52 Bowels of Seoul Food & Drink 54 Cooking Garak 60 Custard Curse 62 Scrambled Eggs 64 Dak Galbi

Cover photo by:

josh foreman

Publishers: Sean Choi and MJ Kim

Music Editor: Summer Walker

Community Editor: Rob McGovern

Editor-in-Chief: Matthew Lamers

Travel & Food Editor: Josh Foreman

Sports Editor: Alex Jensen

Creative Director: Dan Thwaits

International Editor: Adam Walsh

Chief Consultant: Michelle Farnsworth

To contact GROOVE Korea for advertising, submissions or general comments, please email info@groovekorea.com or call 010-7560-5552

Community 66 Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day 68 Yellow Sea Cup 76 Busan Scuba

Disclaimer: The articles are the sole property of Groove Korea. No reproduction is permitted without the express written consent of Groove Korea. The opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

78 Listings 80 Konglish of the Month 82 Pic of the Month

Issue Date: Vol. 7, Issue 6 - June 1, 2011 Registration Date: January 25, 2008 Registration No. Seoul Ra 11806

84 Itaewon Directory 85 Hongdae Directory 86 Final Thoughts: Jenny Na

P. 82

info@groovekorea.com submissions@groovekorea.com opinion@groovekorea.com

What’s On Monday

Sunday

June 2011 Tuesday

50 Years of Religious Art in Korea, June 1-8 @ Seoul Arts Center Quiz Night Every Wed @ Craftworks in Noksapyeong. Fun for smart people! Free coloring books for dummies

1 Grand Bleu Festival - No 1 Korean, Superkidd, No Brain & More @ Rolling Hall in Hongdae Diplo @ ELLUI in Cheongdam Sunday Brunch @ Siberia restaurant in Kyeongnidan. Starting at 15,000w.

Memorial Day (National holiday) Free appetizer with menu order @ Big Rock. 5.30-9pm. SunThurs. All-you-can-eat rib eye @ Gogitjip in HBC. 15,000w. Best bbq in town.

Bloody Sunday Quiz - 1st Sunday @ Craftworks in Noksapyeong. 6,000 won Bloody Marys! Brunch starts at 11, Quiz at 1.

No Cover & 1 FREE Drink Every Sun @ Club Mass in Gangnam til midnight

19 Martin Stradtfeld Piano Recital @ Seoul Arts Center Movie Night - Every Sun @ NOXA lounge. 10pm-midnight

26 8// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

The Zoo Project @ ELLUI in Cheongdam

College Night Every Wed @ Club Mass in Gangnam. No cover & 1 FREE drink with student ID til midnight

RNB Thursday! @ Club Volume. Every Thur

Jirisan IPA 2.0 Release Party @ Craftworks in Kyeongnidan 6pm.

Bucket Night Every Fri @ Beer O’clock in Sinchon. 5 shots with mix in a bucket 12,000 won

Drag Bingo Night Every Fri @ Bar Bliss in Itaewon. 9pm

Hayley Parsons @ mASS

Dream Dance Studio opening party @ Hodge Podge in Hongdae. June 17 & 18. Bellydance by Eshe, Navah (orientale troupe), Mahadevi (tribal troupe). Djs Sukyuel of Kingston Rudieska, JellyBoy of Apollo18, Jun, JPath, and more.

Saturday Korean cooking class by O’ngo Culinary School. Mandu and Bibmguksu. 11am. 02-3446-1607

Project Kyungnidan — 4 Venues: Carmen’s, J Lounge, Blue Beer, Noxa Siriusmo @ Rolling Hall in Hongdae http://supercolorsuper.com Fermenation Trailabration. 1-5pm. http://flavors.me/fermentevent Saturday Korean cooking class by O’ngo Culinary School. Banchan and Deonjang Chiggae. 11am. 02-3446-1607 Pipe Organ Concert with Ken Cowan @ Sejong Center for the Performing Arts

Alejandro Kameda, special guest of Dominican Republic having Bachata Workshops @ America Latina in Itaewon. June 25 & 26. 7-9pm. www.korealatinandsalsa.com

Seoul-Tokyo Sound Bridge Vol. 2 @ Sangsang Madang in Hongdae

Jazz Festival Every Thur @ La Cigale Montmartre in Itaewon. 7pm

Poker Tournament Every Wed @ Fence in Nonhyun

Cirque Eloize - Rain, June 24-July 10 @ LG Art Center

Wing Night @ Orange Tree in Haebangchon. 10 for 3,000won

Spoken Word/Stand Up Comedy, Poetry Every Wed @ Tony’s Aussie Bar & Bistro in Itaewon 8-11pm

FREE Cheese Plate with Order of Bottle of Wine - Every Fri, Sat @ NOXA lounge. 5pm-1am

Kingston Rudieska, Tatles @ Sangsang Madang in Hongdae

Chang Ki-ha and Faces @ Samsung Hall – Ehwa Womans University

Asia Metal Festival - Napalm Death, Sky Lark, Revilement & More @ V-Hall in Hongdae

Harry @ ECHO MANSION Romantic Punch @ Haeundae Cultural Center in Busan

Wing Night Every Tues @ Beer O’clock in Sinchon. HALF price with NEW flavors.

Cookin’ Nanta Open run. www.nanta.co.kr

BBQ Night Every Tues @ Roofers in Itaewon BBQ Steak + beer = 12,000 won

Guinness Day Every Tues @ Gecko’s in Itaewon

Remnants of Fallen, Noeazy & More @ Sapiens 7 in Hongdae

FREE BEER with Meal Order @ Big Rock in Gangnam. 5:30pm- 8pm Everyday.

Muju Firefly Festival, June 3-11, North Jeolla Province

5 APPLE CIDERS for Only 25,000 Won - Every Fri @ Big Rock in Gangnam

All-you-can-eat Pasta Nite @ Craftworks in Noksapyeong every Tues. Mix and match four different noodles and sauces!

Wing Night Every Tues @ Nashville in Itaewon. 250won/wing. 5-8pm

Toro Y Mo @ V-Hall in Hongdae

Shooters Night Every Thur @ Gecko’s in Itaewon. Every shot 4,500 won

2 for 1 Special @ Bar Bliss in Itaewon. Everyday 7-10pm

Lady’s Night Every Saturday @ Big Rock in Gangnam. Free beer or house cocktail.

Fergie @ Ellui in Cheongdam

Happy Hour Every Wed @ Bar Bliss in Itaewon

Open Mic Every Tues @ Olde Stompers in Itaewon

Saturday Korean cooking class by O’ngo Culinary School. Sundubu and seafood pancake. 11am. 02-3446-1607

Gareth Emery @ Club Volume in Itaewon

Open Stage from 8pm Every Thur @ Dolce Vita in Itaewon

Ron Carter & the Golden Striker Trio @ Yonsei University Memorial Hall

Teacher’s Night Every Fri @ Big Rock in Itaewon. 10% OFF for all English teachers.

Ben Folds @ AX-Korea

2 for 1 Happy Hour @ NOXA lounge in Kyeongnidan. 7pm-9pm Tues-Thurs.

“Happy Hours” 8-10pm Everyday @ Big Rock in Gangnam. Fried chicken plate at 10,000w. (Up to 2 plates per table)

RocKorea in Midan city. 18 hours of Rock! www.rockorea.com

Suji’s Sky High Pastrami Sandwiches @ Suji’s in Itaewon/COEX/ Bundang. Every Wednesday after 5pm get an extra 3.5oz. of pastrami free for a 10.6oz sandwich

Richard Gere Tibet Photo Exhibition, June 14-July 24 @ Seoul Arts Center

Pre-Itaewon Party @ Siberia in Kyeongnidan. Real Russian vodka shots at 3,000w every Friday.

No Gimmicks: Clowns, Fenner, Mongoloid @ LUV SUPERLOUNGE

Korea World Travel Fair, June 2-5 @ Coex

Massage Mondays @ SKY Wellness Center in Itaewon. 1-hr full body massage and get FREE 20-minute FOOT massage.

Steak Dinner Every Tues @ Hollywood Grill in Itaewon. Only 13,500 won

Saturday

Spirit Cather @ ELLUI in Cheongdam

Jeremy Park - Salon Show @ Loco Loca in Itaewon

Drunken Chicken Night @ Gecko’s in Itaewon

FREE Seasoned Chips with Order of San Miguel Pitcher Tues-Sun @ NOXA lounge 5pm-1am.

Keith Jarrett @ Sejong Center for the Performing Arts

All Day Breakfast @ Wolfhound in Itaewon. All day, every weekday.

History of Rock Every Sun @ The Bungalow in Itaewon. 8pm

2 for 1 Fish & Chips Every Tues @ Wolfhound Pub in Itaewon

Men’s Nite @ Craftworks in Noksapyeong every Thurs. 1000w of our Geumgang Mtn. Dark Ale and each one of our 24 single malts. Dames welcome.

Big Rock Sunday brunch @ Big Rock in Gangnam. Born in 1990.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, June 7-21 @ Seoul Arts Center

Friday

Thursday

Wednesday

Probationary Theatre - Some Girls, June 24-July 9 @ White Box Theatre

George Winston @ Seoul Arts Center Wing Night @ Orange Tree in Haebangchon. 10 for 3,000won

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Korea Beat

All stories translated by Nathan Schwartzman at www.koreabeat.com — Ed.

Korean Texts Slammed for Errors, Bias

Expats Rank Seoul Life Satisfactory Results of a survey on hundreds of expats in Seoul revealed that they were most satisfied with the city’s transportation and least satisfied with their housing situation. The city surveyed 900 resident foreigners in Seoul from January through February on transportation, education, general living, medical care, and the cultural environment. It found that the average satisfaction score was 3.81 out of 5. The study found that expats were most satisfied with transportation, reporting an average satisfaction sore of 4.03, the highest of the five items. High marks were given for foreign-language transportation information and the cost of public transit. Not surprisingly, satisfaction with taxis was relatively low. “Foreigners were dissatisfied most with being refused by drivers and with being over-

charged … there was also the need to improve bicycle lanes,” an official with the city said. Subways, buses, and taxis were the mostused forms of public transit by expats. As for the educational environment, it was rated 3.78 by survey respondents, higher than the 3.66 recorded last year. This is due

“Foreigners were dissatisfied most with being refused by drivers and with being overcharged … there was also the need to improve bicycle lanes,” an official with the city said. to the establishment of schools for foreigners, including a Japanese high school in Sangamdong and Dulwich College Seoul in Banpo. Further progress in the educational environment, though, was limited by opinions that tu-

The National Institute of Korean History has found that there “are in fact a significant number of errors in Korean history textbooks sent to high schools this year.” Concerns range from bias in the books to the expertise of the writing staff. According to a report issued in May to the office of Grand National Party representative Gwon Yeong-jin, of the six history textbooks approved by the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation in July of last year “most contain errors and problematic descriptions.” After this finding was sent to the Ministry of Science, Education, and Technology, the Institute responded by saying that “the

textbooks must be written by actual teachers and those with degrees in those eras of history.” Book publishers do not use primary sources when creating the texts. “When choosing materials we must be strict, but in fact, we did not use primary sources but rather secondary sources, such as statistics and newspaper articles, created by researchers,” said an institute spokesperson. The narratives in the textbooks are also problematic. “The dry descriptions and writing style reduce the readability of the text and lead students to think of history as a subject for simple memorization. We need to raise interest in history,” the spokesperson added. “When you look at this study, you have to conclude that the situation with the publisher’s materials is serious… we also have writers working on these textbooks,” an official with the Ministry said. Thirty-seven writers accused of bias formed an “association of writers of Korean history textbooks” and responded publicly. “I formed this association to respond to these baseless charges that individual writers are pro-North Korea or leftists,” said Ju Jin-oh, a professor at Sangmyung University who formed the association.

Arrest in Stabbing of American: ‘I Just Want to Kill Women’ Police in Seoul have arrested a 31-yearold prime suspect for the recent stabbing of an American embassy worker as she was shopping in Myeongdong with co-workers. He will likely be charged with attempted murder. He may also be charged with stabbing two other women in Daegu, as police are attempting to corroborate his confessions. He told police that, “I just want to kill women,” and apparently has a history of mental illness. He was nabbed because his car had been parked illegally near the scene of the crime in Myeongdong.

ition at such schools is restrictively high, and gaining admission to them is difficult. The housing environment was rated 3.55, 0.03 higher than last year, but was the lowestrated of the five items. “Satisfaction was low because of the cost of housing and the process of signing a contract … there was also discontent with the difficulty of obtaining information about housing,” the city official said. Almost 50 percent of foreigners live in a villa, and 24.2 percent live in an apartment. The cultural environment was rated 3.99. Medical treatment was rated 3.68. “We have the ability to become a top-five global city by perfecting the living environment for foreigners. Based on this survey we will reduce foreigners’ dissatisfaction and turn Seoul into a true global city,” said Shin Myeon-ho, head of economic promotion for the city.

Student Denied Dormitory Housing Due to Having Hep B National Human Rights Commission of Korea Under Secretary Hyeon Byeong-cheol has advised a high school to amend its policies after ruling that refusing dormitory housing to a hepatitis B patient is discriminatory. “Hepatitis B is very difficult to see in everyday life ... the denial of entry into dormitory housing by those with hepatitis B is invidious discrimination on the basis of medical status,” ruled the NHRCK. It went on to say that “according to the law, hepatitis B has been classified as preventable and manageable since 2000 and restrictions on employment in food service, medical care, and other public jobs have been lifted.” 10// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

“Parents and students need to be thoroughly educated on good hygiene to prevent transmission,” it said. The Korean Centers for Disease Control said, “because there is no particular danger of transmission from hepatitis B patients unless from blood, there is no medical or legal basis for denying them entry to dormitory housing.” And the Korean Medical Association announced, “there is no need for such a policy.” “The route to transmission of hepatitis B is piercing of the skin, which does not include group living and so there is nary reason to bar this student from the housing,” said the doctor who diagnosed the student in question. june 2011// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /11

Korea Beat

www.koreabeat.com

Foreign Professor Found Dead at KAIST

Expat Rescues Man From Han River Last month, a middle school student and a foreigner rescued a man in his 30s who had “fallen” into the Han River. According to police and fire authorities, at approximately 2:50 p.m., 30-year-old Mr. Ji fell over a banister into the Han River from between posts 1 and 2 at the northern tip of

the Hangang Bridge. A 14-year-old middle school student, Mr. Jeong, spotted him while walking some 20 meters away and went to his rescue. Jeong and a foreigner pulled Mr. Ji from the water with a rescue tube. Mr. Ji was taken to a hospital by police and

firefighters and showed signs of depression, but his life is not in danger. “I was walking in the park with my family when I saw that someone had fallen off of the Hangang Bridge… two or three people helped me pull him out,” Jeong said in an interview with Yonhap news agency.

At the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), beset by a number of students and professors committing suicide, a foreign professor suddenly died last month. According to KAIST, on May 4 at approximately 4 p.m. 46-year-old Canadian professor of sociology Christopher Surridge suddenly had pains in his chest as he stepped on to a train at Yongsan Station and collapsed. He died after being taken to hospital. Police are still looking into the cause of death which included interviewing his family about any chronic illnesses he may have had. Prof. Surridge began teaching English at KAIST in February of 2008. As soon as the news was announced, the KAIST community website put up The professor of a photo of him in rememsociology Christopher brance and many messages Surridge suddenly of condolence were left. had pains in his chest A KAIST official said that as he stepped on to a “Prof. Surridge used online train at Yongsan Sta- teaching methods very creatively and was well liked by tion and collapsed. his students. Nobody was more passionate than him, and we are all very saddened and heartbroken.” May 4 was just ahead of Prof. Surridge’s birthday, KAIST said, making his death even more tragic. The school held a remembrance ceremony for him on May 11 and invited his family from Canada. KAIST has now seen four students and one professor die since January.

Teacher Arrested for Giving her Student a Beating A female teacher who ignited controversy by using heavy corporal punishment on a student in her class has been arrested. The Namdong Police Station in Incheon arrested without detention 43-year-old middle school teacher Mrs. A on charges of repeatedly hitting a student in the face for being late. Mrs. A repeatedly punched and kicked 15-year old B, a male student, in the parking lot of a theme park in Gyeonggi Province. “I think I was upset, so I used excessive corporal punishment. I am sorry for causing trouble,” Mrs. A told police. After the incident, complaints flooded into the website e-People about the violent teacher B’s parents went with him to the police station on May 4 to file a complaint over Mrs. A’s beating. Police placed online the details of B’s injury, which required two weeks to heal, and even a video of the incident, and plan to gather other evidence. Another student, 15-year-old C, who also received “corporal punishment” from Mrs. A, has not yet filed a complaint. 12// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

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Analysis A Photographic Journey Into Adoption Photo essay by Jeanne Modderman A version of this photo essay appeared in Busan Haps (www.busanhaps.com)

Melissa Konomos is a Korean adoptee that had been searching for her birth mother for seven years. After one phone call from her adoption agency, she found out that they had found her birth mother and that she did want to meet Melissa. They reunited in Seoul last summer.

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Analysis According to the Global Overseas Adoptees’ Link, an adoptee-founded and run NGO, upwards of 200,000 children have been adopted internationally from Korea since the 1950s. But a more conservative estimate from the Korean Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family in 2002 put the number at 148,394. The ministry said that between 1995 and 2005, 78,000 came back to Korea to search for their families, accounting for 63 percent of the children who have been adopted abroad. Yet of those who have attempted to find their birth families, only 2.7 percent have been successful. Korea’s international adoption program continues, and according to government figures, 1,264 children were adopted from Korea in 2008. To view more of Jeanne’s work or to contact her, visit her website (http://jeannemodderman.com) Keum-joo decided to place her baby up for international adoption, as opposed to domestic adoption, so that her child might have a better chance of searching for her one day. While domestic adoption is on the rise in Korea, there is still extreme secrecy and shame related to adoption within the country.

Unwed mothers usually stay at the adoption agency’s guest house for about a month before their delivery. Less than a week later, they pack up and try to return to their lives before their pregnancy.

One week after her delivery, Sae-rong, 18, put her baby girl up for adoption. She was unaware of her pregnancy until s months in, when she noticed she had gained weight. With strong objections from her family to keep the baby and no support from her boyfriend’s family, she made the decision, like many Korean unwed mothers, to put her baby up for adoption. While staying at a home for unwed mothers, she wrote a letter to her baby, saying “When we were sending you off, I wanted to keep you in my arms. How could I be giving up my own flesh and blood? Please don’t forget about me and please look for me.” 16// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

After escaping North Korea and living in China for the past five years, Keum-joo, 30, made it to South Korea. There, she delivered a baby at an unwed mother’s home in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. With no family and little support, she chose to place her baby boy for adoption so that he might have a better life than she could provide.

Between delivery and placing them with a foster family, babies usually spend their first few weeks in the adoption agency’s nursery. The nurseries are usually crowded with a handful of caregivers to look after them.

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Analysis Nick Breedlove stares out the window as he awaits the arrival of his adopted sister from Korea.

A foster mother releases her foster child to her adoptive mother. After caring for these babies for the first months of their lives, it can be difficult, especially for first time foster mothers, to let them go.

Two dolls, one Asian and one Caucasian, lay on adoptee Jocelynâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bed.

The children pictured are unable to be adopted, even though they have grown up in an orphanage without parents. Because the biological parents did not sign consent for adoption papers, they will grow up in the orphanage until their parents return to get them or they turn 18. Korean adoptee, Jocelyn Schulken (far right) and her friends pose for a picture at their neighborhood playground.

Laura arrives at Baltimore/Washington International Airport with Lily. Laura spent two weeks visiting Korea before flying back home with her new daughter. Laura and Paul Breedlove decided to adopt their first child, Nick, after they were unsuccessful conceiving their own children. Soon after, they applied to adopt their daughter Lily.

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Jocelyn speaks on the phone to her grandmother as her mom stands by.

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Analysis

The Schulken family make sure to talk about adoption and learn about Korean culture. Jocelyn is currently enrolled in Korean Culture Camp.

Allen Majors, an adoptee from Illinois, was one of the first babies adopted out of Korea through the Holt International Adoption agency. On his visit to Seoul, he continued searching for his birth family. Due to a lack of records and information, he has had no luck.

Maria Hermann (right) is a bi-racial adoptee living in Massachusetts. On her first visit back to Korea, Maria visited the Pearl Buck International museum, one of the only agencies that found adoptive families for children of mixed race.

Amy Ginther was adopted to New York in 1983. She has become increasingly involved in the expat theater community in the three years since she has lived in Seoul. She is also the creator and star of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Between,â&#x20AC;? a one woman show about her adoption and identity.

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Jane Jeong Trenka speaks to a BBC reporter about the adoptee art installation at the National Assembly. Jane Jeong Trenka is a Korean adoptee and noted author. She has lived in Korea since 2004 and is an activist for adoptee and birth parent rights.

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Analysis

From America with Love: Raising a Family in Korea By Todd Sharp | photos by matthew lamers

On the way home, he noticed that she would suddenly turn very quiet. Only minutes earlier, in the company of friends, she had been the most outgoing of the bunch. FDates between Wayne Monk and Gu Dau-suk (English name, Luna) proceeded in this way from the middle of 1998 to early 1999. Monk, a native of New York City, had come to Korea in 1994 to teach for the Samyook Language School, owned and operated by the Korean Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Four years later, he had met Gu while teaching at the school’s branch in Haenam, South Jeolla Province and she had caught his eye through her personality, one that seemed to draw attention from those of her classmates. And so their dates began, in a fashion approved by the conservative standards of the location and Monk’s own faith, as they would go places together in groups. “She was always really affable (in the groups),” Monk recalls now. “But on the subway back … she would be extremely quiet.” So he inquired among other people, and got an encouraging reply. “They informed me that this behavior was common when a young lady likes a guy,” he says. “I became more accepting of it.” Over the next year their relationship progressed. When she moved to the Philippines to continue her English study, this prompted Monk to make multiple trips there over the next year during breaks from his teaching schedule. It was during this time that Gu says she became convinced that she wanted to marry him. “The biggest reason I wanted to marry Wayne was because I found out that he really loved me for who I was,” she says. “Wayne consistently wrote over 200 letters to me and phoned me two or three times a week during my stay in the Philippines. Come September of 1999, he finally met her family, and endured a two-hour questioning session as to whether or not he would be allowed to marry her. Gu has four older sisters, and virtually none of the family embraced the idea of her marrying a foreigner. “They even threatened to check my

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criminal background because my wife’s sister is a police officer,” Monk says. “I think that was because they were concerned about me taking her back to America and cause her to forget about her Korean ancestry,” he says now. “It was never a concern about love.” Eventually the family permitted them to marry, and they did in December of 1999. Of all the memorable things that occurred that day – the wedding itself, the class of his that sang during the ceremony – something he remembers particularly fondly is her father, the first family member to support the idea of their marriage. Gravely ill in the months leading up to their wedding, he had been unable to eat solid food or stand; in fact, he’d been unable to participate in the family meeting where Monk was permitted to marry her, as he was lying in the room next door. “However, when we had the wedding God gave him the ability to sit up for the entire process,” Monk says. His new father-in-law would pass away just five months later. Following the wedding, the family’s attitude toward Monk changed entirely, and he says they have been very supportive. Treatment from society at large wasn’t always often so kind in the late’90s, as Monk, who is black, can recall being insulted or cursed at in public. His treatment, though could’ve been worse: He knew a foreign man with a Korean girlfriend who was accosted while on the subway, and Korean women, even within the SDA church, could face severe physical abuse from family members to prevent them from seeing foreign men. Attitudes here toward international marriage have softened since then, but challenges remain at home. “I would say that when you marry internationally, communication becomes even more important,” he says. “There comes situations were you have to look through Korean eyes. “She may be speak-

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Analysis ing English, but her education, her culture, her upbringing is Korean.” For Gu, there are advantages to having a foreign husband as opposed to a Korean one; namely, no interference from a Korean motherin-law. However, she has similar concerns over language. “In having to talk to Wayne in my second language, I have found that I must realize that Wayne has different methods of interpreting my speech than the way a Korean man would,” she says. “For example, I could naturally raise my voice at a Korean man and he wouldn’t be offended by my using such a tone. “However, if I talk to Wayne in a manner, I find that that method of speech hurts his feelings or causes him to miss the real message I’m trying to pass onto him.” More than a decade after their wedding, they now live just outside of Seoul with their daughter Shi-yeon, 9, and son Jae-min, 5. Shi-yeon has been attending public school while Jae-min is homeschooled, but will begin attending public school soon. Both children have inherited much of their father’s complexion, something that concerned them when Shi-yeon started public school.

“However, none of our fears ever materialized,” he says. “My daughter seems to coast through school without much conflict at all with other children who have Korean parents.” “However, none of our fears ever materialized,” he says. “My daughter seems to coast through school without much conflict at all with other children who have Korean parents. It could be because my daughter has a very outgoing personality. She’s also very tall for her age.” With Jae-min, though, he’s not so sure the transition will be so smooth. For one, Jae-min is more reserved when meeting people, and for another, young boys are just different. “I think they’re much more verbal about the differences they see and aggressive towards them,” he says. “At this particular time I would say that there’s much more open-mindedness in the teachers and the children, (but) I still think boys have a harder time than girls, because boys are more aggressive than girls in general.” He hopes at some point that they’ll be able to attend school in the United States so that they will have more exposure to English. For now, they try watching TV in his language and each parent speaks to the children in the language they grew up with. Seventeen years after arriving in Korea, Monk no longer works for the SDA-run institute that brought him here, but maintains a deep faith, one he references when asked about returning to his homeland. “I’ll move as the spirit leads me,” he says. “I have no idea where God wants to lead me. For now Korea seems the best place to raise them.”

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Arts & Culture June 2011

John Legend: The Groove Interview By Kathy Kearns | photos courtesy of hyundai card

ohn Legend is a man who does it all. He’s a musician, songwriter, actor, philanthropist and down-to-earth, nice guy (and easy on the eyes, ladies!). His roots are in gospel and soul, yet he hits a sweet spot with the masses that makes him a household name. He’s collaborated with everyone from Snoop Dogg to Kanye West and even covered a song by up-and-coming artist Adele. Groove caught up with the Legend himself during his tour stop in Seoul, to find out what it takes to be a soul man.

This is your second time playing in Seoul, this time with two sold-out shows. How does it feel to be back in South Korea? It’s great. The fans here are super loving and receptive, energetic. It’s a performer’s dream when you get to play for people like that. I was kind of surprised the first time I came, because I had no idea how much love and support they would show. It was really good the first time and it was great last night too, and I expect that it will be tonight as well.

What excites you right now in music? Any particular emerging artists or sounds that really inspire you at the moment? Well I did a cover of an Adele song, “Rolling in the Deep,” because I really love the song and it certainly inspired me and made me want to cover it. And I actually do it in the show, so you’ll see it live if you see the show. Kanye West also inspires me, even though I work with him closely and directly, but his recorded music is actually an inspiration to me as well. He’s so creative, always pushing himself and pushing where it can go creatively — not only with the music, but also with the visuals and everything else he does. That’s always inspiring to be able to work with him and see it up close.

Your most recent album, Wake Up!, began taking shape amidst the excitement of the 2008 presidential campaign and features covers of socially and politically charged soul songs from the ‘60s and ‘70s. In addition to being politically inspirational, do you think you’ve also inspired a younger generation to discover some of these older artists, whom they might not have previously known? I would hope so. Actually, it was a discovery process for me as well, because I didn’t even know all the songs that we ended up covering on the album. I worked with ?uestlove of The Roots and he has a pretty encyclopedic knowledge of music. He has tens of thousands of records in his collection and he’s just really… like I said, an encyclopedia when it comes to music. He was able to help me select the right songs. And if we’re able to introduce people to that [type of music], then that’s another part of the mission. Like you said, there was a political mission, but there was also a tribute to a certain type of music that I love.

In addition to the Roots, you’ve collaborated with so many incredible people at this point. Is there anyone you haven’t worked with yet, with whom you are hoping to? Why? Beyonce – because, in my opinion, she’s one of the best singers of popular music. Period. Any style, any genre, she’s just incredible vocally. And I would love to write for her, because you always want your songs sung by someone who can sing like that (laughs).

You started playing classical piano at the age of 3 or 4, correct? Can you tell us a little about your first piano teacher? Did he/she play a big role in why you continued playing? I started playing when I was four, that’s when I started taking lessons. Her name was Gloria Smith and she worked out of a music store called Kinder Music, which is no longer in business. It was in my hometown, about a half a mile from the house that I grew up in. She was an older white lady who played at church and she played serene hymns, kind of very “straight” playing. And I grew up in a church that was a black church, which was more gospel and more rousing and energetic and spiritual. Both of them have a value, but it’s just different. So it was a nice yin and yang. I was also learning from my grandmother at the same time - well, not at the same time, but a little bit later - so it was an interesting mix, but I think all of it added up to me being a pretty decent pianist.

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Arts & Culture June 2011

You have such a positive energy about you, how do you maintain balance under the pressure of fame? Do you think that values your family instilled in you at an early age still help you today? I’m a good actor (laughs). I think certainly the values of my family mean something and I think growing up in a small mid-western town gives you a certain level of groundedness. But also I think the fact that I became a celebrity after I was already an adult and had already gone to college and worked in the real world, I think it gives you a sense of perspective. I think some of the kids that become stars as teenagers, it’s harder for them to learn how to interact with people, because they’ve never been an adult and not been famous. It’s weird to grow up famous and weird to grow up with people who won’t say “no” to you and people that flatter you all the time. I think it kind of changes your perspective. So, not having grown up like that, I think it gives me a certain level of calm and serenity and perspective in all of this. And I think I’m just naturally calm as well. But then I’d also say that I’m positive because my life is really freakin’ good (laughs). Why would I be negative? I have nothing to complain about.

Through your non-profit organization, the Show Me Campaign, you have been making great strides to improve the public education system in the U.S. How can your fans get involved with the campaign and help in this cause? Well, showmecampaign.org is the best way find out anything. You can donate there and students can apply for fellowship there. We give multiple fellowships of $3,000 for students to work for free at a non-profit. They just have to submit a proposal to us as to what they want to do for the summer — what area they want to work in and how 28// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

they think it’s going to help fight global poverty or fight for education reform. It’s been a good year of progress in the education reform movement. I think the film “Waiting for Superman,” which I was a part of, had a lot to do with it. There’s been a wave of governors and state legislatures of both parties that have said it’s time to get serious about reform. We found that the most important thing you can do for student achievement is having great adults in front of them every day, so a lot of the reform is happening in the area of making sure that teacher quality is kept up. Unfortunately in some of our worst schools, the biggest issue is – in addition to all of the challenges that the kids face at home and in their neighborhoods – they also have a poor quality of teacher and staff. And we just can’t have that if we are going to give equal opportunity for every kid to succeed in the country.

have a “Plan B” doesn’t mean you can’t give it your all and really put a lot of time and effort into being great at being a musician. And while you’re young the most important thing you can do is get better at whatever you do. If you want to play guitar, be the best guitarist. If you want to play piano, be the best pianist. Whatever you’re going to do, be the best at it, or try to. Now’s the time for you to practice and learn and grow and meet a lot of people who you can collaborate with, so do it.

What’s up next for you? Is a new album in the works? If so, can you tell us anything about it? Yeah, I’m working on a new album now and it’s actually pretty far along. I’ve written a lot of songs that I think will be on the album, but it probably won’t get finished until after I tour this summer, because it’s hard for me to work on an album and tour at the same time. We’ll see how much I can get done, but I’d like to have most of the songs written by the summer and then do all the production and tweaking and arranging and things of that nature, over the summer and the early fall. And then probably put a first single out in the fall.

What advice would you give to aspiring musicians today? Well, I would say that first of all it’s a difficult business to break into, so have a “Plan B,” like I did (laughs). But just because you june 2011// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// 29

Arts & Culture

korean DVD reviews By Daniel Joseph Vorderstrasse

June 2011

June 2

X-Men: First Class James McAvoy, Kevin Bacon

The Resident Hilary Swank, Jeffrey Dean Morgan

June 9 Scre4m

Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox

June 16

The Lincoln Lawyer

For fans of Blair Witch, Deserted House will thrill

Saving you from 2 hours of meaningless viewing

Deserted House (폐가)

Searching for the Elephant (펜트하우스 코끼리)

Korea jumped on the bandwagon of documentary horror films when a small independent film crew joined forces with three members of a paranormal society to investigate extraordinary occurrences in a rural town. Over the years, a local factory’s presence created major disturbances in the countryside, causing unexplained disappearances and deaths. Years prior, Mr. Kim opened a factory, but was presented with more than he bargained for. Rumors swirl about the factory owner having an affair with a female worker, who suddenly disappeared without a trace. Many claim the wife was to blame for the disappearance and disposed of the remains outside the home, but no evidence substantiated the claims and the case went cold. Tragedy strikes when the entire family was found decimated after workers returned from holiday. Gossip quickly spreads of the deceased woman’s spirit exacting revenge against the family who wronged her by slaughtering them in a gruesome manner. Armed with information of past events, a small film crew of three is accompanied by members of a ghost-hunting society to probe the tale. Armed with advanced technological equipment used to track extraterrestrial activity and a simple hand-held camera, they venture for a sleepover at the house. What transpires on the screen is “actual” edited footage from the last moments of their lives and the horrors they endured while playing with extraterrestrial forces. Similar in style to other documentary/horror films such as The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Paranormal Activity (2007), the movie contains the same basic feel and aura. The tale, which would surely be an entertaining campfire story, is slowly carried out over the film’s first hour as the investigators navigate the site. When the sun sets, all bets are off, and the group must fight for survival against an ominous opponent with a massive grudge against society. Containing a few shocking moments and a scary backdrop, the movie will be quick entertainment (only 84 minutes long) for fans of realistic horror and paranormal events, but if the documentary/horror scene does not satisfy you as a viewer, then this movie will not suddenly make you a believer and dedicated follower.

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Sex, lies, and murder are always ample ingredients for an entertaining flick, but this recipe needs tweaking because the entertainment value provided pales in comparison to its potential. Choi Hyun-woo (Jang Hyeok) stars at the forefront of a psychological thriller involving all those close to him. A manic depressive who cannot come to grip with reality about his ex-lover’s departure, he lives on family money struggling to balance the forces in his life and resorting to marijuana when an uncomfortable feeling approaches. Along with Hyun-woo, his friend and brother-in-law Min-suk (Jo Dong-hyeok) has problems of his own when a failing marriage and irresistible urge to fornicate with anything of the opposite sex leads him into a downward spiral. The third member of this bungled triangle of friends, Jin-hyuck (Lee Sang-woo), a financier who faces problems from the prosecutor’s office, is on the brink of seeking exile abroad. At the center of the dilemma is Soo-yeon (Lee Minjeong), the sister of Hyun-woo, wife of Min-suk, and secret lover of Jin-hyuck. The three friends act-out their lives facing major leaps and hurdles cast in their directions. Hyun-woo must come to reality with his life and confront his fears, Min-suk must reconcile a marriage and confront those he wronged in the past, and Jin-hyuck must evade the prosecutor’s and Min-suk’s wrath while sneaking away with Soo-yeon. While looking for simple answers, the three must resort to the believed finest solutions available suffering the least amount of consequences. This psychological thriller presents individuals possessing loads of potential for an exciting and entertaining narrative, but the ends do not come close to justifying the means after the curtains drop. Spanning two-and-a-halfhours, the movie drags until it reaches a snail’s pace at times and is summarized by a tremendously weak conclusion leaving the viewer extremely unsatisfied. The movie could have easily been made in less time so many instances approach utter boredom, while few moments peak at the quality needed to balance its counterpart. No tension exists whatsoever until the finale, containing a slight surprising twist, and even then it does not justify having endured two hours of seemingly meaningless viewing. The film truly could have been epic, but fails miserably in comparison to its potential.

Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Phillippe

Green Lantern Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively

Super 8 Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney

June 30

The Conspirator James McAvoy, Robin Wright

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon Shia LaBeouf, John Malkovich

The New Kids on the Block

Arts & Culture June 2011

Energy and Volume The Slaughterhouse Jive Style

Article & photo by Chris Backe

all them a new band. Call them a bunch of dudes. Call their band name a play on Vonnegut’s satirical novel. But do not call Slaughterhouse Jive unenergetic or quiet. The first song (Grinderman’s No Pussy Blues) rocketed off Tim’s lead guitar like the strings themselves were Angry Birds getting flung at those damn green pigs.

The next song – The Hives’ Tick Tick Boom – was even more energetic, but now the attention turns to lead singer, Doug. Wearing a leather jacket, a plaid button-down, a low hanging belt, and faded jeans with a fistsized hole, it’s safe to say he looks the part. At their first performance at Rocky Mountain Tavern, Doug says he wore “these ridiculous tight plaid pants.” Hey, if you’re going to be a rock star, you’ve gotta dress like one. Slaughterhouse Jive covers 60’s and 70’s punk like they have something to prove. Guitar / trumpet / kazoo player Kenny puts it simply: “we don’t entirely focus on that genre, as overall we are just five guys that want to rock hard.” And rock hard they do. Seriously. They make Metallica sound like a frikkin’ lullaby and Ozzy look positively calm by comparison. The genre might be punk, but it’s the spirit of doing good music that keeps them from getting stuck in a description. Genre definitions seem to break down once the knob gets stuck at 11 – and no song in their set is exactly quiet. What surprised the hell out of this writer is how calm and composed they were off-stage. The look is sure larger-than-life, but after sit-

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The Finnn

ting at Dos Tacos over some burritos and tacos (and of course a couple of beers), you’d conclude they’re a normal-enough set of guys. Normal, of course, is relative here in Korea – we’re all a little weird in our own ways. “The personalities you see onstage probably represent some repressed inner id that only gets to come out and play at our gigs,” Kenny said. While outfits on the rest of the band aren’t as outlandish, there’s plenty of energy being pumped into their instruments – and plenty of attention is deserved on that skill. Still being a new band, the set list is far from set. Tim on lead guitar is the newest member, with mere weeks under his belt, though Mark and Kenny both played in Shotgun Mascara. Having recently taken DGBD’s respected stage and rocked it at last month’s HBC Fest, the next step is to get to work on some original music. It’ll be along the same lines, they said, with Doug doing some work on the lyrics. Getting together, however, means some serious subway time – Kenny and Daniel live up in Paju, Tim is west of Seoul near Bupyeong, and Doug hails from east of Seoul, in Namyangju. Being a cover band sometimes means people expect to hear songs everyone knows, but in this case, there’s a clear turn towards the obscure. Hearing Elvis Costello’s “Pump it up” is about as recognizable as you’ll get for right now. “[We’re] playing for us and our tastes as opposed to a bunch of crowd favorites,” Kenny said. As for the obscure numbers, “we don’t stray too far from originals, but we’ll play them faster and louder than the studio version,” Kenny responded. When asked about their last trip to the noraebang, Doug confessed to enjoying some classic Bruce Springsteen; none of the others wanted to say anything on the record. While I personally can’t see these guys throwing out some Springsteen after The Stooges’ ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ or MC5’s ‘Kick Out the Jams’. Whether you happen to know the original songs or just appreciate the rock ‘n’ roll spirit, there’s plenty to love. They’ll be taking on the Seoul circuit – “until we get our originals into line” – if you think you can handle them, look them up on Facebook for the latest on their shows. Bring your earplugs with you if you still want your hearing on Monday. www.chrisinsouthkorea.com

by Emma Kalka

Jennifer Waescher

hey may be young for a Hongdae band, but The Finnn brings something new to the rock venues in the area. Most notably a pure and energetic passion for music, thanks to vocalist and songwriter Im Jong-hyun, whostarted the band last year.

by Conor O’Reilly

“I just enjoy music,” the 26-year-old college student said.“I just focus on writing.” Im said he has loved music since he was young, and writing songs was just something that came naturally to him. What once was just hobby became more last year when he created his own demo and distributed it at Jisan Valley Rock Festival. Back then, Im was the only member of The Finnn. He said he gave his music to many labels until finally in September 2010 he signed a contract and began choosing the other members. By October, guitarist Lee Hyang-ik and bassist Lee Won had joined and the band was formed. While it may seem like the usual formula

Beyond These Words Describing Jennifer Waescher’s recently released Beyond These Words isn’t as simple as it might seem when you first listen to it. In fact, the more you listen to it, the more you will realize that within the album is a sincere message crafted from a songwriter’s experiences travelling and living in Asia. The album reaches beyond its obvious positivity and presents a complex collection of lyrics inspired by the songwriter’s own observations, experiences, and relationships all served up with a hint of heartbreak. Regret, fortunately, is not a feature within these eight songs. Opportunity and optimism reign with a grounded feeling that, regardless of what happens, things will be alright. All the songs feature Waescher playing acoustic guitar. She is accompanied throughout with varying frequency by Brad Wheeler on drums and guitar, Shinae Ahn on piano and Zee Kang on viola. Each appropriately compliments the tempo and mood of the songs in their own unique way. Beginning with the song “I’m Alright”, Waescher patiently entices you to curl up and listen. By the time you hear the first few lines of the next song, “Beautiful You,” it’s difficult to force yourself to do anything else. While the song titles themselves may appear a little cliché, the songs steer away from anything that could be described as tearjerkers. As you listen to this album again and again, Waescher’s songs begin to really sink in as she shares her lessons learned with all the optimism and hope of one who is leaving for the world for the very first time.

for a band, Im says he takes a unique approach to creating music. He tries to move away from the typical Korean-style lyrics and writes as though he were writing in English, allowing the words to flow rather than just rhyme. “It’s not the typical type of Korean style,” he said. “It’s my specialty. I write in Korean, but I make them flow like they are in English.” He says there is nothing in particular that inspires him to write. The music and words just come to him. But he does listen to a lot of foreign rock, which influences him and the other band members. Im said he has always been interested in American indie bands and blues, and that interest comes across in the group’s music. “Our music is more blues than modern rock. Not many bands here do that,” he said. But The Finnn is hoping to change up their style to relate to a wider audience. The first album, put together by Im, was more modern

rock. But the vocalist said he wanted to have more of a pop rock sound for the second album, which the group is currently working on. He said the boundaries are wider for a pop rock band, allowing them to do more and be more creative with their songs, as well as continue to bring a lighthearted and fun personality to the stage. Something they do each time they perform. And even their name was created with the goal of being unique. Im said he wanted something that would lead fans directly to them, hence, the triple ‘n’. But when it comes to the meaning behind “The Finnn”… “It’s a secret,” he said with a grin. “If you never let the people know, it makes them curious.” So far, the only people in the know are the three band members and Im said he plans to keep it that way. And even though they may be fresh out of the box, The Finnn seems to be turning heads and getting noticed. They’ve performed at venues such as Bbang and FF and have landed spots in several indie festivals such as this year’s Greenplugged Rock Festival in May. And while most bands are out for fame and glory, Im says he just hopes he can always play on his terms. “I’m just doing what I love to do,” he said. To see more on The Finnn, check them out at www.club.cyworld.com/Finnn or www.bandFinnn. com. They also have a group page on Facebook. Just search for ‘The Finnn.’

@groovekorea

Jennifer Waescher has really put together a beautiful collection of songs that draws you in and leaves you with a warm sense of expectation. These songs tell you that inside this singer’s heart and mind is the recognition that, despite all that has happened or will happen, now is how life is and surviving and thriving in the present is where her ambition lies.

Beyond These Words is available for purchase in Indigo and Le Vert in Haebangchon for 10,000 won. It is also available for purchase online in digital and CD format from the artist’s own website, www.jenniferwaescher.com. You can catch Jennifer Waescher performing live on June 19 at The Encyczlopedia Show at Stereo in Hongdae.

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Arts & Culture June 2011

Hongdae International Friends Night May 20

Club FF, GoGos, & GoGos2

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Groove korea sponsored event

‘A trip of feelings, emotions from Different corners of the world’

Arts & Culture June 2011

Korean Theater You Can Relate To

By David Luth photos: seoul factory for the performing arts

orean song, Indian dance, Chinese martial arts, and a European story. Watching one of Hyoung Taek Limb’s plays is like watching a parade of civilizations swirl itself across a playhouse floor. Throughout his career, Limb has won prestigious awards and scoffed at controversy. (He once staged a performance with entirely nude actors -- quite the hullabaloo in conservative Korea.) As the acclaimed theater director and his acting company, Seoul Factory for the Performing Arts, prepare to stage their next performance, a rendition of “The Idiot,” Groove Korea wanted to know how he got his start and where he gets his inspiration. “I actually studied economics before I studied theater. I went to college in the early ‘80s when Korea was ruled by a dictator, President Jeon. The political situation wasn’t good and I joined a political theater troupe as a way to vent my frustrations and participate in a movement.” After working several years in film, Limb then took a superhuman leap of faith. “Film didn’t satisfy my desires ... I took a big risk. I sold my apartment and moved to New York to learn theater. I earned my Masters in Theater Directing at Columbia University. I did what I had to do to survive. I acted. I worked on films.” During his nine years in the United States, 36// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

viewers might have seen Limb on the David Letterman Show and the Conan O’Brien Show. He even acted in a small role across from Brad Pitt in “Meet Joe Black.” (Unfortunately, his role was left on the editing floor.) It was during this time in the States that Limb developed his unique style that molds both Western and Eastern approaches to theater. Limb describes his style as “Asiatic yet globalized.” “I think my style developed organically as a way to survive. As a foreigner in New York, English wasn’t my native language and I needed a way to express myself. I began using movement to assist with the dialogue.” Within a single production, Limb may incorporate several cultural elements from around the world. Dance, music, martial arts, even yoga, are all melded together. This movement is the river that makes his plays flow, and easily understood by non-Korean speaking audiences. “Of all the Korean plays I’ve seen, his are among the easiest to understand, even without being able to speak Korean. The power of physicality and emotion precede the emphasis of text,” says frequent theater goer Zoya Sardashti. His plays dig deep, compelling the audience to think hard about life, society, and the nature of being human. Though politics is no longer his driving motivator, he says that “the smell and flavor of political lotion” still permeate his work. “I examine why people hate each other. How ideas spread to men and women. History versus anti-history. God versus human beings.” In Seoul Factory’s latest piece, a rendition of Dostoyevsky’s classic 19th century novel The Idiot, he makes no exceptions. The story follows an innocent prince as he naively falls in love and puts his trust in people who use him for his money and connections, only to be backstabbed and dumped. Do only idiots cling to integrity and compassion in today’s dishonest, use-and-abuse society? True to his style Limb uses a blend of rock and roll with traditional Korean singing to propel the story along. And with English subtitles making it even easier for English speakers to follow, this is one performance where you’re guaranteed not to feel like the idiot. The Idiot (백치 백지 in Korean) will run at the Daehangno Arts Theater Main Hall (Hyehwa Station, Line 4) June 17-26. Show times are at 8pm. Tickets are 20,000-35,000 won. For reservations in English call 010-2699-0584 or email seoulfactory@hotmail.com. Seoul Factory for the Performing Arts: z www.seoulfactory.co.kr

Opening bash for Dream Dance Studio BY JAIDEN TOBEY PHOTOS BY NAM JUNG-HO

Groove’s May cover model, stunning Canadian belly dancer Eshe, will be holding a two-night opening bash for her Dream Dance Studio on June 17 and 18 at Hondgae’s Hodge Podge bar. Eshe has been searching for an exciting way to properly celebrate the launch of her Mangwon, Seoul belly dance studio since starting it this past February. After a recent visit to the hip Hodge Podge, she knew she had found the right venue for the festivities. “I feel like we are settled in at the studio now and I’ve found my groove in our new location, making this a great time to for our opening party” shares Eshe. “Hodge Podge is a beautiful, spacious, and convenient location. It was an electrifying moment when I saw it and thought ‘Yes, this is good place for dance.’ When Hodge Podge got excited about the idea too, it was even better.” Both events will feature sultry shimmying from Eshe along with her Navah (Orientale belly dancing) and Mahadevi (Improvisational Tribal Style belly dancing) student troupes. Percussionist Gwangil Bae, formerly of the local world music/folk band Orgeltanz, will also perform. Special guest DJs will include J-Path, DJ Jun, Lee Suk-yeul (from Kingston Rudieska), Jellyboy (from Apollo 18), and more luminaries from Seoul’s underground music scene. “I’m excited to share our new inspiration and fresh ideas. Every month we work on new material so that someone who has seen Navah or Mahadevi isn’t ever watching the same show twice. In a selfish way, I’m creating the kind of show I want to attend. I want to experience beauty, mystery, magic, and music all woven into one performance. “These nights at Hodge Podge are dedicated to everyone who walks through the door. If you want to get up and dance with us, you’re welcome to. If you’d like to just sit back and take it all in, you can.”

Dream Dance Studio’s opening celebrations take place on June 17 and 18 at Hodge Podge in Hongdae, Seoul. Tickets for each night are 10,000, with a drink. For more information, visit www.eshebellydancer.com

Artist Interview: Jose Antonio Nigro Exhibition: From Where I Am Standing

By Rob McGovern

rom June 25, Italian-Venezuelan photographer José Antonio Nigro will hold his second solo exhibition in Seoul, at Itaewon’s Gallery Golmok.

The exhibition, titled “From Where I Am Standing,” will be a compilation of photographs spanning Nigro’s entire career and looks at his evolution as both an artist and a photographer. Nigro explained the title of his latest exhibition. “As an artist and photographer, I want to transmit to my spectator my feelings from when I am behind the camera, and what I feel when I am in a specific place; and that

B-boys Converge at Mega-Fest R16 The pinnacle of all b-boy battles will be held July 2 and 3 at the R16 World Championships at Olympic Park. World renowned b-boys, crews, lockers, poppers and graffiti artists from 16 different countries around the world will come to represent at the summit. R-16 is not just a b-boy battle. It’s also a large-scale annual festival where more than 300 internationally known trend leaders including artists, musicians, contents developers, promoters, producers and b-boys gather. All areas of urban youth culture and art of different countries are exchanged. The concept of “respect” is the theme of this massive seven-day event, which started off in 2007 as a grand experiment to see if youth-created cultures like hip hop and b-boying could become a profitable and selfsustaining industry. Who would have ever guessed that hope could be born out of the poorest social-eco-

Nigro has recently returned to Korea from Tibet where, amongst other things, he hoped to capture some images for the upcoming show. is how I derived with my upcoming exhibition title: From where I am standing.” Nigro goes on to explain where his passion comes from. “Travel and Photography are passions inherited from my mother. Without noticing, she taught me through her images, so many invaluable lessons. I used to spend long periods of time going through her marvelous black and white shots from her early travels through Europe with my grandparents. “A few years ago, my long life partner and perfect travel companion, were transferred for work to Korea, which opened new horizons and world exploring opportunities.” Nigro added. Nigro has recently returned to Korea from Tibet where, amongst other things, he hoped to capture some images for the upcoming show. “Very special places on earth get my attention. Tibet is a unique place, with unique colors, fabrics, language, textures, shapes scents and architecture. I wanted to live it, to breath it with my own skin and create a

nomic conditions in the ghettos of New York City where gangs, drugs and crime ruled the forgotten streets in the early ‘70s? Through the midst of the violence and decay, an aggressive, universal culture of expression was born, where the only language is “skills”, and how one puts it to the test against others, and earns respect. This culture brought down the mighty gang culture of New York City in the ‘80s as it spread throughout the world. As the mainstream media and music industry tried to kill the true essence of hip hop culture, it was forced back underground. The hard, aggressive battles of b-boying (break-dancing) are still dominating the underground cultures and cities all over the world. Each of these warrior-type b-boys is continually searching for the ultimate battle, the battle which will become known as legendary throughout the future generations of b-boys to come. The R-16 Korea Urban Arts Festival will also include an International Graffiti Competition and Exhibition, B-boy Session Day (including Freestyle Circles), hip hop concert (international and domestic recording artists), international press conference, Guinness

life time experience and capture some of the essence to keep it for my soul and for my photography work and share it with the world.” The exhibition will be a bit of a retrospective and will contain work from Nigro’s career and life and so the themes and emotions will be multiple and complex, but Nigro says that there is no one true message or theme. “From nature to scenery and from architectural details to documentary photography, it will be a trip of feelings and emotions from different corners of the world. The spectators interacting with my work have the freedom to feel and make their own my message, that is why I prefer to invite you to experience it and dive into the emotions. There will be more than one thread on the walls. There are so many stories to be told.” Nigro has participated in several group exhibitions across Asia in addition to photography contests in the United States, Mexico, South Korea, Singapore, and Venezuela. The exhibition will run from June 25 to July 3 at Itaewon’s Gallery Golmok.

world record attempt by b-boys, pre and after party with international and domestic DJs as well as the anticipated battles. The R16 World Championships will be broadcast in 43 countries. This year marks the fifth since the Korean Tourism Organization sponsored the first R16 event in 2007, which has grown to become the world’s largest and most prestigious hip hop festival, competition and championship in the world, with four battle categories such as the Solo Popping, Solo Locking, Solo B-boy, and B-boy Crew Performance Show Competition as well as the B-boy Crew battle. R16 has taken battles to new levels, being the first to launch an official judging/scoring system, created to preserve the true essence as well as provide the opportunity for the audience to understand and learn what is B-boying, how it is judged, and who is winning at every moment. More recently, R16 now has regional finals throughout the world, to ensure that the best of the best, in each region of the world will be the ones to represent at the new center of battle culture, South Korea.

For more information: www.r16korea.com

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Arts & Culture June 2011

for anyone attempting to limit them to a simple twoword label. Post-grunge? Post-modern? Post-punk? All good. “Post-Music?” muses guitarist Keegan Verburg, “anything we can do to rock out.” Verburg plays guitar and handles backing vocals. He is less showy and more about laying down a strong, distorted musical foundation. Nick Antolini plays keyboards and sings as well, using the electronics to give an otherwise hard-rock sound an extra dimension. Chris Gabrielson is steady as a rock on drums. One can feel the camaraderie in the air as these boys genuinely seem to enjoy working together. They may have been down one member (guitarist Brodie Read, temporarily out for personal reasons) but you wouldn’t know it by the quality of their performance. If they are this good during a rehearsal, then a full-on performance is well worth the effort. “You have to bring your A game every time,” Scott said. It may have taken a few false starts and member changes, but the current five-man lineup not only enjoys playing together, but being sociable as well.

Mirrorhouse:

Loud, Harsh and in Your Face

By Alexander Hall | photos by dylan goldby

idden just one flight of stairs beneath the grime of Haebangchon’s winding streets, four young men get together early on a Saturday night to stretch their musical muscles and work through some new material. Calling themselves “Mirrorhouse,” they have assembled in Lance Reegan-Diehl’s immaculate and brightly-lit underground studio for a quick rehearsal before they head off to do a show in Bucheon.

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Spirits are high, the mood is jovial and relaxed, but the rehearsal is serious business. They do a run-through as if it were a real performance. Fortunately, there seem to be no real egos, or at least they are held in check. No arguments, just a full-on musical attack. Vadim Scott, the lead vocalist and bass guitarist, calls out the name of a new song “Dead Last,” and the four launch into action. Vadim’s whiskey voice belies his youthful appearance. The song, dark and rough, is in stark contrast to the genuinely positive attitude of the band members. As they get going, it becomes hard to believe so much energy could be contained in such a small place - barely larger than the average English teacher’s apartment. Their sound? Harsh, loud, immediate and up-front. As to what it is or what to call it, don’t ask them — they’ve had strong words

Their path became clearer after they won first prize in Rocky Mountain Tavern’s Battle of the Bands. Winning not only gave them some money, but the chance to use the LRD studio as well, which has helped them get their first CD of original music — Zero Gravity — off the ground. After a brief search for a replacement drummer on craigslist, Gabrielson joined approximately 5 months ago and they haven’t looked back since. The quintet has gelled enough that when Gabrielson suffered a motorcycle accident, effectively sidelining him from performing for several weeks, the rest of the band waited, instead of replacing him. Indeed, all members speak highly of each other’s musical abilities. “He plays the right notes,” says Verburg of fellow guitarist Read. “I jump around.” With that, they treat me to a preview of their newest song, “The Long Road Back Home.” It would appear things have fallen into place for these expats, june 2011// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// 39

Arts & Culture

SuperColorSuper

June 2011

by Hemani Naran

Re-TROS Three-member Beijing post-punk revivalists Re-TROS will be playing two shows in Korea as part of Super Color Super’s SEA Change initiative. SEA Change aims to unearth the burgeoning Indie talent rising out of the Asian continent. Their sound is a gritty, haunting re-imagining of underground punk. Their intoxicating, delirious sound is drawn from a myriad of influences from Joy Division to Gang of Four tapes bought off the Chinese black market. Come dance, shout and freak out with Re-TROS at Rolling hall in Hongdae on June 25 (doors open 11 p.m.).

as they have been continually lauded as one of the better bands in the English-speaking community, if not in Korea as a whole. Their path became clearer after they won first prize in Rocky Mountain Tavern’s Battle of the Bands. Winning not only gave them some money, but the chance to use the LRD studio as well, which has helped them get their first CD of original music — Zero Gravity — off the ground. Indeed, the guys are direct about Deihl’s role in helping them go from just another expat band to a professionallevel performing and recording act. Scott is quite vocal on the pros and cons of being in an expat band. Among the ob-

stacles facing them, “bands have a cap,” a limit to how far they can go within Korea. “Rock is not big here.” However, the scene has changed over the past five years. “Koreans are starting to get hip to good music,” he added. On the lighter side, while the overall scene might not be overly inviting, individual clubs make it much easier for bands to get started. All members recall playing gigs in North America where venues provided little or no help or equipment. Korean clubs have been far more accommodating, even going as far to provide instruments for musicians’ in-house use. In addition to the usual list of haunts in

Itaewon and Hongdae, Mirrorhouse will be joining an impressive list of bands and performers at the upcoming Midan City Concert June 5. There they will share the bill with such acts as The Rock Tigers, Sotto Gamba, Pinnacle & the Antidote and Lance ReeganDiehl’s band. As to the future, who knows? They have their eyes on bigger prizes, including such events as Pentaport and Jisan. After that? Maybe trips to Taiwan or even the States. You may not know of Mirrorhouse, at least not yet, but chances are you will soon. www.reverbnation.com/mirrorhouse

Siriusmo Siriusmo’s sound is a frenetic, woozy mix of happy dance-y synths, inspired electro sounds, and wild influences from dance, to dubstep and even funk. Siriusmo has over ten years experience producing and remixing, and this shows in his broad catalog of sounds. Catch Siriusmo at Rolling Hall in Hongdae on June 18 at the low price of 15,000W for advance tickets.

Toro Y Moi South Koreans can look forward to two shows by ‘chillwave’ darling Toro y Moi (or Chaz Bundwick to homies). His recently released sophomore album ‘Underneath the Pine’ received the accolade of “best new music” by Pitchfork magazine. You can see one of the biggest new acts on the block in Busan on June 8, and Seoul on June 9.

www.supercolorsuper.com

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Arts & Culture

book reviews By Todd Sharp

June 2011

A Familiar Line on Capitalism By Ha-Joon Chang

23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism 304 pp Bloomsbury Press

It would be hard to argue that the conventional wisdom in the West didn’t fail in the run up to the financial crisis of three years ago. It certainly has been easier in the time since then to argue that a bit of radical thinking should be considered for the purpose of picking the global economy out of its slump. Ha-Joon Chang certainly sells himself as a radical thinker, and in some circles he may be considered as such: The Korean native, now an economist at the University of Cambridge, is one of the few well-known members of his profession to oppose the ongoing push toward “free trade” agreements between nations, especially if one nation is at a much more advanced state than another. In previous works, such as “Kicking Away the Ladder: Development Strategy in Historical Perspective and Bad Samaritans: The

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Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism,” he argues that developed nations have consistently used protectionism to build up their own industries, then demanded that less-developed nations do the opposite. In the process, he has earned plaudits from other critics of the global status quo, includ-

ing Noam Chomsky and Chalmers Johnson. With his latest, “23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism,” he sets his sights broader than just free trade, and excoriates free market economic policies in general. He does so by attacking these things one at a time, attempting to demolish notions that that globalism trumps national identity, that planned economies are not just found in communist countries, and that a free market can ever truly exist. Something very noticeable throughout the book, however, is the lack of actual freemarket economists he can cite. The only two Chang gets around to naming are Milton Friedman and Adam Smith, and the latter’s name should come with a huge asterisk beside it – he and his work predated almost all notions of industrialized society, as well as the economics profession itself. Part of the problem for Chang is that the definition of free-market varies widely: Former U.S. President George W. Bush famously said that he was for the free market most of the time, but left open a huge loophole when he asked Congress to bail out failing companies rather than see his administration end in a Second Great Depression. Prior to the passage of current President Barack Obama’s health care bill, the U.S. system was often labeled “free market” be people who Continued on next page

with

Arts & Culture June 2011

Riverstock:

a creative process going on here. It’s nice to know that Jeonju’s support of the arts is continuing to increase and develop in so many ways. I didn’t see the fashion show last year, but I’m looking forward to seeing the outfit I’ll be wearing for the show!” said Marah Cook, a model. Co-organized by North Jeolla KOTESOL, middle school and high school bands will compete in a battle of the bands. The winner will be invited to play in Sunday’s concert. Sunday, June 5, will bring the original Riverstock back into play with an art show, Korean and non-Korean food stalls and much of the other making and doing that music festivals involve, alongside a great line-up of local and non-local, Korean and non-Korean bands which will play from the early afternoon into the wee hours. “I look forward to participating in what seems will be an amazing time full of creativity, music, and fun. In my short time here I’ve seen Jeonju’s knack for inspiring artists in all departments and it in turn inspires me to want to contribute as much as I can with music and supporting others in their incredible endeavors,” said Carlos Hernandez, whose band, Monolith, will be performing. The entire weekend is free and guaranteed to bring some fun (and hopefully a little sun) into Jeonju. Organisers are hoping it will be even more of a success than last year. With Monday being a ‘red day,’ the post-festivities don’t need to cause too much of an impact on the work week either.

Back in the summer of 2010, Jeonju’s own music mogul, Inyeol Park, collaborated with City Hall to produce Riverstock -- Jeonju’s first-and-only real outdoor music festival. Despite being home to the annual SORI Arts Festival, Jeonju had never had anything that

was simply all about the rock ‘n’ roll before. “Jeonju is such a traditional city, and whilst it is beautiful and interesting to see a pansori performance, a weekend of live outdoor music is just what the doctor ordered,” one festival-goer said. “It was great to just be outside enjoying ourselves along with Koreans who you usually wouldn’t meet on a normal day.” This year, Inyeol, aided with an army of funloving expats, future rock stars, artists and beautiful people will be collaborating with City Hall once again to bring you Riverstock 2011. Beginning on the evening of Saturday, June 4, at the Jeonbuk Provincial Office’s outdoor arena, beautiful expats and Koreans of Jeonju will be modeling recycled fashion for the Reform Fashion Show, brought to you by the 2011 Global Environment Culture Festival of Jeonju. Not only is it free, but there is also an opportunity to buy some recycled fashion. “I’m excited to participate in the Reform Fashion Show and to feel like I’m supporting

To get to Riverstock, tell the taxi driver 전주 도 청 – about a 5,000 won ride from the bus terminal. Motels are stumbling distance from here, and there will be plenty of friendly faces around to help the lost and lonely. For more information see the Facebook page ‘Riverstock.’

Continued from Page 42 apparently didn’t want to factor Medicare and Medicaid into the equation. Part of the problem for Chang is that truly free-market idealists such Murray Rothbard and Ludwig von Mises have never had the kind of influence he suggests. Even more mainstream thinkers like Friedman and Friedrich Hayek have had certain aspects of theirs accepted when governments found it expedient; but only certain aspects. The truth is that theories Chang opposes are the trademarks of mixed economies. He is by his own admission a proponent of a mixed economy, he just has a particular form in mind: He wants a government that can ban overly complex financial products, and one that will work with the private sector to “pick winners.” Sometimes this misleading assessment of what a “free market” economy really is leads to misleading factoids: The idea that Thomas Jefferson was against patents is supposed to be a devastating indictment of

mainstream economists who want a) free trade agreements ratified and b) intellectual property protected. The truth is, truly free market thinkers like Rothbard have opposed intellectual property laws, neither have they favored bilateral FTAs; they want all tariffs and quotas removed, and lambast agreements between a limited number of nations as “managed trade.” And occasionally Chang’s claims are eyebrow-raising: In his chapter about governments “picking winners” in the economy he cites the efforts of Korea’s former President Park Chung Hee to encourage development of certain industries. Park certainly succeeded in elevating Koreans’ standard of living, but here Chang offers an implicit endorsement of Park’s clearly authoritarian methods, including use of secret police to influence businessmen. He also cites George Washington’s refusal, post-American Revolution, to wear Britishmade clothing, and insists that this would have earned a reprimand from the WTO to-

day. I guess when the people in new nation of South Sudan are browbeaten into trading freely with their former oppressors to the north Chang’s point will be proven. If the economies around the world, and especially those in the West, are to rescue themselves from decay and decline, some fresh thinking will be necessary. The problem with Chang is that his ideas are not that inventive; his main claim to fame is that he is an economist embracing protectionist notions already popular in many quarters, just not among economists. Likewise, a mapmaker who joined the Flat Earth Society would be very popular among flat-earthers, but that wouldn’t make him correct. And no matter how many times Chang labels the positions he opposes “free market,” they remain characteristics of a mixed economy; just a different mix than the one Chang proposes. Ultimately, the most disappointing aspect of this “innovative” thinker’s ideas is that we’ve heard them before.

Fashion, Food and Music in the Land of Bibimbap

o the West, New Age movements are somewhat old news, but further to the east and more specifically in the bibimbap capital of the universe that is Jeonju, New Age movements are, well, indeed, new.

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music gizmos By Lance Reegan-Diehl

Recording artist & music industry specialist

Batt-o-Meter:

The First Battery Tester for Musicians

Keith McMillen, inventor of innovative products, has brought out the first battery tester that tells you the voltage of your battery and how many hours it will last during your performance. I had to test this thing out. First, I tested it on my acoustic guitar. I plugged the Batt-o-Meter into the guitar output jack and pressed “test.” I got a reading for volts followed by hours. The unit indicated I had 11 hours left on the battery. Good for three more shows before I would need to replace it. Oddly enough, I was going to buy an extra battery that night, but with the Batt-o-Meter I knew I had some time before I had to do so. The benefits are: using a battery to its fullest, reducing waste material, and there will never be any half-dead batteries floating around in your guitar case. The tester itself also works as a stand-alone battery checker. It also plugs into effects pedals and lets you know how many hours you have left on them too. Not since the electronic tuner has there been a new product so necessary for musicians who depend on any battery -- 9 volt, aa, or aaa battery cell -- in order to practice their trade. Batt-o-Meter saves time, money and the environment by letting you run each battery for its maximum life. You may test different battery types with increased precision. A convenient slide switch differentiates between Alkaline, Rechargeable, and Carbon Zinc batteries. Reduce stress by knowing whether a battery will live or die before the performance comes to an end. Test on active & acoustic instruments, basses, stompboxes, tuners, even your stage flashlight. The unit normally goes for around 29 Euros. You should see it in more stores for around $40US.

Dream Dance Studio openin party!g June 17th & 18th rs Bellydance e • Esh • Navah (orientale troupe) bellydance evi ad ah M • al (trib troupe) bellydance DJs 17th Friday 9pm • DJ Sukyu el of Kingston R udieska ay 8pm 18th Saturd om fr • Jellyboy 18 lo Apol • DJ Jun • DJ JPath & more 10,000won with 1 Drink lydancer.com www.eshebel bo Face ok pollo18 Video with A

Fast, accurate, and easy to use. Stop wasting. Stop guessing. Know when to change batteries with the Batt-o-Meter, the world’s first battery tester for musicians. The website is www.keithmcmillen. com

Monthly product reviews and music advice are provided by: Lance Reegan-Diehl, Recording Artist, Producer, and Music Industry Specialist. www.LRDMusic.com He has performed with BOA, Tony Ahn, Ricky Martin, and at Major Music Trade Shows with concerts world wide. www.rockorea.com He will play June 4 and 5 at MIDAN City.

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GROOVe with seoulvibes

L os t iMnuthsiec

Where was your first professional gig? It all started in Larne, Northern Ireland. I left school at 13 and pestered the local promoter to give me a job at the club sweeping the floors, cleaning the toilets, and clearing the tables, but I didn’t care because he let me play on the decks. Eventually, I got to do a warm-up set, but my first actual professional gig, the first one that I actually got paid for, was at Airport 2000 in Antrim, which at the time was one of the biggest clubs in Northern Ireland. I remember finding it hard to put the needle on the record as my hands were shaking so much. I thought I had it made.

Who has inspired you the most? I have met so many people who have inspired me. I remember queuing up for the Hellraiser raves at Ulster Hall in Belfast in the early 90s to see and hear Carl Cox perform. I still love listening to the old mixes that were recorded from Hellraiser and I can still recall the build up of excitement. I must have been around 13 years old at the time and just been introduced to dance music. I had never heard anything like it before and I couldn’t get enough of it. I still can’t. I knew from that moment that I wanted to be a DJ, so when I eventually got to meet Carl many years later it was incredible. We were both joining Radio 1 as part of the very first Essential Mix residents. The story just gets weirder. Carl and I were part of a BBC charity to raise money for children in need. There were loads of DJs taking part in the competition such as Darren Emerson, Jon Carter, Fatboy Slim, Pete Tong, etc., and the listeners had to phone in to vote for the best DJ. Crazy as it sounds, I ended up in the final playing against Coxy and as luck would have it I won. So, that was a very inspirational night, and all in the name of charity. Most people will know the story of how I met Tony De Vit, who was a great inspiration to me. I was warming up and he heard me play and invited me over to England and introduced me to the club scene. He took me under his wing and I really appreciated his guidance and advice. I was lucky Tony helped me, but I was also focused and knew that I wanted to be a DJ. I think about Tony De Vit a lot and I know that he would be pleased about how things have turned out for me. I still miss him. My main source of inspiration is always the feelings I have that run through my body. I love life, the highs and the lows, the highs more than the lows of course, but I try to take the best from every situation. From a music point of view, I tend to draw on my past for inspiration. For example, recalling the feeling I got when I first set foot in a rave or when I first started to understand electronic music those feelings get stronger as time goes on and I realize how lucky I was to be involved from the start. So yeah, that is where my main inspiration is from. I think we are in a great place in terms of the range of music that is available, but for me I think there needs to be soul and emotion added to the mix.

What made you decide to stop playing hard house? Changing my music was one of the biggest challenges that I have

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faced as it was such a drastic change. It took a long time to re-establish myself. It has been a tough journey with lots of ups and downs, but it gave me a great sense of fulfilment as I was leaving everything I had built up to try some thing new. As a DJ I have played quite a bit of music from house to the harder end of that genre and lots of weird bits in between. I have never been afraid to try out different styles of music, some good choices and some not so well, but I have had a great time along the way finding out what I liked. I would say over the past five or six years that I have never felt more passionate about music whether that’s been playing it in clubs or making it in the studio.

Do you think you were pigeonholed unfairly? Well, I was pigeonholed for such a long time with the whole hard house label, which was OK as that’s is where I made my name and enjoyed playing it for a long time, but I felt that hard house changed quite a lot, so it was time for me to move. To say that I will never play hard music would be presumptuous. If I play a three or four hour set, I still like to kick the arse of it, but that’s all part of the journey. As I mentioned before, I’m playing the best music I have ever played, some of its hard, some of it’s not. It’s all just great music.

How would you define your present style? I have always stayed close to my roots and that is good solid grooving dance floor music. It is important for me to mix the darker techno vibes with a hint of euphoric action and this is how my DJ sets have always been regardless of what style I am playing. My sound has always been big and ballsy, not too deep. It’s a rave at the end of the day, so that’s the vibe I like. I’m a music and party lover who just happens to also be a DJ, so I try and keep to that. I have to say that I am in the best place I have ever been musically.

Do you think genres are killing dance music? I think that was the case for a while, but I think we are now in a much better place, as I think the term techno is so broad now and less genre specific its all back under one umbrella, so to speak, which helps to keep everything fresh and lots of different aspects of techno are merging together. I think it is good to have a sound, but to also be flexible. People want to hear different things now, so it’s good to keep moving about with styles but still try and have your own sound.

Do you feel technology has helped or hindered artists? I have been DJing for almost 20 years, but to be honest I only really got into using technology in the past few years and I have come up through the ranks with Traktor. I started off experimenting with Seratto Scratch, then Traktor 3, and now Traktor Pro, which are great to use, but I always felt that for me there was something missing. It wasn’t until my computer crashed a few times and I had to use my CDs that I realized what I was missing was the whole hands-

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It’s a rave at the end of the day, so “that’s the vibe I like. I’m a music and party lover who just happens to also be a DJ, so I try and keep to that. I have to say that I am in the best place I have ever been musically.” What are your expectations of Seoul this time around? Seoul has always been a great place for me to come to play, so I know what to expect. I think I’m playing for two hours so there won’t be much of a warm-up, more like lets get at it sort of vibe. I do like to play longer as it gives me a chance to play across the board and there is nothing more exciting than when you put the first record on in a club and also put the last record on. I like the feeling you get when you see people coming into the club edging towards the dance floor and gradually getting ready to just go for it.

What can we expect from Fergie in the future? on experience of mixing and just going for it with the CDJs and mixer. It was just like a breath of fresh air for me and I honestly think that the crowd are more into what you are doing if they can see what you are up to. I also found that when I was using my laptop I was distracted watching the computer to see when a break was about to start or finish, even though I knew when it would. So yeah, this is how I will be playing for the foreseeable future. What you see is what you get. I feel that as DJs we are in the best position we have ever been since the music is better and the software we have is so forward thinking. Music is readily available and there are more clubs. The fundamentals will always stay the same and that is to give people a good time.

What has been your worst and best experience behind the decks? That’s a hard one — there have been so many. For me, the worst and best was when I played Trade in London for the first time. I was 16 it was pretty special and very nerve-wracking, but very enjoyable. At Trade they had the same line up of DJs every week doing the same slot so no one ever got the chance to step in. If one of the other DJs was on tour then one of the residents would do an extended set. I got in the back room of Turnmills where Trade was held. They called the back room the Test Lounge where they gave other DJs a chance. When it was my turn to play I put my first record on and the needle started jumping through the whole record, as I was very nervous. I didn’t know what to do, plus all the owners of the club were in watching me. A big transvestite came over, took some gum out of his mouth and stuck it to the top of the needle in order to put some weight on it, this stopped it jumping so everything after that was fine and I had a great time. It wasn’t until after a few weeks that I got a call and was asked if I could play the main room. I couldn’t believe it was a major step for me and one I will never forget.

Is there a track that you never get tired of playing? That’s easy. My remix of Slam’s Positive Education. When I first started DJing it was one of the first records I bought so it was amazing when I was asked to do a remix on that.

How do you keep yourself grounded and unwind from it all?

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I love nothing better than being in the car with the hood down and just blasting out Johnny Cash’s “Get Rhythm.” Turn it up!

Are your tattoos decorative or is there a story behind them? The very first tattoo was just a tribal tattoo on my arm. I got it done in Ibiza and the tattooist who did it was so proud of it that he put a big picture of it in his window. A lot of my fans who were in Ibiza to support me all went to him and got the exact same tattoo. At the clubs we looked like we were in some kind of gang. I have “Lost in Music” tattooed across my stomach. When I changed my music I didn’t want to ever be pigeonholed again. I just wanted to be lost in the music and to go wherever it led me. I have the word “Maktub” tattooed on my forearm. I am a fan of Paulo Coelho who wrote ‘The Alchemist’ which was where I first came across the word maktub — it’s an old Arabic proverb that means, “it is written.” I was never much of a reader, but this book was different. I would go as far as to say that what I read in it changed my whole outlook on life.

What were the three best gigs you played in the last year? Exit (Lithuania) — Would have to be one of my most favorite places to play from the first time I played there I felt at home. Such a great crowd. TriPod (Dublin) — Love the vibe at the club and it is such an iconic club and the biggest club in Ireland. I have been playing the TriPod for over a decade. Warung at Privilege (Ibiza) — This is another long-term relationship I have had with a night. I first played at Warung in Brazil in 2000, so it was great to still be playing it 10 years later.

What do you attribute to your longevity in the scene? I have a long history in going to the early raves and an edge because I still remember what it was like then to experience the rise of the raves first-hand. I have been lucky enough to travel the world from an early age and I have seen many genres come and go, but one thing will always remain and that is music to have a good party to. As a music lover that has been one of the main things that has stayed with me whether I am paying into a club or playing at a club. I love to hear or play the big beats.

I just released my first album ‘Dynamite & Laserbeams’, so I picked the producers that have inspired me the most over the past year to remix it. That will be out in the next few weeks. I have been working on a few colabs with Gregor Tresher and also Matador. Excentric Muzik will also continue to push new talent, so we will release our first compilation on Excentric with the tremendous talents of Mr. Henry Von who is one of the most promising DJ/producers around and it has been a privilege for me to watch him grow and develop within the Excentric fold.

What advice do you have for novice DJs and producers? Making music is a must, since your music is like your business card and you will not get a look in if you are not consistently releasing it. Start your own label. I did this initially as no one would release my music. You have to be very persistent and have lots of determination. You have to be doing it for the right reasons as it might take a long time to get where you want to go. I think one of the things that I have noticed is that a lot of young DJs expect to get gigs left, right and center when they have only been playing five minutes, or they think they should be getting paid good money when they don’t have a following or bring anyone to a club. It’s probably best to strike up a relationship with a local promoter and see if you can get a gig with them. Local DJs are always the heart and soul of a club as they know the crowd and it is hard to get that job, but if you make the extra effort and bring all your friends or just go out on a whim and help promote the club you will be in the good books, so to speak. You have to play with your heart and enjoy every minute of it whether you are in your bedroom or club. Make your sets your own and always send your mixes to promoters, or make the effort to go and meet them. I have always done this and still do it to this day. If there is somewhere I want to play but the club isn’t interested in booking me I take a night off and go and meet the promoter. It’s good to have a relationship with the club, I think if you are a young DJ you need to be prepared to go the extra mile and do what you can to get your name on that flyer. There are so many other DJs out there you have to give the promoter a reason to book you.

This is a column dedicated to electronic music in Korea. Our aim is to give Groove Korea readers: interviews and updates on what is happening on the peninsula. Feel free to contact the links below for information on clubs, DJs, or events! www.samurai.fm/seoulvibes | seoulvibes@gmail.com | www.myspace.com/seoulvibes

ASIA

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Destinations June 2011

1. The unique “pump boat” of the Philippines moored by a snorkeling area. 2. A guide kneels by one of the fresh water lagoons, a popular swimming area for tourists. 3. Aboard a “pump boat” to our next destination. The water in Coron is crystal clear, and laps against the limestone cliffs.

Hiding Out in the Limestone Village

In the early morning, as the sun peaks over towering limestone cliffs, guides, on their “pump boats,” eagerly await tourists. Pump boats – their outriggers jutting from their sides – are the preferred mode of water transport in the Philippines. The guides take tourists to hidden snorkeling areas around the island. At one, a Japanese battleship sits derelict on the ocean floor, a casualty of World War II. Coral stands proudly with striking textures and colors. Schools of brightly colored fish dart from side to side, the colors on their backs streaking across the water. There are other areas where coral damage is evident, however, bleached by the sun and scattered like broken bones. The freshwater lagoons in Coron are idyllic swimming areas. They are completely surrounded by tall limestone cliffs, which are covered in rich vegetation. To get to the lagoons, tourists climb up the side of a cliff, through a cleared-out path in the trees. It is a steep climb, but at the top the view is breathtaking. The aqua blue water shimmers in the sunlight, lapping against the limestone cliffs. Below, a line of boats is moored, swaying gently in the water. For those who wish to put their feet up and relax, Coron has a number of unspoiled beaches. Sunbathers lie under the branches of tall palm trees and admire the strong contrast of the white sand against the dark limestone cliffs. Crabs peek out of hundreds of tiny holes in the sand, indifferent to the people around them. They scurry from one hole to another, as colorful fish swim close to the shoreline in knee-deep water, waiting to be admired. They almost seem intrigued by the tourists who come to marvel at their beaches. After a busy day, a refreshing cocktail or an ice-cold San Miguel before dinner is appropriate. Tourists hop off the pump boats where they have spent their days, and go into Seadive restaurant where they can relax and watch the sun go down. Seadive is situated right on the water and almost always has number of boats moored outside. The interior is quaint with bamboo walls that display pictures of island and the surrounding areas. Most of the seats are occupied by foreigners, sharing stories of how they spent their days. Coron is a destination offering a bit of something for everyone. Behind every grand limestone cliff, inside each sunken reef and down every jungle trail, Coron is a hidden town, full of surprises. 3

By Kirsty Gibson

ORON – Tiny shack houses lie at the bottom of a hill in this small fishing village in the Philippines. The shacks not only line the streets, but stretch far out onto the water, linked together by wooden walkways. A large cross stands proudly watching over the town. The dusty streets are busy as tricycles drive up and down trying to avoid the children playing in the road. Shops are filled with curios – t-shirts, sarongs, beach hats – all waiting for tourists to buy them.

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Destinations June 2011

Tunnel Rats:

A Jaunt Through the Bowels of Seoul

By Jean G. Poulot

ost people would agree that the best way to see Seoul is high above it, from the top of the Samsung building, Bugaksan or Seoul Tower. I would argue it was most interesting from down below.

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I came to this conclusion by chance eight years ago, while cycling along the Han River. Pedaling north, the bicycle path ended next to a wide, deep and imposing structure spanning the stream. The “Do Not Enter” sign was an irresistible invitation to explore. Once inside, it felt like the secret entrance to a forgotten temple: gigantic square pillars, hundreds if not thousands, receding far into darkness, silent as a mausoleum. I had just entered the gate to the fabled Cheonggyecheon. The tunnel I had entered was 50 meters wide, more than ten high, and, as I discovered later with my map, more than five kilometers long. Some parts were in total darkness, and some fully illuminated by the broken sections where the deconstruction of the street level had already started. Others were mood-lit by street drains, which threw light beams onto the walking path and cast startling animated shadows when cars passed over them. Conveniently, plaques on the wall every few hundred meters marked my position. By the 2.75 kilometer marker, under Dongdemun Stadium, I had to turn back: In the darkness, sewers were gushing on both sides of the path, stinking and dangerous. I was not ready for this kind of exploration alone, and I would have to be prepared. I needed food, water, cameras and tripods, torches, plenty of extra-batteries, a 1:5000 map, masks and a bottle of perfume (Allure by Chanel) to block out the horrid smell. The time was set for a week later. In 2003, when I explored it, the Cheonggyecheon was still covered with concrete; President Park Chung-Hee had built a highway on top of it in 1968. For almost 40 years, the stream would not see the light of day. It wasn’t until 2005 that it was finally opened to the public again, two years after I had walked its subterranean length. The morning of the expedition, I met a friend at Majang subway station, exit 2. Wuchan, I’ll call him, was the only person curious and daring enough to join me on this trip. We had supplies, including hard hats with the Cheonggyecheon logo spraypainted on. Our goal was to walk the five kilometers of the stream underground to see Gwanggyo, the only bridge left under the paved street. Gwangyo lay at the heart of the city, at the intersection of Cheonggyecheon and Namdemunro. By the 1.75 kilometer marker, under Cheonggyecheon market, we could hear up above the muffled rumble of cars and the shouts of vendors calling customers. Five hundred meters further, the path made its last curve and became a straightaway until the end, three kilometers upstream. Past the 2.5 kilometer mark, a grate at street level lit up our path in a perfectly square pool of light. It looked liked a tall jail cell, where the man in the iron mask might have been detained. It had the harsh lighting of blackand-white1930s horror films. From our perspective, the concrete, the water, everything was black and white. Looking up through the grate, we could see the traffic, cars and motorcycles going right over our heads, and the derelict, vacated buildings above the

shops of Dongdemun market. Further up, in the middle of the ceiling, a large square had been cut out of the roadway, 50 centimeters thick. I had peeked into it just a few days before on a reconnaissance trip. The three-kilometer plaque marked a drastic change of scenery. The surroundings became dark, inhospitable, scary and downright dangerous. The sewers ran on both sides of the concrete walkway, yellowish-green water gushing loudly. The stench would have been unbearable without our masks, impregnated with Allure. Abruptly, the path ended at the 3.7 kilometer marker; the concrete walkway above the sewer had collapsed. All that was left was a three-meter long and 30 centimeterwide concrete beam with foul water flowing fast underneath it. In the light of our torches, the roaring sewers, magnified by echo, turned the area into the river Styx. Too frightful to cross, the only safe option was to turn back and look for a way to ford to the other side. Along the path, small metal bridges spanned the open sewers. One kilometer back, we found one that led to a narrow concrete dam across a shallow in the river. In contrast to the sewers, the stream there was still a pond. The ceiling and pillars reflected like in a mirror, an upsidedown image in perspective that looked like an M.C. Escher print. On the north bank of the stream, the situation was not much better. Two other narrow areas slowed our progress. The walkway had also disintegrated and all that remained was another thin concrete slab over the sewers right below. One false move, and off we’d have gone in the roaring waters. It was scarier than an Indiana Jones movie. Some large pipes blocked the way twice, and we had to crawl under them in the stinking, disgusting mud. It was what I imagine commando training would be like,

smell notwithstanding. The ceiling had slowly lowered and past the four-kilometer marker stood only one meter high. Walking bent in half for 500 meters was strenuous, with our heavy backpacks and hardhats. Right there, as I was putting fresh batteries in my torch, the bulb died, and my spare burned out instantly. I felt like Donald Pleasance, the blind forger in “The Great Escape,” trapped in his tunnel. Wuchan had an extra light, a bonus gift that came with a set of batteries. It threw a dim, pathetic beam and flickered halfreassuringly. When Wuchan’s back started hurting (he is much taller than I am), we took a break. We had been walking for more than four hours, with no place to sit down and no appetite for lunch. I decided to have a look at what lay ahead. With my weak beam illuminating only one meter in front of me, the ceiling seemed to get higher, if only slightly. It was our motivation to start walking again, until, out of the darkness, we perceived a faint orange light some distance away. This tiny bulb became our beacon. If there was a way out, we had to take it to escape. Turning back was not an option, as neither of us wanted to retrace our steps. We were tired, hungry, and although we didn’t want to admit it, we had just had enough. In the darkness, human shapes emerged. There was some activity down there, the first people we had encountered in five kilometers and five hours. They turned out to be surveyors putting up a grid of thin nylon lines over their aluminum scaffolding. No one seemed impressed by the Cheonggyecheon logos on our hard hats and they started throwing us questions: Why were we here, where did we enter, did we have official documents? Unflappable, Wuchan told them I was working on an article, and that was good enough. Because of this impromptu intervention, it took me a couple minutes to realize that the columns here were quite different from the concrete pillars we were used to seeing. These were stone. We were under Gwangyo, the bridge we were searching for! Five-century-old Gwangyo, which means “wide bridge”, had been asleep under the street for 40 years. The buttresses on the embankment were built with uneven square stones over a bas-relief of exquisitely carved clouds, intertwined and billowing. After half an hour of looking around and taking pictures, we felt we had overstayed our welcome and decided to leave. Climbing up the ladder onto the street, we met a different world: sunshine, people, honking traffic, shops, a bright, colorful and noisy contrast to the quiet monochrome world down below. To see Gwanggyo buried and forgotten below one of the busiest intersections of the capital was the purpose of the expedition. The walk to get there was the search, the real adventure. One week after our expedition, Hyundai Construction started the demolition work at the Majang entrance, making it impossible to walk under the paved Cheonggyecheon ever again. june 2011// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// 53

Food & Drink

The market looks like the ultimate Seoul street market, moved inside.

June 2011

I had told a Korean about a month before that I live near Garak, and he said, “Oh, you must eat good seafood.” That was the first time I heard of Garak as a source of seafood. I thought Noryangjin was the only serious place to buy fresh fish and shellfish in Seoul.

Pan-seared scallop with a kumquat butter sauce, served on a slice of “grandfather cucumber.”

Cooking Garak article & photos by Josh Foreman

a.m. Buddha’s Birthday. Read Urban is on his way down to my neighborhood for a hike up Namhansan. The weather looks terrible. Backup plan: we cook.

Scallops sizzle in cast iron 54// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

Read arrives in Bokjeong, a neighborhood without a great market. I work in Miasamgeori, and there you can hardly walk down the street without tripping over a pile of fresh cabbage or watermelons. Not so in Bokjeong. Here there are just a few little grocery stores, with wilted and expensive produce and mostly-frozen seafood. We drink strong coffee and look out the window at Namhansan. The clouds are foreboding; just you try and hike, they say. We contemplate our backup plan. “What do you want to cook?” “I don’t know. What do you want to cook?” We nearly set off for the little grocery store up the street, the one that smells like rotting vegetables. Then I have an idea -- Garak Market is just a few kilometers from here. Want to check it out? I had heard about Garak from some of the expats who live in Bokjeong. They told me they ride there on bikes, up the Tancheon. They buy In Virginia, monkfish is called “poor man’s lobster.” up big bags of veggies, then split the bill and the haul. I always imagined something like the markets in Miasamgeori -- old, crowded, with decent produce for decent prices. I had told a Korean about a month before that I live near Garak, and he said, “Oh, you must eat good seafood.” That was the first time I heard of Garak as a source of seafood. I thought Noryangjin was the only serious place to buy fresh fish and shellfish in Seoul. When we get to Garak, the weather has gotten worse. The clouds are a deep gray and pregnant with rain. The wind has picked up, too. I had expected the actual market part of Garak to be ramshackle and small. It is huge, actually a series of warehouse-like buildings. Massive blue signs with stylized drawings denote what is sold inside each building. It looks more like an empty fairground than a market. We start up one of the avenues between the warehouses. It’s then we notice that the avenues between buildings are markets in themselves. Our purchases included a hideous monkfish and 6 fat scallops. The avenue we’re walking down is lined with ajummas and ajoshis selling produce off june 2011// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// 55

Food & Drink June 2011

Garak Market: Seoul’s Other, Better Mega-Market Photos by Josh Foreman Garak Market is the ultimate Seoul street-market, moved indoors. The produce and seafood are cheap and fresh, and vendors still get a kick out of seeing foreigners perusing the aisles. Garak retains the old feel of a Seoul market, but might not for long; it’s scheduled to be transformed into a modern eco-friendly complex over the course of the next nine years. Expect prices at Garak to be 50 percent of what you’d pay normally. Sometimes they’re even better. Vegetables, especially, are inexpensive, and they sell just about anything that grows. To get to Garak Market, take subway line 8 three stops south of Jamsil to Garak Market Station. The market is also close to the Tancheon, a tributary off the Han River. If you live along it, Garak is probably a short bike ride away.

About the Models Katherine Thomas Katherine has been living in Korea for nearly a year. When she’s not teaching 7th grade science she enjoys being outside, practicing yoga, finding insects and identifying plants.

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Sarah Segal Sarah, an Arizona native, is a lover of fish tacos and all things ceviche. In her spare time, you can find her acting as a stunt double or busting a move on the dance floor.

Amber Hutton Amber teaches second grade and hails from Northern California. She is a triathlete and a frequent shopper at Garak Market.

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Food & Drink June 2011

Crustaceans abound at Garak. One ajumma was selling little gray ones for 1,000 won each.

of stands made of crates and cardboard boxes. We pass a stand selling chili peppers. “Look how bright those are,” Read says. The peppers are a vibrant red I haven’t seen before. They practically glow in the gloomy weather. As we walk along the avenue, I notice that each stand of chili peppers is a slightly different color. Some are the vibrant red of before, others are a deep crimson -- almost the color of blood. We’re only a few steps down the avenue, and already we’ve picked out several veggies to cook. The first thing we buy is a bag of variegated bell peppers -- two kilos for 2,000 won. The peppers are a mix of green, red and orange; a few days later they would all turn red. We’re shocked by the price of the peppers. Usually 2,000 would only buy a few; we get 30 or more. Again and again we are shocked by the prices at Garak. We buy softball-sized beets (1,500 won each), a massive yellow “grandfather cucumber” (1,500 won), purple heads of unpeeled garlic (5 for 1,500 won) and a bundle of 15 or so asparagus spears (2,500). An old man next to us buys an armload of celery for 2,000 per bunch. What on earth is he going to do with all that celery? I think. But the ajumma hands over bunch after bunch like it’s nothing special. By the time we get to the avenue we’re carrying several kilos of fresh produce. Read is already brainstorming recipe ideas. We head toward the seafood section. The powerful smell of fish greets us before we can even see the market. I expect Garak to be inferior to Noryangjin, its more famous seafoodmarket cousin, and again I am surprised. Garak actually opened in 1985 and was Korea’s first public wholesale market. It sprawls at more than 500,000-square-meters. Standing at any one part of the market, you can only see a small fraction of what’s actually there. Read and I enter the seafood market and take stock. The interior is familiar. Little rivulets of water run to rusty grates across concrete floors. The entire floor surface of the market is wet, and the people working there stay dry with thick rubber boots, gloves and aprons. The market is abuzz; people drive through on motorbikes, push giant welded-iron carts of Styrofoam boxes, and carry baskets of fish by hand. An old man picks up snail shells out of a box and taps at the little snails inside. The tables in the market are loaded with all the seafood you’d find at Noryangjin: meter-long flounder, sleek amberjack, sinister-looking silver hairtail. An ajumma sits amid stacks of Styrofoam boxes, a round, 58// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

six-inch-thick cutting board covered with fish scales next to her. In addition to fish, the market has loads of shellfish -- crabs, scallops, mussels, razor clams. We decide to get a monkfish and start looking around for a nice one. We find a two-kilo specimen looking like the ugliest creature on earth. How did such a hideous fish get such a saintly name? We ask how much it is. 15,000 won. We’ll take it. The ajumma selling it begins cleaning it by hacking off its prominent lower jaw. She chops it into three pieces and we stop her before she gets to the meaty tail. I’ve never had monkfish, but Read used to cook them in the States and knows to keep the tail intact. We pick up a line of six plum-sized scallops for good measure (10,000 won) and hail a cab out of the market. One of the biggest complaints about Garak is that it’s too congested. Today, there’s no traffic. Driving back, a storm seems imminent. In the cab, Read lays out the menu: to start, pan-seared scallops with a kumquat butter sauce served on a slice of the grandfather cucumber. For the main course, pan-roasted monkfish with asparagus and a roasted red pepper relish, finished off with fresh lemon juice. As Read deveins, debones, and de-membranes the monkfish, a beautiful white fillet begins to emerge. In Virginia, Read says, monkfish is called the “poor man’s lobster.” When he’s done, he has a firm piece of white meat that looks just like a lobster tail. We open a bottle of bourbon and drink as Read cooks our catch. Outside, the rain has come.

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Food & Drink June 2011

Squid Ink by Paloma Julian

photos by josh foreman

Breaking the Custard Curse I can’t remember the first time I heard about Carl Warner. I probably read about him on a cooking blog some rainy day. It doesn’t matter. He’s an English photographer who recreates landscapes with real food. A lot of big companies have hired him for his originality (can you imagine? a sea made of red salmon…) If you want to check out his work, google “Foodscapes.” Anyway. The point is, here I was the other day, admiring his creations, when it hit me: food and art are truly related. I began clicking. One thing led to another, and I ended up looking at a Dalí painting. In the painting, a pork chop hangs on his wife, Gala’s, shoulder. I remember reading that a journalist asked him once about why he put the two objects together. He replied something like, “I like my wife and I like pork. I don’t understand why I shouldn’t put them together in my painting.” (Aesthetics, maybe? But who am I to question Dalí.) The relationship between Dalí and food goes further. Remember his floppy clocks? Well, he got the idea eating hot camembert. Really. I don’t know why, but the clocks have always reminded me of flan. The movement, the elasticity… I had an idea; I’d make flan, the traditional Spanish dessert. Growing up, I had always seen my mother and grandmother making it. I have great memories of those moments full of love and food. I had never thought that it was something difficult to make, until living in the States. I planned to surprise my roommates cooking one. I looked for the recipe, and what I got was the

worst version of flan that a person could possibly make. It was a mutant flan. The problem was that I had no idea about the American measurement system, and I translated literally what the recipe said without thinking that in the new continent the measurements were based on volume and not weight. I am not going to extend the article explaining how awful it was, but I will say that from that moment on, I couldn’t make a proper flan. I was officially cursed. This year I was ready to break my bad luck, so I called my mother and I asked her about it. Calmly, she said, “It is very easy. Just mix the eggs with sugar and milk. That is it.” As you can imagine, that knowledge wasn’t much help, so I searched the net for one of my favorite cooks, José Andrés, and based on his recipe I made mine. And finally it worked. Here you are -- the recipe for one of the most Spanish desserts, with American measurements, made in Korea -- a good example of fusion.

Flan (serves four) 1/2 cup plus 3/4 cup of brown sugar 1/2 cup of milk

Cinnamon (if you have a stick, even better)

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 large eggs

Lemon zest

2 large egg yolks

Pre-heat the oven to 135 degrees (275 degrees Fahrenheit). You can use any oven if it’s big enough to fit a pie pan and has temperature control. To make the caramel, put the sugar in a small pan. Cook it over low heat. It should be ready after five or six minutes. Watch it carefully -- you don’t want it to burn. Remove from the heat and carefully add a half cup of water. The caramel will sputter and release steam as it hardens. Return to low heat. After about five minutes, the caramel will become syrupy. Remove from the heat and let cool a little. Coat the bottom and sides of 4 small ramekins with the caramel, using your fingers or a spatula. If you don’t have ramekins, you can use a pie pan or a round baking dish. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and the cream. Add the cinnamon, along with the lemon peel and the threequarters-cup of sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, removing the pan from the heat just as it reaches a boil. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks. Carefully pour the hot cream mixture into the eggs, whisking vigorously in the bowl. Then fill the ramekins. Set the ramekins in a deep baking pan. Carefully fill the pan with hot water up to a level in the middle of the ramekins. Place the dish in the pre-heated oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove and let the ramekins cool. Store the flan in the refrigerator overnight. Serve cold. (If you don’t want to make a traditional caramel, use maple syrup. Cook the syrup and reduce it to a thick, dark-brown consistency).

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Food & Drink June 2011

Urbs & Spices by read urban

photo by stephen depolo

Egg Trick I’ve always heard the real test of a cook’s skill is making eggs. It’s a test of timing and patience to create a perfectly cooked egg. You almost need a sixth sense. The egg has defeated many cooks in the kitchen, but when executed perfectly, the egg can transcend the idea of humble protein. It can mask itself as savory or sweet while parading as the main attraction or acting simply as a highlight to a dish. From the North American perspective, eggs perform some of their best roles at breakfast. One morning, a few years ago in Costa Rica, the egg really showed me who rules the breakfast plate. I was in a small town on the Caribbean coast called Puerto Viejo. The area was full of great restaurants, and I frequented a small café in town, Bread and Chocolate, for breakfast almost every morning. It was an open air café swarming with tourists and local ex-pats. The café was a great place to relax and start my day. Fresh juice, Costa Rican coffee served in my own personal French press, and scrambled eggs that defied logic. They were light and fluffy while still having a custard-like richness. They weren’t embellished with anything other than salt, pepper, and butter. They held their shape on the fork and melted in my mouth. I had to find out how to make these eggs at home. I spent the better part of a year trying to find out how to make that dish. I knew what I was looking for, but every time I tried making scrambled eggs they turned out soggy and underdone, or overcooked and tough. It wasn’t until I came across another technique for cooking eggs that I put the pieces together. It wasn’t the timing or ingredients, it was using a totally different way to cook eggs. A bain Marie, or double boiler, was the trick. It’s used to slowly cook the eggs and bring them together into perfectly rich curds. They are so rich and satisfying that you don’t need to add much to them. You don’t even need a fancy bain Marie. Just use a sauce pan with an inch and a half of water and nest a metal bowl inside 62// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

of it, trapping the steam inside the sauce pan. The gentle heat created by the steam cooks the eggs slowly at a lower temperature, creating smaller curds and a creamier texture. It takes a few more minutes than using a frying pan, but the end product is leaps and bounds better. Now, I don’t know if this is exactly how the café prepared their eggs, but it got me close enough to the dish I remember. All too often, people add too many ingredients to eggs, hiding the fact that they weren’t cooked that well. If you follow this technique, you won’t have to hide behind any enrichment. That being said, it wouldn’t hurt them if fresh chopped herbs or a mild cheese was folded in at the end. Try them unadulterated first, then add ingredients as you see fit. Oh, and if you ever find yourself in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, get the eggs at Bread and Chocolate.

Scrambled Eggs 5-6 large eggs

1 tablespoon of butter Salt & pepper The first step is to make sure your eggs are at room temperature. An easy way to do this is to put the eggs in a dish and fill it with warm water. Let that sit on the counter while you fill a sauce pan with about an inch or two of water. Bring the water to a boil, then back down to a simmer. Place a metal bowl over the sauce pan and add the butter. While the butter is melting, remove the eggs from the water and crack them into a mixing bowl. Whisk thoroughly. When the butter has melted, add the eggs. Not much is going to happen for the first few minutes, but keep an eye on it, stirring ever so often. After one or two minutes the eggs will slowly start to cook. Using a whisk, stir and scrape the sides of the bowl slowly letting the mixture heat through evenly. Small curds will begin to form. Remove from the heat when it is at the desired texture. Remember, if it looks done in the pan the eggs will be overcooked. There will always be some carry over cooking time with proteins, so remove the eggs 30-40 seconds before you think they are done. Season with salt and pepper. At this point you can fold in any additions you have on hand. Transfer to a warm plate and eat.

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Restaurant & Bar Directory

Food & Drink June 2011

Dak Galbi:

photo by stacy a

The Siren’s Call

efore I spent some time here, were you to query me on my favorite Korean dish, I would probably answer you with a couple of my passions: bulgogi and galbi. I might even throw in “bibimbap” and “chapchae”, thinking myself cultured and worldly. This would clearly be before I began stocking my refrigerator with kimchi on the daily. Now, having spent a considerable amount of time on the Korean peninsula, I have discovered a new, mind-blowing culinary obsession: dak galbi (chicken galbi!). If this article was a movie, the director would now cue the sensual beats of Kenny G and cut to a montage scene of me stuffing myself with gargantuan amounts of chicken, cabbage, sweet potato and rice cakes, all slathered in the most beautifully sweet gochujang-based sauce ever. That would also be the scene they’d play at the Oscars. I like to think of myself as something of a connoisseur of dak galbi. Admittedly, I haven’t made the pilgrimage to Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, the birthplace of dak galbi, but I’ve abandoned all pretense of being lady-like and inhaled the stuff everywhere else. From Hongdae to Gangnam, to Chicago and L.A., I’ve been in momand-pop stores and even attempted to make the dish at home. I’m not going to lie or cover anything up, I have had my fair share of disappointing dak galbi experiences. At times, I’ve even questioned my faith in the dish, having been served in restaurants that blatantly disregard hygiene, shops that clearly didn’t understand the concept of edible chicken, and franchises that were out of what I consider essential add-ons, like cheese and rice cake. (Honestly, would you offer me a peanut butter sandwich and hide the jar of Nutella while lovingly caressing a hazelnut?) Yet, no matter how dark, lonely and hopeless the rice cake-less black hole may seem, I have only to return to my favorite restaurant in Hongdae to remember my love of dak galbi and reaffirm my faith in the benevolent, pure joy of the dish. That’s right, in the course of this magical, spicy chicken journey, one restaurant has emerged victorious as the recipient of my highly coveted, kimchi-festooned golden chopstick award. To the uninitiated, it may appear an unremarkable addition to the Yoogane dak galbi chain, but to those in the know, it is vastly superior to brethren franchise members in, say, Sinchon, which may or may not be lacking in essential add-ons. Arrive at this restaurant on a weekend and you’re guaranteed a slight wait. They say that anything worth having is worth waiting for, slightly. After being lead to a recently vacated table amongst a gaggle of chicken-consuming, soju-glass-clinking fellow patrons, the wait staff immediately sets about providing me with side dishes, like that lovely shredded cabbage with the creamy dressing. As the waiters and waitresses rotate about the restaurant, they begin setting the stage to grill me my chicken in front of my very eyes. Out comes the oil, and the floodgates are released to present me with a deluge of cabbage, potatoes, chicken, noodles, cheese, and rice cakes. The employees clearly get their workout for the day as they set about stirring the glorious mixture, and my stomach gets its workout for the month as I test its limits… In the spirit of full disclosure, I have acceded to dates with men after the admission of their former employment at a dak galbi restaurant. After a hard week of school or work, nothing beats joining my friends in knocking back the soju glasses and dining at my favorite dak galbi jip. I highly recommend giving it a try. 64// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

Bar Bliss Itaewon Exit 1 (Line 6) make the first right. It’s on the corner. www.picturetrail.com/barbliss. Price: 12,000-35,000 won. Contemporary cuisine and highend bar. Great cocktails and patio. Beer O’Clock Head to Exit 1 of Sinchon Station (Line 2) Go behind the Hyundai Department store towards the 7-11. Turn left on the third street up. 2nd floor. English Menu and staff. #:02-333-9733 www. beeroclock.ca. Prices: 8,00024,000 won. Canadian Sports Bar with great wings, burgers, donairs, and pizza. Big Rock Brewery Head out Gangnam Station Exit 7 and make the first right and head up the hill past the GS25. www. bigrockbeer.co.kr. Prices: 5,00015,000 won. Canadian Brewery with a great Sunday Brunch and good pub fare. Craftworks The nation’s only foreign-owned brewpub specializing in great steaks, inventive vegetarian dishes and, of course, amazing handcrafted beers brewed right here in Korea. Open every day but Mondays from 11 a.m. ‘til 2 a.m. 02-794-2537 HBC Gogi-Jib Out Noksapyeong Exit 2 (Line 6) and walk straight along the street with the kimchi pots. English menu and staff. #:02-796-5528. Nightly bbq specials, generous servings, and open late. Le Quartier Latin Go out Sinchon Station Exit 3 (Line 2) and walk straight until you get to the big church. Make a right and walk about 500 meters. Look for the large French Flag. English Menu and Staff. #:02333-9874. Prices: 4,000-26,000 won. Authentic French Bistro with reasonable prices. Naked Bar and Grill Line 6 Itaewon Station Exit 1 walk straight and make a right at KFC. Naked Bar and Grill is next to B1 on the left. English menu and staff. #:02-794-4225. Prices: 5,000 to 40,000 won. The perfect after party place with great food and drinks. Naked Grill Naked Grill is located at Yongsangu, Hannam Dong 29-21 towards the U.N. Village. English menu and staff. #:02-749-4225. Prices: 4,000-12,000 won. Tacos and homestyle American favorites for eat-in or take-out. Petra Restaurant Kebab House Exit 3 of Noksapyeong Station

(Line 6) and up the overpass. It’s located to the right. English Menu and staff. #:02-790-4433. Prices: 5,000-18,000 won. Authentic Arab food made by a certified chef. Excellent Falafel, hummus, and Sultana style lamb and chicken. Pizza Peel Go out Exit 4 of Itaewon Station and walk past the Rotiboy and make a left into Market Alley. English Menu available — davelauckner@hotmail.com. Itaewon’s Newest Pizza Shop serving fresh pies daily. Roofers Go out Itaewon Station Exit 3 and make a right at the Fire Station. It’s on floor of the building across from the Foreign Food Mart. #02749-2970. An artsy, spacious bar with good food. They have an outside roof that is used for brunch and performances. Rookies Ichon (Line 4) Exit 5 and walk in the direction of Yongsan Station. Pass train tracks to your left. It’ll be on your left. English menu and staff. #:02-792-3383. Price: 4500-22,000 won. A sports bar with creative bar food and burgers. Sanchae House (산채집) Go up around Namsan Mountain from Myeong-dong Road. It is near the Namsan Cable Cars and the restaurant N’Cucina. English menu. #:02-755-8775. Price: 8,000-25,000 won. Savory bossam and fresh leaf bibimbap. Spice Table Go straight out of Exit 2 from Itaewon Station, turn left onto the first street (corner of Helios), Spice Table is on the left (2nd Floor) and across from Los Amigos. English spoken and English Menu Available. #:02796-0509. Price: 7,000-25,000 won (Cuisine), 8,000 won Lunch Special Menu, 40,000-90,000 won (Wine) Stylish Asian food to Itaewon using a fresh and flavorful approach. Wolfhound Go out Itaewon Station Exit 4 and turn left to go down the hill and make the first right. English Spoken and English Menu Available: 02-749-7941. Price 10,000-20,000 won for food. The best Fish-N-Chips and comfort food in an Irish Pub atmosphere. Yaletown 400 meters from Sinchon Subway Exit number 2. Make a left at Beans and Berries. English Menu. #:02-333-1604. Price: 5,00018,0000 won. Great Pub fare such as poutine, burgers, and nachos. june 2011// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// 65

Community June 2011

joyed an outdoor barbeque on a beautiful day. The children took pleasure in eating their favorite Korean dishes such as Japchae and Oie Kimchi. The children even sampled American cookies, brownies, hamburgers, hotdogs, fried chicken and pizza. After eating, the sponsors presented their gifts to the orphanage. NCOA donated $1,550 towards the purchase of a new airconditioner. Phoenix Organization donated Korean books and some food. Groove Koreas, Korea Exchange Bank and What the Book Bookstore in Itaewon donated English Books. People to People International-Hanyang Chapter organized the event with recreational assistance from Better Opportunity for Single Soldier (BOSS - USAG YONGAN) and transportation assistance from Koridoor Tours, USO. PTPI-Hanyang Chapter and BOSS set up the park with activities for the children to enjoy. The Children jumped in Air Bouncers, played baseball and catch, twirled hula-hoops and did the conga line shuffle. “This is truly a community wide effort with SOCKOR partnering with US and Korean Organizations and local businesses to put together a great event for the children to enjoy on such a beautiful day dedicated to them,” said Col. Daren Sears, deputy commanding officer of SOCKOR.

WIN PRIZES

A total of 18 children from the orphanage enjoyed an outdoor barbeque on a beautiful day.

A Day for Children

By Laine Ritter

ay 5 was Children’s Day, an annual public holiday where children throughout Korea are honored and pampered by their families with gifts, family fun and favorite foods. However, some children are not as fortunate and not able to share this day with their families.

To sponsor a local orphanage, a Special Operations Command Korea (SOCKOR) Good Neighbor Program partnered with People to People International (PTPI), Hanyang Chapter, Non-Commissioned Officer Association (NCOA)-Dragon Hill Chapter, Phoenix Organization, Groove Korea magazine, Korea Exchange Bank and What the Book bookstore. A total of 18 children from the orphanage en66// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

According to Julia Kim, president of PTPI-Hanyang Chapter, “Children are the future of Korea. We are examples for children. We must build a culture that will make them active, happy and wise participants in the world.” Many service members come to Korea without their family and miss their own children in the United States. SGT McGainey, IMCOM BOSS Coordinator, feels that Good Neighbor Programs like SOCKIDs are very important for single soldiers because it gives them a family aspect and a chance to learn another culture. “U.S. Forces in Korea are concerned about the children of Korea. They are part of our family. Many of us are away from our family and miss our children back home. Helping in Good Neighbor events like SOCKIDs gives our soldiers a piece of home. These children are our little brothers and littler sisters and give us a piece of home, family and belonging.” The same sentiment is echoed by the appreciative orphanage mother Kim Hwa Ja. “We are very happy this event has happened. We were worried about what to do for this day and we are very grateful that an organization, like SOCKIDS has offered to host us today and such a wonderful event. The children are enjoying this very much,” she said. The children’s orphanage is divided into three houses. Some of the children are siblings placed in different homes. Events like SOCKIDS Children’s Day provide an opportunity for the orphanage to get together and expose the children to different people.

P. 80 Konglish & Pic of the Month submissions@groovekorea.com

P. 82

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Dear Michelle: Banking Advice for

Community June 2011

Foreigners in Korea

Submit your banking questions to: farnsworth@shinhan.com

Dear Michelle, I’m leaving Korea. Do I have to close my bank account? — Moving On

Yellow Sea Cup: Day of Rugby on the Banks of the Han River

By Rob McGovern | photos by robin ash

EOUL - Way back in 1972 a group of expats, mainly from the U.K., Australia and New Zealand, formed the Seoul Wanderers Rugby Club to play against university and army teams in Korea. The team was formidable and not afraid of a punch up. According to former player Mike Seros, “The Wanderers were eventually disbanded for getting into too many punch-ups with Korean sides.”

“Sometime in a 1976 game against Yonsei University, there was a ruckus that really blew up and they walked off the field,” Barry Martin, the Survivors legendary captain, said. After that game, the Wanderers couldn’t find a Korean team willing to play against them. A year later and a conversation in the U.S Embassy men’s room led to seven men meeting up for the first training session of what would become the Seoul Survivors, the name being chosen over the old Wanderers name so as to not scare off Korean teams. Thirty-four years later and the Survivors are going strong. June 11 is an important day for expat rugby in Korea. The Beijing Devils come to town to play the Survivors in The Yellow Sea Cup. The Yellow Sea Cup is an annual rugby union competition currently involving clubs from four cit-

68// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

ies in China and South Korea. Launched in 2005, the tournament is held from April to November, with various stages scheduled around domestic club competitions. The Devils are the reining champions and their victory over arch-rivals, the Shanghai Hairy Crabs, made the Beijing Devils the most successful team ever, winning the competition three times. The game will be held at the survivors home ground in Jamwon, Seoul, a great location on the banks of the Han river with plenty of space for kids to play and bike. The day will be given over to rugby, with a 7’s or 10’s tournament in the early part of the day, featuring U.S military teams, other expat teams from around Korea, as well as any local Korean teams that are interested. There is hope that there will be Ka Brew beer and New Zealand wines supplied by Tiwi Trade for spectators to purchase. The survivors lost a hard fought match to the Devils in Beijing last year, meaning the Seoul team narrowly missed out on the Yellow Sea Cup for the first time since 2005. “Yellow Sea Cup rugby matches are generally tightly contested affairs with players displaying a high level of commitment and physicality. The players take the matches very seriously and then put the same effort into partying post match,” said Nick Goodman, coach at the survivors. “Having played rugby for over 25 years, in New Zealand, Europe and Asia I can safely say Y.S.C after-match functions are second to none,” Goodman added. The post-match celebrations will take place at one of the team’s sponsors, Scrooge Bar in Itaewon, and everyone is invited along. For more info about the event or the Seoul Survivors in general, visit their website www.survivorsrfc.com

Dear Moving On, If you are planning to leave Korea for good, it is an extremely good idea to close your Korean bank account. Korean bank accounts do not have any maintenance fees, so that is not the issue. And of course you can access your regular account from overseas through internet banking or with your international check card, so that is not the issue either. The issue is if you ever lost your security code card for internet banking or the magnetic strip on your check card became demagnetized or there was some other unforeseen mishap, you would have to solve the problem in person at a bank branch in Korea. It would be extremely difficult and maybe impossible for you to get a replacement while you are outside of Korea. In fact, if you do not use internet banking (and by “use” I don’t mean just checking your balance, I mean making an actual transaction such as a domestic transfer or an overseas remittance) for one year, your internet banking service will expire and you will need to visit a bank branch in person in Korea to register again. In addition, if you leave your installment accounts, time deposits, or fund accounts open, it would be impossible to cancel the accounts and withdraw your cash from abroad. To gain access to your funds you may have to visit a bank branch in Korea in person. One more thing; when we do finally leave, many of us will eligible for a refund of the pension money we have been paying. If the National Pension Service (http://english.nps.or.kr) is planning to make the deposit after you leave Korea, it is much better that they make the overseas remittance of your pension money into your home country bank account. This high level of necessary security is due to Korea’s Real Name Law that requires bank transactions to be done in person by the account holder. This is a federal government regulation and all banks must follow the Real Name Law. If you are heading out of country on vacation, take advantage of the flexibility that your international check card and internet banking offer, but if you are never coming back, be sure that you take all of your money with you when you leave. Best wishes, Michelle

“Dear Michelle: Banking Advice for Foreigners in Korea” is a monthly column written by Michelle Farnsworth. Michelle is an 8-year resident of Korea who is currently the Foreign Client Relationship Manager at the Shinhan Bank Seoul Global Center – the only bank branch in Korea that is exclusively dedicated to serving foreigners and foreign companies. Please visit the “Shinhan Bank Seoul Global Center” on Facebook for more information. Also, please note that the banking information provided in this column is based on Shinhan Bank policies and may not be applicable to all banks in Korea. june 2011// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// 69

Community

Advertising Feature

June 2011

Korea’s First Sports Chiropractor and Acupuncturist By Dr. Phillip Yoo

Doctor James Lee is Korea’s first sports chiropractor and acupuncturist. He sat down with Groove Korea to talk about his career in chiropractic and acupuncture. Over the years, Lee has treated infertility, cancer patents, Olympians and World Cup of football athletes. Lee is currently the chief oriental medical doctor at Create Wellness Center.

How did you get into sports chiropractic? I have always been interested in sports and medicine. After I graduated with my masters degree in physical education from Dankook University, I decided to get my Ph.D. in Phys. Ed. in the United States. That is when I discovered how chiropractic complements sports performance and decided to work on my doctorate in chiropractic. So in 1995, I graduated from the first chiropractic school ever established (Palmer College of Chiropractic in Iowa.)

How did you get into acupuncture? After practicing chiropractic only for several years, some patients got better and some didn’t. So I wanted to offer my patients more treatment options. I decided to study Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture, and graduated in 2006 from South Baylo College in Los Angeles with an M.A. Acupuncture & Herbology

How does acupuncture and chiropractic go together? Both look at human beings in a holistic approach, seeking out the root causes of disease, and not just treating symptoms with drugs, injections, or surgery, all of which may have harmful side effects. However, while chiropractic focuses on correcting structural malfunctions of the body’s musculoskeletal and nervous systems, acupuncture focuses on the proper restoration of the body’s natural energy flow (Chi). Once the body’s energy meridians are restored to normal, the body can heal itself of not only musculoskeletal and neurological disorders, but also heal the internal organs.

Tell us some surprising achievements? I’ve been able to help some patients get pregnant who had been struggling with infertility for years. I have also even been able to help some people suffering with severe diseases such as cancer, because acupuncture strengthens the immune system by increasing white blood cell counts.

Name some famous athletes you’ve treated. Sungnam football team’s coach, professional football player Hong Myung-bo, and I was the official sports doctor for the Korean Olympic soccer team back in 1998.

Describe treating World Cup of football athletes. It was exciting, but also difficult. Not only did I align their spines and joints, I had to work on their overused and strained muscles through sports massage. Many of them had pulled hamstrings, but I was able to rehabilitate them to 100 percent functionability.

Where do you hope to be doing in five years? Help more people. Heal people with aches and pains, especially those serving in the military, educators spending strenuous hours teaching, and of course professional athletes and weekend warriors.

Are you interested in studying Western medicine or pharmacology? Not interested. I am more interested in learning conservative and holistic treatments that are safe. It needs to be safe. Don’t use non-scientific or non-logical treatments.

In your 17-year career in chiropractic, what was the most amazing experience? When a person who was walking on crutches for many years, was able to walk normally after just one treatment.

What do you miss about America? Freedom; more places to go and come back, more land, more stuff to do.

What is your advice for Groove Korea readers? Be Healthy; sleep a lot; drink a lot of water; and don’t get mad. Dr. James Lee is the chief oriental medical doctor at Create Wellness Center. He offers complementary consultations for anyone suffering from musculoskeletal problems to internal organ dysfunctions. He can be reached at chirosportsmed@yahoo.com or www.createwellnesscenter.com 70// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

june 2011// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// 71

Community

Advertising Feature

June 2011

All-Ceramic Crown 1. Features and Advantages

With porcelain fused to metal crowns, there has to be an opaque layer put over the metal, which makes it impossible to mimic the translucency of natural teeth. In contrast, all-ceramic crowns, made of highstrength porcelain can perfectly match the translucency of natural teeth. That is why all-ceramic crowns are the most appropriate choice for front teeth and the best possible choice for those who are allergic to metals. All-ceramic crowns also require only two-three visits to the clinic for the completion of the procedure. They are more durable and last longer than resin. * For those who wish for semi-permanent crown over esthetic aspect, porcelain fused to metal crowns are recommended.

Laminate Veneers vs. All-Ceramic Crowns

Which is the Right Choice for You? What is Cosmetic Dentistry?

My sharp canine teeth were all gone after laminate veneers treatment at Hus’hu Dental Clinic. Thank you! — Elaine, 26 years old, exchange student

Cosmetic dentistry is a type of dental treatment used to restore a person’s teeth that are discolored, damaged, broken or abnormal, and the shape of gums in order to improve the function as well as the appearance of the smile line. Although laminate veneers and all-ceramic crowns are one of the most representative and popular treatments in cosmetic dentistry, you must choose the treatment most appropriate for your dental condition. Laminate veneer, a restorative material made of thin porcelain, is placed over a tooth surface to improve the esthetics or to protect a damaged tooth surface. All-ceramic crown, translucent porcelain similar to natural tooth, is used to completely cap or encircle a tooth whose damaged area is too large to cover with a laminate veneer.

Laminate works perfectly with teeth whitening treatment at Hus’hu Dental Clinic. — Grace, 29 years old, marketing agent

Cosmetic dentistry is ideal for those who have: •

Gap between teeth

•

Broken or chipped teeth

•

Stained or discolored teeth

•

Microdontia, abnormal or conical teeth

•

Dental caries

I really like my all-new beautiful front teeth. — Brian, 31 years old, English teacher

2. Post-Care •

Be careful of external shock to avoid damaging crowns. Regular dental exam is needed.

•

Comparison between Laminate Veneers & All-Ceramic Crowns

Laminate Veneers 1. Features and Advantages

Laminate veneers cost less than crowns. The usually painless procedure does not require anesthesia. The entire treatment process is done in approximately five days with only two visits to the clinic. Patients can preserve their natural tooth structure as much as possible since the amount of tooth reduction is minimal. The material for laminate veneers is translucent as of natural teeth, and more durable and stronger than resin. * Hus’hu analyzes teeth shape and color, ratios between neighboring teeth, and the facial shape and gum before placing veneers. Hus’hu also recommends getting whitening treatment before laminate treatment if teeth are severely stained or discolored for the best outcome. 72// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

Laminate Veneers

All-Ceramic Crowns

Tooth Condition

Smaller & mild damage

Larger & severe damage

Attachment Method

Attach to the tooth surface

Cover (cap) an entire tooth

Tooth Reduction

Minimal

More than laminate

2. Post-Care

• • • • •

Correct brushing and regular scaling are needed to maintain your dental health. Avoid biting or chewing solid or hard food. Be careful of external shock to avoid damaging teeth. Regular dental exam is needed. Avoid drinking hot and cold drinks for the first 24 hours after treatment

Why Hus’hu?

U.S. licensed dentists at Hus’hu use a Dental Color Chart to carefully match laminate veneers or crowns to patients’ tooth color to achieve the most natural smile line. Please contact us to schedule your consultation today.

june 2011// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// 73

Community

Advertising Feature

June 2011

Find Your Oracle Instead of using a professional clinic, I used a home treatment clinic from an ajumma, or older Korean woman. After several treatments from the home clinic, problems started occurring. My skin started developing a rash and my face became worse. So, I went to the hospital and the doctor said I developed some bacteria on my face. At the same time, my friend recommended a place called Oracle Laser Skin Center right next to Gangnam station (Exit 6) were she got Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) treatment for acne and Laser Hair Removal. So, I did some research about PDT therapy treatment and I decided that it was safe. I wanted to remove all of my acne and improve my facial complexion. So, I went to the Oracle Laser Skin Center and saw a dermatologist. The facility has doctors, as well as a cosmetic therapist. They gave me viable information about PDT as well as how to care for it while healing. The first day, the therapist deep cleaned my pores and prepped my skin. Then, Doctor came to applied Levulan® Kerastick® Topical Solution, and covered my faced with a black mask that protects my skin from the light. Next, He had me wait for 40 minutes then I took the mask off and washed my face with water. So, after that, I lay on

a bed and the therapist gave me protective eyewear and placed a light shield around my face. At the time of light illumination, the lesions that were treated and incubated with Levulan® Kerastick®Topical Solution, are illuminated with the Smart-look Photodynamic Therapy Illuminator. They informed me that this part was going to be intense and I might feel a slight hesitation. Even though my eyes were closed, it seemed like it was open because light was passing through my eyelids. This was the only weird part of the procedure for me. After that, I washed my face with water. And Stem Cell Solution was applied on my face to fasten the healing process and a nurse told me not to wash my face for one night. Upon my departure, I also purchase the clinic made bb cream, sun block, and antibacterial cream to prevent summer skin breakout. So, I left the dermatologist office with some redness on my face that looked like sunburn. It wasn’t a big deal like how I thought it would be because later that night I went out to a birthday party and no one noticed. After 2 more treatments at the Oracle Laser Skin Center, I finished the PDT successfully. My face was healed and there were no scars or dark spots. So, with this huge improvement from PDT, I wanted to share my experience with others that were experiencing the same acne problems as me. Instead of home care, now I am move on to the next stage to improve my skin texture. I will be visit the Oracle Laser Skin Center to have better understanding through the Dermatologist consultation for treatment of acne scars and minimizing pore size. No more home care from strangers, it’s always better to have advice from professionals, You get what you looking for! — Love Jenny For inquiry at Oracle call (02) 535-8054 or e-mail beautypower@hotmail.com

74// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

Community June 2011

Medical & Health Info Pediatrics Serim Pediatrics 02-544-0234 Apgujung, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Subway line #3. Apgujung stn. Exit 4 Seran Family Medicine Clinic 02-2642-5975 Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul Subway line #5. Omokgyo stn. Exit 2. Cardiology / Heart Specialist Dr.Simon Lee Heart Clinic 02-543-0072 Chungdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

The Wettest Club in Town

The club predominantly uses Taejongdae as its main training diving site where it’s possible for divers to see octopus, starfish and the noble sea feather during the day. In addition, McArthur discovered that it was an excellent spot for night diving. “You can dive Taejongdae a million times and do a night dive once and it will be a totally different experience,” he says. “There are lots of creepy crawlies, shrimp, crab, and octopus out. There Article & Photos By Andrew Chin are also really cool tricks with phosphoresce,” McArthur said. BUSAN -- Busan justifiably holds the title as Korea’s summer playSearching for different sites in Korea is part of McArthur’s goal ground. Oddly, despite its being surrounded by so much sea, Busan for Busan Scuba this year. Last year, he went an hour south of is not known for its diving. Busan to underexplored areas like Namoo Island (a.k.a. Tree IsDrew McArthur and his Busan Scuba diving club are looking to land), Buk-hyngjae Island (North Brother Island) and Nam-hyungjae change that. Island (South Brother Island). The British born McArthur is a PADI IDC instructor “Everyone knows that the best diving available that is qualified to teach all PADI courses up to being in Korea is in Jeju, but the Brother Islands are very “There are lots a dive master. When he arrived in Busan last June afsimilar to Jeju,” McArthur says. “They’re not quiet ter having taught in Costa Rica, McArthur wasn’t sure of creepy crawlies, as good, but it’s getting close in terms of color, visshrimp, crab, and ibility, coral and fish life.” what to expect. Considering Busan’s lack of reputation in the diving world, he expected to have some diffi- octopus out. There For certified divers, Busan Scuba offer recreationare also really cool al dives out of the city to popular diving destinations culty finding interested customers. He discovered he was wrong on both fronts. tricks with phoslike Pohang, Geoje and Namhae once or twice per “Busan isn’t known as a scuba spot because no phoresce,” month. While these trips pack a lot of diving, they one has been around that’s making it accessible for McArthur said. also function as social events for a growing club. foreigners,” McArthur explains. “The diving scene Pohang boasts a wreck site, an underwater Buddha here is huge for Koreans. I thought it would take carved in stone set in a cave, and the Virgin Mary. more time to spread the word but there’s been a huge level of With the word spreading on Busan Scuba, McArthur has big interest from expats here who were either certified before and plans for the year. want to continue or who were always interested but lacked the With an open schedule, McArthur is available for anybody who is money to pursue diving.” interested in getting certified or who wants to take a dip in the dive McArthur runs his club in connection with Sea World Dive Centre, center’s pool. a popular dive shop located in Jurye that has an on-site training pool. Within the city, McArthur leads a variety of certification courses, re- To find out more about courses and prices, contact Drew McArthur by e-mail at drdcontact@yahoo.co.uk; on Facebook at Busan Scuba; or by fresher courses and discovery scuba dives for uncertified divers. phone at 010-4410-1978. The most popular course McArthur runs is the PADI Open Water Certification that can be done over the span of two to four weeks. Visit the Sea World Dive Center’s office at Jurye (No 225) on the Green Take Exit 8 and walk five minutes. At the intersection, walk pass two Consisting of two days spent in the classroom pool and two days in Line. streets at the left and take the crosswalk to the angled right street. Head the ocean for four dives total, the course costs 600,000 won per up the street and make the first left. Walk down and the stairs to the second floor dive center is next to giant yellow BSAC building. person, with deals being available for groups. 76// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

Ophthalmologist BS Eye Center 02-519-8013 Gangnam Station, Seoul Gangnam stn. Exit 5 Seer & Partner Eye Institute 02-511-0567 Apgujung, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Dream Eye Center Myeong-dong Center 02-779-7888 Gangnam stn. Center 02-554-8400 Obstetrics Cheil Women’s Healthcare Center 02-2000-7119 (Emergency Room) 02-2000-7062 Mukjeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul CHA hospital 02-3468-3000 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Miz Medi Hospital 02-3467-3741 Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Dermatologists TengTeng Skin Clinic 02-337-4066 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Subway line #3, Sinsa stn. Exit 2 Hushu Skin Clinic 02-519-8013 Apgujung, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Subway line #3, Apgujung stn. Exit 3 Nova Skin Clinic 02-563-7977

Gangnam Stn. Subway line #2, Gangnam stn. Exit 8 Dentists Yonsei Miplus Dental Clinic Hongdae Clinic 02-3141-0028 Sinsa-dong Clinic 02-3141-0028 SMart Dental Clinic 02-517-6278 Apgujung, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Subway line#3, Apgujung stn. Exit 4 UpennIvy Dental Clinic 02-797-7784 Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul Hushu Dental Clinic 02-519-8013 Chiropractors Create Wellness Center 02-798-1446 Itaewon, Seoul SKY Wellness Center 02-749-4849 Itaewon, Seoul Oriental Medicine Jaseng Hospital of Oriental Medicine 02-3218-2167 Apgujung, Gangnam-gu, Seoul INI Oriental Medicine 02-824-0075 Sangdo-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul Subway line #7, Soongsil Univ. stn. Exit 3 massage Healing Hands 010-3158-5572 / 02-20718090 Itaewon, Seoul Ophthalmologist Samsung Medical Center 02-3410-0200 / 02-34100226 Emergency 02-3410-2060 Ilwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Yonsei University Severance Hospital 02-2228-5800 / 010-99480983 Yonsei Univ., Seoul Asan Medical Center 02-3010-5001 Poongnap-dong, Songpa-gu june 2011// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// 77

Teams

Listings

Seoul Saturday Soccer League - Please apply to soccersaturday@hotmail.com and leave your phone contacts to call you for more information. Ice Hockey- Interested in playing with experienced and competitive ice hockey players? Join Korea’s original ex-pat hockey team, the Geckos Glaciers Sunday nights at 8pmin Anyang. Contact Charles at charfull@yahoo.com

Gaelic Club - If you are looking for a physical and competitive sport, while also wanting some craic while you are at it, then check out Irish football, aka Gaelic. It is a mixture of soccer, basketball and rugby. Male and female teams meet frequently for training, games and social events.www.seoulgaels.com

Royal A siatic Societ y (R AS) – This non - profit organization offers lectures about Korea’s history and culture, while also offering tours to various locations around the country. Please contact raskb@ kornet.net or visit www.raskb.com

Touch Rugby - contact seoultouch@gmail.com and more information can be found at touchtagrugby. blogspot.com International Taekwondo club - looking for new members interested in taekwondo and cultural exchange on Sat& Sun 4:30PM ~ 8:30 PM near Konkuk Univ. Email to tm3ym@hotmail.com or visit to http://cafe.daum.net/arirangtaekwon

The American Women's Club (AWC) now meets at the Sofitel Ambassador Hotel at 9:30 AM on the first Tuesday of each month. www.awckorea.org. The Australia & New Zealand Assocation (ANZA) meets at the Grand Hyatt Hotel at 9:30AM on the third Tues of the month. For more information, please visit www.anzakorea.com or events@anzakorea.com

Korea Ultimate Players Association – If you have been searching for some hot disc action in Korea, come out to play ultimate every Sun with the Korea Ultimate Players Association. Please visit www. koreaultimate.net

The British Association of Seoul (BASS) meets at the Seoul Club from 10 AM to Noon on the fourth Tues of the month. For more information, please contact basseoul@yahoo.co.uk

Disc-Golf in Seoul - Looking for something different to do and want to be more active in Korea? We are always looking for new people to play disc-golf every Saturday. contact discgolf@naver.com

Crystal Palace Football/Soccer Team – We are recruiting players of all abilities to join our games played in central Seoul. Please contact Alex at harryhowlett@hotmail.com or 010 3040 6114 Seoul Survivors RFC -Seoul Survivors has been around for over 20 years. We practice regularly and play a variety of different teams in friendlies, competitions and on tours. For more information, please contact Ian at koreanianr@yahoo.co.uk or 016-897-6282 The Seoul Sunday Football League, a competitive amateur expat league, is looking for referees to officiate matches in Seoul and surrounding areas on Sundays. No official qualifications are necessary, but you should have a good knowledge of the game. Pay is 70,000 won per game. Also, if you are interested in playing, then we can also find you a team. Please contact: seoulfootball@hotmail.com Seoul Sisters Women’s Rugby Club: Looking for new members, both Korean and foreign, to grow the in-house league. No experience is necessary and there are great coaches to get you up to speed quickly. contact seoulsistersrugby@yahoo.com or check out www.ssrfccom Lokomotiv Goyang Football Club: Playing games in both Seoul and Goyang, we are a football team always looking for new members. Please contact lokogoyang@yahoo.co.uk or check www.lokomotivgoyang.com

Clubs Free Bellydance Classes in English in Itaewon nights and weekends. Over 20 classes a week. Learn an art, awaken your body, make friends, eliminate stress, pamper yourself! http://eshebellydancer.com Bellydance Classes in Seoul Tues nights & Thurs mornings. Belly dance is an energizing, low-impact exercise suitable for men & women of all ages. Reduce stress, improve balance & posture, strengthen & tone muscles, develop grace, reduce weight, and increase self-confidence! bellydancekorea@hotmail.com Korea Latin & Salsa Korea Latin and Salsa welcomes new members of all ages and experience levels for parties, salsa lessons in English and Spanish, trips, friends, and fun. Please visit our website KoreaLatinAndSalsa.com

works as well. email Bryan at scriptingends@gmail. com Lodge Han Yang #1048 the oldest Masonic lodge in Korea welcomes all visiting and returning brethren to attend our regularly scheduled meeting every second and fourth Wednesday. Contact lodgehanyang@ hotmail.com for additional information Seoul Fencing Club — Seoul Grand Park in Ichondong. Please go to www.seoulfencing.com or email seoul.fencing.club@gmail.com. The Seoul Book Club, a new book club. We plan to meet once a month read and various works in English and then share and discuss our impressions, all are welcome. Please contact Sean at 010-3648-2861 or stm@iis.or.kr KH Toastmasters is a fun, supportive environment to learn public speaking and leadership skills in English. Our group is a dynamic mix of foreigners and Koreans, and we meet 8pm every Tuesday in Hyehwa. Guests always welcome. A map of our meeting location can be found at: khtoastmasters. com Southside Hash House Harriers: Do you like to walk, run and drink beer? Well then, come and join the Seoul branch of this world-wide club that meets in a different location south of the Han River each Sunday at 11:00am. All levels of fitness are welcome, just bring along your sneakers and a sense of humor! Please contact Countess at smcrae77@yahoo.com Section 8 Gaming: we meet Sundays in the Seoul area to play a variety of pen and paper role playing games, including Dungeons and Dragons. Contact section8gaming@gmail.com. Toastmasters International, every Thursday Night, near GyeongBuk Palace Subway station, for more information visit the following websites: www. toastmasters.org www.seoultmclub.net or Contact us at: profirving2001@yahoo.com Belly Dance Classes in English. Learn fine muscle control of the torso, arms and hips, and interpretation of intricate music in English with an interesting group of women. Classes on Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings. All levels welcome. Contact eshe@eshebellydancer.com. Texas Hold Em in Ilsan - Weekly Hold Em throw down at cool bar in La Festa, Ilsan Tues & Thurs around 10pm & Sundays 7pm. Contact mrleon29@gmail. com I'm all-in. May the flop be with you! I n t e r e s t e d i n T h e a t r e? S e o u l P l a y e r s i s a n all-volunteer community theatre group which does two English language shows a year. For more info, please email seoulplayers@gmail.com Interested in Surfing? There are trips throughout the winter to discover Korea’s secret spots and great waves. Please contact Nathan or Jack at Seoulboardriders@hotmail.com

original Seoul Toastmasters Club. Please contact Joohun Park at jhpamc@hanmail.net and 011 9279 8299 or visit www.seoultmclub.net Seoul PMS H3 – This is a running club for women that is also part of the Hash House Harriers. We meet one Saturday afternoon a month and are looking for other women who like to run, walk, drink and/or socialize. Contact msthanx4nothin@gmail. com or visit www.myspace.com/seoul_pms_h3 Karaoke Club - Join a karaoke club in Seoul with people who love to sing, whether you sound like Frank Sinatra or Frankenstein! We meet once a month. Please contact seoulsing@gmail.com Are you a vegetarian or vegan in Korea? The Seoul Veggie Club meets twice a month to check out veggiefriendly restaurants and enjoy picnics. Koreans, foreigners, vegetarians and non-vegetarians are all welcome. "Facebook group Seoul veggie club" MEETinSEOUL – Come hang out with a large free, all-volunteer social group. There are no membership fees, just pay for your own cost of the events (movies, dinners etc). www.meetin.org/city/MEETinSEOUL/ Yongsan Kimchi Hash House Harriers - If you enjoy running, walking and trekking throughout Seoul as well as drinking beer, then come join us every Saturday at 10 a.m. For more information, please visit www.freewebs.com/ykhhh (then go to "hareline") or malgosia02@yahoo.com Hiking Club – The International Hikers Club meets every Sat. For more information, please contact sihclub@gmail.com Mostly Over 40 – This club meets for lunch on Sunday a month and, as the name depicts, consists of p e ople who are mo s tly over 40. For more information, contact mostlyover40@yahoogroups. com CWG, ‘Conversations with God,’ discussion and study group is open for anyone who is interested in talking about the themes and implications of this book. Contact markyansen@yahoo.com or 011 9990 4291 Artists – We are interested in starting an artists’ collective in Seoul. Are you a visual artist interested in t aking par t in a group exhibition? C ont ac t seoulcreative@yahoo.comForeigner/Korean Friendship Club: Our purpose is to meet at a bar on Saturdays to meet new people, introduce new cultures, share thoughts and have fun. Contact yupggiklub@hotmail.com or check out seoulcircle.com Fusion Art: Seeking members involved in various arts (painting, drawing, illustration, sculpture, photos and more) for regular meetings and exhibitions to share information about colors and opinions. Please contact bakerycorner@yahoo.co.kr, chubbyhubby@hanmail. net or 010-6423-6037

Seoul Artists Network (SAN) have a bi-monthly open mic that takes place at Woodstock in Itaewon on the first and third sundays of each month. www. purevolume.com/jeremytoombs | www.myspace. com/jeremytoombs

Bazzer’s Buddies Dog Walking Club Namsan, Han River and other outdoor areas around Seoul. A fun way to get out on a Sunday afternoon and meet new friends. Send an email to www.bazzerdog.com to find out when and where we will meet.

Korean Movie Club: With English subtitles, people are now able to enjoy and understand recent Korean (and some non- Korean) movies and dramas in front of a 120-inch screen. The club is located just a minute from Sinchon Station. Please contact koreanmovieclub@yahoo.com or www.geocities. com/koreanmovieclub

Writing Club - Looking to form/join a writing group. Meetings would likely be on the weekends, twice a month. My focus is on short fiction/prose at the moment, but I would be open to non-fiction/longer

The Original Seoul Toastmasters Club - Are you interested in joining a club of professionals working to develop communication and leadership skills? Meet new friends, both Korean and foreign, at the

Seoul Stitch ‘n Bitch: This club has a craf ting get-together the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month in Haebangchon, Seoul, Please contact seoulsnb@ gmail.com or check www.seoulsnb.blogspot.com

78// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

International Clubs

Investor & Real Estate Club Meetings - Every Monday @ Watts On Tap. Discussions on international dating, relationships, investments. Discuss investments with ROI higher than KOSPI average. Anyone with valuable or critical comments wins cash & prizes! Contact 010-5552-5568

St Pats FC - seoulstpats@gmail.com

Football Club - Gecko's FC is looking for players, preferably with experience, for the start of the new season.We practice regularly, play games on Sundays and take road trips once or twice a season. Please contact geckosfc@yahoo.com

Sinchon Toastmaster s Club: Looking for new members, both Korean & foreign, wanting to improve their public speaking and leadership skills in an atmosphere where members can also have fun interacting together. Please contact Dong Wan at: intervie@naver.com Suwon Scuba Club: A dive club close to Osan Air Base and Camp Humphreys, we teach all Padi courses and run regular tours for fun dives to the East Sea. Along with dives, the club has a major social element with outstanding BBQ's and parties on each tour. Please contact Nic at: nichofberg@yahoo.com, 010 3123 2061 or www.suwonscuba.com

Handball - Team Handball - Olympic Handball - We often organize friendly games against Korean teams during evenings or weekends. Male or female players, beginners, intermediate or advanced players... everybody is welcome! Just email SEB at handballinkorea@ gmail.com or visit www.handballinkorea.org

The Korea Lacrosse Association would like to involve more non-Koreans, with or without lacrosse experience, to participate in the growing tournaments and leagues. Please contact by emaiil parkpc@ lacrosse.or.kr or 02-743-5291

email:

info@groovekorea.com

The Canadian Women’s Club (CWC) meets the second Tues of the month & also participate in a group activity the fourth Wed of the month. For more information, contact sujaybee@yahoo.com Club Italia hosts a lunch every Sun at 1 PM at the Franciscan School in Hannam-dong. The lunch costs KRW 15,000 and everyone is welcome. For more information, please visit www.clubitalia.or.kr Career Women in Korea (CWIK) at the New Seoul Hotel on the third Wed evening of the month. For more information, please visit www.cwik21.com or contact career_women_in_korea@yahoo.com. The Seoul Intl. Women’s Association (SIWA) meets at the Sofitel Ambassador Hotel at 9:30 AM on the third Wed of the month. For more information, please visit www.siwapage.com Overseas Chinese Women’s Club (OCWC) meets monthly and is open to all women who would like to make new friends, enjoy good food and learn about Chinese culture. Chinese is spoken, but interpretation is available. For more information, please visit our website at ocwckr.spaces.live.com or contact ocwckr@hotmail.com

Announcements ARNIS/KALI: Q: What should a Korean fan of Filipino martial arts who can’t find many like-minded Koreans do? A: Take up English and work with expats. Free 90-minute session weekly between Seoul Station & Sookmyung Station. E-mail ranger1231@gmail.com Navah Bellydance Company - Looking for performers with dance experience or who are willing to train with Eshe for events in and out of Seoul. eshebellydancer@hotmail.com The Ang Dating Daan Korea Chapter conducts free Bible Study and distributes DVDs of Bible Expositions of the only sensible preacher in our time — Brother Eli Soriano. If you want free copies of Bible Expositions and hear free Bible Study, please call 010-57372561 / 010-3004-0817 Amnest y G48 is an of ficial group of Amnest y International Korea. This group is made up of both Korean and foreign volunteers who actively take part in the movement to promote and protect human rights for all people around the world. E-mail Tom for further details @ amnestyseoul@gmail.com. All Native English Speakers, Kyopos, and Koreans. Proficient in English are welcome to join our weekly bible study/fellowship meetup held every saturday at 3 pm. We seek to delve deeply into scripture. Contact Info. 011-359-1317 Bellydance lessons in English in Itaewon at the Well Being Studio by Eshe on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Absolute beginners welcome. Awaken your body and spirit with this ancient healing art. Details at www. eshebellydancer.com or email eshebellydancer@ hotmail.com Bible Study Enthusiasts - Weekly Bible study for Native English Speakers. We are having a weekly Bible Study every Saturday, at 7:30 PM. Everyone is welcome! Call me at 011-359 -1317 or email homechurch-314@meetup.com or homechurch. meetup.com/314/ for further information. S e oul Glob al C enter - S e oul Help C enter for foreigners has been renamed and relocated to the Korea Press Foundation Building floor.

Horoscope

>>>>>>>>

June 2011 Aries

The month of June can be especially hectic for you, dear Aries, but it can also be extremely rewarding if you can manage to pace yourself. You can be pulled in many different directions, and you’ll need to be both flexible and quick. Income should be good, although the inclination to spend is strong as well. This is a long-term influence that will be with you for a year. Some of you could be taking courses to better your skills. Your powers of persuasion run high this month, and you can very effectively “sell” your ideas.

Taurus While June is a month of opportunity, dear Taurus, avoid trying to “do it all” too soon and too quickly. Instead, focus on one or two opportunities and projects. It should be a strong month for money matters. You are likely to do some shuffling around with finances, and June is good for little windfalls, reducing debt, and the ability to borrow at favorable rates, if necessary. Changes in financial arrangements may be part of the picture now, such as dealings with a different bank or setting up a different payment schedule. Emotionally, you’re definitely moving forward this month!

Gemini June can be a personally powerful month for most Geminis. Many of you will be reinventing yourself in some significant manner, with a new look or a new way of approaching the world. You’re a self-starter this month, especially from the 21st forward. Friendships can be especially rewarding and helpful this month. Mid-month, close personal relationships come into strong focus and require special attention. Tend to the needs of a partner now. Love and social opportunities tend to emerge when you least expect them and are plentiful in June.

Cancer While you can continue to find yourself in high demand at the beginning of June, dear Cancer, you’re likely to have an increased need for time to yourself and for extra rest as the month progresses. You tend to naturally withdraw from more competitive or demanding situations. You definitely need a break from a hectic pace and from the critical eyes of others. Even so, your job may undergo a number of little changes that require you to be adaptable and flexible. Friendships that allow you the freedom to be yourself and group associations can be especially pleasant and refreshing.

Leo Recognition for what you do and how well you do it is forthcoming this month, dear Leo. In fact, you’re now entering a year-long cycle in which this kind of positive professional attention comes naturally, readily, and heartily! While career matters remain a strong focus, you’re also branching out and networking. Friendships assume more importance in your life in June, and both friends and associates can be especially helpful. You’re brimming with ideas about where you want your life to go, and your enthusiasm is infectious.

Virgo Your professional life is picking up speed this month, dear Virgo, and you might often find yourself smack in the middle of situations that require you to be on top of your game. Fortunately, you possess just the right attitude to meet challenges confidently. Be flexible in your expectations of others and treat any changes as chances to grow and improve. You are likely to want to improve your domestic life this month, making changes that allow for more space, whether that involves an actual move to a larger place, eliminating unnecessary furniture and accumulated possessions, or reorganizing in order to create the illusion of more space.

Libra June is a considerably more outgoing month for you, dear Libra. You’ve been focusing on darker and deeper matters recently, and perhaps feeling a little out of step. This is changing rapidly this month as you seek new experiences and are exposed to broader ideas. While you can feel a tad restless at times, and possibly even hemmed in, you are bound to find ways to expand your mind. Students tend to fare well this month, even if it can be a little hectic. It’s a strong month for travel as well. Energy levels increase and less resistance is encountered from others and from circumstances.

Scorpio This month, you’re entering a year-long cycle in which the way you relate to others on a one-to-one level changes and expands, dear Scorpio. You are likely to derive much pleasure from partnership, and people you meet can be most helpful at enlivening your life. By giving more freedom to a special someone in your life, you’ll enjoy a stronger sense of personal fulfillment. June does require some adjustments, especially on a financial level, and particularly around the 15th. New budgets or payment plans may be necessary now.

Sagitarius June is a strong month for relationships, dear Sagittarius. Your willingness to listen to and support a partner is key. Socially, people are seeing you in a positive light. There is likely to be much going on inside this month, especially around the 15th, when you can arrive at a personal revelation or epiphany. Emotions tend to run high and there can be some level of drama in your relationships. Work matters are improving dramatically this month, and will continue to do so for many months to come. The only caution here is to avoid taking on too much at once. Your ability to make more out of whatever you have can greatly improve your situation, but if problems arise, these can be exaggerated as well.

Capricorn Your major focus begins to turn to work and health matters in June, dear Capricorn, and while there can be an especially hectic pace and changes to contend with, it’s likely to be a successful month overall. One reason is a wonderful shift in attitude that has you feeling particularly hopeful and confident. Resolving conflicts with others is favored, as you come across in a more favorable light than usual. You could experience some ego-boosting situations now. New visions of the future and new inspirations are likely to come along, and these can come through the people you meet this month.

Aquarius You are coming out of your “shell” this month, dear Aquarius, and you’re ready to have some fun. Fortunately, cosmic energy is ripe for providing you with the right circumstances under which to really enjoy and express yourself. Your romantic life can take center stage in June, and while there can be some social drama in your life now, for the most part you’re likely to have a good time. It’s a favorable month for announcing or showing your creative work. You are also entering a long-term cycle that brings more joy and pleasure to your domestic life. Problems are easier to work through with family members, and opportunities to improve living conditions can emerge.

Pisces While June can begin at a hectic pace, dear Pisces, you’re likely to find much solace in home and family as the month progresses. Efforts to make improvements to your home life should be very successful this month, and you’re likely to want to entertain from home or do some redecorating. This month, Jupiter moves to a favorable position in relation to your sign, boosting not only your confidence but also both motivation and ability to communicate effectively with others. New opportunities to learn and new intellectual interests are likely to round out your days well, bringing more satisfaction to your life.

june 2011// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// 79

Konglish

of the month

WINNER Chris Lampier

The winner will receive a food or entertainment voucher worth 50,000 won. Please email your entries to: submissions@groovekorea.com

Crossword

66 Don Juan’s mother 67 Test 68 Objectives 69 Contradict 70 Actress Jessica

Across

1 Has a hunch 6 Quaff 10 Captain, informally 14 Phrase of resignation 15 One of Hamlet’s options 16 Bone of the forearm 17 Locale of ancient Ur 18 Similar 19 Swiss capital 20 Restrain 22 Disparaged 24 Sagebrush State 26 “Help me __” (Beach Boys hit) 27 More equitable 29 Bangkok residents 31 Jar top

Down

32 Genuine 34 Novarro of silents 38 Afore 39 Church book 41 Mineral source 42 Homework assignment 44 Cried 45 Ballpark figure 46 Pie part 48 Make tracks 51 Low cards 54 Desdemona’s faithful servant 56 Taken over, in a way 58 15th century Italian painter 61 Dressed 62 Bronx cheer 64 Actor-director Welles 65 Tortoise rival

80// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

1 Balled-up hand 2 Distant leader 3 Furies, in Greek myth 4 German songs 5 Tried mightily 6 Bear 7 Chinese pan 8 Footnote abbr. 9 Equus and others 10 Secretly 11 Designer Calvin 12 Crimson-clad 13 Bamboo eater 21 Merchandise 23 Cricket sound 25 Jock 27 Run for it 28 Melodies 30 Start of a Web site address 33 Crow calls 35 Subject for St. Thomas Aquinas 36 Kill __ killed 37 Opposite of ja 39 Heat-resistant glass 40 Code of conduct 43 Consents 47 Logging on requirement 49 “Good Wives” author 50 Code word for S 51 Russian country house 52 Zhou __ 53 Render defenseless 55 Befuddled 57 Hans Christian Andersen, for one 59 Burden 60 Just 63 Variety of Buddhism

sudoku

Groove Korea (Magazine)

The aim of the puzzle is to insert numbers in the boxes to satisfy only one condition: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain one of each digit from 1-9. Theres is a unique solution, which can be found by logical thinking.

june 2011// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// 81

Pic

of the month

WINNER

Welcome to the World of Photography

RUNNER-UPS

Brad Church

By David Smeaton

Buddha’s Handmaid in Modern Times One of a half a dozen girls that had been serving green tea to visitors in Geonbong Temple, Gangwon Province, plays hide and seek.

Theme: Buddha and his Lotus

Doug MacDonald Buddha’s Birthday Parade

Monks dance inside a giant lotus flower during the Buddha’s Birthday parade on the streets of Jeju City on May 7.

Paul Morris Bongwonsa

This image was taken at Bongwonsa, near Yonsei University, Seoul. Originally built in 889 and moved to its present location in 1748, it is the head temple of the Taego Order of Buddhism.

The Groove spc Challenge

where/when of the photo. Entries must be at least 2000 pixels on the longest side and 300dpi to meet printing requirements, and be taken no more than two weeks prior to the announcement of the challenge.

The SPC is an online community of expats in Korea who are interested For further info, visit the in learning about and discussing the Seoul Photo Club on Flickr art of photography. But ‘Seoul Photo www.flickr.com/groups/seoulphotoclub Club’ is a bit of a misnomer - membership is free to anyone, anywhere in Korea. Together with Groove Korea we run the photo competition. Each month, a themed challenge is announced in Groove Korea and at the SPC. Past themes include such topics as Repetition, The Sun and Spring Portrait. Just submit your interpretation at the SPC or via email to have a shot at having your pic published here in Groove Korea and winning the monthly prize.

The winner will receive a food or entertainment voucher worth 50,000 won.

You must provide your name and contact details plus a 50-150 word description telling us the what/

July’s Theme: “Negative Space”

Using the empty part of your frame to emphasize the subject Competition closes at midnight on June 15 82// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

With cash in hand, we make the decision to invest in a camera. Choosing a camera is a difficult decision. Choosing where to buy the camera is a little simpler. For photography enthusiasts, there are two places in Seoul that are worth marking on your map: Namdaemun and Cheungmuro. There are a few other places as well, but Namdaemun and Cheungmuro are the best. Yongsan and Technomart are worth talking about first, since they’re popular places for foreigners to shop. Yongsan has a lot of camera stores and deals here can be good, but Yongsan also has a reputation for being shady. If you’re going to get ripped off, it’s going to be in Yongsan. While camera shopping is not recommended, Yongsan is definitely the place to go for custom built computers. If you’re a computer geek, then Yongsan is for you. Likewise, people often go to Technomart to buy cameras. Camera shopping in Technomart is good, and competitive, but the prices and after service in Namdaemun beats Technomart hands down. So, why Namdaemun? Namdaeumun is the center for camera gear in Seoul. Camera prices are the best and shops are the most competitive. Photographers can also find a huge range of used gear; most of which is good quality and well priced. Most of the big camera companies also have their official distributors near Namdaemun. Of course, consumers have to be savvy. Cash is always better than credit card and you’ll be able to bargain harder with hard currency. You can also walk between stores and compare prices -- don’t be afraid to use the “that store gave me this price” trick. One thing to be aware of is the all important “gray market” cameras. Man are usually not clear on what this means. All cameras and lenses have serial numbers. Companies use these to identify

when the gear was made and which market it was intended for. Korean stores can buy equipment intended for other countries (such as Japan) at cheaper prices. This equipment is genuine and new, but it’s likely that the manufacturer won’t honor the warranty. If you buy genuine imports, then the warranty in Korea is covered. So when you’re checking prices, just ask if it’s a genuine import (and is the warranty covered in Korea). Non-genuine imports are the real deal but will be cheaper, which makes them tempting. Many photographers think that warranty is less important than a good deal, making gray market cameras popular purchases. Like all things: caveat emptor. Check what you’re buying and make sure it’s the real deal. See if boxes have been opened and if gear is what you expect it to be. Namdaeumun is the digital camera mecca of Seoul. Cheungmuro is the film mecca. While it’s possible to buy digital gear in Cheungmuro, the prices are a little higher and it’s less competitive. Film cameras, developing, processing, equipment and such are what Cheungmuro is all about. In most Western countries film is a dying art. It’s expensive and time consuming. Not in Korea -- film is cheap and developing is fast. Koreans are still film fanatics and the film industry is thriving. Koreans also love their old Leica and Hasselblad cameras, so there’s no shortage of equipment for sale and places to get developing done. If you’re new to photography, spend some time online reading about cameras and find one that’s suitable for you. Once you’ve picked a few cameras, compare prices in shops. The important thing is not to impulse buy. Test cameras, do some haggling, be prepared to walk away. When you’re happy with the deal, pull the trigger. And if you buy a gray market camera, don’t worry if it breaks - a smiling foreigner can probably talk their way into getting warranty after service. To contact David, visit www.davidsmeaton.com The opinions represented here do not necessarily represent those of Groove Korea. – Ed.

june 2011// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// 83

Itaewon Directory Chiropractic Clinic (1F) International Clinic (5F) Global Village Center (5F) MJ Custom Tailor (8F) La Bocca M Lounge Between Healing Hands (3F) casAntonio (2F) Los Amigos

Helios

Chiropractic Clinic — 02-798-1446 American and Australian trained, doctors are fluent in English, Spanish & Korean.

Old Town

Two Broz

Queen

Roofers Club After

Don Valley

Unique Travel

B1 Gecko’s Garden 7 Bonji

TMAS

Seoul Pub/ Nashville Wolfhound

Jonny Dumpling

Copacabana Loca Loca/ Bar 22 (2F)

Nomad’s Pool Starbucks

Outback Bar Bliss

Dillinger’s Bar

Harlem

Cargo

Zibe

Don Valley — 02-796-2384 Conveniently located in the heart of Itaewon, this spacious restaurant accommodates 120 guests for delicious dinners and large parties. Open 24 hours everyday, it specializes in “Korean BBQ Done Right” - grilled beef ribs, bulgogi and bibimbap as well as many others.

360@ The Liquid NB2

NB1

Gr8 Hookah/ Ska Gogo’s2/ Tinpan 2 Hodge Podge

Jokerred Tinpan 1 Myungwolgwan Gogo’s/FF Ska2 Agio Sub-zero VIA Oi

Brix

Buy The Way

JONNY DUMPLING — 02-790-8830 Enjoy different styles of healthy, handmade dumplings made fresh everyday. Meat as well as vegetarian dumplings are available. LA CIGALE MONTMARTRE — 02-796-1244 Contemporary French cuisine in cozy and intimate surroundings.with a classy yet casual feel, it has a variety of food which includes a range of mussels. Its terrace brings an outdoor feel yet warm & dry comfort to accommodate the weather.

Gecko’s Terrace

Unit@Bluespirit

El Plato

Cafe / Bar Club Restaurant Clinic

Craftworks — 02-794-2537 The nation’s only foreign-owned brewpub specializing in great steaks, inventive vegetarian dishes and, of course, amazing handcrafted beers brewed right here in Korea. Open every day but Mondays from 11 a.m. ‘til 2 a.m.

Fire Station

The Loft Pub Panchos Evan Tattoo

Hongdae Directory

copacabana — 02-796-1660 Come to COPACABANA where a mere 29,000 won gets you all-you-can-eat of the best Brazilian barbeque and buffet in Korea.

Sortino’s

Jun Pharmacy

9 Timo

Bungalow Lounge — 02-793-2344 This bar and restaurant sets the standards of unique excellence to higher levels - decked out with bamboo, sand, pools, swings, a fireplace and more.

Ole Stompers Rock Spot

Petra

Spice Table Tiffany Nail La Cigale Montmartre Hollywood/Spy Smokey Saloon

Bungalow

Marakech Night

Addiction Castle Praha

Yonsei Miplus Dental Clinic

LA PLANCHA — 02-790-0063 Spanish grill restaurant includes combination platters along with al la carte side dishes. Feast inside in the warm and cozy atmosphere or sit out on the plant covered terrace. LOCO LOCA — 02-796-1606 Enjoy Salsa music and dancing in the vibrant atmosphere. Freshly baked pizzas with Latino flavors and the very best South American wines will be served. MARAKECH NIGHT — 02-795-9441 Moroccan & Arabic restaurant offering authentic dishes, atmosphere and music. Wine, beer, juices and yogurt drinks are also available. Enjoy flavored tobacco from traditional shisha pipe. McDonald’s — 02-790-6413 Open 24 hours with breakfast served from 5 – 11 a.m. Panchos — 02-792-4746 A Mexican bar with darts, pool, television and a wide selection of music. A spacious setting with big windows overlooking Itaewon’s main street. Queen Queen welcomes ALL people for who they are and creates an open environment where different people from various backgrounds can cross barriers and unite as one community while having the time of their lives in the ultimate party kingdom!

What The Book Post Office Cup & Bowl

Cra

ftw ork ’s Bu ddh Ta a’s B co ell y En chi lat o

Bistro Corner Berlin Tony’s Aussie Bar Hey Day Cafe Petra Itaewon Animal Hospital

SKY Chiropractic & Massage — 02-749-4849 US trained and certified chiropractors and massage therapists. SKY Wellness Center integrates chiropractic and massage to correct your body’s imbalances and achieve optimum health and wellness.

McDonald’s All-American Diner The Pizza Peel

Club Volume

TMAS — 02-796-7976 Total Martial Arts System. Designed for FOREIGNERS and lessons in English. learn true martial arts, training and spending time together like a family. Unique Travel — 02-792-0606 A travel agency in the heart of Itaewon where English, Japanese and Korean are spoken. Wolfhound Irish Pub — 02-749-7971 This two storey Irish pub has a wide variety of imported beers, exceptional food and a great atmosphere. Guinness and Kilkenny on tap.

84// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

june 2011// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// 85

Final Thoughts

Photographic Journey Into Adoption - page 14

By Jenny na

by Jeanne Modderman

Adoption Scapegoats: Single Moms What do you say to a man that puts blame on ‘promiscuous women’?

“A

doption from Korea continues today because single mothers are promiscuous.” This was the offensive comment made by the former chairman of the nation’s second largest adoption agency to a roomful of single mothers, adoptees, social welfare workers and academics gathered for a conference on May 11 held to launch the first Single Moms’ Day in Korea.

The conference was part of events organized by four adoptee and single mothers groups whose goal was to replace the governmentcreated Adoption Day with a day to raise awareness to the challenges faced by single mothers in Korea. His comment was offensive because it reinforces several long-held myths about adoption and single mothers in Korea. Adoption began in the aftermath of the Korean War, but the situation has changed dramatically since then. Rapid changes in economic development have transformed Korea into one of the world’s major economies. Presently, many women who become single mothers don’t want to give up their children. But they live in a society still bound by patriarchy that, when combined with a persistent social stigma and a lack of social welfare, forces them to relinquish their parental rights. As a result, three children are sent overseas for adoption every day. And of the 1,125 children adopted to foreign counties in 2009, 1,005 children, or almost 90 percent, were the children of single mothers. (In Korea, single mothers are classified as women who are divorced or widowed as well as unwed single mothers, who have never been married.) Today, international adoption continues because of an antiquated system that has virtually replaced social welfare, discriminates against women and the poor and prioritizes adoption over family preservation. And although domestic adoption is believed to be an alternative to international adoption, it does nothing to help the women who are the mothers of the children in the adoption system. Adoption agencies play a significant role in this system. But while they emphasize the importance of placing children with families,

86// /www.GROOVEKOREA.com// /June 2011

they often ignore the fact that many children already have families - just not the dual parent families that stand as the traditional definition of family in Korea. The four agencies authorized to facilitate international adoptions – Holt, SWS, ESWS and KSS – are part of a global industry financed by the West. Adoptive parents pay the Korean agencies up to $20,000 for international adoptions, versus just $4,000 for domestic adoptions. It’s an industry designed to export babies. This system is so lucrative that the agencies now seek to find children for families instead of finding homes for children in need. With an increasing number of unwed sin-

As a result, three children are sent overseas for adoption every day. And of the 1,125 children adopted to foreign counties in 2009, 1,005 children, or almost 90 percent, were the children of single mothers. gle mothers in Korea coming forward to talk about their experiences, the agencies’ tactics are slowly coming to light. Some women have talked about having agency workers offering them money before or within hours after they’ve given birth. Others report having their babies taken by relatives and relinquished for adoption without their consent. The agencies also maintain single mothers’ homes that provide temporary care for women. Some women have reported that while under the agencies’ care, they have received “counseling” encouraging them to give their child away. Choi Hyong-sook, a single mother who

fought to reclaim her child after relinquishing him for adoption, reported in February 2010 that “adoption agencies advise unwed mothers before they give birth to sign a written consent for adoption and relinquishment of parental authority” with little counseling about their options. She also said that women using the Internet to get this information “can see the list of unwed mothers’ facilities run by adoption agencies.” “It is almost impossible to get information from adoption agencies or from consultations about how to raise your children, while it is not hard to get much information about adoption,” she said. Her comments were made at a forum hosted by the state-run Korean Women’s Development Institute and sponsored by the non-profit Korean Unwed Mothers Support Network. “In fact, insufficient time and information is given to unwed moms for deciding whether to send their children for adoption or rear their child,” Choi said. “Korean unwed moms are not abandoning their children, but giving up their babies under inevitable circumstances.” These circumstances – created by adoption agencies, the government and social discrimination – combine to rob single mothers and their children of their rights. It is a system that has virtually replaced social welfare in Korea and will continue to do so unchecked – unless the law is revised to protect single mothers and their children. And because adoption agencies play such a significant role in perpetuating the system, their practices must be challenged. In the interim, we need to support single mothers by working to change the negative perceptions of them in Korean society, reform social welfare laws and encourage adoption agencies to change their ways. Jenny Na is a member of Adoptee Solidarity Korea, an adoptee-run organization whose mission is to effect change in Korean adoption policy and practice.

The views expressed here are the author’s. To comment, e-mail opinion@groovekorea.com – Ed.