Groove Korea December 2014

Choosing Korea, keeping the faith

Shouldering the misunderstandings about Islam, Korea’s Muslim community perseveres

The

KOREA • Issue 98 / December 2014

Ff switch

B e i n g i n t h e l i m e l i g h t i s n ’ t e a s y.

EXPAT funnyman Sam Hammington reveals life behind the laughs

EDITORIAL

To comment, email editor@groovekorea.com

M o r e t h a n e x pat s ‘We’ are getting more involved and giving back Editorial

By Daniel Tudor, journalist, author and food entrepreneur

When I first lived in Seoul I taught English at a hagwon (pri“Conditions are very good, meaning we may be able to arrive vate study center). Most fellow teachers around me didn’t like half an hour earlier than expected. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

Korea much, making me a bit of an oddity. But things have “I know it’s not the done thing to interrupt you during the changed. These days, people mostly seem to come here by flight these days, but I just wanted to let you know that in 15 choice, and many want to get involved in actual Korean sociminutes, we’ll be enjoying a glorious view of the Great Wall ety — as opposed to staying within the bounds of what is deof China.” pressingly termed “expat life,” or more nebulously, “the expat The pilot on my flight is, of course, an Englishman. I am community.” Koreans are more likely than before to welcome heading home after a four-year stint in Korea, and hearing this, too: for every person who (still) asks, “Isn’t this food too his words puts a smile on my face. “Not the done thing” and “wouldn’t that be nice?” bring up an England I recognize in- spicy for you?” there will, these days, be another who genustantly, albeit one I’ve never actually seen: one of grandmoth- inely wants to engage with you.

This is why I like Groove Korea: big features and cover stoers drinking lukewarm tea on rainy afternoons and of model ries about politics, education, sexual minorities and the like train enthusiasts marveling over rail gauge sizes. I’m going back to Blighty. But the thought tears me up a little as well. elevate this magazine beyond the expected (and admittedly necessary) Itaewon restaurant reviews and into the realm of The place I’ve thought of as home since mid-2010 is already proper involvement with Korea. But this just reflects what is a thousand miles behind me, somewhere far beyond the really going on in Seoul. These days, “we” aren’t just in hagGreat Wall of China. wons, factories or “on base” — we’re everywhere, and we’re Korea is far from the ideal country. Just this April, an event starting businesses, NGOs and artistic collectives, and, in one occurred that could be said to be a grimly perfect distillation case, sitting in the National Assembly. More and more speak of nearly all the social problems that exist there. And such is Korean extremely well, something that makes me feel embarthe divided and politicized nature of the place that right now rassed about my own level of proficiency. in Gwanghwamun you can see people protesting against the During my early days in Korea, I heard this line very often: families of the victims of that event.

Whenever I told Korean friends that I loved living in Korea, “You’ll never be a part of Korean society,” with the added implication being that the sooner you give up on trying to be part they usually responded by saying that they wanted to leave. I of it, the happier you’ll be. But I think times have started to understand them. As an independent writer, not to mention a foreigner, I’m gratefully exempt from this county’s brutal com- change, and as you know, Korea is nothing if not a fast-moving place. I know I’ll be back living in Seoul sooner or later, and petition and militaristic office culture, among other things. But when I do return, I’m sure I’ll see fewer “expats” and many still, nowhere ever got into me the way Korea has. It’s a place more people genuinely adding something to Korean society. I where I feel friendship and brotherhood as soon as I step off hope I can be one of them. Wouldn’t that be nice? the plane at Incheon.

Daniel Tudor is a partner of craft beer pub chain The Booth, former Seoul correspondent for The Economist and author of “Korea: The Impossible Country,” “North Korea Confidential” and “A Geek in Korea.” He left Seoul in November after four years to set up a platform for crowdfunded journalism in London. Follow him @danielrtudor. — Ed.

next up: January 2015 Food

Makgeolli mania

In a cozy bar in central Seoul, a long table of people slowly swirl and carefully consider the contents of small ceramic cups of creamy liquid. “Too sour.” “Not for me.” “There’s a complexity and earthiness I like.” “I preferred the first — sweeter and more balanced.”

The cups are filled with makgeolli ­­— Korea’s traditional, fermented rice-based alcohol — and the scene is a typical meeting of the Makgeolli Mamas and Papas Korea.

To dive into the world of makgeolli is to experience a living, breathing example of traditional Korean culture mirrored by the rich, ever-evolving, microbial nature of the brew itself.

Makgeolli has weathered Japanese occupation, rice shortages and the rise of the utilitarian cocktail of cheap beer and soju to emerge as one of the few unbroken cultural links tying modern Korea to its traditional past.

Story by Beryl Sinclair

4

www.groovekorea.com / December 2014

Music & Arts

Geography of Youth Juanita Hong is a Brazilian-born Korean photographer who grew up in the United States.

She first got her hands on a camera at age 9, after her parents recognized her artistic talents. Growing up she took classes in ceramics, pottery, painting, drawing and pretty much any creative pursuit going. Now she’s working on a photography project called Geography of Youth where, over the course of 30 days, photographers from around the world interviewed and photographed one millennial every day.

Interview by Josh Doyle

CONTENTS

What’s in this issue

ISSUE 98 DECEMBER 2 0 1 4

26

34 COVER STORY

WELCOME

INSIGHT

34 The off switch

In the future, there will be fewer “expats” and many more people genuinely adding something to Korean society.

An expat’s tour through Vietnam follows his father’s accolades — and scars — earned during wartime.

Music & Arts

10 Key people

32 The trip to the bank

04 More than expats

Introducing some of the editors, writers and photographers behind the November issue

26 Fortunate son

With the drive and talent to conquer Koreanlanguage comedy TV, Sam Hammington’s next goal is even more ambitious: a little solitude, please.

Communication issues can be daunting — here’s how to get past them

12 The inbox

Opinions and feedback from readers

12 On the Cover 14 Must reads

42

40 Sofar Sounds

A London-based movement sees the acoustic home show touch down in Korea.

42 Seoul gets jazzy

Sixteen-year Korea veteran Ronn Branton talks shop about building a name for himself in the local jazz scene.

44 Artist’s Journey

A selection of our editors’ favorite articles

Two rappers, a mutual producer friend and a bottle of Maehwasu: Hip-hop ensemble Part Time Cooks have everything they need for a great sophomore album.

18 What’s on

46 At the box office

22 the news

47 DVD CORNER

Festivals, concerts, happy hours, networking and events for every day of the month

Let them play golf, says Jong-un; Chicken king buys Napoleon’s hat; Guesthouse fire leaves four dead, six injured; Victims in pyramid scheme team up to track down con artist

Check out our GrooveCast episodes on these stories at groovekorea.com.

“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” (Dec. 7) “Exodus: Gods and Kings” (Dec. 3)

“R-Point (알 포인트)” “Spider Forest (거미숲)”

Check out our GrooveVision video specials at groovekorea.com.

CONTENTS

What’s in this issue

ISSUE 98 DECEMBER 2 0 1 4

88

Community

80 Choosing Korea, keeping the faith

Seoul’s Muslim community is building roots in the nation’s capital and welcoming the growing number of Koreans who are choosing to worship Allah.

88 Automatic for the people

The expat community of Changwon is big enough to keep things interesting but still small enough to build strong bonds.

92 No country for old men

In Confucianism, filial piety may be king, but when it comes to public policy, seniors are often getting left behind.

80 FOOD

DEstinations

54 Have yourself a carnal

70 Hallasan blues

60 Ho-ho-hold the kimchi

74 A Pilgrimage to Mauritius

Christmas feast Lack of family got you down? Make like the locals and get romantic this holiday season.

If milk and jjiggae isn’t your Christmas dinner of choice, we’ve got your dine-out options covered.

54

A writer confirms what many hikers always feared was true: One does not simply walk into Hallasan’s crater in the winter.

Whether you go as a believer, a bystander or simply by accident, the Hindu celebration of Maha Shivarati is a festival for all.

78 Great Wall gaffe

There’s getting off the beaten path, and then there’s hiking unmaintained sections of the Great Wall. One traveler schools us in the art of going rogue in China.

Distractions

96 64 Santa-stic sin

Groove taste-tested five different desert cafes, and the results were conclusive: Forget St. Nick — the indulgence train is coming to town.

68 Magical mulled wine

Sangria season is over, but there’s never a bad time to spike an already alcoholic drink. Learn how to make a batch of the ultimate coldweather cocktail.

Check out our GrooveCast episodes on these stories at groovekorea.com.

COMICS

97

GAMES

98

GROOVE LISTINGS Doctors, travel agencies, restaurants, hotels, airlines, nightclubs and more

102

HOROSCOPES

Credits - Contributors

KOREA 4th floor, Shinwoo Bldg. 5-7 Yongsan 3-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Korea.

K EY PEOP LE

Some of the editors, writers and photographers behind this month’s issue

Emilee Jennings Contact info (010) 5348-0212 / (02) 6925-5057 Advertising ads@groovekorea.com General inquiries info@groovekorea.com E D I TORIA L Editorial Director Elaine Ramirez elaine@groovekorea.com Insight Editor Matthew Lamers Community Editor Jenny Na jenny@groovekorea.com Music & Arts Editor Emilee Jennings emilee@groovekorea.com Food & Destinations Editor Shelley DeWees Editor-at-large John M. Rodgers jmrseoul@gmail.com Senior Copy Editor Jaime Stief Copy Editors Kevin Lee Selzer, Daniel Deacon, Bryoney Hayes GrooveCast Host Chance Dorland chance@groovemedia.co.kr Events Editor Celeste Maturen celeste@groovekorea.com Social Media Editor Merissa Quek ART & D E S I G N Art Director Park Seong-eun sam@groovekorea.com Illustration Director Wilfred Lee wilfred@groovemedia.co.kr Design Adviser Prof. Kim Duck-mo M AR KE T I NG & A D M I NI S T R ATI O N CFO Steve Seung-Jin Lee steve.lee@groovekorea.com Marketing Executive Jay Park jpark@groovemedia.co.kr Manager Peter Chong eschong@groovekorea.com Accounting Choi Hye-won Web, I.T. Dan Himes danhimes@groovekorea.com W R I TE RS & P R O O F R E A D E R S

Adam Ellerson, Alejandro Callirgos, Alexander Hall, Andrew Stokols, Anita McKay, Anna Schlotjes, Annie Narae Lee, Anthony Greene, Anthony Levero, Beryl Sinclair, Christopher Green, Connor Dearing, Conor O’Reilly, Conrad Hughes, Daniel Kang, Dave Hazzan, David Phillips, Dean Crawford, Deva Lee, Eileen Cahill, Gaea Dill-Dascoli, Gareth Sharp, George Kalli, Haeryun Kang, Harold Swindall, Hyunwoo Sun, Ian Henderson, Ian McClellan, Jamie Keener, Jayson Moore, Jean Poulot, John Power, Josh Doyle, Kellie Ell, Ken Fibbe, Ken Hall, Kyndra Love, Laine Ritter, Leslie Finlay, Liam Mitchinson, Matt VanVolkenburg, Megan Fox, Nate Finch, Paul Sharkie, Rajnesh Sharma, Remy Raitt, Ron Roman, Ryan Ritter, Sarah Edge, Sean Maylone, Shane Torr, Shireen Tofig, Simon HunterWilliams, Simon Powell, Simon Slater, Sophie Boladeras, Stephanie Anglemyer, Stephanie MacDonald, Timothy Cushing, Tom Godfrey, Walter Stucke, Wilfred Lee

PH OTOGR A P H E R S & I L L U S TRATO RS

Adam Paul Czelusta, Aimee Anne, Andrew Faulk, Christina Singer, Colin Dabbs, Craig Stuart, Darren Farrell, Dirk Schlottmann, Don Sin, Dylan Goldby, Fergus Scott, Hannah Green, James Anderson, James Kim, Jen Lee, Jessica Lia, Jon Linke, Jungeun Jang, Kaegan Saenz, Kevin Kilgore, Merissa Quek, Michael Hurt, Michael Roy, Min Pang, Mirela Pencheva, Monika Traikov, Nathan Shacochis, Nicholas Stonehouse, Nina Sawyer, Pat Volz, Peter DeMarco, Rob Green, Robyn Viljoen, Sabrina Hill, Samantha Whittaker, Turner Hunt, Vanessa Sae-hee Burke

Ireland

Emilee is from Sligo, a coastal town so beautiful it’s nicknamed the “land of heart’s desire.”

She worked as an entertainment editor and broadcast journalist in Ireland before moving to Seoul to embark on an Asian adventure.

Here she works as an English drama teacher and occasional actress. Emilee is Groove Korea’s music and arts editor.

Leslie Finlay U.S.

Leslie Finlay is a writer from New York City whose work has been featured in U.S.-based publications The Atlantic and Thought Catalog and the travel magazines Matador Network and Don’t Stay Put.

Ian Henderson U.S.

Ian Henderson hails from the Cape Fear region of North Carolina, and has spent much of the past decade abroad. Besides pursuing a passion for linguistics, he also immerses himself in documentaries, travel, metal, trivia and merry-making. He also sets the record straight that Korea has only two seasons, not four.

Shelley DeWees U.S.

Shelley is a freelance writer and professor of English living in Seoul. Originally from Missoula, Montana, she earned an MA in ethnomusicology and worked as a vegan chef for a Buddhist monastery before moving to Korea. She’s also an avid distance runner and will release her first book, a collection of biographies on British women writers, in 2015. Shelley is Groove’s outgoing (and outgoing) food and travel editor.

Publisher Sean Choi sean@groovekorea.com

Dave Hazzan To contribute to Groove Korea, email submissions@groovekorea.com or the appropriate editor.

To write a letter to the editor, email editor@groovekorea.com.

To have Groove Korea delivered to your home or business, email subscribe@groovekorea.com.

To promote your event, email events@groovekorea.com.

To advertise, email ads@groovekorea.com.

The articles are the sole property of GROOVE MEDIA CO. Ltd. No reproduction is permitted without the express written consent of GROOVE MEDIA CO. Ltd. The opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

© All rights reserved Groove Korea Magazine 2014

Canada

Dave Hazzan eats, writes and drinks in Ilsan. He has published in Groove Korea, 10 Magazine, Broke in Korea, Maximum Rocknroll, Terminal City and elsewhere in Korea and North America.

His second novel, “The Ash Pilgrimage,” will be released in the fall. Check out his website at www. davehazzan.com.

THE INBOX & COVER

THE I NB OX

To submit a letter, email opinion@groovekorea.com

I’m Korean and want to warn you about an unsophisticated and emotionally abnormal doctor I recently visited (www.healthgreen. co.kr) near Yeonsinnae subway station for a gastrointestinal endoscopy. I have heard many negative things about him, but I still decided to go because it was near my home. After my check-up I paid my bill. The nurse explained the fees to me, but I didn’t fully understand her because I left Korea when I was 2 years old and only returned a few years ago. So, once I left the clinic, I asked a family member to call the clinic and inquire again. She was told that the Propofol used for the endoscopy was double the price of other clinics, and that an extra blood test I had done also cost more.

When I called the doctor a week later to find out the results of my blood test, he used the opportunity to exact petty revenge on me because of my earlier call. I had specifically told the nurse that I was calling to get the results of the blood test and asked if they could be mailed to me, so the doctor knew exactly why I was calling. But he deviously pretended I was calling about the endoscopy results and used a hostile and sarcastic tone and demanded to know why I was asking him again. He told me that even his high school patients understood what he told them, so why was I, as an adult, so incapable of understanding things on my own without the help of a relative. He then told me he’d mail me my results and hung up — exactly what I had requested from the nurse before she put him on the phone. Later in the day, I called him to tell him I was disappointed at his lack of dignity. He taunted me and asked me whether I wanted an apology and told me that I was making an issue out of nothing, continuing to use his sarcastic tone.

His behavior is not that of a dignified and educated healer but that of an uncouth businessman who has emotional and psychological problems, so please be careful. I have lived in Europe and the United States, where his strange actions would be considered barbaric, uneducated and psychologically twisted. This social imbalance is a result of Korea’s obsession with financial success, which its culture cannot keep up with. It’s also a result of poor parenting. There are so many low-class businessmen in Korea with doctor’s licenses who are out to make money and do not understand the concept of good manners and normal behavior. Caveat emptor!

C OVER The off switch After taking years to find his niche in Korean comedy TV, Sam Hammington has reached a degree of fame that few who know him would ever consider imaginable. For better or worse, however, the embrace from the local media is accompanied with the expectation that his on-screen persona is equally accessible to the fans he encounters in his daily life. This month, Groove talks to the “all-round” performer about living up to the hype of being one of the most visible foreigners on Korean TV. Read the story on Page 34.

Cover Photo by Dylan Goldby Cover design by Park Seong-eun

O u r past three iss u es

Tay Park

Get involved

Like what you see? Want to be a part of it?

Groove Korea always welcomes submissions by ambitious, talented journalists and artists across the peninsula.

We are made by the community, for the community.

Groove is Korea’s expat magazine.

If you are a writer, photographer or illustrator and want to get involved, email submissions@groovekorea.com.

November 2014

October 2014

September 2014

Korea’s media malaise Settle down there Eating alone with friends

Evolution, devolution, revolution See you in Sejong Korean punk struggles forward

Tracing an unknown past Silversmithing in Bali Vegan eats, vegan drinks, vegan love

MUST READS

A selection from our editors

26

M UST REA Ds

Fortunate son

After a few moments I finally broke away and trudged up the marble steps from the lobby of the War Remnants Museum in Saigon, the eerily joyful tune dimming behind me.

78

54 64

Great Wall gaffe

Reflecting upon my experience, I may have been less prepared to climb the Great Wall of China than I’d been for any hike ever: no jacket, no map and absolutely zero ability to communicate with the local Chinese.

34

Santa-stic sin

I knew I needed desserts so magnificent that even Santa would need a reservation in advance. Fortunately for me, there are five yummy joints that fit the bill.

Hallasan blues

Have yourself a carnal Christmas feast

Christmas away from home can be a sad affair. You might be tempted to pull the covers over your head, call in sick and wait for the holiday to simply end. But don’t despair — there is a remedy.

During the summer months, Korea’s most famous tourist destination, Jeju Island, is inundated with tourists from all over the world. Many visit for the natural beauty — but then there’s Jeju in winter.

The off switch

Sam Hammington is the foreign face of comedy in Korea. Recognized

by Koreans here and abroad, it seems like he’s made it, but being a household name doesn’t come without its drawbacks.

14 www.groovekorea.com / December 2014

70

This is the place where you can experience Korean culture and get information about travelling in Seoul.

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Website www.seoulculturalcenter.com (English support) Facebook www.facebook.com/Seoulcenter3789

Myeong-dong Theater

Tel 02.3789.7961 Address 5th FL, M-Plaza, 27 Myeong-dong 8-gil, Junggu, Seoul

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W hat ’ s O n SUN

*All the events published in this calendar are subject to unforeseen changes by the promoters. Groove Korea does not take responsibility for any misunderstandings or third-party damage.

For suggestions or comments, email events@groovekorea.com

7

Social

Australian and New Zealand Association of Korea’s Family Christmas Party

@ Millennium Seoul Hilton; 11a-3p; ANZAKorea.com or fb.com/ANZAKorea Travel

RASKB tour: Songnisan National Park & Beopchusa

@ North Chungcheong Province; 69,000w (members), 79,000w (nonmembers); raskb.com

MON

TUE

WED

2

3

4

40th Seoul Independent Film Festival

Seoul Photo Festival

Revisited: Interpretations of our past creations

AMCHAM Leadership for Sustainable Safety

YISS Winter Book Fair

Stand Up Seoul

FEstival

@ CGV Apgujeong and Indiespace in Jongno; to Dec. 5; visitseoul.net Music

FEstival

@ Seoul Museum of History Lobby; opens 9a daily; to Dec. 13; free; visitseoul.net

Live Jazz

Art

@ Anni Gallery near Insa-dong; Reception Dec. 6, 5-9p; Exhibition Dec. 3-23; fb.com/ events/1557014461197059 Social

@ Grand Hyatt Hotel Seoul, Yongsan; 7:30-9:30a; 48,000w (members), 58,000w (nonmembers), breakfast included amchamkorea.org Social

2 for 1 fish & chips

8

9

SIWA tour: Gyeongbokgung palace

Kathryn Farmer

Once: The Musical

Roastmasters Club Meeting

Social

Quiz night

Zorro the Musical

Language Cafe Wednesdays

Travel

@ Gyeongbokgung Station; 9:15a-12:30p; Free for members, 10,000w (nonmembers); Register by Dec. 6; siwapage.com Social

Game Night

@ Wolfhound; wolfhoundpub.com

Music

@ Park Hyatt Gangnam; 8:30p-1a; to Jan. 11; kathrynfarmerlive.com Music @ Seongnam Arts Center; to Jan. 31; ticket.interpark.com

@ Yongsan International School of Seoul; 9a-5p; to Dec. 5; yisseoul.org

10 Music

@ Seoul Arts Center, Seocho-gu; 8p; to Jan. 31; sac.or.kr

@ Gangnam; 7p; meetup.com/ Language-Exchange-Cafe/

@ Rocky Mountain Tavern, Itaewon; 9p; rockymountaintavern.com

11

Network

@ Bonny’s Pizza Pub, Haebangchon; 8p; fb.com/Roastmasters @ 3 Alley Pub in Itaewon; win beer

Open mic

@ Orange Tree in HBC (Thursdays); (02) 749-8202

@ The Hidden Cellar, Noksapyeong; Time TBD; fb.com/hbcliqourstore

16

17

Happy Hour: 2,000 won off

glasses of house wine (all night) @ DOJO in Itaewon

ART

Beyond and Between Exhibition

Quiz night

@ Craftworks in Noksapyeong (Wednesdays); craftworkstaphouse.com

@ Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art; to Dec. 21; English tours at 2p on weekends; leeum.samsungfoundation.org

22 Open mic

@ Tony’s in Itaweon (Mondays); tonysitaewon.com

Wing Night

Music

@ Big Rock in Gangnam; 500 won/wing; bigrockbeer.co.kr

Ronn Branton’s 14th Jazz Christmas @ Seoul Arts Center; see our story on Page 42

29

23

24

Live Jazz

Ho-ho-hold the kimchi

Music

@ Crazy Horse, Garosu-gil, Gangnam; Mon.-Sat. at 8p, Sundays at 9p; to Dec. 31; crazyhorse.kr Music

The Nutcracker

ART

@ Daelim Museum, Jongno-gu; to April 26; 5,000w; daelimmuseum.org

See our story on Page 60 Music

Lee Seung-chul Christmas Concert

30

31

@ Craftworks in Noksapyeong (Tuesdays); craftworkstaphouse.com

Linda McCartney Retrospective

Celebrate Christmas with a feast

@ Universal Art Center, to Dec. 31; 10,000w-100,000w; 20% off for expats and tourists; ticket.interpark.com

Pasta night

Nanta!

Network

@ Crazy Horse, Garosu-gil, Gangnam; Mon.-Sat. 8p, Sun. 9p; to Dec. 31; crazyhorse.kr

@ Jamsil Sports Complex, Songpa; 8p; to Dec. 28; ticket.interpark.com

Musical @ Myeongdong or Chung jeongno Nanta Theaters; nanta.i-pmc.co.kr

THU

1 q

14 Cavalia

21

12

December

Wing night

@ 3 Alley Pub in Itaewon

Half price fish & chips

@ Big Rock in Gangnam; 500 won/wing; bigrockbeer.co.kr

@ COEX Hall D, Gangnam; 8p; to Dec. 26; 77,000w-154,000w; ticket.interpark.com

Social

New Year’s Rock the Boat cruise

@ Incheon Sea; 10p-2a; 45,000w before Dec. 15, 55,000w after; Search Facebook: New Year’s Rock the Boat Cruise !!

18 Music

Notre Dame de Paris

@ Kemyung Art Center in Daegu; to Jan. 4; 60,000w-150,000w; ticket.interpark.com

Men’s night

@ Craftworks in Noksapyeong (Thursdays); 2,000 won off single malts and 1,000 won off all beers; craftworkstaphouse.com

25

Merry Christmas!

FRI

5

S AT

6

Music

Jack Black’s Tenacious D Live

@ Olympic Park, Olympic Hall, Songpa-gu; 8p; 99,000w-121,000w; ticket.interpark.com Music

Triptych

@ Thunderhorse Tavern, Noksapyeong; 10p; fb.com/ThunderhorseTavern

12

Social

Seoul Flyers Annual End of Year Banquet

@ Millennium Seoul Hilton; 6p; 45,000w (members), 60,000w (members’ guests); fb.com/events/1506996236236217 Social

European Christmas Market

@ Seongbukcheon Fountain Square, Hansung University Station, exit 2; to Dec. 7; global.seoul.go.kr/seongbuk

13

ART

Ibero-American Art Fair Seoul

@ Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul Arts Center; 11a-7p; to Dec. 16; sac.or.kr Music

Live Jazz Fridays

@ B28, Cheongdam; 7p-4a; fb.com/B28Seoul Art

Swan Lake

@ Sejong Center; to Dec. 14; sejongpac.or.kr

Music

A Very Britney Christmas

@ The Rabbit Hole, Noksapyeong; 8p-2a; Search Facebook: A Very Britney Christmas!

Art Sip and Sketch @ Hollywood Grill, Itaewon; 8:30p; jankuraseoul.com Network

ASIA Publishers’ ‘Young Lion’ Authors Event

@ Haechi Hall in Myeong-dong; 4-6p; ktlit.com

19

20

Sage Francis’ Copper Gone tour

Pyeongchang Trout Festival

Music

@ Jeng-iy Collective, Daegu; 9p; 20,000w (advance), 25,000w (door); fb.com/digitpresents Music

Psy: All Night Stand

@ Olympic Park Gymnastics Gymnasium; 7:45p; to Dec. 24; ticket.interpark.com

FEstival

@ Odaecheon Stream, Pyeongchang-gun; to Feb. 8; festival700.or.kr Music

Sage Francis’ Copper Gone tour @ Club Realize, Busan; 10p; 20,000w (advance), 25,000w (door); fb.com/digitpresents

26

27

Depapepe

Music Show Wedding

Music

@ Mapo Art Center, Mapo-gu; 8p; 55,000w-77,000w; mapoartcenter.or.kr or ticket.interpark.com

Coming on Jan. 4 @ 9 a.m.

The 28th Polar Bear Swim Festival @ Haeundae Beach in Busan; www.bear.busan.com

Musical

@ Hongdae Music Show Wedding Theater; nanta.i-pmc.co.kr

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All stories are culled with consent from Korea JoongAng Daily’s website and edited by Groove Korea for length and clarity.

The opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Groove Korea. — Ed.

N a t i o n a l

N e w s

with

December 2014 / www.koreajoongangdaily.com

Let them play golf, says Jong-un Golf, once considered a sport exclusively people in the Communist nation. caddies, but most of them are now trained for North Korea’s uber-elite, is becoming Under the young leader, the North con- professionals. increasingly popular as a leisure activity verted a military horse-riding club into a Some South Koreans have had a rare opunder the reign of young ruler Kim Jong- public facility, while Masikryong Ski Re- portunity to play a round at Pyongyang sort was completed at the end of last year. Golf Club. Saenuri Party Representative un.

During the reign of Kim Jong-il, Kim Chung Mong-joon, who visited the North A miniature golf course at the Nungra People’s Amusement Park in Pyongyang Jong-un’s father, golf was considered a in November 1999 as head of the Korea was recently featured on a TV program sport limited to Pyongyang’s few elite and Football Association, played a game of golf aired by the North’s state-run Korean wealthy members of pro-North organi- at the facility. He reportedly paid $95 for Central Television. On the show, titled zation the General Association of Korean the round, including the rental fee for a set of golf clubs produced in Japan in the “One Fine Sunday,” a 10-minute segment Residents in Japan.

The nation’s first country club with an 1970s. details the origins of the game and its 18-hole course was completed in the late The North reportedly has other country rules. clubs — one at a retreat that belonged to “Golf is a leisure activity loved by many 1980s.

Pyongyang Golf Club, which is located Kim Il-sung near Mount Myohyang and players worldwide,” a professional instructor announces on the program. about 40 kilometers away from the capi- another in the Yongsong District of PyongThe Nungra People’s Amusement Park in tal city, occupies a space measuring about yang. Unfortunately, little is known about the North’s capital city was Kim Jong-un’s 1.2 square kilometers next to scenic Thae- either of them.

A nine-hole golf course once existed next first ambitious development project. The song Lake. It was finished in April 1987 young leader attended the amusement to commemorate the 75th birthday of to the Yanggakdo Hotel in Pyongyang, but park’s opening ceremony in July 2012, six the North’s founder, Kim Il-sung, and was it was demolished to make way for a mamonths after he inherited his role as head built with the donations of businessmen jor development project in the area.

None of the North’s past and present who were members of the pro-North genof the regime. rulers have been featured in state meKim has largely promoted sports con- eral association. sidered luxurious to the people of the The country club has about 120 workers, dia playing golf, but Pyongyang has not impoverished North. Skiing and horse- including 30 caddies. Students from Kim missed the opportunity to use the sport back riding, as well as golf, have also been Il Sung University and Pyongyang Uni- to boost the Kim family’s personality cult. endorsed as leisure activities for ordinary versity of Foreign Studies once served as

Chicken king buys Napoleon’s hat

The Korean who bought Napoleon Bonaparte’s iconic bicorn hat from Monaco’s royal family for 1.9 million euros last month was revealed to be Kim Hong-kuk, chairman of food industry giant Harim Group.

“I have always admired Napoleon Bonaparte’s challenging spirit of ‘Nothing is impossible,’” Kim said in a statement released by

by Harim, Korea’s largest poultry producer.

“With the intent of once more awakening my entrepreneurial spirit, I purchased Napoleon I’s hat at auction.”

A Harim manager representing Kim successfully bid on the French emperor’s black felt and beaver fur hat during a two-day auction in Fontainebleau, near Paris.

The auction house listed the hat with an expected selling price of around 400,000

euros. As experts anticipated, it fetched a It is one of the emperor’s 19 remaining bihigher price of 1.9 million euros, interna- corn hats out of the estimated 120 he wore in his lifetime. tional media reported.

Thus, the military headpiece was consid“Rather than keeping the hat myself, I am thinking of installing it where other people ered the star attraction amongst hundreds can share Napoleon’s spirit of taking on of other pieces of Napoleon memorabilia challenges and being a pioneer,” Kim said. auctioned off at the Chateau de FontainebThe black two-pointed hat, decorated with leau, historically significant as the location a tricolor rosette, was apparently worn by where Napoleon abdicated in 1814.

Napoleon at the Battle of Marengo in Italy Through a statement, Harim Group said, in 1800, a fight against the Austrians, before “Chairman Kim, who in his youth raised 10 he declared himself emperor in 1804. chicks that became the foundation of Harim Napoleon wore the bicorn sideways, rath- Group, now with annual sales of 4.8 trillion er than with the two points positioned front won, has always promoted ‘Escaping the to back as the fashion of the time dictated. safety zone’ and a pioneering spirit while This made him easier to spot in battle, said not settling for the status quo.” the French auction house that sold the hat, Osenat.

Victims in pyramid scheme team up to track down con artist In the late fall, Jeon Se-hoon, 33, received a call at his office in Gaebongdong, western Seoul.

“I think it’s him,” he responded after listening to what the caller had to say. “Get a team together and chase after him.”

Kim Sang-jeon, 46, the man who phoned Jeon, was heading to Busan when he was tipped off about the whereabouts of a man the two having been chasing for six years.

They, along with more than three dozen others, are pursuing an extraordinary con artist by the name of Jo Hee-pal, who extracted about 4 trillion won from more than 40,000 people in a pyramid scheme played out from 2004 to 2008.

But Jeon and Kim aren’t police officers.

Rather, they are both members of the Citizens’ Coalition for Respectable Household Economy, an informal and atypical entity organized by those who suffered losses in Jo’s scam. Currently, about 40 of its members are working to track him down.

Jeon became involved in the effort after his mother lost hundreds of millions of won in Jo’s pyramid scheme, and Kim, his colleague, heads the organization.

“Pursuers range from those in their 20s to those in their 60s, some of whom are victims

or the children of victims,” Kim said. “When we find Jo’s hidden assets, we report them to the prosecution or the police.”

In July 2013, the Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office resumed its efforts to track down Jo’s hidden assets, which add up to 76 billion won, and authorities have so far rounded up six people believed to have a connection to the case.

The renewed investigation, however, was prompted by a report from the coalition.

CCRHE members always carry laptops so that they can hold video conferences at a moment’s notice. As soon as the members receive information, they immediately share it. The facts they acquire are then stored at the CCRHE headquarters.

According to public information, Jo was born in 1957 to a poor family living in the small town of Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang. He moved to Daegu alone after finishing high school, hoping to earn enough to support his family.

After making a living working as a day laborer during his teenage years, Jo worked at a betting house, where he hung out with members of Dongseongro-pa, the biggest gang in the region. Then he joined SMK, the country’s first pyramid scheme company.

As the con man became richer, he spent most of his time indulging in three personal vices: women, golf and gambling. Other times, he bought drugs or luxury goods, including BMW sedans and Rolex watches.

Those who lost their money lodged formal complaints, and his scheme was eventually brought to light in October 2008. Jo and his aides are known to have bribed investigators to close the case, and one prosecutor was even questioned over suspicions that he took hundreds of millions of won from the swindler.

But whether Jo is alive is part of an ongoing debate. The police announced that Jo died of cardiac arrest in December 2011, in a hotel in Weihai, China, and added that his body had been cremated and a gravesite set up near his home in North Gyeongsang. His remains, they said, were unidentifiable.

Documentation is also unclear. A death certificate reportedly verifies that the con man died, but because forgery prevails in China, his victims argue that it is likely a fake.

Since then, some have claimed that they’ve seen Jo — once in Daegu, or at a coffee shop in Busan. One of Jo’s aides, who worked as his bodyguard in China, is also yet to return to Korea.

Guesthouse fire leaves four dead, six injured A fire broke out at a guesthouse in injured in the blaze.

Damyang County, South Jeolla, killing four The fire service said that Choi is a lawpeople and injuring six, most of whom maker representing Buk District in Gwangwere current or former members of a uni- ju, South Jeolla. versity paragliding club on an overnight The injured were treated for burns in hospitals in Gwangju. training camp.

According to police, the blaze began in a Of the four dead, three were male graduates of Dongshin University in Naju, South detached wooden facility used exclusively Jeolla. The other was a female undergrad- for barbecues. It was located five meters uate. away from the guesthouse’s main building.

Song Hun-nam, 40, an ex-member of the Twenty-six of the paragliders, including club who was not at the scene of the acci- 13 Dongshin graduates who are former dent, said in a telephone interview that the members of the club, returned from trainthree male graduates were a 40-year-old ing at Mount Wolbong and began their barsurnamed Ryu, a 35-year-old surnamed becue at 7:20 p.m., according to the police.

A while later, a fire started in one of the Song and a 29-year-old surnamed Jeong.

The undergraduate was 19-year-old Ko four grills inside the structure after a loud Eun-bi, a freshman at Dongshin University. explosion was heard, police said, adding Choi Hong-yong, the 55-year-old owner that this information is based on the testiof the guesthouse, and a 20-year-old guest mony of witnesses at the scene.

The initial cause of the fire has not yet who reportedly has no connection to the paragliding club, were two of the six people been confirmed, officers said.

An unidentified person poured water on the barbecue to extinguish the fire, which exacerbated the flames as they mixed with the oil that surrounded the inner grill, sparking another explosion and causing the flames to spread across the room.

The fire service said that the thatched silver-grass rooftop caught on fire due to the sparks from the second explosion.

From there, the blaze transferred to the wall and finally to the floor.

All 26 of the people inside the structure, including 21 of the club members and five others, were soon reportedly surrounded by flames and tried to escape through the single entrance.

One survivor said that a fire extinguisher was nowhere to be found at the scene of the accident, and that the one discovered at a nearby location “malfunctioned in less than a single minute.”

INSIGHT Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

Fortunate son

Retracing a father’s war-beaten path through Vietnam Story by Ian Henderson ey, , Donn Starry, Paul Epl Photos by Ian Henderson U.S. Army Signal Corps Howard Breedlove and

. s e y e d e l g n a sp r a t s it r e h n i . s eY ah, some f osl kend you down t o war, Lordwe give?’

O h, t hey hem, ‘How much should ’ O h. e! kt r s o a m , u o e r y o n m e , h e r w o ‘M And , r e w s n 69) a 9 1 ( y l ” n n o o S y e e t a h O h, t “Fort un , l a iv v e R r e t ar wa C reedence C le

26 www.groovekorea.com / December 2014

T

he keyboard player hammered away at a jaunty tune played in that cheesy synthesizer tone heard throughout Asia. His hands landed with uncanny accuracy, in spite of the fact that he was totally blind. I had seen other amazing musicians without sight before, but this man had obviously never even had eyeballs. The skin was stretched taut over his sockets, smooth and unblemished, making it clear they had been sealed since birth. Keeping rhythm to his left was a smaller fellow in a folding chair with some type of vertical stringed instrument, like a stand-up bass meets a gutbucket. He played with his feet, only having a couple of swollen, thumb-like digits for toes on each. He was armless, reclined in his chair, swaying his head back and forth to the beat. Orb-like eyes bulged outward and a swollen tongue protruded from between his teeth. Hung nearby was a sign that read “Victims of Agent Orange.”

After a few moments I finally broke away and trudged up the marble steps from the lobby of the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, the eerily joyful tune dimming behind me. With the haunting music as an accompaniment, the museum was filled with propaganda-laden semantics, everything polarized as “proud patriots” versus “criminal imperialists.”

Four years later, as I visited the museum a second time, I found myself reminiscing about those mutant musicians. While staying with an old college buddy who was living a block from the building, I strolled past its gates and looked again at the captured tanks and planes sitting outside, rust creeping in and paint fading. Raindrops pinged off of my poncho as I continued my slog through the city’s lush, verdant streets, passing the former presidential palace immortalized via photos of Viet Cong tanks crashing through its front gates on April 30, 1975. Helicopters sat on the roof from where they once frantically airlifted Americans out as the city fell to communist forces.

Soon I was sitting in the main backpacker district, sipping on a 25-cent mug of beer with a giant chunk of ice floating in it and watching the beads of condensation trickle down the sides. The endless mugginess doesn’t just cause the vegetation to go wild; it saps the chill out of booze almost instantaneously, necessitating some unorthodox drinking practices. I watched the scooter herds zip along, groups of dozens going in different directions, somehow merging and

passing through an intersection without ever stopping as rainbows of ponchos streaked behind them.

Reflecting on my previous trip, I thought of the Cu Chi tunnels, located a few hours outside of Ho Chi Minh City.

Guides show the network of tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the war while cheerfully demonstrating to curious tourists all the booby traps used to kill and maim American soldiers. Ever present in the jungle background is the rat-a-tat-tat of automatic weapons fire, sounding off from the on-premises shooting range. Although that experience — along with several others — was fascinating, it left an uneasy feeling in my gut, a sense of unfinished business that several years hadn’t been able to dissipate.

Those from the States who are about my age grew up in the long shadow of the war. Legless vets at traffic stops were a common sight throughout the nation, and films such as “Platoon” (1986) and “Full Metal Jacket” (1987) explored the dark psychosis that lingered, as much as some tried to ignore it. My own father had served two combat tours, and was denied a third against his wishes. The small-town boy from North Carolina returned home a radically changed person. Soon estranged from a wife and three children, he developed a penchant for hard drink and aggressive tendencies. Later marrying his second wife, my mother, his unspoken past and other family would be another symptom of the war, one that wouldn’t become clear to me until much later in life. I can count on one hand the number of times he’s spoken in any detail about his deployments. Like many who saw extended combat, he became hardened. While still glorified by some, it’s really one of the saddest things that can be said about a man.

A few days went by as my friend and I caught up on life and what was happening in the world. The headlines were dominated by ISIS, the Islamist militant group of insurgent fighters who were expanding into Syria at the time. On my prior visit to Indochina I had learned about other extreme ideologues born of a power vacuum created by America’s martial follies: the Khmer Rouge, whose traces are left in mountains of skulls and mass graves. My visit four years ago had been limited to Cambodia and southern Vietnam, and I was back to see the rest of it — the areas where my father fought and the far northern stronghold of Hanoi. It was time to experience both my national and personal graveyard of empires.

I can count on one hand the number of times he’s spoken in any detail about his deployments. Like many who saw extended combat, he became hardened. While still glorified by some, it’s really one of the saddest things that can be said about a man.

27

INSIGHT Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

An infantryman is lowered into a tun by members of the nel reconnaissance pla toon (1967).

Mekong River

Fallen friend I made my way north and spent some time lounging on the idyllic yet deserted beaches of Da Nang, then moved on to Hoi An. A major stop on the tourist circuit, it has easy analogies to Disneyland — both complimentary and derisive. The original medieval structures and thousands of lanterns create an unparalleled warm ambience, but at its core it is a several-mile-long gift shop, and no place is safe from hawkers and their wares.

For the history buff, however, it serves as the launching point for a day trip to ruins from the Cham Empire called My Son. Similar in style to the structures found in Angkor, they are nonetheless smaller and bombed all to hell. The heat beat down relentlessly.

People tried to hide in the shrinking shadows of the midday sun, while I unabashedly used my umbrella as a parasol.

Many of these fourth-century Hindu temples stand partially in ruins, and giant craters open up higgledy-piggledy, a testimony of the wartime bombing campaign

by U.S. forces that targeted suspected Viet Cong hideouts. Our guide described how his father had operated in this area as a Viet Cong soldier. I declined to mention that mine had operated here as well, but on the other side. He was reconnaissance with the 101st Airborne all through central Vietnam, and probably into territories where we weren’t “officially” operating. One of the few stories I know of my father’s combat experiences occurred while his platoon was patrolling a swamp. As he turned a corner around a cluster of trees, a young girl stood up from the water; she had been breathing through a bamboo straw, camouflaged in mud and foliage. On instinct he squeezed his trigger and the gun jammed. Time, for him, felt like it stopped as they stared at each other, motionless. Then, for no apparent reason, she nodded and handed over her AK-47. After taking her back to base camp, she was soon turned over to South Vietnamese forces, as was protocol at the time. He later said he never would have done so if he knew then what he knew now — of the probable rape, torture and violent death that awaited her at the hands of U.S. allies.

His main area of operation was centered near Hue, the old Imperial capital a few hours north of Hoi An, so I booked a ticket there. These days Hue is known mainly as the home of Huda beer, as well as the citadel and tombs of former emperors who had been reduced to mere figureheads under French colonial rule.

Its close proximity to the former DMZ and its logistical importance made it the epicenter of the Vietnam War. The Battle of Hue (and its eponymous massacre) was one of the bloodiest periods of combat and the turning point of public opinion against the conflict. It was around here that my father’s best friend’s chopper was shot down. By the time his platoon found the wreckage, he had already died from wounds sustained during the crash. The responsibility later fell on my dad to inform his friend’s wife and children, with whom he already had a deep relationship.

During the late ’80s, we were living in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, when a traveling edition of the Vietnam War memorial came through town as it made its way around the country. The sky was overcast as we headed up the hill dressed in our Sunday best.

Pieces of paper and charcoal were made available so visitors could get rubbings of the names of loved ones from the wall. We went to track down my dad’s friend’s name on one of the indistinguishable stretches of ebony. When at last we found it, he got down on one knee for the etching, steady for a few seconds before falling forward and erupting into a heaving wail, his whole body shuddering. He tried desperately to choke back a wave of anguish, which, suppressed for too long, was finally breaking through the surface. With someone like him, the sobbing sound carries with it a strong element of shame, conveying a sense of personal failure as much as pain. I stared stunned as the man who but a moment before had seemed as indomitable as the wall in front of him lay doubled over on the ground, the paper crumpled as he grasped at clumps of turf between his fingers.

As he turned a corner around a cluster of trees, a young girl stood up from the water; she had been breathing through a bamboo straw, camouf laged in mud and foliage. On instinct he squeezed his trigger and the gun jammed.

Time, for him, felt like it stopped as they stared at each other, motionless. Then, for no apparent reason, she nodded and handed over her AK-47.

28 www.groovekorea.com / December 2014

igon

Delta outside Sa

An infantry patrol moves up to assault the last Viet Cong position at Dak To, South Vietnam (1967).

Imperial Citadel in Hue

Airborne paratroopers in Vietnam U.S. Airborne under attack during the battle of Dak To (1967)

Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C. 29

INSIGHT Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

Distortion and disillusionment Finally I made it to Hanoi. Once called the “Grand Dame of Asia,” the old quarter is strikingly similar to the French Quarter of New Orleans, sister cities built on opposite ends of the Earth during the golden age of imperialism. In one massive columned structure lies the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh himself, the modern father of the nation. He left explicit instructions that his face was not to adorn any currency and his body was not to be preserved or embalmed. Yet his visage is on every single bill and his pickled body lies in a cool central hall under dim lights. For several hours on most days an endless stream of tourists shuffles by, solemnly gaping from their human conveyor belt.

Near the mausoleum is the B-52 lake, where wreckage of an American bomber still protrudes from the water and a museum gloats endlessly about how many U.S. pilots were shot down. Sewage from local businesses seeps into it, creating a putrid stench that left me gagging in the heat.

A rainbow film sits atop the surface, and lifeless fish with clouded eyes lap gently onto the edge of this patriotic cesspool.

An equally disturbing stop on the war history route was Hoa Lo Prison, or, as it’s commonly known, the Hanoi Hilton. Staged photo-ops show U.S. prisoners gleefully playing basketball, drinking beer and eating steaks.

Featured among these smiling inmates is a young John McCain, who survived to become a onetime presidential candidate and one of the longer-serving current U.S. Senate members. Judging solely from the exhibits, one could assume he had a fine stay here, if you were ignorant of his scars and half-paralysis sustained from periods of regular torture within these very walls. I remember lying awake at night as a child, hearing my father’s screams reverberate through the dark, silent house. For years he suffered from recurring nightmares of being buried up to his neck while a Viet Cong soldier slowly approached, intending to decapitate him.

The endless rhetoric from the regime left a bitter taste in my mouth. I decided to get out of town on a day trip to Halong Bay, which features thousands of limestone islets jutting vertically from the tropical waters, stretching into the horizon as far as the

eye can see. Wooden tourist boats sail between them, built in the fashion of old Chinese junks and puttering through the seemingly endless maze of karsts. The bay is actually part of the much larger Gulf of Tonkin, which played a pivotal role in the start of the war.

On Aug. 2, 1964, the USS Maddox had a skirmish with several North Vietnamese ships, resulting in a few Vietnamese casualties. After an alleged second incident on Aug. 4, President Lyndon B. Johnson passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving him the ability to expand military operations in Southeast Asia without a formal declaration of war by Congress. Future declassification of government documents showed that the U.S. was deliberately provoking the North and that the Aug. 4 attack had in fact never happened. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara said in a 2003 interview that it had indeed been a false flag operation to serve as a pretext for war.

On the way back to Hanoi in our minibus, my companions and I discussed the breaking news about a Malaysia Airlines plane being shot down over Ukraine, with Western media pointing fingers at pro-Russian separatists. No side in the disputed area was claiming responsibility, and many questions remained unanswered. Whatever the truth of the matter was, it was difficult to put much trust in the information we were being given. In a similar vein, the people behind the lies that started the Vietnam War have still never been brought to task. How many times had such a deliberate distortion of the facts been employed to serve an agenda, both then and now?

Our bus slowed down considerably and the sun glowed a deep red over the treetops. A wreck was causing the traffic buildup, and as we got closer we saw a scooter, a bicycle and a car in a twisted morass of metal. Two bodies were lying on the side of the road and a man was desperately yelling directions at the people gathered around while lifting what appeared to be a young woman up in his arms. A piece of her skull and scalp flapped open, and blood and bits of flesh spilled rapidly down his sleeve and chest. As we rolled slowly by, I heard the click of a digital shutter as someone snapped a picture.

Staged photo-ops show U.S. prisoners gleefully playing basketball, drinking beer and eating steaks. Featured among these smiling inmates is a young John McCain. Judging solely from the exhibits, one could assume he had a fine stay here, if you were ignorant of his scars and half-paralysis sustained from periods of regular torture within these very walls.

30 www.groovekorea.com / December 2014

Downed U.S. aircraft wreckage, Army Museum, Hanoi

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi A U.S. tank convoy

during the Vietnam

War

a good g in v a h s t is r u oung t o y r e h hats t n o o d s e r h a c t t s d e I wa r ar ing VC e w m e h t f cal lous. o it t d in f t u b t ime, mos ldn’t help u o c ight , d f n a ’s , n s a t m ir r h o s o p T or ar and a w ’s n a m h an we ic e r m a it s a id w d it t , u s Ye texts. B e r p d e t a ic r launted? b f a e b o t s ir n begun on f e ky souv c a t o t in it n r should t u

Moving on Back in the old quarter, we once again sat around drinking cheap beer over ice, perched on plastic stools a few inches off of the ground. Besides the incident in Ukraine, the other big news was that ISIS was continuing its expansion, causing the U.S. to consider both air strikes and sending in ground troops. I watched other young tourists having a good time, most of them wearing VC red stars on hats or T-shirts, and couldn’t help but find it callous. Yes, it was a rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight, begun on fabricated pretexts.

But did it mean we should turn it into tacky souvenirs to be flaunted? At home, the only visible reminders that my dad was even here are the bullet and shrapnel scars on his body and the several purple hearts that he earned from them. Those same medals sit in a desk drawer gathering dust, serving only as reminders of other scars that will never fully heal.

I’d had enough. We finished our beers, walked away from the other tourists and left Vietnam and its baggage behind — it was time to let go, get wasted and float down a river in Laos.

31

INSIGHT Edited by Matthew Lamers (mattlamers@groovekorea.com)

The Money column

The trip to the bank

Communication issues can be daunting — here’s how to get past them Column by Paul Sharkie / Illustration by Darren Farrell

A

lthough banks in Korea are aware that certain branches require English-speaking staff (among other foreign languages), there will, of course, be branches with only Korean speakers or days when the bilingual teller just happens to be out of the office. Whatever the circumstances, this possibility leaves a potentially stressful situation for both the customer and the Korean-speaking teller as they attempt to provide service in an acceptable amount of time. Of course, the bank staff will always try their best, but such a scenario, if not dealt with appropriately, can lead to questions such as the following:

Dear Shinhan Expat Banking, Do you have an English-speaking consultant who can visit my office to help me open a personal account? I have tried the branch, but no one speaks English there.

I would like information on your current accounts, savings options and credit cards.

— Hold my money (na me withheld)

Although we cannot arrange a visit to your office for your personal account requirements, what we can do is contact a branch and tell them when you plan to visit and which services you wish to have.

ABOUT THE writer Paul Sharkie is the Foreign Client Relationship Manager for Shinhan Bank’s Foreign Customer Department.

Please visit Shinhan Expat Banking on Facebook for more information. The banking information provided in this column is based on Shinhan Bank policies and may not be applicable to all banks in Korea. — Ed.

32 www.groovekorea.com / December 2014

In addition to suggesting that the customer call our foreign-language call center at 1577-8380 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays), here was our actual response to this question:

Dear Hold, Although we cannot arrange a visit to your office for your personal account requirements, what we can do is contact a branch and tell them when you plan to visit and which services you wish to have. This way the branch can prepare all the necessary docu ments — in English — and at the sa me time provide you with all the information you need to ensure a quick and efficient visit to the branch.

In addition to our excellent English infrastructure, we also have 40 branches specifically designated for our foreign customers.

That being said, there are English speakers scattered around our other branches as well. Despite these efforts to accommodate English-speaking customers, it can sometimes be the case that the English-speaking staff member may not be present when you visit.

Should you have any communication difficulties, you may ask the teller at the branch (open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) to call our foreignlanguage call center at 1577-8380 (Shinhan Bank) or 1544-7333 (Shinhan Card), where staff can provide you with a free translation service to bridge any gaps in communication. Please do not be afraid to ask for this service.

With regard to the products you mentioned, while we have several options to choose from we recommend the following package to get you started:

1) Current account:

We recommend our Salary Savings Account, which is best for those whose salary is paid into it. This comes with a range of benefits and discounts should you have your salary directly deposited into this account.

2) Savings accounts:

Installment Account: We specifically suggest our Salary Plus Installment Account for those who already have a Salary Savings Account. This account allows customers to make installment savings payments for a set period of time at a set interest rate. If you open this account along with our Salary Savings Account, you will also get a more favorable interest rate.

Time Deposit: With a minimum deposit required, you can also add installment payments to this account, again for a set period of time at a set interest rate. There are a variety of Time Deposit savings accounts to choose from, with interest rates varying each day. On the day you visit the branch, the teller will advise you of which would be more favorable.

3) Credit card:

Eligibility depends on each individual’s credit status. Proof of income will be required (three recent pay slips and/or a contract of employment). While we have an extensive range of cards, we suggest our Concourse card, made specifically for foreign customers in Korea. This card comes with great benefits and discounts, as well as an English SMS service to keep you up to date with your purchases.

If you have other questions, please get in touch with us or your bank to see what can be done for you.

More info j

For details on the Shinhan Concourse card, visit eng.shinhancard.com/contents/cards/global/ ConcourseTheBest.jsp.

33

COVER story Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

B e i n g i n t h e l i m e l i g h t i s n ’ t e a s y .

S e o u l ’s f u n n y m a n S a m H a m m i n g t o n r e v e a l s l i f e b e h i n d t h e l a u g h s

THe Off SWICH

‘A lot of people don’t realize that there’s an on and off TV, I make people laugh to give them a break from the realities of life. But when I’m at home, I’m not like that.’

Story by Emilee Jennings / Photos by Dylan Goldby

S

am Hammington doesn’t swagger get a laugh. He is calm and reflective, observing around Gangnam in the trendiest his surroundings, perhaps noting inspiration for threads and dark shades. Instead, future material. Over coffee the 37-year-old Melhe wears a T-shirt and Braves jacket bourne native speaks with a slow, sincere tone. while speeding through the streets He’s just a normal guy you’d run into on the street of Haebangchon on his scooter. or hang out and play video games with. Away from Many expats would be hard-pressed to identify the limelight, he is notably turned off.

“A lot of people don’t realize that there’s an on this medium-height, stocky Australian guy as a national celebrity. But when one of his half-mil- and off switch,” says Hammington. “When I’m on lion fans spots him in the wild, they are often left TV, I make people laugh to give them a break from the realities of life. But when I’m at home, I’m not disappointed.

He might be familiar to some expats from the like that.”

Though Hammington is grateful for his success, odd Dunkin Donuts poster around Seoul or his four years on the TBS eFM radio show “Drive always being thought of as the “funny man” gets tiresome. He says he’s exTime,” but it was his goofy anhausted by fans asking, “Are tics on the Korean small screen you not having a good night?” that led the 12-year expat to when they see him without become one of the peninsula’s a permanent smile stamped most famous slapstick comeacross his face. It’s not bedians, branded the first foreign cause he hates his job — in comedian to do comedy in Kofact, he’d like to continue his rean. Even though his “Gag career in entertainment for as Concert” variety show days are long as possible — but simply far behind him, he can’t go 100 because he is not capable of meters before hordes of fans being funny 24-7. “If I was like flock to him for photos and auSam Hammington that all the time I would probably tographs. either be dead or in a hospital.

But being a household name doesn’t come without its drawbacks. Having a la- It would be physically exhausting to try and keep bel like “comedian” is difficult to live down, or in his up with that.”

People seem to expect those in the public eye case, live up to. He’s never as funny in person as to be smarter, more attractive and better dressed they expect him to be.

Some expat entertainers reflect a subdued than the common folk. They expect Hammingversion of their on-camera persona: Morning TV ton to be funnier. “A lot of people see me on talk darling Bronwyn Mullen is warm and outspoken, shows, variety shows and reality shows, and think while Jake Patchett, host of Mnet America’s that’s who I must be.” On screen Hammington “Jjang” K-pop variety show, is just as silly and plays a caricature of himself, but in the real world snarky as his emcee and rapper alter-ego Jake he’s just Sam, a guy who likes to read, work out, Pains. Others, like the hyperenergetic DIY stars travel and play video games. “I’m not different Simon and Martina Stawski of Eat Your Kimchi, from anyone else. I just have a different job. Peoare freakishly the same. But Hammington is not ple make mistakes, people say things they regret. throwing one-liners or pulling gags at the table to We’re all the same.”

COVER story Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

Finding a niche It took him many years and tribulations to be this comfortable with himself, both on and off camera.

His time on “Gag Concert” first shot him to fame a decade ago, but once his “World News” skit on the show ended, so too did his time in the limelight. He hit rock bottom, but managed to pick himself up and move on to TBS eFM — a valuable experience but a dead end. After quitting and then putting all of his energy into securing his next break, Hammington was juggling gigs, advertisements and variety show appearances when he landed at his current challenge on MBC’s “Real Men,” a reality show following seven male celebrities as they experience life in the military.

Looking back on his varied projects, he hasn’t strived to perfect a certain character or performance. Instead, he draws from experiences of himself and others and observations of things around him to constantly improve. Diversification has been his secret weapon, allowing him to break away from a typecast. Becoming an “all-rounder” gives him more weapons and variety to forge his unique identity on camera.

And Korea has been his playground to do so.

He’s had to ditch the Western favorites of stand-

‘I think you need to be selfanalytical. If you’re not, you just become mediocre. ... You’re always trying to outdo yourself.’

up, scripted one-liners, racy humor and sarcasm to take on Korea’s word play — no small feat for a foreign speaker — ad-libbing, situational comedy, self-depreciation and good old slapstick Sam Hammington humor. While it gets mixed results from expats, slapstick is the holy grail of comedy in Korea. Many enjoy the Three Stooges’ simplicity, while others are simply dumbstruck by its obvious and apparently juvenile format. But Hammington says this type of humor is perfect for Korean network television, which is too conservative to take on the racy jokes of Australia or other Western countries. It’s these boundaries that force the world of Korean comedy to get creative — and it’s here, in improv and ad-libbing, where Hammington thrives.

“For me if it comes naturally. I enjoy it. When I feel like I have to, if it’s forced, that’s when I don’t enjoy it,” he says. “When I was starting out, I didn’t really know Korean humor and I was given a role, and I was always too scared to veer off and do my own thing because I was worried that it would ruin

the joke or the punch line. Now that I’ve developed myself, and settled into a role, I’m given a lot more freedom with what I can and can’t do.”

Hammington may just be a normal guy while “off duty,” but once the cameras start rolling, his animated and silly childlike character take over. It’s not a fake side, he says, but a small part of his character exaggerated for TV. “It’s like putting some ‘steroids’ into that part of you. It’s certainly not the whole me, it’s not the complete me. It’s just a part of me.”

Ever since his childhood spent sitting next to his mom — Jan Russ, an influential former casting director of Australia’s “The Neighbours” — deconstructing actors’ performances and getting firsthand experience in seeing what directors are looking for, he’s worked on honing his skills at not only getting from point A to point B in a performance or skit, but the big picture of how it all connects. “I want to be able to put the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together. I break things down in my head and kind of work out how they all have to go hand in hand,” he says. “It’s a lot harder than you’d think.”

Even today, he second-guesses every performance, beating himself up over whether he got the timing right or how he screwed up delivering a line. Timing is key in comedy, and if you’re performing in a language that is not your native tongue, it can be easy to miss that golden moment. There is always an anxiety about being self-analytical, but he finds it essential for breaking past mediocrity. It takes a lot of mental strength to work through it, he says.

“You’d come off stage and punch walls and kick doors because you weren’t happy with your performance. That’s an everyday thing. I’d walk out of the studio and I’ll be like really pissed off, really angry,” he says of his “Gag Concert” skits years ago, but his self-criticisms still hold true. “You self-analyze and you’re like, ‘I missed this time and I missed this punch line.’

“But I think you need to be self-analytical. If you’re not, you just become mediocre. … I think you can talk to any artist in the world and they’ve all said the same thing. You’re always trying to outdo yourself.”

COVER story Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

The dark side The challenge of forming his identity doesn’t stop when he steps off the set. When he first started rising to fame, his lifestyle changed as he found himself doing what he thought people expected of him, something he constantly sees among emerging celebrities.

“People who are famous here in Korea are expected to wear certain clothes, or do certain things or go to certain restaurants and bars,” he recalls. No one forced the celebrity lifestyle on him, but he found himself getting sucked into the vanity, buying designer crap he never used to care about. “There’s so much hype that comes with a job like this that you can get caught up in. … I was buying things that I never had any interest in because that’s what I thought people did.”

But when the curtains closed on his “Gag Concert” gig, the starry-eyed rising actor faced a harsh reality check as his finances dried up. “When you’re behind on the rent, you can’t afford to pay your bills and there’s no work all of a sudden, that allows you to focus more on the big picture,” he says. After years of ups and downs, he realized how hard it is to maintain the good times but all too easy to get caught up in the celebrity hype. He’s found positive reflections to the bad times, and now he’s not concerned with other people’s expectations.

“Now, I buy things that I want to buy, I wear things that I want to wear. ... I think the important thing is you have to stay true to yourself.”

That’s a challenge that goes far beyond pricey fashion labels and luxurious lifestyles. Staying true to oneself is easier said than done for most people, no less a comedian. Hammington has watched many people in his industry get lost in the job. “When you’ve got a job and you’re trying to enlighten other people’s lives and make other people happy … there’s a downside that comes with that,” he says.

Comedians are typically thought of as people who can laugh their way through difficult situations, but usually there is a darkness eclipsed by the bright humor. The link between comedy and depression has resurfaced with the recent suicide of Robin Williams.

In a role that manipulates people’s emotions, turning stress, worries and sadness into laughter, it’s the come-

dian’s job to help you forget about your worries. But who is there to do that for them? “Robin Williams was a prime example. You look at a guy like that. Whenever you saw him on TV he was always so funny and jovial,” Hammington says in a serious tone many Korean fans would not recognize, “but he had dark sides as well. He dealt with addiction and depression. And that’s a common thread with comedians throughout the world.”

Charlie Chaplin, Jerry Lewis, Jonathan Winters, Richard Pryor, John Cleese, John Belushi and Chris Farley are but some comedians who have admitted to struggling with inner demons. “I’ve gone through slumps,” Hammington confesses, “but not to those extents. I know a lot of people in the industry that struggle with loneliness. It is a lonely profession.”

It even takes a toll on his work to not be able to interact with people, whose stories and antics give him the inspiration for his gags or routines.

Hammington acknowledges that it’s hard to socialize like the average person when he’s constantly wary of his surroundings. Friends who are fellow actors or comedians are still competitors in a cutthroat industry, and friends outside of entertainment are wary of the crowds.

“This is the thing a lot of people don’t know about. You know, about the restrictions that come with this sort of life. They all think … you’ve got all those fans, it’s great, but they don’t realize it takes you maybe an hour to go a hundred meters,” he says. “The whole socializing thing and going out with friends to the bar for a few beers is not what it used to be. When you’ve got people coming up to you asking for photos, just sitting there and having to chat with people becomes an exercise.”

While he’s well aware and appreciative of all his fans — they’re the reason he can keep going, after all — he is firm that he has to draw the line.

“I’m always generally really apologetic.

When someone asks me in the middle of dinner, I’ll say, ‘Look, I’m sorry, I’m in the middle of eating.’ … When I’m in the bathroom I won’t be as apologetic,” he quips. Fortunately for him, he can go out with friends who will diffuse the situation for him. “It helps having friends that are really understanding.”

‘I may fail miserably and I might end up with an egg in my face … but if you don’t try, you’re just going to live with regret and you’ll never know the answer.’

Sam Hammington

Live without regrets Hammington plans to leave no stone unturned in honing his craft in Korea, with a movie in the works and directing a distant pipe dream. He’s ready to give anything a go. “There’s a lot that I want to still try. One of my goals is to host a TV show here.

If the right program came up, I’d jump on it,” he says. “I’m of the philosophy (that) you have to try something before you make a decision on whether you’re good at it or not, whether you can succeed at it.”

There are some regrets about not being able to spend much time with his family and wife, but in the end he has to do his job, like everyone else.

Their being supportive of his success has made it easier for him to deal with. And when the camera’s

not rolling, he hits the “off switch” and enjoys a quiet married life with Yumi Jung, the woman who helped him fall in love with Korea.

“I may fail miserably and I might end up with an egg in my face,” he shrugs, “but if you don’t try, you’re just going to live with regret and you’ll never know the answer. Thinking about what could have been is a time killer and a self-confidence killer.”

With this way of thinking, Hammington has plenty more things to try. Maybe he’ll work in politics someday. Either way, he’s hoping to hijack a TV screen near you for as long as people keep laughing. “I really enjoy having the ability to bring some happiness into someone else’s life,” he says — just not while he’s off the clock.

MUSIC & ARTS Edited by Emilee Jennings emilee@groovekorea.com

Story by Louis Oh / Photos by Merissa Quek

Bringing the concert home

Sofar Sounds

W

hen I headed south toward the river from Sangsu Station, I had little sense of what I was getting into. My only clue was that I’d been told it was going to be a “house party-slash-concert.” I stepped through the front gate of the venue, V-Mansion, a guesthouse and creative meeting space. As I walked past the grassy plot and patio out front, I found a living room where the sofas were pushed to the corners to make way for the cushions strewn around the floor for guests. If it hadn’t been for the modest setup of microphones and recording equipment, it wouldn’t have been obvious that there was a show happening soon. Guests continued to show up, carrying contributions that ranged from boxes of cookies and pastries to tubs of KFC chicken.

‘It was like a scene out of a movie... a lot of fun and very refreshing.

It’s nice to have the opportunity to really pay attention and listen to music I’m not used to. ’ Rhino, underground rapper.

GrooveCast GrooveCast host Chance Dorland spoke with Sohn Jeong-eun of Sofar Sounds Seoul about the increasingly popular intimate concerts across the city. Listen to the podcast episode www.groovekorea.com / December 2014 at groovekorea.com or subscribe for free at the iTunes Store.

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An understated set Singer Kim Ji-soo walks in with his guitar and it’s no grand entrance. He carefully tiptoes through the haphazardly seated guests and sits himself down on a stool as the onlookers applaud. “This is the first time I’ve ever performed with my shoes off,” he says. The shoeless audience chuckles in agreement.

As he sings, he interacts and jokes with the 40 people there.

Nobody texts or posts to Facebook; everybody listens to him, interacting with him.

“This was probably the most romantic show I’ve ever done,” Kim said after his set. “It was the most nervous I’ve been in a while! But there was that feeling of just playing music for your friends. It was like, ‘Hey, listen to this one I’ve been working on.’ I wish I had more time because it was great.”

Following the intermission, the next performer, Ha Heon-jin, shares his music with the crowd. Once again, the environment allows for a more intimate concert experience, as Ha’s eccentric, deadpan demeanor results in awkwardly hilarious moments interspersed throughout his acoustic Korean blues set.

“It blew my expectations of people here,” said Marion le Claireq, a French patron at the guesthouse who had come downstairs with her husband out of curiosity. “It’s our first time in Asia, and to find such a mix of culture like this was really great.”

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‘This was probably the most romantic show I’ve ever done. ...There was that feeling of just playing music for your friends.’

Singer Kim Ji-soo

London calling The name Sofar first started as an acronym, which stood for “Sounds From a Room.” It was initiated in London by two Englishmen who wanted to enjoy a proper pub gig but kept finding that everything else happening at the bar was always louder than the actual music. The two men started hosting small shows at their house and they eventually grew into an international movement, with people seeking out low-key urban musical experiences.

Sofar Sounds reached Seoul through a start-up company called Proteurment. Song Jun-ho, head of the company says, “The premise of Sofar Sounds fit well with the direction Proteurment is taking and we felt that Sofar Sounds could be an on- and offline platform for getting exposure for talented Korean musicians in our country as well as around the world.”

“It was like a scene out of a movie … a lot of fun and very refreshing,” said Rhino, an underground rapper. “It’s nice to have the opportunity to really pay attention and listen to music I’m not used to.”

University student Kim Da-hye agrees: “It was a little awkward at first, but the house party concept is unique and cozy.”

Song admits the first few events were pulled off with a certain amount of trial and error. “Unlike in other countries, people here aren’t really accustomed to inviting people they don’t know to their home for a party. So finding a sufficient venue or creating that sort of atmosphere was difficult. But now we’re trying to put some more weight into it being a ‘party,’ like in picking out the right venue or creating an environment where people feel like they can hang out with people they haven’t met before.”

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MUSIC & ARTS Edited by Emilee Jennings emilee@groovekorea.com

gets

Jazzy R onn Bran to n talks m u sic in Kor e a

42 www.groovekorea.com / December 2014

Story by Emilee Jennings / Photos courtesy of Ronn Branton

Seoul

A

fter first hearing about Korea through his Korean pen pal Helen Kim in the late ’90s, Ronn Branton grew more interested in the country he knew little about. After emails flew back and forth, the two started to feel a deeper connection. The pen pal later became his wife and they built a concert-planning company together. His musical talents and her gift for marketing were the perfect combination. “She has her own way of being creative,” Branton says. “We argue sometimes, but I can argue with someone who gets it. She has a skill set that no one else I’ve met over here has.”

After moving to Seoul in 1998, he did a stint as a graphic designer, but left what he calls a thankless job to focus on building a name for himself and for jazz in general, as it was a little-known genre in Korea at the time.

Sixteen years later, he has made a strong name for himself with a biannual gig, and he is working on his first major Korean musical, called “Tiger.” “‘Tiger’ is a Korean musical with a modern twist on traditional Korea,” says Branton, who is also the musical director. “It’s like searching for your identity. What’s it like to be Korean these days? What does it mean?” The musical tackles these themes using a mix of pop, rock and classical music to explore an ever-changing Korea. It’s currently in pre-production.

Branton, an American pianist, started off small with a monthly event called “Jazz Is” in the early 2000s. The hour-long concert featured a trio of musicians who turned Korean children’s songs into jazz arrangements. “It’s a better way to connect with the audience, and it gave me a great chance to learn more about Korea,” explains Branton. The event series built up his following among locals, who heard music they were familiar with in a totally different way. “Monkeys can play notes, but notes are not the music. My goal is not to just make music, but to connect people,” he says. “I want to connect with the audience through my music.”

Ronn Branton For every musician and artist there is a different creative approach, and Branton is certainly not usual in that area. “I think in color,” he says. “For me harmonic color invokes mood and emotion.

Usually I think in color first and then a melody comes from that.”

This aproach doesn’t help him escape the artist’s dilemma of recording that precious thought, however. “I get ideas when I’m walking along and I’m away from the piano, which is a horrible thing because then you have to either have the recorder on the iPad or get a book and jot it down quickly — tempo, time, what you’re hearing — and hope to capture that when you get back to the studio.”

For Branton, the most difficult part of the job is creating a routine and managing to stay awake long enough to jot down fleeting ideas. Late at night, while “half awake,” is the time when he starts to hear melodies and see the colors in his head. “When it’s dark, like a stage, there’s no noise around, I’m tired and I want to go to bed, but I can’t because I hear stuff, so I’ve got to keep working and then I’m tired the next day.”

‘Monkeys can play notes, but notes are not the music. My goal is not to just make music, but to connect people. …

I want to connect with the audience through my music.’

More info j “Ronn Branton’s 14th Jazz Christmas” is on Dec. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Seoul Arts Center and Dec. 24 at 8 p.m. at Jang Cheon Hall.

Ticket prices range from 35,000 won to 55,000 won.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/groups/ happyjazzhouse or www.cafe.naver.com/ronnbranton.

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MUSIC & ARTS Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

Artist’s Journey brings you daily doses of inspiration, including weekly podcasts featuring artists from around the globe. Learn more at www.facebook.com/myartistsjourney or www.artistsjourney.org. — Ed.

Artist’s Journey

Interview with Pa rt Time Cooks, hip-hop duo Column by Wilfred Lee / Photos by Burns Photo

Groove Korea is teaming up with NYK Media to present GrooveVision, a new video series. This month, GrooveVision presents Part Time Cooks. Check it out at groovekorea.com.

M

ixing smooth hip-hop beats with feel-good vibes from the ’90s, Saul Goode and Black Moss, two of the rappers behind Part Time Cooks, have gained a consistent following through their dynamic performances and songs that transcend language barriers.

Artist’s Journey’s Wilfred Lee sat down with the pair to discuss the group’s new EP “Midnight Snack,” what it means to be a Part Time Cook and marinating those passions into full-time dreams. Questions were answered collectively by the two artists.

Groove Korea: How did Part Time Cooks begin?

Part Time Cooks: We met through a mutual friend and producer, Scotty Soul, around two years ago. However, because we (Saul Goode and Black Moss) were living so far away from one other, we never really had the opportunity to work together.

It was only really in late 2013 that Black Moss started coming up to Seoul more often. He was competing in the Hip Hop All-Stars rap battle circuit when Part Time Cooks began to form. He’s still undefeated!

We would support each other at solo gigs here and there until it hit us that we would make a fucking great rap team. Our friends Joe Rollins and Peter Burns were also loving this new energy and they fit right in with the talents that they brought to the table — Joe as a vocalist and Peter as a photographer and director.

What does it mean to be a Part Time Cook?

We can all relate to having dreams that, for the time being, can only be lived out part-time. Some of us still have regular 9-to-5 gigs, but we pour all of our free time into working toward one day quitting our day jobs and sustaining ourselves doing what we love. Being a Part Time Cook means doing the most you can with whatever little time you have to realize your dream. Keep cooking.

How would you define your music?

Our music is definitely heavily influenced by the ’90s hip-hop era: smooth beats and rhymes with a feel-good vibe. At the same time, we are still doing our best to pack strong messages into songs and give the music a twist that hasn’t been heard before.

I think we did just that with the “Midnight Snack” EP. We are overwhelmed and truly grateful for the positive response it has gotten thus far, especially for an EP that was pretty much conceived over the course of just six sessions.

What is the songwriting process like?

Most of it takes place at Saul Goode’s place over a bottle of Maehwasu (a plum liquor brand) and some good company. We always have the beat first and let it inspire the direction of the song. Usually, Saul has a sick hook in mind and we work off that.

We have been lucky in that we always write our verses without telling each other exactly what we are writing about, but then when we are done, the verses are usually perfectly suited to be on the same track — usually (laughs).

What inspires your songwriting?

Our experiences. We have both been hip-hop artists for over 14 years now and have learned to take the world around us and the things we go through and put them into our music. The inspiration comes from everywhere, the pain and joy of all of it. One of the recurring themes in the EP is the difficulty we all have in balancing our personal relationships with our music.

How has being in Korea influenced your music?

Being in Korea has definitely influenced our music.

Experiences like the ones that come along with being in a unique place like Seoul are really valuable. Learning about a new culture is exciting, and also a great opportunity to learn about yourself as a person.

We are all growing as musicians for sure, but we owe that to the personal development that comes with the amount of traveling we all do. We always still make it a point, however, to write about home. We have large followings in our home countries that we have to stay true and relative to.

What is the music scene here like as an expat musiWhat is the music scene here like as an expat musician?

The music scene for us as expats has been welcoming. It’s hard to describe what the scene is like for “expats” because we believe it’s really all dependent on how hard and how smart you choose to work as an artist. It doesn’t matter where you’re at as much as what you are doing. Although there is a language barrier here, there are way fewer obstacles for an emerging artist here then there would be back home. We are a very young group, so there is still a lot to learn about the scene, but we have been very fortunate thus far to work with like-minded professionals who have helped us get to where we are in such a short period of time.

We are having a blast.

More info j www.facebook.com/parttime.cooks 45

MUSIC & ARTS Edited by Jenny Na (jenny@groovekorea.com)

AT THE BOX OFFICE THE BIG SCREEN Preview by Dean Crawford

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Exodus: Gods and Kings

Directed by Peter Jackson December 17

Adventure / Fantasy New Zealand / U.S. / U.K.

Since the early 2000s, Christmas just hasn’t felt like Christmas without a trip to Middle Earth.

I may not be the biggest fan of Peter Jackson’s more recent offerings, but I can’t argue with the fact that his movies are huge events and I love going to see them.

However, if you’ve read any of my previews for the previous “Hobbit” movies, you may have felt the apprehension seeping off the page; I just couldn’t see how Jackson could successfully adapt a tiny book like “The Hobbit” into three 180-minute movies. I found myself bored at times during “An Unexpected Journey” (2012) and even more so in “The Desolation of Smaug” (2013), but I fear this new film might be the final straw. By all accounts, the majority of the footage for “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” was intended for the first two films, but additional filming has taken place so the film can make extensive use of the Middle Earth appendices printed in the back of “The Return of the King.” Is that enough to make a film from scratch and satisfy millions of Tolkienites? I’m not so sure.

The website tells us that “The Battle of the Five Armies” brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) and the Company of Dwarves. The Dwarves of Erebor have reclaimed the vast wealth of their homeland, but now must face the consequences of having unleashed the terrifying dragon Smaug upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town.

While this synopsis sounds exciting enough, my problem is that, despite having watched six hours of “Hobbit” action, I can’t for the life of me remember what took place in which film; they all just blend into one.

Much like the “Lord of the Rings” series (2001-03), I feel like these films have consisted of five hours of walking with just one hour of exciting action. The dragon looked great, the underground train ride looked great and Gollum is amazing, but did the series really need to be so long? Here’s hoping Peter Jackson has saved the best for last.

Directed by Ridley Scott December 3

Biblical drama U.S. / U.K. / Spain

I find Ridley Scott to be a fascinating director.

There’s no doubting he is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time — “Alien” (1979), “Blade Runner” (1982) and “Gladiator” (2000) have made sure of that. But for every classic, there are several others that are — how do I say this politely and respectfully? Not classics? For “Alien,” see “Prometheus” (2012), for “Blade Runner,” see “The Counselor” (2013) and for “Gladiator,” see “Robin Hood” (1991). To say you’re never really sure what a Ridley Scott film will be is something of an understatement.

Scott returns with “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” which follows Moses (Christian Bale) as he leads a rebellion against the Egyptian leader Ramses (Joel Edgerton). Moses must help 600,000 slaves not only escape from Egypt, but from the biblical plagues that have been sent to test them.

It’s interesting to note that Christian Bale had to pull out of playing the title character in Darren

Aronofsky’s “Noah” (2014) to take on the role of Moses, and I’m interested to see if that was the right choice. “Noah” had many critics, but despite its flaws I thought it was an excellent film, and I’m positive Bale could have excelled as Noah — he plays that moody, brooding, serious type so well. Though both stories come from the same source material, “Exodus” looks like a different type of movie altogether. It has warm, sandy palates, and it’s on another level in terms of scale.

There’s no doubting the film will stir up some sort of controversy with its depictions of famous religious figures using a whitewashed cast, but I’ll reserve my judgment until I’ve seen the finished product. And if “Prometheus” and “The Counselor” are anything to go by, the movie is likely to offend filmgoers just as much it will religious types. “Exodus: Gods and Kings” will be released in 2-D and 3-D on Dec. 3.

GrooveCast host Chance Dorland and columnist Dean Crawford talk movies.

Check out the podcast at groovekorea.com or subscribe for free at the iTunes Store.

KOREaN DVD CORNER THE SMALL SCREEN Review by Dean Crawford

Action / Drama / Horror 106 minutes

Directed by Kong Su-chang R

With Christmas just around the corner, what better way to celebrate the festive season than by watching two of the best Korean horror films from the last 10 years? “That’s not very festive,” I hear you say. Well, unlike Heo Jin-ho’s “Christmas in August” (1998), one of these films actually has some snow, so does that help?

Growing up in the early ’90s meant there was no way of finding out about foreign cinema except for reading monthly magazines or spending hours browsing a video shop. However, one way of ensuring you chose a quality foreign release was to look for anything distributed by Tartan Extreme, the foremost authority on bringing quality foreign movies to a British audience.

I was particularly fond of their spin-off label Asia Extreme, and I would literally choose their films at random knowing that I would never be disappointed. It was through this method that I found out about several classics, including Takashi Miike’s fantastic “Audition” (1999), but one Asia Extreme release that passed me by was Kong Su-chang’s highly rated “R-Point” (2004).

Set in 1972 during the Vietnam War, Lieuten-

ant Choi Tae-in (Kam Woo-sung) is sent to the infamous R-Point site on a mission to recover a missing platoon. En route, his men engage in gunfire with a Vietnamese woman, who is killed. Forced to take shelter in an abandoned mansion, the platoon immediately gets a sense of unease as members of Lt. Choi’s squad start dying one by one.

“R-Point” utilizes some of my favorite horror tropes and executes them very well. But I particularly like the moment when a soldier fixes a tape player and the rest of the squad dances to music by ’50s instrumental band The Ventures.

Suddenly, the music cuts out and is replaced by the sounds of Choi’s squad screaming and killing each other. Very creepy stuff. I also love how the spirit plays with their minds; the soldiers all have secrets and the spirit knows them. You can run from a bullet, but you can’t run from yourself.

As far as I’m aware, “R-Point” is the only Vietnam-inspired horror movie, which may come as no surprise because you’ll have a hard time bettering this one.

Thriller / Mystery 112 minutes

While wandering in the strange woods known as the Spider Forest, Kang-min (Kam Woo-sung) comes across an old cabin wherein his girlfriend, struggling for life, is laying beside a dead body.

After seeing the unknown attacker hiding outside the cabin, he gives chase but is hit by a car.

The murderer lingers over Kang-min, watching his life slip away as he falls into a coma. Upon awakening, Kang-min tries to piece together the events that led to the death of his girlfriend, which proves increasingly difficult as his memories seem to contradict the evidence at hand. Is Kang-min trying to cover his tracks or are the mysterious secrets of the Spider Forest real and trying to claim another victim?

I feel like it’s almost a cliché to describe an art house film as Lynch-ian, but the mood and dream-like (or is that nightmare-like?) feel of this film bears a striking resemblance to “Eraserhead” (1977), and its Möbius strip narrative owes a debt to “Lost Highway” (1997). It’s a slow and foreboding film that challenges its viewer with

Directed by Song Il-gon R

R-Point 알 포인트

Spider Forest 거미숲

unanswered questions. It’s no surprise that the film fared better overseas than in Korea upon its initial release 10 years ago, as it definitely has a European avant-garde sensibility running through its core.

Song Il-gon proves himself to be an accomplished independent director in terms of style and story, but he also manages to get some of the best performances I’ve seen in a Korean movie in a long while. The natural inclination for actors to overplay each scene is nowhere to be seen, so when Kang-min finally does explode it packs a punch, rather than feeling like another in a long line of over-the-top moments.

I may have approached the movie as a tonguein-cheek way of celebrating the festive season, but I ended up getting an excellent early Christmas present that I never expected. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers and films that deal with identity, then “Spider Forest” (2004) is a mustsee.

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The 28 Polar Bear Swimming Festival th

Busan’s annual icy plunge attracts big crowds — and the attention of the BBC

T

he Busan Daily News is hosting the city’s annual Polar Bear Swimming Festival, a celebration of both the New Year and the company’s switch to the morning paper that is happening at Haeundae Beach on Jan. 4 at 9 a.m.

Now in its 28th year, the Polar Bear Swim has become a winter tradition in the coastal metropolis, with participants stripping down to their swim suits in freezing temperatures and jumping into the ice-cold seawater to show their winter spirit. This year, the festival will also host a marine industry exhibition in conjunction with the Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage to provide more marine leisure attractions.

A polar bear what?

Aside from serving as a fun winter activity in the Busan community, the festival is a celebration of sub-zero winter weather that plays on the image of polar bears swimming in the frozen Arctic Ocean. It also offers participants a chance to pray for health and good fortune in the coming year, as well as being an opportunity for participants to create thrilling memories while enjoying the sea.

The Westin Chosun Hotel hosted the first Polar Bear Swimming competition to celebrate the Seoul Olympics in 1988. The event got started with approximately 100 participants, but since 2000 it has grown into a

large-scale event with roughly 1,000 signups each year.

As the event has increased in size, the competition experienced its ups and downs, once facing operational difficulties that almost suspended the event. But after the Busan Ilbo began hosting the event in 2009, the festival has made steady and stable progress.

The festival has drawn attention and love from all over the world thanks to the commendable work of the Busan Ilbo in hosting the event, which was selected as one of the 10 most unique winter sports events in the world by the BBC.

A full day

The event gets started at 10:30 a.m. with an opening ceremony, performance and audience participation event on the main stage hosted by an emcee. This event also has a lot of giveaways, so keep your eyes peeled. Next, there will be a short warm-up exercise for the swimmers before they jump into the icy sea.

After the water event is over, participants will be served hot food and beverages to warm up. The menu includes tteokguk (rice-cake soup), traditionally eaten on the Lunar New Year to bring good luck in the coming year. In addition, there will be heaters in the rest area, where participants can relax and warm up while eating. Next, participants move to a steaming hot spring.

Once the swimming portion of the day is over, participants can enjoy various exhibitions, including displays of equipment and materials related to the marine leisure industry. The participation fee for the entire day’s activities is 20,000 won per person, with applications accepted from Nov. 21 to Dec. 19.

More info j Contact the festival office at (051) 468-0163~5, or via email at bearbusan28@naver.com.

BUSAN FOREIGN SCHOOL www.busanforeignschool.org

WE CARE FOR THE WHOLE LEARNER

The American International School of Busan

Embracing Diversity, Striving for Excellence

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CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS WITH PROST AND BETWEEN With Christmas and New Year’s around the corner, it’s the time of the year to be merry and spend time with friends, family and loved ones. This year, spend the season of warmth, joy and good cheer at two of the hottest spots in Itaewon.

If you’re hosting a party at home, try two recipes specially created by our chefs.

PROST PROST is one of the premiere event destinations in the heart of Seoul. The venue offers premium facilities and versatile space configurations in a convenient and easily accessible location. It’s the perfect place to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve with friends or colleagues.

A contemporary take on the classic alehouse, PROST features elegant woodwork, vintage tiling and eclectic interior design to create an atmosphere that’s both intimate and inviting.

The PROST kitchen, headed by Michelin three-star chef Gu Jin-kwang, creates a menu of pub classics with a modern twist, producing dishes that are comfortable yet refined.

PROST also offers a late-night bar menu and a full bar, where guests can broaden their horizons by tasting new and different types of ales and spirits.

The bar has 15 kinds of beer on tap, including Guinness and Heineken. Try Heineken Dark, Newcastle Brown and other varieties from different countries. And don’t forget to try our cocktails.

PROST also has a shooter bar, located between the main bar and the terrace. Shooters are made with vodka, liqueur and three to four kinds of syrup — our mixologist’s handiwork — and are best experienced in person.

The exterior terrace is a stunning and unique space, an oasis with ample seating, a covered deck and luscious gardens. DJ Byeol plays a wide variety of music to make your stay at PROST both relaxing and memorable.

BETWEEN DINING & TAPAS LOUNGE

Inspired by the flavors and textures of rustic Italian cuisine, BETWEEN offers an authentic yet modern menu served in an elegant environment. BETWEEN is a great place to sit back and hang out with friends and loved ones.

The atmosphere is clean and fresh, with drinks that are on point and food that is even better. It’s a perfect spot to end the year with an amazing meal!

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HOLIDAY COOKING WITH PROST AND BETWEEN Hosting a party at home is a fun and creative way to celebrate during the holidays, which are often busy with parties and family gatherings. Our executive chefs want to help you impress your guests and leave them chatting long after the event is over.

They’ve shared these two recipes to help get you started.

Turkey Roll

By Prost Chef Gu Jin-kwang Ingredients Turkey roll: Turkey (or chicken), pork belly, chestnuts, butter Cranberry sauce: Cranberries, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper Garnish: Sautéed winter vegetables (cabbage, baby carrots, onions, baby potatoes)

PROST (02) 796-6854 Seoul, Yongsan-gu, Itaewon 1-dong 116-1 Hamilton Hotel annex facebook.com/prostpubandgrill BETWEEN DINING & TAPAS LOUNGE (02) 795-6164 Seoul, Yongsan-gu, Itaewon 1-dong 124-7 1F-3F facebook.com/betweenitaewon

Instructions 1. Slice open the raw turkey, carefully remove the bones and lay it as flat as possible on your cutting board. * If you’re using a chicken, separate the breast and thigh.

2. Put egg whites in a blender with the ground pork and add salt and pepper.

3. Shell and cut the chestnuts into small pieces and mix with the pork stuffing.

4. Spread the pork stuffing over the flattened turkey.

5. Roll the turkey into a cylinder. To hold it in place, tie it with cooking string at 1-centimeter intervals.

6. Add salt and pepper to the outer surface and brush with butter before putting it into the oven. Roast for 30 minutes. Depending on the size of the bird, the oven should be heated to between 120 and 140 degrees Celsius. The temperature of the turkey should never be more than 70 degrees.

7. While the roll is roasting, make the cranberry sauce. Put cranberries, sugar, red wine vinegar and a touch of cinnamon into a pot and boil the mixture.

8. Once the turkey is baked, slice the roll into pieces roughly 1-1.5 centimeters thick.

Garnish with sautéed vegetables and serve with cranberry sauce on top.

Deep-fried Mozzarella Wrapped in San Daniele Prosciutto with Spicy Tomato Sauce

By Between Chef Paolo Collavini Ingredients 3 slices of prosciutto, ½ ball of buffalo mozzarella cheese Tomato sauce, Baby arugula, Balsamic reduction, S un-dried tomatoes

Instructions 1. Cut mozzarella into three pieces. Place a slice of prosciutto on top of each piece of cheese and roll to tuck in edges.

2. Dip the rolls into a mixture of flour, egg and bread crumbs 3. Deep fry for 45 to 60 seconds at 170 degrees Celsius. Do not fry for more than one minute or the mozzarella may start melting.

4. Heat the tomato sauce and add the baby arugula, balsamic reduction and sun-dried tomatoes. Pour the sauce over the mozzarella and prosciutto and serve.

FOOD & DRINK Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

Have yourself a carnal Christmas feast Five saucy dinners this season to satisfy your desires Story by Dave Hazzan / Photos by Michael Hurt

C

hristmas away from home can be a sad affair, not to mention a gastronomically unfulfilling one. Spending time in front of a computer screen is no substitute for spending it in front of live human beings, and eating a bowl of instant noodles is no substitute for eating food.

Going out can often hurt, too: the mispronounced Christmas carols, the supermarket’s sorry efforts at holly and mistletoe or paying 200,000 won for an incinerated turkey at a posh hotel full of the most awful people south of the 38th parallel. Then there’s work: being informed by your employer that you will be Santa this year because, “teacher, you fat.”

You might be tempted to pull the covers over your head, call in sick and wait for Christmas to simply end. But don’t despair — there’s a remedy. Seoul eateries are getting into the holiday spirit with grub that will get your nostalgia flowing and your synapses snapping, with no judgments.

54 www.groovekorea.com / December 2014

The Immaculate Italian

Il Gattino

In Italy, Christmas is all about the wine, the seafood and catching up on your Silvio Berlusconi gossip. Giovanni at Il Gattino will be happy to serve you the wine and seafood, though with no lecherous president news to speak of.

Dinner begins with an appetizer of whole wheat bread served with black and green olive tapenades and homemade butter seasoned with cracked black pepper and rosemary. Then comes the starter of gamberoni alla pancetta — large shrimp sautéed in homemade butter and wrapped in bacon. The shrimp is juicy and plump, the bacon thick and smoky.

Then comes the starter of gamberoni alla pancetta — large shrimp sautéed in homemade butter and wrapped in bacon.

The first main is a tonnarelli allo scoglio, a thick string pasta with clams, squid, shrimp, cherry tomatoes and fresh parsley, presented in a delicate cherry tomato and white wine sauce. The second main is spiedini di pesce, skewers of flaky mackerel sautéed in olive oil, served with bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and zucchini.

The meal ends with a torta caprese, a flourless cake made with almonds and chocolate that’s been melted on-site, topped with homemade whipped cream.

Coffee is served with dessert.

The whole meal is 50,000 won, and will be available throughout December.

Reservations three days in advance are recommended.

More info j Il Gattino Address: Seoul, Yongsan-gu, Yongsan-dong 2(i)-ga 46 Website: www.facebook.com/pages/Il-Gattino/447958158677680

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FOOD & DRINK Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

The French Kiss

P’tit Paris Congratulations — you have a date for Christmas. Your date’s favorite buffet is booked out, and so you’ve convinced him or her to do it the “French way” — always a winning choice in love, high-speed trains and love in high-speed trains.

P’tit Paris, a snug little French bistro and crêperie, is elegant in its simplicity. Run by the vivacious Victoria, it is nearly spot-on in decor, from the red-checkered tablecloths to the yellow walls adorned with French black-and-white prints.

Dinner begins with mimosas, orange juice and G.H. Mumm champagne. The first dish is tagliatelle in a rich double-heavy rosé cream sauce with chicken, mushrooms and a touch of garlic.

The pasta and sauce are beautifully cooked, and the sauce is made with cream straight from France.

Finish off the romantic meal with the Devil’s Temptation, a simple banana Nutella crepe, drizzled with melted chocolate and with whipped cream on the side. Though the temptation to rub it all over each other and lick it off is powerful, we recommend you wait until you get home.

Second is the chicken galette: chicken, mushrooms, Parmesan, onions and cream served folded inside a light, thin buckwheat crepe. It is rich with a taste that is warm and comforting, like you’re back at home with that family you spend the other 364 days trying to escape.

Finish off the romantic meal with the Devil’s Temptation, a simple banana Nutella crepe, drizzled with melted chocolate and with whipped cream on the side. Though the temptation to rub it all over each other and lick it off is powerful, we recommend you wait until you get home.

The savory chicken crepe goes for 16,500 won for the large serving and 9,500 won for the small. The Devil’s Temptation is 11,500 won, while the tagliatelle rose cream pasta is 14,500 won. Each meal is served with a complimentary green salad.

More info j P’tit Paris Address: Seoul, Yongsan-gu, Itaewon-dong 57-19, first floor (on the hill across from McDonald’s) Website: www.facebook.com/itaewon.ptitparis

The British Brew Pub

Battered Sole Just as the adorable Sam, Charlie and Minsoo have redefined British cooking in Seoul, so do they aim to redefine your therapeutic Christmas experience in Itaewon. They know what happiness is at Christmastime: a big, juicy, shimmering chicken.

Brushed with butter, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese and baked for two and a half hours at 160 degrees, this is a meal the chicken would have been happy to die for. It is stuffed with bacon, sausage, chestnuts, carrots, peas and potatoes, all in large chunks rather than being mashed into mush.

Duck-fat roast potatoes and a salad are served on the side.

Brushed with butter, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese and baked for two and a half hours at 160 degrees, this is a meal the chicken would have been happy to die for.

The real treat, however, is the classic gravy. Made with the drippings off the baking chicken, it has the perfect consistency, with a bit of oil, a bit of grease and a bit of opacity, and mixed with onions and roux. Pour it on everything, including each other, if you wish.

Battered Sole’s chicken makes it a perfect place to enjoy in a group or with your family — one chicken should serve three people. Ask for lots of gravy.

The meal is 24,000 won and will be served throughout December.

More info j Battered Sole, Itaewon branch Address: Seoul, Yongsan-gu, Itaewon-dong 118-9 (at the west end of the road behind Hamilton Hotel) Website: batteredsole.com

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FOOD & DRINK Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

The Sweet South African

Twiga

For most of us, Christmas would be a much happier occasion if Jesus had been born in June. For the antipodeans of this world, Christmas has always meant chilling on the beach. We can’t do that up here like that part of the world, but we can send you to get a taste of sun-kissed animal flesh at Itaewon’s newest South African restaurant.

Twiga’s Christmas dinner includes a variety of traditional South African meats and vegetables.

Most outstanding is the rack of lamb. Marinated in garlic and olive oil, pan-seared and oven baked very rare, it is lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and a side of thyme jelly. It is very tender, and served with potatoes, rice or baby potatoes, plus vegetables.

Famous for its desserts, Twiga fuses South African influences with the work of their French chef Gregory, offering Amarula cheesecake, trifle and, specially for Christmas, baked Christmas pudding.

The hanger steak, pan-seared with a red wine sauce, is served over a saffron risotto. The steak also comes with a side of traditional vegetables, including asparagus, a delightful surprise in this country. A vegetable buffet will be available, including South African staples like cauliflower cheese and pumpkin fritters.

Famous for its desserts, Twiga will fuse the South African influences with the work of their French chef Gregory, offering Amarula cheesecake, trifle and, specially for Christmas, baked Christmas pudding. Though we didn’t have a chance to try it, Gregory highly recommends a festive duck breast with orange sauce, as well as escargots — give something new a chance this holiday.

More info j Twiga Address: Seoul, Itaewon-dong, Noksapyeong-daero 26-38 (between Noksapyeong and Itaewon stations, by the Saudi Embassy) Website: www.facebook.com/pages/Twiga/274072212770438

The New American Affair

Dominic

Nothing chases off the holiday blues quite like a thick and juicy steak and a bottle of wine, served in industrial elegance with a full view of Hannam-dong.

Dominic will not be serving any special Christmas dinner per se, but will reward your holiday patronage with an offer of 20 percent more steak based on 500-gram servings from Sundays to Wednesdays in December.

Thursdays through Saturdays, you can get extra wine — two glasses per 300 grams of steak. And if Christmas doesn’t make you think of industrial elegance, it surely makes you think of wine.

Dominic’s full seven-course set meal, usually only available to groups of 10 or more, will be available for groups of six throughout December. Call a day ahead to reserve.

The New York strip of Korean beef, tender and moist, cuts straight through like butter. Served with Dijon and horseradish on the side, it’s wet-aged for five days before being seared and served in a cast iron pan.

Begin your meal with the bruschetta, done with a thin slice of chorizo on toasted French bread, tomato, caramelized onions and arugula. It’s an enticing combination of flavors, and the spicy chorizo and the caramelized onions are particularly perfect in their harmony.

The New York strip of Korean beef, tender and moist, cuts straight through like butter. Served with Dijon and horseradish on the side, it’s wet-aged for five days before being seared and served in a cast iron pan.

The cream spinach on brioche is the pièce de résistance. It overflows from its bread bowl, creamy, rich and fresh-tasting. The spinach has a hint of bitterness and adds the perfect kick to a mouthful of steak.

Following the meal, you can get a bowl full of very spicy, very tangy Cajun shoestring fries to enjoy with your digestif.

More info j Dominic Address: Seoul, Yongsan-gu, Hannam-dong 683-133 (on the main road south of Hangangjin Station, exit 3) Website: www.facebook.com/Dominicseoul

Here’s to a merry Christmas and a holiday filled with gastronomical cheer!

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FOOD & DRINK Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

Ho, ho,

hold the kimchi You’re never too far from a Christmas feast Story by Moon Soo-hyun

C

hristmas is a time for celebration, and celebration rarely happens without a feast. Deck the halls and stuff your stomachs with turkey, ham and gravy galore. As the saying goes, eat, drink and be merry — for tomorrow we die.

But tonight we feast. Groove Korea brings you a list of the best Christmas dinners, from traditional carved roasts to lobsters, tenderloins, caviar and Osole oysters for your festive holiday spread to indulge in this Christmas.

Beer O’ Clock (Sinchon) Beer O’ Clock serves its usual Christmas dinner of turkey with dressing and mashed potatoes with gravy. All-you-can-eat for 40,000 won, available only on Christmas Day. Address Seoul, Seodaemun-gu, Changcheon-dong 52-53, 2nd floor Phone (02) 3339-9733

Manhattan Grill (Renaissance Hotel in Seoul)

Enjoy an evening at the Renaissance’s signature restaurant, with its special dinner menu of fresh Osole oyster cocktail with premium Avruga caviar, chestnut chowder with scallops, abalone salad with organic vegetables, oven-grilled lobster with butter and Korean Oliva (Daejeon) beef tenderloin steak for 149,000 A full five-course dinner for two, won. You can get a wine pairing with salad, soup, hot and cold with the meal for an additional appetizers, salmon caprese, fresh 75,000 won. The special is Canadian lobster and Korean beef available throughout December. steak, dessert and wine, is served Manhattan Grill is also offering for 99,700 won (price for two a luxurious seven-course menu people). The menu is available exclusively on Christmas Eve and year-round, but Oliva says it’s Christmas Day, for 96,000 especially perfect for Christmas. won for lunch and 149,000 won Address Daejeon, Yuseong-gu, for dinner. You can also order a Doryong-dong 3-8, 3rd floor special homemade roast turkey Phone (042) 867-5141 to take home, slow-cooked with herbs, as well as gravy and side

60 www.groovekorea.com / December 2014

dishes of carrots, green beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes and salad, all for 200,000 won.

Address Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Yeoksam-dong 676 Phone (02) 2222-8637 Website www.renaissanceseoul. com

Café Elysee (Renaissance Hotel in Seoul) A full buffet dinner is available throughout December for 74,000 won on weeknights and 77,000 won on weekends and holidays.

Renaissance Hotel is planning to start selling special dinner tickets on social media soon for its Christmas Eve and Christmas dinners, which include wine.

Address Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Yeoksam-dong 676 Phone (02) 2222-8635 Website www.renaissanceseoul. com

Restaurant 8 (Hyatt Regency in Incheon) Restaurant 8 offers entertainment along with its Christmas feast.

Singers will be invited to perform while guests enjoy their meals and drinks from a special bar prepared exclusively for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, all for the price of 165,000 won. An equally festive lunch is available for 105,000 won.

Address Incheon, Jung-gu, Unseo-dong 321 Phone (032) 745-1234 Website www.incheon.regency. hyatt.com

Yaletown Burgers & Bar (Sinchon) This year Yaletown offers an all-you-can-eat turkey buffet dinner with all-you-can-drink beer and wine for only 30,000 won on Christmas Day, from 5 p.m. to midnight. Reservations are

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FOOD & DRINK Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

recommended.

Address Seoul, Seodaemun-gu, Changcheon-dong 33-5, 3rd floor Phone (02) 333-1604

THE SQUARE (NOVOTEL AMBASSADOR GANGNAM) The Square offers a special Christmas dinner buffet throughout December, with two windows (first at 5-7 p.m., second at 7:30-9:30 p.m.) each evening. On Christmas Eve, they’re serving an especially festive platter, with various Christmas dishes from chefs available only on this day, and turkey served with seasonal vegetables. For visitors to the second window on the evening of Dec. 24, a complimentary glass of Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon will be served. Prices start at 85,000 won.

Address Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Yeoksam-dong 603 Phone (02) 531-6618

Verona (Imperial Palace Hotel in Seoul)

Atrium Café (Grand Hilton Seoul)

A special prix fixe dinner is to be served at Verona on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The menu and price were not decided by press time. Keep an eye out.

Address Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Eonju-ro 640 Phone (02) 3440-8000

For those who are willing to splurge, a gala course dinner featuring lobster-tail ravioli, caviar, iceberg salad with cheese, bean soup with bacon powder and foie gras, Korean beef prime ribs and dessert, complete with all-youcan-drink champagne, white wine and red wine, awaits you on Christmas Eve at Atrium Café for 250,000 won. Reservations are required.

Address Seoul, Seodaemun-gu, Yeonhui-ro 353 Phone (02) 2287-8270

La Table (Ibis Ambassador in Seoul) A full buffet dinner including roast turkey, tenderloin steak and a glass of welcoming sparkling wine is available for 55,000 won on Christmas Eve. Dinner is served at 5:30-7:30 p.m. for the first window and 8-10 p.m. for the second. Reservations are required.

Address Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Daechi-dong 893-1 Phone (02) 3011-8120~1

Alpine Deli (Grand Hilton Seoul) You can enjoy Grand Hilton’s turkey roast in the comfort of your own home by ordering one from Alpine Deli. Small ones (6 kg) go for 200,000 won, large ones (9 kg) for 250,000 won. Gravy and cranberry sauce is included.

Address Seoul, Seodaemun-gu, Yeonhui-ro 353 Phone (02) 2287-8989

Buffet Restaurant (Grand Hilton Seoul) A buffet dinner with all-youcan-drink wine is available on Christmas Eve for 100,000 won.

Address Seoul, Seodaemun-gu, Yeonhui-ro 353 Phone (02) 2287-8271

Hopscotch (Gangnam) A hearty dinner set menu with American-style prime roast with herbs and garlic, spinach cooked in cream, gorgonzola mashed potatoes and gravy, dessert and a glass of fresh Belgian beer is served for 50,000 won. Available Dec. 24-25.

Address Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Nonhyeon-dong 113-20 Phone (02) 511-0145

Dragon Hill Lodge at the U.S. ARMY yongsan garrison Address Seoul, Yongsan-gu, Yongsan 3-ga, Building 4050 Phone (02) 790-0016 Ext. 6645, (02) 738-2222 Ext. 6760 Website www.dragonhilllodge. com

Sables A Christmas special consisting of prime rib with Lobster Bisque and choice of a side dish is served on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, starting 5 p.m., for $29.95.

Regular menu items are also available. Seating times are 5, 7 and 9 p.m.

Greenstreet A seafood buffet dinner is featured for $25.95 on Christmas Eve, and for Christmas Day the restaurant serves a special menu from 12 to 9 p.m. and offers a steak and seafood buffet for $25.95.

Oasis Features a special menu and a Holiday Steak buffet for $20.95

all day on Christmas Eve. Oasis will be closed on Christmas.

potatoes and other vegetables, and a chocolate truffle tart for dessert is available for $36.95 The Deli for nonmembers and $27.71 for As always, you can order from the members. Live lobster is also Deli to enjoy a handy, comfortable available for an additional charge.

Christmas feast at home. You On Christmas Day, a holiday can get a holiday feast to go, buffet featuring a traditional with your choice of a whole tom carving table laid with whole turkey with stuffing and cranberry roasted turkeys with gravy, baked sauce, a baked bone-in ham or ham with seasonal fruit sauce, a combination of the two, with roast top round of beef au jus mashed potatoes, turkey gravy and smoked Polish sausage, or bourbon raisin sauce, green a wide array of hot and cold beans almondine, fresh dinner vegetables and other dishes, rolls and pumpkin pie, all for the as well as a complete holiday price of $109.95. You can also dessert table with a variety order a la carte: a turkey or ham of homemade cakes, tortes, for $59.95 a piece, with stuffing, creams and Hartell’s special mashed potatoes, beans and fruitcake is available for $30.60 gravy at $3.95 per round. for nonmembers, $22.95 for Phone (02) 738-2222 Ext. 6716 members, $4.95 for children 5 to 11, and free for those under Hartell House, all areas 5. Seating times are 12, 2:30, 5 On Christmas Eve, a traditional and 7:30 p.m. holiday four-course dinner featuring garlic shrimp with pesto The MZ, including all served over penne pasta, a rocket banquet areas A buffet featuring traditional salad, black angus prime rib with

62 www.groovekorea.com / December 2014

carved holiday delights such as turkey with giblet gravy, smoked brisket of beef, pit roasted ham with rum raisin sauce, pork roast and Italian and Polish sausages, with a variety of salads, winter root vegetables, homemade cranberry orange relish, shrimp and crab Mornay and more, complete with a wonderful array of desserts and six different wines to choose from, is available for $27.95 for adults, $22.95 E1 to E5, $4.95 for children 5 to 11 and free for children under 5 (prices include a gratuity of $1.95 per guest). Seating times are 12, 2:30, 5 and 7:30 p.m.

A children’s buffet consisting of chicken nuggets, BBQ boneless and skinless chicken, mac and cheese, buttered corn, potato wedges, and pigs in a blanket is also available, along with coloring books and balloons of all colors, so you’re welcome to bring your kids along.

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FOOD & DRINK Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com)

Santa-stic sin

Skip the mistletoe and get your sugar somewhere cozy Story by Sarah Edge / Photos by Robyn Viljoen, Merissa Quek and Nina Sawyer

By92: Worth getting lost for Suave: Caramels and macarons galore

Hackney Café: Elegance incarnate

Hôtel Douce: Canelés on cloud nine

Vert et Blanc: Fancy French glitz

64 www.groovekorea.com / December 2014

I

was the kind of child who didn’t leave cookies for Santa because I knew he didn’t deserve them as much as I did. No, at Christmastime all the sugary stuff belonged to me. I still expect to be fully loaded on carbs and quadruple-layer cake by the time the new year rolls in.

So this year, before that could come to fruition, I knew I needed to scope out some places with the finest and most exquisite desserts in Seoul, desserts so magnificent that even Santa would need a reservation in advance. Fortunately for me, there are five yummy joints that fit the bill just perfectly, so friends, let’s get ready to get fat together.

The apricot sweetly balanced a creamy layer underneath and a gingerbread crust. With its soft, freshout-of-the-oven texture, it was exactly what I imagined Santa’s elves would all enjoy on their breaks.

Hackney Café: Elegance incarnate My first stop in the search for Christmas delights brought me to the twisty walkways of Yongsan’s Haebangchon area, otherwise known as HBC. Passing by those numerous expat hubs, Bonny’s Pizza and Jacoby’s Burgers among them, I eventually saw Hackney. It’s easy to access but not so easy to spot, and it looks like the Korova Milk Bar from “A Clockwork Orange”: small but deluxe, giving off the same intimidating vibe as a fabulously well-dressed man in a suit. Anyone who labels himself an “interior aficionado” will love the retro vibe.

But I was there for the Banana Black cake. As I settled into the café’s hidden parlor, twiddling my thumbs in anticipation with only a few vague sources of ambient light as my confidantes, the idea of that cake consumed me, and with good right: The first bite held all the luxury provided by a chocolatier in Paris. The dark, fudge-like frosting, mousse and bananas were a triumph, and after I scarfed it down I fell over myself in praise for the staff.

Their response, as one could only expect in this sleek atmosphere, was a curt nod, a polite “thank you” and a smile befitting a Renaissance painting.

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FOOD & DRINK Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com)

By92: Worth getting lost for If Hackney is hard to find, By92 is nearly impossible: It felt like Chutes and Ladders, except without the game board. After a few steep hills and a lot of “GPSing,” I found it tucked away in the corner of a damp residential street in Gyeongnidan and approached it anticipating my date with a renowned green tea cake, a petite little thing with strong matcha flavors.

After I was greeted warmly — with an echo of curiosity from the kindly couple who run this establishment, and more than a little surprise that I’d managed to stumble upon their hidden little paradise — I took up an exquisitely bitter coffee in my left hand and a fork in my right, and set out to be wowed.

The matcha flavor was no joke. It was like green tea with the strength of Mount Fuji. Paired with some green tea ice cream I thought it went down pretty well, but that was until I tried their recommended item: a glistening apricot tart surrounded by delicate edible pearls. My first instinct was to stare at it, but after I dug in I knew I’d found my true happy place: the green tea cake was good, but THIS was what I call a Christmas dessert. The apricot sweetly balanced a creamy layer underneath and a gingerbread crust. With its soft, fresh-out-of-the-oven texture, it was exactly what I imagined Santa’s elves would all enjoy on their breaks. Splendid.

I settled on chocolate and raspberry caramels to start, and was immediately amazed - with a much dewier consistency than the caramels I’d tried in the past, the flavors melted quickly against my palate and gave my taste buds a run for their money.

Vert et Blanc: Fancy French glitz In the trendy, upscale area of Sangsu lies an establishment that’s one part flower-arranging school and two parts class act café: Vert et Blanc. The terrace is landlocked inside an elegant garden and the staff treats you like a VIP, but the reason I sought this place out was because of their famed grape tart. Was that weird — a grape tart? Friends generally greeted the idea with disdain, but I was game: I like grapes, and I like tarts. Seemed exciting.

As I waited for it I let the romantic aura of the café wash over me: The vases at each table glinted with soft lighting, couples gazed at each other over coffee and Tchaikovsky played over the loudspeaker. When my green grape tart arrived it was every bit as beautiful as I’d hoped, both tasty and unique. Out of all the lovely treats and desserts with which I’d tantalized my palette, this green grape tart outshone them all. I’ll be back to Vert et Blanc again (if only to pretend I’m a princess in 18th-century France).

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Suave: Caramels and macaroons galore After such a dainty affair I was in need of candies, caramels and sweets — stocking stuffers, essentially — and the Internet had pointed me in the direction of Suave, a bakery with a penchant for caramel-making and macaroons. Not quite peppermint and licorice, but then again, were Christmas candies ever meant to follow tradition?

Its reputation exceeded its location. Nestled between a little-known boutique called #1 and a series of alleyways in Hapjeong’s most affluent area, Suave’s exterior was a little blah, the inside teeny tiny.

But the caramels were dazzling. I settled on chocolate and raspberry caramels to start, and was immediately amazed — with a much dewier consistency than the caramels I’d tried in the past, the flavors melted quickly against my palate and gave my taste buds a run for their money. Then I went for the macaroons, and each day from that moment has been filled with dreams of them; they were that good. This unassuming place blew my mind.

Hôtel Douce: Canelés on cloud nine Nestled in a back alley of Seoul’s Seorae Village, Hôtel Douce sharply contrasts with its neighbors; Hangeul and the smell of fried chicken may lurk at its sides, but Hôtel Douce is a quaint and charming little bakery, highlighted by a neon fuchsia sign, a bright rococo interior and the kind of mysterious aura most people only see in the movies.

I was greeted by a lone pâtissier with a chef’s hat bound tightly to her head and only two pairs of tables and chairs; tight-lipped, I glanced around and wondered at the kind of delectable treasures this kind of exclusivity must denote. Then I tasted a canelé — a tender custardy cake with a caramelized crust — and let the deep taste of burnt marshmallow ring in memories of warm, campfire cuddling. It had a perfectly consistent crust, just enough glaze and a spongy, soft texture bursting with rich flavor. The experience left me feeling like I’d just visited a kindly old grandmother’s cabin in the woods.

And with that, I left feeling quite satisfied. I thanked the pâtissier for working this late on a Thursday night, at the edge of closing time, and strolled out with my elegant to-go box wrapped to perfection. I was grinning from ear to ear.

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FOOD & DRINK Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com)

Seoul Veggie Kitchen

Magical mulled wine

A hot cuppa Christmas for the masses, Grinch or not Story by Shelley DeWees / Photos by David Leggett and Robert Pavich

I

t’s officially the holiday season, which means you’re one of two things: sad to be away from your baby cousins and the cranberry sauce and the family get-togethers, or relieved — wholly soothed, even — to be as far from the merry madness as possible.

Maybe you’re hanging blinking lights all over your apartment and making decorations for your desk, or maybe you’re about to run screaming down the street with glee at the thought of missing your aunt’s bad jokes and that waterlogged stuffing (because admit it, there’s nothing good about stuffing). But no matter which side of the holiday spectrum you fall on, whether you love it or hate it, I think we can all agree that hot spicy wine is completely where it’s at.

On top of being tasty and festive, it’s also super-duper simple. All you need is a couple bottles of booze, some spices and 20 minutes to kill, and then you’ll be able to sip the night away and make your Game-of-Thronesian “hot cup of wine” dreams come true.

No matter which side of the holiday spectrum you fall on, whether you love it or hate it, I think we can all agree that hot spicy wine is completely where it’s at.

About the writer: Shelley DeWees worked as a vegan chef for a Buddhist monastery before moving to Seoul.

She is a columnist and the food editor for Groove Korea. — Ed.

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Mulled wine Please, please, please don’t feel like a fancy wine recipe needs fancy wine. In this case, it’s 100 percent okay to grab a wickedly cheap bottle o’ dry red. I would even go so far as to discourage you from buying anything that might be described as “a really beautiful garnet with a nice smoky mid-tone” as you swirl it around and take in its bouquet. You’re about to add a whole new world of flavors while also heating it up unapologetically; this is not the time for a buttery Bordeaux. As for the spices, one trip to the foreign mart should cover it, or a quickie iHerb order.

Ingredients •1 small orange or tangerine •1/4 cup sugar •2 cinnamon sticks •4 whole cloves •1-2 vanilla pods, sliced lengthwise (optional, but worth it) •2 star anise •1 bottle of cheap red wine (the drier the better) •1 cup port, brandy or apple cider

Peel large sections of the orange using a small paring knife and put them in your biggest pot alongside the sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, vanilla pod(s) and the juice of the rest of the orange. Add just enough wine to cover the sugar and bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. You should now have a gorgeous-smelling syrup, nice and thick, that will enable you to incorporate flavor without cooking off all the alcohol in the process (that would be silly).

Once the syrup is made, lower the heat and add your anise, the rest of the wine and the port, brandy or cider.

Cook on a low flame just until the wine is warm and steamy, then strain out the spices and serve.

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Destinations Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com)

Hallasan A winter hike in Jeju goes awry, but still feels fantastic

Story and Photos by Christine Pickering

blues

Destinations Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com)

D

uring the summer months, Korea’s most famous tourist destination, Jeju Island, is inundated with tourists from all over the world. Many visit for the natural beauty of Cheonjiyeon Waterfall, the silvery sands of Hyeopjae Beach and the daunting caverns of the Manjang Cave, while some prefer Gimnyoung Maze, the Trick Art Museum or even the erotic sculptures of Love Land.

But then there’s Jeju in winter. Because most tourists opt to vacation in warmer climates, this is when the island clears out. Jeju’s ubiquitous green vegetation is replaced by determined weeds and gnarled black trees, the stuff of nightmares; birds and residents alike migrate south and the wind, a sadistic and relentless gale hailing from the Korea Strait, ensures that sightseeing is an adventure.

Camaraderie at the base

Jeju’s ubiquitous green vegetation is replaced by determined weeds and gnarled black trees, the stuff of nightmares; birds and residents alike migrate south, and the wind — a sadistic and relentless gale hailing from the Korea Strait — ensures that sightseeing is an adventure.

Last winter I was one of these few travelers who braved frigid temperatures and knee-high snow banks to spend my December vacation climbing Hallasan, Korea’s highest mountain. I’d climbed it twice before, but each time the volcanic crater at the peak eluded me due to a combination of bad luck and uncooperative weather. This time, with the forecast predicting clear skies, I was determined to see the crater and its mythical lake.

I decided to travel with a group of veteran snow hikers on the premise that they wouldn’t allow me to fail in my mission in the dead of winter. On our first day we started with the flat yet impressive Olle Trail, a prelude to the trials to come. And while the hiking was easy, the weather was a stark reminder of why most of my acquaintances had fled to the Philippines and Thailand for their winter vacations — it was freezing. Hikers were huddling inside the Buddhist altars we passed on the premise of prayer, but I got the distinct impression most were just trying to gain a short respite from that bitter wind.

Later, we gathered at one of Jeju Island’s heukdwaeji (black pig pork) restaurants for a celebratory barbecue dinner, where one of the older men immediately took up the tongs and began throwing thick slabs of meat on the grill. Mandatory shots of soju were passed around, and we all found several excuses to toast one another with our one-shot liquor. Tomorrow would be a big day.

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Ascent into coldness 3 a.m.: The Hallasan attempt began. Our group of 12 filled the van with eyes half closed, carrying our hiking equipment, plastic-wrapped pastries and Dixie cups of coffee. After a slow, icy drive, we arrived at the park entrance.

4:45 a.m.: Dozens of hikers packed the entrance, adjusting their crampons, taking group photos and finishing up a final pre-departure snack; and in the wan winter light we ascended in droves up the darkened trail.

The mood at first was jovial, and chatter drowned out all other sounds, but after an hour the trail ascended sharply and the blanket of snow covering the ground became thicker; the chatter ceased and a silence pervaded our resolute throng.

6 a.m.: Sunrise. The early morning rays started to filter through the trees, and we packed away our headlamps and flashlights. The sunlight — a welcome guest after an hour of fumbling along in darkness — turned the untouched snow on the trees a soft blue, and the hikers remained silent in respect for the natural beauty to which we were all privy.

11 a.m.: We reached a shelter and took cover, and I realized I was quite ill-prepared for the cold: My face (uncovered) was red and sore from wind burn, and my fingers were numb. When I was offered a hot cup of coffee, I gratefully accepted.

2 p.m.: We were about an hour and a half from the top, at least according to hearsay, but then our group leader pulled aside a few members and exchanged some rapid-fire Korean. It had been decided that we would not continue to the top. The snow hadn’t been cleared, and our ferry back to Incheon was departing in just a few hours. There was a chance we could make it if we increased our speed, but we risked losing our transport home. After a quick group vote, it was decided that we would turn back.

There was a chance we could make it if we increased our speed, but we risked losing our transport home, so after a group vote we decided to turn back.

A small but tenacious group For the third time, I missed catching a glimpse of the elusive Hallasan peak. I didn’t take the obligatory photo with the famous crater in the background. I didn’t catch a glimpse of the lake, Baengnokdam. Despite this failure on all accounts, there was no disappointment. The point of visiting Jeju Island in the winter, the reason why determined visitors take on the challenge of a 12-hour hike up Korea’s highest mountain through uncleared snow, isn’t just for that coveted crater selfie. Rather, it’s to see the beauty of Korea’s natural environment at its harshest and most unforgiving, and to convene with the small but tenacious group of visitors who prefer trudging up a mountain at 5 in the morning to lying on a beach in the tropics. And so what if a winter vacation in Jeju doesn’t go exactly as planned? That’s why there’s soju and heukdwaeji.

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Destinations Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com)

Story and Photos by Alexandra Nems

A pilgrimage to Mauritius Devotees flock to celebrate Shiva for liberation

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R

aised in a Catholic society, I have been used to worshiping God during a formal 45-minute Mass, which was often quite sad and boring. Perhaps this had something to do with my lack of interest in religion now, be it Christian or Hindu or Buddhist. So when I went to Maha Shivaratri, a Hindu celebration of the deity Shiva, it wasn’t for spiritual fulfillment, but rather for a new experience.

During this festival in Mauritius, the Waters of Grand Bassin sparkle with colorful saris and the air is heavy with incense burning all around the shore.

It feels magic and slightly unreal, filling you with a sense of belonging and blessedness at the same time.

Little was known about the beautiful island of Mauritius before the French took it from the Dutch in 1767, planting sugar there and establishing a prosperous colony. After the British captured Mauritius in 1810, their occupation confirmed by the Treaty of Paris, the customs, laws and language all remained French (when I got married there, legal procedures were based on the Napoleonic Code). Slavery was abolished in 1835, and slaves were replaced with indentured servants from India.

Those people were from the holy land of Bharat, and they brought Hinduism to Mauritius less than two centuries ago. Since then, Hinduism has been the predominant religion on the island.

Early birds we are not, but we managed to get up at 4 a.m. to reach the Grand Bassin before the hundreds of thousands of other travelers who were heading to the same spot. The main road to the lake quickly became inundated with walking pil-

grims, cars and buses, and as the sun rose the giant, glittering statue of Shiva, with water spouting from the top, came into view and loomed majestically.

Men, women and children, mostly dressed in white, walk to the lake from even the most remote corners of the island. Pilgrims travel distances of 30 or 40 kilometers, carrying structures made of bamboo or wooden sticks and decorated with colorful paper, bells and mirrors on their shoulders.

Some of these “kanwars,” as they are called, are minor artistic masterpieces, built mostly in the shape of domed temples, made in vibrant colors and flashing with the reflected lights from countless little mirrors. Kanwars are often a symbolic representation of a community’s temple or a deity.

Maha Shivaratri, or the “Great Night of Shiva,” is one of the biggest festivals on the island. This annual Hindu celebration falls on the 14th night of the new moon in the Hindu month of Phalgun, which falls in February or March of the solar calendar. Four to nine days of ceremony and fasting lead up to an all-night vigil for Shiva, one of the deities of the Hindu Trinity. Devotees fast around the clock and perform ritual worship of Shiva Lingam to appease Lord Shiva.

Four to nine days of ceremony and fasting lead up to an all-night vigil of Shiva, one of the deities of the Hindu Trinity.

Devotees fast around the clock and perform ritual worship of Shiva Lingam to appease Lord Shiva.

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Devotees observe a strict fast in honor of Shiva.

While many go on a diet of fruit and milk, some do not consume a drop of water. They strongly believe that sincere worship of Lord Shiva on the auspicious day of Shivaratri absolves a person of sins and liberates him from the cycle of birth and death.

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As this festival is officially designated as a public holiday for the northern Indian Hindi-speaking community, every single Mauritian Hindu participates by making a pilgrimage to the Grand Bassin. Devotees observe a strict fast in honor of Shiva. While many go on a diet of fruit and milk, some do not consume a drop of water.

They strongly believe that sincere worship of Lord Shiva on the auspicious day of Shivaratri absolves a person of sins and liberates him or her from the cycle of birth and death. Shivaratri is considered especially favorable for women; while married women pray for the well-being of their husbands, unmarried women pray for a husband like Lord Shiva, who is regarded as the ideal mate.

According to mythology, each of these dravya (offerings to the gods) blesses a unique quality: Milk: the blessing of purity and piousness Yogurt: prosperity and progeny Honey: sweet speech Ghee: victory Sugar: happiness Water: purity The Grand Bassin is idyllic and calm, and surrounded by breathtaking natural scenery. According to legend, the lake is connected with the holy river Ganges, which is why it is also called “Ganga Talao.� The legend has it that the god Shiva and his wife Parvati were traveling the world on a ship; Shiva wanted to show his wife the most beautiful places on Earth, so they stopped in Mauritius. During the journey, Shiva was carrying the river Ganges on his head to prevent the earth from flooding, but he spilled water from the holy river while landing. Drops of it flowed together in the crater, giving birth to the Grand Bassin.

Along the Grand Bassin are several temples, small shrines and colorful statues all dedicated to Shiva and other gods. When the festival begins, believers offer flowers and fruits, filling the air with the pleasant smell of burning incense.

In the main temples and in front of the statues of the gods Ganesha and Ganga, masses of people gather and wait to offer their sacrifices.

Lord Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, is widely venerated throughout the world. Ganesha, with the head of an elephant and often portrayed riding a mouse, is considered the deity of good fortune, new ventures and wisdom.

Three days before the festival begins, devotees start their pilgrimage to the Ganga Talao.

Local businesses and temples set up rest areas along the roads for refreshments and relaxation.

Many local businesses and community organizations create banners to greet the pilgrims.

Volunteers offer food, fruit and juice to the pilgrims on their way, and even set up stalls for them to rest during the journey. Roads are full of people dressed in white to symbolize purity.

Upon reaching their destination, families wait to use one of the many small stone tables on the banks of the lake to offer goods called dravya to Hindu gods.

On the day of Maha Shivaratri, believers dedicate special prayers to Lord Shiva. On the night of the holiday, they connect with the moon, and subsequently with the god Shiva himself. Believers also take water from the Grand Bassin and pour it over statues to praise the gods. Another important ritual is the watering of the Shiva Lingam, a symbol for Lord Shiva. Believers carry the water home with them and pour it over Shiva Lingam in their own village’s temple. They will also attend a ceremony called Char Pahar ki Pooja, where devotees keep vigil all night long, worshiping Lord Shiva and the Shiva Lingam, without which their prayer would be incomplete.

The prayers normally last from 6 p.m. in the evening through 6 a.m. the next day, when the celebrations end.

Tourists are welcome to visit the temples and the Grand Bassin itself, but as a matter of respect, one should be mindful of appropriate behavior and dress. If you can stay unobtrusive and blend into the crowds, you will be rewarded by bearing witness to a lot profound happiness. As whole families pray together, age, gender and family status seem to disappear.

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Destinations Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com)

Great Wall gaffe Misspoken words lead to an unexpectedly perfect day

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Story by George Kalli / Photos by Kevin Poh and Matt Barber

eflecting upon my experience, I may have been less prepared to climb the Great Wall of China than I’d been for any hike ever: I had no jacket in the event of rain or chills, no map or GPS to show where I was or where I intended to go, no phone to request assistance if I needed it and absolutely zero ability to communicate with the

78 www.groovekorea.com / December 2014

local Chinese. I didn’t even know how to correctly pronounce my destination, so whenever I shouted “Mutiniyo,” as opposed to “Mutianyu,” while pointing along the Wall stretching off to the (assumed) east, I was met only with Chinese stares of bewilderment. But on the bright side, I had a single cucumber and a tomato kindly given to me by my driver, so I would at least be free from hunger.

‘I waiting for you, Mutianyu’

Rather than starting and ending a walk atop the Wall at the same location, I was determined to hike between more distant sections. These portions are what Lonely Planet would call “less touristy” — basically, I wanted to hike by myself along an elegantly crumbling portion of the Wall. After doing some research, I decided to take on the stretch between Jiankou, which wasn’t serviced by public transport, and Mutianyu, the most highly recommended of the unmaintained sections.

I’d arranged a drop-off and pick-up with my hotel, but at 7 a.m. on the morning of the hike, while being slightly hungover, it had become obvious that my plans may not go as I’d hoped: The driver, concerned that I was going to get lost, was pushing to instead just drop me off at Jiankou, wait for me as I went for a hike there and then drive me to Mutianyu to do a second trek. I was visibly disappointed with this suggestion, but I didn’t have the language skills to persuade the driver otherwise. The only information I had about the route was an English-language website description saved on my phone, so I left the hotel resigned to the fact that the adventure I’d hoped for wasn’t going happen. At least I could sleep off my hangover on the way there.

When I awoke, it was clear we were off the beaten path: There were no highways, no buses, not much traffic and no traffic lights. It was also obvious the driver had never taken anyone here before, as he stopped to get directions from nearly every farmer and pedestrian we happened to pass. We eventually reached a small parking lot at the head of a valley for an extended conversation with an elderly female parking attendant. After much pointing and gesticulating, the driver typed something into his iPhone and handed it to me. The next thing I heard was Siri’s Auto-Tune voice: “I waiting for you, Mutianyu.”

I wondered if my plan might work out after all.

A precarious route

After a jubilant thumbs-up response to Siri’s declaration, we were off to the trailhead, if you could even call it that. It was more like a barren, puddle-ridden dirt lot where, at the far end, in a lone car seat that had been stripped from a vehicle, sat an old man. My driver conversed with the old chap and then pointed to a trail leading up into the woods, shouting, “Mutianyu, five!” I counted off five hours on my watch to confirm he expected me to take five hours to reach my destination, where he would hopefully be waiting for me. The sun rising to our left indicated the direction I needed to go in, but I still thought it would be a good idea to confirm with my driver: I mimed walking uphill, reaching the Wall, turning each to the right and to the left and asking, “Mutianyu?”

This somehow seemed to work: My driver understood my question and confirmed I should turn left.

After a short hike up through the forest, I reached the base of the Wall, ready to climb up it and turn left, but then encountered the first of the numerous tradesmen I’d never anticipated meeting along the hike: ladder keepers. To scale the Wall I needed to ascend a handmade ladder constructed of small tree limbs bound together by lengths of wire, crude but essential contraption that was guarded by an elderly, brutish-looking man. He demanded a payment of 5 yuan to clamber up, and once I satisfied his demand and scaled the short assemblage of limbs, my true hike upon the Great Wall of China finally began.

I wound through verdant green mountainsides and plunged down rocky, bare ridges, gawked at deteriorating and perilous sections of crumbling wall and passed many stoic, wrinkle-faced ladder keepers as I snaked through the rugged terrain. Then, several hours later, I reached Mutianyu and rode a toboggan sled down to the parking lot where my driver was waiting. A perfectly imperfect day.

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COMMUNITY Edited by Jenny Na (jenny@groovekorea.com)

Stories from the In Between offers profiles of communities that are often marginalized in Korea. — Ed.

Stories from the In Between

Having shouldered the misunderstandings perpetuated about Islam worldwide, Korea’s Muslim community perseveres

Choosing Korea, keeping the faith Story by Leslie Finlay / Photos by Dustin Cole and Mirela Pencheva Additional reporting by Dave Hazzan and David Phillips

A

n afternoon prayer call sounding from the Seoul Central Mosque drowns out the ambient noise forever churning through the city — the blare of storefront K-pop, the low rumble of pedestrian traffic and the shouts of taxi drivers — as Seoulite Muslims climb the steep cobblestone path to gather together in worship. The cookie-cutter framework of modern urban Korean architecture gives way all at once to colossal columns and arches that hover impressively over Itaewon’s nightclub district.

The alley leading to the mosque is a jumble of dilapidated bars known by one of two nicknames,

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depending on which community you see (or don’t): Hooker Hill and Homo Hill.

This juxtaposition of spiritual center and alternative underground is a testament to the underlying tensions of a society struggling with conflicting cultural and social influences that Korea has not yet reconciled.

Other prominent cultural communities in the area are largely based on parameters like ethnicity and language. The Muslim community of Seoul, by contrast, is diverse in and of itself, creating a very small but dynamic subculture spanning dozens of countries, evident among the array of faces, languages and accents layered beneath hijabs and prayer sets.

Fa r f r o m h o m e Sam Sadkle is a Muslim refugee from Syria who first came to Seoul with his father on a business trip in 2005. He finally settled in the city in 2013 after his father was killed by Assad’s forces in Damascus. Sadkle was living in Dubai at the time, but chose to claim asylum in Korea.

“Korea was the best choice for me,” he explained. “I couldn’t get a visa in Dubai and I already knew the Korean language and society. I wanted to start a new life.”

The 29-year-old found work as manager of the Salam Bakery in Itaewon, where he makes and sells traditional Turkish, Arabic and other Middle Eastern desserts. More than 40 percent of his customers are Korean, with the rest coming from the immigrant population, many who attend the local mosque.

He recalled how the Muslim population has changed since he first arrived.

“More and more Korean people are entering Islam,” he said.

“Saudi Arabia is supporting the Muslim center and a primary school (in Seoul). There is a workshop on Saturdays and Sundays about Islam and to teach Arabic.”

He admits he does not visit the mosque every day to pray, often praying at home ‘Korea was the near to his work. “I am an irregular Musbest choice for lim,” he said.

Despite his faith being a minority in Kome. I couldn’t rea, he said he feels no animosity from get a visa in non-Muslim Koreans. “People here do not Dubai and I care about your religion, if you are Chrisalready knew the tian or Buddhist or Muslim,” he claimed.

But he realizes there are still issues for Korean language Muslims living here, including a lack of and society. I political leadership. “They do not have a wanted to start Korean leader for Islam,” he said. “They a new life.’ do not have a Sheikh. The government Sam Sadkle, manager of are favored towards Christians or Budthe Salam Bakery dhists but there is no one (in Korea) supporting Islam.”

Personally, his main struggle upon settling here was less faith-based and more about finding food to fit his tastes. “The first time I ate kimchi, I threw up everything from my stomach,” he recalled. “But now I can’t eat anything without it.”

However safe Sadkle feels as a Muslim in Korea, having previously worked in refugee camps on the Turkish and Jordanian borders with Syria, he desperately wants to return home.

“The situation in Syria is getting worse. My father died in the revolution,” he said. “I have no choice but to be here.”

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Division and devotion The second-most popular religion in the world after Christianity, Islam only began to have a significant presence in Korea toward the late 1990s, largely due to immigration restrictions loosening at that time.

Today, there are an estimated 135,000 Muslims in Korea, according to Abdul Rahman Lee, the fifth imam of the Seoul Central Mosque. Lee was born in Korea, and it was about 30 years ago, as a young man of 23 or so, that he was “raised to Islam through the guidance of Allah.” He wears long black robes, has a small goatee, and sits in a long office at the mosque that is bedecked with Arabic books.

“I visited (the mosque) as a young man, and got a small booklet about Islam, and the basics of Islam,” Lee says.

He found the message of Islam compelling, and so he continued to visit the mosque. “I visited again, and again and again. I became open to Islamic knowledge.”

Lee converted, took his Islamic name (he was previously known as Lee Ju-hwa) and competed for and won a scholarship from the Saudi government to study Arabic and Islam in Saudi Arabia.

Lee is reluctant to get into the details of his life before he converted, aside from saying that he drank just as most young people do. His conversion was not easy by any means and ultimately divided his family.

“My family and my brother, they rejected me,” he says.

“But thanks to God, I lived in Saudi Arabia for many years, so I changed my life totally to Islam.”

He returned to Korea in 2004 and took several positions in the masjid and Korean Muslim Federation. He became imam in 2006.

Lee describes the evolution of Islam in Korea in three “terms” or periods.

Over half a million Koreans went to the Middle East to work in construction during the oil shock and Arab boom of the 1970s, what Lee describes as the first period. “All kinds of infrastructure in the Middle East was built by Korean labor. Most of the companies that built it were Hyundai, LG and so on,” Lee says. “So, accidentally, Koreans learned about Islam.”

Some of those laborers converted, especially those who went to work in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, which are closed to non-Muslims. At the same time, the Korean government pushed for increased diplomatic

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relations with Middle Eastern countries — it was at this time, in 1976, that President Park Chung-hee donated the land in Itaewon for the mosque.

By the 1990s, Muslims had began coming to Korea to pursue the “Korean dream,” launching a wave of immigration as Islam in Korea saw its second period of development. These “are not missionaries,” Lee says. “They are working for money. They work while they are here, they are praying, and they are establishing good relations with their neighbors.” Many Koreans were exposed to Islam by working and living alongside foreign Muslim workers.

Then came the ‘ At f i r s t , i t wa s d i f f i c u lt events of 9/11 and because many understood the subsequent “War on Terror,” producing Islam to be a terror a second wave of religion. But it also immigrants to Kos parked a curiosity, rea from the Muslim a conversation.’ world.

Abdul Rahman Lee, imam of Like most Musthe Seoul Central Mosque lims, Lee is quick to distance himself from terrorists who use Islam as a cover. He says that 9/11 and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq contributed to both a misunderstanding of Islam and a greater desire on the part of Koreans (and others) to learn more about the religion. People read more about Islam, and some even visited the mosque.

In 2007, when 23 Korean missionaries were abducted in Afghanistan after defying government warnings against such activities, the event incited anger and sympathy while also furthering the national conversation about Islam.

Lee looks back at such events and their impact on the faith’s current reception in Korea. “At first, it was difficult because many understood Islam to be a terror religion,” he said. “But it also sparked a curiosity, a conversation.”

He argues that if terrorism happened in the name of Jihad, it wouldn’t continue to gain a following because no one would convert to such a violent religion.

“How would Islam increase like this? No, it’s impossible,” he said. “All religions just want to keep silence and peace. What religion promotes killing? None.”

Tainted with suspicion Lee is one of the roughly 35,000 Koreans devoted to Islam. Some are second-generation Korean Muslims, like Lee’s sons. But most are converts.

“I had no exposure to Islam until a few years ago, but it created a curiosity in me,” one recently converted Korean said.

“I began to study and become more dedicated, and realized there is a community of Koreans who practice Islam.”

He admits it was a huge and challenging decision in Korean society to convert to something so unfamiliar, noting that any true growth of Islam in this country will likely continue to be a result of immigration to the heavily Buddhist, Christian or otherwise agnostic country.

“As a Korean, I can say I think we don’t particularly try and understand other cultures,” he said. However, he also noted that this indifference affords a large degree of tolerance from the general public.

Even so, worshippers have reported incidents of persecution that are both ideologically driven and targeted. One man specifically asked not to be named because, according to him, there have been several incidents in which members of Christian extremist groups have interviewed worshippers at the mosque and used responses out of context “to slander” the Seoul Muslim community. The atmosphere can be tainted with suspicion, and worshippers can be wary of visitors to the mosque. This sort ‘(There is) full of negative propagation is incredibly ignorance of damaging to a community that already Islam among experiences heavy misperceptions from Koreans due Koreans.

Lee Hee-soo, a professor in the Deto distorted partment of Cultural Anthropology at information, as Hanyang University, agrees with the well as negative imam that Koreans lack a basic un“image-making” by derstanding of Islam, and actions like those of Christian extremist groups are radical Christian major catalysts that contribute to what groups and the he characterizes as Islamophobia, esWestern media. pecially in the absence of qualified perLee Hee-soo, sonnel to propagate the Islamic mesHanyang University sage properly. professor “(There is) full ignorance of Islam among Koreans due to distorted information,” Lee said, “as well as negative ‘image-making’ by radical Christian groups and the Western media.”

Several students including Medilah, a Malaysian student at Hanyang University, have reported similar experiences.

“From the very first year I’ve lived in Korea, extremist missionaries would knock at my door,” Medilah said. “At first, they ask very simple questions, but then suddenly they’ll become very aggressive and try and debate with me, get me to say something I don’t mean — it’s very disturbing.”

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Changing perceptions Hassan Abdou, who is originally from Egypt, is the founder of the online Facebook community Arabs and Egyptians in Korea. He said that he resented the misperceptions of Islam among Koreans at first, though he now understands it. “(Koreans) only have the ideas the Western media gave them about Islam,” he said.

Korea itself has only entered the global conversation in recent years, after all. Before Abdou moved to Korea there was no K-pop wave or K-drama craze. All he knew about the country was that his LG television in Egypt was made in Korea. Eight years later he calls Korea home.

The community has actively sought to bridge the cultural disparity, with significant support from the 27 embassies from Islamic nations, most located in Itaewon or Hannam-dong, near the mosque, and offices within the Korean government itself.

Shaukat Ali Mukadam, the Pakistani ambassador to Korea, said ‘The surroundings that the embassy hosts a number of and people — cultural events throughout the year, getting to including photo exhibits and festik now friends vals, to encourage more intermixing and dialogue. from other “Korean society has transformed countries that in the last 50 years,” Mukadam said. a re also Muslim “There’s been rapid development in — has made me a multiculturalism, but we still don’t stronger Muslim, have that direct line of communication (with the Korean community).” a c t u a l ly g o t t e n m e Sulochana K. Indran, a represenmore interested in tative from the Malaysian embassy, the religion.’ agrees, but believes that this relaMadihah, Muslim tionship will develop over time. He s tudent said the Korean government is extremely sensitive to the communities that house its growing foreign population, and often assists the embassy in promoting cultural diffusion. However, that’s a pledge that is controversial among many Koreans because of the budget allocated toward the endeavors.

“There has been a gradual increase (in Muslim immigrants) over the years, as Korea’s ‘hallyu’ has made outsiders more aware of Korea and its attributes,” Indran said. “The increasing number of foreign nationals entering the homogenous Korean society will of course pose challenges to both foreigners and Koreans alike, but Koreans seem to be taking this evitable globalization in their stride.”

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Overcoming obstacles The intermixing of cultures that share the Islamic bond in Seoul remains a hurdle to the growth of the Muslim community as a whole. Individuals from all over the Islamic world — Pakistan, Bangladesh, Central Asia, Egypt and North and Sub-Saharan Africa — now call Korea home. The largest contingent, roughly 40,000 of the 100,000 who have immigrated here, is from Indonesia, according to Lee, the imam at the Seoul mosque. Most are laborers, but there are also students, especially from Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, teachers and businesspeople.

Lee, the Hanyang professor, says Muslim immigrants often hail from ‘It is safer than more ethnically homogeneous societa n y M u s l i m ies. But he thinks it’s an obstacle that c o u n t r y . I ’ v e can be overcome, given the multicull i v e d h e r e tural tendencies of the younger genw i t h o u t a n y o f eration. The students who are here are uniting the different sects and t h e f e a r t h a t I now ethnic groups among the immigrant w o u l d o t h e r w i s e Muslim population.

Medilah, the Hanyang University have to deal with b a c k h o m e . ’ student, and her friend Fadilhah, also S a r a h H a s s a n , a Malaysian student, said that before f o r m e r s t u d e n t immigrating, they had both assumed they’d be less religious while living in a place with so little Islamic culture. But their expectations of life in Korea paled to reality.

“The surroundings and people — getting to know friends from other countries that are also Muslim — has made me a stronger Muslim, actually gotten me more interested in the religion,” Madihah said.

Islamic immigrants can thrive in Korea because it’s a country where everything changes quickly and adjustments are made for the good, said Sarah Hassan, who completed her graduate and post-graduate studies in Korea from 2002 to 2008.

“Things are moving at a fast pace here in all spheres of life,” she said.

Hassan said that when she first moved to Seoul in 2002,

even the more quotidian things that were incredibly difficult, like finding yogurt and cheese, are commonplace now.

Hassan, originally from Pakistan, also said that one of the more important aspects of Korean life for her is that it is “very, very safe” for women. According to the OECD Better Life Index, there are only marginal differences between the violence reported against men and women in Korea (1.9 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively), with the number of people reporting assault in the past year (2.1 percent of population) still below the OECD average (3.9 percent).

“It is safer than any Muslim country,” she said. “I’ve lived here without any of the fear that I would otherwise have to deal with back home.”

Medilah, the Hanyang University student, said the main outward aggravation she and her friends routinely experience is directed at their headscarves, or hijabs, a garment entirely unfamiliar to Koreans.

“We get a lot of people staring and asking why we wear it,” she said, laughing. “It’s mostly just ajummas asking us if it’s too hot, and suggesting that we take it off.”

Lee, the imam at the Seoul mosque, feels it isn’t too difficult to be a Muslim in Korea — if you live near the mosque, where Islamic-owned businesses proliferate, where there are Halal butchers and the mosque is nearby, and where there’s little drinking going on. But he admits it can be difficult for Muslims outside the area, especially in interactions with non-Muslims in work situations. It can be a burden when the company goes out for dinner, around plates of grilled pork and bottles of soju. “But if somebody wants to keep his religion, he can do it. It just takes hard work.”

He believes that in the future, he will see more and more Korean Muslims, though he admits he doesn’t expect a quick increase in numbers. With more immigrants, and the government’s promotion of multiculturalism, he expects to eventually see a larger Islamic presence in Korea. He also expects to see more Koreans who — even if they do not become Muslims themselves — have a better understanding of Islam.

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COMMUNITY Edited by Jenny Na (jenny@groovekorea.com)

Expat Enclaves offers a snapshot of the communities that expats in Korea call home. — Ed.

Expat Enclaves

Automatic for the people Changwon revolves around the strength of its community Story by Niall J. Ruddy / Photos by Victoria Majeika

Y

ou would be hard-pressed to find many travel blogs that single out Changwon as a mustsee highlight for anyone traveling through Korea. In spite of this low profile, the city was remarkable enough to warrant a mention in The Guardian’s recent series of articles on the peninsula. So what would a visitor find extraordinary about this city described on its website as a “world masterpiece” and an “energetic city”?

Changwon is the provincial capital of South Gyeongsang Province and, with a population of just over a million residents, the largest city

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in the province. It is Korea’s first planned city, based around the Australian capital of Canberra, and developed toward its present status as a modern industrial hub in the 1970s when it was given the romantic title “Industrial Base Development Area No. 92.” In 2010 the adjoining cities of Masan and Jinhae were incorporated to create the current mix of picturesque mountains, factory complexes, modern residential areas and traditional markets, all set within the Masan bay area.

Wandering around the city, what often strike visitors first are Changwon’s wide, open spaces. There are many boulevards and parks in

the metropolitan area, which lends the city a polished, pedestrian-friendly air. The main park, Yongji Lake, is directly behind Changwon City Hall and contains Yongji, housing an impressive nightly fountain and a light show projected onto water. Next to this is a large grassy space set among small, forested areas where couples of all ages mingle with joggers, cyclists and young families.

The city is also home to the Sangnam Sijang (market), which offers everything from florists to butchers to clothing stores and is open any date that contains a 4 or 9 (14th, 19th, 24th, etc.).

Core of the community Area residents say the strength of the community is what distinguishes the city from others in the region. Rosamond Clay, a Jinhae resident of one year, points to O’Briens pub as a gathering place for many expats in the area. The pub hosted a fundraiser for a teacher in Masan who had an accident in India, raising more than $20,000 for her rehabilitation.

“I’ve never seen a community pull together so well if someone has gotten into trouble and needs help, or if someone has been hurt and needs money,” Clay says. “I think it’s got a lot to do with how good the community is.”

O’Briens is located in the Jungang-daero area, where a majority of the nightlife occurs, and is in good company with a variety of comfortable and well-stocked, foreigner-friendly bars, including BK House, Biskachy, International Pub (or IPs) and Next Bar. To discover more about the foreigner hub that is O’Briens, I turned to Sam Piper, a vet- ‘I’ve never seen a community eran Changwon expat, and sometime barfly. pull together so well if “They’re so helpful; and it’s not just that someone has gotten into the bar is fantastic, but it also offers Westtrouble and needs help or ern food, or sometimes they’ll get products if someone has been hurt or even cosmetics from home to sell in a and needs to raise money. mini-mart to try and help people feel settled,” he says. “On top of that, everyone I think it’s got a lot to tends to meet there so it’s given birth to all do with how good the the clubs and groups in the city, too, and if community is.’ they need help, people use the Facebook Rosamond Clay, Jinhae resident page to ask questions or get information. It really is the focal point of the community.”

The bar was opened by long-term expat Austin Buckley. A native of Cork, Ireland, Buckley originally came to Korea in 2002 to coincide with the World Cup, which featured the Irish national team. After teaching for a while and opening the original iteration of O’Briens in Busan, the bar moved to its current location in Jungang-dong, Changwon. Buckley says his clientele is the best thing about his bar.

“I’ve been really lucky over the years,” Buckley says. “O’Briens has a nice mix of engineers and teachers. It makes the place feel a little bit more like home, younger and older people just having a drink. Thankfully, there is very little drama; people here have no time for it. It’s great to have a clientele who respect the bar enough not to let anything happen. I’m very grateful for that.”

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Cultural enterprises A gripe heard from many people living outside of Seoul is that most other cities in Korea have few, if any, cultural enterprises. Changwon has you covered. Over the last couple of years there have been numerous plays arranged and performed by the expat community, including “The Vagina Monologues,” “The Foursome” and “Lend Me a Tenor.”

There has also been an art exhibition, “Through the Eyes of Others,” organized by Mike Han at the Gowoon Gallery, featuring 12 expat artists’ works based on their experiences in Korea.

With regards to music, there have been several bands based in Changwon. Though it is hard to maintain a music scene with people constantly leaving, there is currently a healthy selection of places to satiate your aural cravings; the foreign bar Next is the first place to come to mind, with its open mic every month and a great sound system. Another venue called Monk has a large stage, a baby grand piano and shows by frequent high-quality acts. On top of that, there is a live venue/ practice space called Feedback with the feel of an underground rock club. For listening to music there is a vinyl bar, one of the few outside of Seoul, called Drum,

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with a cracking selection of vintage albums.

Stuart Thompson is a popular local musician who has been a resident in Changwon for the past two years.

Despite playing guitar since age 11, the U.K. native had only tested his performance skills at a few open mics; since arriving, however, he has been a large part of the ‘The people in burgeoning music scene.

“My favorite place to play Changwon are the music, bizarrely, is at an un- reason (I wanted to derpass beneath a main road, help). I loved being Jungang-daero, which has active in a warm the most amazing acoustics,” community.’ he says. “I love taking my guitar down there and trying to Heather Heinrichs, get the locals, usually sauced, cofounder of dancing on a Friday or Satur- Changwonderful.com day.”

He says that although the music scene is coming along, it can be difficult to maintain momentum with such a high turnover rate. “I’d love more people to get behind it, as the city has so much potential with the sense of community and number of venues,” he says.

Fitness and free bike rentals With a background in fitness and a stint in the British army’s officer training corps, Clay, the Jinhae resident, was able to highlight the many exercise opportunities in Changwon. Like many Korean cities, Changwon is surrounded by mountains, which are easily accessible from most neighborhoods.

“There is a massive ridge that stretches from Changwon to Jinhae, which is ‘I’ve been really lucky over amazing for hiking,” Clay says. “From the the years. O’Briens has a top you can see all the different wards nice mix of engineers and (divisions). When the Jinhae cherry teachers. It makes the place blossom festival happens in spring, the view contains a breathtaking mix of pink feel a little bit more like flowers and glass-fronted buildings. I’ve home, younger and older never seen anything like it.” people just having a drink.’

There is also a wide variety of sports AustIn Buckley, that residents can watch or play. Within the city limits alone there is a soccer owner of O’Briens pub team, an Ultimate Frisbee team, a bowling league and an ice hockey team, all of which are open to foreigners.

There’s even a Gaelic football team that, despite being based out of Busan, boasts a lot of members from Changwon. The city’s pro teams include a basketball team and two football teams — the Changwon LG Sakers, Gyeongnam FC and Changwon FC, respectively — as well as the NC Dinos baseball team that plays in Masan. Finally, there is a shooting range and rock climbing practice wall, which Clay pointed out is “amazing for a city of this size.”

Another interesting feature of Changwon is the excellent Nubija service, a bike rental system that has unmanned stations all over the city and is particularly useful for casual or short-term visitors.

Chang-wonderful It would be remiss not to mention the website Changwonderful.com, set up by two former residents, Tim Robinson and Heather Heinrichs, purely for the love of the city.

A quick look at the site and its cornucopia of information shows the dedication to the community some residents have, and there is no better example of the strength therein — except, perhaps, Robinson’s tattoo of the city’s mascots, Chang-e and Won-e.

They started the site because there wasn’t enough ‘My favorite place to play English information about Changwon. “When I arrived music, bizarrely, is at I felt like the only information out there was word of an underpass beneath mouth,” Heinrichs said. “Facebook was useful, but it left a lot of helpful people answering the same ques- a main road, Jungangtions over and over. So with Tim being an excellent daero, which has the most designer, and me having lots of free time and a gener- amazing acoustics. I love al know-it-all mentality, we formed Changwonderful.” taking my guitar down As to why they wanted to help, she concluded, “The there and trying to get people in Changwon are the reason. I loved being acthe locals, usually sauced, tive in a warm community.”

Perhaps The Guardian’s endorsement was more dancing on a Friday or about the perks of a well-planned city than simply run- Saturday.’ of-the-mill tourist highlights. Overall, Changwon has a Stuart Thompson, musician lot to offer both its long-term residents and the people who pass through town for the weekend: a place to enjoy the great outdoors or take in your favorite sport in a packed stadium; a place to lose yourself in the rush of live music; a place to socialize; a place to cut loose with a community that will be there to help you when you need it. Cities all over Korea tend to blend together visually and, while Changwon offers a few aesthetic differences, what makes it special is more significant: the people.

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COMMUNITY Edited by Jenny Na (jenny@groovekorea.com)

Chance Encounters

No country for old men The elderly sacrificed for their children and their country, but who’s helping them now?

Column and Photos by Chance Dorland / Illustration by Jonathan Burrello

K

orea may be the land of Samsung and K-pop, but it’s also a land of poverty, especially for many members of the older generations. The country ranked 50th for elderly well-being on HelpAge International’s Global AgeWatch Index of 96 countries, next after China and Kyrgyzstan. While it may not be surprising that Korea fell behind first-ranked country Norway — or even the United States (8), the U.K. (11) and Australia (13) — its Asian neighbors Thailand, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Vietnam also outranked Korea, which has the 15th largest economy in the world. According to the OECD’s 2012

Groovecast host Chance Dorland hit the streets to get your opinions on elderly poverty in Korea. Subscribe to the GrooveCast for free in the iTunes Store or listen on GrooveKorea.com!

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Economic Survey, nearly half of Koreans aged 65 or older live below the poverty line. Meanwhile, the suicide rate for older Koreans has nearly quadrupled in recent years, making Korea’s elderly suicide rate one of the highest in the developed world. Yet recent analysis on the East Asian Forum website presents some startling statistics: Current figures from the Finance Ministry show that only 0.26 percent of this year’s budget was allocated to aid and services for the elderly. Old people receive a maximum pension of $83 per month and the pension age of 60 is gradually being increased to 65. Groove Korea spoke to Koreans in Seoul to find out why so many elderly people are poor and what should be done about it.

Groove Korea: What do you think about Korea’s ranking for elderly well-being? Why do so many elderly Koreans live below the poverty line?

Female Korean-American Seoul resident, 25: Young people didn’t have to live through Korea’s economic rise, and the younger generation is kind of over (caring about) the older generation, so I think that statistic is pretty accurate.

Male Seoul resident, 39: Elderly people don’t have a chance to work because a lot of people at large companies have to retire when they’re 45. So what can they do after? They have to make their own work, but it’s very easy to fail.

Male Cheongju resident, 27: The economy grows really fast because politicians want Korea to be a nice, rich country with advanced technology and big buildings.

They don’t care about people, so they give money to companies and don’t regulate them. But old people can’t get any welfare.

Female Jeju Island resident, 22: There are more elderly people in Korea than before, so young people can’t afford to pay for programs for the elderly.

Kim Jae-sin, male Seoul resident from Gaeseong, North Korea, 72: We spent our working years in the time when Korea was going through its big economic development, so we’ve focused only on the growth of our nation and consequently haven’t prepared for life after retirement.

Kim Na Jung-ja, Seoul resident, 74: Old people are not really in a difficult situation. It’s just that they choose not to work. They can work, but they’re too embarrassed. … I’m 74, but I can work as much as I like.

There are so many jobs I can do that I don’t have enough time for them all. …

I think we should all be responsible for ourselves, and make our own living, because we really can.

Female Mokpo resident, 69: I don’t think Korea’s ranking should be that low.

We have one of the 10 biggest economies. It doesn’t feel right to me. I’ve seen old people in poverty who live in tiny rooms on TV a few times, and I’ve heard there are old people who are really in financial distress, but I haven’t seen any in real life around me, so it doesn’t really feel real.

‘We (elderly people) spent our working years in the time when Korea was going through its big economic development, so we’ve focused only on the growth of our nation and consequently haven’t prepared for life after retirement.’

Kim Jae-sin, 72

Does the government need to do more to combat poverty and help Korea’s elderly population?

Female Korean-American Seoul resident, 25: What kind of culture tells their kids to respect their elders, but then the government doesn’t have the proper programs to help the elderly?

Male Seoul resident, 39: The government should do more to support elderly people, but I don’t think it’s good at managing money. That’s the main problem.

Male Cheongju resident, 27: It should collect more taxes from young people and the rich. Actually, the rich and poor pay really similar taxes. It’s unfair.

Female Jeju Island resident, 22: It should help more. That’s why we have government. But raising taxes is not good because young people don’t agree with that, and giving things away for free just delays the problem.

Kim Jae-sin, male Seoul resident from Gaeseong, North Korea, 72: I guess pensions are better than nothing, but we don’t really need that. What we need is jobs.

Female Mokpo resident, 69: Many people who don’t need financial aid receive pensions. I think the government should think more about this — stop giving money to people who don’t need it and give more help to people who really need it to survive.

Chance Encounters is a column featuring interviews with people on the street offering unique perspectives on Korean news and culture issues. Interview answers are edited for length and clarity. — Ed.

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COLUMN • YONSEI UNIversity dental hospital

Dental imaging technology The next generation of early diagnosis

G

iven how crucial early diagnosis is to assessing a patient’s health concerns, advancements in medical technology give doctors a significant advantage when it comes to developing effective treatment plans. In the field of dentistry, these advancements include a variety of new diagnostic imaging techniques. But in recent years, people have been more concerned about the radiation exposure incurred in various parts of their lives, which is why radiologists have developed technology that retrieves the most comprehensive information while subjecting patients to the lowest amount of radiation exposure possible, or ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable). Here, I will introduce the concept of Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT), an approach that provides the greatest degree of accuracy and variety among the diagnostic imaging techniques in dentistry.

What is CBCT?

Dental diagnostic imaging is used for diagnosis and evaluation of diseases found in teeth, the alveolar bone, jaws and facial bones. Unlike conventional Computed Tomography (CT), CBCT can provide images of the head and face alone, offering doctors very high-resolution visuals that can lead to more accurate diagnoses. CBCT also requires less than one-third of the radiation exposure that CT technology uses. Because of this advantage, CBCT is now becoming commonplace for dental professionals worldwide.

When is CBCT used?

CBCT can be focused on a small field covering three to four teeth or a field large enough to cover the whole face, depending on the clinical need. The different classifications of CBCT are as follows: For more information or reservations, call Ms. Kelly Soe, the English coordinator at Yonsei University Dental Hospital. +82 2 2228 8998 +82 2 363 0396 idc@yuhs.ac 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul www.yuhs.or.kr/ en/hospitals/dent_ hospital/Conserv_ dentist/Intro

Implant CBCT

CBCT technology is useful for identifying and surveying the anatomical structures that are near the implant sites

after having teeth pulled. In these instances, the use of CBCT can reduce complications following the subsequent implant surgery and can help improve the success of treatment plans. In addition, these images can be used for pre-surgical simulations, as well as the making of surgical stents (devices to help keep blocked passageways open).

Jaw CBCT

This is used to identify the location of sensitive nerves prior to tooth extraction, as well as spotting infections, cysts, tumors and issues with the temporomandibular joint (the hinge of one’s jaw).

Tooth CBCT

When there are ongoing problems involving a patient’s root canal, CBCT can be used to identify whether or not a procedure has been successful and whether or not additional treatment is needed. It is also used for the detection of impacted or unnecessary teeth.

Facial CBCT (3-D)

In the event that a patient is planning to have orthognathic or bimaxillary surgery (jaw realignment), CBCT is used to create a 3-D reconstruction of the whole face to allow for a simulation before the operation and a comparative analysis afterward.

Reduced radiation exposure

As mentioned above, images generated using CBCT technology are able to provide nearly the same picture quality as traditional CT, but with reduced radiation exposure — a chief concern of radiologists.

In addition to minimizing risk, CBCT provides high-resolution images that can identify minute bone changes and intra-bone structures between 0.1 and 0.5 mm in size, which are more difficult to identify using CT. For these reasons, the use of CBCT technology is very helpful for early diagnosis of mouth and jaw diseases, a welcome advancement to the field of dentistry.

Hyok Park, Clinical associate professor Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Yonsei University College of Dentistry

96

COMICS

Games

EASy

Crossword - Sudoku

Medium

Across 1. Up to the job 5. Aristotelian subject 10. A majority 14. Distinctive horse 15. Maine college town 16. West Point team 17. Spanish resort area 19. Trim 20. Globe 21. Fragile 23. Kennedy’s Secretary of State 25. Put a new label on

26. Mature 29. Uncertain 31. Pre­owned 32. Crew member 33. Turns the handle 36. Interdict 37. Occasion of rejoicing 39. Bind 40. Pilfers 42. Performed 43. Noggin 44. Made a move on board 46. “Annie Hall” director

47. Walk softly 48. Rock singer Quatro 50. Merchandise mover 52. Bullock in Hollywood 56. Race distance 57. Self­-centered 59. Company part 60. Scuttlebutt 61. Euphoric state 62. Departed 63. Percolates 64. Slight fight

18. ___ for one’s money 22. Accustom 24. Door opener 26. Burnishes 27. “Vidi” 28. Antibiotic 30. Rust, for example 32. Clients 34. Franklin’s flier 35. Beheld 37. Witticisms 38. Toppers 41. Tahitian town

43. Supports for columns 45. Alliance 46. Call from the minaret 47. Arawakan language of the West Indies 49. Addicts 50. Self­-satisfied 51. Alaskan city 53. Boring one 54. Baltic capital 55. Eight in Essen 58. Patrolman

HArd

Down 1. Bows 2. 1930s comics girl 3. Whip 4. Penetrated 5. Brain sections 6. Boston Bruins legend 7. Taunt 8. Flip 9. Blended 10. Eyelash enhancer 11. Decorative 12. Strike down 13. Classification

Evil

Easy

Medium

HARD

EVIL

NOvemBER AnswerS

Crossword

LISTINGS

Edited by Sean Choi (sean@groovekorea.com)

EMBASSIES American Embassy (02) 397-4114 • 188 Sejong-daero, Jongnogu, Seoul Canadian Embassy (02) 3783-6000 • (613) 996-8885 (Emergency Operations Center) Jeongdong-gil (Jeongdong) 21, Jung-gu, Seoul British Embassy (02) 3210-5500 • Sejong-daero 19-gil 24, Jung-gu, Seoul Australian Embassy (02) 2003-0100 • 19th fl, Kyobo bldg., 1 Jongno 1-ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul Philippine Embassy (02) 796-7387~9 • 5-1 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul Spanish Embassy (02) 794-3581 • 726-52 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul French Embassy (02) 3149-4300 • 30 Hap-dong, Seodaemungu, Seoul

TRAVEL AGENTS Fides Travel (02) 755-5470 • fidestravel.co.kr Prime Travel (02) 6739-3570 Shoe String Travel (02) 333-4151 • shoestring.kr/eng/abo01.htm Soho Travel (02) 322-1713 • sohoholiday.com Top Travel Service (02) 737-4289 • toptravel.co.kr/eng Unique Travel (02) 792-0606

DOMESTIC TOURS Adventure Korea (010) 4242-5536 • adventurekorea.com Discover Korea (02) 398-6571 • discoverkoreatour.com/en

Explore Korea sonyaexplorekorea.com Joy Leisure Service (02) 2307-8642 • joyleisures.com Panmunjom Travel Center (02) 771-5593 • koreadmztour.com Seoul City Tour (02) 774-3345 • seoulcitytour.net Tour DMZ (02) 755-0073 • tourdmz.com Travel Pants Korea (010) 9961-5765 • travelpantskorea.com

HOTELS & RESORTS Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul (02) 2250-8080 • San 5-5, Jangchung-dong 2-ga Jung-gu, Seoul Novotel Ambassador Gangnam (02) 567-1101 • 603 Yeoksam 1-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Grand Hilton Seoul (02) 3216-5656 • 353 Yeonhui-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul Somerset Palace Seoul (02) 6730-8888 • 85 Susong-dong, Jongnogu, Seoul

Seoul Samsung Hospital 1599-3114 • 50 Irwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Asan Medical Center 1688-7575 • 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpagu, Seoul Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center (053) 250-7167 (7177 / 7187) • 56 Dalseongro, Jung-gu, Daegu

Airlines Korean Air 1588-2001 Asiana Airlines 1588-8000 Lufthansa (02) 2019-0180 Garuda Indonesia (02) 773-2092 • garuda-indonesia.co.kr Jeju Air 1599-1500 T’way Air 1688-8686

Eton House Prep (02) 749-8011 • 68-3 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul A unique British-style Prep School for children of all nationalities from 2-13 years of age. A broad, challenging and innovative curriculum preparing pupils for senior school and life beyond. www.etonhouseprep.com Branksome Hall Asia (02) 6456-8405 • Daejung-eup, Seogipo-si, Jeju Island Daegu Intl. School (053) 980-2100 • 1555 Bongmu-dong, Donggu, Daegu

Dulwich College Seoul (02) 3015-8500 • 6 Sinbanpo-ro 15-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul admissions@dulwich-seoul.kr www.dulwich-seoul.kr The curriculum from Toddler to IGCSE (ages 2 years to 16 years) follows the best practice of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and English National Curriculum enhanced for an international setting.

Jin Air 1600-6200 D ETUR

Park Hyatt Seoul (02) 2016-1234 • 606 Teheran-ro, Gangnamgu, Seoul Lotte Hotel Busan (051) 810-1000 • 772 Gaya-daero, Busanjin-gu, Busan Park Hyatt Busan (051) 990-1234 • 51, Marine City 1-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan 612-824, Korea

EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTERS Gangnam St-Mary’s Hospital 1588-1511 • 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul Yonsei Severance Hospital (Sinchon) (02) 2227-7777 • 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul Seoul National University Hospital 1339 • 28-2 Yeongeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

PO NS MU

NDO

British Airways (02) 774-5511 Cathay Pacific Airways (02) 311-2700

AMUSEMENT PARKS

Delta Airlines (02) 754-1921

Everland Resort (031) 320-5000 • 310 Jeondae-ri, Pogok-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do

Emirates Airlines (02) 2022-8400

FAMILY & KIDS

Lotte World (02) 411-2000 0 • 240 Olympic-ro, Songpagu, Seoul

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

Pororo Park (D-Cube city) 1661-6340 • 360-51 Sindorim-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul

Yongsan Intl. School (02) 797-5104 • San 10-213 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Children’s Grand Park (zoo) (02) 450-9311 • 216 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul

Seoul Intl. School (031) 750-1200 • 388-14 Bokjeong-dong, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do

Seoul Zoo (02) 500-7338 • 159-1 Makgye-dong, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do

BOOKSTORES What the Book?

(02) 797-2342 • 176-2, Itaewon 1-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul • whatthebook.com Located in Itaewon, this English bookstore has new books, used books and children’s books.

Kim & Johnson 1566-0549 • B2 fl-1317-20 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul

Woori Pet Hospital (02) 393-6675 • 299-1 Youngcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul

MUSEUM & GALLERIES

HEALTH DENTAL CLINICS

Chunghwa Animal Hospital / Korea Animal Transport (02) 792-7602 • 21-1 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul www.cwhospital.com

UPENNIVY Dental (02) 797-7784 • 300-26 Ichon 1-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul Mir Dental (053) 212-1000 • 149-132 Samdeok-dong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Daegu Esarang Dental Clinic (02) 701-2199 • 26-16 Singongdeok-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul Chungdam UPENN Dental (02) 548-7316 • 131-20 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul SKIN CLINICS TengTeng Skin (02) 337-4066 • 10th floor, First avenue Building, Nonhyeon 1-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul If you have a skin problem, Dr. Julius Jon will take good care of you. English is spoken.

Nova Skin (02) 563-7997 • 2 floor A Tower, 822-1, Yeoksam 1-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul ORIENTAL MEDICINE Lee Moon Won Korean Medicine Clinic (02) 511-1079 • 3rd fl., Lee&You bldg. 69-5 Chungdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Specializes in hair loss and scalp problems and offers comprehensive treatments and services including aesthetic and hair care products.

National Museum of Korea (02) 2077-9000 • 168-6 Yongsandong 6-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul The NMK offers educational programs on Korean history and culture in English and Korean.

National Palace Museum of Korea (02) 3701-7500 • 12 Hyoja-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul This museum has a program called Experiencing Royal Culture designed for English teachers to help learn about Joseon royal culture.

Seodaemun Museum of Natural History (02) 330-8899 • 141-52 Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul Don’t know where to take your kids on weekends? This museum exhibits a snapshot of the world and animals.

National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea (02) 2188-6000 • 313 Gwangmyeong-ro, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do Leeum Samsung Museum of Art (02) 2014-6901• 747-18 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed on Mondays, New Year’s Day, Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays.

Kumho Museum (02) 720-5114 • 78 Sagan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed on Mondays.

Soseng Clinic (02) 2253-8051• 368-90 Sindang 3-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul

Gallery Hyundai (02) 734-6111~3 • 22 Sagan-dong, Jongnogu, Seoul The first specialized art gallery in Korea and Yaksan Obesity Clinic accommodates contemporary art.

(02) 582-4246 • 1364-7, Seocho 2-dong, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed on Mondays, New Seocho-gu, Seoul • www.dryaksan.com Year’s Day, Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays.

FITNESS Reebok Crossfit Sentinel (02) 790-0801 • reebokcrossfitsentinel.com

Exxl Fitness Gangnam Finance Center, 737 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul • www.exxl.co.kr Daily Morning Ashtanga Yoga Mysore Classes (English) Jivamukti, Forrest, Universal Yoga (Korean) Apgujeong Rodeo Stn, Exit 4 (02) 515-6011• www.taoyoga.kr

UROLOGY & OB Tower Urology (02) 2277-6699 • 5th fl. 119 Jongno 3-ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul Animal hospitals

Plateau (02) 1577-7595 • 50 Taepyung-ro 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul 10 a.m.-6 p. m. Closed on Mondays.

Hair consultant from UK. Trained at Vidal Sassoon and TONY&GUY in UK Hair Salon in Sinchon Brazilian conditioning keratin based straightener.

SAFE for colored, highlighted, bleached, damaged and even frizzy hair!

1 min. from Hyundai Dept. in Sinchon Subway.

Hyundai Dept.

EXIT #1

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul (MMCA SEOUL) (02) 3701-9500 • 30 Samcheong-ro, Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul Daegu Art Museum (053) 790-3000 • 374 Samdeok-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu Art space for local culture presenting Daegu’s contemporary fine arts and internationally renowned artists.

Subway Line2 Sinchon Station.

Reservations

02-325-2225 / 010-8809-3443 Open Hours

10:00AM~9:00PM www.lucyhair.com

facebook.com/Lucyhair2011

Restaurants

Hair & Joy Served as Art Director at London’s Renowned RUSH SALON and nominated by the Guardian for “Best Hairdresser”

Trained at Toni & Guy and Vidal Sassoon Academy in UK Color, Perm, Magic Straight, Treatment and more English Spoken For more info, call Johnny Phone 02.363.4253 Mobile 010.5586.0243

Hair&Joy

Mapo-gu Dong gyo-dong 168-3_ 3F Seven Uniqlo Springs

HonhIk Univ. Stn. Line2 Exit8

www.hairandjoy.com Gangnam Apgujeong Branch

Qunohair

Phone 02.549.0335 www.qunohair.com 10-6, Dosan-daero 45-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

AMERICAN & BRUNCH

JAPANESE

Jo’s Basket Grill & Dining (02) 744-0701 • 31-37 Dongsoong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Jin Donburi (02) 2235-1123 • 103-9 Jeodong 1-ga, Junggu, Seoul The chef here trained in Japan and serves an authentic Japanese-style donburi (donkatsu over rice) at an affordable price. Katsudon goes for 6,000 won.

KOREAN & BBQ

Small Happiness in the Garden (02) 975-3429 • 28-3 Jeodong 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul Jang Sa Rang (02) 546-9994 • 624-47 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul The menu at this traditional Korean restaurant ranges from classic kimchi pancakes and stone pot rice to an array of meats and veggies.

Dr. Oh’s King-size Donkatsu / O Baksane Donkatsu (02) 3673-5730 • 131-32 Seongbuk-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul This place serves donkatsu the size of a car wheel and this restaurant dares you to finish it in one sitting.

Ondal (02) 450-4518 • 177 Walkerhill-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul Looking to impress a date or a business partner? Head to the premier traditional Korean restaurant in Seoul.

Myeongdong Donkatsu (02) 776-5300 • 59-13 Myeong-dong 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul This is the most popular and oldest Japanese-style donkatsu restaurant in Myeong-dong. Try the wasabi.

Hadongkwan (02) 776-5656 • 10-4 Myungdong 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul This place simply has the best gomtang (beef soup) in Seoul.

Namsan Donkatsu (02) 777-7929 • 49-24 Namsandong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul Since 1992, this casual Korean-style donkatsu restaurant has been a favorite of Namsan hikers and taxi drivers.

Two Plus (02) 515-5712 • B1 fl. 532-9 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Served here is a high-quality beef loin at a reasonable price.

Tosokchon (Samgyetang) (02) 737-7444 • 85-1 Chebu-dong, Jongnogu, Seoul A popular Korean-style chicken soup with ginseng is popular at this place. Former presidents enjoyed this restaurant. A bowl of soup costs just 15,000 won.

070-7504-8090

Oriental massage spa in Itaewon at a reasonable price.

3rd fl. 124-7 Itaewon 1-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 12pm-9pm

DONKATSU

INTERNATIONAL Battered Sole (02) 322-8101 • 52-23 Changcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul Battered Sole is a relative newcomer, but they serve up some of the best fish and chips in Korea. This is the real deal.

Simply India (02) 744-6333• 1-79 Dongsung-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

THAI & VIETNAMESE

VEGETARIAN

Pho Hoa (02) 792-8866 • 737-4, Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Sanchon (02) 735-0312 • 14 Gwanghun-dong, Jongnogu, Seoul www.sanchon.com

ITALIAN & FRENCH Pizza Hill (02) 450-4699 • 177 Walkerhill-ro, Gwangjingu, Seoul The first restaurant to serve pizza in Korea.

MEXICAN & TEX-MEX Dos Tacos (Gangnam) (02) 593-5904 • 104 Dessian Luv, 1303-35 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul The best and largest taco franchise in Korea; try out their shrimp potato burrito.

Grill5taco (02) 515-5549 • 519-13 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Veggie Holic 070 4114-0458 • 204-59 Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul www.veggieholic.co.kr March Rabbit (02) 3444-4514 • 560 Sinsa-dong, Gangnamgu, Seoul Daegu 5th Lounge (053) 764-3579 • 207-10 Doosan-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu This fabulous lounge does just about everything right. If you’re in search of space for private parties, this is the place.

G’day (American & Brunch) (053) 746-1217 • 980-9 Suseongdong 4-ga, Suseong-gu, Daegu This Aussie brunch cafe serves the best brunch in Daegu at the best price. www.facebook.com/CafeGday

Night clubS The Paris (Italian & French) (053) 763-8998 • 207-10 Doosan-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu This place offers fine dining in one of the few authentic French restaurants in town.

Dos Tacos (Mexican & Tex-Mex) (053) 255-4885 • 34-4 Dongsung-ro 2-ga, Jung-gu, Daegu Pan Asia (International) (053) 287-7940 • 2 fl., 21-9 Samdeok-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu South St. (American) (053) 471-7867 • 664-10 Bongdeok 3-dong, Nam-gu, Daegu Bagel Doctor (Café) (053) 421-6636 • Samdeokdong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Daegu Miyako (Japanese) (053) 761-5555 • 402-5 Sang-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu Beyond Factory (Italian/café) (053) 255-7614 • 40-63 Daebong-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu Italy & Italy (Italian/French) (053) 423- 5122 • 22-2, Samdeok-dong 1-ga, Jung-gu, Daegu

La Luce (European) (053) 255-7614 • 40-63 Daebong-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu Ariana Boccaccio Hotel Brau (Buffet) (051) 767-7913 • 200-1, Dusan-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu Thursday Party (Bar) 21-23 Samdeok-dong 1-ga, Jung-gu, Daegu Busan Wolfhound (Haeundae, Busan) (051) 746-7913 • 1359 Woo 1-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan Rock N Roll (Bar) 2 fl, 56-5, Daeyeon 3-dong, Nam-gu, Busan Wolfhound (Irish Pub) (051) 746-7913 • 2 fl, 1359, U 1-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan Fuzzy Navel (Mexican Pub) (051) 754- 6349 • 178-13, Millak-dong, Suyeong-gu, Busan Farmer’s Hamburger (American) (051) 244-5706 • 35-1 Daechungdong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Busan

The Pho (Vietnamese) (051) 256-8055 • Saeabusan town, Sinchangdong 1-ga, Jung-gu, Busan

Octagon 175-2 Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

The Grill On The Beach (Pub) (051) 731-9799 • B1 fl. Sea star bldg., 1417-2 Jung 1-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan This submarine-themed pub carries international beer and a wide selection of wine.

Cocoon 364-26 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Paniere (Café) (051) 817-8212 • 225-1 Bujeon-dong, Jin-gu, Busan The European-style brunch restaurant/café serves fresh fruit juice and sandwiches.

Elune

1408-5 Jung 1-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan

DRINKS BEER AND COCKTAILS Big Rock (02) 539-6650 • B1 818-8, Yeoksam 1-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul This cozy expat mainstay imports premium craft beer from Alberta. Its comfortable atmosphere and huge space is perfect for just about every occasion.

Once in a Blue Moon (02) 549. 5490 • 85-1 Chungdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul A live jazz club in Seoul that hosts renowned musicians from Korea and around the world.

Eden

Ritz Carlton 602 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnamgu, Seoul

Mass 1306-8 Seocho 4-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul

Massage, Spa & Beauty Lucy Hair (02) 325-2225 • 2nd floor, 30-10, Changcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul Look your best effortlessly with the help of Lucy. Her internationally trained hair stylists treat your locks with the best hair products in a modern and cozy environment.

Horoscopes Aries

DecEMBER 2014

March 20 - April 20

A temporary change in routine gives you the diversion you’ve been craving. Take time to consider the changes you’d like to make in your life. A Pisces brings promising news this month. A Leo’s tale of woe provides food for thought. Soften your approach with Libra.

Taurus

April 21 - May 21

Before you pass judgment on others, take a good look at yourself.

Remember, everyone has his or her strengths and weaknesses — even you — and everyone’s are different. Watch your comments this month or something you say could offend a close friend.

Gemini

May 22 - June 21

An unexpected turn of events early in the month disrupts long-standing plans. Although this may be frustrating, it will be something you have to do. Use exercise as a way to stave off frustration. A Libra friend offers words of encouragement. Use any free time to promote self-awareness.

Cancer

June 22 - July 22

Don’t sell yourself short when it comes to business. Know your value and be sure to present it in a beautifully wrapped package — you owe it to yourself. Discipline is the key to reaching fitness goals. A Leo has an unexpected surprise later in the month. A love relationship blossoms.

Leo

July 23 - August 23

Leos tend to get what they want more easily than most other members of the zodiac. Your charms are usually hard to resist — usually, but not this month. Forget about using manipulative tricks and try a down-to-earth approach, especially if you’re dealing with Scorpio.

Virgo August 24 - September 23

You may have to choose between helping a friend and helping yourself. Unless you’re one of the more innovative Virgos out there, you probably won’t find a reasonable compromise. At work, make use of downtime in a productive way. Plan for busier times ahead.

Libra

September 24 - October 23

Tormented by yet another difficult decision? Instead of weighing the pros and cons over and over again, follow your heart. It’s where you’ll end up anyway, so why waste time? Just a few kind words will do wonders for a down-in-the-dumps friend. Make the effort, but be careful of what you say.

Scorpio

October 24 - November 22

Overstepping your bounds in a friendship could lead to hard feelings.

Be aware of what you say and how you say it. An old friend comes to you for support on a personal matter. Try to put yourself in his or her place before offering advice. Health-related problems need to be addressed.

Capricorn

December 22 - January 19

Speak up, Capricorn, or you’ll never get what you want. You can’t expect others to read your mind: Be more assertive. This month an unpleasant reminder of your past makes you happy for what you have today. A Gemini friend helps put things into perspective.

Sagittarius

Aquarius November 23 - December 21

Quality time with your partner helps ease recent tensions. A special romantic effort goes a very long way. Young children play a big role later in the month. A little Leo may do something to win your heart. A Libra’s good news gives you something to smile about.

January 20 - February 18

Don’t be afraid to swallow your pride if it means saving a valuable relationship. You’ll be glad you did. Looking for a new job? If so, this could be an especially lucky month. Keep your eyes open for a new opportunity. Remember, appearances can be deceiving.

Pisces

February 19 - March 19

Jumping to conclusions before you know all the facts will steer you in a totally wrong direction. Make an effort to look at the big picture.

An old flame will be the focus of your thoughts mid-month. Use past mistakes to create a brighter romantic future. A break comes later in the month.