A Look at the KBL with the Busan KT Sonic Boom
seoulvibes
DJ Ross Mackay Page 18
groove By andrew chin
korea
feb ‘10 | issue 40
ice, ice baby ice climbing with Peter Choi-Jensen, who is in Korea for one reason... & one reason only By Matthew Graveline
INTL. TRAVEL
AUSTRALIA
GROOVE DINING
CHOCOLATE ADVENTURE EXPAT BAND
EL-SKEL
groove korea
FEBRUARY 2010
44-46
cover story
ICE CLIMBING So, walking into this freezer with this former English teacher I was excited to try my hand at a mountaineering sport that he told me he felt was a little easier than its summer cousin. With the ice pick there is an easy to hold grip, the only dilemma is getting it to stick into the ice. Beware of exploding ice, he says as I try my first placement. As an expert instructor he is constantly giving me advice on where to place my foot or my pick.
To contact GROOVE Korea for advertising, submissions or general comments, please email info@groovekorea.com or call 010-7560-5552
Disclaimer: The articles are the sole property of Groove Korea. No reproduction is permitted without the express written consent of Groove Korea. The opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. Publisher: MJ Kim & JY Choi Chief Consultant: Ju-han Kim Issue Date: Vol. 5, Issue 2 Feb. 1, 2010 Registration Date: January 25, 2008 Registration No. Seoul Ra 11806
Questions or comments please email us at: info@groovekorea.com
23
arts & entertainment
SUPERCOLOURSUPER One singular event regularly held that demonstrates the their multiplicity is the Round Robin. If you’ve ever seen the Jools Holland show, you’ll know what I’m talking about, but if not, imagine standing in the middle of a circle surrounded by bands.
40
groove dining
SPICE TABLE There is a wall of wines, a romantic ceiling high windows that creates a lofty feel, and a row of dynamic spices offered in an open kitchen on the second floor. They dim the lights at 9 p.m. for those who want to hang around after dinner.
50
sports
CANADA BALL HOCKEY KOREA They were still stuck at about 30 players coming out every week, and that was just not enough to start an actual league.Then came Tokyo. CBHK sent a group of their players over to Japan to play in an international ball hockey tournament.
56
around korea
HWAAM CAVE Just outside the entrance is a sign that warns you to use the bathroom nearby – it’s the last one for 1,803 meters or an hour and a half. Apparently, nature doesn’t provide any while in the cave, and no indoor plumbing exists once inside.
inside
tHeBYlast lauGH Brian AYlwarD paGe 74
06 opinion: daegu girls 08 calendar of events 10 events in february: jeju jeongwol daeboreum fire festival 12 korea beat 14 news: Korea’s aids policy 18 seoulvibes: ross mackay 24 CD review: dj pandol 26 korean film reviews: my girlfriend is an agent 62 listings: teams, clubs 68 konglish/games 70 itaewon/hongdae directory 72 pic of the month
06
opinion
Are Daegu Girls Prettier? By Chris Backe
A
friend recently asked me if I had heard about how Daegu women were the “prettiest.” No, I hadn’t, I replied – but it might be an interesting topic worth studying, I thought. My trusty “Moon Guidebook” on South Korea mentions the topic – hardly the only voice to pay attention to, but certainly a point in the theory’s favor. Needless to say, it was worth finding out for myself. Off I went using Korea’s excellent express bus system, albeit with an expectation that every Daegurl was a supermodel just waiting to be discovered. There’s little doubt in my mind that vanity is part of the Korean genome. At any given time or place, the locals are checking their hair or makeup on almost any reflective surface available, whether silver mirror or cell phone. Most were trying to look cute, and few seemed unstylish – it’s almost as if the fashion police were lurking and no one wanted to be that girl hauled away. Whether drinking coffee on the subway or a beer at a trendy club, being attractive seems almost as patriotic as singing the Korean national anthem. Most Dae-gurls didn’t seem as obsessed with following every little trend. That some wore more makeup than Cher made you wonder what was really underneath all those layers of foundation, blush, powder, concealer and lipstick.You’ll see the same overdone sort of look in Seoul, of course (girls, if you draw your eyebrows on with eyeliner, guys can tell). While most Daegu women are pretty, they are also as demure as their counterparts around the country. They are still Korean first and foremost; to this foreign observer, tradition continues to outweigh beauty. That they are considered “elusive” only adds to their allure. You’re unlikely to hear a Dae-gurl (or any other Korean girl for that matter) come out and proclaim how great they look to anyone. It’s also true that Daegu is becoming a medical tourism destination, and that many locals have taken advantage of the plastic surgeons around the area. Want proof? The underground shopping area around Daegu’s Jungangno subway station holds several photo studios -- most showing photos of locals having had the double eyelid surgery (that’s blepharoplasty to you pre-Med majors). The pressure to be beautiful is definitely present in Daegu, just like everywhere else in ultra-competitive Korea. Being beautiful, smart – and to a certain extent for guys, tall – is seen as the way to succeed in finding a job, a significant other and so on. Are Daegu girls the prettiest in Korea? In the eyes of this writer, they’re as pretty as they are in most other places around Korea. Too often, beauty in Korea is limited to the surface, and, if too much emphasis is placed on one’s appearance, there’s less focus offered on who a person really is. Beauty fades (just look at most ajumma you meet) and is far from the only thing worth focusing on.
Most Dae-gurls didn’t seem as obsessed with following every little trend.
calendar of events
> february
monday
sunday
tuesday Steak Dinner Night Every Tues @ Hollywood Grill in Itaewon. Only 13,500 won
Wing Night @ YALETOWN in Sinchon. 400won wings every Mon
ed L l e
c n a C
The Killers
Mexican Monday @ Sam Ryan’s in Itaewon
2 for 1 Fish & Chips @ Wolfhound Pub in Itaewon
Happy hour @ Big Rock in Gangnam Mon-Thur 6pm-8pm
Ribs Night Every Tues @ Sam Ryan’s in Itaewon. 250won/BBQ pork rib
february 6TH
Wing Night Mon & Tues @ Big Rock in Gangnam. 4 kinds of taste 1 dz of wings are special price 5,000won (BBQ, buffalo, teriyaki, red curry)
Beer Pong and Wii Every Sun @ YALETOWN in Shinchon Born in 1990. No Cover & 1 FREE Drink @ Club Mass in Gangnam til midnight Mimosa Party Every Sun @ Berlin in Itaewon 2-5pm Truck Stop Brunch Every Sat & Sun @ Rocky Mountain Tavern in Itaewon
Lunar New Year’s Day
Nanta Non-verbal Performance @ Nanta Theater. Open run
Quiz Night @ Orange Tree in HBC. Every Tuesday at 9:30pm
Open mic night @ Woodstock in Itaewon first and third Sunday of every month at 7:30 p.m.
2 for 1 Special @ Bar Bliss in Itaewon. Everyday 7-10pm
Build Your Own Breakfast Every Sat & Sun at Sam Ryan’s in Itaewon
Hot Wing Night Every Mon @ Pub Scrooge in Itaewon. 250won/wing
Language Exchange & Friendship Party Every Sat and Sunday in Sinchon 010-8722-4243 - iluvkorea.ning.com
22
Drunken Chicken Night @ Gecko’s in Itaewon
Monet to Picasso
@ Cheonggyecheon — until Feb. 28 @ Seoul Art Center — until Mar. 28
Andy Warhol Exhibition @ Seoul Arts Museum — until April 4
Big Rock NEW MENU More finger food and Snacks with reasonable prices starting from 6,000won
College Night @ Club Mass in Gangnam. No cover & 1 FREE drink with student ID til midnight
23
saturday Whitney Houston: Nothing But Love World Tour @ Olympic Park on 6th & 7th
Int’l Ski Festival in Yongpyeong from 5th until 7th. www.usskipatrol.com Ross Mackay in Busan @ Elune
The Dharma Club’s Last Show @ Freebird in Hongdae 10 pm
Vocal Company @ Rolling Hall
Tequila bottles 10% OFF @ Amigos in Itaewon. Every Thursday.
Karaoke Nights Every Fri @ Jane’s Groove in Hongdae 10:30pm-1:30am
Whatever That Means & More @ Club Spot
Beer Chugging Contest @ BricX in Itaewon and Hongdae
Henry Saiz @ Club Eden
Javi Colors @ Club MASS
4
3 Ladies Night Hip Hop Every Thur @ The Hive in Itaewon Wing Night @ Indigo in Haebangchon 10 for 3,000won. Ladies Night Every Thurs-Sat @ The Loft Pub in Itaewon
10
5
Amiga @ HEAVEN
Lunar New Year “Wig” party @ YALETOWN in Sinchon. BEST WIG wins a bottle of Crown Royal! RSVP to facebook: yaletown.seoul@gmail.com
Watch Vancouver Winter Olympics @ Beer O’Clock — Feb. 13 - March 1
Maroo, Every Single Day & More @ Rolling Hall
Digital Mafia Korea Tour Macao @ HEAVEN
Maximalism: Shut Da Mouth @ HEAVEN
Jazemina Vi, Shanell @ VERA
Sound Day - 2nd Friday of month in Hongdae
Yellow Puffer & More @ Club Spot
Short Fiction in Busan @ elune
Poker Tournament @ Fence in Yeoido. Foreigners ONLY
12
11 Shooters Night Every Thur @ Gecko’s in Itaewon. Every shot 4,500 won.
Massk Pole Night @ Club MASS
Mike Mikema @ HEAVEN
Another Day: 윤도현 @ Volume
Klever in Seoul @ mansion
Quiz Night every Wed @ Phillies in Haebangchon
Pizza Night Every Thur @ Pub Scrooge in Itaewon. 1,500won a slice
Rock Tigers & More @ DGBD Risque Rhythm Machine @ VERA
Galaxy Express, Kingston Rudieska, Sunday Losers, Stay Gold & More @ Sangsang Madang
Wing Night Every Thur @ Phillies in Haebangchon
Drag Bingo Night Every Fri @ Bar Bliss in Itaewon. 9pm
Manggakhwa @ Liveclub Ssam
10% OFF for ALL Tex-Mex @ Amigos in Itaewon. Every Wednesday
18
17
Poker Tournament Every Wed @ Fence in Nonhyun. Foreigners ONLY Only 9,900won for beef BBQ Every Wed. @ Gogitjib in HBC
Special Buffet @ Chakraa in Itaewon. Every Fri-Sun.
Ladies Night Hip Hop Every Thur @ The Hive in Itaewon
Uljin Snow Crab Festival from 26th until 28th
Wing Night @ Indigo in Haebangchon 10 for 3,000won.
Club Day - Last Friday of month in Hongdae
25
24
19
Seed, Derrick, Lied & More @ Moo-Monk in Busan
20
Speed Dating & Wine Night Presented by The Fresch Catch @ Vin Vino-Itaewon at 5pm www.freshcatchdateabase.com email thefreshcatch@yahoo.com Gildas & Masaya of Kitsune @ Club MASS
Ladies Night Every Fri @ Jane’s Groove in Hongdae Martini Night Every Fri @ Berlin in Itaewon
13
Sequential @ Jokerred
Happy Hour Every Fri @ Nomad’s Pool in Hongdae 9pm-midnight
Ladies Night Every Thurs-Sat @ The Loft Pub in Itaewon
6
Steve Lawler @ Club Eden
Acoustic Duo‘ Princess Disease’ Every Wed @ Ole Stompers in Itaewon
Backstreet Boys: This is US tour @ AX-Hall in Gwangjang-dong
Cocktail Night Every Tues @ Los Amigos in Itaewon. 50% OFF for cocktail with main food orders.
Indian Mythology Paintings
28 8
Trivia Night every Mon @ Rocky Mountain Tavern in Itaewon
Ladies’ Night @ YALETOWN in Sinchon. FREE selected shots for ladies every Thur(unlimited)!
16
Wing Night Every Tues @ Nashville in Itaewon 250won/wing. 5-8pm
English Teachers Night @ Big Rock in Gangnam. Every Sat & Sun 10% discount Foods & drinks
Quiz Night @ Wolfhound Every Sun at 8:30pm
TEXAS HOLD’EM IN BUSAN (Haeundae) Mon-Sun, after 6pm. Contact Jimmy Lee at playpokerinbusan@hotmail.com
Chicago Live in Seoul @ Olympic park
All Day Breakfast @ Wolfhound in Itaewon. All Day, every weekday
21
Guinness Day Every Tues @ Gecko’s in Itaewon.
15 Flip-a-Coin @ Gogitjib in Haebangchon Get TAILS and you get 50% off on your BBQ. Every Monday.
Open Mic Night @ Big Rock in Gangnam. Every 2nd & 4th Sunday from 7pm to 11pm
9
Free Taco Every Tues @ Panchos in Itaewon
14
Happy Hour @ Big Rock in Gangnam Mon-Thur 6pm-8pm
Spoken Word/Stand Up Comedy & Poetry Every Wed @ Tony’s Aussie Bar & Bistro in Itaewon 8-11pm
8
Valentine’s Day
Do Make Say Think @ V-Hall
Great Food Fish & Chips Night Every Tues @ Pub Scrooge. 1 Free Beer for Fish & Chips order.
BBQ 24 Hours @ Don Valley in Itaewon
Open Mic Event Every Mon @ Tony’s Aussie Bar & Bistro in Itaewon, 8-11pm
Stand Up Seoul First Thur of month at Rocky Mountain Tavern in Itaewon
2
Wing Night Every Tues @ Rocky Mountain Tavern in Itaewon 300won/wing
7
FREE STEAK with Groove Mag Coupon @ Mary Jane in Hongdae
Happy Hour All Night Long @ Bar Bliss in Itaewon. Every Wed
1
friday
thursday
wednesday
Basement JAXX @ Club Eden Steelheart @ Millennium Hall
26
27
Hope For Haiti Sun. Feb. 14
8 p.m. - midnight @ Roofers in Itaewon Check FACEBOOK for more details
whitney houston february 6th
chicago
february 23rd
backstreet boys february 24th
9
events in february
Performance Without Boundaries Busan’s International Performing Arts Festival By Adam Gunn
Island Inferno
by Jessica Black
Image courtesy of the festival organizers
After a wintry month of hibernation, it’s time to shake the snow from our boots and head south to Jeju-Do, ‘The Island of the Gods,’ to bask in the warm glow of the Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival (Feb 26th-28th). One of South Korea’s top vacation and honeymoon destinations, the island of Jeju was added to the UNESCO world heritage list in 2007 due to its stunning volcanic features and complex lava tubes. The island’s annual fire festival is set appropriately along the scenic slopes of the “Saebyeol Oreum,” a parasitic volcano connected to Jeju’s central Mt. Halla, formed by a volcanic eruption two million years ago. The highlight of the festival is the burning of the Saebyeol Oreum, which will take place on the day of the first full moon of the lunar year, “Daeboreum.” Flaming bamboo torches will be cast onto the oreum slopes to ignite over 300,000 square meters of grassland, sparking a simulated volcanic eruption and creating a dramatic spectacle of fire and light against the night sky. Visitors can also witness an impressive display of traditional Korean fireworks including “Daljip,” a spherical wooden “moon-house” which will be set ablaze, as well as a multimedia art exhibit, a laser lightshow, and a massive fireworks display. Those who feel they haven’t played with enough fire for one weekend can also take part in a torch-lit march, or check out the “Jubul Nori,” another fiery display in which paddy fields and river banks will be set alight in order to drive away rats and mice. Organizers hope to attract as many as 300,000 tourists to this year’s festival. The celebration draws its origins from the ancient farming practices on the island. For many
10
centuries, cattle-rearing was commonplace on Jeju. Every year the communal grazing land of the local village livestock was set alight in order to clear it of weeds and pests, and to promote the growth of fresh pasture. To the villagers, the fire also symbolized the destruction of negative energy, and was said to ward off misfortune and usher in good luck for the coming harvest. The modern incarnation of the festival, now celebrating its 14th year, aims to introduce visitors to the culture and traditions of the Jeju people, as well as providing a showcase for local products and businesses. Hugely apparent to all who visit Jeju is the islanders’ strong sense of community spirit. Teams from 33 villages will come together to participate in folk games, performances and contests, and foreign tourists are highly encouraged to join in the fun. The festival kicks off with an immense tug-ofwar between the islanders, followed by a moonhouse building contest and on the final day visitors can participate in an event involving colossal feats of strength and stamina, “Deumdol Deulgi.” In this coming-of-age ritual, young men lift heavy rocks of 100-130 kg each (originally the village entrance stones) and see how far they can run. Another quirky event to watch out for is the chaotic pig chasing race, where squealing swine are herded towards a finish line amidst equally loud squeals from the delighted onlookers. No festival is complete without music, and the presence of approximately 3,000 “Pungmulnori” musicians and dancers should ensure a lively and colourful atmosphere on this occasion. A folk music parade and “Ganggang Suwolrae,” a group circle dance, is sure to get the crowd moving. Spectators will also be entertained by the Jeju Performing Arts Company, who will present a show focusing on the themes Year of the Tiger and Jeju Myths, alongside performers hailing from
Jeju’s international sister-cities in the U.S., Japan and China. Grass sledding, kite flying, horse riding performances and carriage rides are just some of the activities designed to ensure that children and adults alike remain thoroughly entertained throughout the festival. Hands-on programs will introduce visitors to the region’s folk games such as “Jwibulnori,” a children’s game involving spinning cans of burning charcoal, and “Yutnori,” a traditional board game where four small sticks are thrown in place of dice. Climbing tours are also available to those who’d like to get a birds-eye view of the festivities from Saebyeol Oreum and nearby “Edal Oreum.” A folk market presenting a varied assortment of traditional crafts and specialty produce, as well as booths offering a selection of local delicacies will be on hand to guarantee that everyone who visits the festival will experience a wonderful taste of Jeju life. The Jeju Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival 2010 will be held on Saebyeol Oreum in Bongseong-Ri, Aewol-Eup, Jeju from Feb 26-28. Getting there: By plane: Regular flights to Jeju island depart Gimpo and Incheon airports. For further information visit www.koreanair.com, www.flyasiana. com, or www.jejuair.net By Ferry: Ferry services to Jeju-Do depart from Incheon, Busan and Mokpo 3~6 times a week. For detailed information see www.visitkorea.or.kr or call the Korea Travel Phone: +82-2-1330 Buses: Jeju cross country and airport limousine buses pass by the festival grounds, and additional transport will be made available to accommodate festival goers. For further information visit the festival website: www.buriburi.go.kr or www.jejusi.go.kr.
This May when the weather is perfect on the Southern tip of the peninsula, Busan will host its annual International Performing Arts Festival, BIPAF. This year’s line-up has some great performances from countries such as Italy, France, Japan, Taiwan and Russia. Many of the shows come directly from other famed international performing arts festivals such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (The Fringe), the world’s largest performing arts festival, and The Avignon Performing Arts Festival which highlights the best of French performing arts. One of the shows performing this year is rumored to be where director Luc Besson borrowed the famous blue alien opera scene for his movie The Fifth Element. Luc Besson saw the performance several years before making the movie and the similarities between the movie scene and the performance make it easy to see where the director could have been found his inspiration. This year BIPAF will have over twenty-five different performances hailing from around the world. The performances will be held on three different stages centering around Busan’s Kyungsung University district. Kyungsung is centrally located with great access to restaurants, bars, and close to both Gwanganli and Haeundae beach. It’s easily accessed by subway and has one of the busiest foreign areas in Busan. The festival runs over the first two weekends of May, from the 1st to the 10th.This year’s theme is “What are the Boundaries of Performing Arts?” They are putting together a show that tries to create performances without boundaries. Each show should push the boundaries of imagination, and encompass many viewpoints and styles. The plays should show each country’s perspective on art
Wild Women’s Performing Arts Festival
and performance, and get the viewers to stretch the boundaries of what they thought was possible in the performing arts. Shows blend dance, music and theater, giving a wide variety of what performing arts has to offer. May is a beautiful time to visit Busan and the festival runs over the Korean holiday Children’s Day. Tickets are reasonably priced at 25,000 won for opening and closing performances, 15,000 won for weekday performances and the best deal is a 50,000 won festival pass which allows you to either see the opening or closing ceremonies and performance plus four regular shows. One special aspect of this year’s festival will be a side festival aptly called The Ten Minute Performing Arts Festival. It is a concept open to the public where anybody is free to create a ten minute performance. BIPAF encourages adults, students and
Photo by Jeremiah Hill www.jeremiahhill.com
By Lauren Bedard The twentieth century saw feminism enjoying many important victories around the world.Yet the struggle for equality is an ongoing one that cannot be ignored. Here in Korea the disparities between men and women are quite apparent: few women are government ministers or senior executives; women still receive less pay than men for the same work; and vast disparities still exist between society’s expectations of female and male behavior. So, how should these gender inequalities be addressed? Rebecca Cant and Angela Lytle, cofounders of the Wild Women’s Performing Arts Festival, seem to have found a possible solution. “One doesn’t have to attend too many shows or events in Korea to notice that women are in the minority of those getting up on stage,” said Rebecca Cant. Under the auspices of the festival, they have provided a very unique forum for women performers to join together and raise awareness about gender issues in Korea and around the world. Through aural and visual performances from female poets, musicians, storytellers and dancers, the event addresses the issue of gender equality in a way that Korean and English speakers alike can benefit from. Now in its third season, the bi-annual fundrais-
ing event is fully supported by the Korea Women’s Association United, and all proceeds are given to the KWAU. The KWAU, which was established in 1987, is an umbrella organization that unites over forty member-organizations, including anti sextrafficking groups, the domestic violence hotline and agencies for disabled women.They have made tremendous progress in achieving gender equality, such as the enactment and amendment of laws relating to sexual violence, and a successful movement to increase the number of Korean congresswomen from 5.9 percent to 13.5 percent. The Wild Women’s Performing Arts Festival on Feb. 27 will actually be the prelude to an even larger event this year, International Women’s Day. IWD is a global event that is held on March 8 each year in order to encourage equality between men and women. The Festival will feature up and coming artists, Orgeltanz and Dringe Augh, both from South Korea’s indie label, Electric Muse; as well as Bigbabydriver, Oriental Lucy and a solo performance by
children to create a ten minute show to perform. The shows will be performed throughout the week and finals will be held on Saturday May 8. Theme, subject matter and language are open and prizes are to be given at the closing ceremonies. Ten minute shows will be broken into categories, there will be student, child and adult performances. The schedule for the Ten-Minute Performing Arts Festival is as follows: Application Period: Feb. 1- Apr. 2 Preliminaries: May 20 May 5 Finals: May 8, 2 p.m. For more info on BIPAF or to participate in the Ten Minute Festival check out www.bipaf.org Or become friends on Facebook or Twitter, just search for the Busan International Performing Arts Festival. Zee of The Pines, just to name a few. If you have never heard the Seoul septet, Orgeltanz, then you are missing out, as it includes internationally acclaimed belly dancer, Eshe, as well as a unique bohemian vibe. The chosen venue this year is the beautiful Mong Hwan, in Sinchon, which consists of three unique and artistically designed floors. Bands, spoken word artists and dancers will each be featured on the separate floors, and a silent auction showcasing the works of local photographers and painters, themed “Women: Strength, Beauty, Unity,” will also be held during the evening. All proceeds will go to the KWAU. Plus, a late-night DJ session will ensure that everyone is entertained until the wee hours of the morning. Although one night is not enough to eradicate gender inequality, it is a step in the right direction. Through continued activism and support, women in Korea and throughout the world will be given equal opportunities and benefits as men. So come on out to Mong Hwan on Feb. 27 and enjoy some spectacular performances for a great cause. The event will be from 8 p.m. until and the DJ spins her last song! For more information about the Wild Women’s Performing Arts Festival, visit our Facebook page. To check out Mong Hwan and their special events, visit club.cyworld.com/monghwan. To submit a piece for the auction, please contact Lauren Bedard before Feb. 21 at laurenbedard1980@yahoo.com
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www.koreabeat.com
KOREA BEAT
february
the blog for korean news in english translation
Bar Fight Exposes Education Bribery Scandal Where Would You Hide
On the evening of Dec. 3 police arrested a pair of drunken work colleagues from Seoul Metropolitan office. In a local drinking place, the pair, 50-year-old Mr. Lim and 50-year-old Ms. Goh, were drinking together when an argument started between them. Goh struck Lim in the head with her high heeled shoe. After they were arrested, police expected the scholarship administrators to be embarrassed by their drunken actions and for the dispute to be settled easily. However, the situation became much more serious when Goh claimed that Lim had received 20,000,000 won ($17,250) in bribes for giving passes to students on scholarship tests. Police began investigating the bribery allegations. Goh’s original statements were that Lim had asked for compensation for giving a good score back in 2008, when he was a Middle School teacher at ‘S’ Middle School. He promised that he would give a certain student a good score in the interview part of the test. Goh also told the police about a Mr. Noh of ‘Y’ High School in Seoul who also gave Lim 10,000,000 won. Upon police inquiry Noh claimed to have borrowed that money, but other evidence has proven this to be untrue. Noh eventually confessed that he wanted a scholarship for someone so he paid for it. The police officially stated that two people had been brought in for questioning along with Noh. Police have also passed on the details for a full audit to be conducted. Last November Lim had already been arrested on bribery charges, so it is likely that the police investigation into Seoul Metropolitan Offices will get bigger. Police are also paying close attention to those who were involved in the lead up to his arrest. An attorney told the judges that Lim hid the corruption in the Seoul Metropolitan Office to protect his superiors. The attorney confirmed Goh’s accounts. Police also found 3,000,000 won in Lim’s car that he has been unable to explain. 12
30 KG of Gold Bullion?
D
Exclusive
to Groove Korea
id security personnel at Incheon International Airport allow 30 kilograms of gold bullion to pass through uninspected? Word is spreading that Incheon International Airport police officers smuggled gold bullion out of the country. The officers who smuggled the 30 kilograms or so of gold bullion on Jan. 22 were allowed to continue to the exit, raising many questions. Airport police, businesses, and airport employees are keeping their distance from the incident. But security procedures for average people entering and leaving the country are tight, with body searches and x-ray scans possible in addition to passport and boarding pass checks. Accordingly, in a normal situation there would be no way to pass through security with 30 kilograms or more of gold bullion attached to one’s body. But they were able to “leisurely” stroll through with the gold bullion, pass through security, and leave the country.
With a police badge on they were able to pass through security with inspection treated as a formality. The incident has exposed a new flaw in the security systems in place at Incheon Airport. The security service that inspects people entering and exiting the country has hired security employees from a service business and will put airport police in charge. Accordingly, the front-line security employees will be led by airport police, making them subject to closer scrutiny. The officers found to have smuggled gold bullion in the current incident had been assigned to security inspections and management. In 2004, a different incident of gold bullion being smuggled by police officers assigned to the airport led to 77 out of the 100 police officers there being transferred and women being selected to be 50% of uniformed customs workers, as well as enhanced search powers being granted. But this latest incident turned out exactly the same. Therefore some say there is a need for systemic reforms to the airport’s security inspections. One employee of the airport said, “this incident has revealed a weak point of the operation of security inspection systems for those entering and exiting the country... The organizations in charge are gathering opinions of how to improve those systems.”
Singer Arrested for Smoking Pot While in Hospital
The Nambu Police Department in Incheon reported on Jan. 19 it had arrested two people, including 52-year-old singer Mr. Kim, on charges of repeatedly smoking marijuana in a hospital room. Police also arrested 50-year -old Mr. Han for selling marijuana to them.
According to police, from Jan. 4 until recently Kim was being treated in a hospital in Dong-gu, Incheon, after being in a car accident and got to know Han, with whom he smoked normal cigarettes with marijuana powder placed inside tens of times. Kim confessed, “while I was
in hospital I was depressed and smoked marijuana.” A member of the police said, “despite the freezing winter weather they opened up a window and turned on an electric fan to eliminate the odor of marijuana... A tip came in and we caught them.”
After Plastic Surgery, Still Afraid to Go Outside
“The customer you are attempting to call is unavailable for the moment.” If you call her that is the message you hear. She has changed her phone number so many times even her friends do not know it anymore. She is 24-year-old Shin Hyeon-jeong (a pseudonym), who has not in been touch with friends and acquaintances for over a year. Once a normal college student, she became this way over a more than two year period. “It was a single surgery that would take away my complex and make me pretty. I wanted to end my pain and so I went to the hospital.” Ms. Shin got together the W15 million fee for the surgery and had surgery on her eyes, nose, forehead, cheekbones, and chin at a plastic surgery clinic in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, at the end of 2007. “The surgery was a success, let’s take a photo,” she heard several times. She had kept the surgery a secret, even from her parents, and refused to be photographed. The hospital coaxed her, “nobody else will see it, only we will have it.” Tired of having to keep refusing, Shin gave in and let them take her picture. Shin began suffering painful aftereffects, including an ache in her chin, but told nobody about the surgery, bearing the pain all alone. But it has now been over one year. Shin was shocked and startled by what a friend said. “I saw your picture in the hospital. Was that really you? We hardly recognized you.” It was not a mere one or two people who had seen her face. People she didn’t even know took to mocking her, saying, “somehow your face looks unnatural.” Shin phoned the hospital. At first the clinic denied any such thing had happened, but on hearing her acquaintance’s name said, “we have the rights to your picture.” When she protested by saying “if I sue you, you will have to remove the picture,” the clinic promised to , “keep just in our archives.” A year passed, until in December of last year Shin was again plunged into depression after having barely pulled herself together. The clinic had placed her photo on their webpage. Afraid, she wept and wept, as their homepage showed her after the surgery with make-up and a smile. “’If I just insist it’s not me it will be OK’ it might be OK, but the photo was uploaded
without a mosaic, anybody can see it’s me.” It had already come up dozens of times on blogs and portals such as Naver and Daum. Her world went dark. The numerous comments left under the photo made her think of dying. The final straw was the nonchalant attitude of the clinic. “We’re sorry, but if you come to the hospital we will give you a modelling fee. Or would you like more surgery?” Their lawyer said to her, “the photo is good advertising , so may we not continue using it for a modelling fee?” Last December, Shin finally appealed to the committee to protect personal information of the Ministry of Public Administration ( 행정안전부). Shin spoke in a trembling voice. “At the clinic they seem to think they can just pay me a few million won and it will all be OK. But when I’m walking outside people I don’t know laugh at me and I wonder if they saw my picture, so I have a social phobia now. I can’t even have a boyfriend.” Plastic surgery clinics typically use their homepages to compete for customers, and there an increasing number of cases, similar to Shin’s, where a clinic placed “before and after” photos of patients without their consent. Kang Dal-cheon, head of the Ministry’s personal information committee, said, “cases like this, where a conflict arises over a photo taken after surgery is kept, crop up every month.” Cases of conflicts with plastic surgery conflicts increased from 1,430 in 2003 to 2,016 in 2009. It is believed that a large number of them involve photographs. Plastic surgery clinics involved in such disputes say they have no choice but to depend on advertising because of the fiercely competitive nature of their business. One department had at a plastic surgery clinic in Apgujeong-dong said, “a lot of people who come to the clinic make the decision to have surgery after seeing photos of other people’s results, so there is no way the hospital can ignore the photos.” There is also the problem of insufficient legal attention being paid to advertising on internet cafes and websites. The advertising committee of the Korean Medical Association (대한의사 협회), which judges clinic advertisements, announced, “currently internet advertising is being considered.’
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NEWS
Korean AIDS Policy Much Ado About Nothing or Headed in the Right Direction?
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By Adam Walsh I applaud President Lee for his country’s leadership in ending restrictions towards people living with HIV that have no public health benefit,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon while publicly heralding South Korea’s global leadership. A Jan. 4 press statement from UNAIDS applauded the “removal of entry restrictions based on HIV status by the United States of America and Republic of Korea.” According to the statement, the elimination of restrictions came into effect on Jan. 1. Meanwhile, within Korea there was a lack of clarity over what changes were actually taking place. In a country where foreigners generally aren’t tested for HIV prior to entry, questions arose over what entry restrictions had actually changed. There were also mixed messages with the government removing regulations on the one hand, while debating much more stringent rules on mandatory HIV testing of foreigners on the other. Ministry of Justice PR spokesperson, Ahn Gyu- zens before any other matters, so we think it was seok, was reached for clarification of what changes wrong for the Ministry of Justice to alleviate their the government brought into place on Jan. 1. Ahn regulations on allowing HIV-positive foreigners to stated that there have been no changes to the rules enter Korea.” Seo further explained that part of the Bill’s intent for testing foreigners for HIV and that the rule for travel restrictions wasn’t completely changed either. is to ensure the safety of children taught by foreign “Originally, we deported foreigners who tested English teachers. “I think this is rather a global trend. positive for HIV. And they were not allowed to visit For instance, in the United States when schools are Korea again. But, in light of the Jan. 1 announce- recruiting teachers, the qualifications are stricter ment, the rule is just getting more flexible, meaning than other companies. They are especially cautious of their physical and health conditions.” that the rule is not changed. Benjamin Wagner, a profes“If foreigners who work sor of law at Kyunghee Unihere test positive, we would “Originally, we deported versity in Seoul, was unimnot immediately deport foreigners who tested positive pressed by the government’s them… If foreigners who for HIV. And they were not announcement. tested positive could be treatallowed to visit Korea again. “Korea’s removal of the ed in Korea, we will let them travel ban on foreigners with But, in light of the Jan. 1 stay. But as for foreigners HIV is purely a symbolic who are judged by medical announcement, the rule is just gesture for the international centers as highly dangerous, getting more flexible, meaning community. In Korea, nothwe will impose restrictions that the rule is not changed.” ing has changed. In fact, the on them,” said Ahn. — Ministry of Justice PR past year has seen an increase As for how someone who spokesperson Ahn Gyu-seok in mandatory in-country testis HIV positive gets judged ing of foreign residents, with as “dangerous,” Ahn said that after the Ministry of Justice is informed of an even foreign spouses of Korean nationals subject to individual’s status, it is then up to the Ministry of compulsory tests in some cases. Migrant workers Health to designate whether or not they are deemed continue to be tested.” He added, “And in the case of foreign teachers, the a health threat. “If foreigners who test positive for HIV negatively government has recently decided not only to test on influence public health, we will restrict them from arrival, but to retest them yearly. With this new rere-visiting Korea. For example, in the case of HIV testing scheme, Korea joins only about six countries positive foreigners having sexual relationships with- with the world’s most restrictive HIV policies in in Korea is one example of when we would restrict place. And politicians are pushing ahead with plans someone. If those foreigners do not influence on for even more mandatory AIDS tests for foreigners public health, we, the MOH, will let them be treated with a bill that will go to vote just next month at the with medication (drugs) in Korea,” said Park Il-hoon National Assembly.” Commenting on the year ahead and where he of the Ministry of Health. On what is seen as a more stringent approach to wants global HIV attitudes and actions to proceed, potential government policy is Bill 3356, which is UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe said, scheduled to be debated in the Assembly this month. “I call for global freedom of movement for people The Bill, written by Assemblyman Lee Sang-jun, if living with HIV in 2010, the year when countries passed, will require mandatory AIDS testing of all have committed to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.” foreigners applying for work visas in Korea. Although it has taken a step in the right direcWhen reached for comment on the Jan. 1 announcement, Lee’s spokesperson Seo Bo-kun said, tion, this month will be a big determiner for how “It’s good that the government is becoming more the world will view Korea and its HIV/AIDS policy. tolerant towards foreigners... but we think that the Then people will be able to effectively judge whethgovernment should prioritize the safety of our citi- er Sibide’s hopes are being realized. 14
Haiti Earthquake
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By Adam Walsh hile many people were busy forgetting their New Year resolutions, much of Haiti was destroyed by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on Jan. 12. Recognized as the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation, what little economic progress and development there was, was destroyed as the country was shaken to ruins. With hundreds of thousands buried, dead and dying, help was desperately needed. First for rescue, but now for keeping survivors alive and rebuilding a nation that has been pushed even further into despair. Some on the ground have said that with the help from around the world thus far, the situation has gone from “catastrophic to simply chaotic.” More help is needed as it will be a long, long process towards rebuilding and hopefully eventually improving upon what was there before. If you wish to send a donation to help, below is contact and bank information for NGOs located in Korea who are sending aid to Haiti. • • •
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Crazy Corea
Wacky News From 2009
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By Rob McGovern sia can be a mad, mad place and Korea receives it share of attention from the world’s media. So here is a look back at a few stories that made the news around the world last year. Hopefully we can look forward to some more buffoonery and brainlessness from our hosts in 2010. First, is an old lady who embodies the neversay-die attitude and someone who proves that if you keep on trying (and have a seemingly endless pot of money to fritter away) you can achieve anything. Expats well know the recklessness with which Korean drivers jerk and lurch around the nation’s roads, but if Wanju county’s 68-year-old professional test taker Cha Sa-soon get her way (and she probably will, given her determined attitude), there may well be another menace on the roads. She passed her driving theory test on the 950th attempt. Yes, that does read NINE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH. She spent over 5 million won between April 2005 and November 2009 on a 50 minute test with 50 multiple choice questions, but she still has to pass the practical test to get on the road. Given that it took her so long to pass a written test that is, I would imagine relatively straightforward, given the amount of complete imbeciles on the roads here, we can expect to see Mrs. Cha on a road near you (or should that be me since she ap-
parently lives in Jeonju) in around 2020, just in time for her 80th birthday. Not mad enough for you? How about a fish that looks like a man. Not since Street Sharks, the crime-fighting half-man/half-sharks have peole been so excited about a fish-man. The hybrid descendants of a carp and tangerine fish were discovered near Chongju, and according to a man who has apparently claimed the fish as his own because they live near his house, they have been getting more and more human over the last few years, which obviously they haven’t. In yet another mad tale involving Korea, a law dating back to 1953, banning men from falsely promising marriage in return for sex has been thrown out. Previously, you could have been sent to the clink for two years and been ordered to pay about $4,000 for falsely promising to marry your woman in order to secure her services in the bedroom, but the court said the law contradicted the government’s “constitutional obligation to aim for the equality of men and women.” The nine-member court ruled in a 6-3 verdict (presumably six men against three women) that the archaic law was an infringement on the dignity of women. So go and make promises that your big-nosed white backside can’t cash, but don’t be surprised if you find yourself in the dock with a judge telling you that of course that law wasn’t repealed for you
NEWS whitey, that’s was just so HE could go and make all kinds of promises to get laid. How about an abandoned Boeing 747 being dumped in Namyangju, Gyeonngi-do? This might not be new news, in fact I know it isn’t, but seeing as the plane is still there you might want to go and visit it. The second ever Boeing 747 off the production line, the N747PA “Clipper Juan T. Trippe” was shipped to Seoul in 42 shipping containers after it was retired with the mad idea of turning it into a restaurant. It didn’t work and so the lucky people of Hopyeong-dong, Namyangju city now have a piece of historic scrap they can look at and presumably climb all over whenever they want. It is northeast of the main train terminal and you can see it from the raised platform. Ever wanted to scare the shit out of your kids, or any kids for that matter? Well Korean scientists have just the thing for you. In April last year some boffins decided it would be fun to create a glow-in-the-dark dog. The mad scientists infected a dog’s fibroblast cells with a virus that inserted the fluorescent gene into a cell’s nucleus. They then transferred the fibroblast’s nucleus to another dog’s egg cell, with its nucleus removed. After a few hours dividing in a Petri dish, researchers implanted the cloned embryo into a surrogate mother. As if you really gave a shit about the science, but the outcome was a dog that glows red under ultraviolet light. Just get a pack of them with collars that emit UV light and walk them around town in the dead of night to create all kinds of havoc. And finally the maddest thing of all must be that Seoul came third in a list of the worst cities in the world. OK, it was stupid poll and attracted a bare number of voters, but at least we don’t all live in Wolverhampton.
Compassion Korea Phone: (02) 3668-3400 Direct bank account donations can be made to: 798890-12-059071 (Kookmin Bank) World Vision Korea Phone: (02) 784-2004 Direct bank account donations can be made to: 082015-19504-036 (Industrial Bank of Korea) Korean Red Cross Phone: (02) 3705-3705 Direct bank account donations can be made to: 1005-601-613021 (Woori Bank) Good Neighbors International Tel: (02) 6717-4000 Direct bank account donations can be made to: 1005-400-955814 (Woori Bank) Unicef Korea Phone: (02) 723-8215 Direct bank account donations can be made to: 140-007-215-267 (Shinhan Bank) 15
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arts & entertainment
“There once was a band name El-Skel, Who used to wail and scream about hell…” Whoever completes the limerick the best, (email the band), will win a piggy-back ride from bass-player, Mark. Article and photos by Summer Walker That’s the kind of stuff you can expect when hanging out with the guys of El-Skel, Seoul’s premier electro-rock band. At a gig, their “massive attack meets Tool” style and the throngs of fans they already have will have you bouncing angstily or banging your head against a wall… in a good way. You might describe their sound as ‘experimental.’ They mix drum tracks with live guitar, and never even bothered to choose a front man. El-Skel has been around Seoul since about October, but they are certainly not a new band. Tommy (U.K.) and Chad (U.S.) met in Japan in 2008. There, they enjoyed relative success as a local act, but ran into a few obstacles. First of all, the scene didn’t seem to support up-and-coming bands. When they were able to play, it cost a bunch of money to transport themselves and their equipment to and from shows. Anyone who has ever taken a taxi in Tokyo after midnight knows exactly what the guys are taking about. Guitarist, Chad, had lived in Korea before and knew what it was like, so he suggested to Tommy that they take their act to the ROK. The duet planned accordingly. Three of four months before they made the move, they posted on Craig’s list that they needed a bass player. They quickly found Mark, who got his start in the small-but-famous Cheong-ju and Bucheon scenes. He was intrigued by the “similar to Massive Attack” ad, and it was decided he was a good fit. With this addition, El-Skel was able to hit the ground running. The first time they played publicly in Korea was at Stompers open Mic night (every Tuesday at 9 p.m.). After playing there a few times, their first gig was at
the Hae Bang Chon Music Festival (www.hbcfest.com), where they played at Orange Tree. If you’ve ever been there, you know it’s not exactly set up for rock and roll. Because of this, they reached into their own pockets to rent equipment to showcase their original songs. Outside, people on the street started telling the crowd that some new, awesome band was playing upstairs. In spite of Chad’s Little Red Riding Hood costume, the bar was jam-packed in the afternoon, which is unheard of at an HBC fest. Another story about El-Skel that’s worth telling is from Tommy: “One night at a venue we were the headliners, but all the other bands ran over on time so we got on the stage an hour and a half late. The DJ that was coming on after us kept coming up to us in between songs asking us how long we had left, so I told him to go suck my dick, on the mic, to the audience. After the show we realized the DJ was also the owner of the club, and this guy was pissed off. Really pissed off, but Chad being the negotiator he is sorted everything out, and we got booked for another show.” The future for El-Skel has been set in a band-made timeline. Groove has been informed that they are certainly “not working on a top secret project,” but you can make conclusions about that yourself. Their immediate future includes a demo and a lot more shows. They especially would like to extend a welcome to Korean audiences, and Chad dares you to test his Korean language skills. To finish off, Chad would like to tell Groove readers, “I want everyone to support local musicians. It’s important to check out what bands are doing here in Korea. A lot of hard work and time goes into what we do, and all we want is for people to come out and enjoy what we have created.”
“After the show we realized the DJ was also the owner of the club, and this guy was pissed off.”
To find out more information on El-Skel, check them out on Facebook. You can listen to their track, “Zomby” at http://soundcloud.com/el-skel
GROOVe with seoulvibes
MaYhem
musos Interview with ross macKaY
for THe
“One of the most intense DJs to land in Seoul with a connection to the dance floor that’s unrivaled at the moment.” We uttered these words about Ross MacKay last summer and since that time he has maintained our convictions and exceeded our expectations. In less than a year, this DJ has taken the peninsula by storm. After reading his prose you will realize the passion and knowledge that accompanies him behind the decks.
What is the definition of DJ to you?
To me a DJ is someone who is there to play to the crowd and not their own ego. Every DJ has their own style of DJing and taste in music and usually 90% of the crowd attending your gig should know what you play. This is the ideal situation and any good DJ can really push the crowd and lift the energy in a club. However, if 90% of the crowd are not feeling your set, I feel it’s up to the DJ to swallow their pride and find tunes that will hook the crowd back into the journey you are trying to take them on.
Who has influenced your music the most? When I first started listening to techno back in 1992, the bands that got my attention from an early age were The Prodigy, Chemical Brothers and a happy hardcore group called Ultra-Sonic. As far as music goes for my track selection when DJing, I’ve always liked tracks with phatt basslines. I’m loving the productions of Lazy Rich, Wolfgang Gartner and Deadmau5 at the moment.
What were your expectations when you first came to Asia? Coming from Ireland I’m used to seeing and playing with mainly European and American DJs. I’ve only really come across productions from Japanese artist Yoji Biomehanika, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect from Asia to be honest. I’m glad I made the journey because the clubbing scene is very much alive and vibrant in the land of the morning calm.
What was your first impression after playing in Korea? It was actually the crowd’s reaction to the breakdown that got my attention. In Europe the breakdown is one of the most important parts of a track and usually the longer the build-up the more the crowd reacts. Here it’s completely the opposite. The first time my breakdown dropped, the crowd stopped and stood practically still. I thought I’d done something wrong and I think a lot of European DJ’s get a little shocked when this happens to them here. Now a lot of my tracks usually have quicker breakdowns or have a rhythm running through them.
What differences do you find between clubbers in Busan and Seoul? Busan’s clubbers are very open to new sounds. I think this is great and is only going to improve the scene down there as more superclubs are set to open over the next few months. As for Seoul, I love the crowds here. They are very receptive to my style of music and when I start to get energetic in the DJ booth the same happens
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on the dancefloor. There is nothing a DJ likes more than seeing hundreds of clubbers bounce in harmony to the latest bomb they have just dropped!
Which club suites your style the most? I love clubs with loud sound systems and even louder crowds. Out of all the clubs I’ve played at here two stand out -- Heaven and Elune. I think clubbers are spoiled for choice as far as superclubs go, but I was really impressed with the layout and visuals at Heaven. Being the first DJ to spin there in 2010 amongst flames of fire and confette falling from the ceiling was truely jaw dropping and the crowd responded likewise. Elune on the other hand has one of the best and most open-minded crowds I’ve played to here.
What is the most comical thing you have seen behind the decks? Peter Hook. I always have my doubts with any Dj that completes a two hour set and never touches their headphones once. To me foul play has occurred. No better example than the case of Peter Hook who was infamously caught playing a mix that was especially recorded for Mixmag by Armin Van Buuren. Hook even toys with the mixer during the set trying to pass it off as his own work. Classic slip-up!
Is there a track that you never get tired of playing? I always try to find new tracks and incorporate them into my set, but friends who religiously come to my gigs might be able to answer this one better than me. As I’m a big fan of The Prodigy, I always love to drop a bootleg of one of their tracks now and again. I have a version of “No Good Start The Dance” that always sends shivers down my spine when the crowd reacts to it. But at the moment it would have to be the Deadmau5 remix of Crystal Method’s “Cherry Twist.”
Do you think genres are killing dance music? Oh god, the ultimate question. I don’t know if it’s killing it, making it more fun for muzos (people who think they know everything about music) or just down right annoying. Years ago I played dance music. SIMPLE. Now I play electro house with a side portion of tech house and a sprinkle of tech trance. Now put that in your muzo mouth and swallow!
What is your take on Korea’s present dance culture? I think the scene here is strong and looking like it’s only going to improve further. Korea has so many superclubs, which is great but it also has its down side too. In one weekend Seoul could have the same line-up that would be the Saturday roster at a huge festival back home. This is great for the clubbers. However, on the flip side all the residents with these clubs are playing the same type of tech house music and clubbers are not really getting a variety of dance music. Clubbers need to give their support to smaller clubs/ venues where there is a great mixture of music styles because eventually the bigger clubs have to take note to the sounds of the underground.
There are those who believe that talent alone will bring you success. The reality of this industry is that talent coupled with toil is the formula and many times that is not even enough. Ross MacKay is the product and he backs it up with mixes, promo videos, and professionalism. His love for music and his craft is evident from start to finish. One does not need to read a rank or poll to realize that MacKay is the most sought after DJ on the peninsula. Listen to one of his mixes, checkout one of his promo videos, or even better go see him play. This is a column dedicated to electronic music in Korea. Our aim is to give Groove Korea readers: interviews and updates on what is happening on the peninsula. Feel free to contact the links below for information on clubs, DJs, or events!
seoulvibes@gmail.com | www.myspace.com/seoulvibes check out seoulvibes on:
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Bomb&Tree By Shawn Despres
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veteran of the Korean underground rock scene, guitarist and pianist Seongrock wanted to explore a different musical path when he started his Bomb&Tree project in March 2008.
He had previously spent three years playing with psychedelic noise band Marijuana, but left the group in 2005 due to artistic differences. Marijuana later became The Mustangs (and titled their 2007 sophomore effort “Acid Trip” to keep the drug references alive). Seong-rock then joined Superstring. The progressive chamber rock group toured Europe in 2006, but later went on an indefinite hiatus due to everyone’s busy schedules. While Marijuana and Superstring placed a heavy emphasis on creating dense, dynamic instrumentation, with Bomb&Tree Seong-rock wanted to make music with a greater focus on the vocals. Having not sung since his high school days, he suggested to his university friend Ye-eun that they create something together. “Ye-eun is pretty and is a good singer,” he says. “I really like the tone of her voice.” “Marijuana’s sound was so strong and brutal and Superstring were a really structural and classically-minded band. Marijuana’s front man sang, but his lyrics were often yelled. My aim for Bomb&Tree was to have more actual singing in the songs.” The duo issued a five-track CD single of melodic indie pop called “City ‘N Lights” in early 2009. Shortly after its release, Ye-eun decided to travel abroad leaving Seong-rock as the sole member of Bomb&Tree. “Ye-eun went to France last March to study music,” he explains. “She said that she would like to stay there for two or three years. I think she will have a lot of great musical experiences there.” Liking the idea of putting out a few tracks at a time, Seong-rock began penning material for a second CD single. Although he briefly contemplated a name change, he opted to keep operating as Bomb&Tree and assumed the role of vocalist as well.
Bomb&Tree’s “Sooner Or Later” and “City ‘N Lights” CD singles can be purchased from Hy ang Music in Sinchon. For mo re information about Bomb &Tree, visit www.bombntree .com
The duo issued a five-track CD single of melodic indie pop called “City ‘N Lights” in early 2009.
“It’s a lot more pressure for me to sing because it’s challenging to channel exactly what I want through my vocals. However, I think it is more efficient than having someone else trying to capture my vision for the songs.” Comprised of two cuts, Bomb&Tree’s “Sooner Or Later” disc went on sale in December. Planet Shiver’s DJ Friz and The Plastic Day’s bassist, Ho-seong, made guest appearances on “City ‘N Lights.” DJ Friz was asked again to lend his scratching skills to the lead number on “Sooner Or Later.” Seongrock invited Ho-seong and The Plastic Day’s drummer,Yun-beom, to back him on both new compositions. “When I began making music by myself it felt really narrow, so I approached Ho-seong and Yun-beom about being session players because they are good musicians,” he said. “One of my best memories from making the songs was the first practice session we did together. It lasted about two hours and was so much fun. They are good friends of mine and they suggested many ideas to me.” Recorded in four different locations throughout Seoul, “Sooner Or Later” retains the melodic pop of “City ‘N Lights,” but features more intricate and confident playing. Seong-rock’s emotive vocals add an infectious soulful edge to the proceedings. “I like that it has more band-styled music. I would like to eventually make Bomb&Tree into a proper band.” Looking to build upon the solid “Sooner Or Later,” the ambitious Seong-rock already knows how he wants to further develop as Bomb&Tree. He hopes to have another CD single ready by April and to finish an EP for the fall. “The title means I will make good music … sooner or later,” offers the humble, talented artist. “I’m satisfied with some parts of my single, but there is still so much more that I would like to do with the arrangements, vocals and overall sound.”
SuperColourSuper By Judge D. Pockets
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hyme-spitting, baggy jeans-wearing, hip hop boys in the Hongdae park (that have never heard of Mc Ren or Chuck D). Mohawk-rocking, safety pin-showing young ‘uns stood outside any of the many punk shows this city hosts drinking cans of Cass, (yet not a Clash CD in sight)…Of course there are scenes here, man!
If like me, however, you’ve ever thought that you’re living in a city where image is everything, style outweighs substance and a man bag rules all, these images of crowds mingling around venues and public places become more of an indictment of a lack of scene rather than evidence for it. This might all be about to change however; that is, if Sean Maylone and Christina Cho have anything to do with it. Since meeting at a show over the summer, they soon realized they shared more than one common interest. More importantly, these interests were not built from negativity or morose sentiments. SuperColorSuper, the promotion and booking organization fronted by Sean and Christina, has been founded on not only pure positive energy, but drive and determination. One of the most striking elements of meeting Sean and Christina was their ambition combined with a lack of ego.They seem at their happiest when they talk about events they’ve put on for other people and how happy people will be when they put on future events. This selfless nature is, whilst not a complete rarity, a pleasant change from what is often encountered in situations like this. The name, SuperColorSuper, is designed to be a reflection of the eclectic nature of their work. Whilst there are as many hues, tints and shades as the mind can think of, Sean and Christina are just as likely to be found touring the peninsula with “electro talent heavies” Yacht as they are putting
on a show for up-and-coming local artists in your back garden. The name “brings to mind something vibrant, a whole spectrum. Something that reflects the range of music we’re open to,” they say. One singular event regularly held by SuperColorSuper that demonstrates this multiplicity is the Round Robin. If you’ve ever seen the Jools Holland show, you’ll know what I’m talking about, but if not, imagine standing in the middle of a circle surrounded by bands.You stand there gazing at the accordion-driven folk music in front of you and are just about to applause when they finish their first song and then….scratch, bleep, doo-woop, a DJ immediately starts up behind you. You are sent spinning round in the centrifugal force created by the crowd around you and become engaged in a minor challenge with the lights and sounds trying to work out whether or not you have epilepsy. Before you can find the answer, yep you’ve guessed it; you’re sent spinning again to see the next act in front of you. Events like this bring people together; different people, with different clothes and different tastes, different drinks in their hands and different tunes on their iPods, walkmans and decks; less of the tribal façade and more genuine expression. It builds something that scratches deeper than the superficial nature of scenes as mere fashion accessories, something not willingly to be capriciously discarded as soon as the next ‘it’ comes along with its flashy advertisements and promises of “being cool.”
“We’ve built trust in our name,” Sean tells me. Trust -- that ever so important factor. Why do people go to their locals? Because they know it will always be just as they left it, the same ashtrays, same slightly-not-carbonated-enough draft and same ominous stains just above the hand dryer that leave you wondering “how did the hell did someone reach up there?” It’s this trust that people have willingly and rightly placed in SCS knowing that they’ll be treated as the stars, treated to a night of genuine enjoyment in whatever shape, or form, it may take. Throughout the last 6 months SCS have gathered countless, invaluable contacts and as a result of this, built a momentum that shows no sign of waning. Whether you’re looking for a lo-fi night where you can appreciate the latest subtleties in distortion, an exhibition to take your latest squeeze to in an attempt to appear cultured or a night of music where you can stand and think “Jeez, I can play those chords. Why ain’t I in a band?” you’ll be crossing their paths at some point. So what does 2010 have in store for SCS, or more fittingly, what does SCS have in store for us? Touring bands Carsick Cars and De!nial will both be given the SuperColorSuper treatment with shows in Seoul, Busan and Daegu, undoubtedly leaving a trail of confused scenesters in their wake. As well as the music, themed parties, pool parties and art exhibitions are all high on their to-do list. Name a pie and these two want their fingers in it. Tell them the pie is Gwangju, and these two will be there sans-gloves. I will leave you with their response to my rather banal question, “Where do you see yourself this time next year?” A playful grin from the two of them, and then the response, “Either arrested or millionaires.” http://supercolorsuper.com
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arts & entertainment
arts & entertainment
music gizmos By Lance Reegan-Diehl Recording artist & music industry specialist
Okay viewers, this month we look at an excellent upgrade to your acoustic or electric guitar / bass. TUSQ replacement saddles, nuts, and bridge pins.
CD Review
DJ Pandol Horror O.S.T. (3RDDAN Recordings) By Andrew Chin
B
usan turntablist, DJ Pandol has been a bedrock in Korea’s hip hop foundation. He recently grabbed the 2nd Award in the 2009 Pioneer Korea DJ Contest and is currently working on tracks for his second album. It will be interesting to see what changes he’s made to his sound considering the murky funkiness of his 2008 debut, Horror O.S.T.
With a name like Horror, you can pretty much expect the music to take you to a dark place. DJ Pandol sets the mood immediately on the 12-track album with the opener, “In Horror.” The discordant piano, horns and strings that follow are reminiscent of the cinematic, dark hip-hop beats of 1990s hip-hop horrorcore. Writing and producing all of the beats, DJ Pandol fills his tracks with gloomy, sinister sounds that tap into the same vein of early Mobb Deep and the Wu Tang Clan. While in those crews, the MCs lifted the music to a higher level, DJ Pandol’s scratching is the star of this album. On tracks like “Unforgiven,” he’s able to fill up an ample amount of space with some virtuosic scratching. On others, like album closer, “Slow, Deep, Sirevn,” he’s adding subtle touches that add to the track’s slow-burning feel. However, it’s not all darkness on the 33 minute album. There is the funky respite of “Lesson One” where a sample of an air stewardess asking passengers to turn off their electronic devices is a warning for the hard-rocking scratching that follows on this ensemble track featuring scratching from DJ Kimpro and DJ Inthemood. While it’s a very solid debut, it will be interesting to see where DJ Pandol takes his sound on his next record. An ambitious artist who runs The Skool, Busan’s only DJ academy, Pandol also acts as a mentor to many aspiring DJs and artists in the city. With such a large influence and having gone through the growing pains of compiling his first full length album, DJ Pandol’s next step may be his biggest one yet.
“DJ Pandol fills his tracks with gloomy, sinister sounds that tap into the same vein of early Mobb Deep and the Wu Tang Clan. While in those crews.”
Preview tracks at his website: www.djpandol.com
The reason you would look into these parts as an upgrade is; better tuning, and performance. Normally stock plastic, or regular guitar parts are cut for the manufacturers string size and spacing. Also the stock nut and saddle often wear in a way that can make your strings stick in the grooves at the nut and notches at the saddle, affecting the tuning in a negative way. TUSQ by Graphtech has a unique material that actually allows the string to slip, when tuning, bending, using a capo, or whatever. It is self lubricating and the string always returns to its original tension. IE – BACK IN TUNE. Graphtech started in the early 1980’s and they have since been delivering the most effective guitar upgrade on the market. Compared to standard materials there is a sonic difference that TUSQ makes to an instrument. Side by side compared with bone, micarta, or corian you’ll hear more harmonics from TUSQ with every note you play. Bone and Ivory have hard and soft spots called grain, which hamper consistent transfer of vibrations to the guitars top and wood.TUSQ parts come in all sizes for acoustic and classical guitars, as well as blank saddle slabs for custom cutting of the bridge saddle and nut blanks for customizing of the guitar nut. The material is consistent in density so it is very easy to sand or file and is very resistant to chipping or flaking. If you have an acoustic or vintage guitar, you owe it to yourself to hear the difference.TUSQ® spec sheet: • Rich Tone: a crystal clear bell like high end and big open low end. • Laboratory-proven to enhance harmonic content (up to 200%) • Engineered for maximum vibration transfer. • Used by the world’s finest guitar manufacturers. • Consistent quality from piece to piece and within each piece. • No flat or dead spots that can be found in bone or ivory. • Easy to work with - can be filed and sanded; will not chip or flake TUSQ acoustic saddles are molded under very high heat and pressure and are available in compensated and non-compensated form. Usually only a minor height adjustment is required. The saddle is the most important link between the vibrating strings and the guitar top. There are TUSQ parts available for most guitar and bass industry standard sizes. Price ranges from $12 to $15 per item. Players usually comment about this upgrade with; “I don’t break strings so easily anymore” and “My instrument stays in tune.” You can log on to the website www.graphtech.com for the various choices of parts available for upgrade. And you may also visit your friendly neighbourhood music and repair shop DEELEEBOB MUSIC, for custom fit and orders of TUSQ parts. www.deeleebob.com Reviews are provided by - Lance Reegan-Diehl. Recording Artist, Producer, and Music Industry Specialist. www.LRDMusic.com
Ice Gallery By Shannon Heit
W
edged between larger tourist destinations like Gyeongbokgung, Bukchon Hanok Village, and Insadong, you may have already passed by the Ice Gallery without even knowing it. Located in Hwa-dong village amid “ddeokbokki” stands and quaint tea shops, the gallery is in the basement of an assuming building. But thanks to the current freezing temperatures, some of its ice sculptures are currently being displayed outside the gallery on the street, which may be more likely to draw your eye. If you see a largerthan-life white tiger, created entirely of snow, you’ve got the right place, just follow the stairs down to begin your trip to a winter wonderland. The gallery offers two basic experiences. The first is the ice exhibition; the second is an ice carving experience. The gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., excluding major holidays. However, to allow plenty of time for viewing, admission concludes at 8 p.m. The exhibition, essentially held in a large freezer box, contains multiple rooms, dedicated to a few different themes, each made entirely of ice. There’s one room that’s stocked with ice replications of Korean national treasures, such as the Cheomseongdae Observatory (the oldest existing observatory in East Asia) and the Dabotop (a pagoda located in Bulguksa Temple). Another room features ice sculptures of recognizable landmarks from other countries, such as
the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Statue of Liberty. Probably the most unique, possibly the most popular, room of the exhibition is the ice bathroom, which makes for an outlandish photo opportunity, so long as you don’t mind the stares of others. The admission fee for the exhibition portion is 7,000 won. For a nominal fee of 5,000 won, the ice carving experience, gives visitors the chance to carve their own glasses and cups made of ice, with the help and instruction of ice experts. After you carve your own glass, it’s time to “한잔 합시다!” (Let’s have a drink!) The entire experience takes about 45 minutes. Your handmade creations can also be packed up for you to carry home for an additional fee of only 2,000 won. The ice gallery can also
Karma If you liked Nanta, the crazy popular theatrical performance embracing elements of dance, martial arts and slapstick, you’ll also like Karma, another internationally acclaimed performance put together by producer Angella Kwon of the Patron Company. Karma is a spectacular combination of martial arts, ritual and dance, revealing awesome powers of mental and physical concentration. The cast includes four Korean martial arts grand masters performing impressive moves known as katas with swords, rods and spears. The power of these katas is counterbalanced by six graceful women whose dances with fans, bells and lighted incense are mesmerizing. The drama is further enhanced by the production of elegant black and white paintings produced live during the performance. Karma, literally translated, means ``action” or ``performance.” It is the result of cause and effort. And so the show Karma is the effect of many patient hours, days and weeks of pondering how to coordinate diverse elements into one cohesive whole that would be
be reserved for parties or can create personalized ice sculptures for outside events. To get to the Ice Gallery: Go to Anguk Station Line 3, Exit 1. Walk straight until you pass the Twosome Place and Olive Young and turn right. Keep following that road until you see Art Sonje Center on your left. At the Art Sonje Center, turn right and the gallery will be on your right, across from the Jung Dok Public Library. For more information: please visit the website www.icegallery.co.kr (Korean only) or call (02) 737-8830. For general tourism inquiries, call the Seoul Global Center’s tourist info line at (02) 2075-4119 (English and Korean) or visit our unofficial blog at www.seoulcityblog.com.
greater than the sum of its parts. The show is the new, reworked version of a show that once had a previous life as the self-titled ``’Karma’.” To make the it appeal to a wider audience, the same dance and martial arts elements that made the original version so popular have been refined and are now combined with a compelling fantasy story. The plot revolves around one of the Gods, the evil Asura, who steals an enchanted fruit, a magical item which bestows celestial omnipotence on anyone who possesses it. In an attempt to claim the throne he murders Karis, whose death disrupts the balance of the universe and plunges it into darkness. Now, where there was once bountiful life and beauty, there is only death and decay.
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arts & entertainment
Korean Film Reviews By Daniel Vorderstrasse
jan 28th Bobby
Harry Belafonte, Laurence Fishburne, Anthony Hopkins
Did You Hear About The Morgans? Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker
feb 4th Away We Go
John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Maggie Gyllenhaal
feb 11th The Wolfman
Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins
Valentine’s Day
Julia Roberts, Jessica Alba, Patrick Dempsey
feb 18th Hachiko: A Dog’s Story Richard Gere, Sarah Roemer, Joan Allen
Whip It
Blood: the Last Vampire (Beul-leo-deu)
My Girlfriend is an Agent (7-geum Gong-moo-won)
Eastern cinema mimics former hits from the West in a half action, half romantic comedy in which many viewers will be accustomed to. My Girlfriend is an Agent is a crack-shot reproduction of Mr. and Mrs. Smith starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The movie has its differences, but the underlying plot involving two very attractable secret agents trying to hide their secret of being a spy to their lover until the other finally finds out is the same. The movie stars Kim Ha-neul and Kang Ji-hwan as elite government secret agents Ahn Soo-ji and Lee Jae-joon. Soo-ji, an experienced agent who thrives under pressure and is envied by most of her colleagues, compliments Jae-joon, a goofy rookie who adds nothing seemingly but comic relief to the job, in a relationship taking a turn-for-the-worst. After numerous lies to conceal her identity, the two grow further apart and a not-too-friendly breakup is in store for the two. As time passes the plot begins as a Russian organized crime group is looking to acquire lethal chemical weapons from Korea and both agents are put on the case, having to avoid being uncovered by the enemy, and each other. A few years have passed since the two were together, but, thanks to the job, the two are coincidently bumping into each other at alarming rates and successfully undermining each other’s investigation into the Russian mob. While cheesy, predictable and not-altogether-original, the movie somehow pulled it off. The main actors meshed well on screen and worked off each other to give the viewer enjoyment. The blockbuster hit will not be winning any film festival or independent film awards, but it will sell its copies and replenish the executives’ coffers who unloaded on the movie. The movie has action, comedic relief, and entertainment value, so why not give it a chance and enjoy a slapstick Korean romantic comedy.
First and foremost, the movie is not Korean-made, but Korean actress Jeon Ji-hyeon has the lead role. Ji-hyeon epitomizes the role of vampire-slaying teenager, at least in appearance, Saya. Saya, a half-human, half-vampire hybrid slaying vampires at night while trying to blend-in as a teenager during the day, at first glimpse, does not imitate the 400-year-old crime fighter she fills in reality. Ordered to destroy all vampires by her demon-boss Onigen, Saya has been ravishing the dwindling vampire community throughout Asia for many a time. During a routine mission at an American army base high school in Japan, a life-altering transformation pits her against her archenemy. Over time, she forgets Onigen killed her father, but as the events play themselves out, she transforms and decides vengeance must be served. She sets out on a path of rage and destruction to hunt down and pillage her enemy while avenging her father’s memory. The movie plays itself in the half comic-life, half real world scenario portrayed in such movies as Sin City and the effects are eerily similar to 300. The movie is not for the faint of heart as the blood flows plentifully throughout the entire duration of the movie. Vampires are savagely killed throughout the movie and this would not be a recommendable movie for a first date unless you like the dangerous type. The storyline plays itself out, but nothing really increases the thrill level and the same old game of slaying vampires (ho-hum!) is provided all throughout the plot’s duration, for your entertainment. If the comic-book-style-thriller floats your boat, then this is a movie for you, but steer clear if you do not enjoy the comics.
“.... the movie is not Korean-made, but Korean actress Jeon Ji-hyeon has the lead role.”
Drew Barrymore, Ellen Page
feb 25th Couples Retreat Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman
The Lovely Bones Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz
Edge Of Darkness Mel Gibson, Danny Huston
groovedining Dining Editor: Daniel Gray - seouleats@gmail.com
Romancing Seoul:
Valentine’s 2010 By Daniel Gray Guys, picking the right restaurant for Valentine’s Day is very important to your romantic wellbeing. Be sure to make a reservation. If you don’t have one, this is the equivalent of forgetting her anniversary, birthday, or name. You don’t want to be that guy. It is not enough to just pick the right restaurant. The café or bar afterwards is just as important. And girls, it’s 2010. You are more than welcome to make reservations and give hints on the places you would like to go. If you would like, you can have this page opened to this article and just strategically circle the restaurants, bars, cafes, you would like to go. A heart or a star would be a good hint. The restaurants on this list have a good mix of atmosphere and taste. In general, I am staying away from franchise places. I am staying away from hotels as well, but I have to say the hotel restaurants are perfect for Valentine’s day. My main criteria are that I’m focusing on places that have good atmosphere and service. Of course food is important, but I’m not picking places just for that alone. There are plenty of places in Seoul that have great food, but the restaurants look like they are out of a third world country. I am also staying away from Korean food simply because there are so many highend Korean restaurants. Adding them would simply overload the list. Go to the Korean Tourism sites for Korean restaurant recommendations. The list is divided by regions and with prices; I’m assuming that you are drinking alcohol. *One special thing to consider. This year, Seollal (Lunar New Year) falls on Valentine’s Day so some restaurants will be closed and many people will be traveling for the holiday. Please check restaurants are open and consider celebrating a day early.* 28
Apgujeong & Gangnam
Where to Eat
Antonios Antonios in Apgujeong has authentic Italian food and the charming piano playing host will make you feel very special. The whole salt baked sea bass is enough for a family and the thin crust pastas are just like out of the old country. $$. 3443-4333. dear chocolate Dear chocolate has the perfect atmosphere for whispering sweet nothings into your love’s ear. The chocolate truffles and hot chocolate are superb. The modern styling with avant-garde furnishing make it a great place to get a light meal followed by a hearty helping of dessert. $$. 34467251. Gazen The idea of sushi and sashimi is sexy. It must be the fact that it’s naked. Gazen near Gangnam Station has great Japanese style food. Signature dishes include Okonomiyaki (10,400 won) and the Tuna and Avocado Maki Roll (8,400 won). $. 532-4428. http://www.gazen.co.kr
at home in the warmly-lit rooms and you will be impressed with his Grand Prix menu. Outside in the covered patio, you’ll get simpler fare, but just as delicious. $-$$$. 02-3443-1970 Sideway Wine Located near Gangnam Station is a fabulous winebar that is owned by a French Sommelier. Here you will find perfect pairings of wine and food. There is a mix of Italian and French influences for the food, and you’ll find a good value-for-money in the wine menu. The sheik atmosphere has several private nooks for conversation. $$$. 555-9925. Sushi Hyo Omakasi is the keyword for getting opulent sushi that tests the mettle of the chef. We are talking toro that melts on your tongue and scallop tops minced so fine that it feels like velvet in your mouth. Be sure to ask for Chef Ahn. $$$. 545-0023. Star Chef The menu is playful Asian fusion and the taste is mind-boggling. If you want a meal to excite the appetite then this is your place. I recommend the Beef and Mushroom Salad and the Whole Fried Fish. Go to Maebang Exit 5. $$. 529-8248.
Lugo The high ceilings and stylish décor make the perfect romantic atmosphere to impress your date. The large sign that says, La Dolce Vita, evokes the vibrant vibe necessary for a great evening. The attention to detail in their food is top-notch. The mozzerella is made to order and topped with figs, the spaghetti is made in house, and the panna cotta dessert is heavenly with the rich flavor of real vanilla bean. $$$. 514-0578.
Tutti Matti Is it a bar? Is it a club? Is it a café? Is it a restaurant? Yes, it’s all of the above. Tutti Matti in Garosugil has the premier RestoLounge in the city and it’s a concept that others have tried to copy and have failed. Here you will get great food and wines in a sheik atmosphere and then you can mosey on down to the club in basement after your meal. 511-0334.
Ristorante EO Chef Eo studied Italian Cuisine in Rome for 10 years before returning to Seoul to bring the authentic Italian experience to Seoul. His gnocchi is divine and so is his foie gras. Inside the house, you’ll feel right
Zen Hideaway This is a place with a great sense of style. It has a very Asian upscale aesthetic to it. The lighting, the menu, and atmosphere make it great place to have a quiet evening contemplating thoughts of romance. The
menu is Asian fusion and they have range of choices from noodles to sushi rolls. It is located near Designer Club in Apgujeong. $$. 541-1461. www.zenhideaway.com
Coffee, Wine, and dessert
Gustimmos The one on Rodeo was the first and I still think their gelato is the best in Seoul. Get a cup and go for a walk or get takeout to cool off later. $. www.gustimos.com 느리게 걷기 This slow food café is a great place to relax after your meal. They have coffee, tea, spirits, and wine. The high ceilings and servers that are actually models. It is a great place to relax and gawk at the beautiful surroundings. $$. www.walkingslowly. co.kr. 02.544.3082.
Hongdae & City Hall
Where to Eat
Primo Bacio Baci It means “kiss, kiss” and it has been a long time favorite of university students. The food is creative and inexpensive and they have a nice selection of wines that won’t break the bank. I can’t promise there won’t be a line out the door, so be sure to get there early. $. 323-0098. Kunstbe It’s an upscale steak, wine, and pasta place that has fondue. I think fondue is perfect for Valentine’s day. If you agree I think is the place to go. They also do an excellent steak. $$. www.kunstbe.com 335-1139. Spannew It’s a decent Italian place that has chocolate pizza. Yes, chocolate pizza that is topped with cheese, pistachios, and cashews. The pasta is not half bad either. $. www.spannew.com 757-0817. Coffee, Wine, and dessert
Aa Design Museum Aa Design Museum is great for coffee and dessert. The coffee mugs are even well designed. Go there to see what I mean. $. www.aadesignmuseum.com 3143-7311. Cacao Boom Cacao Boom has…I think I should quote my friend… “chocolate that makes me want to squeal.” The Belgium style confectionaries are aphrodisiacs. $. www. cacaoboom.com. 3141-4663. 플로랄 고양이 N∀I If you are looking for a wine bar with a cat in a fuzzy bathtub, then you need to go to IAN. It is near Hapjeong Station and the wine bar is very kitsch. $$. www. andthewine.com 3143-1975. La Four In Hapjeong’s Café Street, you’ll find a French Bakery where you can rent the oven, use the equipment, and have the space to make your beau your own cake. $. http://cafe.naver.com/lefour. 02-326-6218
$ = expect to pay under 15,000 won per person (but most cafes will be under 10) $$ = expect to pay 20-40,000 won per person $$$ = expect to pay 50,000 won or more per person
J’s Kitchen Samcheongdong seems to be the place to go for coffee and dessert and my favorite place is J’s Kitchen. The cakes are homemade with all natural ingredients and the setting is delightful. $. www.jscake.com 742-4810.
Itaewon & City Hall
Where to Eat
Bon et Beau Over by the Cheil building is a new upscale French restaurant whose authentic cuisine has quickly found a rich following. They make a Caesar salad that Caesar would be proud to eat. My favorite so far has been the Glavlax Salmon Blini and the Lamb. $$$. 3785-3330. Gecko’s Garden Hidden behind the Hamilton Hotel is where this gem has been for years. Another mainstay of Itaewon that has been giving its patrons refined fare in a legal setting. I recommend the lamb, the salmon, and the fresh baked bread. $$. www.geckosterrace. com/garden_english/home.htm 790-0540. Macaroni Market The beautiful interior has large windows that overlook the dreary street. Now for some strange reason it makes the street look optimistic. This restaurant is a market and upscale bistro that is bold with flavor combinations. There is Spicy Pork Belly with chili jam, a wasabi and steak sandwich, and even a banana, cranberry, and maple syrup sandwich on the menu. $$. 749-9181. Le Saint-Ex Behind the Hamilton Hotel you will find this unpresumptuous French Restaurant that has the most amazing dessert tray in Itaewon. The desserts look so well sculpted that the only utensil that seems fitting to eat them with should be a golden fork. The menu changes depending on available ingredients -- a good sign that the chef is proficient. $$. 795-2465. OK2 Kitchen This has become one of Seoul’s most popular restaurants because it sticks to its principles. They make almost everything in-house and they place very high importance on service and quality. The atmosphere has an artist’s touch and everything about the place will leave a deep and lasting impression. I recommend the coursed menus. $$ www.ofoodart.com 02.797.6420 Suji’s They have 3 locations: Itaewon, COEX, and Bundang always has great Americanstyle food in an upscale atmosphere. If
you are tired of eating French, Italian, or Korean- this is a great place to go. I heard that their New York Style deli sandwiches are scrumptious. $$ Phone: (02) 797-3698 Top Cloud What a view. Seoul from the 33rd floor is pristine. You are paying a premium for the view and the food is not too bad either. If you are worried about what to order, just get the Australian Filet Mignon coursed meal and just sit back and enjoy the sparkling skyline. $$$. www.topcloud.co.kr 2230-3000. Villa Sortinos Villa Sortinos has quickly established itself as the top upscale Italian place in Itaewon that usurped the original Sortinos across the street. Sortinos has been consistent with its quality and service for a long time. The new venue has matched its sophistication with atmosphere. My favorites are the white pizza, the pork chop, and the risotto. $$. www.sortinos-seoul.com 553-9000. Zelen The authentic Bulgarian dishes in an atmosphere that reminds of a garden is a perfect romantic place to go on Valentine’s day. The spinach rollada dish is the perfect starter and they have many couple sets of meals so you can share. The wine prices are reasonable, so have a bottle or two, and finish your meal with homemade yogurt topped with honey. $$. 02 749-0600 Coffee, Wine, and dessert
Tartine Strawberry Rhubarb pie. Blueberry, Cherry, Pecan, and Lemon Meringue Pie. Oh, pie with a crisp crust that snaps under the weight of a fork. Oh, pies that hang over my head like a halo. Pies. Pies. Pies. Get a pie and take it home because the café is always packed. Actually, get two. $ 3785-3400. Chef Meili Gluhwein is spiced mulled wine and Chef Christian Meilinger makes a great mug of it. And although he won’t say so himself, his desserts are divine. $. 794-7024. 19st. Neal’s Yard This café looks like it belongs in Apgujeong, but I’m glad it is in Itaewon. They make good coffee and they have a wide range of dessert and brunch selections. $. 794-7278. Above Behind the Hamilton Hotel, this candlelit bar has a wide wine selection and some excellent desserts. I recommend the chocolate muffin. I think all chocolate cakes should be warm and oozing. $$. 749-0717. Passion 5 It is the headquarters for the Paris Croissant and Paris Baguette Empire. The shop below has a chocolatier, bakery, deli, and café. $$. 2071-9505. 29
A Chocolate Adventure grooveDining
Written and Photographed by Chalica Pack www.vegetarianinkorea.com Chocolates with nuts, chocolates with crème, chocolates shaped like flowers, chocolates filled with organic dried fruits -- whatever your fancy you will find it in Seoul. You might not know it, but Seoul is filled to the brim with chocolate shops. They are scattered in nearly every neighborhood from Itaewon to Apgujeong. There are cozy little shops to enjoy a mocha and truffle while reading a book, chic urban places that offer sandwiches and spirits, and places that are so high-end your camera will not be welcome. Here is a list of my chocolate finds just in time for Valentines Day. Just one word of warning: On Feb. 14 and April 14 most of these shops will sell out of everything so be sure to get there early or you will regret it. 30
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grooveDining
Il Cacao
As I write this article, I am enjoying a fabulous chocolate covered truffle brownie from Chocolate Castle near Gyeongbok Palace. Chocolate Castle is one of the oldest chocolate shops in Seoul. It isn’t fancy, it isn’t large, but it IS genuine. The shop’s chocolates were the inspiration for the chocolate museum on Jeju Island. Although their display case is small, it has a good mix of chocolates and gift boxes. Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 2 walk straight for about 3 blocks. You can’t miss their giant red sign.
Off of a side street in Gangnam, is the whimsical two-story Il Cacao. It has a European countryside feel on the inside. I feel this place is perfect for a tete a tete with a close friend or a long time lover, but the coziness might not lend itself well to a new relationship. There was nothing quaint about their chocolate selection. Bags filled with organic chocolate cookies, 30 piece assorted chocolate gift sets for 70,000 won- Il Cacao pays attention to detail and each chocolate appears genuinely handmade and unique. Their shelves are stocked to the ceiling with uniquely wrapped yummies. Il Cacao is worthy of many a repeat visit. Gangnam Station Exit 7 take the first right and walk up the hill. www.ilcacao.co.kr
Inside a giant tower of a building at the Hannam-dong end of Itaewon is the bakery and chocolate location of Passion 5. The actual chocolate shop is sectioned off behind giant double doors reminiscent of chocolate bars. I was impressed with their fancy well-designed chocolates. This upscale chocolate shop is probably where wealthy businessmen buy their chocolate gifts. Each chocolate looked uniform and professionally made. The gift sets ranged in prices- but you could walk out with a nice five piece set wrapped up in gift box packed up with an ice pack to make sure your chocolates reach their destination in pristine condition for under 10,000 won. Passion 5 is located near Hanganjin Station on Subway Line 6, Exit 3. Just go straight for about 200 meters. Be forewarned- the building looking more like an office than a bakery! 32
Il Cacao
Dear Chocolate
Cacaoboom
Chocolate Castle
Chocolate Castle
Passion 5
Passion 5
Dear Chocolate
Hidden in Apgujeong, close to the Galleria, is the spacious and modern Dear Chocolate. No claustrophobia here! Sandwiches, beer and wine, plentiful seating and creative décor- Dear Chocolate has it ALL. They have a long display case with chocolates, cakes and cookies and they offer up some pretty decadent chocolate drinks on their menu as well. Near the entrance, there is a long wall adorned with rubber stamps with creative expressions. Pick one out and ask the staff to include a card along with your chocolate gift. Maybe you just want a note that says simply, “I love you,” or maybe you need the “We are still good, right?” stamp. Four piece chocolate boxes start at
only 8,000 won. Dear Chocolate falls in the affordable range. “Dear Chocolate, I think I love you.” Across from the Galleria and down a block, take the alley on the right next to the pet shop 3446-7251.
Cacaoboom
It’s a tough call to designate one chocolate shop as “the best,” but if cornered, I would waiver between Dear Chocolate and my final shopCacaoboom. Cacaoboom is in Hongdae, and to be honest -- it is hard to find. But if you get lost and end up wandering around in the cold, don’t worry -- they have many a tasty drink to warm you up! I devoured their “Strong Hot Chocolate,” which is basically like drinking the creamy goodness you find in molten lava cakes. They even bring you a spoon with your cup, and by the end of my drink, I was using my spoon to scrape up the last drops of melted chocolate. The Hongdae area is always bustling with excitement and with several small tables for seating, I think Cacaoboom would be a great stop on a romantic night out. 337-16 1F Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu 02-3141-4663 Hongdae Exit 4 (but check out their website map!) only open until 10 p.m. www.cacaoboom.com Fantastic chocolate gifts are at all of these shops. But instead of bringing the chocolates to your Valentine -- how about bringing your Valentine to the chocolate? A chocolate adventure awaits you.
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Chef Profile: Harry Yi of Macaroni Market By Chalica Pack of www.vegetarianinkorea.com Photos by Paul Matthews After working for 10 years as a professional chef in North America, Australia and Korea, 31-year-old year old Harry Yi joined Macaroni Market in Itaewon in June. Then this past October, he entered the 1st Amazing Korean Table Competition. This competition brought together rising young chefs to learn from world-class chefs like Pierre Gagnaire and Massimo Bottura. Preparing for the competition took extensive preparation. The final challenge had Yi’s team preparing 6 dishes in 2 hours. The judges were impressed with his dishes, especially his seasoned rice wrapped in pumpkin leaves. Yi entered the competition in order to get exempted from a required class at University. Well, he got his wish and more when he won the Amazing Korean Table Competition. This spring, Yi will collect on his grand prize, a trip to Paris where he will work in Pierre Gagnaire’s restaurant for three months. Yi hopes to create fabulous new dishes as well as learn Gagnaire’s secrets for maintaining one of the best restaurants in the world. The experience Yi is about to embark on will be extraordinary, but there is no doubt that he already has a handle on creating fabulous food. His twist on the classic Macaroni and Cheese at Macaroni Market is sinful. Yi also suggests people try his Duck Confit and Sundried Tomato Tartine. Harry Yi is rising fast in the culinary world and 2010 should be a banner year for him. Many food fans are sure to be waiting to see how his time in Paris pushes his talent even further. 34
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It’s Naked Time in Itaewon By Jenny Cleary www.foodcoma911.blogspot.com
A recent addition to the Itaewon neighborhood is Naked Bar and Grill (Naked) that has the same great comfort food, but with a different vibe than its sister restaurant, the Naked Grill in Hannam-dong. Naked is meant for those cool evenings, when you seek a more intimate atmosphere to enjoy your burgers and fries with a drink or two. The contrasting rich purple hues and sleek chrome make this loungy restaurant retroglam, yet relaxing. Naked is the perfect place to wind down and sink-in to before going home. Their extensive food menu allows you to save or splurge. Naked stays true to their original menu of burgers, tacos, and sandwiches, but also adds more sophisticated fare like pasta, steak, and seafood. For those craving for a surf 36
Naked will also amaze you with their extensive bar menu; the quality of their drinks, which aren’t watered down, are top-notch. Naked uses real fruit in their drinks, which you can check out by ordering a house specialty like the La-mojita or Apple Cinnamon Margarita. You won’t stop at just one. Naked offers up some enticing weekday bar specials. Check them out on Mondays for 1,000 won shooters. Tuesdays is Beer and Wing Night – 10-pieces of teriyaki, BBQ, chili, or spicy wings for only 5,000 won. You can wash these down with domestic beers for 3,000 won or imported beers for only 5,000 won. Wednesdays get you mojitos and margaritas for only 5,000 won! Thursdays is Ladies Night and the ladies get a “buy one, get one free” deal on drinks. Additionally, Naked adds music to the venue, and not just one genre of music. They embrace all types from oldies to the present, one minute they will be playing Rihanna and the next, Sting -- all the great songs you can’t help but sing to. Naked has an unusual stage -- basically an exposed cabin of a truck with a connected stage. Live performances are on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 to 10 p.m., but the owner hopes to have it nightly. The fun doesn’t end there because a DJ takes over to keep you moving until 5 a.m. As a final bonus, their kitchen is open until 4 a.m. What more can you ask for? All in all, Naked combines great food and drinks in a relaxed lounge-like atmosphere with live performances. What you get is the makings of an ideal spot for a night out with friends or an intimate date.
Naked Bar and Grill
and turf meal, Naked has the answer. Their 38,000 won Naked Grill Platter beautifully combines elements of land and sea. It consists of a 150g tenderloin, two scallops, a king prawn, mashed potatoes, and seasonal vegetables.
Address: 119-7 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul Telephone: 02-794-4225 Directions: Line 6 Itaewon station exit 1 walk straight and make a right at KFC. Naked Bar and Grill is next to B1 on the left. Price Range: 5,000 to 40,000 won The perfect after party place with great food and drinks. English menu and staff 37
grooveDining
Excerpts from an Interview with
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Sommelier Thomas Scheidt Written by Ara Cho Photograph by Michelle Min
droolworthy
“Do not take wine too seriously. Wine should be fun” — Thomas Scheidt of VineStock How did you end up in Korea? I started to eye the market slowly by slowly because I saw Korean people more and more in Spoon (Alain Ducasse’s Restaurant in Hong Kong). From 6-7:30 young couples came, oh my God, unbelievable...sometimes 40 percent Korean, and so interested in wine. For me, Hong Kong’s wine market is boring. They call it the Asian wine hub, but I’m sorry. I tell you if the Korean government would be more open to trade and let people start to drink wine here, Seoul would be the new Asian wine hub. Korean people are more connoisseurs than Hong Kong people. Really? In what way? In other countries if you say three Michelin Star, everybody will jump on it. It’s the same as in Hong Kong and in Japan. We spent four years in Japan. What do they really know about food? I’m not so sure. For me, if you really know about food, I will go to a very dirty place with no AC, no design, and then I will test the people. This is my style. In Korea, I’ve found people know about the food. Are most of the wines you carry here French? Thomas: Yeah, well, mostly French at the moment. We have six exclusive wineries in the market. We are going to extend to the rest of the world later, but for now I want to focus more on European. What is the definition of a sommelier? A sommelier’s job is to enhance the experience of a customer in a restaurant. What makes a good sommelier? Gérard Margeon, [chief Sommelier of Alain Ducasse group] he said, “Thomas, when you have 15 years in the wine business, then you will be a sommelier.” I’m still an apprentice. After 15 years he said you become a sommeliermeaning you become a sommelier with experience. It’s not because now you graduated from school where you are sommelier. You are yet far away. Do you favor particular types of wine or regions? No. I am very open minded. Each grape, each style has its own personality. 38
I like good wines. For white wine I love Reisling because I am from a Reisling area. I think its the most incredible grape ever. Reisling that is dry, however, not sweet. For me, wine is for food. Competition wine is different. The wines that I like are the last ones in the competition. By competition what do you mean? I mean world competition, let’s say. They won’t be the first one. Really? Why is that? Because uh, how should I say... for me there is never bad vintage or good vintage. A bad vintage from a top winemaker, it always has something incredible, because it will bring much more finesse. A top wine from a top winery compared to a top wine from a smaller winery is going to have less power, but is going to have great finesse. This one should be more protected than the big wine. Describe your philosophy on pairing wine and food. For me, wine needs top quality food, which is why I loved working with Alain Ducase. It might be simply prepared or look simple, so wine can easily identify where I can go. I don’t know if you
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understand this, it is a kind of philosophy. If you have many, many flavors, the wine cannot concentrate on just one thing. Do you have any favorite restaurants here in Seoul? Thomas: I like very much the wine bars for me here in Korea. This is something very unique to Korea, the wine bars... I think it is amazing! Korea has the most amazing wine bars in Asia for me. What are your favorite wine bars? For me, [Vin Ga] in Sinsadong is the most amazing wine bar in Korea... Downstairs they have a wine cellar, they have a piano; it’s the ultimate wine bar for me. They have good food too! This is where I bring friends from overseas. Thomas Scheidt has 13 years experience working in Michelin starred restaurants and with the Alaine Ducasse Group around Europe and Hong Kong. He and his wife opened VineStock in Seoul’s French Village, bringing exclusive wines, olive oil, coffee, and other delicacies to South Korea. They host wine tastings and will start wine classes in the coming months. For those interested, check out http:// cafe.naver.com/vinestock or call them at 02-536-6081.
Photographs by Michelle Min www.touchtastedesign.com 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Blueberry vanilla cupcake from Lark Cupcake in Los Angeles Shaved ice with red bean, coconut jelly, and passion fruit syrup from Kauai Bay, Hawaii Jalapeno pepper and pineapple burger with fries from Kauai Bay, Hawaii Banana and Pineapple Frosty Roma-style gnocchi and wild mushroom from Lugo in Apgujeong Freshly pressed Inverness apple juice in masonry jar from Tomales Bay, California Fresh yogurt, baked granola and apples from Tomales Bay, California Dried soybeans from Jeonju
If you have a Droolworthy photo that you would like to submit then e-mail it with a caption to seouleats@gmail.com You can find out more about these dishes and restaurants at http://seouleats.com 39
grooveDining
Spice
Spice Table is flexible without compromising attention to detail. There is a wall of wines, a romantic ceiling high windows that creates a lofty feel, and a row of dynamic spices offered in an open kitchen on the second floor. They dim the lights at 9 p.m. for those who want to hang around after dinner for another bottle, or for those who want to end their night with some food with their drinks. The menu at Spice Table includes a blend of Southeast Asian flavors, offering a general range of foods like spring rolls, noodles, stir-fries, and Thai curries. But the spice does not stop there – they add their own creations. Last weekend, we tried a warm pumpkin and chicken appetizer, a well-seasoned and colorful dish. At first, I thought the chicken was a little dry but then I noticed the soft warm pumpkin, and understood the overall concept of the dish. The citron sauce instead of sugar to sweeten the dish was also a healthier and more flavorful substitute. Also, you may recognize the chef for she has been on several Korean TV food programs. Her culinary knowledge shows in her use of dried cranberries and citron seeds in her dishes. Another great crowd pleaser was the spicy steamed mussels. You develop a love-hate addiction while eating them. As you take your first few bites of the mussels dressed in spicy chili tomato sauce, you notice the savory flavors. Then you notice the decorative pasta spirals there to pick out and eat in between mussels. A few more bites and you think, “whoooo, I can’t eat anymore because it’s too spicy.” But then you have a sip of cold white wine or some cold sake, and you think, “Oh, just one more bite.” Soon you will be spooning out the saucy soup left at the bottom. The spicy steamed mussels are a great dish to share at dinner or later in the night since Spice Table is open till 2AM. If you want, they can lower the spicy level for you, but the original is what started our addiction. The newly opened Spice Table is a welcome. It offers a map of Asian flavors and a mood that is relaxed and modern. It definitely brings new Asian food to this part of Asia in a way that is enlightening.
Table
in Itaewon Written and Photographed by Yerim Park Not enough Asian food in Asia? Well, maybe in Itaewon. That’s what the experienced restaurant couple behind Spice Table thought. This new restaurant offers a satisfying blend of Asian flavors while maintaining that international “Itaewon” feel that everyone can appreciate. 40
SPICE TABLE Location: Itaewon, straight out of Exit 2 from Itaewon station, turn left onto the first street (corner of Helios), Spice Table is on the left (2nd Floor) and across from Los Amigos Phone number: 02-796-0509 English Spoken and English Menu Available Price Range: (VAT not included): W7,000~25,000 (Cuisine), \8,000 Lunch Special Menu, \40,000~90,000 (Wine) Spice Table brings stylish Asian food to Itaewon using a fresh and flavorful approach.
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Hungry for Books? Reviews by Tracey Stark
Wine and War
By Don and Petie Kladstrup (2001) This book is packed with fascinating anecdotes told by veterans of both the Second World War and the French wine industry. In it, the reader is given a glimpse at not only the French Resistance, but the lengths the vintners and restaurateurs went to in order to save France’s most precious treasure. The tale begins at the end of the 1930s, when some bad vintages left many winemakers near ruin, to the invasion and surrender of France, when the Nazis pillaged and plundered at will, leaving more than a few highly-esteemed vineyards literally in ruins, to the end of the war and the liberation of Hitler’s prized wine cellar (roughly 500,000 bottles) from his getaway in the Bavarian Alps. Wine and War follows the experiences of common soldiers pulled from the vineyards (after the harvest, of course), the German wine brokers and part-time residents of France who were suddenly forced to become a part of the Nazi apparatus, and an American soldier who fell in love with a woman and a country and returned later to become a vintner himself. Easily the best and last book that will be written about World War II and wine as told by the people who were there. It’s “The Greatest Generation” for oenophiles.
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The Billionaire’s Vinegar The Mystery of the World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Wine By Benjamin Wallace (2008) This book traces the dubious history of a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafitte claimed to have been purchased by Thomas Jefferson, a founding father of the United States of America and well-known wine connoisseur, and sold at auction in late 1985 for a record $156,000. The events that preceded and followed this recordshattering sale are explained in detail as are the historical facts that left many in doubt of the bottle’s authenticity. Interviews of those involved and insights into their personalities and motivations regarding that and subsequent sales of “Jefferson bottles” shed light on the highly risky nature of investing in collectibles. It is filled with amusing anecdotes of the obsessive nature of the wine collector, connoisseur and snob. While not quite a “thriller,” it will easily leave the reader guessing about the truth and possibly coming to his or her own conclusions.
Restaurant
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Directory
Bar Bliss Itaewon Exit 1 (line 6) make the first right. It’s on the corner. www.picturetrail.com/barbliss. Price range: 12,000-35,000 won. Contemporary cuisine and high-end bar. Great cocktails and patio. Beer O’Clock Head to exit 1 of Shinchon station (line 2) Go behind the Hyundai Department store towards the 7-11. Turn left on the third street up. 2nd floor. English Menu and staff. #:02-333-9733 www.beeroclock.ca. Price range: 8,000-24,000 won. Canadian Sports Bar with great wings, burgers, donairs, and pizza. Chakraa Indian Restaurant Go out Itaewon Exit 2 (line 6) and make the first left. Make a right and it’s on the second floor. English menu and staff. #: 02-796-2255 www. chakraa.co.kr. Authentic Indian cuisine made by Indian chefs. Known for their tandoori and weekend buffets. Don Valley Exit 3 of Itaewon Station (line 6) below the Coffee Bean. English Menu and staff. #:796-2384. Price range: 9,000 to 25,000 won. Korean Beef and Pork Barbeque and home-style favorites. Try the Wine Marinated Pork Belly. Gogitjip Out Noksopyeong Exit 2 (line 6) and walk straight along the street with the kimchi pots. English menu and staff. #:02-796-5528. Nightly bbq specials, generous servings, and open late. H-Diner Located to the side of Starbucks near the Capitol Hotel. English Menu. #:02-796-6967. Price range: 6,000-20,000 won. American diner sandwiches, chilis and entrees. Le Quartier Latin Go out Sinchon Station exit 3 (line 2) and walk straight until you get to the big church. Make a right and walk about 500 meters. Look for the large French Flag. English Menu and Staff. #:02-333-9874. Price range: 4,000-26,000 won. Authentic French Bistro with reasonable prices. Naked Bar and Grill Line 6 Itaewon station exit 1 walk straight and make a right at KFC. Naked Bar and Grill is next to B1 on the left. English menu and staff.#:02-794-4225. Price range: 5,000 to 40,000 won. The perfect after party place with great food and drinks. Naked Grill Naked Grill is located at Yongsan-gu, Hannam Dong 29-21 towards the UN Village. English menu and staff. #:02-749-4225. Price range: 4,000-12,000 won. Tacos and Homestyle American favorites for eat-in or take-out. Petra Restaurant Kebab House Exit 3 of Noksapyeong Station (line 6) and up the overpass. It’s located to the right. English Menu and staff. #:02-790-4433. Price range: 5,00018,000 won. Authentic Arab food made by a certified chef. Excellent Falafel, hummus, and Sultana style lamb and chicken. Rookies Ichon (line 4) Exit 5 and walk in the direction of Yongsan station. Pass train tracks to your left. It’ll be on your left. English menu and staff. #:02792-3383. Price range: 4,500~22,000 won. A sports bar with creative bar food and burgers. Sam Ryan’s Bar Go out Itaewon Exit 1 (line 6) and make the first right. It’s at the end, above 3-Alley Pub. English menu and staff. #: 02-749-7933 www. samryans.com. Price range: 500-30,000 won. Sports Bar with 8 big screens. BBQ pork ribs on Tuesdays and great burgers all the time. Sanchae House (산채집) Go up around Namsan Mountain from Myeongdong Road. It is near the Namsan Cable Cars and the restaurant N’Cucina. English menu. #:02-755-8775. Price range: 8,000-25,000 won. Savory bossam and fresh leaf bibimbap. SPICE TABLE Go straight out of Exit 2 from Itaewon station, turn left onto the first street (corner of Helios), Spice Table is on the left (2nd Floor) and across from Los Amigos. English spoken and English Menu Available. #:02-796-0509. Price range: 7,000~25,000 won (Cuisine); 8,000 won Lunch Special Menu; 40,000~90,000 won (Wine); Stylish Asian food to Itaewon using a fresh and flavorful approach. Via Di Napoli Samsung Station exit 5 (line 2) and it is across from the City Airport Terminal. English Menu. #:02-557-6736, http://www.viadinapoli.co.kr/. Price range: 12,000-30,000 won. Freshly made pizzas and Italian Food in Gangnam.
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cover story
Peter Jensen-Choi straddles the summit of the mountain he has just climbed during his expedition to Nepal in 2005.
ICe climbing By Matthew Graveline
M
any Koreans complain their country is too crowded and too small. They look to the United States of Hollywood with envy and want to travel there and possibly one day live there. But Peter Choi-Jensen, an American Korean, believes that he is in the Seoul area for a reason.
If there is something Korea is known for internationally – aside from kimchi – it’s the fact that the country has a lot of mountains. In fact, it is difficult to be somewhere in Korea and not see a mountain. The geography of this peninsula nation is 70 percent mountainous, which is great news for Choi-Jensen. As a mountaineer, Choi-Jensen lives to climb. “If it wasn’t for climbing, I wouldn’t still be in Korea,” he said as he helped me out of my harness. When I was first asked to do ice climbing, I was thrilled. As a Canadian, I love winter sports, but I wondered where in Seoul we would climb. I was asked to meet Choi-Jensen at Suyu Station. Coming out of the subway, I instantly recognized this part of Seoul as a climber’s paradise. The mountain peaks were not hidden behind large buildings, but rather stood majestically over an area of the
city with smaller buildings dominating. Choi-Jensen soon pulled up and we were off to O2, the tallest indoor ice climbing facility in the world. He took me down, yes down, several levels of a building and
The highlight was straddling the summit like riding a horse. introduced me to O2. The indoor climbing facility is essentially a giant walk in freezer, which rises five floors up. It was time to see if I had what it took to join the rank of mountaineers who have climbed
the frozen peaks of the Himalayans and the Arctic. For Choi-Jensen and for the history of the sport, ice climbing is not seen as a separate sport. For him, it is simply what he climbs in the winter. In the early history of ice climbing, it was regarded the same way that Choi-Jensen sees it. Until the early 20th century, ice climbing was seen as a discipline of mountaineering and nothing more. Since the invention of the modern ice pick and crampons (sharp spiky shoes), the sport has gained its independence from rock climbing, and yet for Choi-Jensen “climbing is just climbing.” He came to Korea in 1995 to experience his birth culture, having been raised in Portland, Oregon. “Having not been very exposed to Korea, Koreans and Korean culture growing up, every day my first year was a totally new and unusual experi-
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cover story
Charles Robinson belays a climber at the O2 facility in Seoul. Jensen-Choi offers a variety of programs through his company, Sanirang Alpine Networks.
ence,” he said. He returned to the United States after that first year only to come back three years later with his TESOL certification. When he returned, he got a job in Daejeon at Woosung University. There, one of his colleagues was an avid climber. “I’d mentioned I done it once or twice and so that got the ball rolling.We were going out about once or twice a month the first few years, which evolved to going out every weekend after that,” he said. “After about three years of traditional climbing, I got into sport climbing for the first time during the weekdays.” Now he has been living in Korea for the past 12 years. First, as a teacher fulltime at universities, and just recently, he has tried to focus more on his climbing company, Sanirang Alpine Networks. So, walking into this freezer with this former English teacher I was excited to try my hand at a mountaineering sport that he told me he felt was a little easier than its summer cousin. With the ice pick there is an easy to hold grip, the only dilemma is getting it to stick into the ice. Beware of exploding ice, he says as I try my first placement. As an expert instructor he is constantly giving me advice on where to place my foot or my pick. Choi-Jensen wants to appeal to local and foreign community groups who are curious about and interested in the adventure of climbing through its free weekly clinics, individual courses, six-week climbing school and specialized programs. All the different courses, programs and tours are listed on his website at sanirang. net. But as I was being lowered down by Choi-Jensen through his careful belaying, I asked myself “Why am I trusting this stranger with my life?” “I am still always learning new things related to climbing, whether it be systems, techniques, history or culture,” he said. He went on to say he makes a point of practicing daily, especially if a group has requested to climb a route he hasn’t been on in a while. “I am driven by a passion to get out and enjoy the outdoors and I occasionally push myself on a harder route,” he said. The best way to be challenged with harder routes in climbing is definitely expeditions, and Jensen-Choi has been on several, but his favorite was in 2005 in Nepal. “The expedition for me personally manifested all aspects of my climbing know how into one single event,” he said. “The highlight was straddling the summit like riding a horse, being able to look straight down the east face on my right and west face on my left – not to mention an awesome view of Everest in the very nearby distance.”
Photos by Sven Schelwach
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sports
Roundball Rock
A look at the KBL and game time with the Busan KT Sonic Boom By Andrew Chin
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n Korea, no sport rules the people’s hearts like baseball. Throughout the year, you can see Koreans of all ages playing the game regardless of the temperature. During the summer, the Korean professional baseball league, the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) is on most people’s minds. Attending a baseball game is a must do for any expat, particularly those living in Busan where the hometown team, Lotte Giants have arguably the country’s most ardent fans. But during the off-season, there are plenty of opportunities to see what else the country offers for professional sports. Granted Koreans go crazy for soccer on the national level, the attention to the domestic league, however, pales in the spotlight of European soccer. So it leaves the title of the second most popular professional sports league in Korea to the Korean Basketball League (KBL). Launched in 1997, the KBL has been helped by the increased popularity of basketball among a new generation of Koreans weaned on the exploits of Michael Jordan. The ten-team league plays a 54 game season and last season, set an alltime attendance record with over 1.2 million fans watching the games. In turn, the KBL is helping foster basketball talent by being heavily involved in the country’s various youth basketball programs. The 10 team-league has also partnered with the NBA in hosting the Korea Development League, a camp for the top 40 Korean basketball players between the ages of 16 and 19, where attendees are able to develop their skills under the instruction of coaches and players from both the KBL and NBA. This event also includes an exhibition game between KBL All-Stars and a squad made up of NBA legends and top players from the NBA D-League, the league’s minor league. This past summer, the KBL All-Stars triumphed over a team comprised of Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins and nine-time World Champion Robert Horry, with coaching by legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Under KBL rules, a team is only allowed to have two foreign players on its roster. This means competition for these spots is increasing and last year, a record 730 foreign players applied for a tryout for the league. A former provision limiting the height of foreign players to 6’8” (203.2 cm) and under has been scrapped meaning most of the foreigners in the league play the big man spot of center. With the league’s All-Star weekend wrapping up and the second half of the season starting; it’s a
great time to catch a KBL game. While the games are a regular staple on sports stations MBC-ESPN and SBS, it’s an excellent treat attending a game live. With the regular season ending on March 7, the stakes are rising as teams are jostling to be one of the six playoff teams. The teams in the league include defending cham-
worst team in the league, the team shed its name (the KT Magic Wings), its coach and its losing attitude. Perched in the upper echelon of the standings all year, the play of the team now matches its excellent game experience. Playing out of Sajik Stadium, courtside VIP tickets go for a scant 20,000 won. However, 8,000 won general admission tickets provide attendees with a great view that’s equivalent to lower upper bowl at an NBA game. Unlike NBA stadiums, a jumbotron doesn’t dominate the space allowing viewers to watch the nuances of the game. Like baseball games, attendees are able to bring in their own beer and snacks. There is also a BBQ Chicken restaurant at the stadium. With a cheerful home crowd banging away on thundersticks, an enthusiastic break-dancing mascot, and a competi-
A former provision limiting the height of foreign players to 6’8” (203.2 cm) and under has been scrapped. pions Jeonju KCC Egis, teams in Busan (KT Sonic Boom), Ulsan (Mobis Phoebus), Wonju (Dongbu Promy), Changwon (LG Sakers), Anyang (KT&G Kites), Incheon (ET Land Elephants), Daegu Orions, and two teams in Seoul (Samsung Thunder and SK Knights). While attending a game in Busan, it was surprising to see such a passionate crowd reaction for the hometown team. However, it’s been a redemptive season for the team. After finishing last year as the
tive team, now is the time to support the KT Sonic Boom in its quest to go from worst to first. How to get there: Take the subway to Sajik Station (No. 308) on the Brown Line. Get out at Exit 1 and then walk straight to the first traffic lights. Make a right and then walk straight to second set of lights. Turn left at the baseball stadium and walk five minutes to Sajik Stadium. It’s behind Sajik Baseball Stadium.
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sports
sports Photos by Evan Nash
Canada Ball Hockey Korea By Matthew Graveline
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s a foreigner in the English industry, you can get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Seoul. You can eat out every night for next to nothing. You can go out every night if you want to and relive the university years. But after a time, the initial excitement wears off and foreigners try to find their place in this megacity. Foreigner clubs help with this search.
Canada Ball Hockey Korea is a sports club that has quadrupled in size in the last two years of its existence. Since hockey, as many foreigners claim, is as rare as good aged cheese in Korea, they took it upon themselves to start their own group. Seoul is a massive place and there are hundreds of young hockey-crazed Canadians in all parts of this metropolis. Kurt DeVries, executive director of CBHK explains the early history of his group as a uniting of ball hockey from all corners of Seoul. CBHK was formed in 2007 when a group of six foreigners got together and pooled their money to create the organization and a treasury to fund it. But some of the early beginnings of this group happened seven years prior to CBHK in Suwon, a city south of Seoul. “After a few beverages, a few guys began to wonder aloud why they couldn’t play hockey here in Korea,” said long time foreigner Scott Lumsdon.
not the league, but a band of brothers in a foreign land just looking for a taste of home, rain or shine.” In those days DeVries did some English teacher recruitment and got an application from Leahy, a young 24-year-old university graduate from hockey-crazed Canada. “I didn’t even know this guy, DeVries, and he was already asking me to bring over sticks for myself, him and future friends. I really chuckled at the future friends bit,” said Leahey. “I mean, this guy was just my recruiter and we were already planning on playing ball hockey together.” As a physical education major, Leahey was into anything exercise related. Living right in the heart of Seoul, Leahey would do sprints on the track at Seoul’s Olympic Park.As he would race up and down the track he would notice an outdoor hockey rink that was never in use. By this time Leahey was getting irritated with traveling two hours to the games down south to find only one or two players some weekends in Suwon. “From the moment I saw that rink, I knew a league would be possible if we began accumulating some equipment,” said Leahey. “Shortly after that, we all got on the horn and started calling people up to hold our first ever ball hockey tournament at the rink.” And yet Leahey notes they still had poor equipment. “The idea was, if we could start using quality equipment at a quality rink, people would start showing up to play consistently,” he said. So on vacation, Leahey went home and picked up some quality goalie equipment and weekly pick-up games began. But the group still struggled with numbers as the problem with foreigners in Korea was they were all bound to only one-year contracts and then would go home or travel. They were still stuck at about 30 players coming out every week, and that was just not enough to start an actual league. Then came Tokyo. CBHK sent a group of their players over to Japan to play in an international ball hockey tournament. Leahey was inspired by the amount of passion the Japanese foreigner membership had for the game and realized that the CBHK had better facilities and a larger foreigner base to build with. “It just hit me like a ton of bricks that all we have to do is really start aggressively advertising in foreign hangouts like Itaewon and we’d get enough players to start a league,” said Leahey. So the Big Rock League was born. In the fall of 2008, the league had four teams with uniforms, banquets and media coverage.After a month long season, where just over 50 players came from all over Seoul, there was already a demand for more. The following February saw 87 players sign up. With more players, the group surged to six teams, launched a website, www.cbhk.org and garnered more sponsors and media attention. Now, having just completed its third season, the group has grown again, with eight teams of over 120 players. This past season, DeVries said the biggest difference was the interest in getting involved off the rink. The group now has an executive board that runs the financial operations of the league and other activities associated with the organization. Then there is the hockey committee who takes care of the hockey side of things, from suspensions to new penalties to refereeing and score keeping. Finally, this season also saw many new sponsors. The Big Rock Brewery in Gangnam provides a space for the league to have its year end banquet and also provides the team jerseys styled after the names of its microbrews. The Rocky Mountain Tavern in Itaewon provides the players of the league with discounts and puts in money to their treasury. Now, the league also has discounted legal representation, chiropractic care with the Create Wellness Chiropractic and Sports Medicine Clinic and even a dermatology clinic all working for the benefit of its members. “I want the CBHK to be a home away from home for Canadians in many respects, so we are networking across the country now looking for sustainable connections that will benefit us,” said DeVries. “Believe me, the phone rings with a lot of people looking to access our community, but it takes a lot to make me move on them. It must benefit us as group first and foremost. We are all worth over a hundred grand off the mark in Korea.We have millions in human capital.The potential is only limited by what we want to put out in terms of effort.”
Their next season starts up in mid-February and registration can be done at their website www.cbhk.org
“Soon nets were constructed out of plastic piping, and homemade goalie pads and blockers were made out of foam. A short time later, a nice core group of eight guys would show up every Sunday at a free parking lot at Ajou University in Suwon to play ball hockey.” But there were some difficulties. As Lumsdon remembers, because they did not have a permanent place to meet they would always need to pack everything into a small Honda Civic. Not having boards
to stop the balls if they missed the net, many players would have to run after the balls before the game could continue. It was not ideal, said Lumsdon, but it was a good break from the everyday grind and it helped them reconnect to home.The group grew to 13 or 14 players and two of those new players were DeVries and Edward Leahey. “Playing in the monsoons before 2007 when we had no care in the world about safety.We would literally be swimming,” said DeVries. “To me, this was
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international travel
Australia The
By Catherine Boyd
When one thinks of Australia, images of arid desert and isolated wasteland may come to mind – the red dirt and desert sands of Australia’s outback. But when one travels to Australia it is the white sand beaches and tropical rainforests that are sought.
Land
Down
Under
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It is not uncommon for visitors in Australia to stick to the well-traversed East Coast, most often doing the Cairns to Sydney stretch and calling Australia “done.” Australia offers a wealth of inspiration and beauty if you have the time and the inclination to step off the beaten track. However, if the East Coast is where you’ll be, forget the Gold Coast and Bondi Beach, from unspoiled beaches to lush rainforests, the far north coast of New South Wales has the best of Australia’s Best. We spent two weeks on the much trodden path between Byron Bay and the Coffs Coast experiencing both the well loved, oft visited tourist traps, and the unknown untouched spots in between. Equipped with a “wicked” van (www. wickedcampers.com. au), a fully equipped camper hired for a most excellent daily rate, our journey began in well known Byron Bay. Byron Bay, famous for it’s alternative lifestyle, has some of the world’s best eco-tourism. A whaling station in it’s past life, Byron is still a popular place for whale watching. The lighthouse walk has several lookouts to watch the migration of humpback whales – vantage points from which other marine life including dolphins, turtles, and sting-rays, can be seen. Cape Byron is the easternmost point of mainland Australia, and its beaches have become a popular spot to watch the sunrise – particularly on the first of the year. With all the yummy restaurants, cafes, juice bars and tea shops here, the food itself is quite a draw. But if that’s not your thing, what about biking, diving, surfing, hang-gliding, skydiving or fire twirling? Or, you can simply relax with one of the many retreat and spa options available. At the end of the day, park yourself on main beach and watch Steve create sand sculpture magic, then bask in the glow of his masterpieces lit up in the dusk with tea candles. Bliss. A short drive from Cape Byron, and the first place in Australia to receive the sun’s rays, is Mt. Warning. Originally named Wollumbin, meaning “patriarch of mountains” in the local indigenous language, the mountain was christened Mt. Warning by Captain Cook when it was used to warn sailors of hazardous Pt. Danger near Tweed Heads. A place of cultural and traditional significance to the local indigenous peoples, it is generally asked that people don’t climb Mt.Warning, a request that is advertised but not enforced by
the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Luckily for the curious traveler or nature lover, there are many other hikes, day walks, and views to be had in the national parks surrounding this central volcanic remnant. For both breathtaking views of the mountain, and to immerse yourself in luscious rainforest, I highly recommend the Border Ranges. The Border Ranges, a World Heritage-listed rainforest park on the rim of this vast and ancient volcano, spans over 80 km along the Queensland/New South Wales border.The rich vegetation in the park includes buttressed Booyong forests, Bangalow palms, Red Cedar trees, Brushbox and Antarctic beech trees – some as old as 2000 years. It is a humbling experience to say the least, being in the company of such ancient trees. A most splendid walk, which is easily achievable in a day, is the Brindle Creek Trail. We packed a picnic to enjoy at the falls at the end of the walk. Be sure to take insect repellant and beware of leeches if it’s been wet in the area. To find spectacular, unspoiled beaches we drove south towards Coffs Harbour. Though taking the coast road can be a beautifully scenic journey, we decided to take the inland route to enjoy the lush hinterland landscape. According to the CSIRO, the Coffs Coast, nestled between the mountains and the shoreline, has the most livable climate in Australia. The city of Coffs Harbour itself is worth a visit. Get a kiss from a dolphin or sea lion at the Pet Porpoise Pool, walk through the canopy of the banana plantation and indulge in a yummy banana-inspired desert at the Big Banana (the first of Australia’s “bigs”), or stroll along the jetty and enjoy fish and chips fresh from the co-op while overlooking the ocean from Mutton Bird Island. For us though, the allure of this stretch of coastline lay in the less visited areas a little further north.The Red Rock, Arrawarra and Mullaway area have a range of rental and camping options available, each of which provide the luxury of waking to the laughter of kookaburra’s, marinating in the scent of frangipanis and sea salt all day, and falling asleep to the lull of the waves. An most idyllic spot, it would be very easy to get lost in time here. To bring our journey full circle, we did the easy three-hour drive back up the coast to Byron. Rarely do we have a travel experience where we don’t return home completely exhausted and in need of a vacation, but this two-week escape provided a real retreat.
“The far north coast of New South Wales has the best of Australia’s Best.”
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56 | aroundkorea The next section will simply be known as ‘The Stairs’:
To clarify the perspective, you’re looking almost straight up. There are two staircases at the top, leading down and to the left, then going off-picture and reappearing in the lower-left-hand corner.This curious series of stairs is designed to connect the two main passageways of the cave, which would otherwise be a steep angle to descend. Next, go down a longer set of straight stairs, avoiding some odd barriers designed to keep you from falling down the entire 200 meter or so run. The views from these stairs are spacious, to say the least. Keep your eyes for formations that look like fire, dinosaurs and turtles.
The next section is geared towards any younger travelers with you:
Hwaam Cave
Because every cave has tiny little goblins mining for gold, right? Some fantasy cartoon characters more suited for a younger audience are shown ‘digging’ and ‘mining.’
The final section and the highlight of the cave:
The caves’ stalactites and stalagmites are wisely displayed with just enough light to enjoy them without losing your night vision. At 2,800 square meters, it’s a chance to see many different characteristics within one relatively small area, preserved and mostly kept far enough away from curious hands. The green ‘flame’ in the middle is actually a fountain that sports a light shifting through the color spectrum. Elsewhere, the stairs are adequately lit with lights that smartly point down to help you keep your night vision. Anyone else see a mouth in this picture? Many of these stalactites and stalagmites are still growing - the supposed rate of growth being 1 centimeter per 100 years, or about 4 inches per millennium. Take at least an hour and a half to enjoy the sights; two hours if you have kids with you or are taking lots of pictures. Although few explanations are in English, the size and beauty of Hwaam Cave will make you forget to look.
To say Hwaam Cave (화암동굴) is out of the way is an understatement. While few natural subterranean structures are located near subway stations or major bus terminals, this one seemed seriously out of the way. Once we arrived and got to appreciate the area, however, the trip was well worth the time. Buy an admission ticket, then decide whether you want to ride the monorail to the entrance of the cave (2,000 won) or walk 700 meters uphill. By Chris Backe If you’re feeling a little worn out from your bus ride to the cave, take the monorail and get to the entrance faster - the hike is uphill and not especially interesting. While traveling to the top, you’ll get to listen to some details about the cave (in Korean, of course). Just outside the entrance is a sign that warns you to use the bathroom nearby – it’s the last one for 1,803 meters or an hour and a half. Apparently, nature doesn’t provide any while in the cave, and no indoor plumbing exists once inside. Once inside the cave, you’ll find several sections to walk through. The first one, about the cave’s history, uses several animatronic displays to show people working in the caves. Hwaam Cave used
Directions to Hwaam Cave: Take a bus to Jeongseon - from Seoul’s Gangbyeon bus terminal (Gangbyeon subway station, line 2), 9 buses make the 3 1/2 hour trip every day. Once in Jeongseon, a local non-numbered bus travels from the terminal and stops in front of Hwaam Cave. That bus ride should take about 25-30 minutes and take you down a windy mountain road before arriving. Admission is 5,000 won, while the monorail up costs another 2,000 won. to be a gold mine that was commercially operated from 1922 to 1945. It was the nation’s fifthlargest gold mine at one point; after stalactites were discovered, it eventually became a tourist destination. Quite a few original tools and equipment are set up, along with an old-school rock
drill you can try out – a great photo opportunity. Some gold veins are still visible, and can be seen with the help of magnifying glasses. While no one will be scraping gold flecks out from behind the protective glass, it is a little surprising that there’s still visible gold left.
Chris Backe makes it a point to travel to one new place or event around Korea every week. For more of his travels around Korea, check out his blog at http://chrisinsouthkorea.blogspot.com.
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A Touch of Jazz Warm up to some hot tunes at Monk
The area around Kyungsung University has been known as a foreigner hotspot for some time. While small in size, the streets are crammed with opportunities for youthful excess with plenty of bars, restaurants, “noraebang” (singing rooms) and dance clubs to hop in and out of. A neighborhood that has pretty much everything, it also holds one of Busan’s more sophisticated bars: Monk.
Breeze Burn’s in Seomyeon One of the best breakfast, burger, and sandwich restaurants in Busan has opened a new location in Seomyeon. With one of the best breakfasts in Korea, there’s a good reason to go to the new Breeze Burn’s. For less than 10,000 won a breakfast brunch gets you fresh juice, an Americano, eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, home fries, tomatoes and green beans served on a plate the size of a jumbo frisbee. By Adam Gunn Every dish should leave diners stuffed. Burgers and sandwiches are often stacked two hands high. It’s amusing to watch a petite Korean woman try to decide how to start eating a burger the size of a five pin bowling ball. Even a big potato loving Western appetite often has trouble finishing an entire meal. With San Miguel on tap and a great selection of quality coffees there’s good reason to linger. The sandwiches are served on a good variety of quality bread. The bread alone is reason enough to go. It isn’t the typical Paris Baguette or Tous les Jours white boring bread, it’s a wholesome thick slice from a real loaf; it’s the difference between white rice and wholegrain rice. While the food is great and the atmosphere charming, don’t go if you’re in a hurry. Each meal is individually prepared, with an emphasis on quantity and quality, not speed. A typical greasy spoon in North America is a well oiled assembly line, at Breeze Burn’s an individual chef puts careful attention into a single plate. The result is a higher quality meal but the price for the quality is that
the meals take a little while and often arrive at the table at slightly different times. This, however, gives you extra time to order another coffee or final give into a noon-time pint. Breeze Burn’s in Seomyeon is conveniently located about two blocks from Lotte Department Store. To get
there go to Lotte and from the stairwell under the big globe turn right, look down the narrow street, there is a Dunkin Donuts on the corner, go down two blocks and turn left, Breeze Burn’s is about one block ahead on your left. If you hit the busy street where you have to cross underground going through the substreet mall you’ve gone to far.
BY Andrew Chin Named after legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Monk, this jazz club has been bringing a splash of smoothness to the city since 1992. It provides an intimate venue for patrons, appropriate for a classy date or those low-key nights with friends. In addition to the relaxed adult atmosphere, Monk has a nice beer selection with bottles of domestic beers starting at 4,000 won to pricier imports including Asahi and San Miguel, with Sopporo topping out at 12,000 won. The extensive menu also boasts a large wine selection including the 1865 Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon for those high rolling sophisticates willing to shell out 100,000 won for this prime Chilean wine. There is also a surprisingly diverse food menu that is heavy on fishy treats. Snacks range from 8,000 won for cuttlefish or file fish to 20,000 won for a plate of fresh fruit. A plate of assorted sausage or a pork cutlet is available for 15,000 won. But nobody comes to Monk for the food, they come for the music. Open from 6:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m. Monday to Saturday, the bar pumps classic jazz tunes from the likes of Miles Davis and John Coltrane to set a nice mood. It’s also the place to see local jazz talent, where a 5,000 won entrance fee lets you see bands play at 9 p.m. for two hours.The stage monopolizes the room and the bar boasts an excellent sound system. On occasion, Monk holds larger acts. Check out the monthly schedule at club.daum.net/clubmonk. How to get there: Take Line 2 to Kyungsung University-Pukyong National University Station (No. 212). Get out at Exit 3 and make a right.Turn right at the first corner and walk three blocks. Turn right at the second Family Mart, across the street from Ol’ 55 and it’s less than a minute. Look for the Monk sign, the bar is in the basement.
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Live from
Busan By Andrew Chin
The last few months have seen a boon in Busan’s expat comedy scene. Once nonexistent, the city now holds the popular monthly open mic standup night, The Laugh Hole, and will be home to an ambitious live sketch comedy show appropriately called Busan Night Live (BSNL) on March 12 and 13.
Directed by Kady Katona, the show started with her desire to “do a comedic show because there isn’t that sort of outlet in Korea.” While the Seoul City Improv players put on popular comedic improv performances in the vein of “Who’s Line Is It?” and The Laugh Hole provides a venue for stand-up comedians, sketch comedy is hard to find. A University of Northern Colorado theater school graduate, Katona has teamed up with the show’s producer, Paco Socarres to put on a Saturday Night Live-like show.The idea was met with an enthusiastic response and the group’s Facebook page is now up to over 100 members. The show will be 90-minutes and will have a two-day run. BSNL will be a mixture of live sketches, taped bits, a fake news segment and at least one live comedy musical number. While some expat comedy shows can have an “us vs. them” tinge to them, Katona is hoping to avoid that. “Some of our members are university professors and they’ve been talking to their students, who are interested in being involved. It’s something that I really want to have – a whole skit done in Korean and then have subtitles in English,” Katona says. Much like Saturday Night Live, BSNL will also have a music performance by a popular local band.The show will start at 10:30 p.m. at Club Fabric. A mixture of seats and standing room tickets will be available with advanced tickets going for 5000 won and some tickets available at the door for 7000 won. Profits for the show will go to The House of Sharing, an NGO that supports women trafficked into prostitution around U.S. military bases in the country. In addition to the laughs, there will also be audience participation with a fun drinking game being planned for the intermission. It’s all part of a package that Katona hopes will be “The Big Thing” in a city that’s waiting for the weather to warm up.
For more info go to busannightlive@gmail.com or look for them on Facebook. BuSan Night Live (BSNL) will take place on March 12 and 13 at Club Fabric.
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commercial ads Hard and Soft massage Rehabilitation of Physical Dysfunction, and Corrective targeted streches for muscle Imbalances, Shiatsu and trigger points therapy massage, Swedish blending with Deep Tissue and Traditional Ayurvedic, Foot Massage and Thai Yoga massage. Please contact Mel010 2892 9190. Learning center Opened in Itaewon, Seoul! Have you ever wanted to teach a workshop on your favorite hobby or interest? Do you have something to share? Well Being Studio is a place where people can teach and share subjects of any nature. Whether you are a potential instructor or participant, drop us an e-mail at: wellbeingstudio@gmail.com Check out www.wellbeingstudio.com Well Being Studio Looking for a place for meet-ups, gatherings, workshops or practicing/ teaching dance, performance, yoga, meditation etc? Well Being Studio 1 & 2 might be the place you’ve been looking for! 7 min walk from Itaewon subway station exit 3. Check www. wellbeingstudio.com or call Jiyoung 011 9580 7430 handmade gifts Looking for special handmade gifts? Well-being Shop sells beautiful Himalayan salt lamps and mud masks, 100% essential oils, handmade candles and soaps, well-being products and unique handmade gift items made in Korea. For Itaewon show room visit, call Jiyoung 011 9580 7430 Check www.wellbeingshop.org for Korea, international shipping and show room direction. International Yoga school Further your personal and professional experience and growth with a real Yoga Teacher Training in the only IYF Yoga school in Korea. Dutch teacher, 26 years experience, Yogacharya and secretary of the IYF for Korea. Yoga is not a rigid exercise/theory/discipline; Yoga is alive and very practically applicable in your daily life! www.magicpond.co.kr 3,000 New & used cars (Buy & and sell) near downtown Seoul/ USAG Yongsan, Insurance, English language navigation, mechanic facilities, accessories, Korean auto inspection services, email Century Motors at century.kr@gmail.com for more info or call Son Young-chan at 010-3143-1344 Relax, revitalize & rejuvenate! “Soft Hands” Massage Service. We are an exclusive in home massage service. Relax in the privacy and comfort of your own home as our therapists come to you. Massages starting from W20,000! Please phone 010-2892-8747
teams Handball - Team Handball - Olympic Handball - We often organize friendly games against Korean teams during evenings or weekends. Male or female players, beginners, intermediate or advanced players... everybody is welcome! Just email SEB at handballinkorea@gmail.com or visit w w w. handballinkorea.org
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info@groovekorea.com
Mostly Over 40 – This club meets for lunch on Sunday a month and, as the name depicts, consis t s of people who are mos tl y over 4 0. For more information, contact mostlyover40@ yahoogroups.com
KH Toastmasters is a fun, supportive environment to learn public speaking and leadership skills in English. Our group is a dynamic mix of foreigners and Koreans, and we meet 8pm every Tuesday in Hyehwa. Guests always welcome. A map of our meeting location can be found at: khtoastmasters.com
CWG, ‘Conversations with God,’ discussion and study group is open for anyone who is interested in talking about the themes and implications of this book. Contact markyansen@yahoo.com or 011 9990 4291
Southside Hash House Harriers: Do you like to walk, run and drink beer? Would you like to meet fun and interesting people? Well then, come and join the Seoul branch of this world-wide club that meets in a different location south of the Han River each Sunday at 11:00am. All levels of fitness are welcome, just bring along your sneakers and a sense of humor! Please contact Countess at smcrae77@yahoo.com Section 8 Gaming: we meet Sundays in the Seoul area to play a variety of pen and paper role playing games, including Dungeons and Dragons. Contact section8gaming@gmail.com. Toastmasters International, every Thursday Night, near GyeongBuk Palace Subway station, for more information visit the following websites: www. toastmasters.org www.seoultmclub.net or Contact us at: profirving2001@yahoo.com
Seoul Saturday Soccer League - Looking for additional referees, players, goal keepers, new teams, for its Spring season, starting Feb/28th/09. Please apply to soccersaturday@hotmail.com and leave your phone contacts for more information. Gaelic Club - If you are looking for a physical and competitive sport, while also wanting some craic while you are at it, then check out Irish football, aka Gaelic. It is a mixture of soccer, basketball and rugby. Male and female teams meet frequently for training, games and social events. Please visit www. seoulgaels.com Touch Rugby - contact seoultouch@gmail.com and more information can be found at touchtagrugby. blogspot.com International Taekwondo club - looking for new members interested in taekwondo and cultural exchange on Sat& Sun 4:30PM ~ 8:30 PM near Konkuk Univ. Email to tm3ym@hotmail.com or visit to http://cafe.daum.net/arirangtaekwon Korea Ultimate Players Association – If you have been searching for some hot disc action in Korea, come out to play ultimate every Sun with the Korea Ultimate Players Association. We welcome players of all skill levels, from complete newbies to seasoned veterans. We also run leagues during the spring and fall. For times and locations, please visit www.koreaultimate.net Disc- G olf in Seoul - Look ing for something dif ferent to do and want to be more active in Korea? We are always looking for new people to play disc-golf every Saturday. contact discgolf@ naver.com The Korea L acrosse A ssociation would like to involve more non-Koreans, with or without lacrosse experience, to participate in the growing tournaments and leagues. Please contact by emaiil parkpc@lacrosse.or.kr or 02-743-5291 Football Club - Gecko's FC is looking for players, preferably with experience, for the start of the new season. We are a competitive team that also places a keen emphasis on social activities off the field as well. We practice regularly, play games on Sundays and take road trips once or twice a season. Please contact geckosfc@yahoo.com Crystal Palace Football/Soccer Team – We are recruiting players of all abilities to join our games played in central Seoul. Please contact Alex at harryhowlett@hotmail.com or 010 3040 6114 Seoul Survivors RFC - Interested in rugby? Want to meet people from many different countries? Seoul Survivors has been around for over 20 years. We practice regularly and play a variety of different teams in friendlies, competitions and on tours. For
more information, please contact Ian at koreanianr@ yahoo.co.uk or 016-897-6282 The Seoul Sunday Football League, a competitive amateur expat league, is looking for referees to officiate matches in Seoul and surrounding areas on Sundays. No official qualifications are necessary, but you should have a good knowledge of the game. Pay is 70,000 won per game. Also, if you are interested in playing, then we can also find you a team. Please contact: seoulfootball@hotmail.com Seoul Sisters Women’s Rugby Club: Looking for new members, both Korean and foreign, to grow the in-house league. No experience is necessary and there are great coaches to get you up to speed quickly. contact seoulsistersrugby@yahoo.com or check out www.ssrfccom Lokomotiv Goyang Football Club: Playing games in both Seoul and Goyang, we are a football team always looking for new members. Besides playing together, we have numerous social gatherings and occasional foreign trips every season. Please contact lokogoyang@yahoo.co.uk or check www.lokomotivgoyang.com
clubs B ellydance Clas se s in S e oul Tues night s & Thurs mornings. Belly dance is an energizing, low-impact exercise suitable for men & women of all ages. Reduce stress, improve balance & posture, strengthen & tone muscles, develop grace, reduce weight, and increase self-confidence! Contact bellydancekorea@hotmail.com Ko re a L at in & S a l s a Kore a L at i n a n d S a l s a welcomes new members of all ages and experience levels for parties, salsa lessons in English and Spanish, trips, friends, and fun. Please visit our website KoreaLatinAndSalsa.com Seoul Artists Network (SAN) have a bi-monthly open mic that takes place at Woodstock in Itaewon on the first and third sundays of each month. www. purevolume.com/jeremytoombs | www.myspace. com/jeremytoombs Writing Club Looking to form/join a writing group. Meetings would likely be on the weekends, t wice a month. My focus is on shor t f ic tion/ prose at the moment, but I would be open to non-fiction/longer works as well. email Bryan at scriptingends@gmail.com Lodge Han Yang #1048 the oldest Masonic lodge in Korea welcomes all visiting and returning brethren to attend our regularly scheduled meeting every second and fourth Wednesday. Contact lodgehanyang@hotmail.com for additional information Seoul Fencing Club — Seoul Grand Park in Ichondong. Please go to www.seoulfencing.com or email seoul.fencing.club@gmail.com.
Hiking Club – The International Hikers Club meets every Sat. For more information, please contact sihclub@gmail.com
The Seoul Book Club, a new book club. We plan to meet once a month read and various works in English and then share and discuss our impressions, all are welcome. Please contact Sean at 010-36482861 or stm@iis.or.kr
Sherlock Holmes Club will meet every second Tuesday day at Itaewon, 7.30pm. (Venue to be announced) A story from the canon, a short talk on Holmesiana, a Holmes quiz, and a Holmes movie: serious-fun. Email Morrison at morry_lee@yahoo. com.au, or phone 010-6376-3965.
St Pats FC — Looking for players for the upcoming season. If you can play a bit, contact seoulstpats@ gmail.com
every Saturday at 10 a.m. For more information, please visit www.freewebs.com/ykhhh (then go to "hareline") or malgosia02@yahoo.com
Artists – We are interested in starting an artists’ collective in Seoul. Are you a visual artist interested in taking par t in a group exhibition? Contact seoulcreative@yahoo.comForeigner/Korean Friendship Club: Our purpose is to meet at a bar on Saturdays to meet new people, introduce new cultures, share thoughts and have fun. Living in Korea with people from around the world, it is a great opportunity to better understand and learn from each other. Contact yupggiklub@hotmail.com or check out seoulcircle.com Fusion Art: Seeking members involved in various arts (painting, drawing, illustration, sculpture, p hotos and more) for re g ular me et ings and exhibitions to share information about colors and opinions. Please contact bakerycorner@yahoo. co.kr, chubbyhubby@hanmail.net or 010-64236037 Korean Movie Club: With English subtitles, people are now able to enjoy and understand recent Korean (and some non-Korean) movies and dramas in front of a 120-inch screen. The club is located just a minute from Sinchon Station. Please contact koreanmovieclub@yahoo.com or www.geocities. com/koreanmovieclub
Seoul Stitch ‘n Bitch: This club has a crafting get-together the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month in Haebangchon, Seoul, Please contact seoulsnb@ gmail.com or check www.seoulsnb.blogspot.com
The British Association of Seoul (BASS) meets at the Seoul Club from 10 AM to Noon on the fourth Tues of the month. For more information, please contact basseoul@yahoo.co.uk
Sinchon Toastmasters Club: Looking for new members, both Korean & foreign, wanting to improve their public speaking and leadership skills in an atmosphere where members can also have fun interacting together. Please contact Dong Wan at: intervie@naver.com
The Canadian Women’s Club (CWC) meets the second Tues of the month & also participate in a group activity the fourth Wed of the month. For more information, contact sujaybee@yahoo.com
Suwon Scuba Club: A dive club close to Osan Air Base and Camp Humphreys, we teach all Padi courses and run regular tours for fun dives to the East Sea. Along with dives, the club has a major social element with outstanding BBQ's and parties on each tour. Please contact Nic at: nichofberg@yahoo.com, 010 3123 2061 or www. suwonscuba.com
international clubs Investor & Real Estate Club Meetings Every Monday @ Watts On Tap. Discussions on international dating, relationships, investments. Discuss investments with ROI higher than KOSPI average. Anyone with valuable or critical comments wins cash & prizes! Contact 010-5552-5568 Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) – This non-profit organization offers lectures about Korea’s history and culture, while also offering tours to various locations around the countr y. Please contact raskb@kornet.net or visit www.raskb.com The American Women's Club (AWC) now meets at the Sofitel Ambassador Hotel at 9:30 AM on the first Tuesday of each month. www.awckorea.org. T he Aus tralia & New Zealand A ssoc ation (ANZA) me et s at t he G rand H yat t Hotel at 9:30AM on the third Tues of the month. For more information, please visit www.anzakorea.com or events@anzakorea.com
Club Italia hosts a lunch every Sun at 1 PM at the Franciscan School in Hannam-dong. The lunch costs KRW 15,000 and everyone is welcome. For more information, please visit www.clubitalia.or.kr Career Women in Korea (CWIK) at the New Seoul Hotel on the third Wed evening of the month. For more information, please visit www. cwik21.com or contact career_women_in_korea@ yahoo.com. The Seoul International Women’s Association (SIWA) meets at the Sofitel Ambassador Hotel at 9:30 AM on the third Wed of the month. For more information, please visit www.siwapage.com Overseas Chinese Women’s Club (OCWC) meets monthly and is open to all women who would like to make new friends, enjoy good food and learn about Chinese culture. Chinese is spoken, but interpretation is available. For more information, please visit our website at ocwckr.spaces.live.com or contact ocwckr@hotmail.com
Announcements The Ang Dating Daan Korea Chapter conducts free Bible Study and distributes DVDs of Bible Expositions of the only sensible preacher in our time — Brother Eli Soriano. If you want free copies of Bible Expositions and hear free Bible Study, please call 010-5737-2561 / 010-3004-0817 Amnesty G48 is an official group of Amnesty International Korea. This group is made up of both Korean and foreign volunteers who actively t a ke p ar t in t he m ovem ent to p rom ote an d
protect human rights for all people around the world. The group's main activities include writing appeal let ters, sending online urgent ac tion mails, organizing street campaigns, human rights education and holding regular meetings on the first Saturday of every month from 4 - 6pm in central Seoul. E-mail Tom for further details @ amnestyseoul@gmail.com. All Native English Speakers, Kyopos, and Koreans. Proficient in English are welcome to join our weekly bible study/fellowship meetup held every saturday at 3 pm. We seek to delve deeply into scripture. Contact Info. 011-359-1317 Bellydance lessons in English in Itaewon at the Well Being Studio by Eshe on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Absolute beginners welcome. Awaken your body and spirit with this ancient healing art. Details at w w w.eshebellydancer.com or email eshebellydancer@hotmail.com Looking to start a La Leche League in Seoul. Anyone interested in joining thisgroup or with p rev io us ex p er ien c e in l ea d in g on e, p l ea s e email:sondancer23@yahoo.com Sunday Salsa Class @ You Can Dance! Studio in Itaewon / Beginner I - 1~2:30PM / Beginner II 2:30~4PM. Go to www.youcandancekorea.com or call 749-3262 Bible Study Enthusiasts - Weekly Bible study for Native English Speakers. We are having a weekly Bible Study every Saturday, at 7:30 PM. Everyone is welcome! Call me at 011-359-1317 or email homechurch-314@meetup.com or homechurch. meetup.com/314/ for further information. Democrats Abroad in the ROK - Different ways to get involved. Official membership open to US Citizens. Social events open to all nationalities. contact demsabroadseoul@gmail.com Seoul Global Center - Seoul Help Center for foreigners has been renamed and relocated to the Korea Press Foundation Building floor.
Belly Dance Classes in English. Learn f i n e m u s c l e c o n t r o l o f t h e t o r s o, a r m s a n d hips, and interpretation of intricate music in English with an interesting group of women. C l a s s e s o n Tu e s d a y n i g h t s a n d S a t u r d a y mornings. All levels welcome. Contact eshe@eshebellydancer.com. Texas Hold Em in Ilsan - Weekly Hold Em throw down at cool bar in La Festa, Ilsan Tues & Thurs around 10pm & Sundays 7pm. Contact mrleon29@ gmail.com I'm all-in. May the flop be with you! I ntere s te d in T he at re? S e oul Pl a yer s is an all-volunteer community theatre group which does two English language shows a year. For more info, please email seoulplayers@gmail.com Interested in Surfing? There are trips throughout the winter to discover Korea’s secret spots and great waves. Please contact Nathan or Jack at Seoulboardriders@hotmail.com Bazzer’s Buddies Dog Walking Club Namsan, Han River and other outdoor areas around Seoul. A fun way to get out on a Sunday afternoon and meet new friends. Send an email to www.bazzerdog.com to find out when and where we will meet. The Original Seoul Toastmasters Club - Are you interested in joining a club of professionals working to develop communication and leadership skills? Meet new friends, both Korean and foreign, at the original Seoul Toastmasters Club. Please contact Joohun Park at jhpamc@hanmail.net and 011 9279 8299 or visit www.seoultmclub.net Seoul PMS H3 – This is a running club for women that is also part of the Hash House Harriers. We meet one Saturday afternoon a month and are looking for other women who like to run, walk, drink and/or socialize. Contact msthanx4nothin@gmail. com or visit www.myspace.com/seoul_pms_h3 Karaoke Club - Join a karaoke club in Seoul with people who love to sing, whether you sound like Frank Sinatra or Frankenstein! We meet once a month. Please contact seoulsing@gmail.com A r e y o u a v e ge t a r i a n o r v e g a n i n Ko r e a? The Seoul Veggie Club meets twice a month to check out veggie-friendly restaurants and enjoy picnics. Koreans, foreigners, vegetarians and non-vegetarians are all welcome. "Facebook group Seoul veggie club" MEETinSEOUL – Come hang out with a large free, all-volunteer social group. There are no membership fees, just pay for your own cost of the events (movies, dinners etc). www.meetin.org/city/ MEETinSEOUL/ Conser vatives Abroad – For suppor ts of the British Conservative Party, and others who are interested. We will host social events, fundraisers and possibly public speakers from London. For more information, please visit groups.yahoo.com/ group/Conservativesabroadkorea/ orcontact Ian at koreanianr@yahoo.co.uk or 016-897-6282 Yongsan Kimchi Hash House Harriers - If you enjoy running, walking and trekking throughout Seoul as well as drinking beer, then come join us
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Stitch
Dr. Who’s
q&a
‘n Bitch
Dr. Seong Ho Chang
Stitch ‘n Bitch isn’t your grandmother’s knitting group!
Stitch ‘n Bitch is divided into basically 3 different groups. While there is some overlap between the groups, the majority of the division is as follows: •
an English teacher group
•
mothers/wives of military
•
suburban mothers and wives
The last group was recently formed as members discovered that there were enough people living in Bundang to start their own group. This way, Bundang members don’t have to make the long commute into Seoul. Sha Alemu Mekebeb is an English teacher here in Seoul. She says even when she’s home, she’s knitting. Most of her spare time is dedicated to knitting. Mekebeb says she enjoys coming out to the Stitch ‘n Bitches because it allows her to be social. Her most recent completed project was the Korea-centric “kimbap scarf.” “This is my 7th one. They make good going away presents,” she said. The knitting group is a great alternative to feeling the pressure to go out and drink in order to be social, said Hannah Chang, another English teacher. 64
The Hus’hu (Who’s Who) Clinic: New Standard of Selecting Dental, Eye, and Dermatology Clinic
HuShu (Who’s Who) clinic in Apgujeong offers luxury, state-of-the-art care, combining the services of a dental, eye and skin clinic. The dental clinic has two dental surgeons who are fluent English speakers. With services ranging from general dentistry for both children and adults to more complex treatments such as whitening, implants and veneers, both doctors offer a comprehensive service.
By Rishika Murthy
Actually, maybe it is. The term “Stitch ‘n Bitch” has been floating around knitting circles since the Second World War Seoul Stitch‘n Bitch has been floating around since 2005. The term “Stitch ‘n Bitch” refers to people (historically women) who get together socially for the purpose of knitting, cross stitching or any other kind of portable needle craft. Knitting, for many women, was a hobby learned when they were young and then dropped, only to pick it back up again in recent years. Many of the knitters at the Seoul Stitch n’ Bitch claim to have advanced their knitting technique rapidly after attending these social sessions. Omega Barton, English teacher and advanced knitter, says attending Stitch ‘n Bitch gives her motivation to complete her projects. “I used to get bored halfway through and start a new project, but at Stitch n’ Bitch, it’s motivating because people look forward to seeing your project progress.” Although Stitch ‘n Bitch is somewhat of a national organization (meaning, they have an umbrella website), it is not at all formal. Groups can form without any sort of registration procedure. However, it is helpful for the group to post its information on the umbrella site to enable those who want to join the group to have meeting information. The group consists largely of expat women. These women are often times English teachers or here because of the military. Marie McClellan has been running the group since late 2006. “I run it as much as it is something to be run,” she says. Stitch ‘n Bitch is an informal group. Members do not have to sign up or register or even commit to showing up for meetings. McClellan is responsible for updating the blog and sending out weekly e-mail reminders about the meetings. Interested members come and go as they please during the designated meeting times. They can almost always count on one or two other people to be there.
Medical Multiplex
The skin clinic also offers a range of treatments including anti-aging, acne and cosmetic dermatology.
Non-Surgical Skin Tightening and Lifting Dear Dr. Chang I am a 57-year-old male. I am interested in some non-surgical cosmetic facial procedures for signs of aging. I have looked into several, but I would like to know about more procedures and what the best options will be. – Paul
Also, one does not have to be an expert knitter in order to attend a session. “All you need are needles and yarn, and someone will show you what to do,” said McClellan. McClellan also said that men and non-expats are all welcome at the meetings. “However, we do speak at a rapid English conversational pace,” she warns. “And the topics tend to center around female-related topics when there are all women here.” As far as finding materials in Seoul, Carson Allen, a military wife, seems to have conquered the stalls of Dongdaemun. She says it’s exciting to find all the “secret goodies” stashed away in the mess of shopping. Allen says she enjoys the entire process of hunting, haggling and hunting some more. There are shops around Seoul that cater to knitters and crafters, but one must weigh the pros and cons of each shop before deciding what is best. Veteran knitters recommend taking a friend to Dongdaemun. They don’t recommend going alone due to the sheer chaos of the shopping experience. To find more information on Seoul Stitch n’ Bitch, visit their blog: www.seoulsnb.blogspot.com, or email seoulsnb@gmail.com
At some point, the mirror betrays you. It shakes your sense of youth with vivid signs of aging – little wrinkles around the eyes or lips, age spots, maybe some sagging skin. There used to be few options for turning back the clock without going under the knife. But you can soften the signs of aging with a wide range of non-surgical procedures for the face. Let’s talk about these techniques today. Nonablative Laser (Affirm) Basics Affirm Multiplex stimulates the skin to make new collagen. In this way, Affirm helps smooth out superficial lines and scars in the skin. Unlike Fraxel, Affirm has a second, simultaneous wavelength released into the skin, which delivers heat to the deeper layers of the dermis and produces instant contraction of the collagen. This effect is the one responsible for creating tighter, firmer skin, with reduced sagging over time. Nonablative laser therapy is a good option for people hoping to improve skin tone, fine lines and texture without taking time off from work. Each session may cause mild redness, which improves quickly. For best results, plan on four to six treatments with several weeks in between. Intense Pulse Light (IPL) Like lasers, IPL Photo Rejuvenation Therapy goes below the surface to a deeper layer of skin called the dermis. Short pulses of light are administered to heat and destroy targeted cells and stimulate rejuvenation. Unlike a laser, IPL delivers a broad spectrum of light, which can treat a variety of skin imperfections at the same time and causes only moderate sensation. IPL is one of the most popular treatments because of the improvements it provides. IPL can reduce the redness associated with Rosacea and can lighten dark circles under the eyes caused by clusters of blood vessels showing through the skin. Several sessions of IPL vaporize the blood vessels, leaving the surface skin undamaged. IPL can also remove unwanted pigmentation (like melasma and age spots) by destroying pigmented cells. IPL also stimulates collagen production, which can reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Making the Decision Non-surgical cosmetic procedures are not without risks. But these procedures are generally considered less risky than cosmetic surgery. Please book your consultation for more details at Hushu Clinic. – Dr. Chang
For more information, call the English phone line at 1588-7464 or go to www.hus-hu.com for more details. Email your questions to: international@hush-hu.com
Central Seoul-based, well-established, comprehensive, affordable and designed for expatriates and travelers. The Hus’hu health clinic offers a wide range of services together with high-end medical services.
Dental clinic
Hyung-gu Im, DDS
• Seoul National Univ. College of Dentistry Graduate • Prosthodontics (CE), Columbia Univ. Dental School
Skin clinic
SEUNG HO CHANG, MD., Ph.D. • M.D., College of Medicine, Seoul Natl. Univ. • Specialty in Dermatology, Seoul Natl. Univ. • Ph.D. in Microbiology, Chungnam Natl. Univ. • Director, Department of Dermatology, Chungbuk University Hospital
INVISALIGN IMPLANT LAMINATE VENEER ALL CERAMIC CROWN TOOTH WHITENING TMJ GENERAL DENTISTRY HEE-JONG KWAK, D.D.S.
• D.D.S., College of Dentistry, Seoul National Univ. • Korean Academy of Prosthodontics Member • Korean Academy of Stomatognathic Function and Occlusion member
THERMAGE INJECTION LIPOLYSIS (PPC) BOTOX WRINKLES LUMENIS ONE AFFIRM MEDICAL SKIN CARE ACNE Kwang- ho Han, M.D., Ph.D • M.D., College of Medicine, Seoul National Univ. • Ph.D in Dermatology, Seoul National Univ. College of Medicine • International Fellow of American Academy of Dermatology
For Appointments 1588-7464 (English) Apgujeong Branch (Seoul) Subway Line #3 to Apgujeong Station, Exit #3 3rd Floor of the Gujeong Bldg Bundang Branch (Gyeonggi) Bundang Line to Sunae Station, Exit #3 2nd Floor of the Humax Village
Sky Wellness Center The sky’s the limit for Itaewon’s newest health, wellness and chiropractic clinic Owned by Dr. Sean Kim, who has been serving the foreign community in Itaewon since 2005, Sky Wellness Center opened its doors on Dec, 1, 2009, and boasts a surprisingly stylish atmosphere, a large and well-trained staff including three chiropractors, one Pilates instructor, one exercise rehab specialist, and nine massage therapists. The clinic, which places emphasis on holistic wellbeing and detailed individual care and integrates chiropractic, massage and Pilates to achieve optimum health, offers a wide variety of services including chiropractic treatment with a pre-session massage, programs for Injuries, migraine headaches, disk disorders, scoliosis, birth trauma, foot and nerve disorders and work related ailments. In addition, the clinic carries a variety of sports med products, pillows and orthotics. As a PC-bound, hunch backed type-o-holic with poor posture, I decided to test the waters myself and was delighted when Dr. Sean welcomed me as a last minute walk-in for an hour long aromatherapy massage. After a one-year stay in Thailand, I am no stranger to massages and have frequented numerous Seoul-based establishments including three chiropractic clinics, several 5-star hotel spas and a variety of Thai massage franchises. I’m a picky customer with sensitive ligaments, a distaste for vigorous stretching and I bruise embarrassingly easily. With that in mind, I had a brief chat with Sean before my session with Massage Therapist Brian, who received his training at the renowned Korean massage society. My session began in the clinic’s cozy reception area, resplendent with original artwork by office Manager Yoon, who sat with me to discuss my preferences. She recommended several different oils based on my particular issues. As Yoon described the various benefits of each oil, I sipped tea and munched on snacks while Christmas carols played. Upon selecting an invigorating pumpkin/cinnamon oil as a base, I was led to the clinic’s private room which more closely resembles a luxury spa than a medical clinic. Yoon chose lavender as burning oil for relaxation, while I lay on the heated bed and waited for Massage Therapist Brian to enter. While I love a good Thai massage with plenty of chitchat, Brian is the sort of masseuse one savors when craving serenity. Deferential and quiet, he spoke very little, save to politely introduce himself, inquire about room conditions and explain that the protocol would
Aries
Taurus
Yo u a r e v a l u i n g y o u r privacy more than ever, dear Aries. You are certainly more withdrawn than usual, taking extra time to rest and reflect. This is necessary right now, and if you don’t do it on your own, the cosmos might force you to do so! Nevertheless, friends are mostly supportive. Coming to the aid of a partner feels good now, as does being in on a special secret. You have been analyzing many aspects of your life, including love, but by mid-March, you will be feeling more directed and re-energized.
Work is demanding this month, dear Taurus, but also ver y rewarding. Higher-ups are putting more f ait h in you and your talents, and possibly managerial skills. Friends are especially helpful and enjoyable to be around. You are likely to find that by net working and paying attention to people in the same career field as you, or to those with similar interests, you are able to come up with some excellent ideas for your own life. A reward or helpful connection on the 7-9 or 13-15 is likely. The 27-28 brings illumination to a romance.
Gemini
Cancer
Career and professional matters are strong, rewarding, and exciting this month, dear Gemini. W hile you c annot s ay your career is carefree these days, as challenges are also part of the experience, you are bound to find many opportunities to grow and develop on a professional level this month and beyond. You are dreaming big, and many of you are experiencing a rebuilding of inner faith. The 13-14 is excellent for beginning any positive thinking or life management program -- your heart and mind are entirely ready for it.
Plenty of career developments are in the works, dear Cancer, as you take the time to re-assess your professional life and responsibilities. In March and April, matters will begin to move quickly, with a raise a definite possibility; but now is the time for analysis rather than action. Love has been tricky recently, and continues to baffle you in February. The chance to have some adventurous fun, however, can help take your mind off your troubles on the 7-9, 14-16, and the 27-28. Some of you will have opportunities for higher learning, travel, or other mind-expanding experiences.
Leo
Virgo
Your popularity runs high t h i s m o n t h , d e a r L e o, even though you continue to keep some emotional distance. Those close to you, however, are likely to sense that you are not as enthusiastic and direct as usual, but it’s a necessary period in which you take a step back and analyze what works for you and what doesn’t. Your ego is completely tied up in your success with others just now, and this means you are especially attentive to the needs of loved ones. Good luck, particularly with finances, is likely on the 13-15 and 27-28.
February is an excellent month for your relationships, dear V irgo. You are especially willing to please, and partners (or potential ones) are attentive and romantic. Your openness to partnering and tolerance of others are qualities that will help improve your relationships many times over this year. Opportunities to connect and for a happy, productive relationship are abundant. Work matters are strong and mostly straightforward, having recovered well from any complications encountered near the beginning of 2010. The 13-17 and 27-28 are especially strong days this month.
Navid Dental Clinic www.naviddent.com/eng/greeting.asp (02) 790-7119 Hannam-dong, Seoul
Libra
Scorpio
Myeongdong Ye Dental Clinic (02) 318-2255 Myung-Dong, Seoul
While life has been filled with pressures and perhaps setbacks for m a n y o f y o u r e c e n t l y, dear Libra, the first three weeks of February bring great opportunities for recreation and enjoyment. Romantic new beginnings are possible, but keep your eye out for deception or selfdeception. Complications with a partner or friend continue this month, and the only thing to do now is to give them space. If you find that you’re only going through the motions, let time pass before making any decisions. The 7-8 and 13-15 are potentially magical days for you.
Challenges with work continue and are unlikely to clear up until mid-March, dear Scorpio. While some of you are encountering difficult circumstances on the job, most of you are experiencing loss of enthusiasm within. You might be going through the motions for the time being. You are sure to regain energy and zeal, as well as a sense of direction, next month. For now, both career and home are demanding, and it�s hard to find a balance. The 13-15 is strong for romance and creativity. February ends on a high note, with more time for recreation.
Miz Medi Hospital www.mizmedi.com/index.asp (02) 3467-3741 Daechi-dong, Seoul
Sagitarius
Capricorn
CHA Hospital kangnam.chamc.co.kr/chaeng/about/01.html (02) 3468-3000 Yeoksam-dong, Seoul
Nova Skin Clinic (6th floor) www.novaskin.co.kr (02) 563-7977 Gangnam, Seoul Gangnam Station, Exit #7
Yo u a r e p a y i n g m u c h more at tention to personal mat ters than you are to professional and social endeavors these day s, dear Sagit t arius. The focus is on your feelings, intuition, and comfort rather than what the rest of the world expects of you. The first two weeks of February are exceptionally busy for paperwork, errands, learning, and intellectual projects. Family and those close to home are especially helpful to you in February. A friend might be disapproving or difficult, but pay attention--he or she might have a good point. The 27-28 brings career surprises.
A strong focus on practical matters this month keeps your mind on security and comfor t mat ters for the most part, dear Capricorn. At the same time, you have so many ideas for the future that it’s hard to settle on just one. This is not the best month for presenting or implementing your ideas, however, because they require more work, refinement, and thought. February is a period of adjustments rather than new beginnings. The 28th brings new opportunities for learning, teaching, sharing, and possibly publishing or promotion for some of you.
STARSKIN Aesthetic www.star-skin.co.kr (02) 775-0886
Aquarius
Pisces
Februar y is a strong month for finances and personal possessions for you, dear Aquarius. You could receive a gift, rebate, refund or loan, especially around the 13-15 and 28th. Others are really in your corner this month, paying you much attention. While relationship problems are still part of your life, those of you involved in casual relationships are finding many opportunities to enjoy yourselves and singles are not lacking for attention, either. This is a strong period for creative projects and endeavors. Mid-month is a powerful period for feeling a sense of inner renewal and for hopefulness.
Februar y st ar t s slowly but quickly picks up speed midway through, dear Pisces, when you’ll experience lots of ac tivit y and at tention. Gifts, refunds, or rebates may be forthcoming now. Although it’s a strong time for career and business opportunities in general, there are some snags to deal with when it comes to work schedules. You might also be losing some enthusiasm for work, and going through the motions, which should change by midMarch. You receive good news and vibes on the 13-14, and a partner gives you a boost on the 28th.
SEOUL EMERGENCY MEDICAL INFORMATION CENTER
(02) 3675-5178 or 3675-5179 Jongno-gu, Seoul
GLOBAL MEDICAL FACILITATOR
StarParks www.medicalkorea.asia (02) 6337-1000. Emergency: (010)9991-0888. Yeoido, Seoul
INTERNATIONAL CLINICS
Asan Medical Center (AMC) www.amc.seoul.kr/eng International Clinic: (02) 3010-5001 or 3010-5002 Emergency: (02) 3010-3331 or 3010-3334 Songpa-gu, Seoul Samsung Medical Center (SMC) english.samsunghospital.com International Clinic: (02) 3410-0200 or 3410-0226 Emergency: (02) 3410-2060 Ilwon-dong, Seoul Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) www.snuh.org/eng International Clinic: (02) 2072-2890 Jongno-gu, Seoul Yonsei University Severance Hospital www.severance.or.kr/en/index.asp International Clinic: (02) 2228-5810 or 392-3404 Seodaemun-gu, Seoul
ORIENTAL MEDICINE / ACUPUNCTURE Jaseng Hospital www.jaseng.net (02) 3218-3167 Apgujeong, Seoul Dr Yoon’s Oriental Medical Clinic (02) 790-9578 or 790-9577 Itaewon, Seoul Gangnam IN Oriental Medical Clinic www.inisgood.com/content/c_view.asp?c_idx=399 (02) 547-8575 Gangnam, Seoul
CHIROPRACTORS
Itaewon Chiropractic Center www.createwellnesscenter.com (02) 798-1446 Itaewon, Seoul
DENTAL CLINICS
Hus'hu Dental Clinic www.hus-hu.com 1588-9467 Apgujeong, Seoul Yonsei Miplus Dental Clinic (3rd floor) (02) 3141-0028 Hongdae, Seoul Hong-ik Univ. Station, Exit #5 International Mee Dental Clinic www.internationalmee.com/page/sub6_1.asp (02) 795-1500 Hannam-dong, Seoul
Korea Dental Group (02) 733-1633 / (02) 735-1830 Kwanghwamun, Seoul / Gangnam, Seoul Le Dent Dental Office www.art-dentistry.com (02) 539-7675 or 3452-7674 Gangnam, Seoul
While I love a good Thai massage with plenty of chit-chat, Brian is the sort of masseuse one savors when craving serenity.
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health care
be Swedish with a personalized touch. The images that filled my mind as Brian’s hands began sweeping oil across my body were of rippling water. I’ve yet to experience a masseuse whose technique was so gentle, intuitive and clearly effective. A far cry from the aggressive sports massages I’d grimaced through in other clinics, Brian’s style is controlled and remarkably fluid. The overall experience left me feeling loose, relaxed and rejuvenated, and I certainly smelled heavenly. I was particularly impressed by the intimate, personal attention I received and the resulting ‘pampered’ feeling. In the past, I’d felt like a product being shooed through a factory at many booming clinics; Dr. Sean and his staff clearly view patients in a better light. To get to the SKY Wellness Center, take exit 3 at Itaewon Station and walk 5 minutes until you reach the building which “De Chocolate Coffee” coffee shop is in. Take the elevator to the 4th floor. You may schedule an appointment by calling 02-749-4849, (English receptionist available), or visit www.skychiro.com. Remember, “In health and wellness SKY’s the limit.”
MENTAL HEALTH
Dr. Park’s Pyschiatric Clinic for Foreigners (02) 563-0609 Seollung, Seoul Severance Mental Health Hospital www.smh.or.kr (31) 760-9400 Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do
WOMEN HOSPITALS
Cheil Hospital & Women’s Healthcare Center www.cgh.co.kr (02) 2000-7000 Chungmuro, Seoul
SKIN CLINICS
TengTeng Skin Clinic (10th floor) webmaster@tengteng.com www.tengteng.com / www.tengteng.co.kr (02) 337-4066 Sinsa Station, Exit #2
PLASTIC SURGERY
K's Plastic Surgery Clinic (4th floor) www.kksplastic.co.kr (02) 541-7533 Apgujeong, Seoul Apgujeong Station, Exit #2
BEAUTY & HEALTH
YE Medical Center (7th floor) www.yemedical.com (02) 541-7533 Gangnam, Seoul Cheongdam Station, Exit #14
MASSAGE
Healing Hands Samgakji, Seoul — Xi Apartment Building D-907 www.healinghands.co.kr. 010-3158-5572 / 02-2071-8090 Samgakji Station Exit #9
Mar 21 - Apr 20
May 21 - June 21
July 23 - Aug 22
Sept 23 - Oct 22
Nov 22 - Dec 21
Jan 20 - Feb 18
Apr 21 - May20
June 22 - July 22
Aug 23 - Sept 22
Oct 23 - Nov 21
Dec 22 - Jan 19
Fe 19 - Mar 20
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konglish of the month
winner:
Prizes (one): Club MASS: 2 tickets Beer O’Clock: 50,000 KRW Yaletown: 50,000 KRW Mary Jane: 50,000 KRW Spice Table: 50,000 KRW Copacabana: 50,000 KRW Breeze Burn’s (Busan): 30,000 KRW Club EDEN: 2 tickets Wolfhound Pub: 50,000 KRW Sam Ryan’s: 50,000 KRW Chakraa: 50,000 KRW Los Amigos: 50,000 KRW Olde Stompers: 40,000 KRW Pieroth Wine: 1 bottle of wine Nanta: 2 tickets
info groovekoreacom Crossword
63 Paganini’s birthplace 64 Afrikaner 65 Composer Khachaturian 66 Fido and friends 67 Capp of comics 68 Harried 69 Sign of spring
Across 1 1 Mountain lions 6 Neutral hue 10 Buck 14 Curved connector 15 Dingy 16 Arizona native 17 Gal’s guy 18 Spiritual mentor 19 Parched 20 Sponger 22 Hitch or glitch 23 Literary category 24 Gas pump rating 26 Stay attached 29 Looked happy 31 Garish
68
32 Regarding 34 “There was __ woman...” 37 Get-up-and-go 38 Winter bug 39 A question of motive 41 Library ref. 42 Author Loos 44 Founder of Stoicism 46 I of “The King and I” 47 __ van Beethoven 49 Redress 51 Evening affair 53 Actress Davis 55 It’s south of Georgia 56 Denizen 61 Small sum 62 Track tournament
Down 1 Type of pastry 2 Over in Germany 3 Breakwater 4 Purported 5 Less fresh 6 Mystery writer’s award 7 Least refined 8 Steak style 9 Classic 1896 Alfred Jarry play 10 Rebuke 11 Blackmore heroine 12 Beelike 13 Tiny fly 21 MacGraw’s “Love Story” co-star 25 Brick material 26 Thomas __ Edison 27 Bump off 28 Mortified 30 Cut, as grass 33 Vocalist Quatro 35 Impart 36 Make-or-break time 38 Disappear gradually 40 Biblical mountain 43 Lathe operator’s place 45 Intellectual 46 Non-professional 48 German republic 50 Mystery 51 “The Lion King” hero 52 Betelgeuse’s constellation 54 Words on a Wonderland cake 57 Emperor after Claudius 58 Member of the opposition 59 Distinction 60 Soviet news agency
Sudoku The aim of the puzzle is to insert numbers in the boxes to satisfy only one condition: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain one of each digit from 1-9. Theres is a unique solution, which can be found by logical thinking.
honGdae directorY
itaewon directorY Kabinett Chiropractic Clinic (1F) International Clinic (5F) Global Village Center (5F) La Bocca Villa Sortino
Bungalow Tropical Lounge 02-793-2344 This bar and restaurant sets the standards of unique excellence to higher levels - decked out with bamboo, sand, pools, swings, a fireplace and more.
Marakech Night
Ole Stompers Rock Spot
Rocky Mountain Tavern Sortino’s
Chiropractic Sports Med Clinic 02-798-1446 American and Australian trained, doctors are fluent in English, Spanish & Korean.
Old Town
copacabana 02-796-1660 Come to COPACABANA where a mere W29,000 gets you all-you-can-eat of the best Brazilian barbeque and buffet in Korea.
Silom Petra Los Amigos
Helios
Queen The Hive
Fire Station
What The Book Spice Table Tiffany Nail La Cigale/Hollywood/Spy Moksha Belsize Park (1F) Bungalow (2F) Chakraa
The Loft Pub Panchos
Don Valley
Unique Travel
Gecko’s Garden 7 Bonji
Seoul Pub/ Nashville
TMAS
Wolfhound
Jonny Dumpling
Outback
Urban
La Plancha
groove korea
LOCO LOCA 02-796-1606 Enjoy Salsa music and dancing in the vibrant atmosphere. Freshly baked pizzas with Latino flavors and the very best South American wines will be served.
Photo by Ronny Kick
Post Office
Bu ddh a’s Be Ist lly anb u l Vid eo Ta Store co Ta co
Tinpan 2
NB1
Joker Red
Oi
Brix
Agio VIA Buy The Way
M2
Addiction Castle Praha
groove korea
Photo courtesy of VIA
Pita Time 02-790-8891 Providing fresh healthy food, Pita Time offers the choice of pitas, pita pizzas, salads and more. Delivery service. Queen Queen welcomes ALL people for who they are and creates an open environment where different people from various backgrounds can cross barriers and unite as one community while having the time of their lives in the ultimate party kingdom!
Solutions 02-795-0827 The friendly English-speaking staff offers PC sales & repair as well as mailboxes and safety deposit boxes.
McDonald’s All-American Diner
FREE
STEAK! ON WED.
WITH THIS AD
TMAS 02-796-7976 Total Martial Arts System. Designed for FOREIGNERS and lessons in English. learn true martial arts, training and spending time together like a family. Unique Travel 02-792-0606 A travel agency in the heart of Itaewon where English, Japanese and Korean are spoken.
Aussie Shop Gorgeous Macho’s Kitchen
Sub-zero
Yonsei Miplus Dental Clinic
Gr8 Hookah/ Ska
Tinpan 1 Gogo’s/FF Myungwolgwan Ska2
Zibe
LA CIGALE MONTMARTRE 02-796-1244 Contemporary French cuisine in cozy and intimate surroundings.with a classy yet casual feel, it has a variety of food which includes a range of mussels. Its terrace brings an outdoor feel yet warm & dry comfort to accommodate the weather.
Rocky Mountain Tavern 010-5775-2327 With a Canadian feel throughout, RMT attracts a crowd for sports coverage, trivia, wings, weekend brunch & live music.
Marakech Night 2 Solutions Bistro Corner
Cargo
NB2
Panchos 02-792-4746 A Mexican bar with darts, pool, television and a wide selection of music. A spacious setting with big windows overlooking Itaewon’s main street.
Bar Bliss Reggae Pub
Pita Time
of the month
Harlem
360@ The Liquid
McDonald’s 02-790-6413 Open 24 hours with breakfast served from 5 – 11 AM
Pub Scrooge / Dickens Lounge / Patio
3 Alley Pub/ Sam Ryan’s You Can Dance
club daY last fridaY
GORGEOUS MACHO’S KITCHEN 02-6403-7781 Homemade American-style diner. All-day brunch, sandwich, and salads. A perfect spot for private parties. A reservation is required.
MARAKECH NIGHT (3 LOCATIONS) 02-795-9441 Moroccan & Arabic restaurant offering authentic dishes, atmosphere and music. Wine, beer, juices and yogurt drinks are also available. Enjoy flavored tobacco from traditional shisha pipe.
Copacabana Loca Loca/ Bar 22 (2F)
Starbucks
LA PLANCHA 02-790-0063 Spanish grill restaurant includes combination platters along with al la carte side dishes. Feast inside in the warm and cozy atmosphere or sit out on the plant covered terrace.
Gecko’s Terrace B1
Nomad’s Pool
JONNY DUMPLING 02-790-8830 Enjoy different styles of healthy, handmade dumplings made fresh everyday. Meat as well as vegetarian dumplings are available.
Evan Tattoo
Jun Pharmacy
9 Timo
Don Valley Korean Restaurant 02-796-2384 Conveniently located in the heart of Itaewon, this spacious restaurant accommodates 120 guests for delicious dinners and large parties. Open 24 hours everyday, it specializes in “Korean BBQ Done Right” - grilled beef ribs, bulgogi and bibimbap as well as many others.
Unit@Bluespirit
El Plato
Cafe / Bar Club Restaurant Clinic
Berlin Club Volume
Wolfhound Irish Pub 02-749-7971 This two storey Irish pub has a wide variety of imported beers, exceptional food and a great atmosphere. Guinness and Kilkenny on tap. 3 Alley Pub 02-749-3336 Friendly place with quality service. Trivia Night every Thurs.
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72 Prizes (one): Club MASS: 2 tickets Beer O’Clock: 50,000 KRW Yaletown: 50,000 KRW Mary Jane: 50,000 KRW Spice Table: 50,000 KRW Copacabana: 50,000 KRW Breeze Burn’s (Busan): 30,000 KRW Club EDEN: 2 tickets Wolfhound Pub: 50,000 KRW Sam Ryan’s: 50,000 KRW Chakraa: 50,000 KRW Los Amigos: 50,000 KRW Olde Stompers: 40,000 KRW Pieroth Wine: 1 bottle of wine Nanta: 2 tickets
Next month’s theme is ‘Reflection’ Be it with light, in time or both, reflections are with us every day. The interpretation of next month’s theme is up to you. Black and white photos are also allowed.
Aaron Brown
Cami Beaudry
runners-up
I love the out of the way places. In Busan there is a sunken stream that runs under the elevated northern end of subway line 1. There are numerous and rather extensive underground sections with columns, arches, and graffiti. In a way, it is like Cheongyecheon in Seoul- but not quite as nice. I really appreciate the grittier feel of this area and enjoy walking along the path and taking photos.
Winner: Matthew Hansen
month
pic of the
tHe last lauGH
BY Brian AYlward
With Valentine’s Day approaching, a conversation sparked between a group of friends and I, about our relationships with women. These particular friends of mine are all heterosexual, single men. I have been married for a little more than two years. These guys were collectively complaining about the dating scene and how expensive it has become to mingle about socially and meet people.
Emotional Currency A friend commented about how I am lucky to be married because I no longer have to pay money in pursuit of sex.Yes, the ultimate goal of most men entering a relationship is sex. Most guys do not meet a woman and immediately start saying things like, “I think she would be a great mother,” or,” I just want to cuddle her.” Evolution is a theory and a force. However, these friends of mine have no idea about emotional currency. Married men pay to be in relationships. Not necessarily with their wallets, but with their brains.This is what I call; emotional currency. Women generally like things such as sharing, holding and shopping. Men are not that complicated. We like eating, fucking and scratching. For instance, when my wife goes to a dollar store and returns home all excited, ready to showcase her purchases, I find it difficult to fake enthusiasm about plastic flowers or cheap cutlery. Frankly, a flat screen TV, a motorcycle and another woman are on my wish list. Recently, another form of brain payment was made as the result of a discussion I had with my wife about future baby names. The conversation began with her asking, “Do you like the name Jude?” I replied, “No.” “Why not,” she inquired. “The Beatles,” I stated. “What about Braska?” she said. I thought she was kidding. She wasn’t. “Like Nebraska, without the Ne?” I quipped. Why not Alifornia, Labama or Owa? I then began to worry that my wife had slipped on the icy Seoul streets and hit her head. She was not finished. “Ok, I really like this name; Maximus.” There was a moment of silence. I wanted to check her head for lumps, as now, I was certain she had fallen and hit her head. Then I blurted, “Maximus! Are you serious?” She was. “What’s wrong with the name Maximus?” She inquired. I was glad she asked. “First of all, it’s 2010. It’s not the fourth century. You are not going to give birth to a gladiator or an emperor,” I said. Can you imagine the pressure on this poor kid in the future with a name like Maximus? It’s the year 2027 and Maximus is now a teenager. “Hello, my name is Maximus! May I
74 | GROOVE KOREA | february 2010
Women generally like things such
as sharing, holding and shopping.
Men are not that complicated. We like eating... take your order, please?” You can’t have a name like Maximus and be a burger boy at a fast food joint. That would be humiliating. My wife and I have not discussed baby names since. As I am writing this, I am also watching CNN. The program that I am watching is discussing militant Muslims and their belief in martyrdom, where seventy-two virgins await them in paradise. I’m not questioning their beliefs, however, I do not believe these men have thoroughly thought about the consequences that await them in the afterlife. Generally, when a girl loses her virginity, she tends to get somewhat attached to the other person involved. Therefore, those seventy-two virgins would
become seventy-two girlfriends. That’s too much emotional currency! Imagine … “Where are you going?” … “What are you doing?” … “Do you want to watch Grey’s Anatomy?” … “Do you like these earrings?” and so on. These aspiring martyrs must remember: you can’t kill yourself twice. I have learned that relationships are all about compromise. I consider compromise to be trading things you hate. For example, a man will go on a picnic with his significant other and maybe later that day, she’ll watch porn. Hence, compromise. Relationships are mostly about love, romance and sex (if you can afford it). Happy Valentine’s Day.
Check Out Brian Aylward at Coex Intercontinental Hotel on March 5th & 6th standupseoul@hotmail.com