(EN) Gwangju News December 2011 #118

December 2011 Issue No. 118

Prof. Shin Sangsoon (1922-2011) Saying goodbye to a legend

Yangdong Market The voices of a struggling history

Top Xmas Gifts An easy guide

www.gwangjunewsgic.com

2

Gwangju News December 2011

What’s On

Gwangju News

16

Cover Photo Photographer: GIC Cover Photo: Prof. Shin Sangsoon

Publisher: Gyonggu Shin Editor-in-Chief: Julian Warmington Editors: Julian Raethel, Minsu Kim Assistant Editors: Seth Pevey, Stephen Redeker Copy Editor: Kathleen Villadiego Coordinators: Karina Prananto, Jihyun Kim Layout and Design: Karina Prananto Chief Proofreader: Emma Dooley Proofreaders: Rob Smith, Gabriel Ward, Jake Melville,

Seoul’s new mayor homeschoolingaddkids.com

Pete Schandall, Somin Cha (Kwangju Foreign School), Gina Covert, Jon Ozelton, Andrea Galvez, Samantha Richter, Emma Dooley, Daniel Lister, Julian Raethel

Online Editors: Andrea Galvez, Caitlin Jacobs Researchers: Jiwon Park, Dongjun Yang, Jinseon Jang, Hyejung Jeong, Changho Yoon, Karina Prananto

Address: Jeon-il Building 5F, Geumnam-no 1-1, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-758, South Korea

Phone: +82-62-226-2733~4 Fax: +82-62-226-2731 Website: www.gwangjunewsgic.com E-mail: gwangjunews@gmail.com Registration No.: 광주광역시 라. 00145 (ISSN 2093-5315) Printed by Logos (Phone +82-62-444-8800)

18 Schooling foreign children gwangjufc.com

Gwangju News Magazine is written and edited by volunteers.

Special thanks to the City of Gwangju and all of our sponsors.

Copyright by the Gwangju International Center. All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by this copyright may be reproduced in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise - without the written consent of the publishers.

34

Gwangju News welcomes letters to the editor (gwangjunews@gmail.com) regarding articles and issues. All correspondence may be edited for reasons of clarity or space.

Gwangju FC 2011 Gwangju News December 2011

3

Contents

Gwangju News December 2011 Featured Articles

Regular Columns

10

6

Upcoming Events

9

Local News

Cover Story

In Memory of Prof. Shin Sangsoon 13

This Month in Gwangju

Feature

By Gabriel Ward

KORUS FTA: The Long Road to Ratification

By Emma Dooley

14

24

Home Pages

Feature

A Walk Through Yangdong Market

26

By Seth Pevey

16

By Corey Malcolm Lajeunesse

28

Photo Contest

38

Fashion

By Wil Rawlins

18

Education

Fash-on with xxl jjdp

Schooling Foreign Children in Gwangju

By jjdp

By Sally Arkley

20

Event Review

Gwangju International Community Day 2011

40

Event Review

Gwangju International Food Fair 2011

Language Study

Letters to KOTESOL

By Caitlin Jacobs

21

Photo Essay

Deja-view

Feature

Occupy the Mayor’s Office

News

By Dr. Dave Shaffer

41

Language Study

The pattern '-(으)려고 하다'

By Caitlin Jacobs

By Soo-a Jung

22

Art Review

Carpe Nightem

42

By Doug Stuber

Community

Meet the Neighbors

By Julian Warmington

30

Travel

Fukuoka, Japan: Visa Run or Just for Fun?

43

32

By Seth Pevey

Travel

Top Activities for your Korean Winter

44

By Kerrilyn Strothard

33

By Caitlin Jacobs

34

45

Recipe

Nakji Bokkeum

By Dongjun Yang

By Darrell Slater

46

By Whit Altizer

Literature

Poetry Translated by Chae-pyong Song and Anne Rashid

Sport

Running Away with 2011 37

By Gabriel Ward

Sport

Gwangju FC 2011 Roundup 36

Food and Drink

So Blue

Shopping

Top Christmas Gifts

Movie Review

Spring in My Hometown

By Stephen Redeker

48

Puzzle

Puzzles

By Emma Dooley and Brian Paredes

GIC Tour Preview

Damyang and 5.18 National Cemetery

By Warren Parsons

49

Dear Korea

By Jen Lee

50

4

Gwangju News December 2011

Community Board

editorial A Word from Our Editor-In-Chief How did that happen? How on earth can it be the last month of the year already!? Life in Gwangju seems to skip through the calendar more quickly every year.

This final issue for 2011 sees rundowns on the year’s events from some of our favorite sports clubs, a review of last month’s amazing annual GIC Day, and a description of the recent day trip to Damyang. We also go on a tour to Fukuoka, and a jaunt down the road to meet the characters still at their life-long daily work in the cold of Yangdong Market.

You could also pick up some great ideas on things to do in winter, and other things to give as gifts during the festive season. You can discover how to deal with the challenge of educating expat children through the experience of Sally Arkley, or gain more insights into the Korea/ US free trade agreement in an article by Emma Dooley. If you are interested in interesting people, you might rather read about the new mayor of Seoul, or, learn a bit more about our recently departed, greatly admired mentor from GIC with a set of our most special memories of Professor Shin Sangsoon.

Finally, a note of thanks to all who offer honest feedback and fair appraisal of the efforts you see within these pages. We’re all “learning on the job,” out of pure interest in the exercise of making this magazine for you. We invite you to share your opinions, in English or Korean, by emailing gwangjunews@gmail.com, or by participating in our ‘favorite article’ survey on our facebook page, or just by leaving a comment there.

Whatever you do to enjoy the ‘silly season’ and keep warm this winter, we hope you have both a safe experience and a fun time, sharing with expats and locals alike, and spreading the goodwill of community as the magic of this snowy time really can.

See you next year!

By Julian Warmington

Gwangju News December 2011

5

Upcoming Events

This month’s Upcoming Events contributors: Dongjun Yang, Hyejung Jeong, Jinseon Jang, Changho Yoon (GIC Int’l Residents Support Team), Jiwon Park, Karina Prananto

Movies @ Gwangju Theater Chungjangro 5-ga (two blocks behind Migliore) Phone: 062-224-5858 Films change weekly to bi-weekly. Check online for calendar and prices. (http://cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju) White Jungle 하얀정글 Genre: Documentary Starring: Ok Lee, Yong-gyu Kim, Jinseok Park, Kyungja Seo Country: Korea Language: Korean Plot: In 2011, the government still talks about finance more than the issue of health care. Without access to medical care, the only time we see ordinary people in hospitals is during their promotional videos. Commercialization has turned the dirty market for health care into a white jungle.

Doctors and patients have become accustomed to the jungle. However, there must be a new law in this jungle. In this movie, we look for an answer that considers medical treatment as public welfare and not a personal means of profit. (source: www.hancinema.net) The Classic French Cinema 1930-1960 Ticket price: Adult: 7,000 won (per movie), student: 6,000 won (per movie), 3 movies for 18,000 won, 5 movies for 25,000 won Language: French (with English subtitle) Classical French cinema made in the early 1930s will be shown in Gwangju Theater from December 8 - 13, 2011.

Boudu Sauve' des Eaux (1932) English title: Boudu Saves from Drowning Genre: Comedy Director: Jean Renoir Starring: Michel Simon, Marcelle Hainia and Sévérine Lerczinska Plot: Boudu, a tramp, jumps into the Seine. He is rescued by Mr. Lestingois, a kind bookseller, who gives shelter to him. Mrs. Lestingois and the maid, Anne-Marie (Mr Lestingois' mistress) are far from delighted, for Boudu is lazy, dirty and salacious.

Zero de Conduite (1933) English title: Zero for Conduct Genre: Drama, comedy Director: Jean Vigo Starring: Jean Dasté, Robert le Flon and Louis Lefebvre Plot: In a repressive boarding school with rigid rules of behavior, four boys decide to rebel on a celebration day.

Toni (1934) Genre: Drama Director: Jean Renoir Starring: Charles Blavette, Celia Montalván and Jenny Hélia Plot: In the 1920s, the Provence is a magnet for immigrants seeking work in the quarries or in the agriculture. Many mingle with locals and settle down permanently. Toni is an Italian who has moved in with Marie, a Frenchwoman. Even a well-ordered existence is not immune from boredom, friendship, love, or enmity, and Toni gets entangled in a web of increasingly passionate relationships.

6

Gwangju News December 2011

Faisons un Reve (1936) English title: Let Us Do a Dream Genre: Comedy Director: Sacha Guitry Starring: Sacha Guitry, Raimu and Jacqueline Delubac Plot: Faisons un rêve is an adaptation of one the first, oldest pieces by Sacha Guitry and probably one of this most witty, poetical and charming works. Three characters: the husband, the wife, her lover.

And a "divertissement" was born out of this simple threesome: within four walls something happens, the lover becomes more and more daring and the wife, dazzled, falls in love with him.

Pepe le Moko (1937) Genre: Crime, drama, romance Director: Julien Duvivier Starring: Jean Gabin, Gabriel Gabrio and Saturnin Fabre Plot: Pépé le Moko is a gangster from Paris that hides in Algier's Casbah. In the Casbah, he is safe and is able to elude the police's attempts to capture him. After hiding two years in the Casbah, he misses his freedom. He meets a gorgeous Parisian tourist, Gaby, and they fall in love. Inspector Slimane tries to use her in order to catch him.

La Bete Humaine (1938) English title: The Human Beast/ Judas was a Woman Genre: Drama Director: Jean Renoir Starring: Jean Gabin, Julien Carette and Simone Simon Quai des Orfevres (1947) English title: Quay of the Goldsmiths Genre: Crime, drama, music Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot Starring: Louis Jouvet, Simone Renant and Bernard Blier Plot: Jenny Lamour wants to succeed in music hall. Her husband and accompanist is Maurice Martineau, a nice but jealous guy. When he knew Jenny is making eyes at Brignon, an old businessman, in order to get some engagements, he looses his temper and threatens Brignon with death. But Jenny went anyway to a rendezvous at the old man's, who is murdered the same evening.

Le Diable Boiteux (1948) English title: Tallyrand Genre: Historical drama

This Month at Holiday Inn Gwangju Hello Readers, Winter is on our doorstep and we are preparing for the festive season.

Director: Sacha Guitry Starring: Sacha Guitry, Lana Marconi and Émile Drain Jour de Fete (1949) English title: The Big Day/ Holiday Genre: Comedy Director: Jacques Tati Plot: Jacques Tati, Guy Decomble and Paul Frankeur Plot: Once a year a fair comes to the little town 'Sainte-Severe-surIndre'. All inhabiters are scoffing at Francois, the postman, for he is somewhat a conservative. On the festive day, Francois was made drunk and some 'friends' persuade him to watch a short-movie. This film is a stunt-show, showing 'modern delivery-techniques’ of the US-post.

Francois takes it seriously, unaware of being made fun of. The next day, he reorganizes his own delivery-methods. He has not the equipment, but using only his bicycle, he makes good, funny progresses.

To keep you warm, our December and January promotion in the Lobby Lounge will feature special coffees: Irish, Vodka Mocha, Kahlua, Bailey’s and Café Cointreau. In addition we have beautiful Gluhwein (warm red wine with cinnamon, star anis, cloves and orange).

French CanCan (1954) English title: Only the French Can Genre: Musical, comedy Director: Jean Renoir Starring: Jean Gabin, Françoise Arnoul and María Félix Plot: This comedy drama chronicles the revival of Paris' most notorious dance as it tells the story of a theater producer who turns a humble washerwoman into a star at the Moulin Rouge.

Movie source, photos and plots from www.imdb.com and www.filmaffinity.com

Exhibitions

Christmas in Hourglass Holiday Inn will offer a very special Christmas Buffet in Hourglass for Christmas eve dinner as well as on Christmas day for lunch and dinner. Our buffet will feature snow crab legs, oysters, prawns and a turkey and ham carving station.

National Geographic Collection Life & Nature

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Dinner - 48,000won per person (inclusive) Christmas Day Lunch - 38,000 won per person (inclusive)

Location: The Annex Gallery, Gwangju Culture Arts Center (광주문화예술회관) Date: Until February 26, 2012 Photos (Life & Nature) Admission fee: Adults 10,000 won/ Elementary - High school students 8,000 won/ Children 6,000won (under 3 years free) Phone: 062-513-7992~3 /1588-0766 For more information go to: www.ngphoto.co.kr

New Years Eve in the 10th Floor Lounge Six Course Western Style Dinner including a glass of French Champagne to start and a glass of French Medoc Red with the main course – 93,500 won per person (inclusive).

Reservations are limited: 062-610-7063 from 6 - 9:30 p.m.

Suri Suri Misuri Collection

New Years Eve in the Lobby Lounge Featuring our piano-singer Ms.Suh throughout the evening, warm winter’s coffees or a glass of Gluhwein.

Location: Child’s Gallery, Gwangju Museum of Art (광주시립미술관) Date: Until February 2, 2012 Visual arts, installation arts (total 8) Free admission Phone: 062-613-7100 For more information go to: www.artmuse.gwangju.go.kr

Michael Wilson General Manager Holiday Inn Gwangju Michael.Wilson@ihg.com

Watch our website for further details www.holidayinngwangju.com

upcoming events

Performances Yiruma Korean Tour Concert 이루마 전국투어 Date: December 4, 2011 (Sunday) Time: 6 p.m.

Location: Grand Theater, Gwangju Culture Art Center (광주문화예술회 관) Admission: Seat VIP 77,000 won, Seat R 66,000 won, Seat S 55,000 won For more information go to: www.gjart.net/main/play He is known as a pioneer of performance music in Korea. Based on his sensitive emotion and solid talent, he is loved by people all over the world. This concert will be special because it has been 10 years since he started playing piano. You can listen to many famous songs and be moved by his musical world through sweet melodies and exquisite stories.

Culture Art Center (광주문화예술회관) Admission fee: 35,000won Contact: 1588-0766

2011 Gracias Chorus Christmas Cantata 2011 그라시아스 합창단 크리스마스 칸타타 Date: December 26 - 27, 2011 Time: 26th 7:30 p.m. /27th 7:30 p.m.

Location: Grand Theater, Gwangju Culture Art Center (광주문화예술회관) Admission fee: Seat R 80,000 won, Seat S 60,000 won Contact: 1588-2346

Festival

Musical Empress Myeongseong 뮤지컬 명성황후 Date: December 9 - 11, 2011 Time: 9th 7:30 p.m. / 10th 3 p.m, 7:30 p.m./ 11th 3 p.m.

Location: Grand Theater, Gwangju Culture Art Center (광주문화예술회관) Admission fee: Seat VIP 120,000 won, Seat R 100,000 won, Seat S 80,000 won Contact: 1588-0766

Lee Hee Ah Concert 이희아 콘서트 Date: December 20, 2011 Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Grand Theater, Gwangju Culture Art Center (광주문화예술회관) Admission fee: Seat R 30,000 won, Seat A 20,000 won, Seat C 10,000 won Contact: 062-227-9321 Although Lee Hee Ah doesn’t have enough fingers (she only has four), her performances are fantastical and touching. She never gave up practicing ever since she was young. Now you too can see the beauty of her concert performance.

“Bidding the Old Year Out” Concert by Root Merge 송년콘서트 Featuring Dreaming world music group ‘Root Merge’. Based on Korean traditional music, this band has a sound that contains diverse musical flavors that blends traditional Korean music with modern tones. They are bringing their unique style of music to audiences of all ages.

Date: December 22, 2011 (Thursday) Time: 7:30 p.m.

Location: Small Theater, Gwangju Art Space(빛고을시민문화관) Free admission.

The play - The Woman and the Man 연극 그남자 그여자 Date: December 23 - 27, 2011 Time: 23rd 7:30 p.m. /24th 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 10 p.m. / 25th 3 p.m., 6 p.m. /26th 7:30 p.m. /27th 7:30 p.m.

Location: Small Theater, Gwangju

8

Gwangju News December 2011

Photos: www.boseong.go.kr Boseong Green Tea Light Festival Date: December 9, 2011 - January 29, 2012 Venue: Botjea Tea Garden (봇재다원), Boseong, Jeollanam-do Activities: Huge Christmas tree, photo zone, theme streets Lighting hours: 5 p.m. ~ midnight Admission fee: free Contact: 061-850-5211~5214 To get there: Take bus to Boseong from U-Square Bus Terminal (fee from 7,800 ~ 9,400 won, 1.5 hours).

From Boseong bus terminal, take bus Gunhak (군학) or Hwoeryeong (회 령) and get off at Daehan Tea Garden (대한다원).

The festival mixes images of the green tea garden with light. There are the huge trees, the galaxy tunnel, and the photo zones, along with special events for writing your hopes down in letters.

For more information go to: www.boseong.go.kr

ADIOS 2011 with GIC! Date: December 24, 2011 Place: GIC Office, downtown Time: 3 - 6 p.m.

For more information, contact: 062-226-2732~34 Program: - 2011 GIC Story - Thank You! GIC People!

- Performance - International Potluck Party - Flea Market Let’s end this year and celebrate Christmas eve with GIC!

news

This Month in Gwangju A brief roundup of news stories from in and around Gwangju

Electric Cars Gwangju has been selected by the Korean government to partake in the second phase of an electric vehicle project. The project is aimed at developing electric car technology, An i Plug car gija.info increasing the use of electric cars. As well as developing the electric cars themselves, the project also hopes to advance the necessary infrastructure, mainly through the proliferation of recharging stations, within a city for people to be able to run them. The project is funded by the Ministry of Environment.

Indeed one of the major drawbacks of electric cars is that they need to be charged, so infrastructure relating to this will be just as vital as the cars themselves. Gwangju will receive financing to purchase 300 i PLUG cars and install 320 recharging stations around the city. With these new technologies around town, it is hoped that a company can be launched in Gwangju and be manufacturing and distributing electric cars based on the i PLUG by 2014.

Tourism officials believe that the initiative to provide financial support to increase technology and infrastructure relating to the development of electric cars is positive. They also believe it gives Gwangju momentum to promote itself on the international stage as an environmentally friendly and aware city. It is not only hoped that Gwangju will benefit from this, but also that Korea will become a world leader in electric vehicles.

May 18th Uprising ommited from history textbooks A new history textbook to be used in middle and high schools around the country will be absent of anything relating to the May 18th uprising of 1980 in Gwangju. The Gwangju uprising was a result of a coup, which saw General Chun Doo-hwan coming to power after the assassination of the dictator Park Chung-hee.

Protestors were demonstrating all around the country against the implementation of martial law; however it was the brutality and violence which the military used to

Gwangju city mayor (center) on press conference regarding the ommited May 18 history www.gjmayor.net

eventually crush the protestors in Gwangju which makes it a significant part of the country’s history. It is unknown exactly how many people died but estimates range from 500 to 2000 people.

Gwangju’s city government has set up an online petition against the omission of the events of May, 1980 and is calling for their inclusion in history textbooks. It is receiving support from people in all parts of the country, who are critical of the government’s decision. The city’s government will send a formal letter to the History Education Process Development Commission requesting that the May 18th events be recognized in school textbooks. City officials want people to sign the petition with the hope that the Ministry of Education will change its policy and stop trying to distort Korea’s history.

Immigrant wives receive chance to visit their homeland Immigrant wives in Gwangju often find it difficult to visit their friends and family in their native land because of financial difficulties. From November 5th until November 30th, some immigrant wives in Gwangju will be selected by the Aventine Foundation to receive some money and a return ticket to visit their homeland. The immigrant wives in the most trying financial situations will receive priority. The Aventive Foundation tries to help immigrant women settle into living in Korea by providing them with such things as language classes.

By Gabriel Ward Gwangju News December 2011

9

cover story

1

2

3

In Memory of

Prof. Shin Sangsoon

1922 - 2011

W

hen I think of Professor Shin Sangsoon, my lifelong teacher and mentor, what most immediately comes to mind is that he never just talked the talk. He always walked the talk. He was one of that rare breed of teachers who had the courage of his convictions. He always said what he meant and always meant what he said.

Way back in the 1950s and 1960s, Professor Shin had the courage or the audacity, if you will, to teach English through English. He didn't mind ending up as the laughing stock of his English-teaching colleagues on campus. He didn't fear at all to go where none of them had dared to go before. Unlike most of his colleagues, he was not afraid to live by his conviction that the Korean-language bridge to English wasn't worth that much. He wouldn't have been caught dead taking refuge in the sanctuary of the Korean language.

Back in the early 1970s, Professor Shin proposed to the universal ire of Korea's ELT community that fluency-based teacher-certification be institutionalized. He ran into loud and persistent opposition from much of the Korean ELT

10

Gwangju News December 2011

establishment of the day. Undaunted by all this widespread static, he went right on making his case for many such ELT-friendly causes throughout the rest of his stay on this planet.

This proposal of Professor Shin's was nothing short of revolutionary for his contemporaries. He made the proposal from his bully pulpit as president of CETA-K (College English Teachers Association of Korea), the predecessor of KATE (Korea Association of Teachers of English). Hindsight is always 20-20, but he had to put up with all sorts of undeserved sneers and jeers from the country's (philistine) ELT community. Truth does have a scratched face, doesn't it always?

Talk of reinventing the wheel. It is ironic indeed that today we are revisiting some of the very issues Professor Shin had the foresight to raise decades ago to such across-the-board ridicule. One of them is teaching English through English. Another one is English-language proficiency as the key criterion for teacher certification and promotion. It is indeed a case of what is old becoming new again.

Professor Shin was a giant of a lodestar for Korean ELT and will go down as such in history. He had so much to give to ELT in the nation as a whole. He literally re-created ELT for Gwangju and Chonnam as well. Most of all, he made Gwangju and Chonnam the birthplace of audio-based English-language listening comprehension testing in Korea as we know it today.

It is anything but a stretch to say that he almost single-handedly turned Chonnam National University into a cradle of ELT leadership for the entire nation. It is a tribute to him that Gwangju is accorded, albeit often a bit begrudgingly, pride of place in Korean ELT circles today.

Professor Shin is leaving behind a whole legion of stunned admirers both at home and abroad. Among them, mostly his former students, is a cohort of internationally recognized scholars of language teaching and linguistics. They will forever be in debt to this great teacher for tirelessly showing the way forward. If not for him, they could never have dreamed of being where they are today.

It now behooves us to make sure that what Professor Shin poured all his heart and soul into while here with us be carried on and not forgotten anytime soon. We can best preserve his legacy for future generations by faithfully following in his footsteps. That's easier said than done, though. What we need most of all here is to always keep in mind the courage of his convictions, his sense of high principle, as a dedicated teacher and dignified human being.

Now that the torch has been passed to us, let's all try and be worthy heirs to Professor Shin's road to ELT. With that in mind, we must live the way he did. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I know he would just love that. How do I know? I was his one-time star student and trusted assistant. Besides, he officiated at my wedding back in 1968. On behalf of your admirers, myself included, goodbye and goodnight, Professor Shin. Do take good care of yourself. In the meantime, the entire city of Gwangju and the whole province of Chonnam will be missing you so very much; as will the rest of the country's ELT community. With you gone, we will never be the same. May you always rest in peace.

By Nahm-Sheik Park President, International Graduate School of English, Professor Emeritus, Seoul National University Prof. Shin’s former student at Chonnam National University

4 1. Prof. Shin and his grandson; 2. Prof. Shin, a man of wisdom; 3. Prof. Shin and GIC coordinators on Gwangju Guidebook publishing ceremony; 4. Prof. Shin teaches GIC Korean Class students the history of Hangeul

Groundedness.

Fully present.

With stories that reach back.

To his years experiencing the Japanese military regime.

His travels through middle America.

And his diligent approach to crafting his research and his writing for Gwangju News.

His regal mein adding generational balance and poise to the dinky dingy surroundings of GIC. Singsing screaming inclusionary comments yet he could barely hear.

His jaunty yet majestic walk swinging his cane when spotted on the street of Geumnam-no.

My soul cries that his physical presence has been taken from us.

My spirit soars that I have been gifted to share time and food with him.

To continue to learn and be inspired by his life well lived.

Maria Lisak GIC Management Advisor Professor at Gwangju University

Photos by GIC and courtesy of Prof. Shin’s family Gwangju News December 2011

11

cover story

The first ‘Korean Way’ column published in Gwangju News October 2002 issue

The last ‘Korean Way’ column (No.91) published in Gwangju News September 2011 issue

Professor Shin Sangsoon taught me Introduction to Phonetics (IPA) and History of English Language. I fondly remember his passion for these subjects. In the early 1980s when I studied at Chonnam National University, Professor Shin often lectured in English; this was anomalous back then. When I was a junior, a philosopher from the University of New York at Stony Brook came to the campus, and Professor Shin was the one who interpreted for us. I was impressed with his agility to navigate between two languages, which profoundly influenced my future academic pursuits, especially my decision to become a language negotiator. I feel sincerely grateful for his intellectual modeling.

Chae-Pyong Song, Associate Professor of English at Marygrove College in Michigan, USA, translator for monthly ‘Poetry’ column in Gwangju News

"2Ys" and his endless research and vast knowledge of Korean history made newcomers, and those who have been here a long time, aware of many details we never would have known without him. For many he was like a father, for some even a grandfather: always with sage advice, always questioning unwise behavior, and someone you were happy to respect because he held a very high philosophy, and lived by it. His presence was a blessing for the GIC and Gwangju News.

Doug Stuber, Gwangju News Editor February ~ October 2009

I had the pleasure of working with Professor Shin for several years through Gwangju News.

He possessed a razor sharp mind, and a keen insight and understanding based on a lifetime of fascinating experiences. He was generous enough to write 'The Korean Way' column every month, where, writing under his trademark pseudonym 2Ys (“too wise”) he managed to find a balance in introducing and explaining aspects of Korean history and culture to non-Koreans in a way that was both clear and insightful without being condescending or nationalistic. Whilst I was editor, I frequently heard his column praised as one of the best things in the magazine, and we always positioned it near the front. He was truly both a scholar and a gentleman, and will be sadly missed.

Jon Ozelton, Gwangju News Editor November 2009 ~ October 2010

Top and bottom: The ‘Korean Way’ covers different aspect in Korean society, culture and history.

I doubt there's a country with a more interesting modern history than Korea; in less than 100 years, this country has seen control by another country, freedom, division, war, poverty, recovery, and change. I met Professor Shin about a year ago, when I was asked to write an article about him for the Gwangju News. We talked about his life, all the changes he had seen in Korea, and his thoughts about the future. I didn't get a chance to talk to him again, other than the occasional "Hello", but that one conversation made Korea's history seem real to me.

To me, Professor Shin was a vivid example of all Korea has experienced, and the changes that are sure to come.

Kyle Johnson, Gwangju News Copy Editor December 2010 ~ September 2011

12

Gwangju News December 2011

feature

KORUS FTA The Long Road to Ratification he Republic of Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) has had a long and troublesome gestation period. The KORUS FTA will ensure that 95 percent of the tariffs on goods will be eliminated within five years, and new protections for multinational financial services and other businesses will be created.

T

Negotiations between the two nations were first announced in February 2006 and concluded in April 2007. The treaty was signed at the end of June 2007, but was unable to proceed to the ratification stage as thenPresident George W. Bush’s fast-track trade authority expired. Furthermore, the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives in the US expressed serious objections, related mainly to automobile trade and agriculture.

Automobile trade levels have thus far been disparate between the two countries – for example, in 2006 only around 4,000 US-made cars were sold in South Korea, while sales of Korean-made cars in the US exceeded 800,000. The US agreed to exclude rice from the deal, but only if South Korea decreases tariffs on US beef exports by 40 percent over 15 years. In addition, over $1 billion of US farm exports would become duty-free immediately upon ratification of the deal. Agricultural groups in Korea expressed outrage, and predicted that US exports to Korea could double after the trade deal to over $5.5 billion, directly causing the loss of 130,000 jobs. Several mass protests against the trade deal took place in Korea, and one protestor even immolated himself.

These grievances, as well as others related to textiles, North Korean products and the transparency of the discussion process, resulted in a lack of progress until 2010, when negotiations were reopened by US President Barack Obama and Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

Despite labelling the treaty as “badly flawed” during his 2008 Presidential campaign and vowing to send it back to Korea if elected, in 2010 President Obama and President Lee Myung-bak announced a renewed commitment to the KORUS FTA. Discussions took place at the G-20 summit in Seoul, as well as in Maryland in the United States. By early December 2010, a new deal had been reached and an updated version of the treaty was signed.

The current iteration of the treaty is a compromise between Korea and the United States. Disagreements over beef exports and North Korean products have been set aside for the foreseeable future, US automobiles have been granted broader access to the Korean market and the

proposed tariff reductions on Korean automobiles have now been delayed for five years.

The KORUS FTA was passed by the United States on October 12, 2011 by a large majority in both the Senate (8315) and the House of Representatives (278-151). Despite changes to the treaty, the path to ratification was littered with obstacles. The ruling party of Korea, the Grand National Party (GNP), has a majority in the National Assembly and passed the treaty unilaterally. This was an extremely risky move politically however, as parliamentary and presidential elections will take place in 2012.

In order to mitigate potential political fallout, the GNP was involved in meetings with opposition parties to try to reach a compromise. The opposition maintains that the deal favours the US and wants to negotiate more protections for Korean farmers and industries, while the government wants the KORUS FTA to come into effect from 2012 and says that any delay could inflict huge economic losses on Korea.

The future of the KORUS FTA appeared to be in jeopardy, but on November 22nd the GNP called an emergency legislative session and passed the long-stalled agreement by 151 votes to 7, clearly feeling that the trade deal was more important than the potential political repercussions.

During the session, opposition lawmakers rose up in protest and blasted members of the GNP with tear gas, while protesters outside parliament buildings were involved in scuffles with police. The KORUS FTA is the United States’ first trade agreement with a major Asian economy, and South Korea’s second largest FTA ever (after the agreement with the European Union). The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade hopes that the deal will come into effect from January 1st, 2012.

By Emma Dooley Please note that all opinions expressed in the article are those of the author Gwangju News December 2011

13

feature

A Walk Through Yangdong Market e live in frighteningly modern times. With the spread of modern consumerism and industrialization, most developed countries have long since traded the personal touch of farmer’s markets for the convenience of so called ‘super’ markets — a sometimes cold and disconcerting compromise which has arguably left many noble traditions and crafts mere drifting anachronisms in our time.

W

As people learn to make money better and faster, some humble and venerable practices are disappearing. While it would be vain to struggle against the inevitable progress of the world economy, the common man can and should have a say in how it is shaped. Regardless, we must accept the fact that the small merchant is dying.

Yes, they still exist. These relics of a past time are losing a bitter battle against big business, and they have stories to tell. You can meet them at places like Yangdong market. Ancient, versed and hardened, you can still see them squatting o v e r

cabbage or slicing through the gills of a fresh catch.

Gwangju News was recently lucky to hear some of their stories. Their names have been changed in the interests of privacy.

Dal-soo, a middle-aged man with gold fillings and a stony glare, sells peppers with his 70-year-old mother. Huge bags of peppers create an acrid smell in the air of his stall that waters the eyes and singes the nostrils, making breathing difficult. Dal-soo’s mother doesn’t speak, but tells her son to relay the story so that she might keep working - picking the stems out of individual peppers to add to the mountain behind her. Her brow is furrowed with 40 years of that smell.

Her son tells us that they are depressed. China has started exporting cheaper, and in his opinion lower quality, peppers into Korea, taking a juicy bite out of Dal-soo’s family business.“It is hard to make a living,” he says, with a grave flailing gesture of the hand. “There is a dark future”.

The only thing saving some merchants is unions.

Some of which made deals with organizations like the World Trade Organization (WTO) which allows them to sometimes sell their wares to large operations like high schools or military bases.

Ji-hye is frail, and rocks slowly on the floor of her Hanbok store, watching Korean dramas with her sister. In a dark corner of the market, it looks as though she doesn’t get much foot traffic in this traditional Korean dress shop, where she has worked for some forty years. She has a distant expression when asked if her business is sufficient for her

14

Gwangju News December 2011

Dal-soo and his mother on the pepper store

Ji-hye in her hanbok store

livelihood. “I have no complaints, I’m only thankful to still be healthy.” She tells us how the market looked in the 1960s. “There were no buildings; a lot of us merchants just came together in this empty space. These days I feel a lot of affection for this place, since I’ve been here so long and seen it grow.”

Myung-jin sells fish. Now in her golden days, this delicate curly haired woman is adept with her knife easily flaying fish with a simple twist of the wrist that would leave most of us bleeding were we to attempt it. She has been in this booth for 30 years. The smell is overpowering, but it doesn’t seem to bother her one bit, and she seems more friendly and approachable than the sellers around her. “My father worked in the school system, but he could never seem to make enough to make ends meet…so when I was a young girl, he found a way to get fresh seafood brought in from Busan and Mokpo. We sold it here to make some extra cash for the family.”

Myung-jin tells us that big businesses are slowly driving her livelihood into dust. Though a few loyal customers remain, there are just too many supermarkets making it hard for her to compete. Her face softens when asked what she thinks of foreigners coming to Gwangju. “I feel happy to welcome people here. My sister went to America and lived there until

Fish sellers at Yangdong Market

she died. When I meet a foreigner in Gwangju, I treat them like I would have wanted Americans to treat my sister.”

Myung-wan is a rather rigid looking middle-aged man with a baseball cap and glassy eyes. He sells miyeok, or traditional Korean seaweed, often used in soups and stews said to guard the body from radiation and other pollutants. After trying his hand at various businesses, Myung-wan seemed to be unable to make a successful trade. That is, until he started bringing mi-ok from Wando to Gwangju. He doesn’t smile as he tells his story. “Thirty years ago, this was the only place around these parts to buy miyeok. Those days were great for business. Not now.”

To visit a traditional market in Korea is to take a glimpse into a rapidly fading past. As companies combine and merge like ever expanding clouds, the things humanity wants and needs are delivered faster, cheaper, and more conveniently, but at what cost?

The stories and trials of the merchants at Yangdong market are only a microcosm of a much larger human story — a story our children may never know.

By Seth Pevey Interpretation assisted by Changho Yoon, Jinseon Jang Photos by Jaerim Han Gwangju News December 2011

15

feature

Occupy the Mayor’s Office:

Park Won Soon

highly contested race for mayor in Seoul ended on October 26 with the sound defeat of Na Kyung-won as the Grand National Party hopeful. Winning 53.4% of the votes, Park Won Soon has now become Seoul’s newest mayor.

A

Park Won Soon is described as a lawyer and civic activist. Many attribute his victory to his tapping into the discontent of a widening wealth gap, elevated inflation, and other social inequalities. By running as an independent, many saw Park’s platform as valid and not part of a political plow to shore up votes. His victory shows that there is room in politics to support a reasonable, antiestablishment, independent candidate.

Park credited voters for showing “common sense and principles” in a contest that reflected severe differences in social class and income. The election highlighted the deep discontent many South Koreans have with a system in which the country’s sprawling conglomerates, led by two of the largest companies in the country, have grown increasingly rich, while average citizens struggle to make ends meet amid rising inflation and unemployment.

John Heffer of the Huffington Post writes, “Rising inequality, which has spurred the growth of the 16

Gwangju News December 2011

Newly elected Mayor of Seoul runs on Social Progressive platform Occupy Wall Street movement and its spread worldwide, has been a major problem in South Korea. For instance, the country ranks an impressive 15th in the world in the UN's Human Development Index. But if income inequality is factored in, it drops to the 32nd position, a loss in rank exceeded only by the United States and Colombia. By decrying this inequality and labeling his opponent a member of the one percent, Park may be the first politician to rise to power in the Occupy Wall Street era – and he won't be the last.”

Park has long been considered an anti-establishment champion of the people prior to his mayoral run. The Alaska Dispatch describes his earlier days in politics as deeply opposed to inequalities. Since his time at Seoul University 36 years ago, Park has been critical of government policies. He protested the oppressive measures of the Park Chung–hee dictatorship, which lead to his expulsion from the University. He gained a lot of notoriety as a possible future champion for the people of Korea.

Park also helped found the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, which helped organize protests against lifting a ban on U.S. beef imports in 2008. He was the executive director of a non- profit organization that supports the underprivileged. In

2006, he received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service, given in honor of the former Philippine president which is widely regarded as the region's equivalent of the Nobel Prize. He was also given the Women’s Movement award by the Korean Women's Association United.

According to the Alaska Dispatch, “Park ran initially as an independent, without Democratic Party support, but finally ran on a unified ticket. Some observers believe as mayor he will adopt a more moderate stance than indicated by his rants against the government, including his claim that South Korea ‘provoked’ North Korea into sinking the navy vessel the Cheonan in March of last year and then shelling Yeonpyeong Island in the Yellow Sea in November with a loss of 50 lives.”

From the outset of his victory, Park has stuck by his guns to fulfill his campaign promises to the people.

Speaking to reporters from The Chosun Ilbo, Park stated that he would set up a committee to review current city government projects and their funding.

This committee review would be set up prior to taking any official duties, a move Park describes as an effort to listen to the people of the city to understand their needs. Park’s first official act as mayor was to sign a bill that would fund an 18.5 billion won free lunch program for elementary schools. With the signing ended a long standing controversy in Seoul which some described a root cause for the change in leadership in the city.

Park says he is committed to allocating 30% of Seoul's budget to welfare projects. He is quoted in CNN.com as saying, "I believe investing in welfare is an investment in the future and in people. I disagree with those who say welfare is a waste of money. It's a good means to creating new jobs."

According to the Korean Herald, Park has also “demanded that the central government consult with Seoul City before the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is ratified because the trade pact would cause a reduction in tax revenues and make business difficult for ‘300,000 small-time retailers’ in the capital.”

However, Park’s critics claim that he excessively intervenes in foreign affairs. According to the Korean Herald, the Deputy Trade Minister for FTA negotiations Choi Seok-young “rebuffed Park’s concerns about the Korea - U.S. FTA, giving little credence to Park’s claims.” Choi claims that “Many exaggerated concerns with little basis in facts were found (in the Seoul mayor’s statement). Among Seoul City’s claims there were many distortions and

misunderstandings.” He added that, “under the constitution, the central government has sole rights regarding foreign policy, defense and other policies that have nationwide implications.”

The Herald also reports that Park, “on his third day in office [...] announced that he will halve the tuition of the University of Seoul next year, flustering private universities which already charge twice as much as the city college.”

The new mayor, who refers to himself as a “social designer”, said he would be dedicated in his efforts to roll out a “Wikipedia-style administration based on a level network.”

All of these new initiatives are very appealing in a populist movement. However can these campaign goals translate into practical governing of a huge metropolitan city like Seoul? Park’s critics have questioned whether Seoul will be sustainable with a heavy emphasis on welfare and without a new growth model.

Park celebrates winning the Seoul mayor election

In regards to the lowering of student tuition, Park wants to use the municipal budget to cover more than half of a specific school's tuition. Critics say that this is a waste of taxpayer money, particularly because some 60 percent of the municipal university's freshmen have come from outside Seoul over the past three years, based on statistics provided by Yonhap News Agency.

Political scientists see Park’s election as a significant shift in the political culture of Korea. This new wave of political awareness could just be a one-time social phenomenon or have far-reaching and long-lasting effects. In the end, the people will decide.

By Wil Rawlins Photos from Naver Blog Gwangju News December 2011

17

education

Schooling Foreign Children in Gwangju hat exactly do parents of foreign or foreignKorean children do with regards to elementary schooling and such in Gwangju?

What are the options available?

W

involving the components of mind, body, and soul.

Located in Pungam-dong it now offers an English Immersion program. Lunch is organic and vegetarian.

Children in South Korea usually begin grade one at Western age seven (Korean age eight). They register for elementary school typically in early December for the following year. There are three categories for elementary schools in Gwangju. These are municipally-governed, nationally-governed and privately-funded elementary schools.

Salesio Elementary School, situated in Jisan-dong (Chosun University back gate) is a Catholic school run by nuns. Song Wuon Elementary School, located on Song Am Road on the outskirts of Pungam-dong, is considered to be a very competitive school.

There is the expensive choice: private school. In Gwangju there are three: Sam Yuk, Salesio, and Song Wuon. They are part of a national association which monitors private schools for curriculum, exams and the like. Let’s look at them more closely.

Sam Yuk is a Seventh Day Adventist school, and is considered by many to be the best private school in Gwangju. The meaning of Sam Yuk is “three-bodied”; 18

Gwangju News December 2011

Kwangju Foreign School also has a private elementary school, but it is not part of the national association. Located in Buk-gu, Yangsan-dong, this school teaches grades K-12 in English and follows the American curriculum, even starting the school year in September.

Registering at these schools requires you to fill in a separate, specific form for each school plus other, related documentation. After registration, the candidates are then entered into a lottery system with

Whichever elementary school you wish to register your child in you will need some basic documentation to attach to your registration form for each school you apply to. This includes your certificate of family registration and some pictures to glue to the child’s registration form(s). Also, each application can cost up to 30,000 won.

a ratio of 8:1 for those applying versus those accepted.

Also, a uniform is mandatory and you can buy these at the school during specific dates before the semester commences. Uniforms cost anywhere from 200,000 won in summer to 500,000 won in winter.

Have you ever seen children in the Gyerim neighborhood wearing blue skull-caps with elastics under their chins? These children go to the only nationally-governed elementary school in Gwangju; Bu Seol. It is located in front of the Gwangju National University of Education. Foreign children are not accepted to this school, even if fluent in Korean.

Foreign-Korean children can register. Children should be registered a couple of months in advance into a lottery (foreign children are also not allowed to enter into the lottery system). The ratio of those applying to those accepted stood this year at about 4:1.

Choosing to school your child is difficult at the best of times, let alone in another country. Remember that in all cases (excluding the foreign school) you will need to speak Korean for communication. Make the best choice for your child (and you!) and try to keep in mind that the decision will hold true for the following six years.

For more information on the private schools you can visit their individual websites or phone them: www.gwangju36.es.kr 062-652-3560~1 www.salesio.es.kr 062-227-1016, 227-1292 www.k-songwon.es.kr 062-360-5591~4 www.kwangjuforeignschool.org 062-575-0900

There are a number of municipally-governed, or ‘public’, schools in Gwangju. To register at a local public school you can either contact the school directly (in person or via their website) to find out their registration dates or go to your local neighborhood office (Dong Sa Mu So).

By Sally Arkley Photo from abpworld.wordpress.com

[ GIC Gallery ] Gwangju Photography Club Exposition

Dec.17. 2011

The Gwangju Photography Club has been an active group for over a year now. Individually, we all love taking photographs and see artistic photo opportunities in the world around us. As a group, we share our love of photography and encourage each other. We meet monthly to go on photo outings together, share our pictures and give support and advice. In the near future, the Gwangju Photography club will reach a very proud moment by selling individuals’ photos in postcard form at the Underground Grocers (more information to follow).

Another proud moment for the Photography club is the first collaborative Photo Exposition at the GIC.

2 1 1. Indy Randhawa 2. Mason Robinson 3. Christina Green 4. Christian Oey

3

4

Gwangju News December 2011

19

event review

Gwangju International Community Day Experience The Hanbok

very year, the Gwangju International Center (GIC) offers Gwangju residents a taste of the increasing diversity in the city. Gwangju International Community Day, held recently this year, is the largest annual event that the GIC organizes, and it seems to get bigger each year.

E

The feature that was highest on many festival-goers’ lists was the array of international cuisine, much of it home-cooked by natives of the represented countries.

There were dishes from Spain, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Mexico, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, the Philippines, Canada and, of course, Korea. Many of the chefs and servers were dressed in traditional garb, adding to the flavor of the festival. Spain’s paella received the most votes from festival-goers for best food, despite the fact that there were no Spaniards in sight (though the two Korean women in flamenco dresses did look lovely.)

Another popular dish was brownies with ice cream at the Canada booth, which, despite their dubious ‘Canadian-ness,’ sold out by the end of the afternoon.

Most dishes were priced from 2,000 to 3,000 won – a real bargain, especially since many of the ingredients are not easy to come by here in Gwangju.

And let’s not forget the cold beer that was available for only 2,000 won to wash it all down with.

While munching on curry from Bangladesh or macarons from the Philippines, attendees were also able to take in s o m e entertainment.

S t a g e performances included a taekwondo

demonstration by a studio with an impressive number of Bird’s eye view foreign students, a few traditional dances from neighboring Asian countries and a Korean drumming performance complete with flaming mallets.

Surrounding the stage and food tents were several foreign community club booths, including the Gwangju Running Club, with members demonstrating their long-distance skills on a treadmill in front of the booth. Korea TESOL was there, as was Dr. David Shaffer of “Letters to KOTESOL” fame. The GIC also had its own booth, selling snazzy Gwangju t-shirts right next to an impressive pumpkin carving demonstration.

Individuals and groups were able to set up flea markets around the festival, and free medical and immigration consultations were available for foreigners. The line was short but steady outside the hanbok booth, where culture enthusiasts could try on the traditional clothes and take pictures.

Gwangju International Community Day saw many improvements this year. Seating was not restricted to just one area, which gave the event a more open feel and made mingling easier. There were more food booths, more information booths and what seemed to be a larger crowd, most likely due to the Gwangju International Food Fair going on inside the convention center. GIC volunteers roamed around, giving help and answering questions when needed.

The atmosphere was one of warmth, lightheartedness and camaraderie. May next year’s International Community Day be just as successful!

By Caitlin Jacobs Photos by Narae Kim

icipants Kenyan part

ning prize and their win

20 Gwangju News December 2011

event review

Gwangju International Food Fair 2011 hile GIC Day was in full swing outside the Kim DaeJung Convention Center, the exhibition hall inside was also bustling with activity. The corresponding timing of this year’s Gwangju International Community Day and the Gwangju International Food Fair gave food-lovers ample time to thoroughly enjoy them both, and each event likely received a boost in attendance from the other.

W

Gwangju is renowned in Korea for its cuisine, and the Gwangju International Food Fair is one of the largest international food expos in the country.

The fair, which ran from October 27-30, was sponsored by the Korea Trade and Investment Promotion Agency. According to the Food Fair website, this year’s event hosted nearly 260 vendors from about 20 different countries.

Exhibits and booths ran from industry to artistry and everything in between. In addition to the foodstuff and cookware vendors, the exhibition also featured a bakery festival, a barista championship, a Korean traditional food show and competition, and various seminars on current culinary trends.

While the event was mostly targeted toward the business end of the food industry, that didn’t stop casual “foodies” from taking advantage of what the expo had to offer. For a 2,000-won sticker, any regular Joe or Min-su could wander about, taking in all that there was on offer. The bakery festival was a sight to behold, with fantastical cakes and sculptures of bread, sugar and chocolate. The festival also included an area where kids (and a few eager adults) could don chef’s hats and decorate their own small cakes. Kenya Espresso was touting their wares with 1,000-won lattes near the barista competition, and a honey vendor displayed a cross-section of a live beehive. Quite a few vendors were offering free samples: OB beer, several different brands of makgeoli, blackberry

Top: Chocolate sclupture in the bakery festival area Bottom: Barista competition

wine and plum wine from Damyang, and Polish vodka and cheese.

While most of the products at the expo were items recognizable from the shelves of local grocers, markets and big box stores, others were new to Gwangju. The Polish cheese is currently only available in some E-marts in Seoul, but perhaps some vendors in Gwangju have been swayed by their samples. Events like the Food Fair can only bring more variety to Gwangju.

By Caitlin Jacobs Photos by Paul Stanton

Gwangju News December 2011

21

art review

CARPE NIGHTEM arpe Nightem (“Seize the Night” in pig-Latin, or “Carpe Nostrum” in old-school Latin) was a stunning exhibit and tour de force at Kunsthalle. Brian Hunter’s expressionist artwork, often flung over giant photos printed on thin but sturdy fabric, was like seeing an exhibit of Jackson Pollack meets Gerhardt Richter. Who but Hunter could take the Kunsthalle to such heights?

C

One painting, perhaps four-by-four meters, was smartly hung behind another folded-up work done on a plastic tarp. The enormous juxtaposition causes a type of blurred vision until the viewer climbs the stairs and get a different perspective on it (one in which each piece is easier to distinguish from the other). The use of “new” materials was welcomed by over 100 guests on opening night. They were treated to a brief but moving description of the processes needed to fill such a giant space, and Hunter went one step further by adding a seventh video installment in the rear courtyard.

“I wanted to get people to be free to discover their own meanings in the art, while also encouraging them to seize the night and make it their own,” Hunter said. Director Jung Yujin translated, with equal enthusiasm, the rigors of his undertaking.

22

Gwangju News December 2011

First, there are the three video installations on the ground floor. In one, people are invited to lie underneath an imposing tiger to be videotaped expressing themselves. The tiger, like its comrade, a blue-and-white striped snoopy-type beagle, hung while moving via those infamous robots used in marketing a variety of shops in downtown Gwangju.

The squiggly action of these hovering would-be lovers did not prevent people from climbing aboard the beds and the reactions to the videos were of pure glee.

“It was an amazing experience trying to fill this entire space. The first piece you see, was also the last, and is the newest piece because I stayed up all night and right until the opening putting it together, and working out a kink in the video system. I did not think it was going to come off, as the technical problems outweighed my expertise,” Hunter said.

He then headed directly into his first appointment, akin to a secret meeting in a secret clubhouse, but this clubhouse was not so secret, since it was made of pink blow-up mattresses, attached by regular packing tape to teepee sticks, and erected in the middle of the first floor (see photos). Since only one person could enter with Brian every 15 minutes, and his docket was full, the secret subject matter must be attained in person.

Photo by Do-eon Kim

Top and bottom: Brian gives explanation on his work “TV Balcony”

Tiger Matress

All three video experiences on the top floor were selfpropelled experiments, with the large one giving the viewer a carnival-mirror replay of themselves, a small one in the rear passage providing a crisp replay of the viewer’s actions, and the bed-with-TV allowing those to replay their own bedroom antics on about a ten-second delay. The last one had hilarious implications for home use.

different objects to paint on, than the painting itself, while the video concepts relied too much on the imagination of the viewers, rather than what was being shown on the videos. The overall effect of the indoor-outdoor installation was superior though.

Anyone who was brave enough could make their own home videos, without even having to be at home, and with mechanical special-guest stars to boot.

One could be fooled into believing the outdoor installation was merely hanging plastic, with a dim light behind it. The light was a video of Hunter creating his hanging beagle piece. It was screened on layers of folded plastic, giving the viewer a riddle to solve: is it more innovative to document art with a video, or to hang the screens of the playback in such a way that some guests will miss the video entirely?

The exploration is worth it!

In his printed invitation, Hunter asks us to “enter a fun house of interactive installation pitting you up against your own reality and contemplate yourself, your self-control, your impulses and your desires.”

For those who let it all hang out, this was a fantastic show, full of cultural barrier breaking and breaking the illusions of intelligence and wisdom in favor of child-like fun. Bravo!

It would be hard to pick what is best between Hunter’s four main genres: painting, sculpture, video art and conceptual art, but I’m going with sculpture.

There is more new ground in the way Hunter used

Story and photos by Doug Stuber

Brian Hunter’s exhibition will be on until December 4.

Don’t miss it. For more information, please visit: www.kunsthalle-gwangju.com

Gwangju News December 2011

23

news

Home Pages Want to write about news from your country?

Contact the Editor for more information: gwangjunews@gmail.com.

Wales The mythical home of the red dragon (the national emblem of Wales) has been purchased this month by the National Trust. One million pounds has been raised by 20,000 donations to buy Llyndy Isaf Farm which is in the northern Snowdonia region of the country. The likes of Catherine Zeta Jones have been cheerleaders for the campaign to secure the wildlife rich area. The legend goes that there was a battle at the site between the Saxon white dragon and the Welsh red dragon in which the latter was successful, becoming the icon for a nation, and the former fell into the lake. The farm will now become immune to commercial development and remain pristine for future generations to enjoy.

By Andrew Thomas

Ireland On Thursday, October 27th, 2011, Ireland elected a new President, Michael D. Higgins of the Labour Party. While opinion polls carried out prior to Election Day suggested that Independent Sean Gallagher was the frontrunner, Higgins was elected with 56.8% of the vote and took office on November 11th. The 2011 election was the 13th Presidential election in Ireland, and was contested by a record seven candidates. The election was held to elect a successor to two-term President Mary McAleese. The campaign was laden with controversy and accusations and was described by The Guardian newspaper as “the most fractious presidential election campaign since the Republic was founded.” President Higgins carried out his first official function as President of Ireland on November 13th by attending the Remembrance Sunday service commemorating Ireland’s war dead at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin.

By Emma Dooley

Indonesia Indonesia was again selected to host the South East Asian Games (SEA Games) held from November 11 -22, 2011 in two cities: Palembang in South Sumatera and Jakarta, the capital city.

The sport event is held bi-annually since 1959 to strengthen the relationship between South East Asian countries. Eleven countries competed in 44 sports for 542 gold medals. This year is Indonesia’s fourth as hosts (1979, 1987, 1997, and 2011).

By Karina Prananto

India Formula One: The India Chapter India’s entry into the Formula One has given it accolades from the likes of both the racers and fans.

Buddh International Circuit with its world class racing facility, a challenging race track, hosted its first ever grand prix. The proud winner Sebastian Vettal said, “I think India is a very impressive country, very different to what we probably know from Europe, but very inspiring. If you keep your eyes and ears open I think you are able to learn a lot, the way the people handle things here.” The grand entry of India as a host into the pinnacle of sports has left many wanting more in the years to come.

By Sreejith

24

Gwangju News December 2011

Canada While November 11th signals a joyous, gift giving day here in Korea, things are far different back in Canada, where people take time to commemorate Canadians who have made sacrifices during armed conflicts.

Originally established as a day to remember the official end of World War 1 on November 11, 1918, Remembrance Day now honors all Canadians who have served, or are currently serving their country, including the 26,791 brave men and women who fought in the Korean War. It’s because of these people that Canadians everywhere enjoy the freedoms that they do, and for this reason we shall never forget.

By Kreeco

New Zealand Even the Almighty doesn’t want two tourists to leave the tiny town of Havelock, with its population of less than 500. At the top of the South Island and just west of Picton, the town is famous for its exports; green-lipped mussel shellfish, Ernest Rutherford (of the atom), and William Pickering (of NASA). Clearly frustrated with such losses, some divine force trapped the two tourists inside the local Anglican Church. The fire brigade was called recently on an emergency to drive the total distance of 450 meters to rescue the tourists. The handle had fallen off on the inside of the only exit door.

By J.J.Parkes

U.S.A Warning: A New Germ-buster is in town!

In an age when germs are mutating faster than 4G wireless, one Arizona woman has decided to become the “Joan of Arc” of germs. Erin Carr-Jordan, started a campaign to clean-up McDonald’s in six different states.

Her mission: to swab the infamous playgrounds and test for all manners of germs. Her crusade began when pathogens from fecal material and mucus were revealed at a Tempe, Arizona location. McDonald’s has banned her from eight locations and counting. CarrJordan has no apologies or regrets from her stealthy discoveries. Maybe she has the right idea but what about every other common surface? Sounds like too many “Contagions” may produce an “Outbreak” of OCD citizens!

By Aisha Hobbs

Colombia Recently thousands of students peacefully marched in Bogotá’s main plaza, Plaza Bolivar, protesting President Santos’s suggested reforms to Law 30 of 1992.

Thousands more joined across other major cities in the country. With the support of ex-congresspersons, students along with professors, instructors, and other citizens, are protesting against private-corporate funds being infused into public education, a restructuring of public universities’ tuition distribution, and new governmental accreditation and evaluation. The government argues that poorer citizens would have better access to universities, as the reforms mirror what Brazil has done in the last decade. President Santos stated that he would hold discussions after this semester is over, so marching students’ grades would not be affected. Critics suggest the reforms could destroy the autonomy and quality of some of Latin America’s most renowned universities.

By Juan Esteban Zea

Gwangju News December 2011

25

photo essay

Deja-View

A Photographic Perspective on Repetition Photos by Corey Malcolm Lajeunesse

Corey was born and raised in Saskatchewa, Canada.

He started drawing at a very young age, and first picked up a point-and-shoot film camera when 10 years old.

He was known as the guy who took photos all through school, and then later on in other endeavours as well. However, despite all that time with photography, he never took any classes or lessons, and never learned anything about the technical end of things. He got his first DSLR about five years ago, and started taking photography more seriously for the first time about two years ago. He bought a small in-apartment studio set-up, and have been shooting ever since.

He shoots mostly portraits, but in the process of venturing into more artistic styles and pursuits, including figure, fashion, and conceptual projects.

He is open to collaborations with other artists, and willing to try almost anything and is working on an artistic nude project currently, hoping to be ready in early 2012.

Visit him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cmlajeunesse

26

Gwangju News December 2011

Gwangju News December 2011

27

PHOTO CONTEST W I N N E R

Night View of the Engineering Building, Chosun University Photo by Christian Oey

Fish out of Water 28

Gwangju News December 2011

Photo by Kirsten Lind

This month’s photo contest was judged by Mark Eaton.

Mark Eaton has exhibited his photographic work in art galleries as well as other public and private venues in the United States and South Korea.

Submit your best shot of Korea!

To enter the Photo Contest, simply send your name, photo and picture description to gwangjunews@gmail.com.

In the shade (Jinju) Photo by Christina Wolfe

Damyang Photo by Jannies Le Gwangju News December 2011

29

travel

Fukuoka, Japan:

Visa run or just for fun (Part 1)

Ferris Wheel at Marinoa City

any foreigners living in Korea have the desire to travel to other countries. It goes with the territory, literally, as many of us have chosen to live and work in a faraway land. The reality of exploring other countries becomes much more desirable once you have the time, money and geographical proximity to do so.

M

Fukuoka, Japan is a city located on the southern island of Kyushu, at about the same latitude as Jeju Island. It’s Japan’s seventh largest city by population. Fukuoka is a convenient destination for those looking to experience Japan on a budget. It can be reached via high speed ferry from Busan.

For this reason, many foreigners looking to acquire or renew their Korean visa head to this city (since you’re required to do so outside of Korea). For those short on time and with a tight budget, this city offers tons of opportunities for a pleasurable experience exploring Japan and its culture.

There’s plenty to do and see in Fukuoka without breaking the bank. Free tourist maps of the city are located at the terminal (after waiting through customs). Fukuoka has a rich history dating back to ancient times, so there are many points of interest scattered about the whole area. This city is well known for its parks, such as Ohori Park and Maizuru Park, which are located next to each other. The Fukuoka City Art Museum and Castle Ruins can be seen there as well. The city is full of Buddhist temples which, of course, are free to visit. The Fukuoka City Zoo can be found at the south end of the city. The Asahi brewery gives daily tours.

Go shopping at the Marinoa City outlet shops and enjoy the smell of saltwater while strolling along the pier walk. If you desire a different perspective of the city, visit the Fukuoka Tower for a stunning view of the city from above. Be sure to 30

Gwangju News December 2011

head over in the early evening to get a view while the sun sets and hang out at the restaurant until dark for some bright lights. For the visa seekers, the Korean Consulate is located near the Yahoo! Sports Dome which is near the aforementioned tower.

Things are pricier in Japan compared to what we are used to in Korea, but there are ways to save when traveling there.

Transportation and accommodation should be planned in advance to get the most out of your money. A “one day pass” can be purchased (approx 6,000 won) which grants unlimited access to the subway system for the entire day.

There are numerous guesthouses and hostels that are wellkept and great for recharging the body after a day of walking, as well as being a meeting place for interesting and fun travelers. Share your stories with them and get some ideas about where to go in the city. For the adventurous types, try a 24-hour “media café” overnight stay. This is something like a PC room but you have your own private space to sleep, check emails, play games, watch TV, etc.

Some even provide showers and towels. The total cost is about 25,000 won for ten hours. Also, coffee and drinks are provided free from the vending machines.

Take note of the cultural differences while in Japan. In many ways, Korea and Japan are similar but the differences are much easier to spot. Speaking of vending machines, it’s virtually impossible to go thirsty on the streets there.

Vending machines are rampant with choices of drinks you have never seen outside of a store. Don’t expect to find coffee shops, fried chicken or pizza places on every corner.

That’s not a part of the culture there. Hakata-style ramen is a delectable treat you will not soon forget. Tourists from

2 1. Fukuoka Tower at night

1

2. Ohori Park sunflowers

other regions of Japan make pilgrimages to sample the local style of ramen. One highly recommended restaurant is named Ippudo and should be found on one of the tourist maps. Those on a budget should make a trip to MOS burger, a Japanese-style burger joint. MOS has tasty burgers in the sub-1,000 yen range.

3

One thing easily noticed is the fashion of the city dwellers.

The locals tend to have more individualistic tastes and everyone has a unique look in terms of hair and clothes. The colors in clothing are much more restrained than those found in Korean fashion. Also interesting is the wide variety of shapes, sizes, colors and vintages of the many cars and motor bikes cruising the streets. It’s not unusual to see old, wellkept bicycles sharing the road with spotless new vehicles.

There are so many more attractive sights and things to do in Fukuoka not mentioned here. You could possibly see it all in about a week. Even still, just a few days in this city will provide a lifetime of memories and satisfy that urge to venture off the Korean peninsula to see what life is like elsewhere in far-east Asia. Enjoy Fukuoka!

Story and photos by Stephen Redeker

4 3. Hakata-syle ramen 4. Fukuoka Tower and skyline

One-way bus ticket to Busan: 22,500 won/15,300 won (cheap seat) One-way 3-hour ferry to Fukuoka: 115,000 won, 230,000 round-trip (www.mirejet.co.kr) One-way overnight 10 p.m. departure – 8 a.m. arrival: 90,000 won (www.koreaferry.co.kr) Night stay at hostel/guesthouse: 78,000 won for twin room, 52,000 won for single (www.khaosan-fukuoka.com) Gwangju News December 2011

31

travel

Top activities for your Korean Winter he grey skies and cold winds of Korean winters can be hard to shake, but here we offer the best ways to beat the snow and enjoy a wonderful winter this year in Korea. Even the most anti-winter beach-loving hot weather junkies can find something fun and enjoyable to do. Take some ideas from Kerri Strothard who will be entering her fourth Korean winter.

T

Top Winter Festivals 1. Hit up the Hwacheon Ice Fishing Festival that runs for three weeks from January 2-7. Hwacheon is famous for being the first city to ice over in Korea, as it is one of the most northerly cities in Gangwon province, bordering the DMZ. If you’re not ready to find your inner ice-fisher yet, you can enjoy the other festivities by taking your photo with the beautifully detailed ice sculptures, skating outdoors, skiing and sledding.

2. Visit the green tea fields of Boseong for the romantic Festival of Lights, running from December 9- January 29. Even if you’ve already visited Boseong in the summer, the fields take on a new magical glow when each row of green tea is covered with bright white lights.

You’ll also see fireworks and a giant Christmas tree.

Top Winter Activities 1. Visit a mountain ski resort and put your skis on.

Deogyusan Resort in Muju boasts the biggest slopes, and they offer two and three-day rentals and passes for under 100,000 won. Because they have the biggest runs, Muju can get quite crowded on weekends. If you want something a bit more upscale, Jisan Forest Resort offers high-end accommodations to give you a classy weekend getaway feeling. Jisan also has an indoor golf-putting course and a bowling alley if you’ve had enough of the snow.

2. Visit an outdoor hot spring to refresh your spirit and skin during the dry winter. There are hot springs all over Korea, but we recommend trying the 600-year-old Onyang Hot Spring where Hangul master King Sejong himself soaked in the health benefits. It offers both outdoor and indoor facilities, and it’s also part of the larger outdoor hot springs of Asan, in case you want to check out other local hot springs while you’re there.

3. Visit a snowy temple and feel the quiet patience of winter. Beopjusa temple at Songnisan has a huge standing Buddha statue, and many small temples to explore without having to do a strenuous hike. If you’re lucky you can take some beautiful pictures of icicles 32

Gwangju News December 2011

A Snowy temple

dangling off the temple roofs. You might also get to eat some healthy temple food to keep you feeling strong and warm.

4. Visit Yeomju Ice Rink or Pung-Am World Cup Stadium and do your best impression of Kim Yuna in rented skates for under 10,000 won. If you’re really into hockey, you can join a hockey league – there’s one right in Gwangju which meets at the Yeomju ice rink every Saturday. Visit their Facebook page “Hockey Night in Gwangju” and get yourself a stick.

Top ‘In Denial of Winter’ Activities 1. Warm your hands and feast on bungeo-ppang (fishshaped sweet red bean cakes), roasted chestnuts, and baked sweet potatoes. Exclusively available in winter, you can buy these snacks on the streets of Gwangju for around 3,000 won. You’ll definitely feel warmer holding these as you walk down the street.

2. Find a bright sunny café and visit it frequently. Vitamin D helps keep us happy, and many of us don’t get enough of it during winter. Try Café Stephanie (카페스테파니) in downtown Gwangju, and play with the cute dog who lives in the café while you nuzzle up with a novel.

3. Buy a crazy cute winter hat and wear it with pride. If you’re not up for wearing a polar bear hat or a cow hat, send one home to the little ones in your family. They’ll definitely love the novelty and usefulness of the gift, not to mention all the conversations it will start.

4. If you’ve had enough of the snow, why not forget all about it and absorb yourself into the Korean indie music scene at the basement Club Nevermind in Gwangju?

Check out their website, choose a band to see and make a plan to meet them after the show: http://cafe.daum.net/clubnm/ Story and photo by Kerrilyn Strothard

shopping

Top Christmas Gifts to Send Home hat will you send home for the holidays? When you’re half a world away from your friends and family, last-minute gift shopping is not an option. Also, when you’re separated from your loved ones during the holidays, it makes thoughtful gifts even more important. If you’re struggling to think of things to include in that Christmas parcel, here are some ideas to get you started.

W

For the food lover: For those with friends and family in the U.S., why not send a tasty and easy bulgogi kit from DestinationDinners.com? It includes hard-to-find ingredients as well as trivia about Korean food and etiquette.

For those outside the U.S., how about making your own Korean recipe kit? Pack some shippable staple items, like doenjang (된장) and gochujang (고추장), with a Korean cook book. Korea may not be known for its wine, but bokbunja ju (복분자주), or Korean blackberry wine, is a surprisingly lovely after-dinner drink. It’s produced in Damyang, comes in small bottles that are easy to pack and ship, and can be bought in almost any corner market.

For culture enthusiasts: If you don’t have the time to make a trip up to Insa-dong in Seoul, pay a visit to Art Street near downtown Gwangju. One excellent shop for gifts is 신신 예술의 집 (“Sin Sin Yesule Jib”). It’s a narrow store chocked full of reasonably priced traditional Korean trinkets and pottery. Consider the wooden masks, miniature Korean-style bells, or sets of painted soju cups. Other Art Street shops boast calligraphy brush sets, Korean paper fans of various sizes, and some inexpensive, unframed paintings by local artists. If you’re willing to shell out a bit more money for the gift and the shipping, choose a Korean tea set or celadon vase from one of the pottery shops. Another excellent place to find items steeped in Korean culture is the gift shop outside Wongak-sa temple near Geumnamno 4-ga.

For those with a sense of humor: Anything with “Konglish” always makes a good gift. These zany sentences and seemingly random collections of English words can be found on mugs, shirts, bags, pencil cases, stationery - just about anything you can think of. Try

1

2

3 4 1. Korea blackberry wine taxtimes.co.kr 2. Tea set livelikewater.com 3. Decorative mirror fatbag.co.kr 4. Keychains with Korean traditional knots theconstantcrafter.blogspot.com

your local stationery store, or even Home Plus or Emart. There is also plenty of comic value in the ubiquitous sparkly ties and crazy socks, or the packages of whole, miniature dried squid and cans of beondaegi found in Family Mart or 7-Eleven.

For kids: Korea is probably the easiest place in the world to shop for little girls. Art Box, which recently opened a new store in the Chonnam University back gate area, is a sure bet. Visit one of the cosmetic stores like Etude House and pick up some fruit-shaped jars of hand lotion, and don’t forget to throw in a few sheets of stickers. For boys, save room in your package for a squeaky hammer or a remote-controlled helicopter or car, which are surprisingly affordable at around 35,000 won. Cute socks and phone charms work for both genders, not to mention all ages.

Don’t forget to include some issues of Gwangju News to give everyone back home a taste of life in Gwangju and keep them informed!

By Caitlin Jacobs Gwangju News December 2011

33

sport

Gwangju FC 2011 Roundup ometown club and first year K-League soccer team Gwangju FC ended their inaugural season this past weekend. As predicted by many at the start of the season, Gwangju missed out on a spot in this season’s playoffs. However, there were plenty of positives to take into next year’s competition.

H

Gwangju also managed to sign two marquee players from Brazil - Joao Paulo da Silva and Vinicius Silva Lopes – potentially adding some much needed flair to the team.

By finishing 11th (of 16 teams in total) in the table Gwangju FC did what many (including coach Choi Man-Hee) at the start of the season were worried they couldn’t do – be competitive.

The most notable high this season for all fans and associates of Gwangju FC was the opening day of the season. Gwangju hosted Daegu FC. Baseball season had not yet started and there was an enthusiastic turn out at the Guus Hiddink World Cup Stadium to witness the team’s introductory fixture. Fans were not disappointed. After leading 1-0 just after half time, Gwangju ended the game with a come-frombehind 3-2 victory, secured with only six minutes left on the clock.

Built from a base of last year’s university graduates, Gwangju was given special allowance in the draft to take more players than would usually be allowed for any one team. Add to this the few loan players discarded from other K-League teams and the nucleus of the squad was formed.

In late February, just before the season began,

34

Gwangju News December 2011

Whispers of greater things to come were soon circulating around town. Sadly, it was not to be.

The next few games saw Gwangju pick up only one more point in four fixtures, leaving them sitting 14th

Players leaving the field after a game with Suwon

in the K-League table, only two places from the bottom. Having scored only six goals in its opening six league games, it was clear that the team were having trouble putting the ball in the net.

The K-League Cup was no kinder to Gwangju either.

Gwangju won only one of the five games played, with a 3-2 win away to Sangju Sangmu. They also suffered a humiliating 5-0 defeat at the hands of Gangwon FC – the K-Leagues basement team. Ultimately, Gwangju finished bottom of group B in the competition and failed to qualify for the next round.

On April 24, 2011, with the team still struggling to conjure some goals and create chances in games, the result that everyone in Gwangju was hoping for materialised. With K-League giants FC Seoul the visitors, Gwangju sent the home fans celebrating in the 36th minute when Brazilian playmaker Joao Paulo gave them a lead they were never to surrender.

Although under pressure for the rest of the game and being reduced to 10 men, Gwangju held on to record a famous victory. The K-League’s newest team had turned a corner.

Consecutive victories followed against Daejeon and Sangju Sangmu before a run of defeats left Gwangju once again languishing near the bottom of the table.

The team couldn’t find the consistency it so desperately craved.

Throughout the mid-season Gwangju picked up the odd point but could never put a run of wins together that would see them climb the table into one of the illustrious playoff berths.

The next low came in the return leg against FC Seoul: a 4-1 loss reversing the humiliation the nation’s capital team had suffered in Gwangju earlier in the season.

It was clear at this time that the playoffs would be an unattainable goal – at least for this season.

As the pressure of attempting to climb up the league subdued, Gwangju showed in its last seven games that it does have a right to be in this league and can be competitive. A five-game unbeaten run sent them into the last two games of the season hoping to finish without losing another game. Unfortunately they returned to their old ways and lost the last two fixtures – inconsistency was again a problem.

It was a topsy-turvy year to say the least. Gwangju had some highs and some lows. There was also the odd embarrassment along the way. A number of

Joao Paulo

heavy defeats left the team lacking confidence throughout the season.

It is apparent where the issues lie regarding the improvement of the team. The distinct lack of goalscoring ability is a problem that needs to be addressed for next season. As a soccer writer, player and fan, it is clear to see that Gwangju FC struggle for invention and ideas when in the attacking third of the field.

Overall, the team was a success. It achieved its main goal - to compete against established professional teams without rolling over and giving up.

With a few quality additions to the squad next season, there is no reason why Gwangju can’t push on in search of that soccer holy grail – a place in the post-season playoffs!

Congratulations must be given to Gwangju FC and their personnel on what is surely to be considered a positive first season.

By Darrell Slater Photos courtesy of Gwangju FC

Gwangju News December 2011

35

sport

Running Away on 2011 or the second year in a row, the Gwangju Running Club sent a squad of fleet-footed runners to participate in the Damyang Marathon on November 6th. Though the weather looked dismal all morning leading up to the 10:30 a.m. start, many racers braved the weather to put their hard training to work.

F

Over the next hour, the participants encountered cool weather, sunshine and some more rain. After crossing the finish line, many of the racers gathered under the Gwangju Running Club tent to eat some complimentary food. The relieved racers swapped stories, finishing times and pats on the back after testing their endurance and training.

While some runners had participated in other events around the country (and throughout the year, for many, Damyang was their first organized run in Korea), most found that Korean marathons are like no other. “What I love most is the camaraderie of running in Korea,” halfmarathon participant Jen Fong said. “I didn't train nearly as well as I should have, so when I was having issues at the beginning, I decided to just fall back, run alone and enjoy the run. Then a sweet ajusshi came up from behind, and we encouraged each other all the way to the finish line - it made my day.”

The Gwangju Running Club is planning to attend the Yeosu Marathon on Sunday January 8th at 10:00 a.m.

There are four distances available: 5-kilometer, 10kilometer, half marathon and full marathon. The full and half marathons and 10-kilometer distances cost 30,000 won. The 5-kilometer event costs 15,000 won.

1

2

If you need help registering, please send Whit Altizer (wpaltizer@gmail.com) the following information by Wednesday December 14th: full name; passport number; mailing address; cell number; e-mail address; t-shirt size (85 - 110).

Story and photos by Whit Altizer

3 1. Marisa Ackerman runs past Damyang’s race entertainment 2. Lauren Sexton finishing the Damyang Half Marathon 3. Lindsay Nash (left), Annie Scharenbroich (center), and Jen Fong (right) before the gun goes off 36

Gwangju News December 2011

gic tour preview

Damyang and the 5.18 National Cemetery

hort days and cold nights, the first snowfalls and the winter solstice, December ends the year and brings with it another great GIC Tour to Damyang and the May 18 Memorial Cemetery. The 5.18 Memorial honors the sacrifices made by Gwangju citizens in the name of democracy and human rights, while Damyang offers the quintessential spirit and agricultural charm found in the south province.

S

The first stop on the tour will be the 5.18 Cemetery and Museum. This complex was constructed as a final resting place and memorial of the victims of the May 18 massacre in 1980. It is a testament to the efforts of ordinary citizens against an oppressive government and military regime.

Participants will watch a short documentary about the history of the 5.18 democratic movement followed by a visit to the upstairs gallery displaying artifacts and pictures from the period. Afterward, the tour will go outside to the burial site and pay respect to those laid to rest. From the 5.18 grounds participants will transfer by bus to Damyang center for lunch.

Damyang has long been an agricultural center and is especially famous for bamboo and bamboo products.

Participants will take part in a walking tour of this scenic little town. The main attraction is the Damyang Bamboo Forest. These towering stalks are evergreen and, with or without snow, they are always lovely to see.

Near the bamboo forest is a tree-lined river. During the Joseon Dynasty a local governor built high embankments and planted dozens of trees along the banks to help control flooding. These trees have grown well over the decades and add to the scenic beauty as well as being an interesting glimpse into civil engineering history.

5.18 National Cemetery

Mark Eaton

The final stop on the tour will be a visit to the Damyang bamboo market. Here participants can see all of the lovely items made from this versatile and flexible grass.

Interesting products include bamboo housewares and bamboo tea. There will be some time for leisurely shopping or just taking in the local ambience before heading back to Gwangju.

Please come out and cozy up for the winter with the GIC tour!

By Warren Parsons

GIC Damyang Tour with Warren December 17, 2011 (Saturday) Cost: 25,000 won (20,000 won for GIC members) Time: 10 a.m. ~ 5 p.m.

For more information, go to: www.gic.or.kr or contact 062-226-2732~34 Please register by December 15.

Itinerary 5.18 Memorial Cemetery and Museum – Damyang Village Center – Damyang River Embankment Bamboo Forest – Bamboo Market

Gwangju News December 2011

37

fashion

Fash-On with xxl jjdp Stylish Christmas Capers in the Trenches!

W

ell, well, well the time has come for us to get all of our winter warmers out from under the bed, the back of the closet or wherever they have been hiding. Yes, it is the end of the year and the magnificent crisp autumnal days have been blown away - just like the fantastic foliage, making way for what will hopefully soon be a winter wonderland.

But, for those buckling down in the trenches, fearing the chilly months that lie ahead, never fear - when capes are near!! Yep you guessed it, this month I will be introducing you to two staples for this winter that will not only keep you nice and toasty but also add an extra bit of stylish chic to any outfit. These are also great Christmas gift ideas for you or someone you know - and of course these are true investment pieces that will last you a lifetime.

1 soldier outfit, ready for the harsh weather - this durable icon of fashion soon adapted itself as the allround outerwear victor. From its 1890s’ military heritage created by Burberry and Aquascutum, to modern work wear, it is undeniable that trenches are here to stay. Traditionally found in tan or beige, recent versions can now be found in just about any color under the sun. I have one in tan, charcoal, cobalt, sea moss and black. No matter what you wear it with you will look refined.

Trenchcoats have also become iconic after being worn by various movie characters, for example Dick Tracy, Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, Carmen Sandiego and even in the movie blockbuster The Matrix.

These two classics might just appear to be the latest ‘it item,’ but they are deeply steeped in military tradition and have a long legacy in both male and female outfitting. So get ready to kick off the festive season looking very stylish, always refined and sophisticated with only two additions.

For daily wear I would pair your trench with skinny or tapered trousers for men, or with an A-line skirt for women. Try other combinations and work with what best suits you. Just remember to keep proportion in mind and remember not to “over dress” a trench. Keep it simple. With the fabric being waterproof it will not only keep you warm, but also dry from the encroaching snow and unexpected rain or sleet.

It is time for the trenchcoat. Starting off as a World War

Now onto the style scene stealer for the season - the

38

Gwangju News December 2011

cape. This unisex item dujour can be worn by anyone.

And I mean anyone. Think back, superheroes, war heroes and even Harry Potter have all worn it - and of course it made them stand out from the crowd.

Unfortunately, I cannot attest that wearing one will give you any superpowers, but it will give you an air of enchantment and simplicity that is just as magical.

Dating back to Medieval Europe, capes are usually sleeveless garments covering the back half of the wearer and mostly have buttons in the front and fastenings around the neck. These are different from ponchos, which only have a hole for your head, or shawls which usually do not have buttons.

Interestingly, capes are still widely used in many army and police forces throughout Europe and have seen a latter day re-introduction to both men and women’s fashion on various runways for autumn/winter 2011.

Besides keeping you warm the cape is a great “any and everytime” coat that is not a coat. Just drape it on top of anything you are wearing and you will soon look a million bucks. It goes great paired with a casual jeans and jersey combo or with something more upscale and formal.

I would suggest when purchasing your first cape, opt for

a solid color. Black usually goes down well and is also slimming. The length should be just below your hips for a standard look, or if you are more adventurous, you could try something longer that might be knee or midcalf length. The choice is yours. I found a great double breasted on-trend cape on GMarket for around 70,000 won which has served me well. Wear with a skinny or tapered trouser to create better proportionality as the top will be more fluid and voluminous.

Taking care of both of these items is relatively easy and I recommend that you only ever dryclean them. There is no other option. You will destroy the form and integrity of the fabric of your cape or trench if improperly laundered.

Remember to make every day a fashion adventure and season’s greetings to everyone. I hope you have a great festive season looking suitably stylish.

Peace, xxl jjdp Photos by Delsie Kwon and Brian Klein Black slashed jeans and cardigan – TimeZone, Downtown Gwangju. Trenchcoat - Aquascutum.Cape - GMarket Boots - Catepillar Gwangju News December 2011

39

language study

Letters to KOTESOL If you have a question for Dr. Dave, please send an e-mail to gwangjunews@gmail.com letting us know your question, student’s age and proficiency level

Can you suggest fun ways to teach a child the phonetics of the alphabet without drilling IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet)? It can be intimidating to a young learner...and boring.

- Carib Dear Carib, As you suggest, using the IPA symbols they are not for young learner phonics but for university-level phonology. I would not teach the sounds of the letters of the alphabet per se, but the sounds that individual letters and combinations of letters have. That is, the sounds of single-letter vowels, /i/, and consonants, /z/; double-letter single sounds: “ea,” “sh,” “ck”; blends “tr,” “pl,” “str,” “sts”; and diphthongs: “oy” as in “boy.” You can make a game of learning the sounds. Place the letters of the sounds around the classroom in plain sight.

The teacher says a sound, e.g., either of the “th” sounds, and the students, or a student representative from each team, runs to get the card and bring it back to the teacher. The first student to bring back the correct card gets a point. You may give an extra point if they can say a word that contains that sound. You could also play “Concentration” with similar cards, giving a point to the student who can correctly pronounce the sound of the two matching cards that they turned over. Use your imagination to create similar games.

Phonics cards and flip charts are also available as teaching aids and could be used in both activities and games.

Dr. Dave To be honest, I don't know that much about what's required of students in order to pass the TESOL examinations. I've heard it's quite intense and there's a significant focus on grammar but that's about it.

How would you recommend preparing them?

- V. Bhana (FET Teacher, Gyeongsangnam-do) Dear V., I believe that you are referring to the TOEIC test, which is popular in Korea, especially with companies in hiring and promotions. The test does include a listening comprehension section, but it has traditionally been heavy on reading comprehension. This includes grammar and vocabulary understanding. As the test was designed for use by businesses, the situations and vocabulary in the readings and listing sections are related to business. There are many TOEIC test preparation books available and some are good at what they aim to do: prepare individuals to do well on the test, not necessarily be able to speak English well. Recently, TOEIC speaking tests have become available separately from the traditional test. Preparation for these require skill 40

Gwangju News December 2011

development in speaking and writing. Sample test questions can easily be found on the Internet to help you. To prepare students well for the TOEIC test, instructors need to have a strong grounding in grammar for the traditional test, and in composition and presentation skills for the new tests.

Dr. Dave I am getting a little concerned that the ESL craze in Korea may not last. I like my life here, but I want to have job security as well. With markets collapsing all over the world, what is your prognosis on future job prospects on the peninsula?

- Concerned Dear Concerned, Crazes always die out or reduce in intensity. I think I see this beginning now with the government deciding to scale back EPIK and related programs. What happened is that they made plans to bring in large numbers of native-speaking teachers, and to meet their quotas, they needed to hire some individuals with low qualifications. They saw that this was not effective for teaching and are scaling back on teachers, opting for quality over quantity. For job security, everyone needs professional development. If one does not improve their teaching ability, those who do will be hired. To improve your teaching skills, KOTESOL Chapter meetings/ workshops and conferences are very helpful. To improve your qualifications, there are now a variety of certificate programs and master’s programs available both online and face-to-face in Korea, and for an increasing number of the programs in Korea, the language of instruction is English. I suggest arming yourself with TESL teaching qualifications for future job security. Certificate courses vary greatly in length, from one or two to six months, and they vary greatly in content, from the general basic methods course to specialized courses such as teaching young learners and teaching Business English. A demand for native-speaking EFL teachers in Korea will remain, but the demand for untrained nativespeakers as EFL teachers in Korea will continue to decline.

Dr. Dave Dr. Dave Shaffer is a professor of English at Chosun University, where he has taught in the graduate, undergraduate, and TESOL certificate programs for many years. Dr. Shaffer is presently the President of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of Korea TESOL and invites you to attend teacher development workshops at their monthly Chapter meetings.

Web: www.koreatesol.org/GwangjuJeonnam Email: gwangju_kotesol@yahoo.com

language study

The pattern -(으)려고 하다’: intend to Dialogue 소라 : 존씨, 안녕하세요? [ Jon nssi,, annnyeonnghasseyo?]

Sora : Hello, John! 존

: 네, 안녕하세요? 그런데, 소라씨 지금 어디 가세요? [ne,, an nnyeonnghasseyo? geureonnde sorasssi jigeum m eod di gasseyo? ] John : How are you? By the way, where are you going? 소라 : 시내에 가요. 내일이 폴씨의 생일이어서 선물을 사려고 해요. [shin naee gayo. naeiri polsssi saenngirieosseo seonnmureul saryeogo haeyo. ] Sora : I am going to downtown. I intend to buy a gift because tomorrow is Paul's birthday. : 그래요? 어떤 선물을 살 거예요? [g e u r a e y o ? e o t t e o n s e o n m u r e u l s a l g e o y e y o ? ] John : Is that so? What kind of gift are you going to buy? 존

Vocabulary

소라 : 배낭을 사려고 해요. 폴씨와 등산을 하려고 해요. [bae enangeeul sarryeeogo o haeeyo o. po olssiwa deungsaneeul harryeeogo o haeeyo o. ] Sora : I would like to buy him a backpack. I intend to go hiking with him. 존 : 네, 배낭이 좋겠어요. [ne, baenang-i jokesseoyo. ] John : Yes, I think a backpack would be good.

배낭[baenang]: a backpack 선물[seonmul]: a gift 생일[saengil]: birthday 등산[deungsan]: hiking, climbing 극장[geukjang]: a movie theater

소라 : 내일 우리 집에 올 수 있어요? 같이 저녁 먹어요. [nae eil urri jibee ol su isseeoyo o? gacchi jeeonyeeok meeogeeoyo o. ] Sora : Can you come to my house tomorrow? Let's have dinner together. 존 : 네, 그럴게요. 고마워요. [ Ne,, geureolgeyo. Gom maw woyo. ] John : Yes, I will. Thanks.

Reference: 김성희 외. (2009). 서강한국어2A 서울: 도서출판 하우 서강한국어. Retrived November 8, 2011from http://korean.sogang.ac.kr

Grammar ' The pattern '-(으)려고 하다': intend to The pattern `-(으)려고 하다' is used with verbs(including `있다'). This pattern is used to indicate a subject's intention.

However, this pattern is restricted to first and second personal pronouns.

Example (1) `려고 하다' is used if the verb stem ends in a vowel.

•저는 내일 극장에 가려고 해요. (I intend to go to the theater tomorrow.)

•1시부터 공부하려고 해요. (I intend to study from 1 o'clock.)

(2) `-으려고 하다' is used if the verb stem ends in a consonant.

•한 달쯤 서울에 있으려고 해요. (I intend to be in Seoul for about 1 month.)

•불고기를 먹으려고 해요. (I intend to eat bulgogi.)

(3) The negation is expressed in the main verb which has `-(으)려고 하다', not with the `하다' verb. However tense is expressed in the main verb. It will be dealt with in detail later.

•이 책을 안 사려고 해요.(I don't intend to buy this book.) (= 이 책을 사지 않으려고 해요.)

By Soo-a Jung Soo-a Jung is an instructor of the GIC Korean Language Class Gwangju News December 2011

41

community

Meet the Neighbors One quiet Saturday afternoon three different people wandered individually into the GIC office and library, unaware that they were about to be interviewed for the final Meet the Neighbors column for the year.

1.) Tell us three things about yourself, please!

2.) What’s been your favorite local community highlight for this year?

3.) How are you going to celebrate Christmas and/or New Year’s Eve? 4.) What do you want to get for Christmas?

5.) What New Year’s resolution are you not going to choose?

6.) What’s one prediction or hope you have for next year?

Story and photos by Julian Warmington

Christian Oey

1. I am from Indonesia and now I am currently studying at Chosun University, taking a major in Computer Engineering. I like photography.

2. The Kimchi Festival.

3. To be honest, I don’t know what exactly I am going to do. But definitely I will go to church on Christmas day.

4. A vacation to beautiful places in Korea, e.g. Jeju-do.

5. I am not going to lose weight because studying in Korea needs a lot of energy.

6. My hope is that I will have no problem in my studies and can get around Korea.

1. I’m from New York. I really enjoy teaching here. I’m currently living in Okgwa.

2. The Jinju Latern Festival. The people I went with, and the lanterns at night were very, very pretty, and the fireworks were all part of a good experience.

3. I’m probably going to spend NYE at a bar, and Christmas at an orphanage, or at home watching TV. My family back home is all older, so I don’t think about it much now.

4. A boyfriend!

5. Saving money and getting out of debt, because whenever I make a resolution I break it, so I’m not going to do that to myself this year.

6. That I’ll be a better, stronger, more intuitive, wiser person.

Tanisha

1. I enjoy yoga, nature, and festive settings with food and people.

2. I really enjoyed GIC Day with the food, the dancing, and drinking outside the Kim Daejung Convention Center.

3. I’m going to be in the Philippines for nine days checking out beaches with Amanda, my fiancé/girlfriend/partner/love.

4. My two front teeth. [laughs] 5. A new year’s resolution!

6. Peace.

Scott Dubiel

42

Gwangju News December 2011

review

Movie Review

Spring in My Hometown 아름다운 시절 his month’s film is a somewhat retro wartime piece called Spring in my Hometown, or 아름다 운 시절 (Areumdaun shijeol) which means something more like “those beautiful days”. It’s interesting, particularly if you’re the type of person who has lots of patience to spare. The fact that this film is still talked about, despite being released in 1998, speaks very highly of its caliber, as there are not too many films that have really survived from Korean cinema over such a long period. Some might consider it somewhat of a classic, and it definitely has all the familiar signs of one.

T

The film takes place in a small town in the Korean countryside during the Korean War. Despite the fact that the great battles of the war are raging during the time, the town itself is protected from most of the horrors of the conflict.

However, there is an ugly menace represented in the form of the nearby American military base.

There isn't really too much of a story here. Well, there is actually, but I think most will find it nearly impossible to follow in any linear fashion. Suffice to say it is about a pair of boys coming of age in this strange and dramatic setting, where divided loyalties and the influences of foreign cultures have created a microcosm of tension which is a war in itself, indeed inside of a much larger conflict.

Spring in my Hometown is directed by Kwang-mo Lee, who also wrote the film, and while he was something of a one-hit wonder, this film won dozens of awards - the list is a mile long.

Each shot in this film is painstakingly done, and you get the feeling that each frame took hours to construct and

hundreds of takes to get right each one is just perfect. That being said, these excruciatingly long shots where nothing much happens make the film feel a bit more like a slide show than a film reel. Sometimes it is nothing but an old man walking down a dirt footpath, it takes five minutes, and you can see every detail. One thing most viewers might find annoying is that the camera almost never gets close to the characters. You are watching them from afar, and the audio sounds so muted you may need to turn your speakers up to full volume to make anything out.

Regardless of these shortcomings, the film reeks of artistic merit, if perhaps misplaced. It is revered by film students and critics the world over, so if you are really interested in the craft of making movies, this might prove an interesting specimen.

By Seth Pevey Originally published in Gwangju Blog

Gwangju News December 2011

43

review

SO BLUE The BLT sandwich

was feeling like a taste of home, so I went to So Blue, a sandwich café downtown, a couple of times during the last month. Upon walking into the café for the first time, I was immediately impressed by its atmosphere. Concrete walls, dimmed lighting, wooden tables and chairs and framed photos of anonymous street scenes give the place a nice vibe. So Blue even plays Western music.

I

Both times I dined at So Blue there was just one staff member working. He was sitting behind the bar, and there were only a couple of other patrons there. There are four main sandwich options printed on paper menus that are already at the tables: a BLT, a club sandwich, a chicken sandwich, and a vegetable/tofu sandwich, ranging in price from 6,500 - 8,500won. There are also sides you can order, including fries, salads, and extra eggs. As far as beverages go, So Blue has a decent range of teas and an absurd number of espresso variations. In particular though, it is the availability of alcohol that gives the place a bona fide chill-out atmosphere, and a place one might go to with a few friends for a couple of drinks.

The first time I went I ordered a BLT sandwich.

However, I kept my expectations in check, because despite the fabulous vibe, the waiter who took my order didn’t inspire confidence. I’ve found that Korean restaurants will often serve Korean interpretations of Western food. I was slightly disappointed to discover that the sandwich was made with white bread from the supermarket, although I felt vindicated for remaining a little weary of harboring high expectations.

The sandwich itself still tasted pretty good, and contained lettuce, bacon, egg, tomato, sauce, cheddar cheese and Thousand Island dressing. These ingredients were almost certainly from the supermarket as well. I felt myself thinking that it was a decent sandwich by Korean standards, but that it certainly wouldn’t fly in a top notch café in the Western world. Wanting to enjoy the atmosphere, we ordered tea and stayed another hour or so. I left the café satisfied with the food, feeling 44

Gwangju News December 2011

The cozy ambience

a little ho-hum about the service, but impressed with its ambience.

The second occasion I was at So Blue was essentially like the first, so it gets good marks for consistency. The ambience, service (from the same guy), and the food were all to the same standard. There was one disappointment in that the chicken sandwich I ordered was supposed to come with rye bread. However there was failure to communicate that they’d run out of rye bread, so waiter brought my sandwich out with the same supermarket white bread as my first visit. I was not too disappointed or surprised at this mishap and just enjoyed my sandwich. Again, I enjoyed just chatting over a cup of tea with the friend I was with, in what is a great place to have a relaxing time. Don’t expect to be blown away by the sandwiches but they hit the spot nonetheless. I plan to go back there again for a couple of casual drinks sometime, as I think it’s a great place just to chill out.

If you’re outside German Bar, walk towards the river and when you get to the main intersection with the Mini Stop on your right, take a left heading towards Wedding Street. Walk about 10 meters and So Blue is on your right, on the second floor above In the Groove.

Story and photos by Gabriel Ward

recipe

Korean Easy-Cook Recipe

Nakji Bokkeum 낙지볶음 akji-bokkeum is stir-fried baby octopus with various vegetables and seasonings. Sometimes people use squid in place of octopus. However, an octopus tastes best in autumn and winter and also lives near the west coast.

N

There is a saying, “If you feed three to four octopuses to a scraggy cow, it will soon have strength.” Octopus is a lowcholesterol, low-calorie stamina food and has been enjoyed as a health food for a long time.

By Dongjun Yang Source: www.easykoreafood.com

How to make nakji bokkeum Things to prepare (for four servings): 450g (2 1/4 bodies) baby octopus, 1 tbsp salt, 2 tbsp wheat flour, 100g onion, 1 1/2 green/ red pepper, 1 red pepper, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp sesame oil

Seasoning: 6g (1 tsp) soy sauce, 19g (1 tbsp) red pepper paste, 14g (2 tbsp) ground red pepper, 4g (1 tsp) sugar, 14g (1 tbsp) minced green onion, 8g (0.5 tbsp) minced garlic, 2g (0.5 tsp) minced ginger, 0.3g (1/8 tsp) ground white pepper, 8g (2 tsp) sesame oil

Cooking Method: 1. Turn the head of the octopus inside out, remove internal organs and eyes, put salt and wheat flour into it and clean it.

2. Cut the head into 6cm-long, 1.5cm-wide and cut the legs into 6cm-long (350g).

3. Trim & clean the onion and shred it at intervals of 1cm.

4. Wash the green/red pepper, cut it into 2cm-long and 0.3cm-thick diagonal pieces and de-seed.

5. Blend the seasoning sauce.

6. Preheat the frying pan and oil. Stir-fry the onion for 1 minute on high heat. Add octopus and seasoning and fry for 1 minute.

7. Add pepper and sesame oil. Fry for 20 seconds on high heat. Enjoy!

Gwangju News December 2011

45

literature

POETRY Kim Yong-taek Translated by Chae-pyong Song and Anne M. Rashid

(김용택)

Author’s Brief Biography

Kim Yong-taek (1948- ) was born in Imsil, Jeollabuk-do. With lyrical (often regional) vernacular, he has written many poems about undamaged agricultural communities and the profound beauty of nature. His poetry collections include The Sumjin River, A Clear Day, Sister, The Day Is Getting Dark, The Flower Letter I Miss, Times Like A River, That Woman’s House, and Your Daring Love. He has also published essay collections such as A Small Village, What’s Longed for Exists behind the Mountain, A Story of the Sumjin River, and Follow the Sumjin River and Watch. He was awarded the Kim Soo-young Literary Award (1986) and the Sowol Poetry Award (1997). He currently teaches at Woonam Elementary School.

46

Sumjin River: Part One

섬진강 1

Follow the Sumjin River during the drought.

Even though those wretches steal it time and time again, brooklets of Jeolla-do collect like capillaries and flow in the dusk, on the darkening riverbank.

It decorates the clover like white rice, and the milk-vetch like charcoal fire.

It draws in darkness to the riversides of villages that don’t appear on maps and to plants that don’t appear in plant encyclopedias, and ceases the darkness.

It hangs up a flower-patterned lamp that enlightens the darkening brows.

As it flows and flows, and gets choked up, it calls in the branch that flows into the Youngsan River and, out of joy, embraces it enough to crush its bones.

Follow the Sumjin River that turns around the plump Jiri mountainside, and see if its water will dry up when those wretches rush in and steal it away.

Watch Jiri Mountain wash its face in the dusky river and rise up with hearty laugh to look at Mudeung Mountain to ask if it is true, and Mudeung Mountain glowing in the sunset will nod its bright brow and agree with Jiri Mountain.

Follow the Sumjin River to see if it will dry up just because some wretches steal it away.

가문 섬진강을 따라가며 보라 퍼가도 퍼가도 전라도 실핏줄 같은 개울물들이 끊기지 않고 모여 흐르며 해 저물면 저무는 강변에 쌀밥 같은 토끼풀꽃, 숯불 같은 자운영꽃 머리에 이어주며 지도에도 없는 동네 강변 식물도감에도 없는 풀에 어둠을 끌어다 죽이며 그을린 이마 훤하게 꽃등도 달아준다 흐르다 흐르다 목메이면 영산강으로 가는 물줄기를 불러 뼈 으스러지게 그리워 얼싸안고 지리산 뭉툭한 허리를 감고 돌아가는 섬진강을 따라가며 보라 섬진강물이 어디 몇 놈이 달려들어 퍼낸다고 마를 강물이더냐고, 지리산이 저문 강물에 얼굴을 씻고 일어서서 껄껄 웃으며 무등산을 보며 그렇지 않느냐고 물어보면 노을 띤 무등산이 그렇다고 훤한 이마 끄덕이는 고갯짓을 바라보며 저무는 섬진강을 따라가며 보라 어디 몇몇 애비 없는 후레자식들이 퍼간다고 마를 강물인가를.

Gwangju News December 2011

Sumjin River: Part Two

섬진강2

Lights come alive like that: the eyes brimming with tears because of live pine twigs.

At the foot of the mountain like a dark, wide skirt a few houses disappear into darkness, lights come alive, and the mountain opens its eyes.

As it gets darker, only the glaring eyes stay open by rubbing them and float on the Sumjin River as fire blossoms.

저렇게도 불빛들은 살아나는 구나 ...생솔 연기 눈물 글썽이며 검은 치마폭 같은 산자락에 몇 가옥 집들은 어둠 속으로 사라지고 불빛은 살아나며 산은 눈뜨는구나. 어둘수록 눈 비벼 부릅뜬 눈빛만 남아 섬진강물 위에 불송이로 뜨는구나.

Every night, the mountain diminishes the darkness and Sister revives the fire, rubbing her burning eyes, taking the tears she collects in her skirt to the river to cast them away.

Sister, the sound of cold water surrounding your waist thickly till the morning comes makes you colder.

밤마다 산은 어둠을 베어 내리고 누이는 매운 눈 비벼 불빛 살려내며 치마폭에 쌓이는 눈물은 강물에 가져다 버린다. 누이야 시린 물소리는 더욱 시리게 아침이 올 때까지 너의 허리에 두껍게 감기는구나

So early in the morning you break the ice with the water jar and scoop up the water.

No one knows the only fire blossom left floats in your water jar.

You fetch the river water, stepping on columns of white frost.

이른 아침 어느새 너는 물동이로 얼음을 깨고 물을 퍼오는구나. 아무도 모르게 하나 남은 불송이를 물동이에 띄우고 하얀 서릿발을 밟으며 너는 강물을 길어오는구나

When the day comes when all of us gather together, with every chimney smoking, you will turn off the light on your wedding night, keeping, for your beloved,

참으로 그날이 와 우리 다 모여 굴뚝마다 연기나고 첫날밤 불을 끌때까지는 너의 싸움은, 너의 정절은 임을 향해 굳구나.

Sumjin River: Part Three

섬진강3

You must be attached to this.

Watching the sun set, the glittering ripples rush in continuously and seep deeply into you and the water’s edge across the river.

Beloved, without your knowing, you must be attached to the place where the water is deep.

Flowers bloom–they wither in no time; even flower seeds wither.

Leaning your heart against the plant leaf on which white snow fell, you came this far to stand.

When you arrived, the sun set, thirsting for water, and you stood in front of the water, feeling sorrowful, joyful, and happy, and cried, your two shoulders shaking out of love.

You must have planted your longing deep under the water.

Though you didn’t have anybody you waited for, you returned from the water’s edge and treaded up the night path.

Because your eyes were familiar with each stone and each blade of grass on this path, you must have been attached to this land.

The village where the light becomes alive little by little, longs for the love that it must cultivate.

Your thin back that I watch quietly from afar without your knowing must have borne a pretty love.

그대 정들었으리. 지는 해 바라보며 반짝이는 잔물결이 한없이 밀려와 ...그대 앞에 또 강 건너 물가에 깊이 깊이 잦아지니 그대, 그대 모르게 물 깊은 곳에 정들었으리, 풀꽃이 피고 어느새 또 지고 풀씨도 지고 그 위에 서리 하얗게 내린 풀잎에 마음 기대며 그대 언제나 여기까지 와 섰으니 그만큼 와서 해는 지고 물 앞에 목말라 물 그리며 서러웠고 기뻤고 행복했고 사랑에 두 어깨 깊이 울먹였으니 그대 이제 물 깊이 그리움 심었으리. 기다리는 이 없어도 물가에서 돌아오는 저녁 길 그대 이 길 돌멩이, 풀잎 하나에도 눈 익어 정들었으니 이 땅에 정들었으리. 더 키워나가야 할 사랑 그리며 하나둘 불빛 살아나는 동네 멀리서 그윽이 바라보는 그대 야윈 등, 어느덧 아름다운 사랑 짊어졌으리.

Gwangju News December 2011

47

puzzle

PUZZLEs

By Emma Dooley and Brian Paredes

Please submit your answers to: gwangjunews@gmail.com.

The winner of this month's puzzle pages will be published in the next issue.

Winners will receive a collectors' edition GIC mug which can be collected from the GIC.

Across 2. Flightless parrot (6) 4. Festive drink made of eggs, milk, sugar and rum (6) 6. Inlaid stone decoration (6) 8. Area of rabbit burrows (6) 11. Ursine resident of Jirisan National Park (8) 13. Oldest American president to assume office (6) 14. Haphazard, happening by chance (6) 16. Universal wisdom or knowledge (8) 18. The first impressionist (5)

Down 1. Written form of the Korean language (6) 3. The act of offering something to be considered, accepted or done (11) 5. Loose Japanese robe (6) 6. Unit of length (5) 7. Enjoy an 'international' beverage here (6, 3) 9. Korea's third-largest city (5) 10. Author of 'The Iliad' (5) 12. Martial art: joining energy way (7) 13. The guide of Santa's sleigh (7) 15. Current UFC Champion (3, 6) 17. Glazed, salted and twisted cracker (7)

48

Gwangju News December 2011

First Lines Quiz Name the novels from the first lines given below.

1. It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. (1949) 2. If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. (1951) 3. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. (1813) 4. 124 was spiteful. (1987) 5. Mrs Dalloway said that she would buy the flowers herself. (1925) 6. All this happened, more or less. (1969) 7. It was a pleasure to burn. (1953) 8. It was love at first sight. (1961) 9. In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some great advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. (1925) 10. You better never tell not nobody but God. (1982)

Visual Puzzles Count how many perfect squares of all possible sizes are hidden in the cross of dots above. A square is counting if any four dots are placed exactly in its respective corners.

Two of these three bracelets are identical. Can you find them?

The bracelets can be symmetrical.

Last Month’s Puzzle Solution Movie Tagline Quiz 1. Catch Me If You Can 2. Erin Brockovich 3. Ferris Bueller's Day Off 4. A Fish Called Wanda 5. Saving Private Ryan 6. There's Something About Mary 7. Wayne's World 8. The 40 Year Old Virgin 9. Arachnophobia 10. Armageddon

em did you get th

all correctly?

Visual Puzzles

Source: www.greenleecds.com/rgbest/puzzles1.pdf

Crosswords Across 2. nefarious 5. Rory McIlroy 6. Sirte 7. Tale 12. Jennifer Egan 15. Avatar 17. Speakeasy 19. imp 20. Tallinn

Down 1. lummox 3. bonobo 4. plinth 6. slate 8. lie 9. Isis 10. Koala 11. Vettel 13. Gwangju 14. Deep 16. Alaska 18. Yohan Blake

Gwangju News December 2011

49

community board

GIC News GIC Journal: Social Discourse of Disquiet Got something to say that’s deeper than the latest travelogue?

Wondering about the space in between cultures and have some lessons to share? Have art that people generally don’t ‘get’?

You have a home at SDoD. A space for artists, photographers, writers, pundits, and critics to share about Gwangju, the art scene, art without a capital A, and expressing your confusion, clarity and kookiness through your creative ventures. Get involved. Check out the website: http://gicjournal.wordpress.com.

Contact us to contribute: selina.gicjournal@gmail.com

Art Gwangju Artist Collective Our group is organic and multi-disciplinary: painters, photographers, illustrators, and media artists. It includes members from all around the world. Our aim is to stimulate the flow of creative energy through workshops, discussion and community art projects.

Facebook: Gwangju Artist Collective E-mail: gwangjumaria@yahoo.com The Vagina Monoloques Are you interested in performance? Want to spark dialogues on race, gender and sexuality? All in our little corner of Korea?

Come and join us! We are looking for passionate and committed people who want to help us bring 'The Vagina Monologues' to Gwangju! Whether you want to act, stage manage, build sets, do make-up/costumes, plan events, work with publicity or just offer your support–this project is for you!

All are welcome; men, women, foreigners, Koreans.

Experience is fantastic, but not necessary. Tell your friends!

Let's make this a profound and far-reaching experience for the expat and Korean communities alike!

If you want to get involved, please contact Leigh Hellman at gwangjuvwarriors@gmail.com.

We’ll be sure to find space for you.

Sports Gwangju Men’s Soccer The Gwangju international soccer team plays regularly most weekends. If you are interested in playing, e-mail: gwangju_soccer@yahoo.com.

Gwangju Ice Hockey Team Looking for men and women of all ages to join us every Saturday night from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Yeomju Ice Rink near World Cup Stadium. If you are interested, contact either Andrew Dunne at atdunne@gmail.com or Chris Wilson at kreeco@rogers.com Gwangju Chaoreum Taekwondo Add: 1187-3 Chipyeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju Phone: 062) 384-0958 Location: Chaoreum Taekwondo Gym is located on the third floor of Jeong-yeon (K-1) building (just beside the bus stop) Buses : 62, 63, 64, 518 (bus stop: 상무대우아파트 - Sangmu Daewoo Apateu)

50

Gwangju News December 2011

Taxi directions: "Sangmujigu Kumho Daewoo Apart ro gajuseyo".

Method of instruction is in English.

Weekday Classes: 8:00 p.m - 9:00 p.m.(from Monday to Friday) Sunday Classes: 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Brazilian Jiujitsu in Gwangju Add: 522-3 Jisan-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju Phone: 010-9354-6279 Location: Basement of the 20000 Eyeglass shop near Salesio Girls High School.

Buses: 1, 15, 17, 27, 28, 35, 36, 55, 80 (bus stop: 살레시오여고 - Salesio Yeogo) Taxi directions: "Salesio Yeogo jungryu jang gajuseyo".

Method of instruction is in Korean-English.

Weekday Classes: 7:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. (from Monday to Friday)

Community Sung Bin Orphanage Sung Bin Orphanage is looking for creative/ active/ energetic/ outgoing/ enthusiastic long-term volunteers to join in our regular Saturday program. We would like you to give at least two Saturdays per month. As well as being a friend, you will be asked to teach basic English to girls aged 7 to 14. Meet every Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in front of downtown Starbucks. All are welcome. For more volunteering information please contact Al Barnum at: al_barnum@yahoo.com.

Apostolate to Migrants Center Address: 802-4 Songjeong -2dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Phone: 062) 954-8004 Subway: Get off at Songjeong Park (송정공원) Station and walk toward Songjeong Middle School.

Busses: 29, 38, 39, 62, 97, 98, 99. Get off at Yeonggwangtong intersection bus stop and walk toward Songjeong Middle School.

Sunday masses: 10:00 a.m. (Indonesian/ East Timor); 3:00 p.m. (English) at the Migrant Center; 6:00 p.m. (Vietnamese).

2nd Sunday: 11:00 a.m. Mass for multi-cultural families.

Spanish/ Korean Language Exchange Do you want to learn basic Spanish? Or do you want to review what you have learned in the past? Do you want to learn Korean phrases and grammar? Or do you want to practice speaking in Korean? Come join the Spanish/ Korean language exchange group every Saturday at 5:00 p.m. at the GIC. Free for GIC members.

For more information, contact Juan Esteban Zea (juanestebanzea@gmail.com)

gic talk

[ GIC Talk ]

Time & Place: Every Saturday, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., GIC office (5th floor of Jeon-il Bldg) For more information: visit www.gic.or.kr or contact gic@gic.or.kr Check out pictures from previous GIC Talks http://picasaweb.google.com/gictalk Click for the highlight clips of GIC Talk at www.youtube.com/GICTALK

December 3 Topic: A Lovely Little Korean Sports Story.

Which begs The Question: Who is the most iconic, influential Korean Global Sports Star in the world?

Speaker: Brian D. Thomas (Athlete, Teacher, Friend and BSc. In Education University of Alabama.)

As I researched the seven athletes that transcended Korean sport for a global audience, my eye was drawn to the most humble of the seven athletic stories. It was of one man’s love for nation and sport without the adulation of masses and the financial riches of modern day athletes. His sacrifice during Korea’s Dark Ages (of 1920 - 1946) brought great light to a suffering people, a culture and a nation in darkness in the most simple way: by running.

December 10 Topic: A New Vision of Arab-Americans through Arabic-American Literature Speaker: Basil Walid Keilani (EFL Instructor at Chosun University, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights co-founder) In the United States, when students learn about literature they are exposed to a myriad of cultures and ethnicities. They may be exposed to the writings of Italian-American, Irish-American, Native American, African American, Asian, and Hispanic writers.

However, they are rarely exposed to literature that highlights Arab-American culture and tend to encounter the Arab through stereotypical images found in Hollywood, the news media, and historically in orientalist literature. This presentation will highlight Arab-American culture and diversity through facts

about Arab-American literature and through three fictional stories about Arab-Americans. This is to highlight how ArabAmericans are part of the American mosaic while maintaining some of their distinctness.

December 17 Topic: Gwangju Photography Club Exposition Speakers: Members of the Gwangju Photography Club.

The Gwangju Photography Club has been an active group for over a year now. Individually, we all love taking photographs and see artistic photo opportunities in the world around us. As a group, we share our love of photography and encourage each other. We meet monthly to go on photo outings together, share our pictures and give support and advice. In the near future, the Gwangju Photography club will reach a very proud moment by selling individuals’ photos in postcard form at the Underground Grocers (more information to follow). Another proud moment for the Photography club is the first collaborative Photo Exposition at the GIC. Please see the event preview on page 19

December 24 ADIOS 2011 Time: 3 ~ 6 p.m.

Program: International Potluck Party, Flea Market, performance and many more!

For more information, please see page 8 December 31 New Year’s Eve GIC is closed.

Gwangju News December 2011

51

korean language class

2012 GIC 1st Korean Language Class Four reasons why you should learn Korean at the GIC: 1, “Culture Program” in which you can participate in Korean culture first-hand while practicing your Korean.

2. Classes designed for your needs: Intensive Beginner, Beginner to Advanced class.

3. You will receive a certificate upon finishing the class and a special award for best student.

4. Small class - more opportunity to speak and practice your Korean!

Saturday Classes

Weekday Classes Level

Days

Intensive Beginner

Monday ~ Friday

Beginner 3

Tuesday & Thursday

Intermediate 3

Tuesday & Thursday

Level

Textbook

서강한국어 1A

Beginner 1

서강한국어 1A (Pre-lesson ~ Lesson 1)

서강한국어 1B (Lesson 1 ~ Lesson 4) 서강한국어 2B (Lesson 1 ~ Lesson 4)

Beginner 2

서강한국어 1A (Lesson 2 ~ 6)

Beginner 4

서강한국어 1B (Lesson 5 ~ 8)

Advanced

서강한국어 3A

Textbook

Period: Weekday: Jan.2 - Feb. 17, 2012 (Twice a week for 7 weeks) Saturday: Jan. 7 - Feb. 18, 2012 (Once a week 7 weeks) Class hours: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (2 hours) Tuition fee : Weekday intensive: 150,000 won Weekday regular: 80,000 won Saturday: 50,000 won (GIC membership fee: 20,000 won/ year and textbooks excluded) cash only.

A class may be cancelled if less than 5 people sign up.

52

Gwangju News December 2011

Enrich your life in Korea by studying Korean and learning Korean culture with the GIC!

advertisement

G

Opt

i Las ik 2 012

(FS

200

+ EX 500 )

”‚ ˙”„` ”˛ ` `⁄ ¨ œ… …œ „fi”·¿ł

Gwangju News December 2011

53

advertisement

Midway between Kunsthalle and the Grand Hotel, across the main street at the traffic lights from the Crown Bakery.

On the 3rd floor of the T World building.

54

Gwangju News December 2011

Place Your Ad Here!

Advertise with Gwangju News!

Gwangju News is the only English magazine for Gwangju and Jeollanam-do. Target your customer by advertising with us. More than 4,000 copies are printed and sent to 1,000 addresses all over Korea and the world.

Contact us for more details: 062-226-2733 or e-mail us to gwangjunews@gmail.com

Gwangju News December 2011

55