(EN) Gwangju News March 2013 #133

March20132013.2.2610:56AMPage1

March 2013 Issue No. 133

On The Cover:

Aung San Suu Kyi Gwangju’s Honored Guest

A Homage to Song Chae-Pyong What’s Brewing Korean Beer

www.gwangjunewsgic.com

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Gwangju News is the longest-running English magazine in Korea and is the representative English magazine in Gwangju and the Jeollanam-do area. Its print and online versions bring Gwangju to the world.

Does your business cater to the international community?

Target your customers by advertising with us. Gwangju News print and online receive more than 35,000 readers in just one year!

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March 2013 www.gwangjunewsgic.com

ON THE COVER

THE EDITORIAL TEAM Publisher: Dr. Shin Gyonggu GWANGJU NEWS PRINT Editor: Kathleen Villadiego Sub-Editor: Shay Meinecke Assistant Editor: Stephen Redeker Creative Consultant: Warren Parsons Copy Editors: Vanessa Cisneros, Michael Moak, Joey Nunez Jon Ozelton, Bradley Weiss Coordinators: Karina Prananto, Kim Minsu Layout Designer: Karina Prananto Photo Editor: Matt Furlane Proofreaders: Don Gariepy, Erin Hamayda, Heinrich Hattingh, Daniel Lister, Jon Ozelton, Samantha Richter, Pete Schandall, Bradley Weiss Special thanks to Jessica Keralis Researchers: Kang Heera, Jo Ara, Park Soyoung

GWANGJU NEWS ONLINE Editor: C. Adam Volle Technical Manager: Carl Hedinger Assistant Site Administrator: Nathan Fulkerson Arts Editor: Andrea Edwards Features Editors: BreeAnn Cowger, C. Adam Volle Gwangju News is published by Gwangju International Center Address: Jeon-il Building 5F, Geumnam-no 1-1,

Cover Photo: Aung San Suu Kyi Photographer: Warren Parsons

Features 12 Aung San Suu Kyi: An Ongoing Journey to Democracy By Seth Pevey

16 A Tribute to Professor Song ChaePyong

20 Mudeungsan National Park

By Warren Parsons

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) Registration Date: February 22, 2010 Printed by Logos (Phone +82-62-444-8800) Publication Date: February 25, 2013 Gwangju News is a monthly English magazine written and edited by volunteers. We welcome your contributions for proofreading, copy editing, administration, layout/design and distribution. Please write to gwangjunews@gmail.com and tell us your area of interest.

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.

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

Gwangju News March 2013

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Editorial Shay Meinecke Gwangju News Sub-editor I first joined Gwangju News as a writer. However, when I saw an opportunity to get involved as an Editor, I snatched it.

I joined the team of volunteers simply to help. Running a magazine is a great deal of work. Thinking of stories, compiling writers, collecting content, editing and publishing is something that a bigger, non-volunteer-based group would have problems with.

Considering all this, and realizing my passion for writing, journalism and publishing, I decided that a bigger role with the magazine would be ideal. I hope my passion brings energy and excitement to the team of volunteers and is shown on the pages of the magazine. I hope my hard work and dedication helps to enrich an already accomplished magazine.

I plan to contribute to the magazine simply by putting in the effort wherever needed. They have done a great job of presenting information about Jeollanam-do, compiling stories about current issues and researching fun things to get involved with. As a sub-editor, I will work on doing my part.

In addition, I hope to discover more about the Gwangju community. The content provided by the volunteer writers is astounding. The work completed by the editing team is amazing. Getting involved with a magazine that has done so much for their area is something to be proud of. As a sub-editor of Gwangju News, I want to get more involved and be proud of the work that goes into creating an already great magazine.

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contents interview

travel

18

24

regulars 6

Photo of the Month

7

This Month in Gwangju

8

Upcoming Events

28 Photo Essay Korea in Contrast

By Jeff Dalgleish

18

Dr. Shin Gyonggu: The Man Behind the Center/ Adam Hogue

22 Motorcycling the Land of Morning Calm/ Adrian Tegler

25

Continuing the Dialogue: The Vagina Monologues Returns for 2013/ Doug Stuber

24 Igidae Park/ Angie Hartley 32 A New Year, Visiting China/ Joey Nunez

34 Event Preview GIC Tour Namwon

By Warren Parsons 36 Health Getting to Know H2O

By Kristal Lee

38 Win Over 2 Million Won at the 2012 Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival/ jjdp

40 Culture Gift-giving Myths

By Stephen Redeker and Sun Kyung-hwa

language

food and drink

42 Literature Selected Poems by Jung Kut-byol

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50

48 Fashion Very Vintage By jjdp 50 Event Preview Myeangsim Bogam – A Precious Mirror of Bright Mind 54 Community Board

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45

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Learn Korean Idiomatic Expressions with Talk to Me in Korean Popular Beliefs in Korea about English Teaching and Learning/ Dr. David Shaffer At a Market/ Jannies Le

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Brewing Prospects/ Erin Hamayda

52

Joe’s Sandwich/ Gabriel Ward

53

Omelet Rice/ Kang Heera

Corrections In Koh Chang: Thailand’s Elephant Island’, the photos were taken by Christina Riley.

In Photo of the Month, the name should be written Jeff Dalgleish.

We apologize for these errors.

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Photo of the Month

By Dinesh Pandey “Survival of the Fittest�

Photo taken at Gwangju Lake.

Share your photo with the world!

Do you want to have your photo displayed here? Simply send your best photos with captions to gwangjunewsphotos@gmail.com with a description on when, where and why you took that certain photo. The photo of the month will be published in the magazine and the photographer will have the chance to further contribute to the Photo Essay section. Gwangju News is distributed around the world; a great way to get international exposure!

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

By Carl Hedinger Disaster Broadcasts Available in English Gwangju will now provide special broadcasts to foreigners in cases of natural disaster or statewide emergency. The city plans to produce and distribute this “English Disaster Broadcast Campaign” through GFN (98.7) to protect the lives and property of foreigners and to minimize the damage when a catastrophe happens. This announcement comes in time for spring, when the ground will begin to thaw and potential dangers may arise. Special programs about forest fire prevention and preparation for such weather phenomena as heat waves, monsoons, typhoons, heavy snowfall and winter cold waves will be included in the campaign. Some 38,000 foreign residents live in the Gwangju/Jeollanam-do area including nearly 4,000 English speakers and almost 14,000 Chinese immigrants. The city plans to also offer the disaster broadcasts in Chinese later this year. City officials said, “Due to the increase of recent natural disasters and unpredictable large human catastrophe, it is highly important to offer disaster information which can prevent disasters that might happen to the foreigners and reduce the damage. We will do our best to let the multicultural families have (as much) pride in being Gwangju citizens.”

Access to Korean Libraries with One Card Forgot to pack a book for that weekend jaunt to another city? No need to worry if you are in the right city. Gwangju has established a cooperative known as the “United Library Service” where a membership card can be used in 130 libraries throughout Korea.

Created through a partnership between the National Central Library and Gwangju City Library, the goal is to remove the requirement that patrons need to obtain each library's membership card in order to check out materials. The service is also available in Incheon, Daegu, Busan, Jeonbuk, and Jeju. The future plans intend to spread throughout the whole country. For more information on qualifying libraries, please visit http://book.nl.go.kr.

Animal Protection Management System Looms Pet owners beware! The City plans to crack down on unregistered pets beginning July 1 under the “Animal Protection Management System.” Information about both the pet and its owner will be registered under this system in order to contact an owner quickly in case a lost pet is found. It will also increase pet owners' responsibilities towards animals. This is intended mainly for dogs over three years old who are raised not only in houses but any place where they are raised as a companion animal. Registration can be submitted by visiting a supported agency (mostly veterinary hospitals, of which five are in Dong-gu, 16 in Seo-gu, 11 in Nam-gu, 17 in Buk-gu, and 13 in Gwangsan-gu) and equipping the animal with embedded radio recognition equipment (20,000 won), external radio recognition equipment (15,000 won), or by attaching a registration tag (10,000 won). Guide dogs and adopted stray dogs are exempt from the fee and a 50 percent discount is available for spayed and neutered dogs. A city official commented, “This system is to reduce the number of abandoned animals and for pets and humans to coexist peacefully. We ask the owners to cooperate proactively.”

The proposed skating rink Photo courtesy of Gwangju Metropolitan City

Mayor Focuses on Safety, Considers Installing a Skating Rink Through a recent announcement Mayor Kang declared, “The (City Hall) reservoir will be completely closed for citizens' safety during winter and the city will consider installing a skating rink at the City Hall square.”

At an executive council meeting, he also said, "The basic duty of the administration is to protect lives and property.” Kang warned that reservoirs might be dangerous no matter how frozen they may appear to experts. He stated, “Public access to the reservoir will be restricted, the city will put up a sign, and enforce (the policy) through patrols of the site." However, the mayor did add that the city plans to install a skating rink temporarily during winter (December to February) at the Culture Square at City Hall like the one in Seoul Plaza so that the citizens will be able to enjoy skating in the city core safely.

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Upcoming Events March 2013 Contributors: Kang Heera, Park Soyoung, Jo Ara (GIC Gwangju News Team)

Movie @ Gwangju Theater Address: Chungjang-no 5-ga (two blocks back behind Migliore) Phone: 062-224-5858 Films change weekly to bi-weekly Fee: 8,000 won per person per film Check online for calendar and prices: (in Korean) http://cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju Nobody's Daughter Haewon 누구의 딸도 아닌 해원 Genre: Drama Director: Hong Sang-su Starring: Lee Sun-gyun, Jeong Eunchae Language: Korean Synopsis: A university student Haewon wants to end her secret relationship with a teacher, Sungjun. She meets him for the first time in a long time. After, she gets depressed because she must also meet her mother who is moving to Canada the next day. At the restaurant, they run into students who are in the same major and their relationship is revealed. Haewon becomes more nervous and Sung-jun makes an extreme suggestion to run away.

Killer Joe 킬러조 Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller Director: William Friedkin Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple Language: English Synopsis: Chris, a Texan drug dealer, decides to murder his mother to get insurance money due to his considerable debt. Chris and his father make a decision to hire “Killer Joe,” a contract killer. But Joe takes his sister Dottie as collateral instead of the contract money they can't afford.

Searching for Sugar Man 서칭 포 슈가맨 Genre: Documentary, Biography, Music Director: Malik Bendjelloul Starring: Rodriguez, Stephen “Sugar” Segerman, Dennis Coffey Language: English Synopsis: Two huge fans of legendary pop star “Sugar Man” set out to find the truth about him. The only clue they have is his song lyrics.

Sugar Man's music never took off in his home country America, but it was a big hit in South Africa. When they think they have solved the riddle, they come across a shocking fact.

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Gwangju News March 2013

Our Homeland 가족의 나라 かぞくのくに Genre: Drama Director: Yong-hi Yang Starring: Sakura Andô, Arata, IkJoon Yang Language: Japanese, Korean Synopsis: This is a story of a Korean family living in Japan. When he was 16 years old, Sung-ho was sent to North Korea by his father who believed the government's promises. After 25 years he comes back to Japan for only three months to receive medical treatment where his sister and mother live. He is welcomed by his family but he is constantly monitored by a North Korean compatriot.

Sports Gwangju FC Team March Match Schedule Date

Match Team

Time

16 24

Sangju FC* Chungju FC

2 p.m.

2 p.m.

* Opening Match in 2013 Venue: Gwangju World Cup Stadium (광주월드컵경기장) Direction: Buses 6, 16, 20, 26, 47, 74 get off at the World Cup Stadium bus stop Ticket Price: VIP 10,000 won, GOLD 5,000 won (10% discount for online ticket purchases) Website: www.gwangjufc.com

GWANGJU GUIDEBOOK Find more information about living in Gwangju at Gwangju Guidebook.

Pick up a Gwangju Guidebook today. Available at the GIC for 1,000 won donation or check online: www.gwangjuguide.or.kr

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March 22, 2013 10th Floor Cloud Lounge

135,000 won per person incl. tax Five different wines, Chateau Ste Michelle A beautiful six course dinner prepared by Chef Jeffrey Hurst from San Francisco

Gwangyang International Maehwa Festival 광양 국제매화문화축제

Date: March 23-31 Venue: Gwangyang-si, Daap-myun, Seom Village Program: Exhibition, Experience Event, International Event, Performances Directions: Take the bus to Gwangyang from U-Square (Interval time: 20-40 minutes). From Gwangyang bus terminal, take bus 33 or 18 and get off at Shinwon checkpoint bus stop and then transfer to 35-1. Get off at Maehwa bus stop.

For more information: 061-797-3714

Gurye Sansuyu Flower Festival 구례 산수유꽃축제

Date: March 29-31 Venue: Gurye-gun, Sandong-myun, Jiri-san Springs Tourism Complex Program: Exhibition, Experience Event, International Event, Performances Directions: Take the bus to Gurye from U-Square (Interval time: 20-90 minutes). From Gurye bus terminal, take the bus “Gurye-Jung-dong” and get off at Jeongsan bus stop then walk about 98 meters.

For more information: 061-7802-7267

For reservation: 062-610-7063, 7064 For more information, please visit: www.holidayinngwangju.com

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Exhibitions

SWEET Fair 2013 (Solar, Wind & Earth Energy Trade Fair 2013) 신재생에너지 전문 전시회 Venue: Kimdaejung Convention Center Date: March 13-15 Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Admission Fee: Free Phone: 062-611-2216 For more information: www.sweet.or.kr/main/

Gwangju International Agriculture Technologies Exhibition 2013 2013광주국제농기자재전시회 Venue: Kimdaejung Convention Center Date: Feb. 28-March 03 Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Admission fee: Free Phone: 062-236-0080 For more information: www.agritex.kr

Eco-Friendly Urban Agriculture Fair 2013 2013 친환경 및 도시농업박람회 Venue: Kimdaejung Convention Center Date: Feb. 28-March 03 Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Admission Fee: Free Phone: 062-236-0080 For more information: www.agritainment.kr

Gwangju Spring Flower Show 2013 2013 광주봄꽃박람회 Venue: Kimdaejung Convention Center Date: March 29-April 7 Time: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Admission Fee: Adult (14-64) 5,000 won/ Child (4-13) 3,000 won/ Above 65 2,000 won Phone: 062-611-2124 For more information: www.flowershow.kr

Wanderlust 원더러스트 Venue: Gwangju Museum of Art Date: Jan. 17-March 31 Time: Tuesday-Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. / closed Monday Admission Fee: Adult 500 won/ Youth 300 won/ Children 200 won Phone: 062-613-7100 For more information: www.artmuse.gwangju.go.kr

Ha Jeong Ung Collection – [Ben Shahn] 하정웅컬렉션 <벤샨>전 Venue: Gwangju Museum of Art Date: Dec. 25-March 31 Time: Tue-Sun 10 a.m.-6 p.m. /closed Monday Admission Fee: Adult 500 won/ Youth 300 won/ Children 200 won Phone: 062-613-7182 For more information: www.artmuse.gwangju.go.kr

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Performances KConcert – The Shin Seung-hun Show 더 신승훈 쇼 Venue: Grand Theater, Gwangju Cultural and Art Center Date: March 9-10 Time: 7:00 p.m. Saturday, 5:00 p.m. Sunday Admission: Seat VIP 121,000 won / Seat R 110,000 won / Seat S 88,000 won / Seat A 77,000 won Phone: 1588-0766 Musical – Jazz Romeo Ballet Juliet 재즈로미오 발렛줄리엣 Venue: Gwangju Bitgoeul Citizen Culture Center Date: March 29-31 Time: 7:00 p.m. Friday, 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Saturday, 7:00 p.m. Sunday Admission: Seat R 50,000 won / Seat S 30,000 won / Seat A 20,000 won Phone: 062-233-0199 Musical – Musical Rudolf 황태자 루돌프 Venue: Grand Theater, Gwangju Cultural and Art Center Date: March 2-3 Time: 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Saturday, 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Sunday Admission: Seat VIP 120,000 won / Seat R 100,000 won / Seat S 80,000 won / Seat A 50,000 won Phone: 1588-0766

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feature

Aung San Suu Kyi: An Ongoing Journey to Democracy

By Seth Pevey Photos by Warren Parsons

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I

n the turbulent year of 1962, after only a quarter-century stint of independence from British colonization, the country of Burma had its leadership usurped by the native army in an infamous coup d'état. Since that time, the secondlargest Southeast Asian nation has been ruled by a military junta notorious for its neglect of the most basic of human rights.

Succored by colonial masters, a turbulent homerule wrested away from the populace by brutal dictators – up until this point, one might see reflections of South Korea. However, where the principle rights and freedoms Koreans now enjoy are somewhat old news, the country of Burma, now known officially as “Myanmar,” has yet to find its own happy ending.

As with any struggle, this one has produced great leaders. Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of Aung San (often called the father of modern Burma), who originally negotiated the country's independence, has been a central figure for decades in the Burmese fight for democracy, and she still has a hard campaign ahead before her nation can be free.

It was a proud moment for the citizens of Gwangju then, when Suu Kyi recently paid a visit to our city, so renowned for its own rattling at the chains of oppression, in order to accept the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights awarded by the May 18 Memorial Foundation. Interestingly, this accolade was originally awarded to her almost a decade ago (During this time, she was nominated for many other awards, most notably for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991). She was unable to accept the award, along with her other decorations, due to spending over 15 of the last 20 years under house arrest.

To prepare for the arrival of “The Lady,” as she is lovingly called, Gwangju News made contact with one of her most devout followers residing on Korean soil, who agreed to an interview on the eve of Suu Kyi's appearance. Our meeting was facilitated by the thoughtful and generous Kim Wonjong, who works at the Gwangju Government Human Rights Office.

Nay Tun Naing is the chairperson for the Korean branch of the party that Suu Kyi started, the “National League for Democracy (Liberated Area)” (NLD). The “Liberated Area” refers to the fact that he lives and works in a free country – something that Burmese residents do not do. He sat with us for an hour to talk about his past struggles and future hopes, and to share our mutual excitement of Suu Kyi's arrival in Gwangju.

“In 1988 I was a senior in university studying psychology. The date was August 8, 1988, a very [auspicious] date: 8888 that our student leaders decided was time for an uprising.”

He described his involvement and role in the wellknown “8888 Uprising,” which mirrors the Gwangju uprising in an uncanny fashion: eight years apart, both led by students and both massively suppressed by military violence. Then, the stories split. Whereas the Gwangju uprising was eventually followed by a more democratic leadership, the 8888 Uprising is just another episode in the Junta's long and ongoing history of brutal oppression towards its populace.

After being locked up in a jail for three months in the wake of the uprising (most of his friends received imprisonment for five years), Nay Tun Naing was fortunate to be released. He would go on to support Suu Kyi, under increasing danger, through the election in 1990, in which the NLD and Suu Kyi won 82 percent of the votes. The celebration was followed by a sobering dose of reality; it was an empty victory. Despite international pressure from the U.N., the Junta refused to relinquish power, and in 1991, Suu Kyi's party was outlawed.

“It was unbelievable…unbelievable…” Tun Naing said, nearly speechless.

He wasn't sure what to do next. Facing up to seven years in jail were he to be arrested a second time, his father counseled him to flee the country.

“During this time half of the students in my class disappeared…”

Tun Naing speculated: Were they in political prison? Or, had they been secret agents sent by the Junta to spy? He only knew he was playing a deadly game he would inevitably lose.

Free thinkers started to flee the country in droves, students in particular, to the Thai border or to the Chinese border – anywhere and anyhow they could escape persecution from the Junta.

“They just couldn't face the military with peaceful means. There was an underground movement started.”

While many other students would be offered asylum by Western countries sympathetic to their struggle, Tun Naing decided his place was still in Asia. He already knew about Korea, as he had followed the events of the Gwangju Massacre and was a fan of Gwangju's own Kim Dae-jung.

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Aung San Suu Kyi during her visit to the May 18 National Cemetery, Gwangju

“I wanted to know why Korea was successful [in the fight for democracy] while Burma failed,” he said.

And here in Korea he has remained to ponder that question for almost two decades, living outside of Seoul and fighting the good fight. He canvases on the streets outside of his NLD headquarters. But, he says, people in Korea have not always been so understanding.

“We didn't get as much support from Koreans as we had hoped. I mean not only politically, but also financially. Some Koreans ask what we are doing and where we come from. We try to explain to them. They ask me, 'If you want to help your country, why don't you go back?' They say, 'You must go back to your home country.' Their opinion is not wrong, but also not right. They… have forgotten their own experience.”

Though he has respect for his home away from home, Tun Naing looks ahead to one day returning to the land of his birth, so that he can make change from within. These days are hopeful, since the release of Suu Kyi and her victory for a seat in parliament shed new optimism on the country's future.

“I believe we will have the chance to go back legally. We want to go back to our motherland. I 14

Gwangju News March 2013

don't have any reason to stay in Korea.”

With his words still reverberating, the Gwangju News team prepared to meet “The Lady.”

The Kimdaejung Convention Center hosted her visit, a place more than appropriate for such an affair, considering that Suu Kyi has often been likened to Kim. The conference room was filled with an assortment of audience members: politicians, media, school children and Buddhist monks in full ceremonial garb. At the mayor's table, advisors chatted over the din and everyone waited for when the woman would appear.

Suu Kyi maintained a reserved energy, giving her youth and spirit, despite being the bearer of the often-broken hopes of an entire nation.

However troubled her past, she imparted an impression of being sure in the midst of struggle.

Years of house arrest most likely taught her patience and self-sufficiency, a reliance of quiet hope that few know, and her noticeable, graceful strength could be plainly seen.

The ceremonies began with a display of traditional Korean culture. Natively-clad dancers flitted across the stage singing about the strength of Gwangju. The song, titled “Gwangju is the Light,” was chosen to highlight the struggles of

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Top left and above: Nay Tun Naing (left) with our writer Left: Aung San Suu Kyi (left) and Gwangju Mayor Kang Un-tae (right) at the Welcoming Ceremony held at Kimdaejung Convention Center

It was with great flourish, and many photo ops, that the committee members (most being the same members from the 2004 committee that originally gave Suu Kyi the award) handed her the placard, which comprised the actual accolade, along with an honorary Gwangju citizenship.

Gwangju, with the unspoken insinuation that the two countries, Korea and Burma, are kindred spirits.

Following the opening performance, it was time for the distinguished Mayor Kang Un-tae to give a welcoming speech to the guest of honor. The esteemed Mayor Kang provided information about the history of Myanmar, and the ways in which its hard battle for democracy mirrors the struggles overcome by Korea. Both had military regimes that oppressed the populace. The difference, he said, is that democracy has come to Gwangju, while Burma still has a long way to go.

Kang compared Suu Kyi to a Japanese Honeysuckle, in the same way that the famous son of Gwangju, Kim Dae-jung, was often compared to the same flower. Even in the winter time, this honeysuckle blossoms out in the cold air. The mayor poetically likened this icy bloom to Suu Kyi's careful nurturing of the flower of democracy.

The 2004, May 18th Human Rights Award, as quoted on their webpage, is intended for “individuals, groups or institutions in Korea and abroad that have contributed in promoting and advancing human rights, democracy and peace through their work.”

Then it was time for her acceptance speech. The red recording lights of film cameras wimbled from the crowd like stars, and the clink of coffee cups went silent, when Suu Kyi delivered her acceptance speech in English.

She thanked everyone for the warm welcome to Korea and explained her situation in Burma. She talked about her great responsibility to her people, the need to “achieve for our people the peace they so desire.” She added, “We are not on this earth, just for our own happiness but we are linked by the common aspirations of humanity, peace and security. What we want is a world that is a sanctuary for all living beings.”

Suu Kyi didn't stay for long in Korea, and after a few other brief appearances, she returned home.

However, here on Korean soil, the dream of Burmese liberation still grows within Tun Naing. From Suu Kyi, may the residents of Gwangju remember the struggle of our own city's independence, with its terror and pain experienced, as we consider the horror still affecting the people of Burma.

In 2015, Burma will hold another election, and political analysts and far-flung refugees alike project that current Junta leaders will step down.

But the country's fate has yet to be officially determined. What is sure is that the people will continue to follow Aung San Suu Kyi in the fight for democracy.

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A T ribute t o P rofessor Song C hae-Pyong I was struck by the sad news from Professor Anne Rashid, co-translator of the Korean poems with Professor Song Chae-pyong of his passing away on February 12. I still vividly remember a young student proudly introducing his girlfriend, Jina Yoon, his wife to be, who is now teaching as a psychology professor at Wayne State University.

Professor Song volunteered to contribute his English translation of Korean poems as a Gwangju News (GN) column two years ago while visiting me at Chonnam National University, his alma mater. His column quickly became one of the most popular columns among readers. Now we have lost a dedicated contributor to GN, and personally I have lost one of my most competent former students.

Professor Song experienced the most turbulent period of Korean history as a young student during the time of the Gwangju Uprising. He is one of the rare intellectuals teaching outside Korea who can witness people's struggles and sufferings in modern Korea through literary works. It was the motivation for him to become involved in the translation of modern Korean poems into English. He believed that they can be moving and touching to the heart of readers throughout the world. We will see what we can do in collaboration with Dr. Anne Rashid, who is willing to continue his project.

Dr. Shin Gyonggu GIC Director and Publisher of Gwangju News In the past few weeks, I have been continually inspired by Chae-Pyong's strength and courage as he contended with his own death. He continued working right up until the end, completing his last translation of “In the Field Filling Up with Snow” by Seo Jeong-ju with the help of his wife Jina. Our final correspondence about that poem was about caesuras-putting space between the words “It's all right” to mimic the sound of the falling snow. After years of talking about language and debating word choice, it seems especially profound to me that in the last poem we worked on we were discussing the spaces between words. I also found it particularly poignant these silences occurred between the words in this reassuring phrase which seemed directed to those he was leaving behind, but also for himself, to help him let go of this world and all the words he loved.

Over the past five years, Chae-Pyong became not only a mentor but a dear friend to me. While he taught me to be more intuitive about language and more perceptive about cultural differences, he was also teaching me about life and death, love and loss. Recently the poems he was choosing were more and more about loss–and I think he was preparing me, as well as his readers, for his departure. But he was also teaching us to live–and to appreciate all the time we have on this earth.

A few weeks ago, he found another burst of energy while working on some new translations. He asked me in an email, “I am wondering if you are fairly sure at this moment that we have substantive poetic stuff from which we can carve out painful, yet beautiful poetry?”

So much of Chae-Pyong's journey the past years has been painful, but I was always amazed by how he managed to find beauty along the way which helped him transcend that pain. He became more and more attuned to the natural world to give him solace-and to nature poetry. And he hoped that the work we did translating Korean poetry helped expose English speakers to both the beauty and pain in Korean history and culture.

When Chae-Pyong found out he was losing his fight with cancer, he bravely told me, “This is just another part of the journey.” I wish him well as he continues on this next part of his journey and know he will keep finding beauty and poetry all around him.

Professor Anne Rashid Co-translator 16

Gwangju News March 2013

March2013 2013.2.255:28PM Page17

This is the last poem translated by Professor Song Chae-Pyong See more of his work on page 42

\Ç à{x Y|xÄw Y|ÄÄ|Çz hÑ ã|à{ fÇÉã 내리는 눈밭 속에서는

By Seo Jeong-ju (서정주) It's all right, It's all right, It's all right, It's all right– the snowflakes fall in heaps, embracing even the sound of baby pheasants and quails returning to their nests.

괜, 찬, 타, 괜, 찬, 타, 괜, 찬, 타, 괜, 찬, 타, 수부룩이 내려오는 눈발속에서는 까투리 매추래기 새끼들도 깃들이어 오는 소리

It's all right, It's all right, It's all right, It's all right– the snowflakes fall like fluffy cotton, embracing even the sound of young girls with rosy cheeks returning to their nests.

괜, 찬, 타, 괜, 찬, 타, 괜, 찬, 타, 포근히 내려오는 눈밭속에서는 낯이 붉은 처녀(處女)아이들도 깃들이어 오는 소리

It embraces even the sound of all the fortunes returning home, the crying, the laughing, the burdened ones now getting up strongly.

울고 웃고 수구리고 새파라니 얼어서 운명(運命) 모두다 안끼어 드는 소리

To the big ones, big tear traces, to the small ones, small laugh lines; the sound of big stories and small stories returning home, whispering softly.

큰놈에겐 큰눈물자죽, 작은놈에겐 작은 웃음 흔적 큰이얘기작은이얘기들이오부록이도란그리며안끼어오는소리

It's all right, It's all right, It's all right, It's all right– the snowflakes fall constantly, embracing even the sound of many mountains– the Blue Mountains* returning home.

괜, 찬, 타, 괜, 찬, 타, 괜, 찬, 타, 괜, 찬, 타, 끊임없이 내리는 눈발 속에서는 산(山)도 산(山)도 청산(靑山)도 안끼어 드는 소리

*The Blue Mountains: mythical mountains located somewhere in China where a legend says all mountains originate from.

Seo Jeong-ju (1915 - 2000) was born in Gochang, Jeollabuk-do. He is considered the founding father of modern Korean poetry. Under the pen name Midang, he published at least 15 collections of poetry. He taught Korean literature at Chosun University, among others. He was also nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in literature. His grandmother's stories and his interest in Buddhism had a strong influence upon his writing. His works have been translated into a number of languages, including English, French, Spanish and German.

“Snow Field” by David R. Tribble (Wikimedia Commons) Gwangju News March 2013 17

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interview

Dr. Shin: The Man Behind the Center

By Adam Hogue Photos by Kim Hye-in

D

r. Shin had me captivated. Some people have a way of doing that. They have a way of making what they are thinking come to life. This past month I had a chance to sit down with Dr. Shin, the current director of the Gwangju International Center (GIC), to ask him about his plans for the future as he prepares to retire from his job as an English Professor at Chonnam National University. I walked into the GIC, met Dr. Shin and framed where I wanted to take the interview. Then his stories took our conversation from there.

Shin Gyonggu (신경구) started his involvement with the GIC in 1999. At the time, the city of Gwangju proposed having an international center, and he was invited to serve on the board as an executive director to assist the chief director while they formed the organization. At the time, he says, the city of Gwangju lacked middle-ground type organizations.

There were city-run organizations on one side and activist organizations on the other that worked against what the government was doing. The sides were black and white.

The GIC formed as an outlier to the available organizations for the community to get involved.

The GIC was the first international center in Korea; the city did not fully support the center with full funding as they did with other city organizations. As a result, most of the board of directors slowly left the GIC as it became clear that the organization would not financially stable. Dr. Shin was obliged to be 18

Gwangju News March 2013

responsible not only for the operation but also for the financing as the executive director mostly with the help of his colleagues of the university and his former students until now.

But, before that, a significant series of events led Dr. Shin to where he is today: a series of events that have made the GIC much more than simply an organization to him. Dr. Shin was born in Seoul and he grew up in the North Chungcheong Province (충 청북도) before he came to Gwangju as an airforce officer after college. He went to graduate school at Chonnam National University. In the meantime he met and married to a girl (his wife is a music professor at Chosun University) and eventually went to Texas to study English in 1979.

A year and a half later, on May 18, 1980, the Gwangju Democratic Uprising happened and Dr. Shin felt a strong motivation to serve the Gwangju community one way or another. A little over two years after leaving Korea, Dr. Shin was invited back to teach at Chonnam National University and he took the job before he could have lost the opportunity.

As a young man, and still to this day, Dr. Shin has been an introverted person. He told me that he would not have been one to be on the front lines of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising, but he still felt an obligation to those who were. The GIC became Dr. Shin's way of giving back to the city. Even in times

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when it seemed like too much work or too much money to keep the center open, Dr. Shin would look back to 1980 and realized that he owed something back to the city and to those who gave so much more in the uprising. And due to his introverted persona, he still finds it very hard to give up on anything. So, to this day, the doors of the GIC remain open.

These days, the GIC is doing well. The Gwangju City Hall has come a long way in their funding for the center and they are very invested in the future of the GIC. As more international centers spring up around Korea following the model set by Gwangju City, the city has taken an intrinsic interest in the future of the organization, including an interest in helping the GIC find a new home downtown that will suit all their needs. Dr. Shin hinted that the GIC will be having a mid-summer move.

As the GIC continues to grow, so does Dr. Shin; the end of February will also mark the end of Dr. Shin's 31-year career in the English department at Chonnam National University teaching grammar, language and syntax. While at Chonnam, Dr. Shin has also served as Dean of International Affairs, bringing a tremendous expansion to their study abroad program. As a professor and Dean, Dr. Shin defined his overall role as a facilitator. He was working with a community. It was not his vision or his voice alone that led people; it was the work of many that contributed to the whole. He was a facilitator for students and co-workers to grow on their own, and together the Office of International Affairs grew.

Having a dynamic atmosphere to work in, being transparent about what was happening and being, most of all, democratic about where the Office was going became hallmarks of Dr. Shin's style in the workplace. These are also the same qualities he brings as a director of the GIC and he plans on continuing to make these qualities an integrated part of what the GIC is and will become.

The GIC is largely a volunteer organization (with ten full-time employees) that is very much more than a sum of its parts. As Dr. Shin is able to make the GIC his full-time project, his plans for the organization remain nothing more than an optimistic vision for everything that is possible. The GIC, to Dr. Shin, is not what he wants but rather, what people want from it.

It is an organization of function that brings people together. It is an organization built on the trust of everyone involved in it. “Without absolute trust,” Dr. Shin says, “we could not publish one issue of Gwangju News as it is now.”

As the conversation shifted to talk of the future, Dr. Shin told me about his hope for local, young, talented

Dr. Shin presenting a GIC Talk speaker with a certificate

people to remain in Gwangju. As Gwangju is not one of the more affluent areas of Korea, many of the young, talented people leave the city. Dr. Shin hopes to become a creative attraction for young people to stay and work for the community. He sees the GIC as being a source of world culture and education, even more so than it already is, in the future. As he sits, Dr. Shin maintains a “why not?” mentality about the potential of where the GIC can go.

For the time being, Dr. Shin's full time and energy are devoted to the GIC and he is reluctant to accept any new positions. When I asked about the 13-year journey of the GIC and if he felt a sense of pride from it, Dr. Shin was quick to dismiss pride. He pointed out that there is a difference between the psychological reward and being proud. The psychological reward can happen at anytime and it is small and constant; pride is something that happens when we stop and become complacent.

“When we are complacent, we are going down.”

He is a man who is always looking forward. As time itself never stops moving, the GIC, too, must always be continually changing, evolving and growing.

To Dr. Shin, the GIC still has a long way to go, but he always feels rewarded by what he and every person involved with the GIC has done. Pride leads to an expected reward, so he remains humble about his accomplishments. As he enters this next phase of his life, Dr. Shin looks forward to growing and working together with the GIC for the Gwangju community. He is very excited for the future of the GIC and he is, above all else, happy.

We looked at the clock; it was seven o'clock and two hours had just flown by. Dr. Shin had a date to meet his wife; he shook my hand and asked if his interrogation was over. We laughed and went our separate ways.

Gwangju News March 2013 19

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news

Mudeungsan National Park Words and photos by Warren Parsons

A

s of March 4th, 2013, after years of effort by local citizens and government officials, Mudeungsan will be appointed as Korea's 21st national park. This move adds a fourth national park to Jeollanam-do and recognizes Gwangju's “peerless mountain” as a natural treasure for the whole country.

In a recent discussion on Gwangju's MBC network, Shin Gwang-jo, a spokesperson for the city, commented on the homegrown efforts to make Gwangju's mountain “a mountain for Korea.”

“Mudeungsan is Gwangju's true mountain, and even though it is beautiful and comfortable like a mother's bosom, it has only been recognized as a representative mountain in the Honam region and has not received the status of a famous mountain for all of Korea.”

In 1972, Mudeungsan became one of the country's 25 provincial parks, and the only one in the Gwangju area. For the people of Jeollanam-do, this move was symbolic and the mountain proudly became the representative park for the province.

During the 1980s, local citizen organizations petitioned to elevate the status of the park to the national level. During the 1990s and 2000s, provincial park management worked to preserve the park's nature and to remove the intrusions by development. Major renovations included the moving of an Air Force facility, the removal of a Korea Telecom tower and most recently, housing and restaurant relocations near the Wonhyo and Jeungshim temples.

From late 2010 to the end of 2012, citizen groups, along with the city, provincial and national governments held a series of meetings, debates and conferences to decide upon Mudeungsan's eligibility as a national park. Finally, on December 31, 2012, the Ministry of the Environment and the National Parks Commission approved the park's candidacy with ascension to status of national park to take effect in the spring of 2013.

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Gwangju News March 2013

Shin added: “As Mudeungsan becomes a national park, we should congratulate the citizens of our region and look forward to the changes of the future.”

Within Gwangju's City Hall resides the Department of Parks and Green Spaces, the division in charge of over-seeing Muduengsan's transition. Lee Suwon, one such official, is humble and soft-spoken.

Lee explains: “In the last election, Mayor Kang Untae pledged to receive proposals from the citizen's organization, The Mudeungsan Protection Committee, concerning a 10-year-old movement called 'Love Mudeungsan.' Afterwards, the Mudeungsan Park Management office and the Department of Parks and Green Spaces formally started the process.”

One of the main conditions of a national park is preservation. Efforts need to be made to ensure that the ecosystem can flourish and that human intrusions are kept to a minimum. “A natural park preserves nature's ecology and cultural scenery and manages the continued use, designation, and preservation of green spaces,” Lee adds.

Private property and military property are two thorny issues related to the process. Technically, in a national park, the land is public land managed by the government. This dilemma proves to be problematic when dealing with existing landowners, such as homes and businesses, and often when dealing with large land owners such as the military. Lee insists, “So instead of development, the preservation of the natural ecology through actions such the removal of the military base on the mountain's summit, the maintenance of rock formations and the renewal of the natural environment near Jeungshim temple have been put into effect.”

Another important change is the turn-over of park management to the national government. Park rangers have expressed concern over losing control over day-to-day operations, and many regular

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Clockwise from top left: Bus 1187; lines of mountain gear stores in Mudeungsan; Seoseokdae (the peak of Mudeungsan) in winter; Mudeungsan, the mother mountain of Gwangju

visitors worry about entrance fees like those collected at other national properties. Regulations and funding will come from Seoul but Lee is confident that there will not be any entrance fees charged and that administration will be shared with the current structure in Gwangju. “Following the promotion to national park, the national budget will invest in the management, the installation of hiking facilities and the ecological restoration in Mudeungsan.”

With this new budget and impetus from the nation, Lee lists an ambitious investment strategy, “Over the next five years, the national government plans to invest 97.2 billion won in the area building 16 parking lots, 28 hiking centers, five campsites, three youth training centers, six rest areas and one museum.”

The city has high hopes with the new national park, especially in terms of economic benefits to the province. Mudeungsan now has higher “brand” value and should attract more tourists from other regions who would bring in more money for local businesses. Along with the opening of the Asia Culture Complex next year, Gwangju could experience a tourist boom. Further aspirations include procedures for Mudeungsan to become a UNESCO World Geological Park. Lee is proud and looks forward to a bright future for his mountain. “It has splendid scenery, with standing stone pillars severed as if cut by a knife. Among all of the 1,000

meter or taller mountains in the world, none but Gwangju's Mudeungsan has these majestic-standing stone columns.”

The 1187 bus (1,187 meters is the height of the summit), runs from downtown Gwangju to Wonhyo temple. On a Sunday in February, passengers are confronted by a near road block of a traffic jam trying to reach the park entrance. There are lines of tour buses from other cities, mostly in Gyeongsang and Gyeonggi provinces, parked along the road for two kilometers leading up to the temple. The bus driver negotiating the congestion grumbles, “It's too busy today.” From the temple, following the fourkilometer trail to the summit, there is an uninterrupted line of hikers dressed in Technicolor-gear ascending the slope in subzero temperatures with more than ten centimeters of snow on the ground. The owner of a nearby restaurant that sells free-range chicken, and which has been in the family for more than 30 years, looks down the road at the disembarking buses. She admits, “More people are visiting the mountain, but they are not coming here. They join a package tour and leave without eating.”

Korea's list of National Parks includes many superlative natural treasures. And now Mudeungsan has been added to the list. Nevertheless, for Gwangju citizens who have lived in the folds, shadows, sunshine, rain and valleys of Mudeungsan, their mountain will always be incomparable.

Gwangju News March 2013

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travel

Motorcycling the Land of Morning Calm

By Adrian Tegler Photos courtesy of www.twowheeltrekker.com

T

wo friends, four weeks and one epic motorcycle trip around South Korea!

From the futuristic metropolis of Seoul to the volcanic craters of Jeju, university friends Adrian and Ryan will embark on a one-month motorcycle adventure around South Korea. They will camp, scuba dive, hike, fly and explore Korea's mystical history, diverse culture and natural beauty.

Ryan and Adrian have over a decade of motorcycle experience between them and both will bring essential skills to this month-long trip.

Adrian's personal experience and knowledge of Korean culture is a fantastic foundation. He has spent two years teaching English in Korea, and he developed his own personal guide book of places and contacts. Ryan's background as a videographer brings the technical know-how and can-do attitude to documenting this adventure.

With a series of rugged sport cameras, he will capture every worthy moment behind the lens.

Along the way, Adrian and Ryan will have to overcome bike breakdowns, treacherous mountain passes, chaotic traffic, bustling cities, spontaneity of the elements and of course the guarantee of getting lost. But these obstacles will only add to the adventure and ensure that surprises are always around the next corner.

Adrian and Ryan will depart from Toronto, Canada on March 17 to touch down at Incheon International Airport the next day. Their first mission will be to rent a pair of Korean 125cc motorcycles, a hassle regarding licensing in Korea, but with the benefit of keeping fuel costs low.

From Seoul, they will set off along the west coast, avoiding major highways which prohibit motorcycles. Their first stop will be to Taean, where Adrian will utilize his pilot's license by renting out a small Cessna from Expat Flyers Korea. This flight will provide a bird's eye view of Korea's scenic landscape on the west coast.

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Gwangju News March 2013

From Taean, they will continue south along the west coast and ride across the Saemangeum Sea Wall, the world's largest.

The guys will then spend the night beach camping at Dong-ho Beach, where they will try to dig for crabs on Korea's famous west coast tidal flats.

A mountain ride to Gwangju will reunite Adrian with friends and former students from his teaching days in Korea. Adrian and Ryan will experience a day in the life of a Korean student as they visit Adrian's old school. The next day will be spent exploring Gwangju and the surrounding area, from Damyang's mystical Bamboo Forest, Gwangju's Art Street and the Culture Complex. In the evening, the guys will meet up with friends and enjoy local BBQ, before bar-hopping to some of Gwangju's iconic watering holes. Stops will include: German Bar, Mix Bar, Bubble Bar, Crazy Horse and Speakeasy. Join Adrian and Ryan for a drink when they are in town by checking out their blog or Facebook page for future dates and times.

From Gwangju the guys will ride to Mokpo and catch a ferry to Jeju. On Jeju they will explore the wonders of the island, including the world-renown

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Adrian (left) and Ryan (right)

lava tubes, a day of scuba diving amongst the kelp forests and a hike to South Korea's highest point, the ancient crater of Hallasan (1,950 meters high).

waterfall, eat at a rustic log cabin restaurant and sleep on the heated floors of an authentic Korean guest house.

From Hallasan to Jirisan, Adrian and Ryan will camp in the heart of Jirisan National Park, exploring its enchanted mountains, bouldered rivers and cherry blossom-lined roads.

In Gyeongju Adrian and Ryan will explore the ancient capital of Korea, overflowing with history, temples and giant grass-hilled tombs.

After Jirisan, Adrian will revisit his favorite weekend camping destination: Geoje Island. This quaint island offers scenic beach camping and one of the best 'hot-pot' seafood stews.

At Seoraksan National Park, they'll spend a day hiking to the peak of Daecheongbong, then relax in the hot spring spas.

The next stop is Busan, where Adrian and Ryan will wade their way through the nation's largest fish market, try live octopus and navigate the narrow stall-lined streets of Nampodong. The two will take a taekwondo lesson from a local master and challenge each other to a duel having learned their new skills. They will also spend a day at Haeundae Beach, embracing city life with locals and singing karaoke into the early morning hours.

Then, Adrian and Ryan will find soul in Seoul as they finish with visiting the DMZ and exploring the city.

Their plans are to visit the hip Asian style of Psy's Gangnam district and the Kyeongbok Palace and cobblestone-lined streets of the folk art district. They will walk along the Cheonggyecheon stream as it winds its way through the heart of Seoul and climb to the top of the city's famous golden Yuk-sam Building, 63 floors high. On their last full day in Korea, April 17, the trekkers will celebrate Adrian's birthday and the end of an amazing adventure.

Partying in the city will be followed by a peaceful temple stay at Beomoesa Temple, experiencing how Buddhist monks live.

Follow Adrian and Ryan on their blog and Facebook page, as they will be posting weekly webisodes and updates during the trip.

Adrian and Ryan will then wind their way through the mountains to a hidden valley, not found in any guidebook. Lined with apple orchards and a picturesque stream, they will hike to a secluded

www.twowheeltrekker.com www.facebook.com/twowheeltrekker email: info@twowheeltrekker.com

Gwangju News March 2013 23

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travel

Igidae Park

By Angie Hartley Photos by Angie Hartley and Adam Hogue

Gwangan Bridge viewed from Igidae Park

D

uring the 16th century, the Japanese invaded the coast of Busan and proceeded to have a rowdy victory party on the granite shore. In the night, two Korean entertainers, (“gisaeng” in Korean), grabbed one of the drunken soldiers and threw themselves off the rocky cliff, taking their own lives with his.

Today the site of Igidae, named in honor of the two gisaeng's brave sacrifice, is a much more tranquil place to visit, although peering over the quivering suspension bridges really brings the story to life. The pillaging has been replaced by more subdued picnics and the fantastic view of the East Sea is no longer ominous. Igidae Park is a system of trails up and around a 225-meter hill on the southeast coast of Busan. One can choose any number of loops along the coastal boardwalk and up the mountain to return to the trail head or exit down the west face. From either direction, a taxi from the park to Gwanganli is under 5,000 won.

If the mountaintop views, graceful coastal boardwalk and whistling divers aren't enough, Igidae Park also offers some dino-prints. In 2000, the footprints of the Ultrasaurus were discovered not far from the trail head. Their existence on the shore is left to your imagination as you glance at the puddles surrounding the happy picnic goers.

If you want a view of the city skyline without breaking your neck, Igidae Park is a literal breath of fresh air. It's also a great way to work up an appetite for lunch on nearby Gwanganli beach.

Next time you're in Busan and your head is spinning 24

Gwangju News March 2013

Igidae Park boardwalk from the bright lights and clashing indie ballads, head down to the boardwalk where you can drink it all in from a distance.

Directions to Igidae: The trail head is across from Xii and LG Metro City apartments. Tell the cab driver “온전 메트로 랜드 골프 연습장” “Onjeon Metro Land Golf yeonseup-jang, ga-ju-se-yo.” From the driving range, walk up the small hill toward Diamond Bridge to the trail head. When you exit, you can take a Nam-gu bus #2-1 heading towards LG Metro City or towards the Kyungsung University area. City buses #22 or #131 also go to Kyungsung.

For more specific directions, visit: http://cityawesome.com/busan1/tag/things-to-doin-busan/.

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interview

Continuing the Dialogue: The Vagina Monologues Returns for 2013

By Doug Stuber Photos by Diane Kim Syejeong

L

eigh Hellman and another cast of dedicated volunteer actresses and support personnel is bringing the Vagina Monologues to Gwangju for its second straight year. With auditions completed they are heading into 2013 with a target of surpassing last year's success using larger outreach and greater awareness-building.

Hellman, a successful Fullbright Scholar, who made a stand-out performance last year, also has the brainpower to make this year's performances more than just an amazing feat of thespian magic. This event hopes to inspire women (and, men) to grow throughout their lifetimes and put behind them the horrors they have faced to make a peaceful and fertile place for their families and friends to flourish.

Thus, the 2013 Gwangju Vagina Monologues, is worth learning about, getting involved with and donating your time towards. The following interview includes many avenues to activism. Why are women's rights such a major issue? To the belief of many, until all human beings are treated equally, all other equality issues, from using â&#x20AC;&#x153;raceâ&#x20AC;? to put people down, all the way to stopping war, resides within the issue of women's rights.

Why did you sacrifice almost all your free time to bring the Vagina Monologues to Gwangju?

I rediscovered the Monologues in my final year of university when I saw fliers around campus. I checked it out, and though moved by it, I didn't consider actively taking part in it. It wasn't until 2011, after having seen grassroots performance groups find success in Gwangju (e.g. the Gwangju Performance Project), that I began to seriously think about taking on 'The Vagina Monologues' as both an exercise in activism and creative expression. That's how I began putting together the V-Day Gwangju 2012 campaign last year.

Leigh Hellman (center) on 2012 Vagina Monologues What woman's rights issues deserve more of our attention in South Korea?

All women's rights issues deserve more of our attention, both here in South Korea and around the world. It feels disingenuous and ignorantly privileged to say that, for example, the culture of silently accepted and/or endured domestic violence deserves more attention than the disparity between employment rates of female university graduates versus male university graduates (the highest disparity among all OECD countries). Mine is the viewpoint and opinion of only one woman.

My opinion will be different from at least some Korean women, and from other foreign women, who amongst themselves, come from vastly different backgrounds and cultures and have remarkably different lives and reasons for being in Korea. All of those opinions are valid and significant.

Stories of violence and rape tend to get attention here, and all over the world, because they are, Gwangju News March 2013

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2012 Vagina Monologues Cast

sickeningly, seen as salacious and scandalous enough to sell papers or get website hits when the rage over the injustice doesn't quite cut it. Stories about economic equality are often buried in boring statistics and overlooked.

Change has to come from within a society, born of personal motivations for self-betterment rather than demanded upon by an outside force. What we as participants in – but still ultimately outsiders of – Korean culture can do is start dialogues, ask questions and encourage introspection and understanding. We can offer physical help as we can (i.e. volunteering and donations, and our perspectives-but we need to remember the cultural baggage we ourselves bring.

What was the most fulfilling achievement of the Gwangju Monologues?

Organizing and directing 'The Vagina Monologues' last year was truly one of the most fulfilling, as well as one of the most difficult, things I've done in my life. So many threads came together to make it the rewarding experience it was. A fantastic cast, as well as a wonderful group of supporters who worked with everything from tech to publicity, plus an amazing Assistant Director in Lisa Mynhardt and unwavering support from organizations like the GIC, Gwangju News and GFN, made the play a success.

The play itself was very well acted. Are you happy with the outreach to foreign imported brides, Korean women and the ex-patriots who saw the play?

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Gwangju News March 2013

All the ladies worked extremely hard to bring an honest voice to their pieces.

I am satisfied with the outreach we were able to do and the response from the community. Some people were much more receptive than others; some never got back to us. And some we didn't have and/or couldn't find the contacts for. I would have liked to do more outreach, particularly amongst immigrated brides and Korean women, and it is a goal of mine to try and make more inroads on that this year.

What types of institutions have you partnered with?

Our beneficiaries last year (and possibly again this year) were four local non-profit organizations that focus on women's issues: three support centers for single mothers: 우리집 (Our House), 애인복지원 (Ae In Welfare Home) and 편한집 (Pyunhan Home); and one center that advocates for and helps immigrated brides who face abuse and/or violence in their Korean homes: 광주이주여성지원센터 (Gwangju Support Center for Immigrant Women).

As part of the global V-Day movement, we also donated ten percent of our proceeds to the official V-Day spotlight charity, which differs each year, as per V-Day rules.

What have been the cultural barriers, if any, you've had to peel away in order to reach your audience?

There are so many cultural barriers. I don't think I could list them all here. Most of us are aware of the more conservative mentality in Korea when it comes to sex and sexuality (what you do in private is your business, just keep it there) but that is really

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The cast and Leigh Hellman (center) backstage

just speaking in broad strokes. Some Koreans are far more conservative about these topics, while others are more open to discussions and intellectual dissections.

That's why we tried so hard to perform each monologue with truth rather than dramatics; we wanted the honest emotion and reality of the pieces to resonate with the audience so they could start thinking about their own monologues and how they fit into the global context of women's issues.

What's coming up for this year?

We just finished auditions for the V-Day Gwangju 2013 campaign and we've got another great group of passionate performersâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;all new faces from last year. Performances are set for the end of April again, but the campaign's schedule won't be finalized until we get in the full swing of things.

Last year you had some veteran actresses, and a theme of some of the larger human rights issues facing women. Do you know this year's script yet?

The script for 'The Vagina Monologues' changes slightly every year, with a few additions and/or subtractions and a spotlight monologue that focuses on the central goals of the V-Day organization for that particular year. This year's script seems to contain just the essentials--original pieces from the 1996 play. This year's V-Day is focusing most of its advertising and activist

energies on the ONE BILLION RISING: (http://onebillionrising.org/).

This project is an empathic rejection of the mindset that there is nothing we can do to stop the beatings and rapes that one billion women (one in three globally) will be subjected to during their lifetimes. I look forward to reworking the original pieces with our new performers and bringing as much vibrancy and life to them as if they had never been performed before. I hope that through this we will be able to inspire the Gwangju community to rise with us all.

What are you doing to reach a larger Korean audience? Is this a hard hurdle to jump?

Yes, in many ways reaching a larger Korean audience, beyond those who are regularly active in the 'foreign' community, is a challenge. It is a challenge because of the language; our Monologues will be almost exclusively performed in English and that automatically knocks out a lot of people who for one reason or another [won't watch] an English performance, regardless of content and/or summary translations.

Suggestions for events, as well as offers for participants, coordinators, themes and/or venues, are very much welcomed! Just contact us at: gwangjuvwarriors@gmail.com or join our Facebook group: (www.facebook.com/groups/343222652436130/).

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photo essay

Korea in Contrast

By Jeff Dalgleish

wangju sometimes offers itself to the camera in stunning variety. I've focused on people and individuals in my latest photos, and I've chosen to represent this city in black and white. It helps showcase the basic, sometimes unadorned and natural beauty of the people of Gwangju, as well as providing a rich contrast of light and dark with each exposure. Working to uncover the human side of the city has led me through busy markets, bustling transportation hubs, the gorgeous vistas of Mudeungsan and the nightlife of downtown.

The simplicity of the everyday and the busy night act to contrast the complex, vibrant culture of this Korean metropolis. To me there is nothing more worthwhile for a photographer than an open canvas and 1.5 million people to capture with my camera lens."

â&#x20AC;&#x153;G

Musically inclined

The mountain path 28

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Nightlife

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Transporting shadows

"I grew up in a beautiful and picturesque small town called Dundas in Southern Ontario, Canada. I've made my way to Korea to further my career in teaching. I got into photography by being inspired by my close friends who are extremely talented photographers. The art form is a way of leaving a legacy of your experiences, and if you know what you're doing, you can really capture the true beauty of every moment."

DJ

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food and drink

Brewing Prospects

By Erin Hamayda Photo by Matt Furlane

I

f you drink beer and you've been in Korea for longer than a week, you have probably noticed that the beer selection is fairly limited and generally one-toned. If you have taken the time to try a few of the available brands, you may have also noticed that, with limited exceptions, they tend to be lighter beers compared to Budweiser and Coors. Though these are pretty excellent for a baseball game on a hot summer's day and refreshing when paired with BBQ or fried chicken, they just do not quite fill the desire for a flavorful IPA or a hearty, heavy stout.

Given the popularity of beer in Korea, it may seem odd that there isn't more variety. This limitation in market offerings has been created by longstanding regulations that have allowed only a few big-name players the ability to widely distribute beer, while smaller breweries have been virtually shut out of the broader market. So, a precipice of change seems natural to occur.

In 2011 the Korean government changed the law that pertained to the brewing and distribution of beer. The original law stated that any microbrewery/brewpub wanting to distribute beer beyond the front doors of their establishment was required to have a minimum brewing capacity of 1.8 million liters in order to adhere to government regulations. This regulation severely limited small brewery start-ups and dampened the ability to distribute around the country. The recentlyintroduced new regulations have lowered the capacity requirement to 120,000 liters. Though this is a marked improvement, a significant hurdle for those looking to break into the brewing industry is still needing to be surpassed. However, microbreweries/brewpubs still sell their products within their own establishments without complying with the 120,000 liters regulation.

Presently South Korea's beer market is a duopoly shared between two big players: Oriental Brewery (OB) and Hite Jinro (Hite). Between this pair a consumer can find more than ten brands lining the shelves of the grocery stores and local shops.

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However the variation between the brands is unfortunately indistinctive.

Hite Brewery Company Limited was established in 1933 by Chosun Brewery. In addition to Hite beer brands, they are also the producer of Prime Max, Hite Stout, Hite Dry Finish and Exeel S. The company also branched out in 2006 with its purchase of the soju company, Jinro. This addition has rounded out their roster nicely, with the company now producing multiple brands of beer, plus rice wine, soju and bottled water.

Oriental Brewery (OB) was started by the Doosan Group in 1952 and purchased by InBev in 1998. In 2009, Anheuser-Busch InBev sold the business to the current owner, an affiliate of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. OB is the maker of brands such as OB, OB Light and Cafri. The company additionally produces Cass, which is currently the most popular beer in South Korea. OB has expanded the Cass brand to include Cass Lite, Cass Lemon, Cass Raspberry and Cass Red.

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Taking into consideration all the brands produced by both Hite and OB, some commonalities can be noted. Most prominently of all, the brands are ricebased beers. The standouts from this trend are Prime Max, which is made with malted barley and Hite's Black Stout. Another common feature in South Korean beer is that it has a relatively low alcohol content across the board. Only Cass Red comes in above the 5-percent alcohol marking with its content level at 6.9.

For the intrepid beer shopper, it is possible to acquire imported brands. Alongside the Korean brands in MiniStops and 7-Elevens, one can also find Heineken, Hoegaarden, Budweiser and MGD. A trip to HomePlus will garner a further range of options with imports from around the world for a couple of thousand won a bottle. In addition to these limited store-bought options, those individuals who live in or on the outskirts of a bigger city may even be able to find a local brewpub producing beer that stands apart from the generic brands.

It should be no surprise that Seoul has probably the most notable of microbreweries/brewpubs.

Craftworks Taphouse and Bistro are currently

serving eight varieties of beer, including Seorak Oatmeal Stout, Jirisan Moon Bear IPA and Geumgang Mountain Dark Ale. In Gwangju a selection of Craftworks' beers on tap can be found at the First Alleyway.

Perhaps Craftworks and other similar brewpubs are just the beginning of a new South Korean trend of microbrewing following the footsteps of the North American market. Microbrewing in the United States has seen the number of small breweries grow exponentially in the past few decades, with the number of craft brewers going from eight in 1980, to 537 in 1994, to over 1,600 in 2010. South Korea is most likely to witness similar growth on a relative scale.

Smaller brands will need more time before becoming commonplace at MiniStops and 7Elevens. But for those of us who have not yet been won over by the current beer offerings of South Korea, perhaps it will not be too much longer before we start to see additional local beer made available at HomePlus or E-Mart. Positive steps are being made towards diversifying the beer market and introducing new beer flavors.

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travel

A New Year, Visiting China Words and photos by Joey Nunez

H

onestly, what do dumplings and Washington D.C. have in common? What I tasted and what I was reminded of were two memories during my first official visit to China by visiting Qingdao. The location of the “Sailing City” is diagonally southwest of Incheon, where I flew out on Chinese New Year's Eve (commonly also known as Lunar New Year's Eve).

China has always fascinated me. The population is the biggest, the history is among the longest and the culture is one of the richest. You can only live so long hearing stories about a country without going there yourself, I have always thought, and I am glad that I have transformed my thinking into reality for China.

The New Year for Chinese citizens is a special time.

The only holiday like itself, working professionals and entire families return home to their parents' residence to celebrate the end of one year (2012 was the Year of the Dragon) in order to then rejoice in the dawn of the next year (2013 is the Year of the Snake). While families gathered in Qingdao, I was also privileged to participate in one family's festivities for the evening. And what I received will always stay with me.

The eldest adult son drove to my hotel and picked me up, with his wife, who is expecting a baby next month, and their teenage daughter, in the back seat. We traveled about 20 minutes east to spend the evening at the home of the grandfather and grandmother. After our initial greetings and questions, we all gathered at the living room table to play several rounds of Uno. While each family member knew a varying level of English, I could follow color and number sequences without understanding the Mandarin chit-chatting. During the time of listening, I also noticed the distinct booms of fireworks. At first, I could not get over how rapidly they were being set off, but as the night progressed, I got used to the sounds, just like my host family had been used to it. Thirty minutes passed, and then we took a short break from fun to prepare for dinner.

Forming dumplings seems simple enough when it 32

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Qingdao cannot be considered a metropolis, but the proof of its development was evident out of my sixth-storey hotel room window. was clearly demonstrated, but not for a perfectionist in the thick of dough and meat. By my third semi-closed delicacy, I was gently permitted to play another game in the living room, while work resumed in the dining room. I understood that it was OK that I could not master this culinary creation in ten minutes, and they did too. American cooking and/or baking has never been a strength of mine anyway. Several rounds of a new game with colored tiles passed before the younger adult son arrived, just off the five-hour express train journey from Beijing to Qingdao.

Then, we began our feast.

Dumplings, rice, preserved eggs, fish, noodles and vegetables were set upon plates and dished out, Korean-style. Towards the end of the meal, I spotted what I thought was one of the two specialty dumplings. Once I bit into it, I knew that I had chosen correctly. The sweet taste of chocolate had an unexpected sweet aftertaste, as my host family congratulated me, informing me that I would have a “sweet someone” come into my life this next year. I will wait and see when she comes, but during this year would be convenient.

After finishing this fantastic meal, we finally all gathered around the TV to watch the televised, broadcasted celebration from Beijing. Comic skits,

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traditional dances and a live performance of “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion were the snippets I understood without translation while spending time with my new family away from home. Before leaving for the night, I left behind two gifts. The first was a Thank You card, expressing thoughts in both English and Chinese, which I had purchased earlier that day from a Leader (comparable to a smaller E-mart). The second was a hong-bao (紅包), a red envelope containing 20 RMB (almost 3,500 won) as a gift for the youngest member of the family. A close Chinese colleague who I met during my year teaching English in Thailand instructed that her family, the family who I was with, would be impressed with me for remembering and practicing this tradition of elders giving of their finances to the youngest generation. They sure were, as I headed out the door while expressing grateful farewells.

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2

Maybe Qingdao is normally busy, but the timing of my trip was not the best for typical tourism purposes. When everyone goes home for the New Year, few establishments are open. Still, I made an adventure out of two afternoons strolling downtown, taking pictures and journeying through new territory.

What surprised me most was the city was multifaceted, and it even reminded me of other places I have been before. The harbor, docks and lookout points clearly exhibited why Qingdao is coined the “Sailing City.” Meanwhile, the massive skyscrapers and 1940s European architecture reminded me of America's capital, two hours east of my home in western Virginia. My hotel and its surrounding construction sites, mainly the shopping centers and restaurants that Central City (similar to four Lotte Department stores put together) will bring, ensured Qingdao is still growing. Unlike the current metropolises of Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai, Qingdao is smaller in comparison, but the development of more buildings and the approaching spring/summer seasons will bring people into the city for business and leisure worth experiencing.

If you are looking for an ideal place for your first visit to China and not be overwhelmed, Qingdao is a fantastic weekend get-away, except for Chinese New Year. The massive crowds of people are just not there, and I felt completely safe walking the streets, even at night. A Korean colleague of mine recently suggested visiting Jeju Air, which offers tickets under 100,000 won from Incheon to Qingdao when booked a month ahead. For more information about Qingdao, start by visiting: www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/shandong/ qingdao/

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1. The writer’s (second from right) new Chinese family away from home welcomed him so generously and became friends, in the span of five hours (picture by Caanan) 2. The Qingdao Olympic Sculpture Cultural Park and the Luiting Sports Park are both visible surrounding the lake, a ten-minute-walk from my hotel.

3. Alongside typical traffic, the Chinese electric bus system is available for current use, only in Qingdao and Shanghai.

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event preview

[GIC Tour] Namwon GIC Tour with Warren

Words and photos by Warren Parsons

Date & Time: March 23 (Sat.), 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Itinerary: Birthplace of Korean Traditional Music-Drum Making Experience-Lunch-Gwanghallu-Namwon Knife Forge and Lacquer Products Gallery Fee: 45,000 won for GIC members / 55,000 won for non-members Registration: Please sign up at the GIC website (www.gic.or.kr) by March 20 (Wed.) For more information: gictour@gic.or.kr

M

arch marks the beginning of the 2013 GIC Tour season. This year the GIC Tour has teamed up with the GIC Culture program to make new exciting trips and even more handson experiences. This month, with the ice melting down the slopes of Jirisan and with the freshness and promise of spring around the corner, the tour visits the musical, culinary, and romantic county of Namwon.

Namwon has a long musical legacy stretching back 1500 years and it also provides the setting for two of Korea's five remaining traditional operas;the stories of Chunhyang and Heungbo. As such, the city has created a memorial center called, The Birthplace of Korean Traditional Music, dedicated to the music and musicians that were inspired by the surrounding hills and valleys. One great master, Ok Bo-go promoted the Korean stringed instrument the geomungo here at the end of the Silla Dynasty, and another master Song Heung-rok, one of the fathers of pansori in the late Joseon Dynasty, created his great opera Dongpyeonje nearby. Other originators of Korean traditional music also lived and trained here and an exhibition hall and shrine pays tribute to them and their work.

After learning about the work of past masters, participants will be able to play their own music with the help of a teacher. Furthermore, with their hands warmed up from drumming, there will be a drum making experience where all participants can assemble their own miniature Korean janggu to take home as a souvenir! This means, the music can continue long after the tour is finished.

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Chueotang

Janggu (Korean drum)

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Above: Gwanghallu Garden Left: The writer with a guide in yangban costume two lovers to cross the galaxy and be united. This garden is the background of the famous opera Chunhyang. In this love story, Chunhyang remains faithful to her departed lover until his return and she refuses the attempts by a corrupt governor to sway her from her devotion. Participants will have a guided tour of the garden and can relive the romance of Chunhyang by wandering freely among the pavilions and islands.

With musical instruments in hand, and arms tired from beating, the tour will transfer by bus to Namwon center for a lunch of the local specialty, chueotang.

Made from small freshwater fish, this soup is creamy and rich, with a pleasant fragrant spice. It is full of nutrition, especially calcium, which is important after a long cold winter in rejuvenating the body and strengthening it for the spring to come.

From the restaurant, participants will walk to the beautiful Joseon Dynasty pleasure garden Gwanghallu. First established in 1419, the scholarpoet Jeong Cheol later expanded the grounds to include a large pond that symbolizes the Milky Way, three islands with pavilions, and a fourarched stone bridge called Ojakgyo, the heavenly bridge built by crows and magpies, which allows

Leaving Gwanghallu, participants can walk through a market place selling local products such as lacquer ware and most famously Namwon knives.

As an agricultural community and a crossroads between provinces, the city has long been an important market center. Farming tools and knives made by local blacksmiths are particularly well known. The tour will visit one of the few remaining active forges where a traditional artisan still crafts rustic steel knives and tools.

Music and nature, invigorating food, traditional crafts, and most importantly, romance welcome the spring with the GIC Tour!

Last year, the GIC offered the Korean Culture Experience Program to promote Korean culture to the local community through cultural experiences such as arts and crafts, music, and customs. This year the program has joined the GIC Tour to make the new: GIC Culture Tour.

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health

Getting to know H2O

By Kristal Lee

Water, the driving force of life and the ultimate sine qua non to the survival of all organisms has somehow found itself in the backdrop these days, relegated to the simple addendum “…and drink plenty of water” in most health related conversations. But how much do we really know about water? Why is it so important for our bodies?

When should we drink it? What is enough? And can you ever have too much?

Water and your body As odd as it may sound the human body is mostly water. Yes, even the rock hard abs of your gym's personal trainer. The human body is anywhere between 55% to 78% (generally 2/3) water depending on body size.

People can lose a lot of weight rapidly because tissues and organs are mainly water. Unfortunately diet companies and dieters have abused this knowledge. What's their secret? Severe dehydration. This incredibly unhealthy and shortterm fix is the premise of many “miracle diets” based on shedding water weight.

So exactly how much of our tissues and organs are made of water?

Here are some percentages: Brain 90% water Blood 83% water Muscle 75% water Bone 22% water

Why is water important?

Water performs or enables all vital bodily functions.

Water is necessary to: - Transport nutrients and oxygen into cells - Moisturize the air in lungs - Create protective membranes (i.e. eyes, nose, throat, stomach lining) - Metabolize - Protect vital organs 36

Gwangju News March 2013

- Help organs absorb nutrients - Regulate body temperature - Detoxify/expel waste through perspiration, urination, defecation - Act as a cushion and lubricant for joints

Dehydration Fact: By the time you are thirsty you are already dehydrated. Therefore you should drink even when you don't feel thirsty.

Fact: Most people mistake hunger for the indication to eat more, whereas the fact may be that they are dehydrated.

Fact: The sense of thirst dims with age, so make sure older people are drinking plenty of water.

Every single cell in your body needs water. That is why it is so important to drink enough fluid. Looking at the percentages, it's no mystery why body parts fail to work properly when deprived of water. Take for example the brain, 90% water. If you do not supply enough water to your body, your brain cannot function optimally. You will lose focus, make more errors, and get a headache.

When your body is not receiving enough water it will react by pulling water from other places, including your blood. This causes the closing of some smaller vessels (capillaries), making your blood thicker, more susceptible to clotting, and harder to pump through your system. This can have serious implications such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and heart complications.

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Are you dehydrated? Warning signs - Dark urine - dark yellow or orange in color - Strong smelling urine - Dry skin - Thirst - Hunger - Fatigue - Migraine - Constipation - Muscle cramps - Irregular blood pressure - Kidney problems

How much water should I be drinking?

Most people have been taught the 8x8 rule (an 8 oz. glass of water eight times a day). Though this amount is not that far off from the recommended daily water intake as suggested by the U.S. Institute of Medicine, the 8x8 rule isn't supported by any hard evidence, it's just easy to remember.

The average man living in an average temperature climate should drink roughly three liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day.

Women should drink about 2.2 liters (about nine cups) of total beverages a day.

People who need MORE water Active people should consume more water to replenish what is lost during perspiration and heavy respiration.

Pregnant or nursing women need to consume more water as they are drinking for two or losing water through breastfeeding.

Overweight people are more susceptible to dehydration because fat has a water content of 10% whereas muscle has a water content of 75%.

Generally, heavier set individuals should consume and extra two glasses of water a day or one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight.

Can you really drink TOO MUCH water?

To put it simply, yes. Drinking too much water can kill you.

The condition is called “water intoxication”, “water poisoning”, “over-hydration” or “dilutional hyponatremia”. Comparable to drowning in fresh water, hyponatremia dilutes the sodium in the body and throws off the natural balance of electrolytes causing the brain to malfunction.

Water may enter the lungs, cause an irregular heartbeat, fluttering eyelids and cognitive symptoms similar to alcohol poisoning.

This condition exploded onto the media scene

when a 28-year-old mother of three from Sacramento, California died trying to win a Nintendo Wii game station for her kids in a local radio contest “Hold you Wee for a Wii”.

Contestants were given progressively larger bottles of water in 15 minute intervals. In her last conversation she was in tears and told a co-worker her “head hurt real bad”.

Timing is the key In reality it's not how much you drink, it's how fast you drink it. You are highly unlikely to suffer from water poisoning, even if you and your water bottle are attached at the clip, if you drink over a long period of time. Drink, drink a lot even, just not huge volumes in a short amount of time. Allow your body to process the fluid out and maintain its electrolyte balance.

When are the best and worst times to drink water?

So now that we've covered why water is important, how much to drink and how fast to drink it let's look at some optimal and not so optimal times to drink water.

Optimal Times to Drink Water After waking up – helps activate your internal organs 30 minutes before a meal – helps digestion Before taking a bath – helps lower blood pressure Before going to bed – avoid stroke or heart attack, prevent night time leg cramps When tired or sick – maintain immune system, flush out toxins

Not Such Optimal Times to Drink Water If you are prone to swelling in the legs and will be standing for long periods of time. Gravity holds water in the lower parts of your body, often causing legs to swell.

Right after a workout. You can sip on water throughout your workout but wait for your body to cool down a little once you finish before drinking water. A good indicator that your body has “cooled down” is when you have stopped sweating. If your work out is very intense you may want to hydrate with a sports drink such as Gatorade or Powerade to replace lost electrolytes.

If you absolutely don't want to be woken up at night time. People urinate more frequently at night time because when you lie down your lower body (i.e. legs) seek level with your kidneys making it easier for your kidneys to remove water. Therefore if you find it very hard to get back to sleep or are bothered by getting up to pee, hydrate throughout the day and at least an hour before bed.

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event preview

Win over 2 Million Won at the 2013 Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival By jjdp Photos courtesy of the 2013 Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival

T

he festival season is about to blast off in Korea!

As the weather clears and becomes warmer, look forward to a busy “pre-spring” with almost any kind of festival, from Cherry Blossoms to Butterflies or even makgeolli (Korean rice wine).

Why travel when the 2013 Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival will be held from April 5 to 8.

This historical festival has been running for about 12 years now and it is like stepping back in time.

Happening right here in our province near Yeongam, a city about one hour away, the Wangin festival seeks to educate attendees about the positive cultural legacy and history Korea shares with Japan through celebrating Dr. Wangin's achievements through various performances and cultural events.

Dr. Wangin, a maverick scholar, began his mission over 1,600 years ago by venturing to Japan to educate people about Korean culture and art as a pioneer of the Hallyu movement. His mission in Japan included teaching the Thousand-Character Text and the Discourses of Confucius. According to an official Korean tourist website, “Wangin taught writing composition to the Japanese and developed the foundations of education, which greatly influenced all areas of study, including social science, politics, economics, culture and art.”

Dr. Wangin, a renowned Baekje scholar, is said to have departed the area where the festival site is located in Japan at the request of the Japanese Emperor Eungshin, even serving as tutor to the Japanese crown prince. The website also 38

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mentioned: “Wangin was well-known for his part in the development of Japanese culture. Wangin educated beyond textbooks and made great contributions to the development of arts, crafts and music and is revered as the originator of Japan's Asuka culture.”

Thus to bring awareness to this builder of cultural bridges, the Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival was established to spread the legacy of the Doctor.

And festival attendees will not only see where he grew up and started most of his work, but also be able to participate in various events to commemorate his life. The festival is located in the region of the Wolchulsan National Park. Here visitors can partake in traditional experiences, such as learning how to conduct a proper tea ceremony, learning how to fly a traditional Korean kite, dying natural fabric and even dressing in traditional Korean costumes worn in the Baekje Dynasty when Dr. Wangin lived. The highlight of the event is participating in the mega-parade, down blossomlined streets recreating the epic bonvoyage of Dr. Wangin setting off for Japan.

Aside from the great cultural activities, there is also the chance to win cash prizes sponsored by the GFN Radio Station and gwangjublog.com.

The first event will be the "GFN K-pop Singing Contest," which is open to all foreigners from Gwangju and Jeollanam-do. All you have to do is get a team together or do it on your own by performing your favorite K-pop or Korean song.

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If you want to enter, download the application from www.gfn.or.kr or email hanpd@gfn.or.kr for more information. Applications will be accepted until March 23rd. Preliminary judging will be held on March 24 at the GFN Studios, and for those who are unable to attend VOD files can also be submitted. Eight finalists will be chosen to perform on April 6 at the Wangin Culture Festival in Yeongam. All finalists will receive prize money!

The selected finalists will perform on Saturday, April 6 on the main stage. The first prize winner will receive 500,000 won, 2nd place will receive 400,000 won, 3rd place will receive 300,000 won (2 teams), 4th place with receive 200,000 won (2 teams) and 5th place will receive 100,000 won (2 teams).

If you are not up for singing there is also a Scavenger Hunt happening on the same day that will be sponsored by gwangjublog.com.

Participants will search the festival site for specific clues and perform tasks, and those who collect the most clues in the least amount of time will be crowned the winners. Free t-shirts, lunch and free shuttle buses will all be provided. Registration begins in March, so check www.gwangjublog.com for updates and further details.

Over 500,000 won in prizes will be rewarded, with the first prize team receiving 300,000 won, the second place team receving 200,000 won, the third place team receiving 100,000 (for 2 teams) and the fourth place team receiving 50,000 (for 2 teams).

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culture

Behind the Myth: Exploring Korean Tradition This series of articles will shed light on some Korean myths, folklore, traditions and superstitions. Every country has their own share of beliefs, fact or fiction, and many foreigners living in Korea are yet to hear or understand the basis of various Korean beliefs as they become apparent.

Gift-Giving Myths

By Stephen Redeker and Sun Kyung-hwa

H

ere in Korea we celebrate “White Day” on March 14. This unofficial holiday comes a month after Valentine's Day. On White Day, boyfriends and husbands give candy to their significant other (conversely, on Valentine's Day it's the women who give chocolates to the men). For this month, “Behind the Myth” will cover various superstitions associated with giving and receiving gifts in Korea.

Giving shoes as a gift to your loved one is a bad idea. It's believed that when you do this, your lover will soon break up with you. They will “run away” via those new shoes you gifted them. What you could do is exchange a small amount of money for the shoes, such as 100 won. This way, it was actually a purchase and not a gift. That may nullify the bad luck. However, there is no evidence that supports giving shoes as a good way to break up with your partner, either.

Ever get a handkerchief as a gift? It's a very old and uncommon belief that giving a handkerchief as a gift is a way of saying “goodbye” to someone.

Keep in mind that in Korea, opening gifts right away is frowned upon and may seem rude.

Koreans prefer not to show emotions in public, so it's wise to ask permission first before opening a gift in front of the giver. The thought behind that is the gift giver does not want to face the judgment of someone opening the gift in his or her presence.

Interestingly in western culture, it's considered rude to not open a gift when someone gives it to you.

It's believed that red wallets will bring lots of money and good fortune. These days, the color of your wallet is not as important, but a few years ago and in days gone by, people preferred red wallets over other colors. Red wallets used to be common gifts.

If you intend to give a wallet as a gift, make sure to put some money in it. 1,000 won or 10,000 won is sufficient and satisfies another level of giving good 40

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fortune. To go along with that, when giving back some kind of receptacle (such as a borrowed plastic container or cookie tin), it's polite to fill it with food and not return it empty.

Speaking of good fortune, a great gift to give for a house warming is laundry detergent. The bubbles are a symbol of good luck.

Give the gift of red underwear.

There is an old saying that one should buy red “long johns” for one's parents after receiving the first paycheck from your first job.

People tend to give other gifts to show appreciation to their parents, but the red long johns gift has an explanation. Back in the day, when floor heating was not as prevalent as it is now, people wore long underwear at night. Red colored underwear was more expensive than the other drab colors offered at the time and therefore more desirable. Anyone who still observes this belief would probably buy red boxers, briefs, bras or panties for their parents.

To continue on about red underwear, you will find plenty for sale on the first day that a department store opens. Have you ever noticed that during the grand opening of a department store, there is red underwear sold everywhere? It's believed that buying red underwear at this time will bring good luck. Here's an idea for all the high school and college kids out there: next time you visit a store during their grand opening, buy a pair of red under garments in your parent's sizes. Stash them away until you get your first paycheck at your first job.

Then, give the red “underoos” as a gift of appreciation to your parents. Good luck and good fortune for everybody!

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literature

Selected Poems by Jung Kut-byol Translated by Song Chae-Pyong and Anne Rashid Jung Kut-byol is a professor of Korean literature at Myungji University in Seoul, South Korea. Since 1988, she has worked as both a poet and a critic. She has published four poetry collections, My Life: A Birch Tree (1996), A White Book (2000), An Old Man's Vitality (2005), and Suddenly (2008) and two collections of critical essays, The Poetics of Parody (1997) and The Language of Poetry Has a Thousand Tongues (2008). She has also edited an anthology titled In Anyone's Heart, Wouldn't a Poem Bloom? 100 Favorite Poems Recommended by 100 Korean Poets (2008).

Stubborn A sparrow secretly builds its nest below the black kite's, its natural enemy A scrub fowl makes its nest under the hot sand a hundred times as big as its body A gorilla builds its one night home in the woods only when it's time to go to sleep A raccoon furtively borrows a badger's space to sleep A flying squirrel makes a home inside a tree's wound A honey bee or a termite builds hives connecting home with another home A water spider builds an empty air home in water A cockroach encroaches into crevices of people's houses An earwig crab builds its mobile home with a shell All the animals in the world build their homes to fit their bodies, covering their bodies with roofs and building the walls with their bodies They build them as their bodies wish and as their bodies remember Today I also build a home, but I bring in more than I need, expanding one more square foot; how appalling it must be, to witness how I live.

고집 참새는 천적인 솔개네 둥지 밑에 몰래 집을 짓는다 무덤새는 뜨거운 모래 밑에 제 몸 수백 배 집을 짓는다 고릴라는 잠이 오면 그제서야 숲속 하룻밤 집을 짓는다 너구리는 오소리 집을 슬쩍 빌려서 잔다 날다람쥐는 나무의 상처 속 구멍집을 짓는다 꿀벌과 흰개미는 집과 집을 이어 끝없는 떼집을 짓는다 수달을 물과 물 중간에 굴집을 짓는다 물거미는 물속에 텅 빈 공기집을 짓는다 바퀴벌레는 사람들 집 틈새에 빌붙어 산다 집게는 소라 껍데기에 들고 다니는 집을 짓는다 세상 모든 짐승들은 제 몸을 지붕으로 덮고 제 몸을 벽으로 세워 제 몸에 맞는 집을 짓고 산다 제 몸이 원하는 대로 제 몸이 기억하는 대로 큼직한 집을 짓는다 살아 있는 하루가 끔찍하다 하나 더 들여놓고 한 평 더 늘리느라 오늘도 나는 42

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The Benevolent Oak Tree Insects live inside an oak tree that is hollowinside it they nest, hiding their naked bodies.

In the hollow oak tree mushrooms and mosses live– they take root there and bloom.

In the hollow oak tree woodpeckers live– there they grind their beaks and peck insects.

In the hollow oak tree bats live– they sleep there dangling upside down.

In the hollow oak tree owls live– they make nests there and hatch their babies.

In the hollow oak tree badgers and foxes live– they burrow in and make it their home.

Because of all the people living in the hollow house listening to the hollow music eating the hollow rice of the hollow oak tree, mothers, with hollow insides, withstand strong winds– mothers, with hollow insides, withstand big famines.

They shake off big snow with their slightly drooping branches– they rot away their whole lives– the insides of all the mothers in the world.

Rising Tide

속 좋은 떡갈나무 속 빈 떡갈나무에는 벌레들이 산다 그 속에 벗은 몸을 숨기고 깃들인다. 속 빈 떡갈나무에는 버섯과 이끼들이 산다 그 속에 뿌리를 내리고 꽃을 피운다 속 빈 떡갈나무에는 딱따구리들이 산다 그 속에 부리를 갈고 곤충을 쪼아먹는다 속 빈 떡갈나무에는 박쥐들이 산다 그 속에 거꾸로 매달려 잠을 잔다 속 빈 떡갈나무에는 올빼미들이 산다 그 속에 둥지를 틀고 새끼를 깐다 속 빈 떡갈나무에는 오소리와 여우가 산다 그 속에 굴을 파고 집을 짓는다 속 빈 떡갈나무 한 그루의 속 빈 밥을 먹고 속 빈 노래를 듣고 속 빈 집에 들어 사는 모두 때문에 속 빈 채 큰 바람에도 떡 버티고 속 빈 채 큰 가뭄에도 썩 견디고 조금 처진 가지로 큰 눈들도 싹 털어내며 한세월 잘 썩어내는 세상 모든 어미들 속

밀물

At night, just barely, two boats slide in, lowering their anchors at the port; two naked boats lie side by side touching each other's wounds We are safe-we are fortunate, oh, to see the ocean calming down

가까스로 저녁에서야 두 척의 배가 미끄러지듯 항구에 닻을 내린다 벗은 두 배가 나란히 누워 서로의 상처에 손을 대며 무사하구나 다행이야 응, 바다가 잠잠해서

Translators Brief Biography Chae-Pyong Song is an associate professor of English at Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan, where he has taught since 2001. He has published articles on modern fiction, as well as translations of Korean poetry and fiction. His translations of Korean literature have appeared in Gwangju News, list, The Korea Times, New Writing from Korea, Illuminations, Metamorphoses: Journal of Literary Translation, and Azalea: Journal of Korean Literature and Culture. Along with Anne Rashid, he won the Grand Prize in the Poetry Category of the 40th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards for translating Kim Hyesoon's poems. His fields of interest include twentieth-century English literature, postcolonial literature, translation studies, and globalization of culture.See more of Professor Song’s translated works at: http://jaypsong.wordpress.com.

Anne M. Rashid is an assistant professor of English at Carlow University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She and Chae-Pyong Song received the 40th Korean Literature Translation Award in Poetry Translation given by The Korea Times. She and Song have published translations in New Writing from Korea, list, Gwangju News, Azalea: Journal of Korean Literature, Women's Studies Quarterly and Illuminations.

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language study

There are a lot of interesting idiomatic expressions that stem from cultural backgrounds and are 」, you can difficult to translate literally. Every month in collaboration with a「Talk to Me in Korean」 read about some fun and useful Korean expressions.

발이 넓다 [ba-ri neolp-da] Literal translation: one's feet are wide Actual usage: to know a lot of people, to be well-connected When translated literally, this expression means that someone's feet are wide. When your feet are wide and your legs long, it means you are tall and can cover more ground than other people by walking around. So when this phrase is used as an idiomatic expression, it means that someone is well-connected and knows a lot of people. It is only used, however, for adults and usually not used for children and young students, as this phrase is related more commonly to professional people for whom knowing a lot of people is a positive achievement and something to be complimented on.

Variations and examples 그 사람은 발이 정말 넓어요. [geu sa-ra-meun ba-ri jeong-mal neol-beo-yo] = He knows so many people. 그 사람은 발이 넓어서 이 분야에서 모르는 사람이 없어요. [geu sa-ra-meun ba-ri neol-beo-seo i bu-nya-e-seo mo-reu-neun sa-ra-mi eop-seo-yo] = He knows so many people, so there is not a single person he doesn't know in this field.

생각이 없다 [saeng-ga-gi eop-da] Literal translation: to have no thought Actual usage: to have no appetite, to be not hungry 생각 [saeng-gak] means “thought” or “idea” and 없다 [eop-da] means that you don't have something, therefore 생각이 없다 is literally translated to “to have no thought or idea.” While this could be a correct translation in some situations, it is more commonly used in a different meaning, which is “to have no appetite” or “to be not hungry.” When someone asks you to join them for lunch or dinner, or when someone offers some food but you are not very hungry and do not really want to eat, you can say“생각이 없어요” [saeng-gak eop-seo-yo]. By saying 생각이 없다, you are actually implying that you have no thought “for food” or “appetite.” If you say 배 안 고파요 [bae an go-pa-yo], it means that you are not hungry, but when you say 생각 없어요, you can also imply that physically, you are hungry, but you are not in the mood for eating.

Variations and examples 생각 없어요. [saeng-gak eop-seo-yo] = I have no appetite. I don't want to eat now. 지금은 별로 생각이 없으니까 나중에 먹을게요. [ji-geu-meun byeol-lo saeng-ga-gi eop-seu-ni-kka na-jung-e meo-geul-ge-yo] = I don't feel like eating now, so I will eat later.

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language study Let’s study Korean!

시장에서

(At a Market) Words and photo by Jannies Le

Market Worker (판매자): 안녕하세요!

(Annyeonghaseyo!)

Hello!

Customer (손님) : 안녕하세요!

(Annyeonghaseyo! ) Hello!

OR 여기요 (Yeogiyo!)

Over here! (to call for service) Market Worker: 무엇을 찾으세요?

(Mueoseul chajuseyo?)

What are you looking for?

Customer: 이거 얼마예요?

(Igeo eolmayeyo?)

How much is this?

OR 저거 얼마예요?

(Jeogeo eolmayeyo?)

How much is that?

Market Worker: 오천원이에요.

(O-cheon won iyeyo.)

It is 5,000 won.

Customer: 감사합니다!

(Gamsahamnida!)

Thank you!

You can exchange 이거(Igeo - this) and 저거 (Jeogeo - that) with what you want to buy.

For example: 사과 얼마예요? (Sagwa eolmayeyo? ) How much are the apples?

Money: Add the number of ten thousands, thousand or hundreds in front of the money. 만 (man) The ten thousands 천 (cheon) The thousands 백 (baek) The hundreds So, 25,300 Won is: 이만오천삼백원 (I -Man O-cheon Sam-Baek Won) If there are no thousands or hundreds, just exclude them.

Money Numbers (only used mainly for money): 일 (Il) One 육 ( Yuk) Six 이 (I) Two 칠 (Chil) Seven 삼 (Sam) Three 팔 (Pal) Eight 사 (Sa) Four 구 (Gu) Nine 오 (O) Five 십 (Ship) Ten

If you only want a certain amount of money worth, reply with: 사과 오천원 어치 주세요!

(Sagwa o-cheon won eochi juseyo!)

I want 5 thousand won worth of apples please! 개(Gae) is the counter for most things you will buy at the market. You will use it with how much you want. 사과 두 개 얼마예요? (Sagwa du gae eolmayeyo?)

How much are two apples? 마리 (Mari) is the counter for whole animals.

For example: 생선 두 마리 얼마예요?

(Saengseon du mari eolmayeyo?)

How much are two fish?

VOCABULARY 오이 (O-i ) Cucumber 감자 (Gamja) Potato 김치 (Kimchi) Kimchi 버섯 (Beoseot) Mushrooms 상추 (Sangchu ) Lettuce 고기 (Gogi) Meat 돼지고기 (Dwaejigogi) Pork 돼지갈비 (Dwaeji Galbi) Pork Ribs 소고기 (Sogogi) Beef 생선 (Saengseon) Fish

한 (Han) One 두 (Du) Two 세 (Se) Three 네 (Ne) Four 다섯 (Daseot) Five 여섯 (Yeoseot) Six 일곱 (Ilgop) Seven 여덟 (Yeodeol) Eight 아홉 (Ahop) Nine 열 (Yeol) Ten

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language teaching

Popular Beliefs in Korea About English Teaching and Learning

By Dr. David Shaffer Photos courtesy of KOTESOL

T

o be better English teachers tomorrow, we must first have a correct understanding of the realities of today. Popular, but unfounded, beliefs are everpresent in many facets of life, and the field of English language teaching is no exception, just as Korea is no exception. Myths abound. This article discusses several of the most prominent of these misconceptions concerning English language learning.

When teaching beginners, it is best to start with the ABCs. The “logic” behind this belief is that when native English speakers begin to study English in kindergarten or elementary school, they begin by learning the alphabet. This is true, but it must be remembered that native speakers are bringing with them to their formal schooling many years of natural English learning, indeed, a nearly complete language system, that the English beginner does not yet have. So, for the beginning English learner, initial lessons should focus on listening and then speaking skills, rather than focusing on the alphabet, which is useful only for reading and writing.

Studying TOEIC is a good way to learn English.

Upon entrance to college, many students think, “I need to improve my English skills. I'd better enroll in a TOEIC course.” The problem with this is that TOEIC is a test and a TOEIC course is a test preparation course, one centered on memorization of vocabulary items and grammar rules for selecting the correct multiplechoice answer to a test question. For the effective learning of English skills, extensive practice in those skills, particularly listening and speaking, is required.

TOEIC courses may be useful for improving one's TOEIC test score, which is required by many employers, but they will do little to improve one's oral and aural skills. For that, oral and aural practice, in environments as authentic as possible, is the prescription.

Rote memorization of vocabulary and grammar rules is great for improving one's L2.

The notion that rote memorization is the key to success

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is a holdover from the Joseon era and its national exams for government officials (gwageo), for which Chinese classics written in Chinese needed to be memorized and reproduced on the exams.

Memorization has its place for academic subjects like history, mathematics, and science. But learning English is quite a different task. It is a skill, and like any other skill (e.g., playing tennis, riding a bicycle), it is most effectively learned through extensive practice, granting that for vocabulary retention, memorization in association with other activities has proved effective (Nation, 2011).

Highly challenging reading material is highly effective reading material It is not uncommon for the new university student to recognize that they need to improve their reading skill and then join a Time reading club to read some of the most well-written modern English with some of the most difficult readability levels. They spend uncountable hours diligently looking up one out of every three words in their dictionaries, but improve their reading level only negligibly. Their mistake: trying to take one gigantic step to their goal rather than a series of smaller calculated steps. Effective reading strategy includes selecting material that is at least 9598% easily comprehensible. This is in line with Krashen's i + 1 Input Hypothesis and Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).

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Going abroad to study English as a university student is necessary for high proficiency.

The trend today is for English majors and many other majors to go abroad to an English-speaking country to raise their English proficiency. And indeed, some return after six months or a year with markedly improved skills from attending a language school and using English whenever possible. However, there is a larger number of students who study abroad with less noticeable to negligible improvement. They skip classes, spend time speaking with other Korean students, go traveling, and get involved with alcohol, gambling, and possibly illegal substances. Expense is also a major consideration. Quality language programs in Korea are a viable option. Student motivation to improvement of language proficiency is more important than study location.

The younger one begins to formally learn a second language, the better.

It is true that young L2 learners have less L1 interference to cope with when learning a second language.

Young learners also quite uninhibitedly use trial-and-error techniques in language learning.

However, it is also true that they use these techniques so freely because they have little else available to use. The younger a child is, the lesser their cognitive development. This means that their analytical skills are still very much in the developmental stage and that their ability to analyze the language they are learning is still weak. This does not mean that children cannot begin to learn a second language from a young age; they can, provided that the teaching methodology is appropriate. However, from an administrator's point of view, the law of diminishing returns must be considered. The younger a child is, the less cost effective second language instruction becomes.

Games may be useful for motivation, but they are ineffective as a language learning tool Most everyone agrees that games are motivating and that motivation increases learning. However, many Koreans are of the mindset that playing cannot be learning and that studying must be hard work.

Good English teachers often refrain from using games in the classroom for fear of being scolded by their students' parents or of being reprimanded by their

principal. The truth is that students learn best when they are enjoying themselves. Therefore, games and activities that are both enjoyable and contain a language-learning component can be quite effective in promoting learning of a second language. They provide practice in the language in a way that coursebook exercises have difficulty doing.

As English teachers in Korea, we need to not only deliver English lessons to our students, but also to guide them in the proper direction in their independent study. This includes being aware of misconceptions such as these and making English learners and other stakeholders aware of them.

Upcoming Gwangju KOTESOL Events Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL March Chapter Meeting Date & Time: March 9 (Saturday) Place: Chosun University, Main Building, Left Wing Pre-Conference Workshop on Reflective Practice 10:00-11:30 Presenting Reflective Practice: A Sample Session 12:00 Main Conference - Registration 1:00 Plenary Session: Becoming a Better Teacher through Reflective Practice Michael Griffin 2:00-4:45 Concurrent Sessions (4 x 3) Reflect Practice Strand Young Learners and Teens Strand General ELT Strands (2) 5:00 Pecha Kucha Session (4) Next Event: Monthly Chapter Meeting: April 13 (Sat.) Facebook: Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL Website: http://koreatesol.org/gwangju Email: gwangju@koreatesol.org Twitter: @GwangjuKOTESOL

David E. Shaffer is the current President of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of Korea TESOL (KOTESOL).

On behalf of the Chapter, he invites you to participate in the teacher development workshops at their monthly meetings and special events.

Dr. Shaffer is a professor of English at Chosun University, where he has taught graduate, undergraduate, and postgraduate courses for many years. He is a long-time member of KOTESOL and holder of various positions. He is also the recipient of the KOTESOL Lifetime Achievement Award.

Gwangju News March 2013

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fashion

Fash-On with xxl jjdp

Very Vintage By jjdp Photos by Brian Klein

I

s it here yet? Is it? When will those cherry blossoms arrive? This no doubt will be the only topic of conversation in the next month or so, but while we wait why not enjoy the last of the cold weather and indulge in some vintage.

Seeing that the past winter has been the coldest in Korea in over 40 years and that it might even extend into early April, I say embrace it and enjoy the final part of winter with some warm woolies and textural indulgence.

The spring equinox is set to take place around March 21st, meaning there are about three more weeks before you can really get angry at mother nature. Until then, get ready to use your knits as transitional items by giving them their last outing before they go into storage or you hide them under your bed until at least next October.

This edition pays homage to all great transitional knits that churn those feelings of nostalgia. No doubt you will still be needing a solid coat to carry you through as temperatures usually dip below freezing at night or in early morning. The one featured comes in a bright shade of mustard leading from the previous trends and will serve you well to bring a boost of brightness to your day. Eye-catching coats are a staple of early spring dressing so whatever your choice of color, red, electric blue or even moss green, think of this as the initial focal point of your look. Like unwrapping some candy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; bright and colorful on the outside with an interesting new taste sensation in the middle.

Now that the outer is taken care of, let's create the layered fashion treat that you find once you unwrap your candy. The first wool look is a warm and fuzzy, 100% lambswool knit in ivory that immediately soothes and brightens any wardrobe. Not only is this knit warm but is also breathable. It's great for temperature regulation but most importantly it offers up an image of effortless woodsy leisure or lounging in a log cabin. This knit also bodes well for a brisk walk outside.

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Next is a more playful and fun geometric patterned knit focused around the neck and chest which is a key trend that has been seen on the runway's of many ready-to-wear collections for Spring 2013. Alas, who really has the budget for a top-to-toe designer wardrobe? Instead use the runway as inspiration and dress for less. I found this vintage knit with an old-school feel at a local vintage store in downtown Gwangju. With just enough searching and just enough imagination you can find and match almost any designer look in a vintage store.

One of the key points of this look is to know “meggings”. Meggings? Well, yes they are male leggings, no other way to put it, but they have made quite the impact worldwide. This trend has slowly migrated from women's fashion into the male territory – just think of it as wearing really interesting thermal underwear in public. (At a stretch, just pretend you are a trendier and more fashionable version of Superman – I said at a stretch.) Once you get your head wrapped around that, just go with it. Enjoy, discover and get some meggings. This is also a cool way to transition into warmer weather for all of those wanting to so anxiously get back into shorts. Try black or go all out like me and be inspired by the year of the snake as I invested in a snakeskin print in charcoal, gold and silver. Simply wear over shorts for an interesting dimension to your look. No mess, no fuss.

To round off the look, the boots are from Converse

and it is an entirely new style compared to traditional Chuck Taylor's and come in a variety of colors and styles. Wear them a little more casual or lace up to the top over some skinny jeans for an urban explorer feel.

As you will also be storing many of your woolens, take care and always hand wash in lukewarm water and then gently squeeze out any moisture or pat dry with a towel. The great thing about Korean homes in winter is the ondol or underfloor heating and your woolens can be dried on top of a towel on the floor. This will help maintain the integrity of the fabric and will also keep the size and shape of the knit.

Keep warm and good luck with cherry blossom sightings! peace, xxl jjdp

Wardrobe Jeans shorts: Guess - Lotte Department Store Meggings: Mister Street at Gmarket Mustard Parka: Mister Street at Gmarket White Knit: Tokyo Juice (at Underground shopping mall entrance to Culture Complex subway ticketing or next to Migliore) Fawn Geometric Knit: Golden Vintage (next to Geumnamno 4Ga subway) Shoes: Converse Gwangju News March 2013 49

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event preview

[This Month on GIC Talk]

Myeangsim Bogam – A Precious Mirror of Bright Mind Introduction to a beloved philosophy text of Korea Photos by Professor Lee Heejae and Professor Maria Lisak

Overview Date: March 16, 2013 Time: 3 p.m. at Gwangju International Center Speakers: Professor Lee Heejae and Professor Maria Lisak Lee Heejae is a professor of Chinese philosophy at Gwangju University and has served as the president of the Korea Confucius Society.

Maria Lisak is a professor in the Department of Public Administration and Social Welfare at Chosun University. She is working on her Ph.D. in Literacy, Culture and Language from Indiana University. She has served as editor-inchief of Gwangju News Magazine.

S

top by GIC on Saturday, March 16 and get a taste of ancient yet universal Korean wisdom.

Professor Lee Heejae and Maria Lisak will talk about Myeangsim Bogam, a curated book of aphorisms and stories from Confucian and Taoist sources. The sources are primarily Chinese in origin, but have had a critical impact on Korean ethics and morality even today.

At this GIC Talk you will be able to find out about Chinese wisdom through the bright mind of Korea.

Myeangsim Bogam – A Precious Mirror of Bright Mind has been read

by Koreans since the Chosun dynasty.

Confucian morals have ordered and still influence Korean society. Some critics see Myeangsim Bogam as the quaint, traditional morality of feudal times. While Myeangsim Bogam contains feudalistic values such as just loyalty, filial piety and chastity, the main spirit contains universal etiquette that can be followed by global citizens. This book shares etiquette practices such as public morals, manners of speaking, proper body language, the importance of inner mind, and trust and respect in society.

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The everyday modern Korean may not have read Myeangsim Bogam, but they have knowledge of it and deep respect for this volume of ancient moral recommendations. Myeangsim Bogam recommends good deeds and how to control bad deeds. It is a moral textbook that used to be required reading in the early part of the 20th century for Korean students after they had learned some basic Chinese letters. The emphasis is that good deeds are not a duty but originate from one's inner mind.

Myeangsim Bogam teaching is about having self-contentment about life and the world around us. It is a kind of subjective idealism, teaching things such as: if one has a selfcontented mind, though no wealth or status, happiness blooms. Part 6.1 Content with One's Place (Anboon) states: “Kyunghaengnok says if you are satisfied, you will enjoy. If you are greedy, you will worry.” Modern people are never satisfied with anything, it seems. Myeangsim Bogam recommends the self-contentment of everything. It is a healing how-to for relaxing and enjoying life.

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In the talk Prof. Lee and Prof. Lisak will talk about what Myeangsim Bogam is, why and when it was written, its historical relevance, its modern day usefulness and will share their favorite quotes and stories. They will also talk about their translation process and what motivated them to translate the book into English. While the text is not necessarily new, not necessarily Korean, it can now be enjoyed in English for readers and attendees to

experience and understand the latent Chinese, yet uniquely Korean, interpretation and curating of this influential work on the Korean psyche.

We hope you make time to stop by and listen to this introduction to Myeangsim Bogam and take away a book or a pithy, universal life lesson on morality. Books will be for sale with proceeds going to GIC and a children's center.

[ GIC Talk ] Schedule for March Time & Place: Every Saturday, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., GIC office (Jeon-il Bldg 5th Fl.) For more information visit www.gic.or.kr or contact gic@gic.or.kr Check out pictures from previous GIC Talks at http://picasaweb.google.com/gictalk Watch highlight clips of previous GIC Talks at www.youtube.com/GICTALK There is now an open discussion group following every talk in which the audience can talk about the day's topic with the speaker.

GIC Talk welcomes your proposals for presentations on topics such as society, culture, politics, science, education or any topic of interest. If you would like to be a presenter, please contact us at gictalk@gmail.com / +82-62-226-2734 March 2 Speaker: Diane Kim Syejeong Topic: Becoming the Hostess with the Mostess This talk will give you an idea of what it is like to be working as a writer and a host for a local radio station based on the speaker's experiences over the course of one year. The following processes of making the radio show will be covered in detail: Preparation (how topics are selected), casting (who are suitable guests to be invited), script writing (what kind of sub-topics should be considered), recording (where does the recording take place), and monitoring (why it is necessary to monitor the show). Broadcasting faux pas and interesting anecdotes about mishaps while hosting the show will also be shared with the audience.

March 9 Speaker: Kelzang Tashi Topic: Bhutan, the Land of Happiness This talk will be a general introduction to the people, culture and traditions of Bhutan. It will also focus on the basic meaning of Gross National Happiness (GNH), and introduction of its four pillars and nine domains which is now widely regarded across the world. The fourth King of Bhutan, HM Jigme Singye Wangchuck, promulgated GNH since the beginning of his reign in 1972. Happiness of the people was the guiding goal of development. The exact phrase “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product” was coined by His Majesty, the fourth King of Bhutan, who is the author of GNH. The fifth King of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, proclaimed that fulfilling the vision of GNH will be one of the main responsibilities of his reign in his Royal Address on December 17, 2006.

March 16 Speakers: Professor Lee Heejae and Professor Maria Lisak Topic: Myeangsim Bogam – A Precious Mirror of Bright Mind. (Read more on page 50)

March 23 Speaker: Anup Thapa Topic: Nepal – the birthplace of Buddha Nepal is the world's 93rd largest country by land mass and the 41st most populous country. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India. Nepal has a rich geography. The mountainous north has eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including the highest point on Earth – Mount Everest. Nepal is famous for being one of the best tourist destinations among foreigners because of its geography. Nepal is also a birthplace of Lord Buddha, which many people do not know.

This talk will introduce Nepal. More specifically, it will attempt to introduce Nepal as a birthplace of Lord Buddha. Other social and cultural aspects of the country will also be presented.

March 30 Speakers: Donald Gariepy Topic: Renewable Energy First, this presentation is a description of how we came to be and where we are now. We have progressively used the power of wind, water, fossil fuels and nuclear energy to achieve our present power supply. Second, we will focus on our present energy supply. The public noticed that we were not using sustainable energy 20 or 30 years ago, but so far the situation hasn't improved. Wind power and solar power solutions have been tried. Hydrogen power has been suggested and rejected. Using vegetable oil in our existing diesel engines has been rejected, using alcohol from plants has been rejected, ocean thermal power has not been used on any large scale. These seemingly good ideas have not been proven practical. Third, we will discuss practical ways to improve our situation.

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food and drink

Joe’s Sandwich

Words and photos by Gabriel Ward

T

ucked away behind the YMCA downtown, you'll find Joe's Sandwich. I believe it opened around a year ago, and I've been meaning to go there for a while. I'd put off dining there because every time I had gone past it, the restaurant was empty, or there were very few customers at best. Regardless, my curiosity in checking the place out had persisted, so I finally went there for lunch recently.

There were a couple of people eating when I went, which I found somewhat reassuring. There were two waitresses; one was knitting at a table, the other standing behind the counter, so I made my way over to her. I looked at the menu and was surprised to see that they had ciabatta and focaccia options, as well as bagels, croissants and other standard sandwiches. I ordered a pastrami ciabatta, and upon placing my order, the woman who was knitting got up and began making my sandwich. I took a seat, only having to wait a couple of minutes before I was called over to the counter to get my sandwich.

The presentation of the sandwich was interesting, as it was cut into four pieces, and then each piece was wrapped in paper and displayed in a line on the plate. I would have preferred if it were just served as a whole sandwich, but they like to do that kind of thing in cafes and restaurants here.

Presentation aside, my appetite was heightened when I saw that it looked good, and I was excited to try the ciabatta. It is not a variety of bread that is readily available here. The filling consisted of lettuce, cheese, raw onion, pastrami, and tomato.

I took my first bite, and was really satisfied with the sandwich, which tasted good. The bread had a 52

Gwangju News March 2013

nice texture to it, and the combination of the fillings was good. There was also balsamic vinegar on the sandwich, which is something that I'm very fond of.

The sandwich and the interior of the restaurant, with its style of flooring, tables and chairs reminded me of Subway. Unfortunately Joe's Sandwich doesn't work like Subway, in that you do not pick and choose your fillings, but just choose a particular sandwich, for example a ham bagel or chicken focaccia.

I found the size of the sandwich to be satisfactory, though it could have been a bit bigger, and some people would have found it too small to be eaten as a meal by itself. Thus Joe's is maybe not the best place to go if you are feeling really famished, but the food is good, so I'd recommend it if you just want a light bite to eat.

I won't go back to Joe's Sandwich too many times, but I will go back at least once more, as I enjoyed my ciabatta, and I would like to try their focaccia bread. I have not really seen either of these varieties of bread anywhere else in Gwangju.

It is located in the alleyway behind the YMCA and you can get to it by walking through the arcade. The sandwiches range in price from 5,000 - 6,500 won.

Joe’s Sandwich 죠샌드위치 (www.joessandwich.com) Address: 19 Geumnam-no 1Ga, Dong-gu, Gwangju Phone: 062-223-0202 Opening hours: Weekdays & Saturdays (8 a.m. - 10 p.m.), Sundays (10 a.m. - 8 p.m.)

Directions: Buses no. 6, 7, 9, 12, 55, 59, 70, 80, 98, 150, 151 and get off at Culture Complex (문화전당역)

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food and drink

Omelet Rice 오므라이스 Words and photos by Kang Heera

A

s the name suggests, omelet rice is a rice-based food. Rice is a staple food for Koreans so this dish combines eggs with rice and is enjoyed frequently. Koreans enjoy omelet rice irrespective of age or gender. In Korea, when you go to a restaurant, you can find often this dish on the menu. In omelet rice, there are various vegetables such as paprika, carrots and onions, so it improves your health. Besides these vegetables, you can add other ingredients to suit your taste.

Things to prepare (for one serving) 1/4 onion, 1/4 bell pepper (red, yellow or orange), 20 grams ham, 20 grams carrot, 2 tablespoons grape seed oil, salt, 200 grams rice and ketchup

Cooking Method 1. Stir-fry carrot, ham, onion and bell pepper using grape seed oil (just enough to cover the pan). Then add a pinch or two of salt to taste.

2. In rice, add 1/4 teaspoon salt and stir-fry it with grape seed oil.

3. Mix rice with all stir-fried ingredients.

4. Beat an egg and cook in the frying pan with grape seed oil.

5. Wrap mixed rice with cooked egg.

6. Add ketchup as desired.

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Community Board Have something you want to share with the community?

Gwangju News’ community board provides a space for the community to announce club’s activity, special events and so on.

Please send us the information to gwangjunews@gmail.com.

The Gwangju Photography Club The Gwangju Photography Club is a place where many different people can meet, share advice, give ideas, and practice photography. Every month, the Photography Club goes on a photo outing to different places around the city and country to capture the moment and practice new techniques.

Anyone is welcome to join the photography group and help share in the experience. To join the group, search Gwangju Photography Club on Facebook.

Sung Bin Home for Girls Sung Bin Home for Girls 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. Meet every Saturday at 1p.m. in front of downtown Starbucks. All are welcome. For more volunteering information please contact Daniel Lister at: daniellister7@hotmail.com.

Dance Workshop in GIC The dance workshop will be held every second Sunday from 4:30 p.m. by Angie Harley at the GIC. If you are interested in joining, please contact Angie at angiehartley1@gmail.com.

You will learn basic dance and create dance performance with specific theme in this workshop.

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 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

Come Try Yoga!

Vinyasa/Ashtanga style yoga class (either continuous flow or set series of postures).

Email meghan.paugh@facebook.com for more information and updates!

All levels welcome.

Yoga has many benefits including soothing the immune system and strengthening/toning the body inside and out. Connect to your breath. Set time in your schedule to take good care of yourself! 5,000 suggested donation if you have it. Money is donated to charity Sunday Evening Class: 5:30-7:00 p.m. in GIC. Facebook page: Gwangju Yoga

Gwangju Inter FC The Gwangju international soccer team (Gwangju Inter FC) plays regularly every weekend. If you are interested in playing, e-mail: gwangju_soccer@yahoo.com or search ‘Gwangju Inter FC’ on Facebook.

Cats to have They are free, but you need to vacinate them.

They are Korean short hairs. The cats are 1 year old. Contact Lynne at 010-8692-9101 or e-mail lelie0072003@yahoo.com

Help Gwangju News Delivery JangHeung Area Children's Center New Classroom Fundraising Campaign Goal: 12,000,000 won We have three classrooms, we need to replace two that are unsafe.

More information: Search for ‘JangHeung Area Children’s Center’ on Facebook Donations of 20,000 - 30,000 won send to: NongHyup Bank JangHeung Area Children's Center Account Number: 657-01-074288 54

Gwangju News March 2013

GIC needs volunteers to mail out Gwangju News. Gwangju News is sent to nearly 2000 addresses each month.

We will contact interested individuals one week before the delivery date.

Works include labelling, packing, sending the magazines to the post office, direct delivery, etc. Volunteers are expected to spend around 2 - 3 hours in this delivery day. If interested, please contact Karina at karina@gic.or.kr

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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.

Have any questions about living in Gwangju?

Let us help you! Simply write us an e-mail with your detail inquiry to: giccounseling@gmail.com and our volunteers will help you find ways to solve your problems about anything related to Gwangju (legal, medical, accommodation, education, culture, and many others!)

Gwangju News March 2013

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