(EN) Gwangju News June 2012 #124

June2012_7 2012.5.2610:15AM Page1

June 2012 Issue No. 124

On The Cover:

Mun Jeong Hyeon 2012 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award Winner

Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea The Living Ocean and Coast

Stop Violence Against Women!

Gwangju Women Speak Out

www.gwangjunewsgic.com

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Gwangju News June 2012

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June 2012 ON THE COVER Cover Photo: Father Mun Jeong Hyeon, the winner of 2012 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights.

This Catholic priest has resisted against injustice and abuse of state power while encouraging the socially disadvantaged and conducting environmental and peace movements. He is referred to as a “Street Father”, as during his whole life he has been always beside the isolated and the surpressed sharing their pains and inspiring hope.

Photograph: Courtesy of the May 18 Memorial Foundation Read the full story on page 11.

Photo edited for layout purposes.

THE EDITORIAL TEAM Publisher: Shin Gyonggu Editor-in-Chief: Julian Warmington Editors: Seth Pevey, Kathleen Villadiego, Kim Minsu Assistant Editor: Stephen Redeker Copy Editor: Emma Dooley Coordinators: Karina Prananto, Kim Jihyun, Jung Jayeon Layout and Design: Karina Prananto Proofreaders: Jon Ozelton, Samantha Richter, Emma Dooley, Pete Schandall, Gina Covert, Mike Melzer

Online Editor: Caitlin Jacobs Researchers: Kim Woo-yeon, Hwang Yeong-wook, Kim Jiwon Gwangju News is published by Gwangju International Center Address: Jeon-il Building 5F, Geumnam-no 1-1, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-758, South Korea

Phone: +82-62-226-2733~4 Fax: +82-62-226-2731 Website: www.gwangjunewsgic.com E-mail: gwangjunews@gmail.com Registration No.: 광주광역시 라. 00145 (ISSN 2093-5315) Registration Date: February 22, 2010 Printed by Logos (Phone +82-62-444-8800)

20 Buddha’s Birthday

Publication Date: May 25, 2012

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.

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Finding the Best Pet Clinics Gwangju News June 2012

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Contents regulars

features 11

Feature Mun Jeong Hyeon

By Doug Stuber and Song Mi-young

7

Local News This Month in Gwangju

By Carl Hedinger

14

Feature Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea

By Rachel Redfern

8

Upcoming Events

23

GIC Tour Preview Wando

By Warren Parsons

28

Photo Contest

30

Photo Essay

By Joe Wabe

34

Home Pages

38

Language Study Letters to KOTESOL

By Dr. Dave Shaffer

Community The Vagina Monologues in Gwangju

By BreeAnn Cowger

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19

Event Review GIC May Concert

By Emma Dooley

20

Culture Buddha’s Birthday

By C. Adam Volle

24

Health What Happened to Natural Births?

By Michael Bielawski

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26

Travel Apps for Traveling or Living in Asia

By Matt Furlane

Culture Exercise Right to Increase Your Height?

By Stephen Redeker

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32

International 2015 Gwangju Universiade Mascot and Emblem Unveiled

By Kim So-yeon

Language Study The Pattern‘-( 으)ㄴ 적(이) 있다 /없다 ’: Someone has (never) done something

By Jung Soo-a

42

Travel Riverside and Her Poet

By Mark Liebenthal

Literature Selected Poems by Kim Jun-tae Translated by Song Chae-pyong and Anne Rashid

45

Community Finding the Best Pet Clinics

By Kim Se-ra

Movie Review The Avengers

By Charles Murray

48

Current Events The Book of the Hour: Oegyujanggak Uigwe

By Doug Stuber

Fashion Fash-on with xxl jjdp By jjdp

50

Perspective Repent! The End is Near?

By 8ball

Food and Drink Don-kass

By Gabriel Ward

51

Food and Drink Sesame Leaf Jeon

By Kim Wooyeon

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Puzzle Pages

By Emma Dooley and Brian Paredes

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Community Board

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44

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Gwangju News could not be as great as it is without the help of our regular volunteers, and we’re always looking for new contributors and proofreaders.

We invite you to join us!

Gwangju News June 2012

”

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Our Contributors Julian Warmington (New Zealand, Editor-in-Chief) first came to Gwangju in the year 2000. He started reading and writing for Gwangju News in 2001.

Since then he has explored other cities and regions around South Korea, and has both come back to town, and come to call Gwangju his Korean home.

He remains a GIC supporter, and is excited to see the local English language community developing, and the people who are a part of this included within the pages of GN and GN Online.

Doug Stuber (USA, Writer) has been a journalist since 1976. He also wrote presidential speeches and was East coast coordinator for Jerry Brown (Democrat) in 1992 as well as acting as state campaign manager for Ralph Nader (Green) in 1996 and 2000. He has written eight books of poetry, completed 1,936 paintings and written 40 songs for 15 different bands between 1986 and 2007. He is Assistant Professor of English at Chonnam National University.

BreeAnn Cowger (USA, Writer) came to Gwangju in August 2011 with her husband, David. She was born and raised in Iowa and graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in English education. She loves writing, but also enjoys literature, traveling to new countries, photography, thoughtprovoking movies, jogging, watching Lost and a good cup of coffee.

C. Adam Volle (USA, Writer) is a middle school teacher and part-time freelance writer from Atlanta, Georgia. He arrived in Gwangju this past February with his wife Anna. He thinks he’ll like it here.

Hwang Yeong-wook (Korea, Gwangju News Team Researcher) is a student at Chonnam National University. His major is business administration and his sub-major is English literature. He is currently the academy coordinator of EAG which is an English conversation group. He became a volunteer for the Gwangju International Center to help foreigners in Gwangju and make good relationships.

Kim Woo-yeon (Korea, Gwangju News Team leader) joined the team after university and is now learning how to work with and talk to people. She is delighted to be part of Gwangju News!

Kim Jiwon (Korea, Gwangju News Team Researcher) is trying to adjust to life in GIC and also trying to be a creative person. She enjoys watching movies and listening to music. Nowadays, her greatest concern is rock music. She hopes to see a UFO someday and maybe she can write an article about this interesting topic for Gwangju News.

Hwang Yeong-wook

Kim Woo-yeon

Kim Jiwon

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[ GIC Talk ]

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 http://picasaweb.google.com/gictalk Watch highlight clips of previous GIC Talks at www.youtube.com/GICTALK

June 2 Topic: Ho Chi Minh: Vietnam’s Enigma Speaker: Nguyen Thi Le Hoa (Coordinator at the Gwangju International Center)

Ho Chi Minh was a key figure in the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), who was the first president (1945-1969) and the first prime minister (1945-1955) of the country. He is famous all over the world for his smart political leadership, which helped Vietnam win liberty from French colonialism and later united North and South Vietnam. Though there are bad rumors and some people have hatreds of communism and feud with him, he is well-known as a humane, moral, and beloved patriot who dedicated all of his life to the realization of a united, independent Vietnam. He is also famous as a talented poet and scholar. In Vietnam, he is not only the best hero of the country but also loved and respected as its greatest Father and even as the God to many Vietnamese people.

June 9 Topic: Let’s go to Thailand - The Land of Smiles Speaker: Monruedee Moonkhum

Thailand is the geographical heart of South-East Asia.

Thailand consists of four main regions. The northern region is

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Gwangju News June 2012

full of numerous mountains, ruins and temples. The northeast of Thailand is the most isolated part of the country.

However, it is an interesting blend of Thai, Lao, and Khmer influences characterizes the culture of the Korat (the name of the area). Central of Thailand surrounded with the Chao Phraya River. It is the country's most populous region and its rice basket. The city of Bangkok is located along the banks of the Chao Phraya River. The southern region of Thailand, which stretches for hundreds of miles along the Malaysia peninsula, abounds with stunning beaches and scores of tropical islands. The speaker will talk about culture, foods, and interesting tourism places and basic information about Thailand which will be meaningful to people who want to know more about Thailand.

June 16 Topic and speaker TBA June 23 Topic: TBA Speaker: Joo Yeon Cho June 30 Topic: Hello, Korea Speaker: Anne Colangelo

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

By Carl Hedinger Photo by Stephen Redeker May Day and Green Rice The City of Gwangju took time to recognize workers during the 122nd anniversary of “May Day”, which was held at the Hanam Labor Welfare Center.

Among over 500 attendees, Mayor Kang headlined the event and delivered a speech aimed at industrial laborers. The mayor pledged to promote worker welfare through “job creation, improved working conditions, and more investment in the industrial sector”. The mayor recognized the importance of workers to Gwangju’s development as an “established” industrial city. Kang thanked workers for their tireless work and dedication.

Farmers also got some help thanks to Gwangju’s Metropolitan Office of Education. GMOE increased its efforts to help local farmers through the May 10th announcement that the agency would be purchasing 2,000 tons of locally grown and environmentally-friendly rice per year for school lunches. Prior to this year, individual schools were responsible for buying rice and those purchases were not always from local farmers. A representative from GMOE stated that this move stands to help local farmers, including those who cannot find buyers on the highly competitive market.

Guerilla painting by Suh and Zeb

Guerilla Painting!

A new art movement is making its mark on Gwangju and all aspiring artists are free to join the group known as “Guerilla Painting.” While having to fight for its existence recently, Guerilla now has approval from the city. On April 26th, Guerilla Painting gathered to start painting the wall surrounding the Asian Culture Complex. However, police arrived and arrested those on the scene. At the time, certain parties representing the Culture Complex Construction were not happy with Guerilla’s actions and phoned the authorities.

After lengthy talks held at the police station, the City allowed Guerilla to continue with the wall project. The group is allowed to paint the wall beginning at midnight every Friday and Saturday until the agreedupon 160 meters of fence is covered. There are hints, however, which allude to the painting area’s extension. Expression is certainly tolerated but politically defamatory messages will not be accepted. Guerilla welcomes anybody interested in helping out with the project to join.

A Library for Families Just before Children’s Day a new library opened in Singa-dong. Interestingly enough, this is neither a typical library nor the first of its kind. Of course, it offers books and other things that one would normally find inside a library. For different reasons, this place has something extra which appeals to both parents and kids. Toys! Yes, parents can take their kids to the Toy Library without having to spend tons of money. There is a 30,000 won annual membership fee which will certainly appeal to parents who understand the rising cost of toys these days.

The library’s benefits do not stop at the toys. Through various programs offered, parents also have a chance learn more about raising children. Moms and dads can receive parenting training while the kids are busy playing. The most important benefit is the strengthening of bonds through playtime, reading together and just spending time as a family. With families scrambling for time to spend together, the Toy Library certainly helps fill the entertainment void for less money.

Famed Priest recognized for Human Rights Contributions (more on page 14) Catholic Priest Mun Jeong Hyeon received this year’s Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award. Mun is well known as an activist and has participated in many demonstrations, spanning four decades. The May 18 Memorial Foundation released the following statement: “Mun has shared the pain with people who are oppressed and neglected in our society and gives hope to many people. His life embodies the spirit of the May 18 Democratic Uprising where Gwangju citizens defended their own community through collectively fighting against guns and swords of the military government in 1980.” The foundation also said “His life has reminded us just how important it is to struggle against an unfair and unjust world. He has fought to secure peace, democracy, life and human rights.”

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Upcoming Events Contributors: Kim Wooyeon, Hwang Yeongwook, Kim Jiwon (GIC Gwangju News Team)

Movies @ Gwangju Theater Address: Chungjangro 5-ga (two blocks behind Migliore) Phone: 062-224-5858 Films change weekly to bi-weekly. Check online for more movies, schedule and prices.

For more info: http://cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju (Korean) In Another Country 다른 나라에서 Genre: Drama Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Yu Junsang Country: Korea Language: Korean Synopsis: A mother and a daughter come to a seaside town because of their debts. They feel uneasy and decide to write a film script. There are three Annes in their script: The first Anne is a popular movie director, the second Anne is a married woman who is dating a Korean man secretly, and the third Anne is a divorcee who is being cuckolded by the Korean girl. All three Annes meet the daughter and a lifeguard.

Blue Valentine 블루 발렌타인 Genre: Romance Starring: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams Country: United States Language: English Synopsis: Cindy is a medical student who believes in everlasting love.

One day, she meets a frank and emotional guy named Dean. He is a mover in a moving company and has a good feeling about Cindy. They fall in love and marry. However, as time goes by, Cindy begins to be tired of their practical problems. Dean considers what to do so they can love each other again passionately.

pardoned and sent to Father Jacob, who is blind. She is supposed to read letters to Father Jacob. He accomplishes his mission of answering the people who write letters about the harshness of their lives. In addition, he always prays for them. Leila thinks this is useless. However, one day, he doesn't receive any letters and feels terribly disappointed. Leila then realizes what she has to do.

The Future 미래는 고양이처럼 Genre: Drama Starring: Miranda July, Hamish Linklater Country: Germany, United States Language: English Synopsis: Sophie has lived with Jason for four years in a small flat in L.A. They would like to awaken their sense of responsibility, so they decide to adopt an ill cat which has a limited lifespan.

However, the vet says that if they keep the cat well, he can live more than five years. Suddenly, they are fearful about being responsible for taking care of the cat and they make up their mind to enjoy their freedom to the fullest while the cat is receiving treatment for a month.

Despite this decision, their lives flow in an unexpected direction.

Melancholia 멜랑콜리아 Genre: Mystery, Fantasy Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg Country: Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, Italy Language: English Synopsis: A successful advertising copywriter Justine holds a wedding ceremony with Michael, but because of her chronic melancholia, she eventually ruins her wedding. Also, a huge planet called “Melancholia” comes flying toward the earth. As it gets closer, Justine acts more and more strangely.

Letters to Father Jacob 야곱신부의 편지 Genre: Drama Starring: Kaarina Hazard, Heikki Nousiainen Country: Finland Language: Finnish Synopsis: While serving a life sentence in prison, Leila is 8

Gwangju News June 2012

Samurai Action Special 사무라이 액션 특별전 (A retrospective of the Japanese movie directors Tomu Uchida and Kenji Misumi) Date: June 13-20 Language: Japanese (English subtitles) Tickets price: 4,000 won

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Sports KIA Tigers Baseball Team June Match Schedule Date

Match Team

Time

5 6 7 22 23 24

Samsung Samsung Samsung SK SK SK

6:30 p.m.

5 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

This Month at Holiday Inn Gwangju Welcome to the June Edition of what’s happening and new at Holiday Inn Gwangju.

Venue: Gwangju Mudeung Baseball Stadium (무등경기장) Directions: Buses 16, 38, 51, 53, 58, 89, 95, 98, 151 get off at Mudeung Stadium bus stop Ticket Price: Adults 7,000 - 13,000 won; Students (13 - 18): 4,000 - 9,000 won; Children (under 13: 2,000 - 6,000 won) Website: www.tigers.co.kr

Gwangju FC Soccer Team June Match Schedule Date 14 17 23 27

Match Team

Time

7:30 p.m.

Gyungnam FC 7 p.m.

Incheon United Chonnam Dragons 5 p.m.

8 p.m.

Jeonbuk Hyundai

Venue: Gwangju World Cup Stadium (광주월드컵경기장) Directions: Buses 6, 16, 20, 26, 47, 74 get off at Gwangju World Cup Stadium Ticket Price: VIP 10,000 won, GOLD 5,000 won (if you buy a ticket on the website, 10% discount) Website: www.gwangjufc.com

Performance May 18 Musical 뮤지컬 화려한 휴가 Venue: Dongsan Art Hall, U-Square Cultural Center (유스퀘어 문화관) Date: June 6 - 30 Time: Weekdays 7:30 p.m./ Saturdays 3 p.m. and 7 p.m./ Sundays 7 p.m./ No performances on Monday Admission: Seat 30,000 won (Children under 7 years old cannot be admitted into the theater.)

Phone: 062-655-3580 For more information go to: http://musical518.co.kr This performance is based on the famous movie “May 18”, which is focused on the Gwangju Democratization Movement of 1980. It gives us a vivid description of the tragic incident.

Musical Sherlock Holmes (The Secret of Anderson Family) 셜록홈즈, 앤더슨가의 비밀 Venue: Grand Theater, Gwangju Art and Culture Center (광주문화예술회관) Date: June 2, 3 Time: June 2: 3 p.m. and 7 p.m./ June 3: 2 p.m., 6 p.m.

Admission: Seat VIP 70,000won, Seat R 60,000won, Seat S 50,000won Phone: 062-360-2600

Yeosu Expo The great Expo has finally opened. Holiday Inn has put together a special package for those who may have friends wanting to visit the Yeosu Expo but would prefer to stay in Gwangju. The packages are available from May 15th through August 12th.

Room Type Superior or Deluxe room Junior Suite Executive Suite

Room Rate 170,000 won 250,000 won 350,000 won

All packages include breakfast for two, use of the fitness center, sauna and swimming pool. A free round trip shuttle bus service to Yeosu is also available. (Reservations are required five days in advance) Outdoor BBQ Season

Our Terrace BBQs will commence in June depending on the weather. Very special prices and “Happy Hour” drink prices will also be available.

We all look forward to seeing you at Holiday Inn Gwangju.

Best wishes, Michael Wilson General Manager Holiday Inn Gwangju Michael.Wilson@ihg.com

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Festivals Gokseong International Rose Festival 곡성 세계장미축제 Date: May 25 - July 8 Venue: Train-village, Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do Activities: fabric dyeing, making rose perfume and soap, flower pressing Directions: Take the bus to Gokseong bus terminal from Usquare.

For more information, go to: http://www.simcheong.com The 6th Gwangsan Woorimil (Domestic Wheat) Festival 제6회 광산 우리밀 문화 축제 Date: June 1-3 Venue: Song-san Amusement Park, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Program: drawing, essay writing, cooking contests Activities: cooking, traditional games Performances: tightrope walking Directions: Buses 19, 37, 38 get off at Song-san Amusement Park (송산유원지) For more information, go to: http://culture.gwangsan.go.kr The 16th Muju Firefly Festival 무주 반딧불축제 Date: June 8 - 16 Venue: Vicinity of Muju-gun (Firefly Gymnasium, Bandi Land etc.), Jeollabuk-do Activities: Folk Culture Experience, Environmental Exploration, Fireworks, Lighting up Lantern Experience Directions: Take the bus to Muju bus terminal from Usquare.

For more information, go to: http://www.firefly.or.kr Beopseongpo Dano Festival 영광 법성포 단오제 Date: June 21 - 24 Venue: Beopseongpo Supjaengi Park, Yeonggwang-gun, Jeollanam-do Activities: Seonyu playing, Inui sacrifice (Mountain sacrifice), Yongwang Sacrifice (Chilsan Pungeo Playing), Swing, Korean wrestling Directions: Take the bus to Yeonggwang bus terminal from U-square.

For more information, go to: http://152.99.186.102/ Gochang Mountain Berry Festival 고창 복분자축제 Date: June 22 - 24 Venue: Mt. Seonun Provincial Park, Gochang-gun, Jeollabuk-do Activities: Making Food, Tasting Food Directions: Take the bus to Gochang bus terminal from Usquare.

For more information, go to: http://culture.gochang.go.kr The 54th Jeonju Dan-O Festival 전주단오제 Date: June 23 - 24 Venue: Deokjin Park, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do Activities: Making Dan-O Food Experience, Coloring Fingernails with Balsam, Making a Fan Experience, Korean Wrestling, Traditional Games contests Directions: Take the bus to Jeonju bus terminal from Usquare.

For more information, go to: http://www.pncc.or.kr/do.htm

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Exhibition Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea 2012 여수엑스포박람회 Venue: New Port area (여수신항일대), Yeosu City, Jeollanam-do Date: May 12 - August 12 Admission fee: General admission: Adults - 33,000won, Youth 25,000won, Children/ Senior- 19,000 won Extra charged admission for special days (May/12, 13, 26~28, August/10~12): Adults - 40,000 won, Youth -,30,000 won, Children/ Senior- 23,000 won Phone: 1577-2012 For more information go to: http://eng.expo2012.kr/ See more info on this exhibition on page 11 Gwak-Duk-Jun-Jeon 곽덕준전 Venue: Gwangju Museum of Art 3rd floor (광주시립미술관) Date: March 6 - July 15 Open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Closed every Monday Admission fee: Free Phone: 062-613-7100 For more information go to: http://www.artmuse.gwangju.go.kr/ Peony Blossoms Ink-and-Wash Painting Exhibition 수묵화 목단꽃 (모란꽃 ) Venue: GIC Gallery Date: June 2 - 30 Admission fee: Free Phone: 062-226-2733 Artist: Jeon Ryun-ok See more info on ‘Community Board’ on page 54 The Return of the Oegyujanggak Uigwe from France: Records of the State Rites of the Joseon Dynasty 외규장각 의궤전 Venue: Gwangju National Museum (국립광주박물관) Date: April 24 - June 24 Admission fee: Free Directions: Buses 29, 48, 63 get off at Gwangju National Museum (광주박물관), 84, 85, 95 get off at Gwangju National Museum Entrance (광주박물관입구) Phone: 062-570-7000 For more information go to: http://gwangju.museum.go.kr/index.do See more info on this exhibition on page 44

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feature

This Catholic priest has demonstrated his consistent commitment to peace and justice and is selected as the winner for the 2012 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award

Mun Jeong Hyeon

By Doug Stuber and Song Min-young Photos courtesy of the May 18 Memorial Foundation and Doug Stuber

A

hands-on, street-level, Catholic activist, the emotional backbone of the May 18 Gwangju democratization movement as it happened (and a man who has lived in Gangjeong, Jeju Island since 2011 in solidarity with the protestors who oppose the Navy base that is being set up as a US Navy refueling center) is the 2012 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights winner.

Father Mun Jeong Hyeon is well known for his uncompromising stance on all human rights, democracy and peace issues. As an activist, he has paid dues in the form of broken bones, jail time and more jail time, and in the struggle for Korean democracy he organized the Catholic Priests’ Organization for Justice and joined countless protests against the 1970s dictators who killed South Korean prodemocracy organizers.

The day before receiving the prize, Father Mun gave an emotional press conference, first addressing the protestors in Gangjeong. “The government has forced this decision on the people, ruining a beautiful, scenic town without so much as a hearing…this is a return to the time of dictatorial decisions. The protesters get arrested, are freed and go right back and get arrested again,” he said. “After the recent election the police ignored Gangjeong village.”

Returning to his previous efforts, one journalist asked him about his time in jail with Kim Daejung in 1976. He had an unexpected response: “while there, the police asked me to join a political party but I turned them down.”

One imagines Father Mun would not join any political party, no matter how democratic, peace-oriented and full of justice it was, on the principle that politics always ends up corrupted.

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Supreme court decision to allow corporations to be able to donate as much money as they want to campaigns, is a prime example of how fascist tendencies infiltrate societies.

“Fourteen years after reform, the situation in Indonesia is not much changed. Instead, we can see injustice everywhere: massive corruption, antipluralism, a pro-capitalist society, violence perpetrated by security forces and gangsters, oppression by the government in the name of democracy, conservative groups increasing and the perpetrators of human rights abuses not being brought to justice,” she said in her speech.

For his part, Duksung Women’s University professor Han Sang-gwon used his clout as a permanent member of both the Solidarity for Historical Justice and Korean Progressive Academy Council to plead for a righteous change in world society, while also calling to task governments who kowtow to big money while ignoring the needs of their own impoverished masses. When money is used to promulgate war and bail out already rich bankers and insurance companies, the will of the majority is trampled, while tax revenues get sucked up by the rich.

“The exercise of property rights shall conform to the public welfare” is ([article 23-2] of the R.O.K. Constitution) and what this means, he continued, is “the right to live of the majority precedes the private ownership of property by the minority.”

“The reality of May 18 democratic uprising gets distorted a lot, today’s youth should be told the truth,” he said, a bit miffed about why he only gets asked easy questions, and why journalists don’t help in his education by asking hard questions, so one asked him about President Lee Myung-bak. “I think the Lee Administration has been so dark that he might end up being arrested,” Father Mun said.

Earlier in the day two keynote speakers at the 2012 Gwangju Asia Culture Forum had plenty to say about how the gap between rich and poor, as well as the domination of government, society and court by the wealthier members of society has subjected “democracies” to the same type of dictatorial decisions seen under Lee Myung-bak, while also using phrases like “human rights,” “projustice” and “democracy” to steal democracy for the rich, as Indonesian activist Poengky lndarti pointed out in her speech. Lately she has been monitoring court verdicts in Indonesia as politicallymotivated legal results. For example, the 2010 US 12

Gwangju News June 2012

Han used this as an introduction to article 119.2 which was “provided to prevent the unequal distribution of wealth by conglomerates and politically and economically harmful consequences in the process of rapid economic growth.” His belief that the Chaebol (conglomerate companies) are hazardous to the potential for an expanding middle class is backed by statistics. The largest eight Chaebol companies alone account for 60 percent of the R.O.K. Gross Domestic Product, while providing less than 5 percent of Koreans’ jobs. Were they to employ even 30 percent of Korea while raking in 60 percent of the money, university graduates and the middle class would both be better off.

So this year’s Gwangju Asia Culture Forum expanded its previous peace, human rights and democracy issues by delving into both law and economics. In one session law professor Han Sunghie explained that his watchdog group monitors judicial verdicts, while using well-known phrases like “Ignorance of the law is not a defense,” but turning into “No law can be excused if it ignores the rules and needs of the people.”

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“Democracy says law should reflect and be responsive to the will of the people. And to make this change we must use media campaigns, education and judge the verdicts on our own. If the judge[ments] can’t be changed, then who rules the law.” He called the current problems in the ROK and elsewhere a “Jurisdocracy” – a failure because judges and legislators make judgments politically, and that in Korea, in his estimation, judges form cartels with district attorneys and lawyers, allowing the leader of the cartel to determine the outcome of court cases by telling the judge how to rule.

“Power politics by judges is famous in France and the United States where justice is biased, favoring capital rich people and developers. This denies due process to lower-class people and allows the judges to own the law and to make decisions that favor themselves. Manipulated verdicts have been discovered in Korea,” Han said emotionally. “The

public is supposed to have a place to voice its concerns in the courts, unless the judges don’t listen.”

“The logic and analysis of fields outside law is used to monitor the courts in Korea,” he continued.

“Non Government Organization Activists, lawyers, law professors, and journalists use a variety of reasoning skills to analyze and monitor cases of over-use and abuse of power by judges,” he said.

Father Mun was in accordance in his acceptance speech for winning the May 18 Memorial Foundation’s 2012 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights. When he heard that he had won the award he said “I thought, how could I dare to receive the prize while I am alive, in that the prize was made to remember the dedication and sacrifice of victims from the Gwangju May 18 democratic uprising. I recalled those fighting for democracy including Park Jong-chul, Lee Hanyoul, Cho Sung-man and many people I met on the streets. All of them are important and unforgettable. I could not be here without them.”

Then he noted the loss of democracy when the elite control entire countries: “Currently, one percent representing money and power are seriously threatening the 99 percent representing democracy. Corruption and self-righteousness of the haves is serious. The value of democracy that has been achieved with blood and sacrifice is being neglected. Life and peace are being gravely undermined. If we do not establish true democracy in our societies, human beings and nature will be irreversibly destroyed. We should not accept and adapt to the unjust reality but fight against it by gathering wisdom and courage.”

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feature The Big O and theme pavilion in the background

Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea

By Rachel Redfern Interpretation by Hwang Yeong-wook Photos by Christina Green Mascots images courtesy of Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea

T

hose who travel to the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea expecting a small festival with a few new buildings will instead come away thoroughly impressed. Massive, wavy silver buildings with ceiling projections hundreds of meters long display the theme of the Expo – The Living Ocean and Coast. One hundred and ten nations participated in this Expo, each bringing interactive media, food, art and information from their home countries; each country also made a special effort to talk about their regional waters and their problems, as well as to provide information on their conservation and environmental efforts.

A day at the Expo should begin by exploring a few of the international pavilions, of which there are four sections. With so many nations participating, the scope of the Expo can be overwhelming (going with a plan in mind is recommended); wander through the Digital Gallery (the main building) where one can spend hours in the international pavilions and still only have enough time to see a few of them. The most talked about pavilions were Switzerland and Singapore, as they 14

Gwangju News June 2012

had unique displays and exceptionally friendly staff. Switzerland has a giant piece of glacier in a room set at -7 Celsius and free water at the end of your tour. Singapore is a very personal experience with a guided tour designed to provide audiences with an intimate look at life in Singapore. In a particularly commendable move, Singapore asked the people of the city to donate their used items and then commissioned an artist to create a large art installation with the items. School children also participated by submitting their own works of art, creating a truly physical sensory experience (try the multimedia bike which lets participants cycle through the streets of Singapore). The pavilion itself even becomes a performance space as giant blocks of it open up to the public at 3, 5, and 7p.m. for dance performances.

Each pavilion delivers information about their living coastline and efforts to preserve it; many, just like the Singapore pavilion, emphasize harmony between man and nature.

After visiting the pavilions you can enjoy a large

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lunch (try the Pho) and then go to the blue and orange building that is the brand new aquarium.

The aquarium boasts three kinds of seals, a giant sea turtle, and three Beluga whales, as well as an aqua forest with interactive fish tanks and tide pools.

Finally, end the day with quite possibly the most intense water show you may ever see. Jet skiing pirates with water-powered jet packs dive in and out of the water like dolphins, propelling themselves twenty meters into the air while dancers stand on giant, flexible poles, spinning and dipping to the waving red flags below them.

These performances reflect the atmosphere of the Expo: festive, but with an underlying note of concern for the ocean and the way that humans interact with our environment.

Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea is highly recommended as an excellent opportunity to experience the creativity and innovation, as well as the environmental and technological developments pioneered and displayed by the nations present.

About the Expo General Information: The Expo runs from May 12 to August 12, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets for the Expo can be purchased online in advance and cost 33,000 won for a standard adult day pass; however, on peak days (May 26 - 28, Aug 10 - 12) the pass will be slightly more expensive at 40,000 won per adult. 2-day and 3-day passes are also available for 53,000 and 69,000 won, respectively.

Each day there are dozens of shows on several different stages (additional tickets are not required). While the Big O Event Center is the most notable, there are also street performers wandering through the Expo site during the day.

Each of the countries participating also have a pavilion space with interactive media displays and information: for the more popular pavilions, Singapore, USA, Japan, China and Thailand, expect a wait time of at least thirty minutes.

Several of the larger pavilions do require a reservation: the Theme Pavilion, Korea Pavilion, Climate and Environment Pavilion, Marine Life Pavilion, Aquarium, Marine City and Civilization Pavilion, Marine Industry and Technology Pavilion and the DMSE Marine Robot Pavilion.

In order to make reservations for these pavilions you do need to have your ticket (or online ticket)

in hand, meaning that you can either wait until you’re inside the park and make reservations at the available kiosks, or purchase your tickets online and make reservations in advance. Reservations can be made on the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea website (http://eng.expo2012.kr) or by downloading an app for your smartphone.

Getting There: Starting at 7 a.m. there is a direct shuttle bus from the Gwangju Bus Station (U-Square) directly to the front gates of the Expo: The bus ride is approximately two hours, leaves every half-hour or so and costs 9,800 won. The shuttle buses leaving the Expo and heading back to Gwangju start at 1 p.m., with the last bus at 21:30. These return buses also depart every half-hour or so.

Accommodation: Beautiful new hotels directly next to the park have been constructed in order to accommodate the park’s visitors and the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea website provides an excellent booking service (in English) to find affordable hotels and motels in the area.

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community

The cast and crew Photo courtesy of Kim Serin

The Vagina Monologues in Gwangju

By BreeAnn Cowger Photos courtesy of Kim Serin and David Cowger

H

uman trafficking. Domestic violence. Rape.

Abuse. Genital mutilation.

Can a person sitting on a coffee shop patio on a sunny afternoon, typing numbly into a trendy laptop while sipping an iced Americano even begin to comprehend or convey the raw, gutwrenching, life-demolishing power that lies in those words?

No. She can’t.

But thankfully, The Vagina Monologues exist, because these monologues begin to push back the shadows surrounding the worn out words. They peel back the layers. They bring life to tired phrases and statistics. They begin to tell the stories that need to be heard. The monologues start the conversation; and this conversation is critical.

The Vagina Monologues is a play written by activist and playwright Eve Ensler. They were first performed by Ensler herself in 1996, but have since seen many revisions and additions. The monologues are based on interviews Ensler conducted herself with over 200 women. Topics range from expressions of sexuality, intimacy and body image to declarations of resistance and rage against the societal expectations of being a woman.

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Gwangju News June 2012

In 1999, Ensler and others launched V-Day, a global non-profit movement which has raised over 75 million dollars for women’s anti-violence groups through performances of The Vagina Monologues and other V-Day events. V-Day has become a companion to the monologues, and is an organization with the mission of stopping violence against females across the globe. In their mission statement, V-Day declares it is a response, a vision, a demand, a spirit, a catalyst, a process and a day (February 14th – although the months of February through April are typically the accepted timeframe the V-Day events operate within). In 2011 alone, more than 6,000 V-Day events took place around the world.

The Vagina Monologues has been performed in 140 countries and translated into over 48 different languages. In Korea alone, the monologues have been performed in Seoul for over 10 years, and have also been performed in other cities throughout the country. Leigh Hellman, the director and project coordinator of Gwangju’s Monologues and V-Day events, found herself wondering why Gwangju – a city known for its arts and liberal mindset – hadn’t yet hosted a performance.

“I wanted to bring The Vagina Monologues to Gwangju because I wanted to spark debates and confrontations of these issues and ideas that were simply absent from the conversation here before.

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Not everyone will agree with me, what I believe in, or what the Monologues are about, and that’s okay. At least they’re talking about it.”

Leigh Hellman, assistant director Lisa Mynhardt and their team of “V-Warriors” (the name given to the band of dedicated women who joined Leigh as coordinators and performers) began to rehearse and prepare for V-Day events as far back as December 2011. One of the first V-Day events to take place before the performances was the art exhibit and GIC Talk entitled “The VWord: The Vagina Monologues and Why it’s Coming to Gwangju” on April 7th. Here, Leigh shared many findings on the women’s issues worldwide and on current issues women here in Korea face (many of the numbers that follow are part of her extensive research).

Violence against women is a global crisis, and each country seems to come with its own disturbing set of statistics. In Korea, the numbers are dismaying. In Seoul, 22 percent of women said they had been victims of rape or attempted rape (UNIFEM, www.stopvaw.org). In the 2010 Domestic Violence Survey of Korea, the rate of physical spousal abuse over the span of a marriage was 23.5 percent, with emotional abuse at 50.7 percent, economic abuse at 13.9 percent, and sexual abuse at 13.5 percent. Possibly even more disheartening is that of those physically abused women, 33.7 percent “did not take any action.”

What may be even more silent and deadly is the plight of the immigrant women in Korea.

According to the Seoul Women Migrants’ Human Rights Centre, one in three marriages in rural Korea are between a Korean man and a foreign woman. Many of these marriages are arranged through marriage brokers. Shockingly, 44.6 percent of those immigrant women are abused during their marriage (2010 Domestic Violence Survey of Korea).

Leigh shared these statistics, along with a myriad of others that began to unveil the nature of the battles women all over the world and in Korea face. This was timely, as incidents of violence against women have also been cropping up in the Korean media. One of the most distressing recent stories described a 27-year-old woman in Suwon who called the emergency police number to say she was being raped. She gave details of her whereabouts, but police response was slow.

Her murdered and dismembered body was found 13 hours later. As a result, South Korea’s national police chief, Cho Hyun-oh, later resigned.

Kristin Booy performing “Because He Liked to Look At It” Photo courtesy of David Cowger

Leigh Hellman performing “My Vagina Was My Village” Photo courtesy of David Cowger

Lindri Steenkamp performing piece No. 9 “What if I told You I Did Not Have a Vagina” Photo courtesy of David Cowger Gwangju News June 2012

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Pep talk from director Leigh Hellman in the dressing room Photo courtesy of Kim Serin

Against this backdrop, The Vagina Monologues and V-Day emerged in Gwangju. The V-Warriors spoke out and increased awareness in a variety of ways. Other events hosted by the group included an open-mic night and a gendered expressions creativity workshop. The main event, the performance of the monologues, was held on April 28th and 29th at the Kunsthalle in downtown Gwangju. The response was overwhelmingly positive. The actresses embodied their characters seamlessly, and audience members praised how polished and put-together the entire production was. Many of the monologues had the crowd laughing, while others moved people to tears. The cast was comprised primarily of native English speakers who live in or near Gwangju. One native Korean speaker named Jin Park was also a part of the cast, and gave a profoundly moving performance about the Comfort Women of Korea’s past.

One of the best aspects of having The Vagina Monologues and V-Day come to Gwangju is the fact that they offered solutions. They provided concrete ways that audience members can make a difference. Eighty-five percent of the proceeds from the performances went to four local charities that support and provide safe places for women in or near Gwangju’s Our House (우리집), In Ae Welfare Home (인애복지원), Pyunhan Home (편한집), and the Gwangju Support Center for Immigrant Women (광주이주여성지원센터).

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Ten percent of the proceeds went to the women and girls of Haiti, as part of V-Day’s chosen Spotlight Campaign for 2012. In February 2013, VDay will be sponsoring a worldwide event called One Billion Rising. It will be a global day of action for women and men across the planet to gather and dance to end violence against women and girls.

The Vagina Monologues also provide a measure of hope. While the reality can be gritty and dismal, it is important to not become paralyzed with helplessness. The monologues tell the truth without sugarcoating, but they don’t stop there. They also offer responses. They move towards a future where violence against women is properly spoken about and dealt with. Ultimately, they dare to move towards a future where violence against women stops.

For more information about V-Day, please visit http://www.vday.org For more information on One Billion Rising, please visit http://www.onebillionrising.org

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event review

May Concert 2012

By Emma Dooley Photos by Choi Han-na (GIC Media Team)

O

n an overcast afternoon in May an air of excitement pervaded the area around the Small Theater at Gwangju Art and Culture Center. Gwangju residents of all ages were gathering for the 10th annual GIC May Concert and being greeted warmly by GIC staff as they arrived. The theatre was packed, the stage dominated by an enormous Steinway grand piano.

The concert began promptly at 5 p.m. to the strains of an orchestral version of “You Raise Me Up” and the audience was treated to an introductory video detailing the history of the event since 2003.

piano piece by Schubert. The third and final soprano of the evening followed with an aria by Mozart and a song called “I Will Magnify Thee, O God” by GermanAmerican musician Joseph Mosenthal.

The tone of the concert was then changed with the appearance on stage of the jazz duo of Park SuYoung (saxophone) and Park Jong-Hwa (piano).

They played an astoundingly beautiful piece called “Wave” by Brazilian composer, arranger, pianist and singer Antonio Carlos Jobim, who is known as the composer of the world-famous song “The Girl from Ipanema”, as well as force in the creation of the “bossa nova” style of music.

Following the video, Professor Shin of the GIC welcomed the audience and before we knew it, the concert had begun. A trio of flute, cello and piano opened proceedings with a lively piece by Weber, and were swiftly followed by the soprano Lee MyeongJin, who stunned the audience with the unusual combination of a Mozart number and a folk song from New Zealand, during which she was accompanied a small but perfectly formed ladies choir.

A violin due came next with a rousing piece by Polish violinist and composer Wieniawski and then the soprano Park Gyeong-Suk took to the stage.

Accompanied by piano and cello, she wowed the crowd with two songs: Darogoy Dlinnyu by the20th century Russian composer Fomin, and Ocharovana Okaldovana by Zbejinsky.

One of the high points of the show marked the halfway point: a complex and wonderful four-handed

After a short pause, the grand piano took a back seat and the final act of the evening came onstage. A stream of children marched onto the stage, smiling widely and clad in matching blue and gold brocade jackets. It was the GFN Children’s Choir and they performed a selection of songs from The Sound of Music. The songs, of which there were six, were pitch perfect and several of the kids acted as narrators, explaining the story of the Von Trapp family in between songs. There were several solos; particularly notable was the one by a teenage member of the choir during “Edelweiss.”

The choir ended their performance with “Climb Every Mountain,” but not before the young narrators drew attention to the plights of disadvantaged people throughout the world. It was a heart-warming performance and several audience members were moved to tears. For me at least, it was the highlight of the whole show.

The concert was entertaining, fun and most importantly, it raised a lot of money for the associated charities. Here’s to next year!

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culture

Buddha’s Birthday

By C. Adam Volle Photos by Christina Green Acknowledgments: Il-Mun Sunim of Hwaeom-sa (Temple), Yun Sang Soo and John Smith III

T

he birth certificate of the Korean people reads: MOTHER: 웅녀 (UNGNYEO). A FEMALE BEAR. FATHER: 환웅 (HWANUNG). DEMIGOD. “THE KING OF HEAVEN.” But don’t give a second thought to it, because Korean people don’t. Like adopted children everywhere, they’ve largely ceased to care about the deadbeats who sired them, preferring to lavish their attention instead on the adoptive parent who stuck around, the one who kept them safe during their dark adolescence and taught them the most important lessons about life: the Indian wise man named Siddhartha Gautama, better known to the world as Buddha. This past May 28th afforded 2012’s best opportunity to contemplate the father he’s been, as the lunar calendar declared it once again Buddha’s Birthday (부처님 오신날) which can literally be translated as "The day when the Buddha came") on which he became 2575 years old. Or possibly 2636. Unless he’s 3900.

Well, what does it matter? We know “the day when the Buddha came” to Korea dawned sometime in the year 372 CE, when a Chinese monk named Sun-do facilitated his introduction to one of the peninsula’s three then-rulers, King Sosurim of Goguryeo. So reportedly enthusiastic was the king to familiarize himself with the Awakened One’s teachings that rather than receive the missionary in his throne room, the king is said to have met the monk at his city’s gate.

Admittedly, the king’s great interest in the “Middle Way” likely stemmed in part from the clear wisdom of warmly welcoming the representative of a religion with which the emperor of neighboring China was so taken. Yet the royal households of all three peninsular nations would soon realize there was much to recommend this “Sage of the Shakyas.”

No, not his offer of inner peace, or nirvana upon death; they were of a far more practical mind than that. Like most monarchs in feudal systems, the kings of the Han considered it intolerable that despite being princes of Heaven, they had to

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request all of their troops and money from the aristocrats who directly controlled most of the land. The bluebloods claimed to derive their authority from the various patron gods of their own noble houses. It only stood to reason, then, that the eclipse of those deities by a much greater one would mean the correspondent wane of that upper class’s power as well. The process could even be accelerated by propaganda stories in which the Buddha miraculously appeared to endorse royal judgment.

Even more useful than the Buddha’s utility against domestic rivals was his power over foreign ones. It was believed that a kingdom which encouraged the practice of the Middle Way among its people fell under Siddhartha Gautama’s special spiritual protection. Never mind that warfare was not, strictly speaking, listed on the Awakened One’s resume as a skill set in which he was proficient. It would be the hard heart indeed, certainly not that of any enlightened being, which could resist the elaborate invocations devised by the Han to entreat the Buddha for his aid in battle. One of the Goryeo Dynasty’s most extravagant wartime offerings survives today, on view inside Haein Temple: the Tripitaka Koreana, a collection of 80,000 Buddhist scriptures utterly devoid of copyist errors. So the teacher of inner peace went to war and, what’s more, acquitted himself quite well. He failed only to rescue Korea from Mongolian vassalage in the 13th century. When the Japanese Empire finally annexed the Korean headland in 1910 and terminated the last dynastic line, many Korean Buddhists blamed their colonization on the government having dismissed the Sage from his post as national protector. They did not fail to point out that Japan was itself at that time very solicitous of the Buddha’s favor in battle.

But by then, the Korean upper class had already learned how dangerous the Buddha could be if not properly handled. That was why they’d issued a restraining order against him.

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For roughly the first millennium of the divine arrangement, every newly-discovered facet to ruling a Buddhist state had appeared advantageous to the Princes of Heaven. The Buddha’s exhortation to be compassionate motivated the creation of a social safety net for the poor; monks agreed to feed the homeless and accept orphans into their orders. Those same Buddhist monks introduced East Asia to the incredibly popular practice of drinking green tea, which they themselves had long cherished as one of the few beverages not forbidden them by their dietary laws. Better still, the schools of thought in which Buddhists studied needed land for their temples and money with which to build them, and they mostly got it from the government. This created obligations the royals never tired of exploiting. They drafted their indebted monks as royal scribes, tax collectors, advisors, heralds – even spies, since the desire to study at foreign schools often led them to cross international borders.

All these services, however, eventually led to the essential integration of religious orders into the nation’s administration, a fusion which should set alarm bells ringing for anyone familiar with the reasons for separating church and state. The monks obtained political influence. As they obtained more of it, their Buddha’s appetite for homage predictably grew as well, and in time it turned insatiable. Government officials found themselves pressured to commission a constant

stream of tribute in the forms of religious artwork and construction projects. The expense threatened to beggar the kingdom. Small wonder, you might think, that the Koreans began to depict their Sage as a fat man, borrowing the image of a similarlynamed character called Budai, the “Laughing Buddha” still seen throughout Korea today.

The entry of Siddhartha’s servants into court politics, however, was not as threatening to the royals as Buddhism’s popularity among the lower classes was. If religion is the opiate of the masses, then the peasantry considered Buddhism to be the good stuff. Indeed, the message of the Buddha, with its cynical view of life and its strategy of detachment in the face of certain disappointment, seemed tailor-made for a people so tragically situated as the Han. Their land’s geography sandwiched them between stronger nations and its topography made it difficult to farm. Life was, as Thomas Hobbes puts it, “nasty, brutish, and short,” with the average woman only living into her mid-twenties and men dying earlier.

So when Buddhist missionaries taught the First Noble Truth of the Buddha - that one’s life is essentially comprised of suffering - one imagines the Korean ears perking. Here was theology that jibed with experience.

It was also a theology that lifted them up. “It is through the knowing of truth that one becomes noble, not through caste,” the Buddha says in one story. How could a commoner not consider the Gwangju News June 2012

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egalitarian implications of that? Or marvel at their fulfillment in the monastic orders, where any man (or woman), rich or poor, born high or low, was considered capable of achieving the status of a Buddha? What a far cry from Confucianism, which had so long impressed upon the lower classes a primary duty to know their place in the established social order – a lesson a king could really get behind, and did, after General Yi Seong-gye overthrew the Buddhist Goryeo Dynasty in 1392 and founded the Joseon Dynasty. Within a century of the coup, Yi’s heirs would ban Buddhist monks and nuns from entering cities. They would not be allowed to return for nearly five hundred years.

That is the origin of the famous “Hermit Kingdom;” it wasn’t a Buddhist invention but a Confucian one. In the name of the Master and not the Sage were the borders shut, religions persecuted, the social classes suffocatingly refined and women – those perennial targets of every fundamentalist movement – reduced again in status to match their appropriate role in the supposed plan of the universe. Such policies may sound familiar to anyone knowledgeable about a certain government north of the 38th parallel; that regime actually still refers to itself as Joseon, too.

Of course it would be far, far too neat to frame the current stand-off between the two Koreas as Round 3 in a 1,500-year custody battle between Siddhartha Gautama’s Goryeo state and Kong Qiu’s Joseon. Today’s Koreans are grown-ups, with their own issues to work out; they can’t be defined by their parents.

Only a bad parent would care to do so, though, and it will come as no surprise that the Buddha’s stated desires for his children are, well, quite enlightened parenting: “Find out for yourself what is truth, what is real. Discover that there are virtuous things and there are non-virtuous things. Once you have discovered for yourself give up the bad and embrace the good.”

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GIC tour preview GIC Tour with Warren

Wando 완도

Words and photos by Warren Parsons TOUR OVERVIEW Date: June 30(Sat.), 08:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Itinerary: Jangbogo Memorial Hall - Cheonghaejin - Wando Seafood Market(Lunch) - Myeongsasimni Beach Fee: 40,000 won for GIC members/50,000 won for non-members

J

une is the start of summer and brings with it an adventurous excursion with the GIC Tour.

Summer is hot and Jeollanam-do has hundreds of islands and miles of coastline. It is a wonderful season for some interesting history, great seafood and refreshing fun at the beach with the GIC. This month the tour visits the island of Wando. The first stop will be the Jangbogo Memorial Hall which explains the importance of Wando in Korea’s maritime history. Jangbogo was an

Myeongsasimni Beach

After lunch the tour will ride over a long bridge to the neighboring island of Sinji-do for an extended stop at Myeongsashimni Beach. More than two kilometers long with golden sand and cool water for swimming, this is arguably the best beach in the province. Participants can enjoy the beach however they please. There will be plenty of time to swim or walk along the shore, and since Wando is a “slow city,” it is a great opportunity to relax.

Fish Market

admiral, pirate hunter and successful merchant.

During the Silla dynasty in the 9th century, he connected China, Korea and Japan through trade and developed a powerful seafaring state.

From the museum, the tour will walk to Cheonghaejin, a small island fortress overlooking the open sea channels, and the place where Jangbogo controlled his naval empire.

Passing by a giant statue of Jangbogo, participants will transfer by bus to the Wando Fisheries Market. Here there is a wide variety of live seafood to see, especially freshly caught fish and Wando’s specialty, abalone. Outside and overlooking the harbor, we will have an interesting lunch of raw fish and seafood soup.

June is a gorgeous month so come out with your swim trunks and beach gear for some excitement with the GIC!

Jangdo Cheonghaejin Historic Site

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health

What Happened to Natural Births?

By Michael Bielawski

W

hat if at some point in the future there are no more natural births? People would talk about natural birth as a sort of urban legend or conspiracy theory, questioning that there was ever a time when women didn't always induce their births and have Cesarean sections. If the current trends continue, at least the US and Korea, this future may not be so far-fetched. For example in Korea, Cesarean (also known as csection) births are at a world-leading 43 percent, followed by the US at about 33 percent.

What started as a final backup plan for emergency situations has become a trendy first option for women planning “designer births”. These days you often see women in movies and TV shows planning their Cesareans as if they were planning a hair cut. It's discussed so casually you could well assume that there is no other option.

About 20 percent of US births are artificially induced, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, which essentially doubles the chances of a C-section, according to a Yale University study, because the baby isn’t always ready to come out in an induced labor.

The Yale study found an increase in Cesareans of 53 percent between 1996 and 2007 and the number of natural births from mothers who had previously had Cesareans fell from 44 percent to just 8 percent from 1998 to 2009. And the study revealed that infant mortality has not declined while the rate of C-sections has been dramatically rising.

How did this come to be? Some things have changed that seem to correlate well with the rise in C-sections. These are the absence of midwives (nurses specifically for delivering babies) at births, births taking place at hospitals instead of at home and more drugs being used now than in the past.

For example, from 1900 to 1955 the number of US births at home dropped from 95 percent to just one percent, according to the documentary The Business of Being Born (co-produced by actress Ricki Lake). During that period hospitals ran ad campaigns depicting midwives as incompetent and generally unqualified to deliver babies.

An ironic revelation according to Child Birth Connection’s “Listening to Mothers” survey (2006) is that nearly one quarter of US women who had Cesareans reported pressure from doctors to do so, and conversely the doctors cite fear of malpractice lawsuits as their main reason for carry out Cesareans.

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Photo: motherblog.co.kr

Marsden Wagner, M.D. of the World Health Organization (WHO) pointed out in Lake’s documentary the sharp contrast between the US and other nations in how they go about giving birth. “Everywhere else in the world, that’s what they do (using midwives). You can go to Great Britain, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan... go to all the highly developed countries where they are losing fewer women and fewer babies around the time of birth and what do you see? You see midwives attending 70 or 80 percent of all the births.”

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And then there are the drugs. They can certainly relieve pain for the short term, but they can also cause complications leading to further interventions, further pain and eventually a Cesarean section. In probably the most effective sequence of the documentary, you get this potential domino effect of interventions, effectively articulated by one of the featured mothers: “So if you are not dilating (making progress) rapidly, which you’re not likely to do if you get an early epidural (to relieve pain) in labor you will be given Pitocin (to induce contractions). Eventually the pain of the contractions is overwhelming the epidural so you need to up the epidural and then labor slows down more so then you need more Pitocin. Now you are not feeling the pain of the extra Pitocin because you got the epidural but the baby is getting compressed blood and oxygen supply because Pitocin contractions last so long and they’re so strong that the blood and oxygen flow to the baby is compromised. So then the baby is likely to go into distress and then you are sent off for an emergency Cesarean for the baby in distress from contractions induced by the Pitocin which was necessitated by the epidural..."

there is no reason to intervene and potentially create problems. Their idea is to give women the best of both worlds. They have all the technology and medicine of a hospital but with a home environment and midwives who encourage as few interventions as possible. Their Cesarean rate is an impressive three percent.

Natural birthing centers are expanding all over Korea, but keep in mind they are more expensive than regular hospitals. But regardless of where you have a birth, you can still have a midwife. And you can still do research and with the right preparations you can probably have a relatively natural birth at any conventional hospital, or even in your home.

In conclusion, the statistics do seem to support the use of midwives, be it at home or in a hospital. The drugs can help, just be aware they can potentially lead to further complications. I think most people would agree that natural birth should be preferable to Cesarean birth unless there is an emergency.

Doctor Eugene Declero of Boston University added “Step by step, one intervention leads to a series of interventions and the net result is the mother finally ends up with a Cesarean and everyone says thank God we are able to do all those interventions to save the baby. The fact of the matter is that if they didn’t start the cascade of interventions none of that would have been necessary.”

So what is an ideal C-section rate? The WHO estimates the ideal rate should be between five and ten percent. In the US the level has increased from about 4.5 percent in 1965 to almost 33 percent in 2010 according to reports.

At the end of the day, over 95 percent of women prefer natural birth to Cesarean according to a study by the University Of Ulsan College Of Medicine. The conclusion was that practitioners and the overall healthcare system were primarily to blame for the dramatic rise in cesareans.

Finally, my own wife just had a baby boy, born without any interventions at a natural birthing center called Mediflower in Seoul, Korea. The head doctor at this center, Dr. Chung, is sometimes jokingly called “Dr. Do-Nothing”. Because that is the whole point, if everything is going fine then

Photo: timecook.tistory.com

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travel

Apps for Traveling or Living in Asia

By Matt Furlane

T

he smartphone app revolution is in full swing with over a billion downloads between Apple and Android operating systems in the last three years. And if you own a smart phone or a tablet you probably have contributed at least 100 app downloads yourself. But aside from the obvious Google Maps, Facebook, Angry Birds, Weather Channel and Skype apps that everyone already knows about, what other apps are available that might be valuable to those of us working and traveling in Asia, Korea in particular? I looked and asked around and tried some apps out myself and here are five that I think are useful for foreigners whether they are fresh off the tarmac at Incheon or long-term kimchi addicts.

1) Kayak - With summer vacation times fast approaching it's good to start planning early. And using the Kayak app will make that planning process very easy. It is a versatile travel app that is compatible with iPhone, iPad and Android systems. You can compare flights, book your hotel, look for rental cars, track flights and get deals on tickets in a few minutes using only a smart phone. (The iPad or tablet version is best). You can even look up the typically elusive airline baggage fees. I also like the option of being able to check currency conversion rates or using Kayak as a widget on my Android phone with real time price updates. Although there are other choices out there like “Hipmunk” and “Booking.com”, Kayak has the highest ratings and best user interface. And this shouldn't be a surprise. It was founded in 2004 by Steve Hafner and Paul M. English who also co-founded Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz.

2) Google Translate - If you're hung up in a foreign country and can't speak the language this app might help you out if you keep it simple. It translates more than 60 languages by text and 24 by voice, including Korean. You can even converse in real time using the conversation mode which allows each speaker to talk as it translates, although you have 26

Gwangju News June 2012

to either hand the phone back and forth or sit at a table and lean over the screen to do this.

According to Google you can spell out the words of non-Latin script languages (e.g. Hangul) in Roman characters to read it out loud phonetically which is very useful if you’re short on time and need to get somewhere or find a washroom. For more serious study later on you can review the translations and access them even if you’re offline. For those of us living and working in Korea, Google Translate can be a plus for study and conversation if you keep it simple. For extensive traveling the following Asian languages are also supported – Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and even Tamil. But it's important to note that despite many good reviews it is not a C-3PO substitute. It is best used as an aid with constant watchfulness for the occasional weak or humorous translation.

3) Travel Smart - For those traveling abroad from any western country this app will provide you with all the travel warnings you need to know before you take that daring trip hiking in the Kurdish/Iranian mountains. But more realistically for example, if you want to travel to the Philippines you can find this warning "The USA Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of terrorist activity in the Philippines...attacks could be indiscriminate and could occur in any area of the country, including Manila...U.S. citizens should exercise extreme caution if traveling to Mindanao or the Sulu Archipelago..." And if you are from England, Australia, France, New Zealand, or Canada (including French-speaking areas) there are also links for information concerning your travel risks as well. Although some of these warnings may seem like overreactions it's always better to be safe than sorry. Thankfully Korea is a safe place to travel but other places may not be so “travel smart”.

4) Kakao (Talk) - Literally it means "to gack" But if you’re not a cat with a hairball problem this is a great, highly-rated free global app for single or

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group texting with all the friends you will make while traveling and working abroad. It is very easy to use and comparable to other texting apps in terms of features and user interface. It works in a similar way to Skype and according to the developer "KakaoTalk is a phone number-based messenger service that allows iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Bada users anywhere in the world to chat one-to-one or in a group. It uses WIFI or your existing data plan (3G4G) to let you send and receive unlimited texts, photos, videos and audio to other KakaoTalk users for free. No matter what country you are in – there is no international charge – No Ads, unique animated emoticons, Walkie talkie feature with voice note (enable “push to talk” in settings), VoiceTalk, internet free call feature (mVoIP)".

About 45M people have tried Kakao Talk and it's ranked #1 in the Android communications app market.

5) Retro Camera/Lomo Camera - Instagram and

Hipstamatic (not for Android yet) are the most popular photo apps, but the instant-upload photo-filter revolution is spawning fierce competition. The Retro and Lomo Camera apps are worthy competitors (if not soon to be dominant players) in the vintage-look picture field, and being free they are hard to pass up. So if you're out traveling and want to snap excellent old-style photos without the hassle of figuring out Photoshop's labyrinth of menu options these apps are for you. I especially like the choices of Retro camera styles and the old school SLR shutter sound that disappeared with the appearance of digital cameras. Each app is easy and fun to use and has its own peculiar idiosyncrasies. I like the "Rusty" and the "Lomo" filters which are similar to Sepia and the Instagram Lo-Fi filter. I especially like the "Little Orange Box" camera with the black and white setting.

Depending on what you are looking for in a photo, these apps can make a boring Facebook photo album into a hip and artsy photo gallery.

2012 GIC 4th Korean Language Class

(July 3 - August18)

Enrich your life in Korea by studying Korean and learning Korean culture with the GIC! Five reasons why you should learn Korean at the GIC: 1. A chance to participate in “Culture Experience Program”: take part in Korean culture first-hand while practicing your Korean.

2. Classes designed for your needs.

3. Experienced and dedicated teachers.

4. You will receive a certificate upon completion of the class and a special award for best student.

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

Regular Class (Weekdays and Saturdays) Available Levels: Intensive Beginner, Beginner 1-2-3-4, Intermediate 1, Advanced 2 Time and day: Intensive (Tue~Fri - 4 times a week) 10:30 a.m - 12:30 p.m., Regular Weekdays (Tue, Thurs - twice a week) Morning Class: 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.; Evening Class: 7 ~ 9 p.m.

Regular (Saturdays - once a week) 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Price: Intensive: 150,000 won; Regular Weekdays: 80,000 won; Regular Saturdays: 50,000 won (exclude textbook and GIC membership fee)

K-Entertainment Class

Learn Korean through K-pop and K-Drama!

Available Levels: Basic and Intermediate Time and day: Tue or Sat (once a week) 1:30 p.m - 3 p.m., 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Price: 50,000 won (exclude textbook and GIC membership fee)

TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) Class Available Levels: Level 1 ~ 4 Time and day: Tue, Thurs (twice a week) 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Price: 100,000 won (exclude textbook, GIC membership fee and registration for TOPIK)

Reading Class

Learn Korean through fairy tales, poetry and articles!

Time and day: Wed (once a week) 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Price: 50,000 won (exclude textbook and GIC membership fee)

GIC Kindergarten

Available for kids age 3 to 6 years old

Available Level: Kids Korean Time and day: Wed, Fri (twice a week) 10:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.

Price: 100,000 won (exclude textbook, GIC membership fee for parents)

Free Open Class Want to experience how GIC Korean Class works? We invite you to join the free open class before registering!

You may join the class for 30 minutes and have a level and speaking test.

First Term: June 19 - June 23 Second Term: June 26 - June 30 Time: 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. or 7 - 8 p.m.

Tutoring Tutoring is available every Wednesday for one hour between 2 to 6 p.m. once a week for seven weeks.

Fee: 100,000 won

Please contact Boram Lee at boram@gic.or.kr or by phone 062-226-2733/34 and www.gic.or.kr for more information.

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PHOTO CONTEST Submit your best shot of Korea!

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

The Photo of the Month will be displayed at the GIC for that month.

Photo of the Month

Journey across the ocean at Jindo Miracle Sea Festival Photo by Ally Nguyen 28

Gwangju News June 2012

Hampyeong Butterfly Festival Photo by Stephen Gale

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Gwangju News’ photo contest was judged by Mark Eaton.

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

Love Locks Photo by David Cowger

Late Winter Afternoon on Eulsuk Island Photo by Matt Ehlers Gwangju News June 2012

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Photo Essay

By Joe Wabe

could give you a giant bio and artist statement but who really cares? The short version is this: I love to take photos and have been doing so for nearly 3 years – it is a great and inspiring pastime. So far it is one of the best things I have come across for my personality, after graphic design. I haven't had any formal training other than a few classes I took back in the day in college, self teaching, books and magazines. I recently enrolled for a two year course in the New York Institute of Photography, and I have a goal to become a professional photographer within 5 years. As for now, I'm enjoying this experience and sharing my work with others is overwhelming. You can see more of my work at http://joewabe.500px.com.

I

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Gwangju News June 2012

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international

2015 Gwangju Universiade Emblem and Mascot Unveiled

By Kim So-yeon (Organizing Committee Press Support Team) Photos courtesy of 2015 Gwangju Universiade

T

he Emblem and Mascot of the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade were announced at a ceremony at the Plaza Hotel, Seoul, on April 26th. The “Wings of Light” emblem and the mascot “Nuribi” were unveiled at the event by the 2015 Gwangju Universiade Organizing Committee.

About 300 people attended the event, from such diverse fields as politics, economics and sports, in addition to university volunteers, to celebrate the birth of the new emblem and mascot. Some distinguished guests included Mr. Gianni Merlo, President of AIPS (International Sports Press Association), Mr. Kim Young-hwan, Vice-minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr. Kim Jong-ryang, Executive Committee Member of FISU (International University Sports Federation) and Mr. Song Gi-jin, Chief Executive of Kwangju Bank.

The newly revealed emblem “Wings of Light” is shaped like a ‘U’, the symbol of the Universiade, extended to appear as outspread wings, representing going beyond boundaries. The wings also represent the five great oceans and six continents of the globe, and the overlapping light shows the warm harmony and friendship of the world’s young people, who will meet at the Universiade.

The mascot “Nuribi” is the messenger of light, acting as a bridge of communication amongst the world’s young generation. It is a symbolic mascot to introduce the “EPIC” vision of the Gwangju Universiade: Environmentally-friendly, Peace, Information Technology and Culture. It also represents the unfolding wings of creation which will 32

Gwangju News June 2012

deliver the light of Gwangju to the world. The emblem and mascot together form a consistent image of light representing Gwangju.

With Gwangju being the hub city of Asian culture, the launch ceremony for the new emblem and mascot featured various cultural performances, including new works by renowned media artist Leenam Lee. He showcased new media art with the theme of the Universiade, which utilized images of classic art masterpieces in conjunction with the Universiade emblem.

In addition, former national basketball player Woo Ji-won and actress Nam Bo-ra were named as Publicity Ambassadors for the Universiade. Woo Jiwon, who competed in the Universiade twice and won a silver medal, and Nam Bo-ra, who is known for her challenging spirit, were chosen as publicity ambassadors since both of them have the right image for the Universiade.

Chung Ui-hwa, Chairperson of the 2015 Gwangju Universiade Organizing Committee said “We are looking forward to seeing nationwide support to make the 2015 Gwangju Universiade become legendary.”

AIPS President Gianni Merlo spoke of his expectations: “Gathering the world’s young generation for this sports festival in Gwangju, the cradle of Korean democracy, will promote the culture of peace and mutual understanding,” he said. “This valuable message will be spread with this appropriate emblem named Wings of Light”.

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travel

A Riverside and Her Poet Words and photo by Mark Liebenthal

I

f you drive for approximately one hour north of Gwangju, you will find yourself in the beautiful Korean countryside.

Kim worked as a primary educator for many years and still lives in the area. Some of his most famous verses are from his poem, “Seomjin River”.

There is a place of easy hiking and quiet landscape that is unknown to most foreigners. It is called Seomjin River.

"Walk along and watch the rainless Seomjin River Streams like capillary vessels of Jeolla-do Gather together and flow continuously.

The Seomjin riverside is renowned in Korea for its clear water, beautiful landscape and unique river rock formations. There are no other rock formations like this in Korea. Because of its unique formations, the riverside is replete with myths.

If the sun sets on the dusky riverside, White rice like clover flowers, Charcoal fire like Jaunyeong flowers being laid on the head, Pull and kill darkness On the nameless wild plants At the nameless riverside village, And hang flower lights On the forehead Illuminating brightly the sunburnt forehead."

One story is about having a son. By sitting on Yogang Bawi, the most famous of the river stones, a woman can ensure that she will have a baby boy.

Yogang Bawi is a high, wide river stone that projects from the surrounding rocks. It is estimated to be two meters high and three meters wide, and weighs nearly fifteen tons. This stone is the most unique because it is hollow inside. The opening is large enough for an adult to climb inside. Another local story is about villagers hiding inside Yogang Bawi during the Korean War, and surviving.

Despite its mythical and poetic status, the mysterious rock formations, as well as several local villages, are threatened by a dam project upriver.

Should the dam begin operations, this beautiful landscape will exist only in Kim’s poems.

To add to the colorful stories, the stone was once stolen from the riverside. The estimated value of the stone is placed at billions of won. Not too long after its theft the stone was recovered and returned to its original location.

No beautiful location in Korea is complete without having its own poet. The poet of this area is Kim Yong-taek, the “Seomjin River Poet”.

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Home Pages Want to write about news from your country?

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

Nepal

Ireland

By Nipun Tamrakar

By Patrick Conway

Disaster Season in Nepal Nepal suffers from various types of natural disasters caused by the action of water such as soil erosion, landslides, slope failure, floods, river bank erosion and so on. Every year, particularly during rainy season, the entire nation suffers from natural disasters leading to the loss of innumerable lives and property. Monsoon season has already started in Nepal and this year too, hundreds of people will lose their lives if proper disaster management activities are not carried out effectively. On the morning of 5th May, 2012, an avalanche on Mt. Annapurna caused floods in the Seti River, Kaski district of Nepal. A total of 31 people were confirmed dead and 44 were missing, including three foreigners. Various emergency rescue relief missions were conducted by the government, the World Health Organization and other voluntary organizations. To add to the unfortunate series of events in the same region of Nepal, on the 15th of May, a Dornier plane carrying 21 people crashed as it tried to land near Jomsom airport, which is considered to be one of the most dangerous airstrips in the world.

Fifteen passengers lost their lives in the crash. Let us pray for the people of Nepal and show our support in this difficult time.

Fever Outbreak No, the Black Death hasn’t returned. It’s Championship fever. Although National League and club fixtures are played during the colder months of the year, for most people the business end of our national sports, Gaelic Football and hurling, happens in summer.

Once again, it’s hard to look beyond the usual suspects. In hurling that means “The Holy Trinity” of Kilkenny, Tipperary and Cork, who seem to have gotten their act together again after a couple of years of turmoil. In football, defending champions Dublin will be the team to beat, with Kerry and Cork the most likely to steal their crown.

Those not lucky enough to be Irish might be surprised to learn that both these sports are played by amateurs, despite training schedules almost on a par with the “greed is good” Premier League. Not many Oscar-winning dives or prima donnas on view. Those who play simply do so because they have been bitten by the bug.

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Korea

By Kim Dong-hun

Korean Peninsula an Inferno?

What if a volcano erupts in North Korea? Mt. Baekdu in North Korea is currently a dormant volcano.

If it erupts in winter, the cloud of volcanic ash would cover Ulleungdo in 8 hours and reach Japan in 12, paralyzing the aviation transportation in Northeast areas. According to a study it is estimated that the wind in winter carries volcanic ash to the East Sea and Japan and in summer to the northeastern part of North Korea and China, as well as the southeastern part of Russia.

It is also said that nuclear tests conducted by North Korea would accelerate the volcanic eruption of Mt. Baekdu, which would cause catastrophic damage to many countries, because the nuclear test site is located above the magma layer connected to Mt. Baekdu.

U.S.A

By Aisha Hobbs

Be Aggressive! Be, be a...grandmother?

Many little girls dream of being a famous NFL cheerleader and most won’t make it. But now they have a new role model to emulate.

Sharon Simmons had the dream for 33-years and finally tried out for the Dallas Cowboys cheerleader squad. Why is she a role model?

Simmons is a fit and fabulous 55year-old grandmother. Despite forgetting parts of her routine, she says the journey was worth it. If she makes the team, she will become the oldest player in the league by 14 years! Now who is ready to get back in the gym?!

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Wales

By Andrew Thomas

Political Critic Welsh Education Secretary Leighton Andrews has criticized the “public school” attitude of Westminster leaders, claiming that it could lead to an accelerated “break up of Britain.” Mr. Andrews is not the first to give voice to such opinions. He went further and suggested that Tory politics are those of “English exceptionalism,” something indicative of their “born-to-rule” assumptions that were fostered by “an English public school system that trained administrators to run an empire.” In the context of an expected referendum on Scottish independence and the extension of devolution in Wales, the Conservative government looks unlikely to renew cohesion in Britain. With Tory popularity in the Celtic nations pitifully low, the current Prime Minister appears to be precipitating the dismemberment of the United Kingdom far more effectively than any anti-unionist could have hoped for.

India

Indonesia

By Sreejith

By Karina Prananto

NBS News

Nine-year-old Boy gets Patent for Inventing Chess for Six players Hridayeshwar Singh Bhati – a class IV student in Jaipur, India – has made an innovative circular version of chess which can be played by two, three, four or six players at a time. The boy, who is suffering from a rare genetic disease called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (a progressive degenerative disorder of muscle tissue which affects only males), became the youngest person to receive a patent. His father, a math teacher, assisted him in developing the design.

“Till death do they part?”

An elderly couple in Situbondo, East Java proved that the saying is true. The wife, 79 years old, passed away from sickness and 30 minutes later her husband (80) was found dead. The incident brought lots of attention to the residents of the small village. From their stories, the couple was very dedicated to each other. The wife had been sick for many years and the husband took great care of her every single day. When she passed away, the neighbors saw the husband sit down beside his wife’s body. They became very curious when he did not move for quite a while and didn’t answer when being called. After they checked on him, they discovered that he was dead.

Later that evening, they were buried next to each other. The couple proved that nothing could come between them.

New Zealand

By JJ Parkes

Random Acts of Postage Seemingly random people living on New Zealand’s very isolated rural community on the west coast of South Island have made the news recently as a result of a spate of mysterious postal deliveries. Three west coast residents have received a strange assortment of unusual gifts from someone, possibly a complete stranger, based in Paris, France. The gifts have included hair dryers, hair clips, New Zealand currency and apparently anonymous thank you notes. The mystery of the random acts of postage kindness has been reported widely and in a diverse range of lands such as Thailand, Canada and Oman.

Stumped Senior Sergeant Allyson Ealam of the Greymouth police with the mysterious Paris parcel Photo by Deidre Mussen, courtesy of Fairfax NZ News

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community

Finding the Best Pet Clinics Words and photos by Kim Se-ra

T

here are three famous pet clinics in Gwangju: Cool Pet, Sue, and JuJu. Cool Pet clinic, located on the 4th floor in the Sangmu Lotte Mart, is quite popular among Gwangju pet people.

What should be the highest priority when choosing a pet clinic?

1. Veterinarian The vet should be one of the most important elements when people decide where to take their pets for treatment. First, some people might wonder whether the vet is trying to make the most money. Is the vet performing unnecessary tests and adding expenses that the clients have to pay for?

Secondly, some wonder if the vet takes sincere care of their pet. Some vets try to relax pets so as not to stress them out, whereas some other vets rather force pets to have treatments in order to save their time to get it done quickly. Finally, people usually want to know if the vet is trustworthy enough to leave their lovely pets alone in his or her care.

As mentioned above, Cool Pet is one of the more popular pet clinics in western Gwangju and the vet there, Lim Myung-jo, has a good reputation among Gwangju pet lovers. People say they feel the affection and sincerity from this vet towards their pets (although he blushed and denied it, saying it’s what he is supposed to do as a vet). He started his business in 2002 and has 19 years experience of veterinary practice. Being the modest gentleman that he is, it was difficult to interview him about his profession and experiences.

Q: What motivated you to be a vet?

A: When I was a high school student, I had four dogs. One day, one of them seemed sick; he could not eat and suffered from diarrhea. Now that I am a vet, I can tell what kind of disease the dog suffered from. But back then, I was so worried that I ran to the nearest pet clinic with him in my arms.

The vet was astonished watching me carry the dog in my arms to the clinic, because the dog was already dying and so considerably smelly with a lot of blood all over the skin. Ever since then I wanted to be a vet, watching the vet diagnosing my dog.

He looked cool to me, and he recommended that I 36

Gwangju News June 2012

Lim Myung-jo, the vet at Cool Pet Clinic

should be a vet, saying it is rare to see someone carry their dying dogs to the clinic as I did. I was motivated by him, and science was my favorite subject. I [had initially] thought I would be a scientist or something similar, but I am a vet now due to that experience.

Q: It seems that not many vets are capable of treating different sorts of pets. Why are some vets barely even accustomed to handling cats?

A: It is all about their interests. A veterinary degree was four years long when I did it (these days it’s six years). I took electives in the first year, and for the remaining three years, I had to learn about every single species. In the exam periods, it was confusing.

That is why in seminars, some vets participate in conferences discussing reptiles or mammals or surgeries and so on, depending on their interests.

Q: What about mercy killing?

A: I hate that, but I must do it. I remember this guy, now a middle-aged man, whose business failed and he was about to commit suicide. On the way to a river, he saw a dog in a factory and well‌ it could sound a little weird, but he said he talked to the dog. He was suffering from depression, there was nobody who tried to listen to him, but the dog did in a way. With approval from the people in the

June2012_7 2012.5.2610:15AM Page37

factory, he adopted the dog and started a new life, living with the dog in his house. The dog, however, was too old. He was 17-18 years old already, his kidneys were shutting down and his heart was weak enough to stop anytime. Acute attacks periodically afflicted him, causing his body to quake so much that his head used to continuously hit the floor. The dog was the man's one and only friend and family.

He visited my clinic six or seven times for mercy killing, but I could tell the man could not let him go just like that because we had a long discussion.

Eventually, I had to go through with it. It doesn't feel good. I still go out and have a drink after I do it.

Diagnosis process

Cool Pet Clinic regularly sterilizes all equipment and the vet himself wears a mask at all times. It is likely for pets to get infectious diseases from clinics, thus it is important that experts regularly disinfect the clinics and sterilize the instruments.

3. Services You might be looking for services such as a pet bath or hair trimming in a pet clinic. Cool Pet offers those services, including a pet care service at 15,000 won per day.

Cat in the clinic

Q: Have you diagnosed uncommon pets like guinea pigs or hedgehogs?

A: I have experienced treating them a few times, but the thing is that the medical bills for them surpasses their price. Sadly, people tend to get another and not bring them here when they get sick.

Q: Any advice for pet lovers?

A: Dogs or cats, or whatever your pet is, I strongly recommend you NOT to give them any human foods. Chicken bones, fruit seeds, and other things like that could bring about gastrointestinal obstruction in your pets. Xylitols, chewing gums and candies can lead to shock; chocolates shut down the liver. Onions and grapes ruin kidney function.

Lastly, I think it would be better for pets to take safe feed or snacks verified by vets, which are being sold in pet clinics, rather than home-made or handmade snacks. Give them clean water, and for cats, too many cans of tuna could cause tartar on their teeth.

2. Hygiene It seems to be a priority these days for people to patronize sterile clinics. Since it is now a general idea that pets are exposed to germs more in clinics, some pet people are reluctant to expose their young pets to clinics.

Cool Pet Clinic

Recommendations: Cool Pet 쿨펫동물병원 (Sangmu, Western Gwangju) Phone: 062-384-7975 Directions: Bus 73 get off at Ramada Hotel 라마다호텔 JuJu 주주동물병원(Poong-hyang, Northern Gwangju) Phone: 062-524-7582 Located near Gwangju National University of Education (광주교육대) Directions: Buses 15, 80, 187 get off at Punghyang 3-way Junction 풍향삼거리 Sue 수동물병원 (Joowal, Southern Gwangju) Phone: 062-653-1175 Directions: Buses 17, 28, 31, 70, 73, 79, 95, 99, 170, 177 get off at Honam Samyook High School Entrance 호남삼육고입구 Gwangju News June 2012

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language study

Letters to KOTESOL

By Dr. Dave Shaffer

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

Dear Dr. Dave, I am looking to improve my reading. I love fiction, so I have tried a lot of graded reader books but find them a little too simple, though when I try to read novels, I often find the vocabulary too challenging. Where can I find suitable things to read for high-intermediate students?

Thanks, JS Dear JS, Congratulations on wanting to read. By doing so, you will not only improve your reading but also so many other aspects of your English. You are already familiar with graded readers, which are excellent for reading improvement, but you seem to not be familiar with their range. Most of the international ELT materials publishers now have a full range of graded learner books on offer – from beginner levels to advanced levels, and on many topics and in many genres. It would appear that your supplier of graded readers does not stock readers at the level that you need. Ask to see their full catalogue listings to select from. You could also go online to the publishers’ websites to view online catalogues. Upper-level readers include condensed and somewhat simplified versions of classic novels, some of which I am sure you would enjoy. If, however, you would happen to not find any graded readers to your liking, you could check out novels for native-speaker teenagers. Search online under “top teen books” and “top teen book series” for great suggestions which may be available from large bookstores in Korea, and certainly through Amazon.com.

Happy reading, Dr. Dave Dear Dr. Dave, English has too much vocabulary. I want to know if it is possible to seriously learn vocabulary through just reading for fun.

Thanks, SG Dear SG, “Seriously” does not mean “painfully.” Too many people equate the effectiveness of learning with its painfulness. If you’re still holding on to the idea that

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Gwangju News June 2012

rote memorization is the best and only way to learn vocabulary, get out the eraser and start erasing.

Every language has a far larger vocabulary than any one speaker knows, so don’t let English vocabulary seem overwhelming. You don’t need to learn everything – just enough to communicate comfortably.

Though it may seem difficult to believe, extensive reading (a.k.a. pleasure reading or causal reading) is a wonderful way to increase one’s vocabulary. This is because, by reading a lot, you meet the same words over and over in different meaningful situations, making the words not only more memorable but also clarifying their meanings. By multiple meetings with a word and multiple associations to make with it, true learning (acquisition) of the word becomes more efficient.

Happy extensive reading, Dr. Dave Dear Dr. Dave, I have been reading English books in my free time for a long time now. Though I am wondering about my progress, I don’t know how I can notice if I am getting better or not? Is there a good way to manage my own reading ability?

Thanks, HB Dear HB, It isn’t easy to recognize the progress that one is making in their language learning process because it is so gradual for the language learner. Vocabulary tests are not really a good measure of progress in one’s reading ability either. If you have been reading for a long time, my suggestion is that you revisit a book that you read a year or so ago. Before opening the book reflect on how easy or difficult it was for you to read at that time. Then open the book and read a portion of it again. Now reflect on how much easier it was this time around and how much more clearly you understand the context.

Happy re-reading, Dr. Dave Dear Dr. Dave, I heard from my teacher that extensive reading can

June2012_7 2012.5.2610:15AM Page39

really improve my speaking? Is this true?

Thank you.

JB Dear JB, Yes, it is definitely true. There are literally hundreds of research articles in ELT journals demonstrating the effectiveness of extensive reading as a method of improving one’s English. Research shows that extensive reading (a) improves reading proficiency and reading rate, which we would expect, but the research also show that extensive reading significantly improves readers’ writing skills, (c) increases their vocabulary and their understanding of those lexical items, (d) facilitates grammar development, (e) improves listening, (f) improves speaking, (g) improves spelling, (h) enhances the learner’s general language competence, (i) motivates learners to read, (j) facilitates acquisition by providing comprehensible input and much more.

Think about it – in order to be a good speaker, one needs to possess a good vocabulary and have a good working knowledge of grammar as well as being able to easily understand the person they are speaking with. Extensive reading does all of this. The key to extensive reading’s effectiveness is that one should do a lot of reading over an extended period of time. So get started now, if you haven’t already begun.

Happy beginning with extensive reading, Dr. Dave

“Dr. Dave” is David E. Shaffer, 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. Dr. Shaffer is a professor of English at Chosun University, where he has taught, graduate, undergraduate, and postgraduate courses for many years. He has recently received the KOTESOL Lifetime Achievement Award.

Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL June Chapter Meeting Date & Time: June 9 (Sat.), 1:30 p.m.

Place: Chosun University, Main Building (Bon-gwan) Two Featured Presentations on (1) extensive reading and listening, and (2) language games and gaming Swap-Shop: Share your teaching ideas and activities Admission: Free Facebook: Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL Website: www.koreatesol.org/GwangjuJeonnam Email: gwangju_kotesol@yahoo.com

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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.

Exercise Right to Increase Your Height?

By Stephen Redeker

H

ow many people wish they were shorter? The answer (most likely) is very few, because there are numerous benefits that come with being tall. The majority wish they were taller, just like Skee-lo said in his 1995 hit song “I Wish” I was a little bit taller….

This month’s Korean myth deals with a person’s height. In Korea, many people believe playing basketball, jumping rope, stretching and other physical exercises can help you grow taller. If you happen to be tall, you will already be good at those activities. If you’re on the short side, then countless games of hoops or double dutch will eventually lead to a growth spurt. Go ahead and ask a Korean friend if they know that exercise will make someone taller.

Their reply will probably be along the lines of “Sure, I knew that!”

Actually, a person’s height is almost totally determined by genetics.

Usually a person’s height is similar to that of their own parents. When someone is much shorter or taller than their parents, chances are they have a grandparent that shares the same trait, it just skipped a generation or two before it was passed on to later offspring.

There are some other factors that could affect a person’s height. One is nutrition. In most developed countries, such as Korea, one need not worry about food intake affecting growth. Unless a person is consistently malnourished, they will reach their potential height. How important, then, is exercise in relation to growth? It’s true that movement and exercise helps the cardiovascular system and muscles remain healthy and strong.

Exercise also releases hormones which are 40

Gwangju News June 2012

beneficial to health, but it doesn’t change nature’s intended plan for one’s height.

It’s possible to appear taller when working out and being physically fit. If one actually strived to “heighten their height” the results would be temporary at best.

Short of surgery or a medieval torture rack, height cannot be altered by choice.

What’s most interesting is how a myth like this got started in the first place. The desire to be taller needs no explanation, but when (or why) did someone start preaching that we can change our height? More of a mystery is why people still believe it’s true. What’s also surprising is if this particular belief is widely accepted, why don’t we see more Korean children with a strict regimen of strenuous stretching exercises throughout their school days? We see, instead, many students overburdened with an insane amount of studying.

Perhaps they are trying to stretch their brains.

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language study

The Pattern‘-(으)ㄴ 적(이) 있다/없다’: Someone has (never) done something.

By Jung Soo-a Jung Soo-a is an instructor of the GIC Korean Language Class

Dialogue 소라 : 존씨, 안녕하세요?

[J o n s s i , a n n y e o n g h a s e y o ? ] Sora : Hello, John. 존

: 네, 안녕하세요? 그런데, 소라씨 무등산에 가 본 적 있어요?

[N e , a n n y e o n g h a s e y o ? g e u r e o n d e , s o r a s s i M u d e u n g s a n e g a b o n j e o k i s s e o y o ? ] John: How are you? By the way Sora, have you ever been to Mt. Mudeung? 소라 : 네, 가 본 적 있어요.

[N e , g a b o n j e o k i s s e o y o . ] Sora : Yes, I have been there. 존 : 어땠어요? [eottaesseoyo?]

John: How was it? 소라 : 올라가기 힘들었어요. [Olagagi himdeureosseoyo. ] Sora : It was difficult for me to climb. 존

: 거기서 비빔밥 먹어 본 적 있어요?

[Geogiseo bibimbap meogeo bon jeok isseoyo?]

John: Have you ever eaten bibimbap there? 소라 : 아니오, 먹어 본 적 없어요.

[A n i o , m e o g e o b o n j e o k e o b s s e o y o . ] Sora : No, I have never eaten it. 존

: 이번 주말에 비빔밥 먹으러 같이 가요.

[I b e o n j u m a r e b i b i m b a p m e o g e u r e o g a c h i g a y o . ] John : Let's go and eat bibimbap together this weekend.

Vocabulary 비빔밥[bibimbap]: boiled rice with assorted vegetables. 같이[gachi]: together Reference: 김성희 외. (2009). 서강한국어2A 서울: 도서출판 하우 서강한국어. Retrived May 10, 2012 from http://korean.sogang.ac.kr

Grammar The Pattern“(으)ㄴ 적(이) 있다/없다 ”Someone has (never) done something The pattern ' -(으)ㄴ 적(이) 있다/없다 ` is used to indicate one's past experiences. The literal meaning of this pattern is“the experience of having done something”exists ( or doesn't exist ).

Example _ 한국에 가 본 적 있어요? (Have you ever been to Korea?) _ 네, 가 본 적 있어요. (Yes, I have been to Korea) _ 아니오, 가 본 적 없어요. (No, I have never been to Korea.) _ 한국 음식을 먹어 본 적 있어요? (Have you ever eaten Korean food?)

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literature

Selected Poems by Kim Jun-tae Translated by Song Chae-Pyong and Anne Rashid Author’s Brief Biography

Kim Jun-tae (1949- ) was born in Haenam, Jeollanamdo. He studied German literature at Chosun University. He made his literary debut in 1969 with the publication of “Thrashing the Sesame” and other poems in The Poet. His poetry collections include Thrashing the Sesame, I Saw God, The Rice Soup and Hope, Fire or Flower?, and Sword and Soil. He is known as the progressive poet of “Oh, Gwangju! The Cross of Our Nation!”: a poem about the Gwangju Uprising he published on June 2, 1980 in The Chonnam Daily.

As a result of the publication of this poem, the newspaper was forced to shut down, and he was laid off from his teaching job at Chonnam High School. This poem has been praised as the first poem that addressed the uprising. He is a protest poet committed to writing about ruined hometowns, national liberation and the decolonization of culture.

Fire or Flower?

불이냐 꽃이냐

Some follow a road of fire, others follow a road of flowers.

Some say fire is history, others say flowers are history.

Some follow a road of cries, others follow a road of song.

어떤 사람은 불의 길을 가지만 어떤 사람은 꽃의 길을 간다 어떤 사람은 불을 역사라 말하지만 어떤 사람은 꽃을 역사라 말하고 어떤 사람은 아우성의 길을 가지만 어떤 사람은 노래의 길을 간다

For you, what is the true life, fire or flower?

What is a true way of love, fire or flower?

Fire lights the darkness of night, but flowers light the darkness of day.

Fire melts the blood-stained sword, but flowers clean the blood-stained sword.

너희여 참 삶이란 불이냐 꽃이냐 사랑의 참 길이란 불이냐 꽃이냐 불은 밤의 어두움을 밝히지만 꽃은 낮의 어두움을 밝힌다 불이 피 묻은 칼을 녹여버릴 때 꽃은 피 묻은 칼을 닦아내는 것이다

Some follow the road of fire, others follow the road of flowers.

어떤 사람은 불의 길을 가지만 어떤 사람은 꽃의 길을 간다

Some follow the road of cries, others follow the road of song.

Some follow both roads of cries and song, while others follow both roads of fire and flowers.

42

어떤 사람은 아우성의 길을 가지만 어떤 사람은 노래의 길을 간다 어떤 사람은 아우성과 노래의 길을 한꺼번에 간다 어떤 사람은 불과 꽃의 길을 한꺼번에 한꺼번에 간다

Sword and Soil

칼과 흙

If sword and soil fought, which would win?

칼과 흙이 싸우면 어느 쪽이 이길까

The sword that pierced the soil will rust soon, held by the soil.

흙을 찌른 칼은 어느새 흙에 붙들려 녹슬어버렸다.

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One Bean

콩알 하나

Who spilled it?

누가 흘렸을까

Did it come out of the parcel with a hole the wrinkled country-side grandmother was carrying on the way to see her youngest daughter?

막내딸 찾아가는 다 쭈그러진 시골 할머니의 구멍 난 보따리에서 빠져 나왔을까

One green bean rolled around, trampled on the asphalt of the station plaza.

I picked up the tremulous life, went outside the city, and planted it deep, deep into the farm furrow across the river.

Then, from every direction, the evening glow was watching me.

역전 광장 아스팔트 위에 밟히며 뒹구는 파아란 콩알 하나 나는 그 엄청난 생명을 집어 들어 도회지 밖으로 나가 강 건너 밭이랑에 깊숙이 깊숙이 심어 주었다 그때 사방팔방에서 저녁 노을이 나를 바라보고 있었다.

Thrashing the Sesame

참깨를 털면서

At the corner of a farm where the mountain shadow descends, I thrash the sesame with Grandmother.

In my eyes, Grandmother strikes the stick slowly.

But I, the young one, want to go home before dark, and strike with all my strength.

I find rare pleasure in thrashing the sesame– difficult to find in worldly affairs.

Since I have lived in the city for almost ten years, it is an exhilarating thing to watch, even with one stroke, innumerable, white grains rushing out.

I thrash bundle after bundle, whistling.

When I am lost in thrashing, thinking that there might be many things that would rush out like sesame if you gleefully strike anywhere, Grandmother pitifully chastises me: “Honey, don’t thrash at the necks.”

산그늘 내린 밭 귀퉁이에서 할머니와 참깨를 턴다. 보아하니 할머니는 슬슬 막대기질을 하지만 어두워지기 전에 집으로 돌아가고 싶은 젊은 나는 한번을 내리치는 데도 힘을 더한다. 세상사에는 흔히 맛보기가 어려운 쾌감이 참깨를 털어대는 일엔 희한하게 있는 것 같다. 한번을 내리쳐도 셀 수 없이 솨아솨아 쏟아지는 무수한 흰 알맹이들 도시에서 십 년을 가차이 살아본 나로선 기가막히게 신나는 일인지라 휘파람을 불어가며 몇 다발이고 연이어 털어댄다. 사람도 아무 곳에나 한 번만 기분좋게 내리치면 참깨처럼 솨아솨아 쏟아지는 것들이 얼마든지 있을 거라고 생각하며 정신없이 털다가 "아가, 모가지까지 털어져선 안 되느니라" 할머니의 가엾어하는 꾸중을 듣기도 했다.

Persimmon Flowers

감꽃

When I was young, I counted the falling persimmon flowers.

During the war, I counted the heads of the soldiers.

Now I count money, with spit on my thumb, and wonder what I will count in the distant future.

어릴 적엔 떨어지는 감꽃을 셌지 전쟁통엔 죽은 병사들의 머리를 세고 지금은 엄지에 침 발라 돈을 세지 그런데 먼 훗날엔 무엇을 셀까 몰라.

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current events

The Book of the Hour: Oegyujanggak Uigwe 외규장각 의궤전 Words and photos by Doug Stuber

T

he return of 297 Joseon Dynasty Ritual Books (Oegyujanggak Uigwe) from France is cause for celebration, as the books record the various activities of the Emperors and royal courts, from coronations and funerals, to the details of the work to build a new palace through words and beautiful artwork (banchado). Unusually, the books also recorded the painters’ names of the times.

entering monarch greets museum-goers on the second floor. In addition, displays of how the colored inks were made from smashed rocks, a panel of various artworks, examples of Celadon pottery and crowns round out the exhibit.

Bae Jae-hoon, the curator who put together this show at the newly refurbished National Museum in northern Gwangju, mentioned that the French Army stole 297 large ritual books from Ganghwa Island, an area very close to the current Incheon airport location. “The first book was returned in 1993, as a show of good faith and a publicity stunt when the French sold bullet train technology to South Korea,” he continued. “Banchado distinguish Korean ritual books from the original Chinese versions. Although Chinese books have documentary pictures, the Korean books have some drawings that are completely separate from the official reports.”

The museum is located north of the Biennale Exhibition Hall and Gwangju Folk Museum, near the Gwangju Art and Culture Center. Bus routes are 29, 48, 63, 84, 85 and 95.

In addition to the books themselves, a large animated re-enactment of the pictured ritual of an 44

Gwangju News June 2012

The exhibit has already begun and continues until June 24th.

외규장각 의궤전 “The Return of the Oegyujanggak Uigwe from France: Records of the State Rites of the Joseon Dynasty” Date: April 24 - June 24 Venue: Gwangju National Museum 국립광주박물관 Direction: Bus no. 29, 48, 63 (get off at Gwangju National Museum 광주박물관), 84, 85, 95 (get off at Gwangju National Museum Entrance 광주박물관입구) Website: http://uigwe.museum.go.kr/ (Korean)

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movie review

The Avengers

By Charles Murray

T

he Avengers movie has become an international event, with global sales surpassing the 1 billion USD mark, and is the 12th highest-grossing film of all time.

This movie has been number one at the Korean-box office since its inception, and throngs of people are rushing to see it throughout the world.

The film premiered in Hollywood on April 11th, 2012, and opened in Korean cinemas on April 26th. Interestingly, having been to a Korean cinema twice in two weeks (the first to see, The Avengers, the second to see Snow White with my wife) I witnessed Korean kids (almost a dozen of them my own students) flocking to see this newest superhero-genre release.

“Teacher, I love Hulk!” several students informed me, and “Teacher, I like Iron Man!” several others stated.

Their jubilation was contagious. On our first cinematic foray, we witnessed a fully-packed show, and for Snow White, there were only eight people in attendance, excluding us.

This movie is a dynamic, roller-coaster ride of action and humorous quips. The plot centers on Loki, (played by Tom Hiddleston) the Scandinavian god of mischief and pranks, who tricks supervillain Thanos by giving him the Infinity Gauntlet, making him believe it is the most important item he has, when in reality his Tesseract Staff is the most powerful item in his possession. In return for the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos bequeaths upon Loki the “Redacted” which were known in previous superhero movies as “The Skrull,” but underwent some changes so as not to appear the same. In the movie Loki is portrayed as a sinister, evil god, though in real Viking myths he is not “evil” as the Vikings had no concept of evil, but merely an intelligent joker and troublemaker.

Thor, (played by Chris Hemsworth) Loki’s brother by adoption through Odin, Thor’s real father and the Allfather of the Viking gods, first battles Iron Man (played

by Robert Downey Jr.,) and Captain America (played

by Chris Evans), and, after much punishing damage to all combatants, neither side wins. Hence mutual respect is earned by each side for their rivals, and Thor agrees to help Iron Man and Captain America to stop his adopted brother Loki from unleashing devastating havoc upon the Earth. As with Loki, Thor’s character, too, is “Christianized,” ergo he becomes a benevolent force seeking to do what is “right” for the world. In Scandinavian mythology, Thor, the thunder god, whose

powers are second only to his father Odin’s, is neither virtuous nor evil; he simply fights to win, and to bring honor upon Valhalla.

At any rate, the various heroes’ characters are given somewhat equal attention throughout the movie, with disagreements abounding, (especially between the order-following Captain America and the cynical and sarcastic Iron Man) creating a healthy tension which sometimes leads to fierce battle, most notably between Thor and Hulk (played by Mark Ruffalo). In the end, after Loki unleashes the pandemonium of his Redacted upon New York City, the superheroes put their squabbling behind them, and unite to eventually trounce Loki and his havoc-wreaking minions, thus restoring an uneasy peace.

The movie was thoroughly enjoyable, and kudos to writer/director Joss Whedon for creating a multilayered movie, resplendent with great fight scenes, and many humorous barbs. The most interesting of the latter, perhaps, was the dialogue between Thor, Bruce Banner (Hulk when he is in normal human form) and Black Widow, (played by Scarlett Johansson) which went as followed: Bruce Banner: “I don’t think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy’s brain is a bag full of cats. You can ‘smell’crazy on him.”

Thor: “Have a care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard. And he is my brother.”

Black Widow: “He killed 80 people in two days!”

Thor: “He’s adopted.”

As movie critic Kevin A. Ranson of MovieCrypt.com opined of The Avengers: “If you only see one movie over and over again this year, it’ll probably be this one.”

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perspective

Repent!

The End is near?

By 8ball

B

efore I start, I want you to know that I am neither into Doomsday conspiracies nor a religious fanatic preaching about the end of the world. Has it ever crossed your mind that some day the world will come to an end? Have you ever lost sleep over it?

According to a survey conducted by Ipsos in the United States, 13 percent of Korean, and 14 percent of people worldwide, believe that the end of the world will come before they die.

People have always talked about the end of the world. However, nothing has happened so far. It all seems like a false alarm to me, a little like “The Boy who Cried Wolf”. Again, some people allege that the end is near. But this time it is a bit different.

According to the Mayan Calendar, the world will end on December 21, 2012. In other words, there are less than seven months remaining before Doomsday. It seems like our days are literally numbered.

Nostradamus, one of the most famous prophets in history, predicted many historical events including the assassination attempt against the Pope in the 1980s, the September 11 terror attacks, and others.

But the most surprising, appalling prediction is that of the Mayans regarding the imminent end of the world.

“The I Ching” (or Book of Changes) from ancient China says something similar. The Book of Revelation also mentions the end of the world.

Even many Hollywood movies deal with such issues, treating us to, for example, alien invasions and attempts to eliminate mankind which lead to apocalyptic disasters across the globe, or some enormous natural disasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, which lead to the extinction of mankind.

I asked people if they believed the world will end in their lifetime. Here are some of the responses: “No, it won’t ever happen!”, “I am Catholic and I don’t

46

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Photo: exposingthetruth.info buy such things.”, “Hell, no!”, “No, no, no, no!”, “Hopefully, it won’t happen while I am alive.”

So should we believe it or not? I have no idea of the truth, but in my opinion, regardless of the outcome, we have to live every day of our life to the fullest, instead of worrying about what may or may not happen. Life is too short to worry about every single thing. You don’t have to plant an apple tree when the world ends tomorrow. Spend every moment of your life as if today is the last day and try to spend more time with your loved ones.

These are just my opinions. If you have any ideas, thoughts or opinions, then please share them with me via e-mail: eightballkim@yahoo.co.kr.

The views expressed in the article are those of the writer’s only

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G

Opt

i Las ik 2 012 (FS2 00 + EX5 00)

보건복지부 지정 안과수술 전문병원

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fashion

Fash-On with xxl jjdp Words and photos by jjdp

T

hings are hotting up at the moment and we are trying to dress to cool down. Well with the humidity about to kick in with full force there is nothing you can do but roll with it. Summer is here and with all the environmental factors to contend with, if you are to survive it and still look fashonable, you are going to have to go on a little adventure through your closet.

The warmest season usually means falling back on traditional shorts and t-shirts but that doesn’t mean you can’t mix it up. This month I was inspired by Alice in Wonderland as I spent some time exploring and identifying my summer style. Now ask yourself: How far are you willing to go to try something new and follow the White Rabbit on an adventure that starts in your home but that might take you to new and exciting places? So let’s swallow that potion and get ready for that very important date. From the hero, to the Queen, Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle- Dumb, I have it all remastered for you in this month’s edition.

Clothing White Jeans - Ralph Lauren White Shirt - Basic House Plain White T - Emart Boots – Stylist’s own Waistcoat - Golden Vintage Red Jeans - H&M Red and White Tank - Golden Vintage Cut Off Shorts - Diesel Yellow and Blue V-neck - Uniqlo White Shorts - Zara Converse - Converse store Socks - Uniqlo

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First let’s start with the most important thing if you are to survive this journey through to August. It is of course choosing the right fabric. I would always suggest getting something that is breathable for summer and linen and cotton are the best. Go 100 percent organic if you can but they can be a bit more costly. Synthetics are the worst for your skin during this period and will just leave you sweating up a storm. Also considering it is usually very rainy and moist you should purchase clothing that will also dry easily.

June2012_7 2012.5.2610:16AM Page49

Now that we know the best fabric options let’s jump on in. The first essential for any wardrobe is a plain white t-shirt. Worn alone or as an undershirt, you will always be fresh and crisp. For our White Rabbit look I have paired a plain white T with white cotton shorts and a semi-formal waistcoat.

Waistcoats are a great choice for those not wanting to wear a blazer in the hot weather and it adds a classic edge with a youthful flair. Neutral colors like black or grey work best but summer also means time to experiment with color, so don’t be afraid to invest in a bright and beautiful one too.

Next is the Prince Charming look. White is no doubt the most refreshing color for the hottest months.

Just be very careful as it is also the easiest to get dirty, but if you want to stand out go for this allwhite combo of white jeans and a white poplin shirt. One could also layer with a waistcoat but I have added a more royal twist with a side sash. I have also paired it with some riding boots just for fun. A note for taking care of white is always to wash separately and use a steam iron to maintain the integrity of the fabric.

Now let’s have some more fun with color. The most joyfully playful look has been inspired by Tweedle-

Dee and Tweedle-dumb. Here I have shown a Vneck t-shirt in lemon yellow and acid blue. I have paired it with suspenders and black Converse sneakers. For added spark, as always, a pair of bright socks will add some extra flair. Converse are one of the most versatile sneakers around and they are available in virtually any color under the sun. They are also quite reasonably priced and if taken care of they could last you a couple of years.

The last look is a very urban and streetwise look that is also very eye-catching. Just imagine you are one of the royal guards for the Red Queen and have slathered yourself with some red paint.

Here I have taken red to the extreme with red jeans and a cool summer vest. It is simple and easy and you will be cool all day long. You will also be the center of attention so be prepared for all of your admirers.

Lastly, for those who have recently arrived to Gwangju ensure you always cover up with some sunscreen as the Korean summer sun can be quite deceptive and you will find yourself with sunburn in no time!

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food and drink

Don-kass Jiro 돈까스 지로 Words and photo by Gabriel Ward

Q

uite some time ago, I went to Don-kass Jiro with a co-teacher. Admittedly, I am not the biggest don-kass (pork cutlet) fan and don’t eat it very regularly; however I remembered enjoying this particular restaurant. I’d forgotten entirely about Don-kass Jiro, but recently noticed it again while walking past and made a mental note to go and check it out some time. I found myself downtown hunting for some lunch and decided to go there again.

I walked in the door and was delighted by the fact that it was pretty busy, with a lot of people happily chowing down on variations of don-kass for lunch.

The first thing I always look for when I go to dine somewhere is whether there are people in a restaurant or not. A busy restaurant is a good sign, as it generally indicates that the food will be at least half-decent. It also means that the ingredients being used are probably not too old. More customers means a high turnover of ingredients used to make the food that is served.

There was only one waitress taking orders when I entered the restaurant. She was down the back taking someone’s order so I showed myself to a table, on which there was already a menu. I was impressed by the range of don-kass available. It was so large that I can’t actually remember all the

variations that were on offer. I went with the chicken don-kass. Once I’d decided what I was ordering, I called the waitress over and she took my order. She then promptly brought me some water and kimchi.

I didn’t have to wait too long before she brought my meal. As I mentioned I’m not a huge don-kass fan, but as far as I could tell, this was pretty good. It came with rice and some coleslaw and on the side was a small bowl of sesame seeds. You put sauce (similar to BBQ sauce) in the bowl and mix it in with the seeds. You can then dip your don-kass in this.

The chicken was nice and tender and the batter was crunchy, and I found the contrast in texture between the two to be delightful. I got three decent sized pieces of don-kass.

Prices range between 7,000 and 9,000 won. As far as don-kass goes, I’d say this is a good place to go next time you need your fix.

To find Don-kass Jiro, start at the Megabox downtown on your right. Walk towards the main intersection, there will be a Baskin Robbins on your right. Go straight across the four-way intersection for about 20 meters and Don-kass Jiro will be on your left.

Don-kass Jiro 돈까스 지로 Address: 19 Hwanggeum-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju Phone: 062-224-3727

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food and drink

Sesame Leaf Jeon 깻잎전 Words and photos by Kim Woo-yeon

S

esame leaf is one of the green vegetables which Koreans really enjoy. We eat lots of sesame leaves with meat. During holidays such as Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving day) and New Year’s day, we make sesame leaf jeon. It has a really special smell and a positive effective on our body. It contains vitamins A and C, both of which can slow down the aging process. Let’s all enjoy sesame leaf jeon and have beautiful skin and a healthy body!

Things to prepare (for two servings)

15 sesame leaves. ¼ carrot, ¼ young pumpkin, ½ a block of tofu, two eggs, a small can of tuna, ½ cup of flour, salt, cooking oil

Cooking Method:

1. Mash the tofu. Drain the oil from the tuna. Dice the pumpkin and carrots. Put them into a bowl.

4. Dip each sesame leaf package in a bowl containing a beaten egg.

2. Add two tablespoons of flour and an egg and little bit of salt and mix everything together.

5. Fry the leaf packages on an oiled pan over a low heat for a few minutes.

3. Drench both sides of the sesame leaves in flour and stuff them with the mixture from the bowl.

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Puzzle Page

By Emma Dooley and Brian Paredes

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

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

Winners will receive a collectors' edition GIC mug which can be picked up at the GIC.

Congratulations!

RAO SAIFULLAH won last month’s puzzle and will receive a complimentary mug from GIC. Please drop by the GIC office in the office hours to retrieve your gift.

CROSSWORD

Down 1. US territory split North and South (6) 4. Exact (8) 5. Political or religious official (8) 6. Ditch or moat (5) 7. Ring of flowers (6) 10. Charity or motive (5) 12. Passed, of time (7) 16. Group, maybe criminal (4)

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Across 2. Wrong (5) 3. Timber cutter (8) 5. Errand (7) 6. Large wine bottle (6) 8. Supplier of lines in the theatre (8) 9. Slide at an angle (4) 11. Immediate ancestor (6) 13. Wild overindulgent party (4) 14. Game and explorer (4) 15. His birthday was on May 28 (6) 17. Spoke well of (7) 18. Happen after (5)

June2012_7 2012.5.2610:16AM Page53

Brain Teasers Name the artists who released the following albums: 1. Born to Run 2. For Emma, Forever Ago 3. Kid A 4. Rumours 5. Back in Black 6. Aha Shake Heartbreak 7. At Folsom Prison 8. Combat Rock 9. Doolittle 10. Evil Empire

Riddle Below are seven clues to seven words. When arranged in the correct order, each word is an anagram of the previous word with a letter removed. capital of France snake headache tablet single article twisted ankle coarse file equally

Anagrams Below are the names of 10 actors in anagram form: can you figure out who they are?

Omit curse (3,6) A pal icon (2,6) Cool ego energy (6,7) German foreman (6,7) Less relevant to sly (9,9)

’s Last Month’ Puzzle Solution CROSSWORD Across 2. Amiss 3. Chainsaw 5. Message 6. Flagon 8. Prompter 9. Skid 11. Parent 13. Orgy 14. Polo 15. Buddha 17. Praised 18. Ensue

Down 1. Dakota 4. Accurate 5. Minister 6. Fosse 7. Wreath 10. Cause 12. Elapsed 16. Gang

LOGIC PUZZLE The Rose-Red city's age is seven billion years. Let X be the city's present age; T, the present age of Time.

A billion years ago the city would have been C - 1 billion years old and a billion years from now Time's age will be T + 1. The data in the puzzle allows us to create two simple equations: A rose-red city half as old as Time.

X = T/2 (Equation 1) One billion years ago the city's age was just twofifths of what Time's age will be a billion years from now X - 1 = 2/5 (T + 1) (Equation 2) These equations give X, the city's present age, a value of seven billion years; and T, Time's present age, a value of fourteen billion years.

T/2 - 1 = 2/5(T+1) Substitute Equation 1 into Equation 2 T/2 – 1 = 2/5T + 2/5 Multiply the brackets 5T – 10 =4T + 4 Multiply the Equation by 10 T = 14 X=7

VISUAL PUZZLE One of the ways to solve this puzzle is shown in the illustration.

Will use crib (5,6) Inert brooder (6,2,4) Cool raindrop idea (8,2,6) Monk hats (3,5) Big melons (3,6) Jaw duel (4,3) Scowl antidote (5,8)

Source: www.puzzles.com

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

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

Please send us the information in 200 words or less to gwangjunews@gmail.com.

GIC Gallery Exhibition Peony Blossoms Ink-and-Wash Painting Exhibition 수묵화 목단꽃 (모란꽃 )

Gwangju Zen Meditation Group The group will meet weekly from Saturday 14th April at the GIC between 5:30pm and 6:45pm for meditation and readings from books written by the Korean Zen master Seung Sahn Sunim. For details e-mail ross.chambers29@gmail.com or call 010 3439 7725.

You can also search for Gwangju Zen Meditation Group on Facebook.

Sung Bin Orphanage

Location: GIC Gallery Date: June 2 - 30 Artist: Jeon Ryun-ok GIC Gallery is an free exhibition area provided for international artists or foreign artist community to share their artworks to both local and expats. GIC Gallery is looking for artists who want to have an exhibition at the GIC Gallery. For more information, please contact boram@gic.or.kr or call 062-226-2733.

Come Try Yoga!

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

Teacher Rebecca Moss was trained in Vinyasa yoga in 2008 and has taught all ages and levels.

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.

Tuesday Morning Class 10:30-11:30 a.m. or 12noon Sunday Evening Class 7:15-8:15 p.m.

Above the Underground Grocer (in the alley across from Zara).

Email rabigalemoss@gmail.com for more info.

Facebook page: Gwangju Yoga

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

They are Korean short hairs. The kittens are 7 weeks old.

Contact Lynne at 010-8692-9101 or e-mail lelie0072003@yahoo.com

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Sung Bin Orphanage is looking for creative/ active/ energetic/ outgoing/ enthusiastic long-term volunteers to join in our regular Saturday program. We would like you to give at least two Saturdays per month. 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.

Gwangju Inter FC The Gwangju international soccer team (Gwangju Inter FC) plays regularly most weekends.

If you are interested in playing, e-mail: gwangju_soccer@yahoo.com or search ‘Gwangju Inter FC’ on Facebook.

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

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.

June2012_7 2012.5.2610:16AM Page55

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.

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