(EN) Gwangju News March 2011 #109

March 2011 Issue No. 109

Stephen Revere Survival Korean author, writer, teacher and publisher

Getting Out of the City Jeju, Hongdo and Yunnan reviewed.

Severance Payment A guarantee or employer’s choice?

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Gwangju News March 2011

What’s On

Gwangju News

14 Cover Photo Photographer: Jessica Solomatenko Cover Photo: Night Lights

Night Lights

- see page 14 Publisher: Gyonggu Shin Editor-in-Chief: Maria Lisak Editors: Daniel Lister, Minsu Kim Copy Editors: Kyle Johnson, Kathleen Villadiego Coordinator: Karina Prananto Layout and Design: Karina Prananto, Minsu Kim, Meghyn Cox Proofreaders: Gina Covert, Steve McNally, James Munro, Selina Orrell, Jon Ozelton, Julian Raethel, Stephen Redeker, Samantha Richter, Lindsey Shear, Pete Schandall, Rob Smith, Gabriel Ward, Kathleen Villadiego

Researchers: Hee-seon Yang, Jung-kyu Baek, Ki-eun Lee, Hee-kyung Go

18 Gwangju Running Club

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

Phone: +82-62-226-2733~4 Fax: +82-62-226-2731 E-mail: gwangjunews@gmail.com Registration No.: 광주광역시 라. 00145 (ISSN 2093-5315) Printed by Logos (Phone +82-62-444-8800) Gwangju News Magazine is written and edited by volunteers.

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

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

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

19 Damyang Tour Gwangju News March 2011

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Contents Featured Articles Feature

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Gwangju News’ New Logo

Regular Columns 5

This Month in Gwangju

By Hovig Papazian Feature

10

A Teacher to Revere

By Jacob Lotinga

12

By Jon Ozelton

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Upcoming Events

21

Cartoon

An Island in Winter – Jeju in the Cold Season 14

Dear Korea

By Jen Lee

Travel

By Seth Pevey

Local News

26

Fashion

Fash-On By jjdp

Photo Gallery

Night Lights

By Jessica Solomatenko

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Photo Contest

34

World

38

Language Study

Travel

16

Hongdo, an Island of Glowing Red Translated by Hong-pyo Ahn

Home Pages

Community

18

Gwangju Running Club

By Hee-sun Yang, Jung-kyu Baek, Hee-kyung Go, Kee-eun Lee

예 ’ (to, at, in) The Marker: “예

By Soo-a Jung

GIC Tour

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The Damyang Hangwa Tour

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By Meagan Quinn

Cartoon

Digby

By Leroy Kucia

Travel

20

Yunnan – The Province of Eternal Spring

40

Language Study

Letters to KOTESOL

By Simon Bond

By Dr. David Schaffer Perspective

23

Returning to Korea

42

Literature

Poetry

By Aisha Hobbs

Translated by Chae-Pyong Song and Anne Rashid Perspective

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The Severance Pay Fiasco

By David MacCannell

44

Interview with Mahmoud

By Gabriel Ward

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45

By Steve McNally

Entertainment

Gwangju News’s KPOP

By JDragon

World

The UnKnown – What is the UK?

The Rainy Spell

By Elton LaClare

Interview

30

Literature

46

Food

Kammy’s Mediteranean Spinach Salad

By Kammy Benham

35

World

Where the Poppy is Power: The Opium Trade in Afganistan

47

Food

Moojinjoo

By Gabriel Ward

By Julian Raethel

48

Food

Vegetable Porridge

By Hee-seon Yang

49

Community Board

50

Living Tips

Tips About National Pension

By National Pension Service

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Yunnan

Gwangju News March 2011

Local News

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

New Plans to Entice Visitors to Gwangju Following the 5th Gwangju Tourism Development Forum, a new series of plans and developments were recently announced, which are hoped will enhance the appeal of Gwangju as a tourist destination, and increase the number of international visitors to the city.

Eleven Feature Attractions for Tourists The main idea which emerged from the discussion is the plan to develop eleven feature tourist attractions in Gwangju, in line with the stated vision of making Gwangju a place with “a place to feel culture and art” Naturally, the Asia Culture Complex, still under construction in downtown, will be the center of the campaign. Other highlights include the creation of a Universiade Sports Park, whilst existing locations such as Mudeung Mountain and the Yeongsan River will be regenerated as attractive eco-tourist destinations.

As well as developing these areas, another key strategy will be the creation and development of several so-called “theme roads”, or tour courses, combining various places of interest unified under a common theme. Proposed fields include a Main Course, Experience Course, Riverwalk Course, Places of Interest Course, May 18 Course, Green Tour Course, and a Walking Course.

A fifteen-member task force will begin working on the project from April this year. The project has a 5-year timescale, and is scheduled for completion in 2016.

Yang Dong Market Meanwhile, there are plans to make changes at Gwangju’s biggest market – Yang Dong market – in order to raise its profile and make it more attractive to international visitors. The proposals are to operate both a foreigners’ market, and a night market.

Yang Dong is popular with Chinese tourists, who often go there to stock up on clothes, edibles and ginseng products.

However, it has been noticed that they often do much of their shopping in the evenings and at night. A foreigner market, and/or night market would offer more opportunity for such shoppers.

“Many Chinese come to Korea only on four- or five-day tours,” explained a spokesperson. “We hope to entice them to Gwangju for one or two days of their trip. An active night market at Yang Dong will help with that.”

The plans as they currently stand are for a foreigners’ market to begin a trial run from May, and a night market to operate at least once a month from June. Approximately 15,000 Chinese tourists are forecast to visit Gwangju this year.

Bus Driver Martyr A Gwangju bus driver who died whilst saving students from a skidding bus is being hailed as a martyr.

The incident occurred on January 18, when the city was in the grip of severe wintery conditions. The driver – 53-yearold Kim – parked the minibus on an icy sloping road in front of Dae-sung Girls’ High school, in Jin-wol neighborhood.

Kim was standing outside whilst the students got on the bus.

It seems that their additional weight on board caused the bus to shift on the ice, and it began to slither down the hill towards the school wall where other students were gathered.

Kim saw the danger and yelled at students to move whilst throwing himself at the bus in a desperate attempt to stop it.

He was seriously injured as the bus hit the wall, and immediately rushed to hospital, but tragically died shortly after. No students were seriously injured.

The story has caught the attention of the Gwangju community, with many people paying their respects at his funeral. Internet notice boards are flooded with tributes and messages of praise, hailing Kim as a “real hero” and “martyr” for his actions and sacrifice.

Gwangju Universiade English Program The city’s 2015 Universiade English training program, aimed at establishing 15,000 English-speaking volunteers for the event, has hit a snag: students don’t have enough time to take the classes. The seemingly well-designed program started teaching Middle school students in 2010, so that they would be university-aged volunteers come 2015. However, many of the early participants are now entering the Korean High-school system, where the draconian, all-encompassing schedule leaves them no time for anything else, including government-run English courses. The program is actively recruiting to find more students.

As well as the above course, there are other courses for adults, and Homestay volunteers. Classes run from March to June, at eight different universities across the city. Courses in other languages, such as Chinese, French and Spanish are scheduled to start from April. See www.gwangju2015.kr for more.

By Jon Ozelton Gwangju News March 2011

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Upcoming Events Festival

others. Malic acid is found in Gurye Sansuyu and it tastes unique.

Gwangju Spring Flower Expo 2011 From March 25, 2011 to April 3, this year's first flower festival will held in Gwangju for 10 days as a theme of 'Flower & Culture'. This is the 5th such festival annually held in Gwangju’s Kimdaejung Convention Center.

Every year as a purpose of developing Gwangju’s flowering plant industry by promoting increase of flower consumption, promoting exportation of Gwangju flowers and activating agriculture in urban areas and for sightseeing commercialization leap to one of three Korean major flower festivals, Gwangju metrocity held this expo annually.

This time, the Expo will show us 20 theme gardens, flower plant booths, various experience events and performances. Also, a Korean Plant, Human, Environment Forum, National plant decoration competition and various events and lectures like 'how to grow indoor plants?', 'Make your own garden' will be held in the Flower Expo. Don’t hesitate and miss the beautiful flowers!

Event Period: March 25~April 3, 2011 Theme: 'Flower & Culture' Venue: Kimdaejung Convention center Admission Fee: Adult 5,000 won/ Child 3,000 won Operation time: 10:00~18:00 Transportation By bus: No. 1, 19, 20, 38, 62, 64, 69, 270, 1000 By subway: Subway line 1 - get off at Kimdaejung Convention Station - Exit 5 Gurye Sansuyu Flower Festival March 17-20,2011 Sansuyu is a cornus fruit which has a strong acidic taste and red color.

Especially it is good for liver and kidneys and it improves immunity system. It could be taken in alcoholic beverage or tea.

Sansuyu from Gurye has very nice quality, so it is more expensive than

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Gwangju News March 2011

The title of this 13th festival is “looking for endless love”. The first day of the festival, there will be institutions and customs and Harmony of the flowersViolin and saxophone play.

On the second day, there will be Sansuyu quiz time and Nongarktraditional Korean music performed by farmers, among other things.

On the third day of the festival, there are lots of things you can enjoy and participate. The Fantasy of flower, green festival for teenager, live performance of guitar, and song festivals from i-net will be held on that day.

On the last day, live concert-7080 and forever concert will take place. And also there will be a closing ceremony.

In addition to this event, there are many experience events such as separating Sansuyu seeds, Sansuyu barbola, Hanji-Korean traditional paper handmade from mulberry trees-crafts, making Sansuyu soap and so on.

This spring, how about going to the Gurye Sansuyu Flower Festival with your friends or family to enjoy and create unforgettable memories?

His First Standing Concert for His 10th Anniversary at Small stadium.

Psy, who is a well known comic dance singer, will have a standing concert at small stadium of Gwangju Art and Culture Center in Gwangju. He usually has concerts at big stages but he chose to perform at a small stadium this time because he wants to connect with his fans well during the show. Watch the amazing performance from an energetic dancer Mar.19~20

Metaphilos Cellisten 8th annual concert March.7,2011(19:30) Admission: 20,000 won Student discount 50% The Performance will feature music by chello such as Clair de Lune of C. Debussy, Bradenburg of J.S.Bach, Comedian Dance of P.I.Tchaikovsky etc.

Metaphilos Cellisten was established since 2003 and it means cellists sending Father's Love. They have had performance for a relief fund for Haitim, Daegu subway tradegy and other performances for poor people

Yang Semi Violin Recital March 24, 2011(19:30) Kumho Art Hall, U-Square Admission: 10,000~20,000 won

Exhibitions SWEET Fair 2011

Performances Psy Standing Concert in Gwangju (small stadium) Mar.19(8pm), 20(6pm), 2011 Gwangju Art and Culture Center Admission: 77,000 - 88,000 won

March 16~18, 2011 Kimdaejung Convention Center This is an exhibition of New and Renewable Energy-Rays of the sun, solar heat, wind power, hydrogen, and geothermal heat and so on.

For more information: www.kdjcenter.or.kr/kor

Ming and Qing painting March 1~27, 2011 Gwangju National Museum

Through this exhibition, you can see 102 paintings by famous painters from Ming and Qing-old China.

For more information:

http://gwangju.museum.go.kr Kunsthalle Gwangju Central plaza in front of old provincial hall, Dong-gu Showcase Exhibition Vol.3 “Slowly or Quickly” - March 11 Phone: 062-236-0730 / E-mail: vividbomb@gmail.com

“Kim Rok-yeon Exhibition” March 15 - 21 “Chunsamwol” (Flower, March) March 22 - 31 Phone: 062-523-0912 / E-mail: ju8137@korea.kr Bukgu Gallery 77 Uchi-ro, Buk-gu “Calligraphy” - March 9 “Kim Hui-jun Exhibition” March 10 - 31 Phone: 062-510-1215 / E-mail: cloudkmo@korea.kr LOTUS Gallery Mugaksa Temple Culture Center, Chipyeong-dong, Seo-gu “Kim Jong-an Exhibition” March 22 April 19 Phone: 062-383-0070

and Josh Brolin Language: English(with Korean subtitle) Follows a pair of married couples, Alfie and Helena and their daughter Sally and husband Roy, as their passions, ambitions, and anxieties lead them into trouble and out of their minds. After Alfie leaves Helena to pursue his lost youth and a free-spirited call girl named Charmaine, Helena abandons rationality and surrenders her life to the loopy advice of a charlatan fortune teller.

Unhappy in her marriage, Sally develops a crush on her handsome art gallery owner boss, Greg, while Roy, a novelist nervously awaiting the response to his latest manuscript, becomes moonstruck over Dia, a mystery woman who catches his gaze through a nearby window.

3. The Last Station Gallery Muanyo Art Street, 34-8 Gung-dong, Dong-gu Kim Ok-su “Ceramics Exhibition” March 9 Park Jong-won “Carving Exhibition” March 10 - 16 Park Jung-kyu “Tea Tools Exhibition” March 17 - 23 Phone: 062-222-7487 Gwangju Museum of Art 52 Haseo-ro, Buk-gu Spring Special Exhibition “Dream of Butterfly” March 1- May 15 “New Collection 2010” - April 3 Ha Jung-woong collection “Democratic, Human rights and Gwangju” - March 27 Collection “Life and Zest” - March 27 Phone: 062-613-7132 / E-mail: jinasj04@korea.kr Gwangju Lotte Gallery Gwangju Bank Head Office 1st Floor , 71 Daein-dong, Dong-gu Lotte Gallery “Shin Kyeong-cheol Photo Exhibition” March 17 - 30 Lotte Gallery “Lee Jae-chil Exhibition” March 31 – April 18 Phone: 062-221-1808 / E-mail: Lotteart@hanmail.net Bukgu Ilgok Gallery Bukgu Ilgok Library, 55 Ilgok-ro, Buk-gu “Wedding March” - March 15 “Yeongokhoe Korean Calligraphy” March 17 - 30 Phone: 062-510-1631 / E-mail: buddykim@korea.kr Bukgu Jami Gallery 65 Hyangtomunhwa-ro Junheong-dong Buk-gu Gwangju “Views” March 4 - 14

Movies Gwangju Theater Chungjangno 5-ga (two blocks back behind Migliore) Phone : 062-224-5858 Films change weekly to bi-weekly.

Check online for calendar and prices. (http://cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju/) Admission fee : 8,000won for one film.

21,000 won for 3 films. 30,000won for 5 films; 50,000won for 10 films The following movies will be shown in March:

Genre: biography, drama, romance Starring: Helen Mirren, James McAvoy and Christopher Plummer Language: English (with Korean subtitle) A historical drama that illustrates Russian author Leo Tolstoy's struggle to balance fame and wealth with his commitment to a life devoid of material things.

Sports Gwangju FC Soccer Team Match Schedule Venue: Gwangju Worldcup Stadium (광주월드컵경기장) How to get there: Bues 6, 16, 20, 26, 47, 74 get off Worldcup Stadium bus stop Taxi direction: please go to Worldcup Stadium (woldekeop gyeonggijang-e gajuseyo.)

Ticket Price: Adult 10,000 won, Family(4 people) 30,000 won

1.Lovely, Still Genre: drama, romance Starring: Martin Landau, Ellen Burstyn and Adam Scott Language: English (with Korean subtitle) A holiday fable that tells the story of an elderly man discovering love for the first time.

Date 5

Match Team Daegu FC

Time 15:00

2. You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

Compiled by Jung-kyu Baek, Hee-seon Yang, Hee-kyeong Go, Ki-eun Lee, Bo-ram Lee

Genre: Comedy, romance Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts

Art Exhibition Source from Gwangju Art Guide

Gwangju News March 2011

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Feature

New Logo aving started my design career in Gwangju making logos for the local soccer team and pub, I was honored to be considered for this project.

H

I've been reading the Gwangju News since 2005 and have even had the magazine sent to me here at home in Montreal, Canada for the last two years. Intriguing articles, helpful advice, and stunning photography, have been the cornerstone of the monthly magazine and I hope to complete the look with a redesigned cover.

Since the Gwangju News has had a uniform look since its inception, I didn't want to stray too far from what its readers are already familiar with. I felt that all that was needed was a slight revamp to bring it up to date. Gone is helvetica as the centerpiece of the logo, replaced by a more lively and dynamic set of fonts. The addition of a secondary logo is meant to be used to complement the identity of the magazine.

It is simply a small thumbnail of an open issue of the Gwangju News, inviting readers to open the magazine and open their minds to South Korea and their new home for the year or even years, as the case may be.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you or your organization is in need of any design services. I've cherished the time that I've spent in Gwangju and would love to still be a part of the community, even if I'm half a world away.

Thanks to all the staff and volunteers involved in the making of the Gwangju News and keep up the good work.

Gwangju News’ volunteers recruitment poster

By Hovig Papazian

More work from Hovig on the following page

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Gwangju News March 2011

Feature

Book and Bake Sale poster for Sungbin Orphanage

A Gwangju News cover creation

Fundraising poster for Michael Simning

Gwangju News March 2011

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Interview

A Teacher to Revere Stephen Revere, author of Survival Korean, Survival Korean: Basic Grammar Skills and managing editor for 10 Magazine takes time out of his hectic schedule to chat with the Gwangju News.

quipped with a degree in Philosophy from California Polytechnic University in Pomona, Stephen Revere studied Korean to the highest intensive level at both Yonsei and Seoul National University and proceeded to obtain an MA in Teaching Korean from Yonsei Graduate School of Education. He has been a professor at a variety of universities, most recently an invited professor at Sangmyung University. He hosted Let’s Speak Korean and Traveler’s Korean on Arirang TV. Two

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and a half years ago he gave up his professorship and television career to start an event-focused English magazine for foreigners in Korea called 10 Magazine, although he has since returned to TV part time on EBSe’s Star English.

Many of our readers will best know him as the author of the Korean language guide, Survival Korean (2005), in which his affable style, linguistic expertise and storytelling skill make contemporary Korean accessible. The Gwangju News was naturally delighted when Revere agreed to an interview.

Q: One of the alluring and engaging things about Survival Korean is the way you arrange the dialogues into a story – the tale of John (an “everyman” or “everyperson”) who comes to Korea and meets other stock characters. Are you a natural storyteller?

Whether or not I’m good at telling stories is up to the reader to decide, but the whole objective of making the book into a story was to add context to the learning experience. Too often books simply throw random dialogues at you with no background whatsoever, thereby subtracting the real-life connections that form in your brain between the words used and the context. I tried to give a background, a situation, where you would actually run into this sort of language, where you would really have to use it. This helps you recall the conversation when you find yourself in a similar situation.

Q: In Survival Korean, you managed to do that rare thing – make grammar palatable and even fun. What’s your secret?

First of all, I find that hard to believe. Fun? You’ve gotta be kidding. But if I was able to make grammar more palatable, it was because I could relate to the reader. When I arrived in 1995, I started out thinking I’d be fluent in 6 months - three years later I was still plugging away, having reached fluency but still not happy with my level. That’s part of why I went for the Master’s program in teaching Korean as a Second Language. I felt I could both help students and improve the field.

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Gwangju News March 2011

Interview

Q: In your sequel to Survival Korean – Survival Korean: Basic Grammar Skills – readers get access to helpful verb tables at the back. Is grammatical prowess the key to real fluency in Korean?

Okay, first of all let’s take that word, ‘fluency’. People often seem to think it means ‘perfection’. It doesn't.

It means ‘the ability to express oneself readily and effortlessly’. I’m fluent in Korean, but I’m not perfect at Korean. That being said, learning how to instantly conjugate verbs is of course a key to fluency in the language. It’s inherent in the definition of the word.

Q: In 2008 you founded a new English magazine, 10 Magazine. Why? My goal with 10 Magazine was to give English speakers in Korea a great, event-focused magazine.

It’s very hard to keep up with what’s happening in Korea, as most of the announcements and information are all in Korean. Our Korean staff scour the Internet for hundreds of hours each month to find out what’s happening, and then our nativeEnglish speaking staff turn that information into the best list of events for people to join in Korea.

Q: Have you been to Gwangju and Jeollanam-do?

I’ve been to Gwangju many times. When I studied Korean in 1998 at Seoul National University one of my fellow students was Gwangju humanitarian and legend Michael Simning! Since my venture into the magazine business I haven’t gotten down there as much, but I absolutely love the people and the food there.

Q: How can we tempt you to visit Gwangju?

In a heartbeat. I’ve also sworn to visit as soon as our friend Michael is done with his chemotherapy and is allowed to drink a beer. Hope to see you at Speakeasy then.

Q: What are your three top tips for teaching practical English well?

1. Make lessons relevant to your students’ lives.

2. Make sure the students are talking more than you’re talking.

3. Study a language to give yourself a student’s perspective on learning.

Q: What is your view on using song lyrics in class as a teacher of English? Are there any new songs that you would like to recommend to learners of English – or indeed to learners of Korean?

Music has good and bad aspects.

The good is that people enjoy listening to it over and over again, helping their memorization. The bad is that the lyrics are often poetic, and therefore not used in a normal, literal fashion. Any teacher has had the experience of being asked for the meaning of lyrics and been utterly baffled at how to explain the meaning. We often don’t even know what they really mean, and often they don’t mean anything - it just sounds good in the song! So you have to make students understand that they should just accept it and learn the lyrics.

Suffice it to say, I prefer movies as a teaching tool.

Q: Author, professor and lecturer, TV presenter, magazine founder, language handbook author: is there anything you haven’t done here in Korea?

I haven’t managed to host Anthony Bourdain and his show No Reservations here in Korea. One of my dreams is to be his tour guide for a culinary tour of Korea someday.

Q: The eagle-eyed Gwangju News has noticed that your original major was philosophy. Has this subject had an impact on your life and career in Korea?

Yes, it has been incredibly helpful. I believe that Philosophy is the perfect background for any career.

It teaches critical thinking and problem solving. If you can do that, you can deal with anything.

Brief Bibliography 10 Magazine - 10 Media Publishing Survival Korean by Stephen Revere (Nexus Publishing: 2005, reprinted 2010) Survival Korean: Basic Grammar Skills by Stephen Revere and Jin Jae-hee (Nexus Publishing: 2007, reprinted 2010)

By Jacob Lotinga Photos by Stephen Revere Gwangju News March 2011

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Travel

An Island in Winter – Jeju in the cold season lthough the two places are quite distinct from one another, Jeju is sometimes referred to by those in the tourism industry as "Korea's Hawaii." Folks drawing this parallel may be somewhat guilty of hyperbolizing the beauty and variety of the 1,845 square kilometer Jeju, yet it is not without its own powerful charms – charms worthy of being lauded simply on their own merit, rather than being wasted in comparison to those of any other locale.

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the sea breeze, the smell of orange groves enclosed by hand built basalt walls and romantic walks between newlyweds through the blossoming flowers in their flip-flops. Its reputation as a warm and beautiful paradise is well deserved, yet it may dissuade many from venturing there during the grey-skied snowy season's tenure. Thus, it was with a stalwart heart and a thick jacket that Gwangju News visited the volcanic island this Lunar New Year.

That said, the connection to Hawaii comes no doubt from the island's often tropical weather, its flora, its lushness, and its abundance of honeymoon resorts. The mention of Jeju evokes palm trees waving welcome in

In legend, three Gods emerged from Mt. Hallasan (Korea's largest mountain) and gave birth to the Jeju people. As in the myth, Jeju natives are their own breed – separate in accent and custom from mainland

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Gwangju News March 2011

Travel

stone strewn beaches and up and down seaside highways dotted with quiet and sombre coastal villages where the smells of fresh caught fish pervaded every wind. An enjoyable experience by anyone's reckoning.

Koreans. As a foreigner, you can simply toss aside all those Korean lessons you took or Rosetta Stone sessions you hammered out, Jeju Hangeulmal is as distinct and original as any farflung English accent.

Just as two people from Mobile Alabama and Manchester England may find it hard to communicate properly, Koreans from Seoul or Busan find it difficult to understand the thick Jeju dialect and slang.

The trip was led by a hiking club called "Korea's International Outdoor Recreation and Tour Group" which takes multiple sojourns to Jeju yearly, along with visiting the various mountain tops dotting the landscape of mainland Korea. The pittance they charged (300,000 won) covered airfare, accommodation, and 6 meals over the weekend, making it a bargain-bin jewel of a jaunt.

The weather was a refreshing change. As Gwangju's streets and alleyways remained permafrosted in the black soot-ice of our recent snows, the premature but welcome smells of spring which warm Jeju in this bleak season created an appealing atmosphere for hiking, which was the happy order of the day.

Starting slow, our group made several constitutionals across Jeju's various "Olle" courses. No problems here.

A simple stroll through the countryside skipping across

The main event, so to speak, was Mt. Hallasan, which is quite a different animal. A gruelling hike of some 20 km rewards those strong enough for the journey with a beautiful crater and the right to boast of conquering the ROK's loftiest peak, no mean feat. In all honesty, and as painful as it is to admit in such permanent and damning ink, Gwangju News was not among those who made it to the summit! However, another group member Owen Gunning, described the trip to the top: "The first thing I did when I got to the top was look back in the direction I had climbed to get a better view of the scenery I had seen as I ascended. Then I turned around, took a few steps forward and was awestruck by the sight of the crater in front of me. It looked immense and, being the first proper volcanic crater I've seen, was somewhat surreal. It was so spherical it looked more like a huge meteorite-impact crater than a volcano. The trees inside the crater added a sense of scale as they looked so tiny they could have been mistaken for patches of moss. “In addition to being astonished by the scenery, I also had a feeling of relief that it was milder than we had expected, and a sense of bonding with the other 30 or so people who were at the summit at the same time. I encountered a group of Koreans drinking cheongju (clear rice wine) and, as Koreans always do, they offered me some. Like most food and drink after a tough hike, it tasted great!"

There were other small day trips to the Ginseng farms, a traditional Jeju village and a Buddhist temple.

Megan Enterline, Gwangju resident and a member of the hiking group had this to say about the trip,"[it] was a great experience. We were fortunate enough to have some of the first great weather of the year every day of the trip. The Olle trails were perfect for people who don't want to do a hard hike and everything along them was beautiful. I have never seen such blue waters before."

You too can be a part of Korea's International Outdoor Recreation and Tour Group as they take trips all year round. Simply go to www.meetup.com and look them up.

By Seth Pevey Photos from www.meetup.com

Gwangju News March 2011

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Photo Gallery

Night Lights

by Jessica Solomatenko

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have been taking photos as long as I can remember. My first camera was a little, used, point and click thing that my uncle gave to me around the time I was 8. I’ve been painting just as long and in university focused on the two. As a result my photos sometimes have a painterly composition to them. I see myself as a reluctant artist and tend to be rather quiet about my work. I’ve never felt a need to create art. It’s just what I do.

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Gwangju News March 2011

Photo Gallery

Gwangju News March 2011

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Travel

Hongdo, an island of glowing red ‘The sunset on the sea was very spectacular.

Nothing could be compared to the scenery, but I came to know why the island is called Hongdo.

When the sun set, it colored the whole sea red, and the color then transmitted to the island, and the island started to glow. The color of Hongdo always started from eyes, shortly stopped at the midriff, and ended at foot. Time seemed to have suspended under the red color.’

‘When the sun sets over, Hongdo becomes an enchanted land. It is where we can only see in a dream. Hongdo is about two and half hours away by a ferry. The ship passed Heuksando, which a renowned Chosun dynasty scholar described ‘being scary’.

It is called Hongdo ( 洪 , a Chinese character representing red), because the whole area takes on a reddish hue. The glowing red seems to cover the whole island, but there are also tremendous caves that only show their grey and black color, while some let the brown-red color pass through themselves.

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Gwangju News March 2011

‘Above all, there are large numbers of caves, made by wave erosion, in and around the island. Rock cliffs, born thousands of million years ago, have met wave every day. Strong ones stood it, while relatively softer ones had to give in. Caves of different figures are born this way. As there are 150 caves here, you have no difficulty to find any. You take a look around, and there is one.’

On the way to Hongdo, if lucky, you can watch migratory birds fly over the island. There are about 500 species of birds you can see in Korea, and 340 of them pass the island. They take a rest in Hongdo, as the island is pretty much a stopover between Southeast and Northeast Asia. Many birds flying from the Philippines or Thailand, stop at Hongdo, and continue their journey to Lake Baikal. To watch and study these birds, there is the ‘Research Center for Migratory Birds’ on the island.

‘Time passed as I roamed around sounds. I grew accustomed to the sounds that Hongdo made. When it was time the sun set, I came to think that what was invisible was quite alright. I felt eyes closed and

Travel

Basin in the sea

ears open. I could not see towering sea cliffs with diverse shapes of rocks, but I could hear sound of waves repeatedly striking against them. The sound of wind that touched over forests came deep in my heart. And little singing of birds in rest sounded like a deep echo of the island. When I closed my eyes, Hongdo became an island of sound.’

Hongdo, along with its sunset scenery, is very famous for its Hongdosipkyeong - ten beauties of Hongdo.

On the way to the island, you can see almost all of Hongdosipkyeong on the ferry but what is seen from away is not all of Hongdo. On the island, there are about 270 kinds of evergreens and 170 types of animals. As the government wanted to preserve the natural state of the island, it was designated as a Natural Preserved Area in 1965, and since 1981, has become part of Dadohae Marine National Park. The entire island of Hongdo has been declared a Natural Monument, so people are not allowed to enter areas, other than the villages and designated tourist areas.

‘The captain of the boat we took just left us on a large rock above tidal flat and went on and on to far sea. ‘Three men’ threw their fishing lines into the sea, as they sat on the rock. Small fish were caught from time to time, but our try to fish a sea bass or ureog ended in nothing after all. Frankly speaking, we could not focus on fishing. Whenever we had our heads up and took a look around, picturesque

One among over 150 sea caves in Hongdo

scenery always unfolded. The sights of ‘three men’ always clang where great scenery began, not on the fishing string.’

The white fragile curtain that lied over the land of Namdo has gone away. What do we have when ice melts?.. Water? You are right and also you are wrong.

We have spring, and it is time to pack and leave for a short break.

Translated by Hongpyo Ahn

The quotes of this article were originally published in September 2010 issue of Jeonlado.com magazine (written by Sang-chul Jeong)

How to get there Trip information: The ship bound for Hongdo is on 07:50 and 13:00 at Mokpo Passenger Ship Terminal.

You can take a bus at the U-Square Bus Terminal. It is a one and half hour ride to Mokpo.

It is only 15 minutes from Mokpo Bus Terminal to Mokpo Passenger Ship Terminal.

Gwangju News March 2011

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Community

Gwangju Running Club f you need to shed some extra pounds like so many of us in this post winter period there are a number of clubs for Koreans and foreigners that you can join. This month, Gwangju News sat down with Whit Altizer, a member of Gwangju’s newly formed running club. Here’s what we found out about them.

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GN: So, how did the Running Club come into existence?

Last March when I moved back to Gwangju, I noticed a lot more foreigners running around Gwangju. Julian Warmington started the Gwangju Tri-Sports Group and I took on the running side of it. I thought it would be a nice way to meet people with similar interests.

So far we have mainly scheduled runs on the weekends followed by dinner out. We have slowed down some in the winter, but things are starting to pick up. Our biggest event was when we rented a bus to attend the half-marathon in Damyang this past November. I try to organize groups to run organized races nearby. Often people need help registering so I usually do that for our group.

GN: What is the purpose of the club?

The purpose of our club is to bring people together in a healthy way. Running can be a difficult hobby to keep, but if you have people to do it with it makes it twice as fun. I've always found solid and healthy friendships in the running communities. Also I want to introduce people to the joys of running. Not only does the exercise make you feel good, but it is a huge accomplishment for people to finish an organized race. Not to mention the organized races in Korea are incredible.

GN: How often do you guys meet?

We usually have a meeting on the weekends. Last summer

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Gwangju News March 2011

and fall, I mainly planned the runs, but now many others are planning weekend runs. So these days there are usually a couple of runs to choose from. I think this is great. Often our runs were too far away for some or too long, and now people have options. Our Facebook page is now becoming more of a way to communicate with other runners. Anyone can get on our page and invite people to run with you.

GN: How many members do you have in your group nowadays?

There are 100 members in our Facebook group. About 30 of us traveled to Damyang and on any given weekend we can have 2 members show up or 20. It really depends on the weather and what happened the night before. Anyone is welcome to join our group page. You can learn about upcoming races, training runs and often people post interesting articles about running.

GN: Who can join your group?

We have some Koreans that join us from time to time and we would love to have more. This is not a "foreigners only" group all of us enjoy the chance to make Korean friends, so we hope to see more Korean runners out with us in the future. You don't have to speak English to join us. You only have to have a tiny interest in running.

GN: How can we get running?

To join search for “Gwangju Running Club” on Facebook and you should find us. Join this group. Or drop me an e-mail: wpaltizer@gmail.com

By Hee-seon Yang, Jung-kyu Baek, Hee-kyeong Go, Ki-eun Lee Photos by Gwangju Running Club

GIC Tour

The Damyang Hangwa Tour O

n January 25 GIC’s monthly tour took a small group to Damyang. GIC member Meagan Quinn wrote about her experience.

The tour started off by visiting the famous Metasequoia Road, which is roughly 8.5 kilometers long, with beautiful Metasequoia trees reaching 20 meters high on both sides. Not only is the road breathtaking, it’s also a very popular scenic area in Korea.

After the road, the tour group went into the small town of Damyang where we were treated to a delicious lunch. The restaurant was called “Big House.” Upon entering this traditional Korean restaurant, we were treated like Kings and Queens.

We had the pleasure of experiencing all kinds of wonderful Korean dishes such as: whole fish, beef, soup, black rice, a variation of side dishes, and cinnamon tea. One item we received of particular interest was black rice with a variety of vegetables served in a bamboo cup. This was a very exciting experience and quite delicious too. To my surprise the restaurant let us each keep our bamboo cups - a great souvenir.

Following this we had the chance to observe a famous chef in Korea, make Hangwa before our eyes (Hangwa is a traditional Korean treat that has over 350 types and is made with ingredients such as grain flour, grain syrup, yeot, sugar, fruit, and even edible roots). We were then given an opportunity to create our own Hangwa, which was very fun yet surprisingly easy to make, basically you just take rice flour dough, deep fry it, dip it into sweet grain syrup, and then dip it into either puffed rice or something else you choose. Additionally, you can choose a color to add to the mixture. The colors that you can choose from are black, green, pink, white, and yellow, and all of these colors are actually five traditional Korean colors that representing health. Afterwards, we all had the chance to make these treats, and we were all given bags to take some home with us. It was a great experience and I highly recommend taking the tour.

At the end of the field trip, I learned so many interesting things about the Korean culture that I don’t think I would have learned without being a member of the GIC.

By Meagan Quinn Photos by GIC Volunteers

Gwangju News March 2011

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Travel

Yunnan – The province of eternal Spring ar away from the hustle and bustle of China’s larger cities of Shanghai and Beijing is the province of Yunnan. The province boasts diversity in its geography, climate and people. You can choose between the tropical south of the province or the colder mountainous north and everything in between. In between is the capital city of this part of China—they call it “the Spring City” because all year it feels like Spring here. Its actual name is Kunming, and this was the first city I visited. The other two places I visited on this particular trip were Dali and LiJiang.

The province has many other places to visit, too, and though I didn’t see them, Shangri-La and the Xishuangbanna region both have much to offer.

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Kunming

The Spring City certainly lived up to its name. With temperatures hovering around 16 degrees Celsius, a gentle breeze and crystal clear blue skies every day, I was certainly happy. The wonderful weather certainly seemed far removed from the murky polluted skies the western media loves to portray.

The capital city is a little less charming than some other areas of this part of China, but that’s not to say Kunming won’t charm you. The city has an assortment of temples, pagodas and traditional Chinese gates for those who like to see traditional architecture, and then there are the people themselves. Inside Kunming and close to the centre of town near Jinmabiji square, there are the East and West Pagodas. This area of town is also home to lots of shops selling items squarely aimed at the tourists who visit Kunming.

There are more than a few westerners in this area owing to the location of the Hump hostel, which is one of China’s best known hostels. Another part of Kunming well worth a visit is the Guandu District.

This area is reserved for pedestrians, and has all the charm of any of the old town areas you could visit in China. There are three temples to see and again lots of shops and restaurants.

Around Kunming The most famous place to visit around Kunming is the stone forest, or Shillin as it is known in China. This area has some beautiful views of rock pillars stretching away as far as the eye can see: indeed, this area is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The stone forest is not cheap, mind you; it costs roughly 30,000 Won a ticket, and though beautiful it’s dubious whether this represents value for money. Another alternative is to visit the Bamboo Temple, a charming temple up in the hills a little outside of Kunming. To get to the Bamboo Temple first catch the 90 bus, and then change onto the C61 bus. The ticket is a very reasonable ten yuan, and at least while I was there, the 20

Gwangju News March 2011

Travel

Gwangju News March 2011

21

Travel

complex was quiet and frequented by just a few monks. Other things to do and see include the Golden Temple, the villages around Lake Dian, and the hike overlooking the lake in the Xi Shan mountain range.

Dali A 4-hour bus ride from Kunming is the enchanting town of Dali, complete with city walls, traditional gates, temples, cobblestone streets and Bai architecture. Dali is a million miles from the towns made up of grey concrete apartment complexes. Instead it will romance you with streets lined with rose bushes. This is a place you could spend weeks in, especially when you add the attractions that surround Dali. The main area of town is a central tourist strip with lots of nice restaurants, and shops that are a little too eager for you to part with your cash. If you wish to haggle a good rule of thumb is to offer 10% of what they’re asking and aim for a price around 25% of what their asking.

Around Dali The area around Dali is dominated by Lake Erhai on one side and the Cung Shan mountain range on the other. Indeed, these mountains dominate most of the views that can be seen from Dali. There are hiking trails on the mountain, and those who are less energetic can take a chair lift up and down the mountain. There are two chair lifts, and the hike 22

Gwangju News March 2011

between the two lifts is 11km. In the winter you’ll need warmer clothes and good grip for your shoes.

There are also lots of smaller villages dotted around the lake, with lots of stunning views of farmland and groups of farmers farming their fields. These villages have traditional markets, some every day and some on selected days. These markets are much more authentic than those to be found in Dali, and you might have a harder time looking for a souvenir unless you intend to take back a live chicken for your friend.

The two villages I visited were Xizhou and Zhoucheng.

Getting to the villages was relatively easy. There are buses that leave from outside the west gate of Dali. If you have a little more time, riding a bike from Dali along the lake and stopping at villages along the way would also surely be a winning experience. The lake itself has tourist boats that take you out for trips on the lake, and in particular to Purtuo Island, which has a temple built on an outcrop of rocks.

Accommodation Hostel accommodation can be arranged in each town through this website: www.hostelworld.com Recommended hostels: Kunming: The Hump Dali: Rainbows Nest (couples), The Dali Hump (solo travellers) Story and photos by Simon Bond

Perspective

Returning to Korea Moving to another country entails going throuh a gamut of experiences and emotions. Some come to Korea, and leave never to return. While others, thinking they had said their final goodbyes, once again come back to this peninsula somewhat wiser and more prepared. Aisha Hobbs has done this and she shares her experience with us.

nlike my first time in Korea, I had alone and scared to face the challenging days and silent nights of my independent adventure. Sure, many expats come alone but somehow seem to find someone to rely upon for dinners out, movie nights, or a coffee date. What was I going to do and who was going to be my confidant?

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After a full week, I was ready to embrace some new hobbies besides the background noise of Korean TV programming every morning and night. My first step was to try out salsa dancing. Yes, I’m African-American and, as the world believes, my culture possesses the innate ability to find the beat in any song. But I hadn’t danced since high school when I was curtly told I don’t have the “gift.” I had never partner danced and the dance instructions were mostly going to be in Korean.

My initial fears turned out to be inconsequential because I was welcomed with open dance hands. It became something that I could look forward to that didn’t involve having to know or really understand Korean. They showed me just how small the global melting pot is becoming with each passing year.

Next I decided I should get a step closer to my dance roots and potentially make a fool of myself with Korean sport dancing. Imagine mixing yoga, hip-hop, and

aerobics together all with a K-pop soundtrack and you get the idea. Fast-based video choreography mixed with extreme flexibility was definitely going to be amusing for this not so graceful, boyish “mee-guk.” To my surprise, I could follow along pretty well! In the process of attending class 4-5 times a week and stretching the soreness out every morning, I’ve come to believe that Koreans, with practice, can dance with the best of the American hip-hop artists! I’ve learned dance can be a useful language to make friends of all ages and genders without the benefit of actual words.

Church also became a part of my experience. As a religion major in college, I became more of a “doubting Thomas” and less of a “John the Baptist.” However, I felt that a Higher Power had been working hard to bring me back here and keep me safe, healthy, and provide a train of emotional development. I made the decision to revisit my faith journey as it has faltered many times throughout my life. I knew that I didn’t want to go to Christ as a temporary fix or patch. I knew that it was going to be a struggle and that my Christ experience was not going to be like my friends. My faith is still in its infantile stage but it has become a treasure in my life as I continue to “tune into” the temporal and eternal wisdom that has been provided to me.

By Aisha Hobbs

Comic

Gwangju News March 2011

23

Perspective

The Severance Pay Fiasco owards the end of last summer, as I approached the end of my contract at a local college, I first asked about severance pay: the lump sum paid on completion of contract, and was told I wouldn’t receive any.

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However, I had read in Korean law that I was entitled to it under my circumstances. I decided to investigate the legitimacy of the Gwangju Labor Office and see if they could clarify the issue. So just before my contract was finished, I went to the Labor Office, along with my friend as my translator. We met with a worker there who assured us that I was indeed entitled to severance pay. He then called my supervisor and told him so. My supervisor lied and said I would be paid in full after my contract had expired. I was told to wait for my contract to expire.

I did so, but after that was ignored by my supervisor numerous times via virtually every communication media known to mankind. I finally went back to the Labor Office in early December with a message written in Korean that I was trying to get my employer to pay me my severance pay. It was written in Korean as “severance pay.” The worker who had helped in August was there, but was busy so another girl sat down and recorded my particulars. With her limited English and my limited Korean we did pretty well. She too told me that I was entitled to severance pay and called my supervisor. But then she passed me the phone and the guy who I had been calling, texting, emailing, speaking to in person doing everything but sending smoke signals to for the past 3 months says, “David, what’s up?” I told him that I was supposed to be paid severance pay. He said, “You know we don’t pay severance pay.” (He said “severance pay.”) So I told him that I thought he would have to. He hung up on me.

The girl told me that I would have to come back “in one or two months.” I told her that my visa expired Feb. 19th so there was some urgency but she informed me that I would be notified by mail of the date and time of the meeting. Snail mail that is. I

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Gwangju News March 2011

don’t live in Gwangju anymore. I live in Peng Sung near Pyeongtaek, from where it’s a 5-hour trip to the Gwangju Labor Office.

While waiting for that notice, I contacted the helpful folks at GIC, who offered to contact the Labor Board and confirm exactly what had happened at our meeting. A couple of days later, on Dec. 20th at 10 pm I received an e-mail from the GIC (not the Labor Office!), saying a meeting was scheduled between my supervisor, myself and a mediator or arbitrator on Dec. 21st at 10 am. This made it literally impossible for me to make it to the meeting.

So the next morning, at just after 10 am while I was still at home in Peng Sung, I received a phone call from my former supervisor. He informed me that I’d forfeit my severance pay, (he said “severance pay”), if I didn’t make it to the meeting. He was literally giggling with another person during the phone call.

Then he handed the phone to the person who was meant to be the impartial, objective arbitrator of our case, who attacked me in Korean speaking loudly, quickly and without due attention to enunciation. I don’t know what he was yelling at me about, but I got the impression that he was probably saying the same things my supervisor had said.

Perspective

Once he paused for breath, I told him, in Korean, that I had a Korean friend who would call the worker I’d spoken with at the Labor Office, who would explain to him what was going on. With a grunt he returned the phone to my supervisor who promptly hung up on me.

Many phone calls later, between my translator friend, GIC, the Labor Board, my former supervisor, Na and the arbitrator, Park, they were able to set up a new meeting the next evening at 5 pm. My friend and I drove to Gwangju that day.

We arrived at the Labor Office early and in the meantime my friend called another government agency while we waited. They were the third officials to confirm that I was entitled to my severance pay. I had no idea what was in store…

The meeting started with my former supervisor putting on his best acting shoes and trying to convince the mediator that severance pay is exactly the same as pension, something a remarkable number of people have been misled to believe. Pension in Korean is “yeon keum.” Severance is “dwae jeegeum.” Pension is an agreement between the governments of Canada and Korea. Severance is a month’s pay for every 12 months worked and it’s paid by the employer. Mr. Park was still having trouble. After close to an hour of fruitless efforts, he made an early ruling in favour of Mr. Na, my former supervisor.

It wasn’t until I mentioned that plenty of schools in Korea pay both severance and pension that Mr. Park, in Korean, leaned across his desk and said, “Prove it.”

It happened that in preparation I had had my complete banking history for the previous 6 years printed out. I said that I had previously worked for two different universities and both of them paid severance and pension. Mr. Na attempted to throw some doubt on the issue by saying that he hadn’t seen either of those schools listed on my resume. Yet when I was hired by Mr. Na I had been introduced by another of his teachers, as a former co-worker at one of them.

Unfortunately Mr. Park needed proof. I showed in my bank records where the university had paid severance and told Mr. Park that my pension was deposited into my Canadian account separately. He remained unconvinced and needed a written statement from the school confirming it. So I asked about 4 or 5 times, “Okay, let’s say I provide you with such a statement, then what will you do?” Mr. Park ignored the question every time it was posed.

I also mentioned at least 10 times that what we needed was for Mr. Park to make a ruling from a position of certainty. The only such position could be to find out what the laws are and to make a ruling based on them. Surely at the Labor Office they would have the labour laws somewhere! I even said a few times that I could not believe this guy didn’t know the laws or the difference between pension and severance. I could see that made him defensive and this is when he told me that I was the first person to ever go to the Labor Office to contest such a thing.

In a new ruling, Mr. Na was commissioned to look up the difference between severance and pension and I was given the wild-goose chase of getting written proof from former schools that some places do indeed pay both. We were told to come back the next week for a fourth meeting. Some very officiallooking papers were drawn up and I thumb printed them about five times and Mr. Na stamped them.

Then we went our separate ways. That was about two hours that I will never get back.

There was no fourth meeting.

After the meeting my friend told me that Mr. Na was asking why he was my friend and telling him that he shouldn’t be. He said I was very lazy because I had been in Korea a long time without learning the language. He also tried several times to mistranslate what I was saying, making my friend’s job that much harder. It was pretty lucky for me that he had gone there with me, despite the meeting’s short notice.

Unfortunately he was made to feel a bit of a traitor for doing so. And all the while no efforts were made by the arbitrator to keep the proceedings professional.

I never heard from Mr. Park or the Labor Board again. I have since found some sites online that show I may not have been entitled to the money. But either way, surely the Labor Board should be able to manage its claims in a more reasonable and professional manner, and surely the arbitrators there should be able to make a clear and unbiased decision based on the actual labor rules. That’s all I wanted. It’s fair to say the Board came a long way short.

By David MacCannell

Gwangju News March 2011

25

Fashion

Fash-On with xxl jjdp F

ash-On and lifestyle with xxl jjdp is a new monthly feature here in the Gwangju News giving you useful and handy tips for living more stylishly in Gwangju.

This month we tackle buying Vintage vs Brand name items. We will be expanding on what we learned in the previous edition and learn how to create new looks with adding vintage and branded pieces. Get ready to individualise, personalise and bring out confidence through your creative outfitting.

As a general observation, when talking about purchasing vintage items there is a slight negative stigma attached to it through the ‘oh someone else wore that before you’ stares and worrisome glances, but I say, “who cares?”, wear whatever makes you

feel comfortable. My mantra is that my jacket or jumper or whichever vintage item I’m wearing has a rich and colorful history, and I am also doing my best to help reduce my carbon footprint - something that has also become a hot issue in many design circles as well.

One of my ultimate rules when dressing myself is that each outfit should always be comprised of a minimum of 40% vintage. In doing so, I know I will be the only one in the room with that truly unique outfit. When shopping there is also the thrill of the hunt, a euphoric rush in finding that one item that calls your name, fits perfectly and also costs a fraction of the price of its department store counterparts.

⇨ (F) Black dress with Electric blue trench (V) (M) Jean combo with Abercrombie and Fitch hoody and puffer vest.

⇧ Basic outfit Black jeans and T-shirt - Uniqlo ⇨ Jean combo with Denim shirt.

Denim on denim is a key trend this spring/ summer. Black on black, or black on blue.

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Gwangju News March 2011

Fashion

⇦ Black dress with Abercrombie and Fitch Plaid shirt

Super bright color is all you need to inform your summer shopping choices and will tide you over while you dream of shedding your winter coats.

⇧ Brand Look: Jean combo wth DSquared Vest/ Waistcoat and blazer

On the flip side of the budget there is designer shopping where you can pay an arm and a leg for some great stuff. Of course you are paying for the name and the quality that comes with it. Gwangju has an abundance of stores selling international brands to ensure you keep yourself well emblazoned.

But beware, especially in Korea with its slew of homogeneous clothing styles, stores and items and the oh so cute ‘same-same’ couple dressing trend.

Imagine the awkwardness if you show up somewhere in the exact outfit as someone else?

My challenge this month was to take a basic look, black skinny jeans with a black t-shirt and add different items to it, vintage and branded, creating 5 distinct looks.

Our pictorial also highlights key spring trends, as warmer days are just around the corner.

Gwangju has two major and easy to find vintage stores stocking men’s and ladies’ wear from jeans, shirts, jackets, skirts, bags and accessories. Prices are reasonable and as always with vintage there is room for bargaining if you spot a specific problem with the product.

Tokyo Juice has two sites downtown which are easily accessible. The first is located in the Culture Complex subway underground mall. Exit the station and turn left. There are two big signs with the store name on it.

The second location is near Geumnamro 4 and is on the same side of the road as the giant store Migliore.

Continue walking down the street towards the river.

After passing a bus stop it is on your right.

Our brand/designer wear was sourced and provided

by Apple clothing which is located opposite Volume Dance club downtown. If you continue walking past Uniqlo in the direction of Zara, turn right at ABC mart and you will see it. Prices range anywhere between 80,000w and 1.2million.

By xxl jjdp Photos by Billy Cho

Gwangju News March 2011

27

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.

W I N N E R

This picture is of one of my students, his English name is Bret. His Korean name is Park Photo by Adrian Tegler Bom Chae.

Ladies’ Accessories

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Gwangju News March 2011

By Wendy Perkins

Photo Contest

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

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

Pinche Friazo

Photo by Paul Sanchez

Reeds

Photo by Christina Wolfe

Gwangju News March 2011

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Interview

Interview with Mahmoud robably the most prominent news story this year has been the mass demonstrations in Egypt. People are calling for President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation, and a move towards democracy. On February 10, the Gwangju News met with Mahmoud Abdul Ghaffar, an Egyptian professor from Chosun University’s Dept. of Arabic, living in Gwangju, to hear his views on what is happening in his homeland. At the time the protests had been relatively peaceful, and while there had been some reported deaths, widespread violence had not ensued.

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GN: Mahmoud, how long have you been in Korea for?

I have been in Korea for five years, all of which have been spent living in Gwangju. I teach Arabic at Chosun University, and am working towards my PhD in Literature through [Myongji University] in Seoul. My thesis is focused on the comparison of Korean and Arabic poetry.

GN: What did you do prior to living in Gwangju?

Before coming here I lived in Egypt and taught Arabic at Cairo University. It was there that I met Korean international students, and I taught them for almost five years, whom subsequently recommended Chosun Universtiy to me, where I could teach and study.

GN: What were you doing at the time the demonstrations broke out on January 25?

At the time I was in Seoul, and I remember reading on the Facebook pages of friends in Egypt about the possibility of widespread protests against Mubarak and his regime.

When the protests actualised, I was glued to the Internet, watching footage of what was going on on Al Jazeera, the famous Arabic television channel.

GN: How did you feel when the protests erupted?

I felt proud. Last summer when I went back to Egypt, I sensed an apathy among everyone there. It was like the Egyptian people had forgotten how to say ‘no.’ They have tried to protest before, but the police have always driven them home, and they have always obediently done so. This time the people are not running away from the police with their tanks and tear gas. I think the people protesting at the moment are very brave to make a stand like they are, in full knowledge of the potentially fatal consequences. For this reason I feel proud of my fellow Egyptians.

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GN: So you are happy about the protests, and the possibility of a regime change?

Yes, this is like a dream come true for me. I doubted it could happen in my lifetime. Most people in Egypt do not want to talk politics, they just want to stay quiet and look after their family. They have to spend all their time doing this because wages are very low, one job is not enough. In fact one of the demands that is being made of the government is a rise in wages. So for so many Egyptians to make a stand like this is wonderful.

I also did not think this would happen because Mubarak has been in power for 30 years, and so his power within Egypt is great. He has complete control of the media, and the emergency laws that have been in place throughout his reign, means that there has never been real political opposition like this before.

GN: Can you tell me about the situation leading up to January 25?

Mubarak has been grooming his son for the last five years to eventually succeed him as president. In fact for the last five years Mubarak’s son is actually the one who has been ruling the country, and in that time corruption has become rife. Also during that time, young people have started using the Internet to learn about, and disseminate information about this corruption. Consequently the younger generations have been using the Internet to talk of the need to change the system in Egypt.

Interview

About a year ago, a young man by the name of Khalid Said was brutally beaten and killed by police at his house in Alexandria. It became apparent that the reason he was killed was because he had uploaded a video of some politicians candidly talking about their corrupt behaviour on the Internet. News of this incident circulated the Internet and it has become infamous.

As far as I know, it has been peaceful. People are just hanging around, reading poetry, singing national songs, chanting slogans, sharing meals, and talking. One of my friends who has been in Tahrir Square said he has been having the best time of his life, and that everyone is showing a generosity and kindness to each other that has never been seen before.

Around six months after this, a man by the name of Wael Ghonim, a young Egyptian man, and a Google executive, created a Facebook page named ‘We Are All Khalid Said,’ and it now has thousands of followers. This has been one of the main drivers of the outbreak of the current situation in Egypt.

GN: Thanks for your time Mahmoud. Lets hope that things come to a peaceful, satisfactory conclusion.

GN: So social networking via the internet, and young people have been the main drivers of the situation in Egypt?

Absolutely. Young people are sick of the rampant corruption of the ruling class. They have learnt how to use the internet in a perspicacious way, and are coordinating this revolution using it.

After the announcement of Hosni Mubarak’s resignation, I felt so proud to be Egyptian. Even though it was 2 am in Korea, I wanted to take the Egyptian flag and run in the street in celebration, and welcome a new era where hopes for political freedom and economic prosperity can finally be realised.

GN: What do you think the near future holds for Egypt?

I think that the protestors will get what they want and Mubarak will step down. It is clear what the people want, and that they will not go home until he does so.

There is a great divide between him and the younger generations, and he has no idea how to deal with them.

I also believe he will resign because it is all Egyptians who are protesting against him now. Not just poor people, but professors, businessmen, doctors, famous writers, famous actors and actresses too. He cannot rule much longer if everyone wants him to go. A final reason I think that the protestors will succeed, is because there is no ideological underpinnings to their behaviour. They simply want to clean up Egypt.

GN: Do you know what has been happening in Tahrir Square?

On Saturday morning after the news that Hosni Mubarak had resigned after 30 years in power Mahmoud had this to say:

Finally, Egyptians transcended divisions of gender, religion, class, and political ideology that have long been exploited by the regime and banded together against a common enemy, so I feel incredibly proud of each one of them. I am delighted that the revolution has already brought about change: the ruling National Democratic Party has been sidelined from Egyptian politics; many leaders of the old regime have fallen; the state’s security apparatus and propaganda machine have collapsed, and above all; a detested autocrat has been successfully toppled by the people, and an Egyptian revolutionary spirit has been born.

In this time of joy, all Egyptians are witnessing a historic moment of hope and transformation that is far from complete. And they must continue harnessing their collective energies to ensure that any political reforms go beyond the cosmetic and truly meet the people’s desire for freedom.

By Gabriel Ward

Gwangju News March 2011

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World

The UnKnown – What is the UK? F

ollowing many conversations here, where it appears many are being misguided about the UK, I thought I’d set the record straight.

The UK, or to give it its full title, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is part of Europe. It consists of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The UK flag (called the Union Jack), is a combination of three flags:

St. Andrews Cross (or Saltire) - Scotland

St. George’s Cross - England

St. Patrick’s Cross – Ireland (which at the time was the whole island of Ireland) Poor Wales was deemed under English rule and therefore their flag wasn’t included, but here it is: The Red Dragon - Wales Scotland – has a population or around 5.2 million and the capital city is Edinburgh (Ed-in-burr-ah). In some parts of Scotland, they still speak Gaelic (gaylick), which is a Celtic language, completely different 32

Gwangju News March 2011

from English, but similar to Irish Gaelic.

Scotland was independent, despite numerous attempts by the English to take control. Most notably Scotland’s finest victory was the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. In 1698 the Scots attempted to secure a trading colony in Panama. Unfortunately following an epidemic of disease, and ultimately a battle with the Spanish (which some say was orchestrated by the English), the attempt failed.

As a result of this failure, Scotland was bankrupt, and was then forced to seek a union with England in 1707, which England also wanted due to Scotland’s trading ties. This union was not popular with most Scots, and for years there was civil war. It finally ended in 1745 at the Battle of Culloden, where the English defeated the Jacobites (Highland Scots).

Wales – has a population or around 2 million, with Cardiff as its capital. They were independent until their leader, Llewellyn ap Gruffydd died in 1282, from which point Edward I of England took over (without permission). They also have their own Celtic language called Cymru.

England – There are around 51.5 million people in England. The government for UK is based in London, which is also considered as being the capital of UK, as well as England.

Northern Ireland – has a population of around 1.8 million, its capital being Belfast.

Republic of Ireland – has a population of around 4.4 million and its capital is Dublin. People speak both English and Gaelic (gay-lick), which is also a Celtic language.

The island of Ireland – is the 3rd largest island in

World

Europe. In 1542, King Henry VII of England declared the whole island (or The Kingdom of Ireland as it was then), as English territory.

The area then became subject to colonization by Protestant (as in religion) English settlers.

In 1801 a new state was formed as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Ireland was then predominantly catholic, however in the north east county of Ulster, it was the Unionists (as in protestants), who were in majority. It wasn’t until 1922, after hundreds of years of the Irish people fighting against the union, that they were finally given some of their independence back. So the 32 counties (areas) of Ireland were split in two. 26 counties made up the Republic of Ireland, which was given full autonomy, and the remaining 6 counties became known as Northern Ireland and part of the UK. Devolution Following a referendum in the UK, it was decided that devolution would be put in place. Devolution means that each nation has its own parliament, first minister and politicians. They also have limited powers to change their laws and tax, although it is still technically ruled by a central government based in London.

The Republic of Ireland however, is completely independent. The currency in Ireland is the Euro (€ EUR), whereas in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, it is the British Pound (£ - GBP).

So all four countries of the UK - Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland - are not actually independent from each other, and together form the UK. Great Britain however, only consists of Scotland, England and Wales.

At the Olympics however, GB includes Northern Ireland. In football (soccer) and rugby they are all separate. Every year there is the rugby union’s Six Nations tournament, where Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy all compete.

The national anthem of England is “God Save the Queen”, but often this is also played for the GB team.

Which not surprisingly infuriates the Scots as in the original version, there was a verse: Lord, grant that Marshal Wade, May by thy mighty aid, Victory bring.

May he sedition hush, and like a torrent rush, Rebellious Scots to crush This is referring to the battle of Culloden (1745).

However nowadays you won’t hear this verse sung.

Just as well, as maybe the Battle of Bannockburn (1314) would be re-enacted.

So I hope this insight will finally put to bed any doubts as to what UK is. So never call a Scotsman British or worse English – Scots Wha Hae!

In 1998, both Scotland and Wales became devolved, and in 2007 Northern Ireland was also devolved.

By Steve McNally

Get ready for St. Patrick’s Day – Get your paddy hat here!

Buy at Speakeasy on Paddy’s Night (Sat 19th March) or you can ORDER from Aneta – 010 5844 6080 or anettkah@yahoo.com

10,000 each – ALL proceeds go to Sungbin Girls Orphanage

Gwangju News March 2011

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World News

Home Pages Want to write about news from your country?

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

Australia Cop turns booze smuggler Early this month a Queensland senior sergeant was given the sack for allegedly transferring an “excessive amount of alcohol into an aboriginal community subject to restrictions.” Currently, more than a dozen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Queensland are under alcohol reforms which were introduced to “reduce alcohol-related harm, especially to children, women and other vulnerable community members.”

Anyone caught with alcohol in any of the “dry” communities can face fines from $37,000 to $75,000AUD depending on the details of the offence.

The recently dismissed police officer was also charged with dishonestly using property and allowing police equipment to be used by a civilian. The Queensland Police Service is being sketchy about the details, so one can only guess the sergeant’s motives. Was it for the money, gaining the trust or more insidiously the dependency of the community, or the power to keep the recalcitrant few under some form of control?

Scotland Glaswegian accents the most attractive to Japanese Recently at Northumbria University in England, UK, they asked Japanese people to listen to six accents and rate them on a range of personality traits. The accents used were Alabama & Ohio (USA), Scottish standard & Glaswegian (Glasgow, Scotland), English and Japanese English. The result was that the Glaswegian accent came out top for social attractiveness. Surprisingly, even people in Scotland, find the “Weegies” (people from Glasgow) difficult to understand, as they have both a distinct accent and dialect. Often they will call everyone “Jimmy” and end a sentence with “by the way”. Looks like Tokyo will be introducing cheap direct flights. No doubt they’ll show videos of Rab C. Nesbit, serve haggis, neeps & tatties for the in-flight meal and cans of Irn Bru (soda) or Special Brew (beer). That should acclimatise the Japanese passengers to Glasgow.

By Steve McNally

Sources: www.abc.net.au, www.couriermail.com.au, www.atsip.qld.gov.au

By Kathleen Villadiego

New Zealand Win a Wife!

Missing that spark in your marriage? Or need a partner but want to skip all the initial pleasantries? The Rock radio station in New Zealand has just the competition. The ‘Win a Wife’ competition will see the winner fly out to the Ukraine to select a wife ready-to-go. The station’s website says, "If you're interested in holy matrimony with a potentially hot foreign chick, fill it out to the best of your abilities." The winner will fly out to the Ukraine for two weeks with NZ$2,000 spending money. They also have the opportunity to choose a bride from a Ukrainian agency. Unsurprisingly, the station has come under plenty of criticism for the comp. But don’t worry; The Rock says it will be responsible and "weed out the no-hopers and time-wasters.” Yes….the joys of ethical media.

By Julian Raethel

Ireland The people of Ireland finally got their way when the government called an early General Election, to take place on February 25. The announcement was greeted with approval by most of the Irish people, but many are caught between a rock and a hard place as they try to determine who they will vote for. Fianna Fail, the ruling coalition party, have been in power throughout the disastrous financial downturn that led to the IMF / EU bailout and have seen much of their support evaporate.

However, the other political parties are scrapping it out for what is widely viewed as a ‘poisoned chalice’. There is little that anyone can do to boost employment or government spending in the short term, so many voters find themselves opting for policies they don’t agree with.

For many, the shambolic political state is an indicator of just how tame the Celtic Tiger has now become.

By Finbarr Bermingham

World

Where the Poppy is Power: The Opium Trade in Afghanistan

T

his year will mark the 10th anniversary of the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Many believe that the country has gotten worse since the war began; the recurring rise of the Taliban and other insurgents weighs heavily on the argument. But for an impoverished, war-torn nation of just under 30 million, Afghanistan holds a key ingredient: it is the supplier of 90% of the world’s heroin. What is even scarier is that before this so-called “War on Terror” began, opium production and drug use in Afghanistan was at an all-time low. Today it is at its highest, and it is supplying the hungry markets of the world. Surely the US government can’t be in total denial over this issue?

They are not. For an industry that generates over US$100 billion annually, the real reasons for the “liberation” of the Afghani people start in the name of opium.

In 1919, Afghanistan gained independence from the United Kingdom and fell under the power of the Afghan monarchy. Throughout history, Afghanistan has always held a strategic geopolitical position as a major highway in Central Asia. During the 1950s, the monarchy developed close ties with Moscow. After coups in 1973 and 1978, a Marxist regime claimed power, which made the US government very nervous. The Carter Administration began funding Mujahideen rebels in order to shake the Najibullah government in Kabul. As civil war exploded, the Soviets invaded in 1979. In what was known as “Russia’s Vietnam”, the war lasted ten years, with huge casualties on both sides. Severely depleted, the Soviets eventually withdrew in 1989, and this played a large part in the demise of the USSR. ExCIA agent Robert Baer was based in neighbouring Tajikistan. He claims that under Soviet occupation, the Russians were exploiting the heroin trade and used military helicopters to send heroin directly to Moscow.

Simply put, whoever controls Afghanistan controls the world’s heroin supply.

After the Soviets withdrew, they continued to support President Najibullah. After the government collapsed in 1992, the remaining political parties shared power and the Islamist State was established. In 1996, after years of civil unrest, a student group called the “Taliban” seized power in Kabul and implemented strict Islamic

Protecting the harvest

dotconnecter uk

law. Soon the country, and the poppy fields, came under their control.

Whether the Taliban and their finances were used to implement Osama bin Laden’s plan to take down US targets on September 11, 2001 or not, it was seen as reason enough for the US and friends to retaliate, and the rest is history. The Taliban’s control fell within two months of invasion and an interim Afghani government was formed, which was fully supported by the US and her allies.

After the Taliban was removed, the four major foreign shareholders in Afghanistan were: USA: Ministry of Defence UK: Ministry of Counter Narcotics Germany: Police Japan: Economic reconstruction and development These four pillars, in reality, fall into the main control of the US under the cloak of NATO. The initial aim for the British was to build up the Afghani infrastructure so that they could then tackle the huge problem of heroin production and trafficking. Amazingly, there is no official protocol that coalition soldiers have to follow for seizing heroin. Ten years later, production of the poppy Gwangju News March 2011

35

World

is actually now being protected by soldiers. The Northern Alliance who fought the Taliban before the US-led invasion has doubled opium production in their fields since September 11.

seems they are being deliberately hung out to dry by the powers that be, who are claiming they are fully committed to stopping the flow of drugs leaving Afghanistan.

There are over 1 million opium addicts in Afghanistan, and this number was far less before 2001. Neighbouring Pakistan, Iran and Tajikistan have huge problems as well. It is so cheap and easily available that it is no wonder impoverished people with little hope turn to the drug. To give you an idea, one gram of heroin in London has a street value of 50 pounds; in Kabul the same is the equivalent of just 50 pence. Last year, the spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics, Said Mohummad Azam, said that the heroin trade “is the biggest national challenge for the country above anything else.” This includes security. The problem is the drug trade is the economy and has been for the past 30 years. The coalition partners certainly want to control that. But it is also a high source of income for extremist organisations such as the Taliban, who still control a large amount of poppy fields. From this problem breeds another; for many farmers, the return on growing opium (as opposed to vegetables) in a country devastated by war is too good to turn down, and anyone who takes that away from them sparks fear of further dissent.

Former Soviet General Mahmut Gareev was in Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989. He knows very well how things worked then, and now. Last year he told Russian news channel, RT, that the US admits it carries drugs out of Afghanistan on US planes in order to fund their war and bases in the Middle East.

“Drug trafficking in Afghanistan brings them about $50 billion a year, which fully covers the expenses tied to keeping their troops there.” Robert Baer also testifies, “I’m absolutely certain this government is intentionally ignoring the chaos (and) the revival of the narcotics market…in order to keep our bases in place.” These bases include Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

In addition, expansion is certainly on the cards.

So, how is the heroin smuggled out? Farmers sell the opium to traders who take the harvest to mountain labs, which is then made into heroin ready for the market. One way the product is then smuggled out to neighbouring Silk Route nations such as Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan is through traffickers (either on foot or with vehicles). Some product stays, and some continues on to other continents. These routes were once flourishing networks used to transport silk hundreds of years ago. Today they are used by heroin drug mules.

The media paints a diabolical picture of the AfghaniPakistani border with problems of insurgency, while a lot of the other borders are largely ignored. The Pyanji River, located along the Afghani-Tajikistani border, is a hotbed for trafficking and is given little attention by the current Afghani government. The corruption is ridiculously rife. The Drug Control Agency of Tajikistan officers possibly have the most dangerous job in the world, and they are constantly met with hostility along the mountainous border. In fact, their officers are paid ten times the salary of a normal policeman, just to stave off the temptation of bribery. The real problem is unmasking the traffickers both in uniform and in office.

What’s worse, small airports along the Silk Route have poor and outdated technology. They have very little ability to catch even a fraction of the traffickers. It

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Gwangju News March 2011

America’s relationship with the Taliban is actually one which is mutually beneficial. Destroying the Taliban, according to Gareev, is not in America’s interest. By helping to keep them active all over Central Asia, it helps keep the region unstable in order to further implement military bases and their justification. The Military Industrial Complex, the exact thing US President Eisenhower warned about before his exit from office in 1961, is slowly controlling the entire drug trade in Central Asia and claiming a permanent foothold in the Middle East.

What about the poppy fields? Initially, the Bush administration sought to eradicate them nationwide.

Former Assistant Secretary to the Bureau of International Narcotics & Law Enforcement, Thomas Schweich, wrote in the Washington Post in July 2008 that Afghan President Harmid Karzai, with the help of US and NATO allies, actually prevented the full implementation of the eradication strategy. What was the reason? The excuse was that their hands were tied with fighting the insurgency. In fact, the reality points to the southern states, which were left alone, so Karzai wouldn’t lose his support base there - and reap the benefits of poppy production.

Last year, the Obama administration publicly stated they were shifting the focus from demolishing the poppy fields to wiping out the drug lords who control them. As a result, the US soldiers are now guarding poppy growers in the regions they control. They believe they are doing this so the farmers can earn while not joining the Taliban out of anger at coalition troops. So, in fact, they protect the farmers that grow the very crop they believe is evil, and worry about the trafficking later.

Think about this dilemma for a moment. It certainly

World

"There is only one thing in this world, and that is to keep acquiring money and more money, power and more power. All the rest is meaningless." In an industry that produces over US$100 billion a year, if you controlled it, would you want it to stop? Even if it involves the second highly-most addictive drug on the planet? Even if it is a drug that dumbs down the senses and renders people useless to their society? Maybe that’s the point. No matter how you look at it, Afghanistan has long been a thorn in the side of those willing to conquer it: from the Mongols to the Soviets to the present-day coalition. It seems the governments today are willing to pay a high price to control Opium cultivation map in Afganistan in 2009 (at province level) the highest poppy-producing nation uspolicyinabigworld.com on Earth. Ten years on, the public is waking up to the real reasons behind seems like a delicate situation. In reality, however, it is the control of Afghanistan; there’s no oil, but there merely a guise to serve the interested parties in the certainly are drugs. drug trade.

By Julian Raethel

French conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte once said:

2011 GIC 2nd Korean Language Class Saturday Classes

Weekday Classes Level

Days

Textbook

Level

Textbook

Beginner 1-1

Monday & Wednesday

서강한국어 1A (Pre-lesson ~ Lesson 1)

Beginner 1-1

서강한국어 1A (Pre-lesson ~ Lesson 1)

Beginner 1-2

Tuesday & Thursday

서강한국어 1A (Lesson 2 ~ Lesson 6)

Beginner 1-2

서강한국어 1A (Lesson 1 ~ )

Beginner 2-1

Tuesday & Thursday

서강한국어 1B (Lesson 1 ~ Lesson 4)

Beginner 2-1

서강한국어 1B (Lesson 4 ~ )

Intermediate 2-2

Tuesday & Thursday

서강한국어 2B (Lesson 5 ~ Lesson 8)

- Period: March 14 – April 28, 2011 (Twice a week for 7 weeks)

- Class hours: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (2 hours) - Tuition fee : 80,000 won (GIC membership fee: 20,000 won/ year and textbooks excluded) cash only

e

Not

* The tuition fee is non-refundable after the first week. * A class may be canceled if fewer than 5 people sign up. * Textbooks can be purchased at the GIC

- Period: March 12 – April 23, 2011 (Every Saturday for 7 weeks)

- Class hours: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

(2 hours) - Tuition fee: 50,000 won (GIC membership fee: 20,000 won/ year and textbooks excluded) cash only To register, please send your information: full name, contact number, working place and preferable level to gwangjuic@gmail.com

GIC is located on the 5th floor of the Jeon-il building, the same building as the Korean Exchange Bank, downtown. The entrance is located immediately to the north of the bank. Contact GIC office for more information.

Phone: 062-226-2733/4 E-mail: gwangjuic@gmail.com Website: www.gic.or.kr

Gwangju News March 2011

37

Language Study

The Marker: '에' (to, at, in) Dialogue 소라: 존씨, 안녕하세요? aseyo?] [jonsssi, annyeongha Sora: Hello, John 존: 네, 안녕하세요? 어디에 가요? aseyo?.. Eodie ga ayo?] [ ne, annyeongha John: Yeah, How are you?

Where are you going? 소라: 서점에 가요. 존씨는 어디에 가요? ayo.. [ seojeome ga jonsssineun eodie ga ayo?]

Sora: I am going to the bookstore.

Where are you going, John? 존: 식당에 가요. 그런데, 식당이 어디에 있어요? [sikdange gayo. geureonde, sikdangi eodie isseoyo?]

John: I am going to the restaurant.

By the way, where is the restaurant?

Grammar 1. to The marker '에' indicates a destination.

Example 1(destination) 도서관에 가요 (I am going to the library.) 서점에 가요. (I am going to the bookstore.) 생일 잔치에 가요. (I am going to the birthday party.)

2. at, in This locative marker‘에’indicates that someone or something is stationary in a place. In this case, '에' is attached to nouns, and is followed by an inactive verb, such as '있다 (to be)` or '없다 (not to be)` Example 2(Location) 서점은 도서관 옆에 있어요(The bookstore is next to the library.) 우리 집은 시내에 있어요 (My house is in downtown) 백화점 뒤에 있어요. (It is behind the department store.)

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

소라: 서점 뒤에 있어요. 저 건물이 서점이에요. [ seoje eom dwie e issseoyo o. je eo ge eonmurri seoje eomie eyo o] Sora: It is behind the bookstore.

That building is the bookstore.

2011 GIC Korean Language Class Schedule*

존: 고마워요. 안녕히 가세요. [ goma awoyo.. annyeonghi ga aseyo..]

John: Thanks. Good bye.

Reference: 김성희 외. (2009). 서강한국어1A 서울: 도서출판 하우 서강한국어. Retrived January15, 2011 from http://korean.sogang.ac.kr

Vocabulary 서점 [seojeom]: a bookstore 식당 [sikdang]: a restaurant; a cafeteria 건물 [geonmul]: a building; a structure 뒤 [dwi]: back; behind, 시내 [sinae]: downtown 도서관 [doseogwan]: a library 생일잔치 [saengiljanchi]: a birthday party 백화점 [baekhwajeom]: a department store 옆 [yeop]: next to; side

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Gwangju News March 2011

For more information, please contact Mun So-eun at (062) 226-2733/4 or e-mail gwangjuic@gmail.com

2nd March 12 - April 28 (please refer to page 37 for schedule and details) 3rd

May 14 - June 30

4th

July 9 - August 25

5th

September 5 - October 22

6th

November 5 - December 22

Cartoon

Gwangju News March 2011 39

Language Study

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

Dr. Dave, I have just returned from a great vacation, with no worries about lesson plans or students etc. I think that when I head back into class I might continue thinking that I am still in a tropical location somewhere. Do you have any advice on how to get myself back into the correct frame of mind to be a productive and effective teacher again?

Thank you, Anon Dear Mr. Ymous, You do realize that during vacation time teachers are not barred from thinking about teaching. You need to motivate yourself. Start taking time now to start thinking about your teaching and your next semester of classes. Vacation time is a good time for reading. Allot some time for reading English teaching materials – books, magazines, the Internet. Think about who you will be teaching next semester, what you will be teaching, and how you will be teaching. Start your lesson planning. Think about supplementary materials, search for appropriate materials in books and on the Internet, and if you can’t find what you are looking for, you can make it. If you like to write, start a reflective teaching journal. Reflect on not only what you have done, but also on what lies ahead. Put yourself into teacher mode before you put yourself in the classroom.

Motivationally yours, Dr. Dave

Dear Dr. Dave, I am a native-speaking English teacher in a Korean elementary school, and I spend most of my time coteaching with a Korean elementary school teacher.

I'm beginning my third year of teaching, and I've learned a thing or two along the way. One of the things I've learned is that I'm often able to detect within the first couple of weeks of working with a new co-teacher whether or not we're going to get along with each other during the rest of the semester.

40

Gwangju News March 2011

Again and again I've been given advice about co-teaching during orientation sessions, but I'm honestly starting to think that the only thing that really matters in co-teaching is if mine and my co-teachers personalities and values are similar . . . If we're similar, we do fine. If we aren't, we struggle a lot. Any advice? Any thoughts?

H. the Proud Dear H., Getting along with others is a part of life, and it’s not always easy. Ask any married person. Give and take, compromise, is often required. With a co-teacher, professionalism and respect are needed ingredients. From your signature above, I can’t help but think that a bit of self-reflection might be helpful.We should also be careful not to place too much importance on first impressions.

Forming strong working relationships can take time. If we make a sincere effort to form a lasting working relationship, our counterpart is more likely to do the same.

Humbly yours, Dr. Dave

Dear Dr. Dave, What's the best way of correcting students' grammar in conversation class, without halting the flow of the student expressing themselves? The students are adult and roughly intermediate level.

Dear Unsigned, At times, it is best not to correct. Speaking activities can generally be divided into two types: fluency (ease of flow) and accuracy (absence of errors) activities. Accuracy activities are usually more guided, designed to elicit the grammatical forms that the lesson is focusing on. During accuracy activity, practice is generally the best time to correct student errors. During fluency activity practice, since the aim is to improve flow of speech, it is usually

Language Study

better to refrain from making corrections. There are a number of explicit and implicit ways to correct students.

Which you choose will depend on proficiency levels and student individual personalities. Some students prefer immediate, explicit correction; others will ignore it. I usually prefer immediate correction where I indicate that something is not understood but let them try to figure out what it was and how to correct it. For example, if a student produced “Yesterday I goed downtown,” I might say “Yesterday I . . .” or “What did you do?” or simply “Again?”

If students are giving more formal presentations, errors can be jotted down and discussed at the end of the presentation or at the end of class.

Mistakenly yours, Dr. Dave

Dear Dr. Dave How do you get your adult/university (intermediate level) students to do their homework, and on time, without patronizing them or making them feel like children?

Dear Unsigned, Treating them like children can be counterproductive.

Instead, treat them as responsible adults. Remind them that as adults they are responsible for doing class assignments on time and for the grades that they get. You can, if necessary, make a practice of announcing and praising the students who did outstanding work on an assignment and matter-of-factly announcing those who failed and the reason they failed. You may wish to give them the opportunity (once or twice) to raise their grade to a passing one if they later hand their assignment in.

Strictly yours, Dr. Dave

for the lower groups. However, if the students in a class know each other well and are inclined to help each other with their English problems, a grouping of higher- and lower-lever students in the same group can be effective.

Strategically yours, Dr. Dave

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

Web: www.kotesol.org/?q=Gwangju-Jeonnam

KOTESOL Conference in Gwangju Theme: Classroom Interaction: A Young Adult & Young Learner Essential.

Date: March 12, 2011 Place: Chosun University Main Building.

Plenary Speaker: Jake Kimball (Coursebook author & Young Learner Specialist).

This afternoon conference will offer a dozen 45minute presentations by established KOTESOL presenters, many focusing on young learners. ELT publishers will be present with books and materials on display and for sale. Presentations are in English.

Admission: Free for first-time attendees to a Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter KOTESOL event. Free for Chapter members who bring a first-time attendee.

Inquiries: Email David Shaffer at chosunu@yahoo.com

Dear Dr. Dave, What are good strategies for teaching a class which includes students of varying levels (e.g., lower-, mid-, and upper-intermediate) and making sure you are catering to the needs of all the students?

Dear Unsigned, With a class of varying proficiency levels, small group activities work well. You can form the groups in two ways.

Create groups consisting of members of similar proficiency level within the group, or of varying levels within the group. If the students within a group are at the same level, the can contribute equally with their group members. The teacher can add an extra dimension or task to the activity for the higher proficiency groups and simplify the activity Gwangju News March 2011

41

Literature

Poetry Selected Poems by Kim Nam-ju Translated by Chae-Pyong Song and Anne Rashid

T

A Firefly

그래 자지 마라 개똥벌레야 너마저 이 밤에 빛을 잃고 말면 나는 누구와 동무하여 이 어둠의 시절을 보내란 말이냐 밤은 깊어가고 이윽고 동편 하늘이 밝아온다.

On the empty field darkness thickens.

To my ears, water flows.

The sound is clear, and a firefly on a grass field stays awake and flickers on and off.

개똥벌레는 온데간데없고 나만 남아 나만 남아 어둠의 끝에서 밝아오는 아침을 맞이한다.

Firefly, don’t sleep.

If your light disappears in this night, who can I befriend?

With whom can I spend these dark times?

개똥벌레야 나는 네가 이슬로 환생했다고 노래하는 시인으로 살련다. 먼 훗날 하늘나라에 가서.....

The night deepens and at last the eastern sky brightens.

The firefly has disappeared and only I remain, alone – at the end of darkness I greet the morning that brightens.

The dew dangling on the grass looks beautiful in the morning sunlight.

Someday in heaven I will live as a poet who sings about you, firefly, reincarnated as the dew.

개똥벌레 하나 (A Firefly) 빈 들에 어둠이 가득하다. 물 흐르는 소리 내 귀에서 맑고 개똥벌레 하나 풀섶에서 자지 않고 깨어나 일어나 깜박깜박 빛을 내고 있다.

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Gwangju News March 2011

풀잎에 연 이슬이 아침 햇살에 곱다.

The Sunlight on the Prison Bars When I reach out a hand, the sunlight lands upon it and looks lovely.

When I angle my cheek towards it, it settles in and warms it.

As fall comes, it becomes longer and longer– as long as the squirrel’s tail.

When it wraps around my neck, it becomes the scarf my sister knitted.

When it touches my lips, it becomes a memory of old love that we once exchanged.

창살에 햇살이(The Sunlight on the Prison Bars) 내가 손을 내밀면 내 손에 와서 고와지는 햇살 내가 볼을 내밀면 내 볼에 와서 다스워지는 햇살 깊어가는 가을과 함께 자꾸자꾸 자라나 다람쥐 꼬리만큼은 자라나

Literature

내 목에 와서 감기면 누이가 짜준 목도리가 되고 내 입술에 와서 닿으면 그녀와 주고 받고는 했던 옛 추억의 사랑이 되기도 한다.

One Pebble Between the sky and the earth not a single breeze stirred, and I could not breathe.

That stifling, heart-wrenching day my friend and I walked along the bank.

I told him we would become pebbles– small stones that would create a little ripple on the river and disappear quickly.

On a dark night without sunlight I told him we would become a spark°™ a light that would flicker like a firefly and die out as soon as dawn breaks.

I didn’t ask my friend then, how much of history would depend on the pebble?

I didn’t ask my friend then, how much darkness would the light push away?

I was just content to have a friend with whom I could share death.

돌맹이 하나 (One Pebble) 하늘과 땅 사이에 바람 한점 없고 답답하여라 숨이 막히고 가슴이 미어지던 날 친구와 나 제방을 걸으며 돌멩이 하나 되자고 했다 강물 위에 파문 하나 자그맣게 내고 이내 가라앉고 말 그런 돌멩이 하나 날 저물어 캄캄한 밤 불씨 하나 되자고 했다 풀밭에서 개똥벌레쯤으로나 깜박이다가 새날이 오면 금세 사라지고 말 그런 불씨 하나 그때 나 묻지 않았다 친구에게 돌에 실릴 역사의 무게 그 얼마일 거냐고 그대 나 묻지 않았다 친구에게 불이 밀어낼 어둠의 영역 그 얼마일 거냐고 죽음 하나 같이할 벗 하나 있음에 나 그것으로 자랑스러웠다

Brief Bio of Kim Nam-ju Kim Nam-ju (1946-1994) was born in Haenam, Jeollanam-do and studied English at Chonnam National University.

He is known as one of the major resistance poets in South Korea, leading the people’s movement in the 1970s and 80s that ultimately toppled the dictatorship in Korea. Because of his activism, he was imprisoned twice, for more than ten years in total. In prison where paper and pencil were not allowed, he wrote many poems on milk cartons with the nail he made by grinding a toothbrush. These poems were later published in two collected volumes of his prison poetry, The Sunlight on the Prison Bar. His poetry bears witness to the tyranny of dictatorship and the hardships of the oppressed.

He published such poetry collections as Requiem, My Sword My Blood, One Fatherland, The Weapon of Love and In This Lovely World. He received the Yun Sang-won Literary Award in 1993 and the National Literary Award in 1994. His poems have also been memorialized by Korean activist, rock singer An Chi-hwan in his album entitled Remember.

Translators’ Brief Bios Chae-Pyong Song is an associate professor of English at Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan. His translations of Korean literature have appeared on The Korea Times, New Writing from Korea, Metamorphoses: Journal of Literary Translation, and Azalea: Journal of Korean Literature and Culture. Recently, along with Anne Rashid, he won the 40th Korean Literature Translation Awards for translating Kim Hye-soon’s poems. His fields of interest include 20th-century English literature, postcolonial literature, translation studies, and globalization of culture.

Anne M. Rashid is an assistant professor of English at Carlow University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she teaches American literature and creative writing courses. She has published poetry in Adagio Verse Quarterly and Lit Candles: Feminist Mentoring and the Text. She and Song have published translations in The Korea Times, New Writing from Korea and The Gwangju News. Her fields of interest include African American literature, literature of environmental justice, and women’s poetry.

Gwangju News March 2011

43

Literature

Korean Literature Review

The Rainy Spell

O

f Korea’s various tourist attractions, none draws more interest from westerners than the three-mile-wide buffer zone that separates this country from its neighbour to the north. The infamous Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), while fascinating to outsiders, has proven an enduring source of pain for numberless families divided by the partitioning of the Korean Peninsula. Although it is an actual place, clearly indicated on any modern map, the DMZ is highly symbolic for the people of both Koreas.

It is, no doubt, on account of this that so much of modern Korean literature touches upon the theme of separation. Indeed, the mere mention of South Korea cannot help but turn one’s thoughts to its ideological foil to the north. That said, few works of fiction have dealt with the wounds of separation as poignantly as Yun Heung-Gil’s short novel, The Rainy Spell.

Set in a small village in South Jeolla Province, the story recounts the tolls of war on a family whose members have aligned themselves on opposing sides of the conflict. Although the front lines are far removed from the household in question, a battle still rages. A pair of aging matriarchs stands in unrelenting opposition with grave consequences for the rest of the family. Each of these women possesses an unshakable faith in the correctness of her son’s decision concerning which side to support. For a time they are able to co-exist, but when one of the women loses her son to the fighting, the tension in the household becomes almost unbearable.

The grieving mother is unable to contain her antiCommunist outbursts, and while at first her adversary is willing to forbear, her patience soon fails. However, a visit to the fortune-teller restores her good spirits, for there she is assured that her son will soon return from the fighting. The prophecy is ultimately fulfilled, though in a way that no one expects.

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Gwangju News March 2011

The house is tidied and a large meal is made in preparation of the homecoming. However, when the appointed hour arrives, there is no sign of the missing son. Instead a large serpent appears at the gate of the family compound – an unmistakable sign that the war has claimed yet another victim.

What happens next is truly moving. Of all of those gathered in the house, it is the woman’s sworn enemy who offers the only meaningful consolation. After months of silence between the aging matriarchs, there comes a detente that has been long-awaited by the rest of the family. Divided by war, the women are now united by the pain of losing a beloved son.

It’s hard to pin down exactly what it is that makes The Rainy Spell stand out among similar books that deal with family conflicts brought on by the outbreak of the War. Perhaps it’s Yun’s decision to relate the story from the perspective of a naive seven-year-old rather than relying on the omniscience of a more mature, historical consciousness. Whatever it is, the result is a narrative of reconciliation that resonates beyond the context of a single family to encompass the whole of the Korean race.

By Elton LaClare This article was first seen in the Gwangju Blog

Entertainment

Gwangju News’

K-pop H

ello Everyone! This is Jdragon, a lover of everything K-pop!

As the first story in the Gwangju News about Kpop, I thought it would be great to start off with a brief history of the industry, and also provide some information on what to keep your eye out for in the near future.

K-pop, short for Korean popular music, is a whole world of amazing things, once you surrender to its charms. The songs are at the cutting edge of music production, consisting of high quality electronic, hip hop, pop, rock, and R&B audio nectar. It also contains infectiously catchy hooks, riffs and some of the most spectacular choreography you will ever see.

K-pop is a pop culture phenomenon and might just have even earned itself the status of a subculture as it takes root throughout Asia. This can clearly be seen in the incredulous interest in the fashion and style of Korean idol groups and singers. This subculture has thus been coined the Hallyu Wave, which not only encompasses the music industry, but television dramas, movies and so much more.

Most people mainly encounter the Hallyu by way of idol singers such as Girls Generation, Shinee, Beast, Mblaq, BigBang, 2ne1, and Miss A, which are only the tip of the iceberg.

These groups are unashamedly produced or manufactured by a stable of entertainment companies where they have been trained for years. The biggest companies around are S.M. Entertainment, YG Entertainment, DSP Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment. These companies also hold regular open auditions, so if you think you could be a star, why not try out?

K-pop is also steadily and readily planning its attack of foreign markets outside of Asia, with many groups focused on breaking into the United States and English speaking countries. This year it is much hyped and

expected that the Wondergirls will crack the American market, as they have already been on the BillBoard Charts within the last year.

Also primed for international success is feisty girl group 2NE1, who dominated charts in Korea in the latter part of 2010, and are now said to be collaborating with Will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas. 2NE1 Fighting!

The Hallyu movement has also been huge in Japan, as countless groups have been ranking on Japan’s Oricon charts. The most noted performers are KARA, a five member girl group.

The industry is not without its faults, though, with many groups disputing ‘slave contracts’ and dubious work conditions. TVXQ/DBSK or 동방신기‚ is a prime example of this. Formerly a five member group, they suffered a massive setback as three of their members decided to leave the group due to mismanagement.

There is currently a similar situation with the group KARA, who are trying to resolve a similar contract dispute.

In light of this, the government has stepped in and is ensuring the regulation of the industry to help create a better work environment for K-pop performers.

Here are some groups to keep your eyes on this year: There will be many comebacks in the world of K-pop, including the highly anticipated return of BigBang at the end of February. They are expected to dominate the charts all the way until the summer.

Other highly anticipated comebacks include Miss A, Girls Generation, Supreme Team, 2PM and Lee Hyori.

With new songs released nearly daily, I look forward to a great musical year. That is all for now, until next month, stay “K-poptastic”.

By JDragon JDragon is one half of the dynamic K-pop duo who bring you GFN98.7FM’s KPOPULAR daily. Listen on www.gfn.or.kr right after the midday news.

Gwangju News March 2011

45

Food

Kammy’s Mediterranean Spinach Salad

F

inding healthy western food can be difficult in Korea as many of the ingredients that we rely on are not readily available. I invented this recipe keeping our diet goals in mind (My husband and I have lost several kilos) and the ingredients we can easily find in Gwangju. The measurements are flexible. We tried to keep it simple enough that a foreigner or a Korean could follow the recipe generally.

Use light flavored oil like grape seed if you need to keep it from sticking to the pan.

•Take out the meat and set aside, but leave all the juices and fat. (Needed for flavor!)

•Sautee the onion, and mushrooms •Add spices and garlic •Add some wine a little at a time until the wine is mostly evaporated before you put in more. Continue to sauté until the mushrooms render a lot of their juices and become tender. Onions should be translucent as well. Try to keep the pan from being soggy looking or burning because it’s too dry. Add more wine if needed.

•Turn off heat and put meat back in the pan •Salt and pepper to taste while the mushrooms and onions are still warm Toss: •Toss spinach with the meat/mushroom mixture immediately while it is still warm.

•Squeeze the juice of 1⁄2 a lemon over it and toss again.

400 grams diced pork 1 white onion 5 cloves garlic crushed and chopped A mid sized salad bowl of button mushrooms, heaping 1 (rice) spoon full of Italian spices (marjoram, basil, or mixed blend) 1 cup of wine (around 250 ml) Full bag of spinach from the grocery store.

Salt and pepper to taste 1 lemon Prep: •Wash and dry spinach and mushrooms separately.

•Snip the ends off the spinach, but keep them in the salad bowl.

•Slice mushrooms.

•Dice an onion.

•Crush and chop garlic.

Cooking: •Sautee pork at medium heat with no spices or salt.

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Gwangju News March 2011

The spinach acts as a filler like pasta would, but also brings a really nice earthy quality to the other flavors. I don’t recommend pasta or rice with this dish for various reasons. It will both dilute the flavors, and not add any health benefit.

The amount of mushrooms depends on your budget.

For a more specific measure, I suggest a little more than you can carry comfortably in both hands, sliced wide not thin. More is always good. However, I do not suggest anything other than fresh (not canned) button mushrooms for this recipe. Many of the mushroom varieties offered in Korea have a wide assortment of flavors which are better for other recipes. Button mushrooms, on the other hand, absorb flavors rather than impart them.

I hope you enjoy it.

By Kammy Benham Kammy maintains the website www.rawbeatingdiabetes.com which tracks her and her husband's success against diabetes using natural healthy foods and regular exercise. You can follow them on twitter @rawbeating.

Food

Moojinjoo ost of you who read Gwangju News have probably eaten Bossam before: pork wrapped in lettuce leaves accompanied with garlic and a slightly sweet, spicy paste called ssamjang. I think of it as similar to samgyeopsal, only with bossam the pork is steamed instead of fried.

M

Some friends and I were lucky enough to dine at Moojinjoo, very early on in our time here. It is known among Koreans in Gwangju as the best bossam restaurant in the city. We went there for what must have been at least the tenth time over winter vacation, and like always, it did not disappoint.

Upon entering the foyer of Moojinjoo, one gets the feeling they are going to be dining at a first class establishment. Perhaps this is encouraged by the rather grand foyer, and a man waiting to greet and usher your party into the restaurant itself. The dining area is capacious as it is an impressive three stories high, and has feeling of tradition about it. Consequently thoughts of delicious food, perfected over time come to mind. It feels like a place that would have been worthy of the patronage of the Choson Dynasty’s aristocracy.

Moojinjoo always has an abundance of excellent staff.

Often I find that wait staff in Gwangju’s restaurants can get a little flustered when serving large groups of expats, but this is not the case here, they have never failed to provide a top notch service on the numerous occasions I have dined there.

To add to the wonderful staff and aesthetically pleasing and expansive interior of the building, the food itself is amazing. Moojinjoo has a fabulous reputation for a

reason, and its bossam is the best I have ever eaten. The pork is melt-in-the-mouth tender, and wrapped in fresh lettuce leaves with some ssamjang. It is a culinary treasure. To put the icing on the cake though, Moojinjoo serves a particular kind of kimchi that is sweet rather than spicy. According to my co-workers you can simply refer to it as bossam kimchi, as it is only eaten with bossam, and it is without a doubt my favourite variety of kimchi. I enjoy eating at Moojinjoo just for their kimchi alone. There are also other side dishes that one can get, such as delicious white kimchi, pickled onions, and pickled radish. My other favourite side dish is the julienned potatoes covered in a mayonnaise like sauce. I asked my co-worker what this was called and they didn’t know so they phoned Moojinjoo to ask. The person who my co-worker spoke to on the phone did not have a name for it, so it will have to stay unnamed.

There are numerous platters that can be ordered and they differ in their variety of bossam with some types of bossam containing more fat than others. The platters also vary in their array of kimchi, with some of the dishes being heavy on the bossam and sparse on the kimchi. All of the variations I have eaten here have been fantastic.

Moojinjoo is located only a 10m walk from the Megabox downtown. If you do not know where the Megabox is, then you can just keep walking past Baskin Robbins up the street towards Chonpyon river. It is a good place to go with three or more people and usually everyone spends between 10,000 to 15,000 won, depending on which variety of bossam is ordered and how much alcohol is consumed.

By Gabriel Ward

Gwangju News March 2011

47

Food

Korean Easy-Cook Recipe

야채죽

(Yachae-juk)

Vegetable Porridge

How to make Vegetable Porridge

uk is another word for Korean congee, a type of rice porridge popular in many Asian countries. There are more than forty varieties of juk mentioned in Korea’s historical documents. We have also learned from historical records that there even used to be a custom known as 8jinmi that involved serving 8 different kinds of juk to special guests.

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The most general form of juk is ‘heen juk,’ for which the basis is simply cooked white rice with various ingredients added, such as vegetables, seafood, nuts and other grains. Depending on its ingredients and consistency, juk can be considered a recuperation food, a delicacy, or even a meal easy to make and store for emergencies such as famine and war. Also, juk is thought to be an ideal food for babies, the ill or elderly because it’s easily eaten and digested. In addition, juk can be the perfect light meal. It is sold commercially by many juk chain stores and is a common take-out dish.

If you would like to give this easy, nutritious dish a try, you will need the following ingredients: 1 cup rice, 5 cups of water, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 small bunch of spinach leaves, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and one teaspoon salt.

By Hee-seon Yang

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Gwangju News March 2011

Things to prepare (two servings): 50 grams of rice, 650ml of water, 20 grams of spinach, 10 grams of carrot, 15 grams of onion, 1 gram of salt, 2ml of sesame oil

Cooking method: 1. After washing the rice, soak it in water for 1 hour.

2. Next, parboil the spinach and cut into small pieces.

Finely chop the carrot and onion.

3. After draining the rice, fry it with two teaspoons of sesame oil for 4minutes.

4. Pour 5 cups of water into the fry pan. When it starts to boil, stir constantly to keep from burning.

5. When water and rice are equal in quantity, add the chopped vegetables.

6. Stir, then add a small amount of salt to taste.

7. If you wish, youou may add tuna, sesame seeds,and or dreed lever.

8. Finally, enjoy your meal!

Community Board

Meditation Session

GIC News Gwangju Chaoreum Taekwondo Address: 1187-3 Chipyeong-dong Seogu, Gwangju Phone: (062) 384-0958 Location: Chaoreum Taekwondo Gym is located on the third floor of Jeong-yeon (K-1) building (just beside the bus stop) Buses : 62, 63, 64, 518 (bus stop: 상무 대우아파트 - Sangmu Daewoo Apateu) Taxi directions: "Sangmujigu Kumho Daewoo Apart ro gajuseyo".

Method of instruction is in English Weekday Classes: 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.(from Monday to Friday) Sunday Classes: 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

GIC Journal: Social Discourse of Disquiet A new space for writers, artists and photographers. This publication allows people to explore different forms of art in South Korea. We would like to bridge the gap between arts that are perhaps lost in translation.We would like to hear your ideas and opinions.

If you would like to get involved then please e-mail at selina.gicjournal@gmail.com Please join our facebook group - GIC Journal: Social Discourse of Disquiet.

Please look at the work-in-progress at http://gicjournal.wordpress.com Check out the "What's On" page for art events in Gwangju.

GIC Facebook Page Catch the latest news of GIC and its programs by joining our Facebook page at : www.facebook.com/gwangjuic You can also follow us online in Twitter with our user ID: gwangjuic

There will be Meditation Session offered every Saturday from 5 - 6 p.m. after the GIC Talk. Anyone is welcome to join although RSVP is preferred. Fifteenminute Introduction to Meditation followed with 30-minute sitting. The remaining time will include a reading from ‘The Compass of Zen’. Bring a firm cushion to sit on and a light warm blanket. Jeans are not recommended.

Please contact the GIC for more info.

Sung Bin Orphanage is looking for creative/ active/ energetic/ outgoing/ enthusiastic long-term volunteers to join in our regular Saturday program. We would like you to give at least two Saturdays per month. As well as being a friend, you will be asked to teach basic English to girls aged 7 to 14. Meet every Saturday at 1.30 p.m. in front of downtown Starbucks. All are welcome. For more volunteering information please contact Al Barnum at: al_barnum@yahoo.com.

Apostolate to Migrants Center

Art Gwangju Artist Collective We are a group of artists and art lovers.

We meet up about once or twice a month at the GIC for workshops, discussions and community art events.

Look for us on Facebook or send an email to: gicartistcollective@googlegroups.com

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

Gwangju Ice Hockey Team Looking for men and women of all ages to join us every Saturday night from 7:30 to 9 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

Community Sung Bin Orphanage

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

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

Masses: Every Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Migrant Center; 10 a.m.Indonesian Mass; 7 p.m. Vietnamese Mass; 11 a.m. Mass for multicultural families (2nd Sunday)

Gwangju Jumbo Taxi If you’re traveling in a big party or simply need transportation in and around Gwangju, Gwangju Jumbo Taxi provides service to Bus Terminal, Airport and others. With a seat capacity of up to 9 people, you can travel in comfort.

Friendy and hospitable, Mr. Kim will help you travel with safety and comfort.

Whether you are going from/ to Gwangju Airport or simply to travel around the city, give Jumbo Taxi a call.

Call to reserve at 010-5086-7799 (Mr.Kim) or refer to www.gjtaxi.co.kr for the price list.

“Rabbit Tales” Art Workshop Period and Time: April 2-April 30, 1-3 p.m. (Five times workshop) Place: GIC Office, Jeonil Building 5FL, Geumnam-ro 1Ga, Dong-gu, Gwangju Number of Participants: 12 Age group: Adults Registration period: March 7 - 25 (Through GIC homepage) Fee: 50,000 won (25,000 won for GIC member) Exhibition: May 7-21 Opening of the exhibit: May 7, 3 p.m. at GIC Gallery Inquiries: Moon So-eun (062-226-2733) or moon@gic.or.kr www.bestrabbitsites.com

Gwangju News March 2011

49

Living Tips

Tips about National Pension What is the Korean National Pension Scheme?

The National Pension Scheme is a social security system implemented by the government to contribute to people's stable life, by determining contributions and paying pension benefits for the insured people or their dependents to prepare for retirement or unexpected risks such as disability and death.

Koreans a benefit corresponding to a lump-sum refund under the National Pension Scheme.

I am planning to leave Korea this month. How can I apply for a Lump-sum Refund and what documents do I need for application?

You should visit our regional office and bring some documents. They include an Alien Registration card and passport, an airline ticket to confirm emigration from Korea (the date of departure should be less than a month from the date of claim), and a bankbook/bank statement/void check.

Under this rule, only the nationals from the following 31 countries may receive the Korean lump-sum refund.

Please refer to Article 126 of the National Pension Act and Article 113 of the Enforcement Decree of the National Pension Act. - In cases where a foreigner whose home country has concluded a social security agreement with Korea regarding the payment of the lump-sum refund.

- Regardless of nationality, in cases where a foreigner who has been covered under the national pension scheme with a stay visa of E-8 (Employment for Training), E-9 (Non-professional Employment), or H-2 (Visiting Employment) returns to his/her home country.

In which circumstances am I eligible for a Lump-sum refund?

- In the case of foreigners falling under any of the following conditions, a lump-sum refund will be paid.

- In cases where a foreigner whose home country grants

What is the contributions rate?

For Workplace based Insured Persons, the insured persons and their employers should each make contributions amounting to 4.5% of the standard monthly income based on their earned income (for the

Countries whose Nationals are Granted a Lump-sum Refund (as of January, 2011) Regardless of Nationality

E-8 (Employment for Training), E-9 (Non-professional Employment), H-2 (Visiting Employment)

Under the Social Security Agreement (13 countries)

Germany, US, Canada, Hungary, France, Australia, Czech Republic, Belgium, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Rumania, Austria

Minimum Insured Period

50

Over 6 months

Belize

Over 1 year (10 countries)

Grenada, Barbados, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Congo, Thailand, Togo, Jordan, Saint Vincent and Grenadine, Bhutan

Over 2 years

Venezuela

None (19 countries)

Colombia, India, Indonesia, Ghana, Malaysia, Vanuatu, Bermuda, Sudan, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, El Salvador, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Philippines, Tunisia, Uganda

Gwangju News March 2011

Living Tips

employer of a non-corporate workplace, based on income gained from wholesale, retail, manufacturing and other businesses).

The Individually Insured Persons should make contributions amounting to 9% of the standard monthly income based on the income that they report.

There is no discrimination in terms of the contributions rate between foreigners and Koreans. The payment should be made no later than the 10th day of the following month. If the 10th day is a holiday or Saturday, however, the deadline will be extended automatically to the following business day.

Are foreigners compulsorily covered under the NPS? Foreigners who are aged between 18 and 60 and who are residing and working in Korea, regardless of their nationality, should be covered under the NPS. Foreigners whose countries do not cover Korean nationals, however, are excluded from the coverage of NPS. (Article 126 of the National Pension Act) Despite the above provisions, if there are relevant provisions under the Social Security Agreement between Korea and any foreign countries, those provisions will be applied. (Article 127 of the National Pension Act) What is the contribution rate? How is the standard monthly income calculated?

For employer-based insured persons, the contribution is 9% of the standard monthly income. Of this, 4.5% is paid by the insured person, and the other 4.5% is paid by their employer.

Please note that the standard monthly income is different from the actual earnings received by the insured person in any given month. What does this mean?

The standard monthly income is calculated by dividing the insured person’s total annual income from the previous calendar year by 365 (total days in a year), and then multiplying that number by 30 (days in a month).

The resulting figure is the standard monthly income (non-taxable income is excluded from the calculation of real monthly income). The insured person’s standard monthly income is applied from July of any one year through June of the following year, regardless of any changes in the insured person’s real monthly earnings.

For those individuals who have yet to work a full calendar year in Korea, their standard monthly income, till June of the following year , will be almost equal to their earnings in the first calendar month of their employment in Korea. At June of the following year,

their standard monthly income will be re-calculated by dividing their total income received in that year by the total number of calendar days in the period of their employment. As above, this will be applied from July of that year through June of the following year.

Upon completing a full calendar year of employment, the insured person’s standard monthly income will be recalculated accordingly.

By National Pension Service

Information of regional offices Gwangju Regional Office Address: Kukminyeongeum Gwangjuhoegwan Bldg 3rd Floor. (국 민 연 금 광 주 회 관 ), 1582-4 Usan-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju 506-724 Phone: 062-958-2079 Fax : 062-455-3002 How to get there: Get on Bus 29, 70, 20, 37. Get off at Station of Ilshin Apt. or Honam Hospital.

If you get off at station of Ilshin Apt, walk straight about 200 meters to Honam Hospital.

You can find Kukminyeonkum Gwangju Building around Kookmin Bank or Honam Hospital.

Dong-Gwangju Regional Office Address: Amore-Pacific Building 8th Floor, Gumnam-ro 5Ga, Gwangju 501-025 Phone : 062-230-0787 Fax: 062-455-3029 How to get there : from Gwangju Station : About 15 minutes walk toward the Amore-Pacific Building - Bus : No 19, 38, 39, 57, 70, 79, 160, 170, 180, 180-1, 1187, get off at Lotte Department store - Subway : Get off at Geumnam-ro 5Ga station, take exit No. 1. It takes about 2 minutes.

Buk-Gwangju Regional Office Address: Songgang Bldg.(송강빌딩) 2nd Floor, (33-42 Yu-dong), 291 Geumnam-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 500-864 Phone: 062-520-8124 Fax: 062-455-3041 How to get there: It is across from Hanguknochong (한 국노총) at Yudong Intersection. Go to the 2nd floor.

If you need more information visit: www.nps.or.kr/jsppage/english/main.jsp

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GIC Talk/ Advertisement

[ GIC Talk ]

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

March 5 Topic: Amateur Video - Express Yourself and Preserve Your Memories Speaker: Stephen Redeker (ESL Instructor) This GIC Talk will focus on video and the internet as mediums in which to express yourself and document your life. The speaker will show samples of his work as an amateur videographer, including clips from his internet "vlogs" plus travel in and around Gwangju.

Learn the ins and outs of Youtube and how it can be used as a resource for learning as well as a community for sharing ideas.

Making videos is fun and easy! There will also be a tutorial on how you can get involved with video using only a cell phone or digital camera and your computer.

March 12 Topic: People in Underwear: Overcoming Your Fear of Public Speaking Speaker: Joseph Kim (Host of the radio program City of Light on GFN) What would you rather do: wrestle a bear or speak in front of a group of people? Listed as one of the number one fears for many people, Glossophobia, or the fear of speaking in front of people, is something that can be overcome. After being forced in front of the microphone in high school, Joe Kim has been speaking to many groups of

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Gwangju News March 2011

people, as a youth pastor, ring announcer, English teacher and now the new host of the radio program City of Light on GFN 98.7FM. He will share some experiences, tips and some of his embarrassing moments while behind the microphone.

March 19 Topic: A Bird's Eye of Nigeria- World's Most Populous Black Nation Speaker: Olufemi Adeluyi (Dept of Computer Engineering, Chosun University) In this talk the speaker will discuss the multiple facets of the Nigerian nation- history, challenges, strengths, culture, politics, etc. Nigeria is the country with the largest black population on earth. This resource rich nation is like a country with several other "countries" embedded in it and this surely influences the dynamics of the nation.

March 26 Topic: Egypt from the Republic of Mubarak to the Republic Al Tahrir Square Speaker: Mahmoud Abdul Ghaffar (Dept. of Arabic, Chosun University) munity. wangju com ven for the G know. us t Le t?

GIC Talk is gi ou like to talk ab d l.com u’ ai yo c gm pi c@ to gjui Have a Write to gwan

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