Bibimbap december 2015

{ bibimbap { Live, Teach, Share

Christmas Issue

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EST. 2013 • Volume 3 • Issue 4• December 2015

For questions and comments concerning articles please contact the writer via their emails listed at the end of their articles

For general inquiries contact: BibimbapNews@gmail.com general managment

Chris Devison chrisofficeofeducation@yahoo.com Dinh Nguyen d11nguye@gmail.com Lindsay Ross Ross6520@gmail.com

The Editorial Team

{bibimbap{

Chris Devison is the Provincial Coordinator for the Jeollanamdo Language Program. He has lived in South Korea for almost 10 years, and has spent six of those years in his current position.

Aside from assisting public school teachers with their contract and school life, he has a keen interest in health and wellness.

Having lived in both Western and Eastern cultures, he has a strong understanding of the healthiest practices of both worlds.

Before coming to South Korea, Dinh Nguyen was a Canadian journalist. He has 6 years experience as an editor, reporter, and desktop publishing designer. After obtaining his CELTA in 2012, he moved to Yeosu to follow his passion for teaching and traveling. He recently completed the CELTA YLE, and is working on his DELTA. He is also he co-founder of ESL Nomads.

Copy Editor, Edward Chaney worked for the Hayden's Ferry Review, a literary journal published out of Arizona State University (ASU). He was exposed to the Jeollanamdo Language Program during an internship with ASU’s MTESOL program. Since then, he and his wife has moved to South Korea, and will be finishing up their first year come April.

copy editor

Edward Chaney edwardtchaney@gmail.com art director

After completing his degree and travelling around Canada extensively, Joseph Campbell recently moved to South Korea to teach English and immerse himself in a foreign and fascinating culture.

He is always looking for something new to learn, and you won’t find many topics that don’t interest him.

Dinh Nguyen production team

Chris Devison Dinh Nguyen Edward Chaney Joe Campbell Kenny Short Susan Sahab Lindsay Ross Richard Tang photographers

Richard Tang Joe Campbell Susan Sahab front cover photo :

Richard Tang

All non-credited photos, courtesy of creative commons.

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For over a year, Kenny Short has been a Native English Teacher in Yeosu. Prior to his time in South Korea, he has taught English in Colombia, Guatemala, and Seattle. He is currently completing his K-6 teaching endorsement through the online teacher training program, Teach-Now. Kenny is interested in student-centered teaching methodology, ed-tech, and ed-policy.

Susan Sahab is an English teacher in Hwasun and is currently starting her second year in Korea. As an Art History major, she is passionate about both the historical and aesthetic significance of art and photography. Her passions include photography, music, cooking, and illustration. In an attempt to continue her art while teaching, in her free time she teaches traditional art classes at the Gwangju International Center and tries to shoot as often as possible..

Lindsay Ross is a Canadian teacher in South Korea. After getting her bachelor of education in 2011, she moved to South Korea, and has been living in Mokpo since. She has taught at the middle and high school levels. Among other articles, Lindsay also researches and put together the Holiday schedule and events calendar for Bibimbap.

Starting off in Hong Kong with a Canon 550D, Richard Tang ventured out to experience Asian culture. 3 years later, he is now carrying his Olympus E-M10 across South Korea. As a NET and photographer, he hopes to share the views and culture he experiences with anyone who is interested.

Behind the cover

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Upcoming holiday and event calendar

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Getting your teaching certification while working

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Creative classroom assignments part 2

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Ideas for Christmas classroom activities

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Enjoying Christmas in South Korea

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Photo essay: Punk music in South Korea

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Dining with Dinh: Classic mulled apple cider recipe

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Photo essay: Teachers of Korea

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Letter from the coordinator: Evacuating South Korea

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Healthy Musings: Men's health

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New Years Eve December 31 - January 1:

Hyangiram Sunrise Festival (여수향일암일출제; Jeollanam-do)

December 31 - January 1:

Gyeongpo Sunrise Festival (경포해돋이축; Gangwon-do)

December 31 - January 1:

Jeongdongjin Sunrise Festival (정동진해돋이축제; Gangwon-do)

December 31 - January 1:

Homigot Sunrise Festival (호미곶한민족해맞이축; Gyeongsangbuk-do)

Upcoming holidays and events

January dinh nguyen

Holidays December 25 Christmas December 31 New Years Eve (New Years countdown) January 1 New Years Day February 7,8,9 Seollal ( Korean) Tết (Vietnamese) Nian (Chinese) Lunar New Year February 14 Valentines Day

December

Hongcheon Winter Festival (홍천강꽁꽁축제; Gangwon-do)

January 1 - 31: October 24 - February 29:

IlsanHanok Village Jeongwa Light Festival

(일산한옥마을정와빛축제; Gyeonggi-do)

November 7 - December 25:

Lotte World Christmas Festival

(롯데월드크리스마스축제; Seoul)

November 21 - February 29:

Little Prince Lighting Festival (어린왕자별빛축제; Gyeonggi-do)

November 21 - March 6:

Byeokchoji Botanical Garden Lighting Festival (벽초지수목원빛축제; Gyeonggi-do)

November 25 – December 25:

Seoul Photo Festival (서울사진축제; Seoul)

November 28 - January 3:

Busan Christmas Tree Festival

(부산크리스마스트리문화축제;Busan)

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January 1 - 17:

December 4 – March 13:

JaraseomSingsing Winter Festival

(오색별빛정원전; Gyeonggi-do)

(가평자라섬씽씽겨울축제; Gyeonggi-do)

Lighting Festival

December 11 - January 24:

Boseong Green Tea Plantation Light Festival (보성차밭빛축제; Jeollanam-do)

December 18 - January 31:

Pyeongchang Trout Festival (평창송어축제; Gangwon-do)

December 24 - February 14:

Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival (칠갑산얼음분수축제; Chungcheongnam-do)

New Years Eve December 30 - January 1:

Ganjeolgot Sunrise Festival (울산간절곶해맞이축제; Ulsan)

December 30 - January 1:

Maryangpo Sunset & Sunrise Festival (마량포해넘이해돋이축제; Chungcheongnam-do)

December 30 - January 1:

Seongsan Sunrise Festival (제주성산일출축제; Jeju-do)

January 2:

Seogwipo Penguin Swimming Festival (서귀포겨울바다펭귄수영대회; Jeju-do)

January 8 - 31:

Daegwallyeong Snow Festival (대관령눈꽃축제; Gangwondo)

January 9 – 31:

HwacheonSancheoneo (Mountain Trout) Ice Festival (화천산천어축제; Gangwondo)

January 19 - 24:

InjeIcefish Festival (인제빙어축제; Gangwon-do)

January 22 - 31:

Taebaeksan Mountain Snow Festival (태백산눈축제; Gangwondo)

Korean Expressions:

Winter / Holidays Christmas Korean: 성탄(seong-tan) Konglish: 크리스마스 (keu-li-seu-ma-seu)

Merry Christmas Korean: 즐거운 크리스마스 보내세요 (jeul-geo-oonkeuli-seu-ma-seubonae-say-yo) Konglish: 메리 크리스마스! (mae-li keu-liseu-ma-seu)

Have a great winter vacation 겨울 휴가 잘 보내세요! (kyeo-oolhyoogajalbo-nae-say-yo)

See you next year! 내년에 뵙겠습니다! (ne-nyeon-aebep kess-seup-ni-da)

Happy New Year 새해 복 많이 받으세요! (say-hey bok manniba-deu-say-yo) by lindsay ross ross6520@gmail.com

richard tang

Merry Christmas and happy holidays from the Bibimbap staff. We hope it's full of great memories!

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Teach Now

Getting your teaching certification while working full time

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dinh dinhnguyen nguyen

kenny short writer

I

n America, there are two debates going on about teacher preparation programs.

One is happening in the media, among education policy experts and at the highest levels of education administration. The other is happening around kitchen tables in the homes of career-changers, and in coffee shops with college graduates and undergrads, who are interested in becoming a teacher. Both debates are concerned with the structure, quality, and quantity of preparation needed to sustain an effective teaching career in U.S. schools in the 21st Century. However, the latter debate also includes concerns about the costs associated with taking a year or two off from making money and instead taking on the prohibitive costs (read: student loan debt) of getting a teacher certification from a traditional school of education.

Case in point: my own path as a teacher has been varied and circuitous because I was most interested in gaining actual experience in the classroom over acquiring a more formal, theoretical knowledge in grad school. And I found many opportunities in my own community and around the world to get into the classroom, develop a style and teaching toolkit of my own, and grow immediately as a professional. Adding to my uneasiness about grad school was the fact that I was debt free when I finished my undergraduate studies and vehemently wanted to stay that way.

Furthermore, I met many alumsof the many prestigious teacher-prep programs at the local universities while working as a paraprofessional in a Seattle public school. Many of those teachers told me that the experience I was gaining in the classroom as a teacher’s aide was preparing me as much as, or more than, a formal Master’s In Teaching program would, just by itself. I felt frustrated by the limbo between having the relevant experience but lacking a flexible, affordable, high-quality path to teacher certification.

It turns out I had to come to Korea to discover the answer to my teacher prep woes!

Teach-Now, Literally Emily Feistritzer worked for the U.S. Department of Education studying alternativeroute teacher certification programs across the country. After 30 years as a preeminent expert on the subject, she decided to create a program which addressed the holes and inadequacies that she saw in many alternative-route teacher prep programs. Thus, Teach-Now was born; a rigorous, practical, and affordable teacher certification program aimed at “preparing tomorrow’s

teachers for tomorrow’s learners in tomorrow’s world”.

Apart from the student-teaching portion of the program, the Teach-Now classes and coursework are completed fully online. Assignments, readings, teaching videos, discussions, and professor interaction are all facilitated via the TeachNow online learning platform which is similar to those of EdX and Coursera. Small cohorts of fifteen or fewer teacher candidates and their module instructor meet weekly online, in real time, using the AdobeConnect video conferencing program. Lectures, discussions, flash collaboration mini-projects, and analysis of exemplary teaching videos happen in the VC’s (virtual class) by the cohort members and their instructor who could all be thousands of miles apart. In fact, my cohort consisted of three English teachers in three different Korean provinces, five international school teachers in three different provinces of China, an American school teacher’s aide in Germany, and a paraprofessional working in an Arizona charter school.

Teach-Now relies on open source readings and resources from the web, as opposed to expensive textbooks. The resources range from podcasts about Lev Vygotsky and the importance of play in learning, Rick Wormeli YouTube videos on differentiation, and, of course, the writings of John Dewey on progressive teaching methods.

Where the Teach-Now program really excels and differentiates itself, thanks to Feistritzer’s vision, is in the hands-on experience teacher candidates get with valuable education technology tools. Assignments ask teacher candidates to analyze and dissect the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in an electronic mind map, create an academic data infographic, collaborate on a debate about blended learning via Voicethread, participate in an education policy Twitter chat or develop a Pinterest board rich with lesson plan ideas. All individual and group writing assignments are completed, shared, and submitted in Google Docs.

The final module or unit of the Teach-Now program is in the mold of a traditional studentteaching practicum in which teacher candidates need to complete 250 hours of in-class instruction in their subject area or grade level of certification. Similarly to traditional studentteaching models, teacher candidates need an experienced mentor teacher to support, observe, and evaluate the candidate’s performance. What is different with Teach-Now, is that you also record a class once a week, upload the video to your Google Drive, share it with your instructor and cohort-mates, and receive notes on your performance and discuss it at the weekly VC.

This professional development method is precisely what the Gates Foundation’s Measures of Effective Teaching Project calls for in order to better identify and develop the best teachers and teaching strategies.

My Experience with Teach-Now in Korea I had a wonderful experience completing the Teach-Now program from here in Yeosu.

The opportunity to achieve my goal of becoming a certificated elementary teacher while living and working abroad, and not going into serious debt, has been a huge gift for which I am grateful. However, there were a few key factors which made the experience possible, as well as a truly rigorous and meaningful preparation that was flexible enough to work with my unique teaching situation. Keep these in mind if you are reading this and are interested in the program.

First, I had some great cohort-mates who were located in similar time zones in East Asia.

They were serious professionals with years of teaching experience before joining the TeachNow program. I learned a lot from them and received a lot of valuable feedback on my teaching as well.

Second, my Korean co-teacher at my elementary school in Yeosu is a wonderful, progressive teacher with nearly two decades of experience in the classroom as a homeroom teacher, head teacher, English teacher, and lowlevel administrator. Despite her years of experience in Korea, she was eager to learn from my American-style teacher preparation and therefore allowed me to experiment with some distinctly Western-style teaching methods in our English classroom.

Last, I teach a few extra classes on my own, without a co-teacher or curriculum. This also allowed me huge amounts of freedom during the practicum especially, but also during the academic modules. I used those free form classes to complete an assignment or put into action an emphasized teaching method.

Teach-Now in the News: Teach-Now: a great alternative route certification option for military spouses abroad.

Teach-Now program revolutionizes teacher preparation.

Education researcher moves into the certification business.

On Twitter you can follow Teach-Now @teachnowprogram or via #tncohort

If you do not have these elements; solid cohort-mates in your time zone, a great Korean co-teacher and some flexibility in your teaching schedule, then you may need to think twice before applying to Teach-Now. Otherwise, go for it! kennyshort@gmail.com

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Speak, write, speak Creative classroom assignments for highschool students part 2

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dinh dinhnguyen nguyen

edward chaney copy editor

I

n my last article, I discussed some of the creative projects I did with my high school students over the summer, so I thought I’d continue the series with the first project I did at the start of the fall semester.

Speech Contest This was billed as a speech contest, but that was just a competitive bit of flair I added to it to try and motivate the students. I would tell you that this lesson was challenging, but after they got through it, they were set up for the rest of the projects I had for them during the semester. The first push is the toughest to get the educational boulder rolling, but once it is, the village below the mountain better look out.

I found this awful, awful metaphor to be the case with most of my classes, and even those students who weren’t terrifically strong at either writing or giving a speech.

Classes I had eighteen classes with somewhere around34 to 38 students, all with varying degrees of English proficiencies. These are all female students at an academic high school, so they aren’t an example of a perfect sample group, but I feel their varied attitudes and abilities are substantive of what you’re likely to find in most classrooms. I’ve got students who sigh and roll their eyes while trying to hide their cellphones in their laps sitting next to others who scream and gesticulate when I ask who’d like to go first.

Prepare For the preparation period of the activity, I had them bring in English speeches and I briefly introduced the concepts I wanted them to learn from this prolonged lesson (Opening, body, closing, topic, points, arguments, etc.). Then, using the speeches they’d brought, they had to find and identify all of the parts I’d introduced.

This did and didn’t work. Some students, misunderstanding the assignment, only brought the end of a speech. For these, I had speeches I’d printed before class to give them. Most students brought a speech: Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and Kim Yuna being the popular choices. For most, their speeches were anywhere between three and five, up to eight or ten pages. This became the real struggle with this opening lesson, as most found it too difficult to get much farther past labeling opening, body, closing. When asked for the topic, most tried giving the title of the speech rather than the idea the speaker was conveying. This meant a lot of

teasing out the ideas in class and an otherworldly amount of whining about the difficulty of the assignment.

I’d say, overall, it was good to push them to try and read difficult language and try to interpret meaning, but for the opening volley of what would become a barrage of creative work, it was a little too difficult. To fix this, for the next assignment I gave them (Writing a Short Story), I chose the materials for this portion, giving them a single page story with easy to moderately difficult language so that they would be all on the same page about it-literally. I’d suggest the same for this lesson, if you decide to try it out.

Practice After reading speeches and becoming familiar with the parts I’d introduced to them, we jumped straight into writing their speeches. For these, I gave them a sample structure:

Opening • Topic

Body

• Point #1 •Argument •Argument (The other two points were given identical structures, but for brevity, I’ll skip that here)

Closing •Summary After they were given this structure, I gave them a few more precepts. Their speech was to be a certain length and presented under a certain time frame (these I later loosened). They were to present on appropriate topics, but it could be anything they chose. I told them to start with something they are passionate about and, in lieu of passions, choose something they liked/disliked. For example, one student did a speech on why she doesn’t want to get married (“I would like to have more time to make my dream come true”) and another did a speech on why she didn’t like giving speeches (“No jam”).

Production For the final portion, the students were to present their speeches, but there was a caveat. At my former school, I noticed that when students presented in class, the default setting for their peers was either apathy or unconsciousness.

To prevent this, I gave them a worksheet that they were to fill out and turn in after all of the presentations were over. These would be for a grade. On this worksheet, they would write the topic and points for each of their classmates.

This was to keep them awake and working, but also silent and attentive to their peers.

I’d say that this method worked well and that most students were quiet and listening during the speeches. With my first grade students, there were a lot of shy girls who spoke very softly. I tried to encourage them to speak up, but it was a risk because interrupting them could derail their momentum. So some of the students, particularly those in the back of the classroom, gave up on listening at times and would just wait until it was over to ask them what their topic or points were.

This method would become more pronounced during the next creative project so I have tried to combat it by collecting their worksheets at the end of each class (thus preventing them from just sleeping and copying their friends’ worksheets at the end).

Final Thoughts I would say that this project was a success. There were some low points, mostly with apathetic students who refused or put off the assignment. These will receive poor marks for their troubles, but the worst was two students who broke down during their presentations and I had to have them sit down and collect themselves. Public speaking is a tough thing, especially for students who are young and stressed out or shy and afraid of the language and/or attention from their peers.

But, when it worked, it was wonderful. I had many funny, insightful, thoughtful speeches on various parts of Korean culture and the lives of young students that I was previously ignorant. I had a girl give a speech about why teachers should be kinder to students and why students should have more freedom to express themselves or be allowed to job-search while in high school (“If our school accepts my demands, our learning effects are improved and we may have better scores.”). I had several hilarious speeches where students described their friends and why everyone else should love them (“Her nose is like pig!”). There were several hundred speeches on diets and many more on K-pop idols. Several girls wrote about their perfect boyfriend (“My boyfriend should be healthy. If not healthy, it is impossible to make a lot of memories.”), while others talked about their actual boyfriends while their friends giggled (“He is not handsome, but I like.”).

Best of all, they were working creatively and putting their own thoughts down on paper. They were given the license to express themselves and did so with great aplomb and confidence.

I couldn’t be prouder of them and can’t recommend this exercise enough to teachers looking to tap into their students’ creative potential. edwardtchaney@gmail.com

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Cards and songs

Some ideas for Christmas classroom activities

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dinh nguyen

lindsay ross writer

Christmas/Thank You Cards

T

he end of the school year is a perfect time for students to say ‘thank you’ to teachers, family, and/or friends. The end of the school year is also around Christmas. Put these together and you can create Christmas/Thank You greeting cards.

There is an infinite possibility of ways to make Christmas cards. For instructions on how to make a simple Christmas Tree popup card, click here.

For the writing process, this activity can be differentiated depending upon the age and level of the students. Higher-level students could be left to their own creativity, while lower-level students could be provided with more guidance. BogglesWorld has great examples of guided writing here. First practice writing a greeting together, and then have the students generate greetings on their own.

This can be done either with their own sentences, or by providing basic sentence structures that students can use along with their own ideas (fill in the blank style).

Christmas Pop Song Christmas is a great time to use music in the classroom and often falls around exams when there may be some “extra” class time. Let’s agree that we’ve all heard enough of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You”. A song that is a bit more modern and perhaps more enjoyable by students is “Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber.

1. First, start out with a discussion

about what students do on Christmas and let them know what you do on Christmas.

2. As an introduction to the song, allow the

students to guess who the singer is based on a few clues (“He is from Canada,” “He is 21 years old,” “His most famous song is called ‘Baby’”… )

richard tang

3. Once the students have guessed

that the singer is Justin Bieber, review five to seven pieces vocabulary that they may not know.

4.

Time for the song activity. For each group of four students, give them lyrics that have been cut up into strips and

mixed up. Listening to the song two or three times, the students’ mission is to arrange the lyrics in the proper order.

5.

After the students have put the lyrics in the correct order, watch the music video together. ross6520@gmail.com

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Christmas in Korea

A guide to finding pieces of the holidays from home in Korea

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chris devison writer

K

orea definitely has a different take on Christmas than the West. Like many of the special days in Korea, Christmas was traditionally targeted couples, but become mainstream. Couples do still spend the day together and exchange small gifts, likely something matching, as they tend to do here.

These days, more and more families are getting into the Christmas spirit. Typically they will have dinner together, followed by a Christmas cake. A Christmas cake is a standard birthday cake with a festive design. These are plentiful and can be found in nearly every bakery. Christian churches also offer Christmas Day services.

Sporadic local businesses have begun decorating for the season and playing Christmas music while restaurant and coffee shop chains often promote Christmas themed specials. Decorations are becoming more prevalent each year, with most large box marts having a decent selection of everything from trees to Christmas cards. Daiso has a nice selection of inexpensive items too. You can even find candy canes and other familiar Christmas candies at the numerous sweet shops throughout your town.

Even with this, there is still a slight feeling of emptiness, of something lacking from home at this time of year. Maybe something just feels different?

Whether you are a fan of the commercialized and prepackaged version of Christmas or not, there is undoubtedly something about Christmas that makes many of us waygooks miss home more.

One of the big struggles teachers have is finding those Christmas comfort foods because we all know your loved ones Christmas care package will be gone quickly. These days you can find almost anything you need in Korea, but some unfortunately will come at a high cost.

The first thing we want to think about is the turkey. Now for whatever reason, unbeknownst to me, turkey is a rarity in this country, but it can still be found, so expect to pay top dollar for it. Some teachers choose to have rotisserie chicken from the local mart or a fried version from the local chicken shop instead. For those who want the real thing, read on: First, if you're lucky enough to have a decent sized oven, there are several online grocery stores selling frozen turkeys. Some offer a cooked version too, both of which can be delivered to your door.

EZ Shop Korea offers a frozen turkey for 90,000krw. You can also find your stove top dressing mix here too. High street Market has cooked turkeys for 97000krw.

They also have turkey dinner sets, roast of lamb, beef roast, and hams that all go nice around the holidays too. Lastly, Fatbag provides two options. You can buy a 1kg turkey breast for 46,000 or a stuffed barbeque whole turkey with cranberry sauce for 115,000krw.

If you have a group and expect to be in the Seoul area you can look at getting a turkey takeout. The Grand Hilton Seoul offers takeout roast turkeyswith all the fixings until December 31st. The price is 200,000 and that is for up to 8 people.You can call the Grand Hilton Hotel’s Alpine Deli at 062-2287- 8989 for prices and info on ordering.

Also, various Homeplus locations have had both rotisserie and frozen turkeys during the holidays in the past. Keep your eyes open there or possible ask at the counter to see if they will this year.Supply will surely be limited and go quickly.

In addition to cooking your own dinner, you have the option of going out for Christmas dinner too. Probably the most reasonable Christmas dinner I’ve seen is at Gwangju’s premier foreign pub and grub, the First Alleyway. Seating is however limited, so inquire early by checking their Facebook or by calling 070-4127-8066.Other large hotels including the Holiday Inn in Gwangju often have Christmas dinners, so keep your eyes open for upcoming advertisements.

That covers some food options, but it is also nice to get out and see what K-ristmas has to offer in Korea.

Korea’s amusement parks have gotten into the Christmas craze offering Christmas parades, festivals, concerts, and of course Santa Clause.

Everland, Lotte World, and Seoul Land are your main ones, but other small amusement parks may have something too.

Another great thing to do is to take in the Christmas lights. Myeongdong’s streets are lit up nicely with lovely white Christmas lights, a refreshing change from the usual glow of neon signs that litter most Korean streets. Seomyeon area of Busan has a Christmas Tree festival, with Lotte Mart and the surrounding areas lighting of extravagantly for Christmas.

Nampodong in Busan also lights up for the season. For something a little closer, check out the Boseong Green Tea Plantation Light Festival which starts mid-December.

Performing arts are another option. Catch a play, musical orballet followed by a nice dinner.The Nutcracker plays every yearand otherChristmas themed shows, including local symphonies performing Christmas favorites, can be found in most urban centers in the country.

Also, there is the Kintex Christmas Fair in December.

This is Korea’s largest Christmas exhibition, and although some of it may be commercial, there is something for everyone to do.

Some other ideas, at least wintery in nature, are to plan a ski trip or going ice skating with friends. Muju Ski Resort in Jeollabukdo can be done in a day trip or you can take advantage of the decently priced accommodations and spend a night. Some rooms will hold up to 6 people and come complete with a semi equipped kitchen (stove and rice cooker) for as low as 162,000. Keep in mind this will be a Korean style accommodation, an open room to sleep on the floor. After a day of skiing, nothing feels better than the ondol anyway. Also, Muju is open late so you can ski well into the night.

For something closer to home try ice skating with friends followed by a nice coffee or tea at a local coffee shop that is sure to be decorated for the occasion.

Hopefully, although we are far away from our many loved ones in our home countries, we can make this an enjoyable and memorable K-ristmas. Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year from all of us here at Bibimbap! chrisofficeofeducation@

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photo essay

No K-Pop here

Korean punk and where to find it

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15 susan sahab

susan sahab photographer

I

remember making a checklist of things I needed before I came to Korea. I would go over it multiple times, tracing my fingers over each line to make sure nothing was forgotten or missed. I even made a list of experiences I wanted to have for the last time in case I felt regretful or homesick while abroad.

Unfortunately, that list was never truly completed due to how limited my hometown of Tampa was.

When you live a city like Tampa, Florida, you’re surrounded by a certain crowd whose demands dictate what events happen. Usually, the occasional pop star’s tour—Janet Jackson, Katy Perry,One Direction, etc.—would make their way throughdowntown Tampa, bringing in hundreds of fans from across the state, but certainly not me. Sometimes, the Tampa Museum wouldhost an event, but even then it’s “Black Tie Only” and a college kid like me wouldn’thave hada chance of attending. Most art shows involved elderly hobbyists who paint still lifes of boats on the harbor, or scenes that mimic the mass-produced and heavily foliaged cottages of Thomas Kinkade.

Unfortunately, the only other attraction Tampa had to offer was its most infamous: strip clubs and bar hopping. Reflecting on my city and the experiences available to me, two things are decidedly clear: there wasn’t a scene for me, and I definitely don’t miss it.

I do, however, miss late-night diners where I drank coffee and relentlessly complained about work to my friends. I miss the rare sense of excitement I would feel when I found out a band I lovedwas coming to town. I miss the feeling of going to a show and seeing people like me, or at the very least, connecting with those I would otherwise have nothing in common with because of our intense love for the music. Going to a show wasn’t on my list because my favorite bands rarely

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come around, but it certainly brings a rare moment where my surroundings feel like home.

I decided this Halloween I’d do something different; Iwouldn’t be drinking at a baror going to a house party. Instead, I would embrace that familiar haze of “home” and go to a punk show. Still Alive 7 was a Halloween themed Punk show in Hongdae, Seoul. Although, I think it’s unfair to categorize this show as solely punk; acts vary in style from ska, to blues, to post-rock. The venue, DGBD, offered plenty of space to watch the show from the floor, and even more roomupstairs on a catwalk for those wanting to avoid the crowd. The crowd was very energetic and mosh pits were frequent and aggressive, but fundamentallyeveryone was very friendly;crowdsquickly dispersed between sets to grab a beer and have a smoke.

What struck me most was the diversity of the crowd; Koreans and foreigners of all ages and backgrounds attended. This is what felt most like home to me. For a moment, I was a quiet teenager again,going to my first metal show and hearing people talk about music I liked, or simply sharing the experience of seeing a mutually loved band. I wasn’t alone anymore; I was with people who didn’t exclusively listen to KPop or K-Hip-Hop, and that was enough for me.

I missed a few opening acts, which really disappointed me as one was the ska band SkaSucks/스카석스,who’s music I’ve been following for the past year.

While every band was incredible, lively, and unique, the ones that stood out to me were Whatever That Means…/왓에버댓 민즈 and Billy Carter/빌리카터. W.T.M reminds me of other bands I saw at FEST, an annual punk festival held in Gainesville, FL. FEST was the last big festival I attended before coming to Korea, so experiencing that sound again through W.T.M was strangely nostalgic.

Continued on page 20

17 susan sahab

Continued from page 19 Billy Carter brought something else to the table. They describe themselves as a Blues/Garage/ Rockabilly/Rock'NRoll band. They frequently have live shows around Seoul in addition to acoustic sets.

In the first few moments of hearing Jiwon’s soulful vocals over Jina’s rockabilly guitar and Hyun Joon’s drumming, I was completely wooed.

They were raw, aggressive, soulful, and fun. As they were performing, it was clear that they were completely immersed in their music and were in their element, which allowed the crowd to be a part of that intimate moment with them. The rockabilly/ blues vibe reminded me of bands like Save Ferris and Horror Pops with a little bit of Billie Holiday and Peggy Lee mixed in. Despite these similarities, they definitely have their own unique sound and there’s nothing out there that sounds like them.

Basically, they are three bad-asses with amazing talent who put on a great show. I left the venue buzzing with adrenaline, repeatedly men-

18

tioning how rad and amazing the music was with my friends. I got my piece of home that night, and I encourage any expat out there who misses a similar experience to catch a show.

To catch Billy Carter, they’re having a short tour in Pohang / Busan / Ulsan next week. Also, there is a stage show at West Bridge in the Hongdae area on November 26th and, for the Jeollanam-do area, they will be playing in Gwangju early next year (dates to be announced). I highly suggest you check out Billy Carter and look out for their second EP, featuring an acoustic sound, being released late December or January.

To find other punk/metal/ ska/indie shows, you can follow the Facebook groups: Korean Indie, Korean Punk & Hardcore, and Korea Gig Guide. Most importantly, all the Korean bands mentioned have Facebook pages as well, so please follow them for the most up to date information on their shows, album releases, and events. Check out the event page for Still Alive 7 for direct links to all the bands at the show.

See here

19

susan sahab

Dining with Dinh

An easy-to-make recipe from home for cold winter nights.

J

J 20

Mulled hot apple cider and wine It’s almost impossible to find prepackaged mulling spice in South Korea, so you’ll have to make it from scratch using the following ingredients:

Mulling Spice Ingredients • 4 cinnamon sticks, chopped into small pieces.

• 3 tbsp of diced dried orange peel. Organic Korean tangerine peels will also work • 1/4 cup of whole all spice • 8 whole nutmeg • 8 whole star anise Note: You can get most of these ingredients at Emart, and all of them on iHerb.

O

ne of the things I miss most about Canada come Christmasseason is an aromatic cup of mulled hot apple cider. I grew up in a city surrounded by Mennonite communities and farms that spoiled me with a variety of different type of apples, and the homemade beverages concocted with them.

Every winter my sisters and I would drive out to the Farmer’s Market and come back with cartons of delicious hot apple cider.

In South Korea I’ve had to make do with an equally delicious alternative: mulled hot apple juice (or for the wine lovers, mulled spiced wine).

Directions

1. Once you have your mulling spice and apple juice/wine, pour them into a pot.

2. Add 2 to 3 tbspof mulling spice to a teabag, tea ball, tied up coffee filter, or a 3.

4.

white tea bag-like cooking filter the Koreans use to spice up their soups with anchovy.

Add the spice bad to the boiling bot.

Reduce the heat, and let it simmer for 30 minutes. If you want a stronger flavour, let the juice/wine and spice simmer for longer, or add more mulling spice.

Note: Serve in a mug with a cinnamon stick, apple slice, or a swirl of orange peel to

make it look fancy.

Apple cider and apple juice are

very similar to each other. Fresh cider is raw apple juice that has not undergone a filtration process to remove pulp, while apple juice has gone through all of those processes. You can see why apple juice makes a great alternative to apple cider.

To make mulled apple juice/wine (cider), you only need two ingredients: Mulled Apple Juice or Wine Ingredients • Red wine or a quality apple juice • Mulling spices 21

photo essay

Teachers of Korea

What Jeollanam-do language teachers love about Christmas

By Susan Sahab and Richard Tang

22

On Christmas day, my friends and I went out and it had just snowed. We went for a Christmas day walk and got some food at a mushroom specialty restaurant.

Not really Christmas food, but it’s nice to spend time with the people you care about.

23 richard tang

Teachers of Korea

24 richard tang

susan sahab

For me, the best way to enjoy Christmas is to spend it with people who appreciate your company more than the gifts you give. That way, if you get them something terrible, it's no big deal.

I skyped with my family because in my family, we unwrap gifts at midnight on Christmas eve, and it was noon on Christmas day here when I called over and so I didn’t miss the present opening even though I was all the way over here. And it was good to be with a chosen family over here.

Laura always had a real Christmas tree back home, so over here, we had a fake one obviously.

We got one from E-mart; it was plastic and covered in fake snow, and because there was no smell, we went to Yankee candle and bought the Christmas tree scented candle. I think it worked.

25

Teachers of Korea

26 richard tang

susan sahab

Christmas is hands down my favorite holiday. There's so much to love and so much to hate about the entire process and general cheeriness of it. Yet, I can't bring myself to dislike any Christmas I've celebrated. Even the first one I had in Korea. It was a disaster that involved some poor choices and some terrible memories, but I feel it makes a pretty great story. Instead of sharing it, I'll share how I best enjoy the holiday.

The short answer is: the gifts. I love giving gifts. I love receiving them too. But, I really, really love giving them. You really have to dig deep and think about anything that person has said to you. Anything you've done and experienced together; pull everything you know about them to get them the perfect gift. It's the one holiday a year where you can give your friends gifts and they won’t feel obligated to question why you did it. It's the one day a year you can surprise them with how much you know or maybe even how little you know about them. And even when you're receiving a gift, you can see what that same person thinks of you and or what they remember about you. So, dig deep my friends. Think back on all the good times you've had with your friends or family. Really put some weight into the gifts you give them. A lot of the time you might surprise yourself with how fun it is to really think back to all the great times you've had with someone just to get them that one perfect gift. It really brings the holiday spirit out of you. I guarantee it.

I think to go from a big house with many people to a one room with just Kate and I was very different. We had a tree up but it was small and it was quiet. But we

made it work. It was our first Christmas with a significant other, which was new for the both of us. Usually you have a lot of people opening presents. But it was

just Kate and I opening presents across from each other. We made it our Christmas. Instead of it being a sad moment, we made it a happy one.

27

Planning for an evacuation

Preparing for an emergency, and what to do when there is one.

Canadian Embassy in Seoul, Korea See here

Letter from the Coordinator

H

istory has taught us that, although unlikely, natural and sometimes man-made disasters can happen unexpectedly;even in what we believe to be the safest of locations. In the event of an emergency situation,a little preparedness on our part canhelp us to be better prepared to deal with the crises at hand.

Register Abroad: click here

South Africa Embassy in Seoul, Korea See here

One of the first things we should do is to register our whereabouts, when traveling or living abroad, with our home country’s embassy. We should also always have emergency documents, an evacuation plan, and emergency supplies prepared.

104 Dokseodang-ro (Hannam-dong), Yongsan-gu Seoul, 140 – 884, South Korea Tel. (International): 82-2-2077-5900 Tel. (Domestic): 02-2077-5900 Email:general@southafrica-embassy.or.kr

First, here are the links for registering for your country’s Embassy in Korea. Once you are registered, your consulate will send you updates of what you need to know and supply you with the contact information of your local warden. I urge everyone to take a few minutes to register:

British Embassy in Seoul, Korea

US Embassy in Seoul, Korea See here

Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-710, South Korea Tel. (International): 82-2-397-4114 Tel. (Domestic): 02-397-4114 E-mail:seoulinfoacs@state.gov.

Register Abroad: click here Step Program, travel registration click here

28

21, Jeongdong-gil (Jeong-dong), Jung-gu Seoul, 100 – 120, South Korea Tel. (International): 82-2-3783-6000 Tel. (Domestic): 02-3783-6000 Email:seoul@international.gc.ca

Register Abroad: click here

See here

Australian Embassy in Seoul, Korea See here 19thFl, Kyobo Building, 1 Jongno 1-Ga, Jongno-Gu, Seoul, South Korea Tel. (International): 82-2-2003-0100 Tel. (Domestic): 02-2003-0100 Register Abroad: click here Australian Travel Registration: click here

New Zealand Embassy in Seoul, Korea See here KPO Box 2258, Seoul, 110-110, South Korea Tel. (International): 82-2-3701-7700 Tel. (Domestic): 02-3701-7700 Register Abroad: click here

Irish Embassy in Seoul, Korea See here 13thFl, Leema Building 146-1, Susongdong, Jongro-ku,

Seojong-daero 19-gil 24, Jung-gu Seoul, 100 – 120, South Korea Tel. (International): 82-2-3210-5500 Tel. (Domestic): 02-3210-5500 Email:Enquiry.Seoul@fco.gov.uk

Seoul, 110-750, South Korea Tel. (International): 82-2-774-6455 Tel. (Domestic): 02-774-6455

Register Abroad: currently unavailable

Register Abroad: click here

Email:seoulembassy@dfa.ie

“

“

...there is an emergency message hotline that you can call anytime, that will provide you messages on current events.

These are the direct links to travel registration and the embassy homepages.

You can navigate the page for further information.

Here are some other useful resources through the American government, however people of other nationalities can use them or possibly find alternatives by navigating their own embassy’s homepage.

First, you can download the AFN360 app(American Forces Network) on your mobile device. In the event of an emergency this will help you to keep informed on what is happening and what action you can take.

This can be found in the APP store for Apple users and under Google Play for Android by searching AFN 360.Also, from your computer you can access this, then clicking on the AFN 360 link and choosing your desired stream.

Second, you can also download the NEMA (National Emergency Management Agency) “Emergency Ready” App. Again, it’s a free app and it allows people to make 119 calls, locate the nearest emergency shelter, and watch various safety related videos.

Next, there is an emergency message hotline that you can call anytime, that will provide you messages on current events. You can call 02-397-4394 to reach a computer automated system that is said to never crash even in times of high call volume, such as an emergency.

Here are acouple more useful links to familiarize yourself with:

an emergency plan and on preparing a disaster supplies kit.

Mokpo Ferry Terminal - 061-2406060/6053

These are all precautionary steps you can take and, in the unlikely event of an emergency, you and your loved ones will be happy that you did.

Yeosu Ferry Terminal - 061- 663-0117

In case of emergency, you might also choose to leave the Country. Many people go Japan as they are more readily available from small airports located at this end of the country. Flights to the Philippines and Thailand are also common vacation spots and I noticed some flights to both when I glanced at the sites briefly. For international flights elsewhere including our home countries you would need to travel out of Incheon or Busan.

The airports closest to us are Yeosu, Muan and Gwangju. Mokpo and Yeosu both have sea routes also. The two main airline carriers flying from the area are Korean Air and Asianna Airlines but others do make an appearance also. http://www.koreanair.com/ Tel. 1588-2001 (24hours Everyday ,International Flights Information, in Korea) Asianna Airlines Tel: 1588-2000 or 02-2669-8000 The contact information for the three airports are:

Travel.state.org is the official Department of State portal on travel and emergency preparedness.

Gwangju Airport: 062-942-0111

Ready.gov is a national public service advertising campaign designed to educate and empower people to prepare for, and respond to, emergencies. Through this site you can find information on creating

Yeosu International Airport 061-685-6948

Muan International Airport: 061- 985-2001

The contact information for the two ferry terminals are:

Please keep in mind you need to check to see which airport or ferry terminal has flights/ferries available. The sites aren’t always up to date and being Korea things change a lot. I know some of the flights are not listed on the website. It is best to contact them. Also, in case of an emergency situation they may have additional flights or ferries.

If these were deemed unsafe then it would time to look at your consulate’s evacuation procedures. This is something you should familiarize yourself with if things were to get bad.

Attached you’ll find some information from the Canadian government that will be useful regardless of your nationality.

You can read more information about them here and information will be provided if needed on these if you are registered with your consulate: http://koreabridge.net/post/life-koreaemergency-evacuation-plans-south-koreachrisinsouthkorea Please do so and take some time to have all your documents, emergency supplies and some cash handy just in case. I attached an emergency supplies list for your reference.

I’ll continue to watch the situation and give you any information I can when I have it. I still feel there is no need to worry and this is only to address the concerns of others. chrisofficeofeducation@yahoo.com

29

Nutrients for men's health

A guide on diet and nutrition to aid men in a balanced lifesytle.

cal-laden protein shakes or eating protein bars, which are often a lot less healthy than we believe them to be.

An appropriate measure might be about ten percent of calories from protein, when we consider 1 gram of protein is 4 calories.

This would be more in line with Mother Nature provides in most natural sources.

Healthy Musings

L

ast month, I touched on the specific needs women have in regards to health and nutrition. This month, I focus on main issues men have discussed with me in the past.Keep in mind that, although this is specifically targeting a concern men have, it can also relate to women in the same way.

Men are generally the more masculine, aggressive, and competitive breed that inhabit the planet andcome with their own unique needs, or at least what they perceive as needs, in regards to their health and nutrition.

Often when men ask me about nutrition, one of their main concerns is surrounding the amount of protein in various diets.The main issue or misconception men have regarding nutrition is the amount of protein they actually need to consume. It seems society tends to believe there is something unmanly about not eating copious amounts of meat.

However, we should consider that even gorillas are mainly vegetarian, with the exception of the odd insect, and if they can fuel their needs and maintain their stature; surely we can on a vegetable-based, ‘low’ protein diet too.

As for a vegetable-based diet, there are ways to get non-meat sources of protein without daily guzzlingunnecessary chemi30

With this measurement, men need about 60g of protein a day and women about 50g, using the general standard of men requiring 2500 calories and women 2000. Active people should consume more, but they should also consume more calories in general, depending on their fitness goals.

Often estimates for dietary protein are much higher because government regulations and food recommendations/guidelines are influenced by agricultural businesses including the meat and dairy industry, both of which happen to make up the main supply of protein for the majority of people.

In addition to this misconception about the amount of protein needed in our diets, there is another issue with animal-based protein sources. Meat protein is very difficult for our bodies to process and digest, red meat.

In order to do so, our bodies burn some of the protein itself to utilize the remainder. This digestive process not only uses the protein we initially consumed, but the rigorous process of digesting the meatcan leave people feeling tired and sluggish. Cooked foods in general make us feel more sluggish, this is why people on raw diets usually note an increase in energy.

As if this is not enough, we need to consider some of the other negative aspects of consuming large amounts of meats, such as increased cholesterol and saturated fats; and increased rates of

heart disease, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancers. Then there are the antibiotics and hormones we feed our livestock that we also,unintentionally,consume by ingesting these meats.

With these things in mind, we can see that we might not need to eat as much protein as we originally thought and that meat protein might not be the wisest choice for our health. Although I do enjoy eating meat, I limit my consumption and encourage others to consider some non-meat sources of protein or even a vegetarian lifestyle.

Let’s take a look at some nonmeat protein sources. The following are some great additions for smoothies, to boost their protein content: Hemp Seas (10g), Spirulina (8g), Peanut Butter( 8g), Spinach( 8g), Chia Seeds (8g), Flax seeds( 4g), and Wheat Grass( 4g) Not only do the above provide added protein, but each has its own nutritional benefits to boost the healthfulness of your smoothie.

Some great ingredient ideas to add protein to your daily diet are: Tempeh (20g), Lentils (18g), Almonds 3 oz (18g),Edamame beans( 17g), Chick Peas (14g), Black Beans (15g), Pumpkin Seeds (9g) and Quinoa( 8g).

Other good sources of protein include sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, dark leafy greens, sprouts, tofu, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, nut milk, and brown rice. chrisofficeofeducation@yahoo.com