(EN) Gwangju News April 2010 #98

Gwangju News International Magazine for Gwangju and Jeollanam-do

April 2010 Issue No. 98

GIC Cultural Tour

The historic capital of Jeollanam-do: Naju Date: April 17th 2010 (Saturday) Tour cost: 20,000 won (25,000 won for non GIC members) Itinerary 10:00 10:50 11:00 - 12:00 12:00 - 12:45 12:45 13:00 - 14:45 14:30 - 15:00 15:00 - 15:30 15:30 - 17:00

17:00

Depart from the GIC Arrive at Naju downtown Walking tour of historic Naju city center (Provincial Governor's residence and administration center and Naju Museum) Lunch (Naju gomtang – traditional beef soup at a one-hundredyear-old restaurant) Walk to the Naju Confucian Academy, the second oldest in the country Traditional tea ceremony Visit Wansa Cheon (Historic well where Wang Geon once stayed) In transit Visit Bannam Go Bun (Historic Mahan tombs that predate the Baekjae Dynasty) and then walk to a traditional soy sauce and bean paste farm/factory Depart for Gwangju

Please make a reservation and pay the tour cost before April 12th to Gwangju Bank 134-107-000999 (Depositor: 광주국제교류센터). Transportation, lunch, and travel insurance are included. For more information, contact Singsing Kim at 226-2733/4 or gwangjuic@gmail.com or www.gic.or.kr/eng/ Late cancellation within 3-days of the departure date will result in a cancellation fee. To sign up, please submit the following: Your contact information (email, phone number)/ full name/ nationality / alien registration number (77xxxx-xxxxxxx)/ gender

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Gwangju News April 2010

Contributors

Contents

Gwangju News April 2010, Issue No. 98

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Publisher: Shin Gyong-gu

The Korean Way No. 86: The April 19 (4.19) Student Revolution

By 2Ys

Editor: Jon Ozelton, Minsu Kim Copy Editor: Kathleen Villadiego

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Seunim Beop Jeong’s Funeral at Songgwangsa

By Debra M. Josephson

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Songgwangsa

Photo Editor: Debra M. Josephson Coordinator: Karina Prananto

By Anna Martinez

Layout and Design: Karina Prananto Proofreaders: Pete Schandall, Rob Smith, Sam Richter, Kyle Johnson, Selina Orrell, Kathleen Villadiego, Katie Rayner, Steven Salinger, Solim Sirgey, Julia Waggoner, Daniel Lister Address: Jeon-il Budilding 5F, Geumnam-no 1-1, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-758, South Korea Phone: +82-62-226-2734

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Useful Korean Phrases

By Noh In-woo

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“My Life in Gwangju” Art Class Builds Community

By Doug Stuber

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May Concert History

Fax: +82-62-226-2732

Email: gwangjunews@gmail.com

Website: gwangjunews.net

By Maria Lisak

Registration No.: 광주광역시 라. 00145 Printed by Saenal (Phone +82-62-223-0029)

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April is Poetry Month

By Casey John Nagle

Photographer: Debra M. Josephson Cover Photo: Seunim Beop Jeong’s funeral in Songgwangsa (story on page 6)

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Africans in Gwangju

By Revocatus Machunda, Doug Stuber, Ahn Hong-pyo

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Koreans Can Use G20 to Fight Destructive Financial Speculation

By Michael Bielawaski

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Getting a Korean Driver’s License

Gwangju News Magazine is written and edited by volunteers Special thanks to the City of Gwangju and all of our sponsors.

By Mheng

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.

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Photo Contest

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.

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Art Review: Lee Seol-je at the Won Gallery

Gwangju News uses 100% E-PLUS recycled paper.

By Doug Stuber 28

Vegetarian Eating in Gwangju/ Korea

By Maria Lisak

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Harold Lear’s Swan Song

By Doug Stuber

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The Importance of Cho Eui and Tea in Jeollanam-do

By Warren Parsons

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Korea Maria: Jeongjagol

By Maria Lisak

Kim’ s Dental Clinic

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Korea Easy-cook Recipe: 김치부침개 Kimchi Buchimgae

By Park Su-ji

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Film Review: The City of Violence

By Adam Bourque

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Cartoon: Digby

By Leroy Kucia

38

Welcome to Cherry Blossoms Festivals!

By Park Min-ji

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Upcoming Events

Gwangju News April 2010

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The Korean Way

The Korean Way No. 86

The April 19 (4.19) Student Revolution

T

o understand the modern history of Korea, we need to know what some numerical figures stand for, i.e.

3.1, 4.19, 8.15, etc. These figures stand for the March 1st Declaration of Independence in 1919, the April 19th Student Revolution in 1960 and the August 15th Liberation from the Japanese colonial rule in 1945 respectively. August 15 (8.15) also marks the birth of the Republic of Korea in 1948.

The Korean War started on June 25, 1950 with a flagrant surprise attack by North Korea on South Korea, which lasted until July 27, 1953, when an Armistice was signed.

During the three year bloody struggle, the Chinese Communist army joined forces with North Korea and South Korea was assisted by 16 U.N. free world nations.

The ensuing seven years after the Armistice (1953) were a period of political and social turbulence in Korea. After the devastation of the country during the three-year war, 1950–53, Korea was dependent on foreign aid for survival.

However, the government was inexperienced in dealing with foreign aid and through a series of maladministration of aid, the then Syngman Rhee government of the Liberal Party lost people’s support.

Besides, Rhee attempted to prolong his presidency through political and legislative maneuvers which he forced through the legislature under martial law, leaning toward despotism.

Immediate Causes of Student Revolution The presidential/vice-presidential election of May 1956 was a political farce in that Syngman Rhee of the Liberal Party was elected president and Chang Myon of the opposition Democratic Party was elected vice-president.

This farcical thing was brought about because of the campaign trip. Opposition Democratic presidential candidate Shin Ik-hee was very popular, but died suddenly whilst on the campaign trail. Despite this people voted for him and his running mate Chang Myon. The result was a strange political cohabitation of opposition parties.

Analyzing the May 1956 presidential/vice-presidential election, the ruling Liberal Party realized that the forthcoming 1960 presidential election could not be won through normal processes, so they contrived a series of blatant and shameless devices that was a travesty of the election. For example, the forming of 3-man or 5-man bands to show one’s ballot to one another, showing one’s choice of a pro-government candidate.

The Home Affairs minister issued the infamous directives to all offices to carry out. In addition, the government advanced the scheduled election date by two months to March 15 for fear that the opposition Democratic candidate Cho Byong-ok might return from the U.S. after medical treatment there. Unfortunately Cho died in the

Students took to the streets to protest the 1960 election, thus sparking the 4.19 Student Revolution 4

Gwangju News April 2010

Naver

The Korean Way

The Monument of the April 19 Revolution National Cemetery for the April 19th Revolution

U.S. just before the election. The election was carried out one-sidedly without an opposition party candidate. After, the election announcement of a landslide victory by the government was received with skepticism by the people because they were well aware of the government’s fraudulent scheme. Such fraudulency did not remain uncovered. A righteous policeman aglow with a sense of justice exposed the infamous directives to the media and they came to light and angered the public.

The outcome of the farcical March 15 election was immediate: almost all students in Masan, South Gyeongsang Province took to the streets demanding reelection because the election was fraudulent. But the riot police countered mercilessly armed with teargas ejectors and allied with political thugs. Many students were wounded and some went missing. Prior to this, on February 28 in Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province, students were ordered to attend school, in spite of it being Sunday, to prevent them from attending the opposite party’s political rally. This angered the students, who took to the streets demanding not to politicize students. Thus student demonstrations spilt all over the country in March.

Now, a series of events escalated to the boiling point of student revolution. On April 11, the body of the missing Kim Ju-yeol of Masan Commercial High school was found floating in Masan harbor with a teargas cartridge stuck in his eye. This heart-rending sight was enough to make people’s anger and indignation boil over. They demanded the punishment of the murderous police and re-election.

On April 18, after a peaceful and orderly demonstration demanding re-election in front of the then National Assembly building in Taepyeong-no Street, Korean University students were attacked by scores of political thugs on their way to their campus. Many were wounded and the news added oil to the fire.

On the fateful day of April 19, almost all students of colleges and high schools in Seoul and the public, angered by the news of the previous day, turned out in hundreds of thousands in front of the government building demanding the president’s resignation and marched towards the presidential mansion of Gyeongmudae against the police order to stop. At noon martial law was declared and troops were called in. In the late afternoon, martial law was extended to other big cities like Busan, Daegu and Gwangju. At 17:00 hours martial law was upgraded to a national emergency state, and the police guarding the presidential mansion started firing at the advancing demonstrators, killing and wounding them by the hundreds. Fortunately, the martial law troops kept a neutral stance and showed a rather sympathetic attitude towards the demonstrators and they did not fire at the demonstrators.

April 25 was the climax that dealt the final below against the government. Some 300 professors from 27 universities and colleges ventured to demonstrate under the stern emergency martial law demanding the government to recompense the students for their blood shed.

On April 26, at 10:00, President Syngman Rhee announced his resignation from the presidency saying “if the people wants.” Thus ended the 12-year Rhee regime with the aftermath of Rhee’s exile to Hawaii and the family suicide of his running mate Yi Gi-bung, who had no one to turn to after Rhee’s departure.

The April 19 Student Revolution was not a political struggle to take over a regime nor was it a change of social system in order to realize a certain political ideology, i.e. communism or socialism. There was no intervention by any political power or political party nor was there any systematic campaign strategy nor objective. The students’ genuine sense of social justice which they acquired in school drove them to mass action to remedy the injustice incurred by the established generation. Their initial slogan right after the 3.15 presidential elections was simply “Carry out the election again because it was rigged!”

Historians say that the collapse of a legitimate government in Korea by the power of bare-handed students was the first in world history. Thus, the 4.19 Student Revolution at the threshold of the 1960s opened the decade of youth uproar in many countries. In Korea, a chaotic social situation after the collapse of Rhee regime in April 1960 was a prelude to a coup d’état in May, 1961.

By 2Ys (An audacious pen name standing for Too Wise, whose real name acronym is S. S. S.)

Gwangju News April 2010

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Feature

Seunim Beop Jeong's Funeral at Songgwangsa

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Gwangju News April 2010

Feature

O

n Friday, March 12, sometime after 10 a.m. I was sitting behind my narrow wooden desk swinging back and forth on my rolling chair at my institute, sipping my free morning dose of mochaccino with a coffee straw. I listened to and chatted with my ajummas (I rather say my vociferous, energetic, lively ladies who always start yapping in Korean at the beginning of class – I remind them “English ... and pleeeaase tell me what you just said that was so funny!”).

They talk with me about maybe something interesting they read in the news or some good gossip. That's a typical start to this morning’s conversation class. It's another typical Friday, talking about weekend plans, with the usual comments .... shopping for some cream for wrinkles that appear after the morning bloating dissipates, golfing without husbands, maybe the usual “nothing special” or some foreign flick they are going to download off the net, usually not blockbusters but quality choices.

However, some interesting news passed into one of my ears and didn't quickly leave out the other. One of my eldest, most honest yet most generous students, Kuemja, mentioned about a very famous Buddhist monk – the Venerable Beop Jeong – who had died and that his funeral ceremony would be held near Gwangju. By now the caffeine has reached my half-conscious, morning brain and awakened the photojournalist in me. I started asking, “Where and when and who..... and can I come with you?”

She pulled out her cell phone, left the room, called her friends and asked for permission if I could join... She quickly returned with a “Yes, you have permission to join us”. I had a photo op, and a story! Who needs flower festivals when you can go to a Buddhist tapin chik (a funeral ceremony in Buddhism from what I understood) in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, at Songgwang Temple (Songgwangsa) which is about an hour from downtown Gwangju.

Kuemja was getting slightly frustrated with her English, blaming age, but I enjoyed all the knowledge she was willing to give me from the moment we got in her childhood friend's car near downtown. The route went through the Sapyeong Tunnel, along the reservoir, following the curves to Songgwang and a 10:40 a.m. arrival. The ceremony started at 11 sharp for the cremation of the Venerable Beop Jeong on a funeral pyre made with a pile logs standing six feet high. We had to park a couple of miles away from the temple as we certainly were not the only ones who wanted to pay their final respects at the ‘simple’ religious ritual that the seunim (monk)-author-philosopher wanted (from what I read it was attended by 30,000 mourners, along with paparazzi galore and live TV broadcasting setups from KBS and the like). Beop Jeong's thoughts on a simple ceremony were questioned when the monks performed the finding of his sarira pearls from his body after cremation.

Facing page and above: Plumes of smoke rise from the funeral pyre as gathered monks solemnly pay their last respects

Thankfully, a bus owned by the Songgwangsa took us to the entrance where we were welcomed by members of Moogaksu Temple, a Buddhist colony from Gwangju handing out free bottles of water and a sticky-rice in saran wrap – traditional for this Buddhist event. After, I was hurried by the ladies to get started hiking up this somewhat steep but glorious mountain that would eventually bring us to an expansive open field where the Ven. Beop Jeong's body was already placed at rest. As I was trekking ungracefully up the mountain, I was already in my journalist mode capturing shots of various monks and followers retreating from the ceremonial site. I was thinking, “Please don't tell me I missed it all...” My ladies were faring much better than I was and got way ahead of me.

Prior to leaving Gwangju, I wanted to keep myself light and simple, like Beop Jeong, wearing simple off-white capris (bad idea, I got covered in mud as though I’d tumbled through the pines) and my favorite comfortable open-toed sandals. Nothing was going to prevent me from getting to where I wanted to be. My school backpack held a couple of standard lenses and an extra battery. I had my means of getting the shots in the huge crowd. I had to....and I did! Somehow, with much generosity by the followers and photographers (I think the foreign factor was to my advantage), I was able to maneuver myself forward to the heat of the fire and the emanating love of Beop Jeong's disciples. From the traditional Buddhist service (with some spoken words from a couple senior seunim and a ceremonial table with some prayers) to the steadfast masses packed among timberlands beyond in silence and prayer, I kept my eye keen to all that was around Gwangju News April 2010

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Feature

wishes are not kept by his publishers). Other sign details were about the temple's original founder, Master Hye-rin, from about 1200 years ago. Songgwangsa was purposely located in the nooks of the mountains away from any threat of invasion. Unfortunately during the Korean War, a fire completely wiped it out and it has gone through many reconstructions since. Beop Jeong's experience in the Korean War led him to his Buddhist calling and the search for the meaning of life and death. To be more exact, he was a “Business and Economics” major at Chonnam National University through his junior year before giving himself to the devout way of life.

Although strongly influenced by life and words of Mahatma Ghandi, who once said, “What do I think of Western civilization? I think it would be a very good idea,” Beop Jeong wrote about life as truly lived without attachment to wealth and prestige that city life instills into modern society. All the financial success from his royalties of numerous publications including the last of his series called The Beautiful Ending were donated to the needy with the support of a volunteer group called "Clean and Fragrant". The Beautiful Ending expresses views on preparing to leave the universal gifts behind like a nomad unattached to anything.

Living many of his later years in a modest cottage deep in the mountains of Gangwon Province to find peace from the center and to focus on his search for the meaning of life, he only kept his traditional robes and a favorite tea kettle. The Ven. Beop Jeong lived in honest poverty with the wealth of true enlightenment.

Above and right: Senior monks come together in prayer in homage to the late Seunim Beop Jeong

me, trying not to be of any disrespect. I overcame initial feelings of barging in on a private event quickly. My lovely student and gal pals waited for me an hour, before we headed into the main temple grounds for some prayers to Buddha.

Songgwangsa means “Spreading Pines Temple” (there were plenty of skyscraping pine trees) and its history is translated into English near the main entrance. Line 3 reads, “Of the Three Buddhist Jewels: The Buddha, His Teachings and Disciples, Songgwangsa represents the third in the tradition of the great Korean masters. The monastery has produced sixteen National Masters and many other great monks, and continues today to be one of the main training centers of Korea’s Chogye Son (Zen) orders.” Now I was beginning to understand more about why Beop Jeong was here rather than another renowned temple, like Haeinsa. Beop Jeong created a small temple called Bulilam behind Songgwangsa in the mid 70's and soon after published his bestseller Musoyu or "Non Possession" with limited production by his request (don't expect to buy a copy at a local shop... unless his final 8

Gwangju News April 2010

Story and photos by Debra M. Josephson

Discover Korea

Finding Harmony at one of Korea's Three Jewels:

Songgwangsa Seunim Beop Jeong spent much of his life at Songgwangsa, a temple which has been home to several high-profile monks through the ages. Located in Haenam County, in Jeollanam-do, the temple is easily accessible from Gwangju.

I

t would seem only appropriate that, while kneedeep in reading Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums, I should travel to the Buddhist temple at Songgwangsa. Resting southeast of Gwangju, Songgwangsa offers a quiet respite outside of the city limits. The voyage to this wholesome site is cleansing – if not for the soul, then certainly for the lungs – as the impressive temple, nestled in the lower range of Jogye Mountain, reminds the body what it is like to breathe fresh air once again.

Easily accessible by public transportation, the trip to Songgwangsa is a manageable jaunt for a Sunday afternoon. Buses run from the Gwangju Bus Terminal (U-Square) directly to the base of the temple grounds, taking around one and a half hours.

A short ramble up the mountain path positions you in front of Jogye Gate, also known as Iljumun (or “One Pillar Gate”), the first threshold to Songgwangsa.

Passing through this gate signifies that “one has

deserted their carnal and worldly desires, as well as their distracted souls, to enter the world of truth, and thus, one should act and think in a pious manner.”

Truthfully, entering through this gateway seems to quiet the mind – whether consciously or not – as you are suddenly in the midst of an archipelago of brilliantly adorned temples.

Songgwangsa, translated as “Spreading Pine Temple,” is the third of the Three Jewel Temples in Korea.

Songgwangsa represents sangha, the Buddhist community. The sister temples, Tongdosa and Haeinsa, both located in the southern part of Gyeongsang province, represent the Buddha and the dharma, the Buddhist teachings. It is traditional in the Buddhist faith for practitioners to initiate their journey to enlightenment by visiting the Three Jewels in succession: the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha.

As such, all Buddhist temples are created as a collection of three.

Cascading rooves at Songgwangsa

Gwangju News April 2010

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Discover Korea

Master Chinul built Songgwangsa in 1190 to fulfill his dream of creating a place for ‘like-minded’ people to worship together. Legend says that in searching for the ideal place to build the temple, Master Chinul carved a crane out of wood which took flight and landed in the exact place where Songgwangsa is found today. Many famous monks have lived at Songgwangsa, and a collection of pagodas house the ashes of these great masters.

Although Songgwangsa is nationally recognized as a historical landmark, it is still a fully functioning Buddhist temple. Therefore, as frequently as you may notice fellow visitors touring the sacred grounds, you will recognize the resident monks of Songgwangsa, dressed in the modest garments of worship, engaged in the tasks of daily life. As is commonplace in visiting most places of religious rite, photographing the monks (particularly their faces) is not permitted. Likewise, guests are reminded not to take photographs inside the temples. However, the exterior of each sacred building and the mountain landscape provide numerous picturesque vistas.

A large drum and temple bell at Songgwangsa

Like many active Buddhist temples, Songgwangsa offers the opportunity for a ‘temple stay’ for a period of the visitor’s choosing. The lifestyle of a Buddhist monk includes waking up every morning at three o’clock to the sound of a wooden gong. The day is filled with prayer and textual studies. Although the mountainous location of Songgwangsa is quite cold during the winter months, spring will undoubtedly prove to be the ideal time to enjoy the outdoor activities, such as the monks’ drumming ceremony and call to prayer at the great hall, which happens every evening at seven o’clock.

True to the Buddhist beliefs, the path to enlightenment is paved with the harmonious union of teacher and student. Thus, visiting Songgwangsa is a fulfilling experience for any devout practitioner or traveler, simply to celebrate a sacred ground so near to home.

Story and photos by Anna J. Martinez

How to get there Buses from Gwangju Bus Terminal leave for Songgwangsa at 8:50 9:55 10:45 14:55 15:45, cost 6,500 won one-way and take around 90 minutes.

Visitors write messages for good luck on large black roof slates

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Gwangju News April 2010

For more information on a temple stay at Songgwangsa, call 061-755-0108 or visit www.songgwangsa.org 540-933, 12 Seojeong-ri, Songji-myeon, Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea

Useful Korean Phrases

~ 은/는 잘 보냈니? (Did you enjoy...?)

Grammar Dialogue A: 안녕! 오랜만이야!

[Annyeong! Oraenmaniya!]

A: Hello! Long time no see!

B: 안녕! 방학은 잘 보냈니?

[Annyeong! Banghakeun jal bonaenni?]

B: Hello! Did you enjoy your vacation?

A: 응. 가족들과 함께 해외 여행을 다녀왔어.

[Eung. Gajokdeulgwa hamkke haeoe yeohaengeul danyeowaseo.]

A: Yeah. I went abroad with my family.

B: 오, 그래? 어디로 여행을 갔었는데?

[O, geurae? Eodiro yeohaengeul gasseotneunde?]

B: Oh, really? Where did you go?

A: 호주에 갔었어. 밤하늘에 별이 굉장히 예쁘더라 .

[Hojue gaseoseo. Bamhaneure byeori goengjanghi yeppeudeora.]

A: I’ve been to Australia. I could see so many shiny stars in the night sky! It was fabulous.

B: 우와.. 정말 멋있었겠다. 나도 호주에 가보고 싶어.

[Uwa~ Jeongmal meosisseotgetda. Nado hojue gabogo sipeo.]

B: Wow.. I think it was really good. I also would like to go to Australia.

Vocabulary 호주 [hoju] : Australia 방학 [banghak] : vacation 밤하늘 [bamhaneul] : night sky 별 [byeol] : star

2010 GIC Korean Language Class Schedule For more information, please contact Jihyun Kim at (062) 226-2733/4 or e-mail gwangjuic@gmail.com

V~ 은/는 잘 보냈니? (Did you enjoy ..?)

This expression is used when people want to know if he or she had a good time during a specific period. In this sentence, ~ can be a noun like vacation, weekend, holiday etc.

Ex) 방학은 잘 보냈니? (Did you enjoy your vacation?)

Ex) 주말은 잘 보냈니? (How was your weekend?)

Vocabulary Exercise In this letter grid, try to find the following Korean words, joining letters horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

수의사 (veterinarian), 인기 (popularity), 세수 (wash up face), 사형 (death penalty), 사지 (legs and arms), 수령 (receipt), 똬리 (coil), 원숭이 (monkey), 뱀 (snake), 지 인 (acquaintance) and many more things are possible according to your Korean level

제

수

장

벌

징

언

걸

가

족

의

일

방

칙

기

효

신

술

사

형

세

수

시

옷

귀

사

모

알

원

령

니

뱀

똬

혀

구

탕

천

숭

어

놔

리

밭

인

기

냥

빌

이

게

발

장

족

낙

너

사

는

토

가

알

긴

인

데

지

인

레

이

By Noh In-woo A freshman at Chonnam National University.

2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th

March 13 - April 30 May 8 - June 25 July 10 - August 27 September 11 - October 29 November 6 - December 24

Gwangju News April 2010

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Local Community

“My Life In Gwangju” Art Class Builds Community - how a local art class is bringing people together and providing a valuable outlet for their artistic needs

O

n March 13 at 2:30 p.m., Sarah Epp initiated “My Life in Gwangju”, a community art class aimed at expressing students’ experiences in the area via drawings and photography.

Quickly, the parameters of the class broadened to include writing, and after an introductory segment, the main group of 14 broke down into smaller groups to answer questions about their time in Jeollanam-do.

In the introduction, Epp announced that the results of the class would be shown at a May exhibition in GAIA Gallery.

She didn’t mean to add to scare anyone, and the reaction to the news was joyous, so her efforts and that of Kim Jihyun were accepted as a major plus as the class responded by making group drawings and planning field trips, being assigned homework, and getting to know each other’s goals as artists.

Three men and eleven women responded, and in the groups attended by this ‘staff writer’ and classmate, the answers were as diverse as the people, who had taken the plunge into a year or more in Gwangju, or who were born and raised here, or, as in one case, had spent eight years in Berlin and were now back in town and itching to create.

Ironically, Epp herself lives in Mokpo, so it is a testament to her generosity that she travels so far to give so much.

Here is a breakdown of selected quotes from the groups: Jennifer, from Alabama, USA: “I am an artist. Since I have been here the question of how and why I create has become harder and harder to answer. Working hard here has created a complete lull in artistic activity, just doodles and unfinished still lifes. I’m more an English teacher than artist right now.”

Laurie, recently from California, USA: “I just started painting again after five months. I have no courage. I

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Gwangju News April 2010

Top: "My Life in Gwangju" art class founder Sarah Epp, hard at work and (bottom) involved in a group discussion.

married an artist, but one of us had to have a job … but now I know I can draw. The biggest obstacle to drawing has been me. In graduate school I figured gallery management was the way to go to secure a job. When you paint you expose yourself, and in studio art classes you expose yourself and your process, and I didn’t want

Local Community

people to watch my process. Someone sent me a box of supplies and now free time equals painting for me. The art and teaching English inform each other.”

So-eun, a Korean who returned from living in Germany recently: “Art is a passion. I studied art history in Germany and now drawing is a hobby for me. I work as a consultant for a firm that ties Europe and Korea together here.”

Sam, from Korea: “I like to bike and I climb Mudeungsan by bike. I also love the quiet atmosphere at Chonnam University with its trees and people and places to rest.

Students play sports there, so it’s a great mix of studying and the outdoors. What makes me happy is learning enough to be an artist/photographer here.”

Lisa, from South Africa: “I live in Pungam-dong. With its reservoir and pagoda, it is a peaceful place, even if I'm bitten by mosquitoes. I’m in love with humankind, people’s personalities and body language. You can read a person’s life in their eyes. People, music, food and walking the streets inspire me. I like the natural escapes from your daily life. In Johannesburg, walking by yourself is too dangerous, especially outside town. Even in small towns, South Africa can create a huge amount of fear from women. People get nervous for me if I walk alone there, but I can walk easily here, any time. I find myself nudging my husband and laughing about how free we are here.

People leave things lying around without ever worrying about anything getting stolen. Financial freedom was the reason I came, but I also got more personal security. I am very motivated to stay here a long time. You can be more creative when you are free from stress.”

The project brought together artists from several different countries

Sarah, from Canada: “I love Bulgyoungsa (Bulgyoung Temple) with its long hiking trail. Not an easy hike at first! When I first discovered its mediation platform I was alone, so it was wonderful. The GIC is such a great meeting place. There are always festivals in the cities. And walking along the river in Gwangju, it is such a communal place, and inspiring.”

The class ended with a homework assignment to take our sketchbooks with us wherever we go and to make seven postcards in seven days (a homage to Tamlyn Young, who made 365 postcards in a year, with art on the front and a daily diary on the back. She also inspired the GIC Artist Collective booth at the Asian Youth Culture Festival last July, and that turned out to be a major success. Her presence in Gwangju is still missed.)

New friends and new art. This class will mount an exhibit in GAIA Gallery in May. You’re encouraged to come see what the 14 members made … perhaps it will inspire you to delve into your artistic side and be part of an exhibit in the future. Photography, paintings, sculptures, an installation, and animation movies have already appeared. What is your medium?

This class is full, but look forward to other art classes being offered at the GIC. With three Koreans and others from India, Canada, South Africa and the U.S., the international camaraderie was natural because Epp devised projects that had small groups talking to each other and large groups working on drawing together.

By Doug Stuber Photo by Kim Ji-hun and Jo Tae-seong

The artists' work from the class will go on display in May

Gwangju News April 2010

13

May Concert

India were the recipients of our fund raising efforts, as modest as they were.

This year we are collaborating with the United Nations Human Rights Commission for a concert on May 22. Funds raised will go to UNHRC which distributes funds to several causes.

May Concert History

R

aising nearly 26 million won since 2003, the Gwangju International Center has held the May Concert as a fund raising event, not for the GIC itself, but for the Korean as well as the international community.

In 2003 funds were given to a migrant workers shelter, raising awareness about the need of this type of support system needed here in Korea. In 2004 funds were donated to North Korea to assist in recovery from a train explosion disaster.

From 2005 - 2008, funds were sent to Sri Lanka to help with a list of deserving communities. In 2005 funds went to tsunami victims. From 2006 - 2008 the Sri Lanka Human Rights Organization were the recipient of funds.

In 2007 the Grenada School also was also a recipient of funds raised. Last year, 2009 the Kidz Shelter in Sivakasi, GIC Musicians Soprano Gil Ae-ryeong (Mokpo National University Professor) Soprano Park Gyeong-suk (Gwangju Education University lecturer) Soprano Pahk Kay (Chosun University Professor) Piano Park Jin-hee (Chonnam National University, Chosun University lecturer) Piano Lee Sang-rog (Chonnam National University, Honam Theological University and Seminary lecturer)

Cello Oh Seung-seok (Mokpo National University, Gwangju Arts High School, Chonnam Arts High School Teacher) Soprano Kim Mi-ok (Gwangju University Adjunct Professor) Baritone Park In-seung (Jeonnam Art High school Teacher) Soprano Lee Myeong-jin (Gwangju Municipal Chorus Member) Composer Kim Hyun-ok (Mokpo National University Adjunct Professor) Violinist Yang Se-mi (University of Cincinnati, Phd. Lecturer)

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Gwangju News April 2010

Each year we have a core of musicians from Gwangju and Jeollanam-do who perform in a concert which has Western classical music as well as Korean favorites. This concert showcases our local musical talents with moving renditions of instrumental pieces, exquisite solos and even a closing sing along section. I highly recommend you come out, put your penny in the pot for some good causes, and listen to our director’s wife, Pahk Kay, a famous and popular soprano here in Gwangju. You might even hear Dr. Gyonggu Shin, our director, sing with the musicians.

May 22 is a Saturday, so please mark your calendars. The concert begins at 7:30 pm in the Small Theater at Gwangju Art and Culture Center in Unam-dong, near the Biennale (Bukmun-ro #328-16, Unam-dong, Buk-gu). You can take bus 16, 18, 27, 51, 58, 84, 85, 95, 192 (Front gate of Gwangju Art and Culture Center) to get there or tell the taxi, “문화예슬회관에 가주세요.”

We hope you can come to this event. If not, we hope you are able to make a small donation at for the UNHRC at GIC. Or simply drop us an e-mail, gwangjuic@gmail.com, that you have put a donation into our electronic bucket at Gwangju Bank, account number 134-107-000999 (Depositor: Gwangju International Center 광주국제교류센터).

We also want to encourage you to create your own fund raising opportunities for causes you are passionate about.

Here in Gwangju, Sungbin Orphanage was able to collect household furnishings for a beneficiary of their fund.

Riann Arkinstall has created a movement “Korean Change for Haiti” which invites you to donate your loose coin piggy bank to the Red Cross for victims of the Haitian earthquake. We have many musicians about town and there are always causes that need our support, whether our talent or our cash. I hope you take some time to think about your current situation, identify something that you can ‘live without’ for a week and then donate that cash to the May Concert, or to any cause that you feel makes the world a better place for all people.

By Maria Lisak

Poem

April is Poetry Month Discipline I tried the phrenology of blackberries, pointing to clusters of juice-cells, calling one “desire” another “fascination,” watching each one glow like a stoner’s light bulb. But you were unimpressed. I tried the optometry of blackberries. I plucked two big specimens and held them to my face like compound eyes, declaring “I see everything as the dark origin of something else!” I screamed “O world of frog spawn!” But you looked away without laughing. I took your hand and dropped a berry directly into your palm. It sat there, ruining the mood like an anti-disco ball.

Eventually you walked away, leaving me to perfect the strange discipline of enduring a bountiful harvest.

No Lake Beneath the Ice You blink and connect flash to flash like stadium photography as the moment passes linking the spokes inside your irises to grass flattened by kiddy pools, gas-blooms beneath burners and sea anemones seen from above.

Even partially closed, your eyes become the sunsets of some twin-starred jungle planet or the painted, half-buried tractor tires found in the playgrounds of urban schools

Caution Signs

and when you’re wide awake, I walk the frozen lakes of your whites

A TV burns in every room of the apartment complex.

and stumble upon your irises like enormous, improbable lily-pads

Every window flickers blue.

The sirens blare. The windows switch red.

shocking as crop circles and revolving in associations.

Most nights, I can’t tell if my eyes are open or shut

“A Tornado comes for each of you.”

Says the voice from the television:

as I sit on your ice and watch aurora borealis shed green minnows, golden hail and the iridescent wings of insects

“A Tornado comes for each of you.”

into the double-barrel light-speed tunnels ever deepening behind your lashes.

Lightning rips through the clouds.

No one panics.

But when you’re not with me, when there’s no lake beneath the ice,

A child’s silhouette fills each window.

One hundred caution signs.

“A Tornado comes for each of us!”

They squeal: “A Tornado comes for each of us!”

cracks and echoes of cracks expand from the center of my reverie as I drill desperately into a reservoir of cold resonance.

No image will suffice. Flowstone lowers from the shanty ceiling like a stop-motion beard as experimental aircrafts crash like accordions through the tunnels of my gaze and it’s dull.

The tiger striped by warped prison bars spazzes in strobic episodes, tears the curtain of his lip to reveal his white choir of fangs and oh each fang is singing your name.

By Casey John Nagle

Gwangju News April 2010

15

Focus on Africa

Africans in Gwangju As the Gwangju foreigner community grows increasingly diverse, and attracts expats from all corners of the globe, we talk with three Africans about their lives in Gwangju, and how little is known about their home countries here in Korea.

Tanzania Revocatus Machunda PhD Student at GIST During my first few days in Gwangju both in and outside our campus I met plenty of people who asked where I come from.

To my surprise, when I told them that I come from Tanzania, they seemed puzzled.

Where on Earth is it? Woah! It’s in East Africa? A mention of Africa brought their memory back.

When I asked them if they knew Mt. Kilimanjaro, ‘The Roof of Africa’ as it is nicknamed at home, the answer was always “yes”. I proceeded to ask more… “Have you ever heard about Serengeti National Park?” Even before I finished asking, they had. The answer comes straight: “Sure! I know Serengeti and I like watching documentaries about animals in that wild park.” This has happened ever since when I first arrived here in 2008.

It might be surprising, but this is the reality. For some people I have just met while here in Gwangju, they know about Africa, but specific countries are hard for them to name sometimes. Probably there needs to be something interesting or popular for a country to become wellknown. Interesting how Serengeti is well-known but Tanzania is not known. And on one occasion, someone mentioned to me that he knew of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and he had heard it was in Kenya! I at once asked him, “How did you know this?” His reply: “I saw a certain advertisement which said ‘Come to Kenya to see Mount Kilimanjaro.’ ” So I then told him, yes it’s true – you can see Mount Kilimanjaro if you go to Kenya, but if you want to climb 16

Gwangju News April 2010

Top: Revocatus (second from left) poses with friends and a Yi Sun-shin lookalike; Bottom: Gwangju's roads may feature many hazards, but elephants aren't one of them

the mountain, then you have to cross the border to Tanzania. Does it still sound confusing? I guess not.

The name Tanzania comes from the union of two countries, Tanganyika (the mainland) and Zanzibar (the islands where we have Unguja and Pemba). There you can see that TAN was taken from Tanganyika and ZAN was taken from Zanzibar, and the two plus the last parts makes the beautiful name “The United Republic of Tanzania.” Based on the attractions and historical sites there, Tanzania is nicknamed ‘The Land of Kilimanjaro, Serengeti and Zanzibar’. I know they are known to many and for sure there are so many other attractions that you have to see for yourself to fully enjoy. Never heard about Ngorongoro National Park? This is the ninth world wonder listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a crater where people and wildlife share the same habitat.

Focus on Africa

What about the Stone Town in Zanzibar, a town that has retained its cultural diversity, urban fabric and townscape over a millennium (hence nick-named as Mji Mkongwe in Swahili, which means an ancient town)? It is one of the former slave-trading centres in East Africa along the Indian Ocean and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take a plane and see for yourself!

I returned home to Tanzania to find people watching some of the famous Korean dramas (such as Coffee Prince and Jumong). These were provided by the Korean Embassy to one of the television networks as part of a cultural exchange.

And as for me, staying outside my country has been a challenge too. My eating habits and lifestyle needed and still need adjustments. Eating while using chopsticks was quite new to me. I used to watch people in Chinese and Korean movies eating that way. But these days, it’s fine and I can use them well. There are so many things to say about Korea, and particularly life in Gwangju, called by some as ‘the city where democracy was born’, and with a strong democratic tradition. It is my hope that we will continue to share this as time allows.

The fact to learn is that when you stand outside of your culture for a change, you get new perspectives on it and your role within it. You become a fish out of water with the unique opportunity to look back into your tank.

Prepare to feel overwhelmed, both when you submerge yourself in another culture and when you return to your own. Living and working in a foreign country means more than learning new languages and customs, and other skills you could name … it's never quite like what it seems in travel books and brochures.

I am studying not only research related to my area of specialization, but also life here rich with social ingredients and cultural diversity. It was and is still a learning experience for me to be here in Gwangju while studying at GIST. I am able to learn about different cultures and meet a diverse range people. When you suddenly find yourself immersed in a world where everyone speaks another language, you may be scared out of your mind. But this wears off, and before you know it you'll be fluent if you put effort into trying to learn the new language. It's also a great way to build interpersonal skills, as you'll be in a situation where you need to befriend and interact with other people. It is my hope that I will continue to have a great time while here.

By Revocatus Machunda

Ghana Eugene Mensah Professor at Chonnam University World-travelling, cosmopolitan, Eugene Mensah finds himself a professor at Chonnam National University, after a lucrative time as a corporate lawyer in New York, and nine years as a researching professor, and Dean of the Law Department for two of those years at Cape Coast University in Ghana. He is not a visiting professor, but full-time. “That means I do all that professors do, including research, teaching and administrative tasks,” Mensah said with a smile.

His time in Gwangju has been full of wonderment and research, as his adventuresome side leans more toward the intellectual, and away from the social scene, that, admittedly, is dominated by people approximately one generation younger.

He took his law degree from Northwestern University (Chicago, Illinois, USA) and then, along with a friend who was Korean, began a laborious stint as a corporate lawyer in New York for the De Novo firm. “We worked 8 a.m. to midnight, six or seven days a week. The pay was great but it was no life,” Mensah said, in an interview at Angel-in-Us coffee shop on the Chonnam University campus.

“After both of us went to New York to work, we stayed friends, and he told me about the opportunity at Chonnam,” Mensah said.

“We also both moved to Korea at the same time, and, after the application process, I was delighted Ghanaian Professor Mensah is to be at Chonnam. I have happy with life in Gwangju lived in so many Doug Stuber Gwangju News April 2010

17

Focus on Africa

Mensah, who has two daughters and a son, is here without his family…but…“My 18-year-old son is visiting at the beginning of April, and that will be great,” he said. Ever the traveler, Mensah looks forward to travelling through Southeast Asia, China and perhaps even Nepal and Mongolia. After hearing about Andrew O’Donnell’s trip from England to Gwangju by train, Eugene was wondering when Andrew might be able to join him in a return trip to Europe by rail. Of course, it’s about a ten day trip, and includes jaunts around North Korea by boat, and the trans-Siberian railway through Russia, not to mention to visas (China and Russia) but that didn’t bother Chonnam’s international law professor in the slightest.

Ghana’s Freedom and Justice Monument, at Independence Square, Accra wikipedia.com

different places in the world nothing came as a big surprise in Gwangju.”

Like every Ghanaian I’ve met (including my sister-inlaw) the easy-going professor was happy to talk about everything from human rights to global economic crises wherever they may be.

“I teach both Human Rights and Business Law, and my continuing research is in Business Law,” Mensah said.

“Many of the differences we make up in our heads disappear when we meet people in person.”

“In Ghana we have a constitutional democracy that is moving from a formal democracy to a functioning democracy. We have free elections, but the democracy is dominated by the ruling party. We had a strong middle class until the International Monetary Fund (IMF) came in the 1960s. That decimated our middle class and moved it from state-controlled enterprises to private ones. Privatization also meant that the ruling party controlled who could run successful enterprises,” Mensah said. “My country went through hard times then, but my children are very optimistic because they see Ghana in a time when the middle class is growing.”

Unlike the success South Korea had at fending off IMF, Ghana’s state-run success became a privatized mess, causing any gains made in the numbers of middle class to disappear for almost 25 years.

During his first year at CNU, professor Mensah has had a delightful experience, especially since ‘Gwangjuvians’ are so welcoming to foreigners. “I don’t get out much here, due to research, but now that I know where everything is in Gwangju, a simple taxi ride takes me anywhere I want to go.”

18

Gwangju News April 2010

“When I arrived it seemed like the Law Department was not adept at handling foreigners, but once settled in at Chonnam, it has been a great experience,” Mensah said. “People in Seoul tell me that in Gwangju the local folks are very protective of their own, and wary of foreigners, but I have not found that to be true at all. Humans are the same everywhere. Their personalities show up in characters that, though separated by continents, end up very similar. At first there was a language barrier, but I feel right at home now, even though I do not speak Korean.”

By Doug Stuber

Kenya Brian Sambu An International Student at CNU What’s the reason behind your choice to come to Korea and study here?

Not many people in Kenya choose Korea as an option for studying abroad. I, however, perceive South Korea as an e c o n o m i c development model for many African countries seeking opportunities to become a developing nation. Many people used to visit the USA and the U.K. in the past, but recently, some started to take different courses. Also, I want to have a job in Korea, serving as a bridge between two countries. I speak English, Swahili, Korean and a

Focus on Africa

tribal tongue, and this would help me a lot in achieving my goal.

country? In Korea’s case, those who stood in favor of Japan could accumulate much wealth and power in the society and their descendants are still in privileged positions.

Could you tell us about the history of Kenya? I ask this because both countries [Kenya and Korea] share the same experience of being colonized by imperial powers, so I think we can talk about this topic.

It is very much the same in Kenya. The first President had many connections with the Empire and his Vice President was in reign for 24 years, being not much help to the development of Kenya. In my country, only a few people possess much of the land and those with power do. For example, one person possesses an area which is larger than Gwangju. One of those problems associates with this situation is that those areas cannot be developed for the common good; and hence hinders opportunities for economic development.

trade, Portuguese were the first to come to Kenya. They established some forts nearby the East coast of Kenya, and that’s why inner Kenya and coastal region look quite different.

Moreover, people in the latter command Swahili as their mother tongue, whereas people residing in Nairobi or other inner regions speak English as their first language.

Not many civil wars occur in Kenya, which is one of the most peaceful countries in Africa. For example, we accept refugees from Rwanda, Somali and Sudan. In 2007, there was conflict between those with power and those wanting power, deriving from the former’s hegemony for a long time.

Kenyan Brian Sambu, From the period of slave at Chonnam National University

I don’t want readers of Gwangju News to misunderstand that people of our country like the history of being colonized by the British Empire, but what they left seemed to help our economy to develop.

All those Social Overhead Capital (SOC)s, were built by the British and Kenya still makes use of them. It was they who made people of Kenya speak English and become literate, and now the fact that many Kenyans speak English helps in many ways since English is the language for almost all international exchanges.

Then, what did the colonial period bring about in your

What are famous pieces of literature or movies from or about Kenya?

River Between by Ngugi wa Thiong'o. It was written several scores of years ago, but it precisely depicts the current situation of my country. It has very complex story line and composition.

Are there any Kenyan activities or organizations in Gwangju or Korea?

We have Kenya Community Korea as a unity organization of Kenyans in Korea, and actually we are planning to have an office in Gwangju. There are 100 or so Kenyans in Korea and about 20 in Gwangju.

Do you have any last comments to make?

Hot air balloon safari over Masai Mara game reserve, Kenya wilddreamliners.com

Yes, I have. I hope Koreans can recognize each country in Africa, not as the African continent, but as the identity of all countries. From that point, many people can find potential within Kenya, as China and Japan do nowadays. Toyota made an agreement with the government to establish an advance post in Kenya, but Korea seems to be a bit late in this trend. African countries, including Kenya, have a great future ahead of them with the help of both human and natural resources within. I hope there would be more crossnational activities and relationships waiting for two countries in the near future.

Interviewed by Ahn Hong-pyo Gwangju News April 2010

19

Interview

Korea can Use G20 to Fight Destructive Financial Speculation

S

eoul – S. Korea will soon be the first Asian nation to host the G20 economic summit this November 10th. The focus will be on avoiding a global economic collapse that is causing nations’ economies to fall like dominos, the latest victims being Dubai, Iceland, Greece, Portugal, and Spain. With each economy that falls, a struggle emerges between that nation and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) not unlike Korea’s experience in the 1997 IMF crisis.

Historian, economist, and author Webster Griffin Tarpley was able to give some insight on what, in his opinion, is really going on, in a telephone interview to his home in Washington, U.S. He is actually a doctor in economics, a regular guest on various international TV and radio, and has his own weekly radio show from Washington DC, World Crisis Radio. His main area of focus has been criticism of banking elites, especially from Wall Street and London. He warns; “We are in a worldwide economic depression of incalculable proportions, and it is bottomless.

It started in the US and now it has migrated to Europe.”

His predictions in the past prove he should be taken seriously. In 1999 he published the book Surviving the Economic Cataclysm and he predicted complex financial instruments called derivatives were putting strain on the world economy and eventually could lead to a worldwide depression. Then in 2008, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, and other major US financial institutions, all heavily invested in derivatives, collapsed and set off the recent economic downturn. He says the total value of derivatives currently in the world market is worth roughly 1.5 quadrillion US dollars.

He stresses, “Korea is part of a global economy, like it or not.” For example Korea’s successful electronic and automobile industries largely sell their products abroad.

Tarpley believes Korea needs to fight financial speculation from the IMF, and look at what is happening in nations 20

Gwangju News April 2010

like Greece and Iceland and what happened here in 1997.

“The Koreans need to know that the 1997 Asian contagion IMF crisis was created by financier George Soros of Wall Street and London using credit default swaps,” he said.

“There is now a worldwide movement to fight derivatives (financial speculation)” Tarpley says. Iceland and Greece are now leading the resistance to the IMF with some success. For example, in a recent referendum, 92 % of Iceland’s citizens voted against paying the IMF. Greek citizens have now had two nationwide general strikes to protest paying the IMF. However, in 1997 the Korean government, under heavy IMF pressure, decided to pay the IMF (without a public referendum). “You don’t save face by paying the IMF, you save face by fighting it,” Tarpley said.

Despite the grim outlook for the global economy, Tarpley has offered a four-point plan that Korea and other nations can use to initiate a real recovery. He stresses that all of these initiatives are gaining worldwide support, so S. Korea would not be without friends at the G20 if they were to consider these. He believes the G20 in Seoul can be a platform for S. Korea to push these initiatives and truly lead the world economy.

Step 1: Ban credit default swaps, the form of derivatives specifically blamed for the IMF crises. The NY Times offered this explanation in regards to the Greek IMF crisis; “These contracts, known as credit-default swaps, effectively let banks and hedge funds wager on the financial equivalent of a four-alarm fire: a default by a company or, in the case of Greece, an entire country. If Greece reneges on its debts, traders who own these swaps stand to profit.”

Essentially, they are bets on fate of a company (or nation), and these bets can be made by the very same banks (actually ‘hedge funds’) that are supposed to be investing in growth, creating an obvious conflict of interest.

Interview

The Wall Street Journal reported there is a growing worldwide movement against credit default swaps: “International momentum is building for stricter oversight of derivatives trading, as a top U.S. regulator recommended new limits on credit-default swaps and European leaders pushed for a ban on speculative bets against government debt following recent financial turmoil in Greece.” Also the European Webster Griffin Tarpley www.tarpley.net Union (EU) wants to outlaw forms of credit default swaps at the G8 meeting in Toronto in June.

Step 2: Recreate and enforce the Glass Steagall Act, referred to today in Washington as the Volcker Rule. This was created in America after the first Great Depression and repealed by President Clinton in the late 1990s.

Named after its sponsors, this act outlawed banks acting as hedge funds. It said that a bank can be an investment bank, a commercial bank, or an insurance company, but only one of these, because being more than one creates the scenario of being able to bet on the fate of an asset you also invested in.

The governments of France, Germany, and Italy have all proposed legislations based on the foundation of the Glass Steagall Act. In the US senators John McCain and Maria Cantwell have recently proposed reinstating it. Economic advisor Paul Volcker of the Obama Administration also has expressed support.

Step 3: Tax all derivatives and speculative financial transactions in general with a Tobin tax, securities transfer tax, or ‘Robin Hood’ tax. This would be a sales tax or turnover tax for bankers and hedge funds. Derivatives were actually illegal for most of the 20th century (19361982) in America, as it was seen as a form of gambling.

Warren Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, and one of the wealthiest businessmen in the world, once called derivatives “financial weapons of mass destruction.” A one-percent tax on all financial speculation would greatly discourage abuse of derivatives, it would create income, and it would mean they will all be accounted for.

Supporters of taxing derivatives include the governments of France and Brazil, the Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, the Prime Minister of Great Britain Gordon Brown, and other politicians among G20 nations. The European Parliament in Brussels has demanded a Tobin tax for the EU. Parts of the British Labour Party and the

British trade unions are demanding a Robin Hood tax in the British election campaign, which has already begun.

The AFL-CIO and Congressman DeFazio of Oregon want a Tobin tax for the US. Step 4: “Nationalize the central bank in whole or in part to force them to finance real production,” said Tarpley. The Federal Reserve bank is private (not ‘federal’ at all) and they offer zero percent lending for derivatives, but high interest rate lending for real production.

He added “Use the zero percent national credit for an ambitious program or infrastructure – nuclear energy, fast rail, hospitals, schools, water systems, superhighways, and the like. Use the Tennessee Valley Authority model for regional development. Use zero percent state credit for export financing.”

Although S. Korea’s central bank is private (and once led by the current president Lee), it seems to have a great record. “What they (the Koreans) have accomplished per person in S. Korea is actually more impressive than the efforts of Japan and China,” said Tarpley. Korea is famous for its fast rails, modern subways, nuclear power plants built here and abroad, and there is a space program and great electronic and automobile industries.

He also gives two warnings. First, don’t engage in economic ‘monetarism’. This is the neo-liberal (von Hayek or Milton Friedman) theory that there are natural business cycles ongoing and when times get tough, its best to just let the free market naturally fix itself over time, never mind if people lose their homes or go hungry in the process. The government needs to use their central bank to initiate real tangible production, as explained in step 4.

Finally, avoid investing in ‘green jobs’. President Lee has indicated S. Korea will play a lead role in the “fight against global warming”. But global warming is not a cause that Koreans should engage without caution. According to Tarpley, Koreans should inform Lee that every green job created is a net loss to the economy, or else they wouldn’t need government subsidies, which they all do. And the government must say no to ‘carbon taxes’ or cap-andtrade speculative schemes, which would be paid straight to the IMF and World Bank, institutions that have nothing to do with the environment.

President Lee Myung-bak says the G20 meeting will be "the hub of the ‘new world order’ in the post-crisis era."

The people of Korea need to make sure that means policies that join the growing global movement against destructive financial speculation in the form of derivatives, and in favor of New Deal type measures that will lead to world economic recovery from the current depression.

By Michael Bielawski Gwangju News April 2010

21

Living Tips

Getting a Korean Driver’s License A new regular column, based on the Living Tips segment in GFN radio’s City of Light show, which aims to provide detailed information about living tips for foreigners in Gwangju. The column will help provide information to make foreign nationals’ daily life in Gwangju more convenient, offering useful tips from little issues like using a bank machine or making a bank card to big issues like changing visa status or extending period of sojourn etc.

have an aptitude test, take a written test, and apply for a Korean driver’s license. You can also go to a public health center to get an aptitude test. It costs 4,000 won.

This month’s tips are about replacing an international driver’s license with a Korean driver’s license and getting a driver’s license for the first time.

3. Once you have passed the test and got a stamp proving that you are fit to drive, you should ready three recent passport-size photos, your valid driver’s license from your home country, your passport, and alien registration card to apply for a change of international driver’s license. The application fee costs 6, 000 won.

Replacing an International Driver’s License with a Korean Driver’s License Foreign nationals who have stayed in Korea for less than a year can drive with an international driver’s license; however those who plan to stay longer should get a Korean driver’s license. A foreign national whose resident permit includes diplomatic, official, correspondent, corporation investment, trade management, professor, research, technical advice, special activity, and Koreans abroad and their spouse and children aged under 20 are only required to take an aptitude test. It is also similar for a foreign national whose driver’s license is issued from a country that recognizes a Korean driver’s license, and vice versa. However, for a foreign national whose driver’s license is issued from a country that does not recognize a Korean driver’s license, and vice versa, a written test simplified with 20 questions and an aptitude test are required.

Here are some tips in replacing an international driver’s license with a Korean one: 1. Go to the Naju Driver’s License Test Site, where you can

2. For foreign nationals who are required to get a written test, there are two ways to take the test, one is paper based and the other is computer based. Whatever you decide to take, the result of the test will be announced as soon as you finish the test. The written test costs 6, 000 won.

4. Your photo will be scanned and your Korean driver’s license will be printed right away. Your international driver’s license will not be returned to you. It will only be returned when you decide to go back to your country of origin.

Getting a Driver’s License for the First Time A foreign national who does not have a driver’s license must follow the procedures of getting a driver’s license in Korea which includes passing the written test with 40 questions, an onsite skills test and a road test.

Steps to Follow in Getting a Korean Driver’s License for The First Time: 1. Choose a driving school that is near your area.

2. As there is a very slim chance of meeting an employee in the driving school who can speak English, it is highly recommended to a take a Korean-speaker with you to help with the registration and understand the rules and regulations to follow when getting a driver’s license.

Driver’s License Classification, Training Hours and Fees

22

Gwangju News April 2010

Classification

Training Hours

Fees

Class 1 Manual

15 Hours

645,000 won

Class 2 Automatic

12 Hours

636,000 won

Class 2 Manual

15 Hours

720,000 won

Road Test

10 Hours

40,000 won

On Site Test

35,000 won

Extra Class

500,000 won

Living Tips

3. After registering and paying, you will be scheduled to attend a 2-hour driving lecture and 3-hour safety driving lecture, which are conducted in Korean.

4. You will be instructed to go to a public health center to have an aptitude test. The fee is 4,000 won. You will be given a form to fill out. You should also take along four passport size pictures. Your vision and hearing will be examined. When you pass the aptitude test, your form will be stamped. You need to bring the form back to the driving school, and pay 6, 000 won for the written test.

5. You will be scheduled to go to the Naju Driver’s License Test Site. The driving school will provide a van to take you to the center and bring you back to the driving school.

6. There is a Driver’s License Test Guidebook for Foreigners which costs 8,000 won. You can buy it in the driving school or in Naju. The test consists of 40 questions. The pass score for Class 1 license is 70 and for Class 2 license is 60 points. The test is given only on Mondays and Thursdays. On Mondays a paper based test is given, and on Tuesdays, a computer based test is given.

Your form will be stamped ‘hapkyeok’ if you pass the test and ‘bulhapkyeok’ if you fail. If you fail, you have to pay 6,000 won and take the exam again.

7. You will be taught driving for 11 hours.

8. You will have 9 hours driving practice on your own.

9. After training, self practice, and passing the written test, you will be scheduled for an on site skills test. The procedures for the on site skills test consist of start, crossroad, slope course, curved course, type crossroad, direction turning course, railway crossing, gear change

zone, and parallel parking. The passing score is 80 points.

You should be accurate because for every mistake that you make, 5 points or 10 points will be deducted. In the car that you will drive, there is a computer that will tell you whether you passed or not. If you failed the on site skills test, you must pay 35,000 won and take the test again.

You will be given a 5 hours driving lesson before taking the test again.

10. Once you pass the test, you can start the driving lesson on the road. There would be 20 training hours including self-practice. After you complete the 20 hours, you will take a road test. If you fail the road test, you have to pay another 40,000 won, have 5 hour straining, and take the test again.

11. After you pass the test, you will have your provisional driver’s license after a month. The driving school will process everything. A driver’s license will be issued after a year.

To reach the Naju Driving License Test Site by public transport, take bus 160 from Gwangju to Naju, or a direct bus to Naju from Gwangju U-Square Terminal. From Naju Terminal, take a 10-minute taxi ride to the test centre 전남 운전면허시험장 ‘Jeon-nam un-jeon myeon-heo shi-heomjang’. See also www.dla.go.kr/english/index.jsp.

Catch Living Tips on the radio on GFN, as part of the City of Light show, airing every Monday-Friday 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hear Mheng’ segments around 7.30p.m.

Wednesday.

By Mheng

Driving Schools in Gwangju Dong-gu (East District) 신진자동차학원 소태동 101-1 (062) 234-4343 Buk-gu (North District) 자동차학원시내연수팀 일곡동 819-3 (062)972-5300 광주시내연수 양산동 249 (062)412-8400 운암동 1101 (062) 462-4800 자동차시내연수 용봉동 1389-7 (062)-575-6700 용봉동 1366-13 (062) 512-2323 문흥동 978-7 (062)262-1516 일곡금호자동차운전전문학원 일곡동 46-19 (062)576-9400

상무자동차운전전문학원 동림동 911-5 (062)606-7114 광주시내운전연수 두암동 1 (062) 446-3200 일곡동 1 (062) 461-9800 매곡동 1 (062) 461-4200 제일자동차학원 운암동 140-17 (062) 513-3386

대성자동차운전학원 동림동 917-8 (062) 513-6500 현대자동차운전전문학원 문흥1동 948-12 (062) 521-6688 중앙자동차운전전문학원 문흥동 104-2 (062)383-8540

현대 자동차 운 전 학 원 일곡동 850-3 (062) 572-8785

현대운전연수원 운암동 140-17 (062) 528-1784

( 주) 동신자동차학원 우산동 190-9 (062) 269-6400 우산동 190-2 (062) 266-6305

Nam-gu (South District) 오케이자동차운전전문학원 송하동 350-5 (062)675-7100

신한자동차운전학원 운암2동 482-42 (062) 513-5454

광주시내연수 진월동 348 (062) 463-4800 봉선동 68 (062)463-1700

( 주) 중 앙 자 동 차 운 전 학 원 문흥동 104 (062) 269-7777

한국자동차학원 송하동 69-1 (062) 674-1900

Seo-gu (West District) 쌍촌동상무자동차학원 농성동 331-32 (062) 363-5500 광주시내연수 쌍촌동 1282 (062) 454-5300 풍암동 1096 (062) 655-7100 길따라 금호동 742-2 (062) 382-4800 대성시내운전연수 광천동 676-20 (062) 363-6511 쌍촌동상무자동차학원 쌍촌동 295-1 (062) 372-2000 Kwangsan-gu (Kwangsan District)

용성자동차운전전문학원 양동 35-7 (062) 943-8100 기아자동차운전학원 흑석동 158-15 (062)432-7900 광주대우자동차운전전문학원 산정동 117 (062)512-1000 광주시내연수 신창동 1187 (062)457-4300 무등자동차학원 신창동 1094-1 (062)234-8777 금호자동차학원 도천동 135-20 (062) 953-8400 대형자동차운전학원 신창동 1094-1 (062) 513-3115 제일자동차운전전문학원 신창동 1094-1 (062) 513-3113

Gwangju News April 2010

23

PHOTO CONTEST W I N N E R

A winding path leads deeper into the bamboo forest, Damyang

Photo by Leroy Kucia

Lovers' padlocks and messages cover the railings at Seoul Tower

Photo by Meghan Reynolds 24

Gwangju News April 2010

A taekwondo student in action during black-belt testing

Photo by Nicole Appel

Rows of identical statues adorn the interior of a Buddhist temple

Photo by Debra M. Josephson To enter Photo Contest, simply send your name, photo and picture description to gwangjunews@gmail.com.

Gwangju News April 2010

25

Art

Lee Seol-je

at Won Gallery private exhibition t a recent Won Gallery private exhibition on Gwangju’s “Art Street,” photographer Lee Seol-je proved that he has mastery of both technique and style. Because the double-images (not double exposures mind you) are often surreal, you find yourself wondering whether Salvador Dali is an influence, as orange fish float above black and white alleyways, or an image, so precisely a woman’s form from four meters away becomes more and more a flower as you approach the picture.

A

and all. How? Optics, specifically when and where the human eye makes contact with certain colors.

Why are both these Daliesque? Because Dali loves the orange/blue play and putting unthinkable juxtapositions into his work, and because he famously made a 12-by-4 meter painting that, up close, is of his wife Gala looking out a window at the famous blue bay in Spain in an orange sun dress, and from ten meters or further away, is an exact black and white rendering of Abraham Lincoln, top hat

His pamphlet says that the works are “created on the basis of the visual restructure of memory, hovering over the vague border between reality and unreality.” Moving away from traditional empirical works, Lee now expresses the “longing that is in my extreme emotional memory … and the change of visual things appearing three-dimensionally on a flat surface where my personal perspectives let my works

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Gwangju News April 2010

It’s one thing to be so obsessed about optics and dreamscapes as a painter, and quite another to pull off multiple surreal images as a photographer. Lee has succeeded in transforming his education (BA/MA Fine Art, Chosun University) into a stellar career that is just blossoming, yet, has already gone so far.

Art

Above: Koi in an Alleyway; Previous page: Three Blue Fish Swimming

communicate with the diverse perspectives of the viewers.”

Within those parameters these pieces work, and on a number of occasions they rise to world-class art. Lee, who has shown in Busan, Jeonju and Naju, and the Gwangju Museum of Art, has also pushed his work into very difficult markets to enter, such as New Delhi, Beijing and even New York. “I have had two shows in the Chelsea art neighborhood in New York so far,” Lee said as he explained the details of his work. Printed versions of these images do not do justice to how much they change as viewers approach or look from far away.

The woman’s face over bamboo is easy to see here, but at the gallery, from a distance, only the bamboo stands out, blurring the woman. With each step the relationship changes until finally the woman surmounts the bamboo.

Another striking example is the one in which sea gulls appear to be flying up out of the water, while fish are ‘flying’ in the cloudy sky. This may seem like a simple trick, but it is the work’s artistic merit that draws you in so you can create your own surreal story.

Lee spreads his work from tight color palettes to vivid contrasts, but the best work in this exhibit was in muted pastels: the square-on woman behind “ashes of roses” colored flower with bursting stamen is my favorite. Robert Mapplethorpe would have loved the flower by itself, but with the woman’s image, the effect is more haunting than a straight flower capture. At just the right distance, it’s as if the stamens are lacework acting as a clasp on an evening gown. A nude behind a flower that has the rough edges of expertly made rice paper comes off as a Buddhist homage to women, and the standing woman, facing away behind a pink-orange-yellow lily that is the piece that drew me in off the street, even though it was on the back wall. In this

Temple Fish

one, the flower itself takes on the shape of an ascending nude. Who could resist that?

Lee also put up a series of smaller prints with gemstones attached that are guaranteed to pique the interest of collectors who seek a unique version of his work. None of the original magic is lost, as he carefully selected and applied stones based on color and size.

There was not a weak one in the group, but I was not madly in love with one purple overly-colorized work, though many would be. In a dozen years worth of exhibits Lee has transformed photography into paintings, a trick performed by few photographers other than the likes of Sally Mann, who has been printing large landscapes on glass for a dreamy effect. Like Mann, Lee is enamored by the human form and natural beauty. While she keeps the two separated, sometimes by years not just different rooms, he blends the two for a unique effect that is bound to be seen in world capitals for the rest of his career.

By Doug Stuber

Gwangju News April 2010

27

Food and Drink

Veg Out in Gwangju

Eating and Shopping Vegetarian Style

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egetarianism. Some people do it raw, some strictly vegan. Others go for macrobiotic basics.

Some like me have vegetarian days each week.

Adjusting to a new food gathering practice in Gwangju can be daunting when not just the words are in a different language and food looks different, but also prices and how things are packaged by weight are different.

In talking to Hughie, a vegetarian who is new to Gwangju, he recommends just jumping in and to not be afraid to make mistakes. He shops at the street market near his apartment. He wanders down the street, picking up Asian pears, then some tteok or rice cakes, before choosing some gyuls (little tangerine like oranges). He could also pick up some veg’ or tofu – right from the vendors on the street. But mainly Hughie eats out in restaurants.

A vegetarian veteran in the Gwangju scene is Julian, who mixes up his diet by both eating out regularly and cooking at home. Julian trains for triathalons, so really needs to watch that he gets enough protein from his veg’ diet. Nuts, seeds, tofu and beans are always a grab away at home to power up his meal.

Over the years, friends of mine who are strict vegetarians really suffer in Korea. Nearly all soups and stews start with a fish base. Seafood is a regular, but not a core component of doenjangjjigae and sundubu, which are excellent vegetarian choices except for the fish or seafood. Meat products, salted beef or some cured pork are also frequently used in side dishes of vegetables. A side dish may look like a bunch of veggies but actually have a meat based sauce or marinate. This is a real bane to vegetarians here from overseas. If you are hard core vegan or vegetarian – this might be a good time to go raw. There are not a lot of foods that are vegetarian or vegan that mimic other foods – like faux tacos or veggie burgers.

However, if you pop into one of the Seven Day Adventist buffets around Gwangju, you can be guaranteed to eat only vegetarian and have your pizza too.

your plates and bowls (which you bus yourself) go back to the dish washer without leftover food. The buffet usually has two kinds of rice – a rice and bean mix and then a brown rice. You can make your own bibimbap from the fresh veggie and kimchi toppings. Bossam is also a great way to get your greens. They serve a wide selection of sangchu – romaine of several colors from a light yellow to a dark purple, assorted kale, perilla leaves, celery leaves and dandelion leaves. There are homemade breads, homemade nut butters and a todie-for honey mixture with peanuts and sesame seeds.

They have salad fixings and several traditional Korean side dishes like baby ferns, mushrooms in sticky soy sauce, and spinach with doenjang paste. Hot items are also available: pizza, mandu, faux tangsuyuk, veggie balls. And I haven’t even mentioned the tteok yet. If you haven’t eaten tteok yet, a veg buffet will allow you to taste test several to find which kind you like best.

There are several vegetarian buffets all over Gwangju.

Usually priced around 10,000 won for a meal, you are asked to only take what you can finish – make sure

Tteok cafes are popping up all over. YehDaSon has franchises in Bongseon-dong, Jinwol-dong, but I recommend a visit to the ‘big’ house of YehDaSon

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Gwangju News April 2010

Food and Drink

across from Hyundai Department Store near the Gwangju Train Station. Have some jaksol tea (from orchids) and try some songpa (colored by herbs and have centers of melted brown sugar, honey, sesame seeds or sweet red bean paste). They usually have some sample plates for you to try the different kinds of tteok.

Unfortunately we don’t have a kicking Buddhist restaurant in town like the Sachon in Insa-dong in Seoul, but you can always go to one of the temples or doa temple stay to experience a Buddhist vegetarian diet. However, don’t expect haute cuisine like you would get with the glazed tree bark at Sachon. Usually meals at temples are simple, home cooking of some sticky white rice, doenjangguk and kimchi.

Jeolla is considered the breadbasket of Korea. While you may not eat bread as a vegetarian, there are so many wonderful things to try: fresh, tender bamboo hearts in your bibimbap, pickled lotus root, liver tonic kimbap with the addition of burdock root. Or just ask your favorite restaurant to make a dish without meat or fish. It’s worth a try. The new Chinese homestyle cooking at the Courtyard, accommodates vegetarians with some special dishes. Siete Belli has organic pasta with a veggies only tomato sauce, or try the falafel at The First Alleyway. http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en& msa=0&msid=101391246286214769758.00047d56ef3 812ce76376&ll=36.46078,127.881492&spn=3.47727,2.

919387&source=embed This map has links to Gwangju vegetarian restaurants.

Gwangju is famous for Mudeung watermelon and strawberry season starts shortly.

Grocery Shopping • Hit the street vendors – all areas of town have people on the street selling fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and grains, as well as tofu and fish.

• Local Mom and Pop marts – usually have all the basics for a Korean stew. Seasonal fruits and basics such as cabbage, romaine, carrots, onions, mushrooms and leeks can almost always be found along with fresh tofu (dubu). Look near the beer cooler for small packages of nuts, seeds and dried fish all at reasonable prices.

• Underground Grocer – sells lentils, beans and nuts that you can purchase to cook at home.

• Organic shops – typically marked with a Ladybug on the sign, you can purchase some fresh produce and some even have bakeries attached. They do carry nut butters and various processed food.

• Vegetarian Buffets – these gems sell various processed or packaged items like flaxseeds.

• Outdoor markets – this is a great way to shop in bulk. Buy a big box of fruit. Juice or dry out food. Juicers and dehydrators can be purchased at E-mart or online at G-mart.

• Lotte Super – located all over town, I find they have some of the freshest produce at the best prices. While the selection isn’t as large as E-mart or Shinsaegae, it is a good place to shop regularly.

•E-mart – There are E-marts in Sangmu, Bongseong-dong, Daein, and one near the bus terminal. They have organic centres right next to the produce section. There are fresh organic items, rice, beans, as well as processed items like jams, butters, cereals, cookies, oils, juice, eggs and milk products. Check the frozen food area for tofu products – dubu mandu, dubu “sausage.” The bakery area also has some whole meal breads and snacks.

Things I love about Korea that cost a fortune in Indiana: Asian pears and mushrooms.

• HomePlus – Located in Maeung-dong. It is quite similar to E-mart’s selection

Things I love about Korea that are pathetic in Indiana: bean sprouts

• Shinsaegae – Not the E-mart Shinsaegae, but Shinsaegae’s basement. They have a gourmet selection of produce – I’ve purchased white asparagus, green beans and star fruit there – but you should be ready to pay a pretty penny, or even a winning won. Also check the aisles for organic or vegetarian items from different countries.

By Maria Lisak

Korean Phrases How much is that = 저거 얼마입니까?

Can I have half of that = 저거 반만 살 수 있을까요?

I am vegetarian = 저는 채식주의자 입니다 I am allegeric to it = 저는 그거에 알레르기가 있습니다 Pear: 배, Persimmon: 감, Orange: 오렌지, Lettuce : 상추 Garlic: 마늘, Onion: 양파, Watermelon: 수박, Carrot: 당근, Sesame seed: 참깨, Almonds: 아몬드, Apple: 사과, Tomato: 토마토, Soy: 콩, tofu: 두부

Warning: shelf life. Fresh produce doesn’t last long – maybe one or two days. A newbie’s suggestion is to buy maybe a half dozen of something and then eat them as a mainstay and snack choice over two days. This is also a really healthy mono-food fast technique if you just need a break from a diet heavy in salt, restaurant food or processed foods.

Has anyone located raw nuts? Now stop the laughing, I’m serious. Most nuts here are roasted or processed in some way.

But then is that what Korea does to nuts? The people nuts get roasted on soju and the actual nuts always get roasted in the oven?

Gwangju News April 2010

29

Music

Left: Tim Crawford riffs (photo by Simon Bond); Right: Harold Lear passes the microphone to Norbert Morvan (photo by Doug Stuber)

Harold Lear’s Swan Song

H

arold Lear and his band, Dr. Bob and the Disco Beaver, played their last show ever at Speakeasy on March 6. It was packed like sardines, which was appropriate since many were initiated as “Honorary Newfoundlanders” by “kissing the fish” and slamming an insane Canadian whisky named “Screech,” at the end of the night.

Also onstage was the G-Jay band, with a recently revamped lineup of Tim Crawford (saxophone), Norbert Morvan (vocals and MC “Royale”), Tony Boyd (bass), Gordon MacKay (guitar), Caleb MacIvor (keys, vocals, songwriter, originator, bandleader, task master and booking agent), Ed McEntee (drums), and Carlos Gentile (percussion).

The packed bar had barely enough room for dancers to improvise. Couples were spotted doing the Mashed Potato, the Bus Stop, and the dance that has made Speakeasy famous, the “your-place-or-mine?” And who could resist a swing around the dance floor with the blues-driven, hard-driving guitar riffs of Harold Lear and his accomplished band?

You could see the emotion of playing his last gig in Korea on Harold’s face, but he scored a tenured professorship in New Brunswick, Canada, and could

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Gwangju News April 2010

not resist teaching sociology, though his PhD is in Eastern Philosophy.

“My master’s degree is in sociology, so it’s not a big stretch,” he said with his characteristic smile.

His music and merry-making will be much missed. He named the night “Saturday Mayhem,” and it was not shocking that many who knew him from his latest stint in Suncheon made the trek to bid him adieu.

Not to be outdone (except notably on drums and guitar) the G-Jay band also got our feet moving, as Norbert toasted the crowd, and the band played funk, reggae and rock numbers from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, as well as Caleb’s soulful originals. You couldn’t be faulted for thinking this band was formed at a catholic church, what with the Macs and Mcs, but it turns out bassist Tony Boyd hails from Scotland itself, thus not one of the millions that are part of the Irish and Scottish diaspora.

As a music critic, I’d pick Tim Crawford as the undisputed star of the G-Jay band. His sax riffs began halfway through the Disco Beaver’s first set (he was upstairs at the time). His runs, more Charlie Parker than Eric Dolphy, kept going non-stop, except for a

Music

brief breathing period to walk downstairs and set his microphone height. Did he ‘warm up’ during the s t a g e preparation?

Yes. Did his hyperkinetic, beautiful, lyrical alto sax solos continue t h r o u g h everything but other solos?

Indeed. Was it Dr.Bob’s Dan McKague Simon Bond a distraction to Norbert’s singing? I think not. Why not? Because Crawford is good. Very good.

You can tell these guys love having a gig outside the realm of teaching English, as the pre-show banter was flowing like earth-rumbling splashes emanating from Niagra Falls. “One night we had a small crowd, maybe 12 people, but all 12 were dancing. One dude fell, broke our mike stand and knocked himself out. We picked him up and he kept dancing,” McIvor said. “We’ve made it into a Korean documentary, and play just about everywhere we can find. On the originals I write the music, and Norbert writes the words…the songs grow organically.”

Many of the members are “lifers” in Korea, meaning, once they arrived here and discovered the gentle culture, sincere friendships and positive working conditions, they stayed for life. Three are married, four are Canadian, two are from the U.S. and one is Scottish. They play out of Jeonju. “Being right in the middle of the peninsula is an advantage when it comes to playing gigs all over the country,” MacIvor said. He also said there were no “real leaders” in the band, and that they are “living the dream” by being able to play so often.

“We changed a lot of songs this year, with new members. Everyone brings in ideas for cover songs and then I shoot them down,” MacIvor said, laughing.

“We have an advantage because we can play sets of covers with just three members, so we’re flexible in case some people are too tied up to make a gig.”

Dr. Bob and the Disco Beaver played near-perfect renditions of classics like the James Gang’s “Funk 49,” Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitious” and, to allow a little improvisational guitar freedom, Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile.” G-Jay then kept the “Groove Thing” going with originals like “Faces,” and a memorable cover of the Specials “(a message for you ) Rudy.” The trombones were not missed, with Crawford’s sax work, and the appropriate multicultural Specials were great to hear, as it had been a while, since there is nothing like a classic rock or rock station anywhere near Gwangju.

This too is why the Disco Beavers will be missed, and why we hope the G-Jay band will be back. Speakeasy impresario Derek does a great job locating Korea’s talent, and there is little doubt that new bands shall arise from the pool of English teachers. There is no way any will touch the guitar mastery of Harold Lear though. His musical resume includes a stint with Ringo Starr, and by golly, if Harold’s good enough to be a tenured sociology professor at New Brunswick, and has the musical chops to be Ringo Starr’s guitarist, that’s one mighty hard act to follow.

Left: G-Jay’s Norbert Morvan; Right:Rob Bamford

By Doug Stuber

Simon Bond

Gwangju News April 2010

31

Feature

The Importance of Cho Eui, and Tea in Jeollanam-do Part five of our six-part journey in the world of tea.

Canto XV Moderations harmonizing water and tea leaves.

Profound and delicate inside; Hard to be revealed.

Genuineness and cleanliness; Not separated from body and mind.

Though body and mind are flawless, Be afraid to lose moderation Being moderate is Strength and spirit united.

The Venerable Cho Eui (tran. Chang Bae Kim)

J

eollanam-do is not only the home of much of Korea's tea but also of its foremost tea advocate and scholar, the Venerable Cho Eui. Cho Eui was born in Muan in 1786 and he spent most of his life in and around his home province. In 1837, he wrote Dong Da Song or The Excellence of Tea in Verse. Through his poetry, his praise of tea extends beyond production and consumption and into the realm of art and spirituality. To accompany the Dong Da Song, Cho Eui also wrote Da Sin Jeon, which offers more technical information about producing and making tea. He includes specifics about harvest times, brewing vessels and water temperatures among other things. Together these two books represent Cho Eui's treatise of tea, and he was the voice of tea and tea culture in Korea at a time when tea had lost its appreciation.

It is generally accepted that tea first came to Korea during the Silla Dynasty from China by Buddhist monks. The earliest gardens were planted at temples, but as time passed and with the growing popularity of tea, greater cultivation began in Korea's southern provinces. Because of it scarcity and cost, outside of temples, tea was mostly consumed by Korea's nobility. Tea's popularity continued to grow well into the Goryeo Dynasty as the ruling class fully embraced the beverage along with its Buddhist associations. The Goryeo kings and nobles enjoyed extravagant tea ceremonies accompanied by beautiful celadon vessels. With broad appeal in Korea's upper classes and with increasing supply, tea and tea culture spread throughout the Goryeo kingdom.

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Gwangju News April 2010

When the Joseon Dynasty began however, the new leaders tried to distance themselves from Korea's former rulers and power structure. With a new court established in Seoul, Joseon kings moved away from the Buddhism of the Goryeo Dynasty, and likewise away from the customs associated with the former religion, such as tea drinking. In the 1500s, the rise of Neo-Confucianism further marginalized Buddhism and tea drinking. Many monks were pushed further into the mountains and with them their tea drinking habits. Tea lost its vibrant presence in Korean culture and remained an expensive fancy of the Joseon Dynasty's elite. This persisted well into the 1800s when an interest in Korea's tea culture reemerged. There were advocates in the court, in the temples and among the aristocracy that hoped to revive tea drinking and production in Korea. Cho Eui was an instrumental scholar and tea advocate during this revival. His work planting new gardens, teaching production methods, and spreading knowledge about tea through writing was essential at a time when many of the fundamentals of making and drinking tea had been forgotten. Even more than that, his writing inspired an aesthetic and spiritual appreciation of tea that still resonates in his poetry. Through the end of the Joseon Dynasty and during the setbacks of the last 100 years, tea culture in Korea has lost and found its way, but always Cho Eui's influence has remained.

Cho Eui lived at Daeheung Temple in Haenam County. The temple is part of Duryunsan Provincial Park, and while the area doesn't produce much tea other than for the local monks, the temple played an important role in the reemergence of Korea's tea culture. Above the main temple compound, about a thirty-minute hike away, is a small, reconstructed hermitage where Cho Eui spend much time writing, meditating, and drinking tea. The current cottage and neighboring house are very new, and when I visited last spring, the newly planted tea plants had barley taken root. Nevertheless, the pleasant view and replica structures create a nice atmosphere on a warm spring day. In the main temple compound, there is a small museum with one wing dedicated to Cho Eui. The exhibit features writings, pictures, artifacts, and information concerning the life and work of the scholar monk. Most interestingly, on display is Cho Eui's personal teacup, a rare and beautiful green celadon vessel from the Goryeo Dynasty with tea stains still

Feature

visible in the cracked glaze. Beyond the mountain's relevance in Korea's tea culture, the landscape at Duryunsan is striking with its countless wild camellia trees strewn about the mountainsides and a rocky ridgeline that forms the outline of a reclining Buddha.

According to Cho Eui, the village of Hwagyae Dong, tucked into a valley on the southwestern side of Jirisan, is the best habitat in Korea for tea. Cho Eui also lived at Chilbulam, a small hermitage near these ideal tea gardens, enjoying the ethereal surroundings and drinking excellent tea. Original tea trees still grow in this area today, planted over a thousand years ago during the Goryeo Dynasty.

Hwagyae Dong is in the present day county of Hadong, which is well known for its green tea festival held every May following the first tea harvests. The area around Ssanggyae Temple, with tea plants up and down the valley and high into the ridgelines, is particularly picturesque.

The neighboring county of Gurye, on the Jeollanam-do side of Jirisan, also produces excellent tea. In terms of scenery and the quality and quantity of tea produced, Gurye along with Hadong, are arguably the finest tea producing areas in Korea.

Like Jirisan, Boseong County is a major tea-producing region, and probably is the first mentioned when green tea is discussed. This has as much to do with the steady supply of tea as it does with extensive marketing. There is a very organized tea co-operative in Boseong and it does a good job selling the tea and scenery to tea drinkers and tourists throughout Korea. The iconic well trimmed, organized, steep tea gardens are no doubt beautiful, and the tea quality is indisputable; but the tourist hype and commercialized tea related products, such as green tea ice cream, often supersede the tea itself. It hasn't stopped me, however, from visiting several times to enjoy the coastal vistas while drinking fresh green tea and eating a cleverly crafted green tea dessert.

Wolchulsan National Park is divided between two counties, Yeongam and Gangin, and is only about an hour from Gwangju. The road that connects the park entrance to Muwi Temple is surrounded by tea. Additionally, there are two wonderful teashops, one outside the park entrance, and one outside Muwi Temple. Both sell hand made tea, picked from wild growing tea plants. The last time I visited Muwi Temple, the owner of the teashop had just finished making the first batch of new tea, and since the supply is very limited it is important to ask before ordering. Afterwards, with sharpened senses, and a calmed spirit, a visit to Muwi temple and one of Korea's oldest extant buildings furthers completeness.

To the east of Gwangju in Joygyae Mountain Provincial Park, the home of Korea's Seon Buddhism, are two large temples: Seonam Temple and Songgwang Temple. Both temples have shops selling good local green tea.

Essentially all temples in Korea, with the right climate,

Above: Tea garden at Daeheung Temple, Haenam County; Facing page inset: Snow Covered Tea, Geumseong Mountain, Naju

have tea gardens to varying degrees. Most of them do not sell their tea, and if they do, it is important to know what you are buying; often I have seen tea that is one or two years old being sold at full price. One good way to try high quality local tea is to sit down with the monks at a temple.

This is difficult to do at a large popular temple, with an entrance fee and loads of tourists; the monks will probably direct you towards the teashop and will want to keep their private supply of expensive tea away from the hoards.

I have visited several small temples in Naju and generally the monks are happy to have a visitor and on a few occasions I have been invited in for tea. Also in Naju close to my home, on Geumseong Mountain, tea grows both wild and in cultivated gardens. In the winter, it is nice to walk through the snow covered tea plants beneath the cover of evergreen pines. One maker called Musong Dawon, sells Yasaengha, or “Wild Tea”, at a small tea shop near the Naju Confucian Academy. Finally, in Gwangju on the way to Jeungshim Temple, on the slopes behind the Uijae Gallery, there is a wonderful tea garden complemented by a small bamboo grove. Tea from the garden is for sale at the teashop accompanying the art gallery. There used to be a good teashop on Art Sreet that sold several teas from the Hankook Tea Company, a large Gwangju producer that sources some teas from Mudeung Mountain, but the space has been changed into an art bookstore. Several other teashops still remain in the area and it’s a convenient place to go to learn about tea. In the end, the places I have mentioned only characterize but do encompass the entirety of Korean tea culture. Likewise Cho Eui and his writing are not the finality in understanding tea, but the beginning. All of these are visible, tangible aspects in experiencing tea, but the tangible is one part of the intangible whole. Appreciating tea doesn't have to be a unique experience from without; rather it should occur often, if not daily, within yourself.

Story and photos by Warren Parsons

Gwangju News April 2010

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KoreaMaria: Food Critic

JeongJaGol Good

Beef ribs 28,000 won Bulgogi 13,000 won Samgyeopsal & Pork Galbi 10,000 won Galbitang, Mushroom jeongol, bibimbap, dolsot blue crab jeongsik, sujebee, vegetarian bibimbap, chicken bibimbap, samgyetang, and naengmyeon 3,00010,000 won Bus 27, 28, 55, 59, 75, 95 Taxi: ‘정자골’ at 봉선 2동 062-673-7003 Nam-gu, Bongseon 2-dong 624-6 (Nam-gu District office rotary, Munseongno exit)

A traditional Korean roundhouse restaurant. Floor seating only. Great view of busy Bongseon-dong intersection by the Nam-gu District Office. Lots of wood, lots of old style Korean furniture and antiques. All food is served on traditional and traditionally inspired crockery. Wonderful service, and the place does a brisk business despite the high price of meals. This is the best atmosphere for a group party with samgyeopsal and soju. Cheaper samgyeopsal joints might give you more meat for your won, but the meat quality as well as the side dishes here are exceptional.

Meat. High quality, succulent. Grilled on the table, to wrap up bossam style – tuck in a little back bacon with garlic, ssamjang (spiced up bean paste), shredded green onions, and maybe another little sauce of soy or mustard. Lettuce wraps include romaine, sesame leaves, and celery leaves.

Lots of great side dishes: fish and seafood, radishes, mushrooms, bamboo hearts, assorted greens which are kimchi’ed into sweet, spicy, salty, and vinegary incarnations. Starts with a salad with a citrus dressing. (Note: salad is mainly raw cabbage with some iceberg lettuce and one cherry tomato for garnish.)

Another great place to get some of the best Jeolla style food in Gwangju. This restaurant is also a good way to try many traditional Korean foods – samgyetang (ginseng chicken stew), galbitang (beef rib stew), as well as noodle dishes like sujebee and cold naengmyeon. If you haven’t been to Nam-gu, Bongseon-dong is a great place to dip your feet into a new neighborhood. Up the street from the restaurant is a high pedestrian walkway that connects to a walking course through the Nam-gu mountains. This walkway reaches east to Mudeungsan, and northwest up to Juwol-dong.

From the restaurant, walk south until you see the steps leading from the street to the pedestrian walkway bridge.

By Maria Lisak at Gwangju University

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Gwangju News April 2010

Recipe

Korean Easy-Cook Recipe

김치부침개 Kimchi Buchimgae

B

uchimgae is a term for Korean foods that are round, flat and oil-fried with flour. The word ‘buchimgae’ means ‘fried food’ in Korean and it often called as ‘jeon’ after its Chinese character.

Buchimgae generally mainly uses kimchi, but many other ingredients are mixed together and can be modified according to a person’s taste. There are many kinds of buchimgae in Korea, with different names depending on how they are made. For example, if potatoes are the main ingredient, then it’s called gamja-jeon (‘gamja’ meaning ‘potato’) or it could be pah-jeon if it is made with ‘pah’ (scallions).

Because of its shape, people often say buchimgae is a Korean version of pizza but it is much slimmer and less heavy than pizza.

There is nationwide old custom in Korea. That is, people make buchimgae when it rains heavily. There is no specific reason for this but one very likely hypothesis says the sound of pouring rain reminds Koreans of the sizzling sound when they make buchimgae. This is the reason why many Koreans eat buchimgae in late summer and early autumn. Like many other Korean dishes, buchimgae is little bit salty because people use well-fermented kimchi when they make it. So traditionally, Koreans have made this kimchibuchimgae when there is leftover kimchi from last season. It is very enjoyable with a drink, especially soju, because of its salty taste.

How to make Kimchi buchimgae

Story and photos by Park Suji Suji is a junior student at Chonnam National University.

(serves1-2 people)

Things to Prepare: A frying pan, two bowls, kimchi (white cabbage) 300g, flour 350g, water 300ml, a tea spoon of salt, two eggs, cooking oil 20~30ml, minced garlic (or chopped scallion) 10g, sesame oil 4ml, a little pepper, a green and red pepper, minced pork 70g or a little sliced cuttlefish Method: 1. Put minced pork (or sliced cuttlefish), sesame oil, minced garlic (or chopped scallion), pepper in a bowl together and mix them.

2. Remove a little of the chunky sauce of the kimchi and slice it.

3. Mix water and eggs well in a bowl and then pour flour in it. Mix them altogether until there is no chunk. If the batter is not suitable for your taste, you can use sugar or salt as properly.

4. Add seasoned pork (cuttlefish) and sliced kimchi to the batter and mix it well.

5. Oil the pan on low heat. If the pan is warm enough, pour the batter and spread evenly on the pan. If the bottom side is done, flip the batter and griddle it.

6. Buchimgae is done!

Gwangju News April 2010

35

Film Review

For most foreigners in Korea, the language barrier means that Korean movies at the cinema are out of the question. However, thanks to the advent of DVDs with subtitles, and the commonness of DVD rooms and rental places, Korean cinema has become a lot more accessible.

The City of Violence The City of Violence Jjak-pae 짝패 Directed by Ryoo Seung Wan Genre: Action/Drama Starring: Ryoo Seun-wan, Jeong Doo-hong, Lee Beom-soo, Jeong Seok-yong and Ahn Kil-kang Running Time: 90mins

decided to look into the action genre of Korean film this time and try and find a popular film that stood out. I was at the DVD bang and I had done some research and looked into some decent titles. I narrowed it down to The City of Violence. Although an older film in terms of release, and it may not be starring any Male Korean pop singers that are Ninja’s...ahem...it still delivered.

I

Ryoo Seung-wan is quite the action sensation of film here in Korea. The fact that he directed, wrote, and choreographed all the fight scenes himself goes to show that even Korea has aspiring martial arts film directors. While he’s not Chuck Norris or Bruce Lee by any means, he’s better than Steven Segal or Jean Claude Van Damme who would be among the long list of western martial artists to break it onto the big screen.

The film begins with a dramatic opening of a funeral. When I saw it I didn’t realize the drama at a Korean funeral. I have heard they are dramatic, but I’ve never been to one personally. Working as an organized crime unit detective, t he main character Tae-su goes home to his home town for his high school friend’s funeral. While at the funeral, he meets his old high school buddies: Dong-whan, Phil-ho and Seok-hwan. The group was very close as all high school groups are and they begin to talk about the good old days.

A while later, Seok-hwan and Tae-su thinking there was more to the death than was talked about. So they each begin their own personal investigation. Each finds information that converges on an explosive development of the old group they formed in high school. Discovering secrets that keep unravelling about a certain project that is shrouded in mystery, the fight scenes just keep coming. I was impressed at the level detail that seemed to be put into the fights. The ending of course is always the big finale fight scene. While I 36

Gwangju News April 2010

make it a point never to watch and tell I do hint at non disappointment.

The story isn’t too bad for an action film, as it mostly focuses on the investigation of the death of the friend. But what I really enjoyed was the flashbacks that occurred when they remembered about high school. Looking back on life and the stupid crazy things they did when they were younger tempers the fighting in the film. It was just the right combination of action, drama without too much explosions or other things to distract from the story as I’ve felt in the case of traditional Hollywood action films with martial arts.

When looking for a good action in Korean, this is a definite must. Most men teachers at the Korean school have heard of it if they’re under 40. By saying that I’m just putting a shout out to all the ESL teachers out there that if you want to spark a fresh discussion about Korean Cinema with your male co workers, this could be one.

By Adam Bourque

Cartoon

Gwangju News February 2010 Gwangju News April 2010

37 37

Upcoming Events

Welcome to Cherry Blossom Festivals pring has come and now we can enjoy a gentle breeze and bright sunshine. As well as these, people have long been waiting through the freezing cold and the snow for something else – cherry blossom. Every April, many cherry blossom festivals are held all over the country. A lot of families and friends have picnics enjoying the beautiful sight of cherry blossoms in full bloom and their fragrant scent.

The festivals are also popular romantic date places for couples.

S

Here are some famous cherry blossom festivals in Korea. Don’t miss the chance to be surrounded by the fantastic cherry blossoms this year.

1. Hangang Yeouido Spring Flower Festival (Seoul) It is one of the most famous spring flower festivals in Korea and it is held from April 6th to 18th. The festival features other beloved spring flowers such as azalea, golden-bell tree and royal azalea blossoms as well as cherry blossom. Along with the beautiful scenery of flowers, you can also enjoy many performances like fireworks and jazz festivals during the festival. The festival is popular as you can get there easily by subway easily. Take subway line 5, get off at Yeouido station from where it is a five-minute walk away.

Phone: (02) 2670 - 3125 2. Jinhae Gunhangje (Gyeongsangnam-do) Jinhae Gunhangje is known as a famous and historical festival in Korea. Gunhangje originally was the festival that cherished the memory of the Admiral Yi Sun-shin, the general of the Chosun Dynasty. Then, the festival became bigger and bigger and now it is also well known as a flower festival. It has been celebrated since 1952, attracting about two million people from the inside and outside the country every year. One of the purposes of this festival is to promote traditional cultures and arts so there are many performances, exhibitions and a traditional marketplace during this festival. It takes place in Jinhae, from April 1st to 11th this year. During

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Gwangju News April 2010

the festival, the city provides shuttle buses every 5-10 minutes to the festival site from 08:30 to 16:30 on weekdays and from 08:30 to 17:00 on weekends, tickets 1,000 won (bus card accepted). For more information, this is the official website for Gunhangje. http://gunhang.jinhae.go.kr/ 3. Gwangju Cherry Blossoms If you can’t manage to go so far to enjoy beautiful cherry blossom scenes, but at least want to catch a glimpse of it, there are also some places in Gwangju which are famous for cherry blossoms. They are mostly in full bloom at the end of March or the beginning of April.

Sangnok Hall One of the most popular places for cherry blossom trees in Gwangju is Sangnok Hall, which is located in Nongseong-dong, West District, north of Yangdong market and east of the bus terminal. You can enjoy seeing beautiful cherry blossom trees there and it would feel awesome to be surrounded by the snow white flowers and their sweet smell.

You can get there by buses 19, 36, 37, 39 and 1187 and get off at the Sangnok Hall (상록회관 “Sangnok Hoigwan”).

Joongoi Park There are many places also in Gwangju to see beautiful cherry blossoms on the street. By the Biennale Exhibition Hall, there is the Children’s Grand Amusement Park (or Joongoi Park, 중외공원). From the end of March to early April you will be able to get a chance to see cherry blossoms in full bloom in the park.

In addition, you can also visit places like the Museum of Art and the National Museum, which are located around Joongoi Park.

By Park Min-ji A senior-year student at Chonnam National University

Upcoming Events

Festivals

2010 Cheongsan-do Slow Walking Festival April 10 - May 2, 2010 In the vicinity of Cheongsan-do, Wando, Jeollanam-do Buses: A direct bus runs from Gwangju’s U-square to Wando every 40-60 mins.

It takes about two and a half hours. http://www.slowcitywando.com/ 2010 World Tourism & Food Expo (WTFE 2010) April 14 - 18, 2010 Yangjae aT Center Exhibition Hall 1, 2, Seoul It takes about 30 mins from Central Bus Terminal to aT center.

Taxi might be preferable to take. http://www.kfkt.co.kr/index.php 2010 Shinan Tulip Festival

April 16 - 25, 2010 In the vicinity of Daegwang Beach Buses: A direct bus runs from Gwangju’s U-square to Muan every 40 mins.

After getting off the bus, go to Jeomam Sea Terminal and take a ferry to Imja, available at 20 min interval. http://www.shinantulip.co.kr/ Namwon Chunhyang Festival April 23 - 26, 2010 Gwanghannu, Yocheondunch, Sarangui Gwangjang and other tourist sites in Namwon Buses: A direct bus runs from Gwangju’s U-square to Namwon every 30-40 mins. http://www.chunhyang.org/

12th Hampyeong Butterfly Festival This festival is one of the most renowned festivals nationwide, attracting increasing numbers of domestic and international visitors every year. The festival was developed to depict the historical aspects of Korea’s collapse of agricultural industry due to the development of big cities and industrialization that took place through the 60’s to 70’s. Currently in its twelfth year, it has helped the people of Hampyeong build a better economy.

Additionally, several books were published that shed light on the county’s independence, one of which, Dream of Butterfly, was ranked as a best-seller. The festival offers hands-on experiences, exhibitions, cultural and art events, and other various events.

The venue has beautiful scenery full of Rapeseed flowers. With numerous species of butterflies flies fluttering around it will make such a magnificent scene before your eyes. As far as I’m concerned, there are some events targeting international visitor, so why don’t you go and have some fun?

Period: April 23 - May 5, 2010 Venue: At Hampyeong EXPO Park, Hampyeong, Jeollanam-do Directions: You may take the Hampyeong No. 500, which departs at the bus stop across from U-Square. It continues to run along the main road in front of Sangmu Residential Area.

Alternatively, you may take a local bus from U-Square departing at 30 minute intervals. After getting off at Hampyeong Bus Terminal a 15 minute walk will get you there.

The World Photonics Expo, 2010 Gwangju, Korea “Light, Opening the Future”

This April, there will be a World Photonics Expo in Gwangju.

Today, ‘Light’ is more than just a symbol of hope. People already use it to make art, technology and

commerce. Researchers everywhere are making great efforts to realize lights potential as a novel source of future energy and technology in fields such as aviation, medicine and industry. People around the worlds are following the enormous potential of photonics.

The World Photonics Expo 2010 Gwangju, Korea is a hands-on festival. Touch, feel, learn and create.

Become inspired by the fantastic world of light. ‘Hope for the future’ will be our gift. Just come and experience the inspiration and potential of photonics.

Period: April 2 - May 10, 2010 (for 38 days) Venue: Gwangju Sangmu Citizen’s Park, Kim Dae Jung Convention Center Theme: “Light, Opening the Future” Composition: Theme Exhibition Hall, Theme Exhibition Event, Light Festival Host: The City of Gwangju, The Ministry of Knowledge and Economy Organizer: Gwangju World Photonics Expo Foundation For more information: http://www. photonics-expo2010.org/english/ Directions: Kim Dae Jung Convention Center is located in the West Distrcit (Seo-gu) in Gwangju. Buses no 64 and 38 will take you to the venue. The bus stop is Kim Dae Jung Convention Center (김대중컨벤션센터) or take the subway to ‘Kim Dae Jung Convention Center (Mareuk)’ station, and use exit 5.

Yuongchi Mountain Azaleas Festival April 2 - April 4, 2010 Yeosu Yuongchi Mountain Buses: Direct bus from Gwangju Usquare to Yeosu every 50 mins.

There will be a shuttle bus from terminal to Yeosu Yuongchi Mountain. http://www.jindalrae.or.kr/ 2010 Youdal Mountain Flower Festival April 2 - April 5, 2010 The whole area of Youdal Mountain in Mokpo, Rodeo Square Buses: Direct bus from Gwangju Usquare to Mokpo every 50mins.

After getting off the bus, take a bus to Mokpo station. From Mokpo station, it will take 10minutes to go there by foot.

Gwangju News April 2010

39

Upcoming Events Rivershore in Seomjin-River Cherry Blossoms Festival April 3 - April 4, 2010 Guryegun Muncheok-myeon Jukmari Buses: Direct bus from Gwangju Usquare to Gurye every 30mins. http://festival.gurye.go.kr/g_board/board _list.jsp?id=fgallb&nnum=12548

Admission: 40,000 - 150,000 won Contact: (02) 548-4481

Gwangju 1st DIGIFESTA (Media Art Festival) April 10 - June 10 (for 2 months) Gwangju Biennale Exhibit Hall Admission: 8,000 - 10,000 won Kim Gwang-Seok Memorial Concert April 18, 2010 from 2:00 p.m.

Gwangju Art and Culture Center (Grand Theater) Admission: 55,000 - 77,000 won Children under the age of 8 are not permitted to attend Gurjiev Movement (Dance Performance) April 25, 2010 from 5 p.m.

Gwangju Art and Culture Center (Small Theater) Admission: 10,000 won Children under the age of 13 are not permitted to attend.

Contact: 011-620-0078, 011-2057-3379 Mozart (Musical) May 1 - 2, 2010 from 2 p.m.

Gwangju Art and Culture Center (Grand Theater) Admission: 60,000 - 120,000 won Children under the age of 12 are not permitted to attend Contact: 1588-0766 Burn The Floor (Broadway Performance) Apr 2 -7, 2010 from 3 p.m.

Sejong Art Center (Grand Theatre) Subway: City Hall Station, Line 1, Exit 3; Gyeongbokgung Station Line 3, Exits 6, 7; Gwanghwamun Station, Line 5, Exits 1, 8

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Gwangju News April 2010

KIA Tigers Baseball Team Match Schedule

The Phantom of the Opera (Musical)

Performances Gwangju Symphony Orchestra Concert April 3, 2010 from at 7:30 p.m.

Gwangju Art and Culture Center (Grand Theater) Admission: 10,000 - 30,000 won Contact: (062) 510-9336, 524-5086

Sports

- April 30, 2010 from 3 p.m.

Charlotte Theatre (Seoul) Subway: Jamsil Station Line 2, 8 Exit 3 Admission: 40,000 - 120,000 won Children under the age of 12 are not permitted to attend. http://www.phantomoftheopera.co.kr/ Cha Min-seon Violin Recital April 23, 2010 at 07.30 p.m.

Gwangju Art and Culture Center (Small Theater) This is the first recital to exhibit the talent of Ms. Cha, who recently came back after studying violin in Brussels for eight years.

Speakeasy Events U R Seoul April 17, 2010 Speakeasy, Gwangju One of Seoul's most popular expat bands returns to Gwangju for another night of solid live music. Their previous performances at the Speakeasy have rocked the house. Be sure to catch them this time, and come down to the bar to live music in town. Check out the band's myspace page for more. Full details will be on the Speakeasy Facebook page soon.

Art Exhibitions Ha, Jeong Woon Collection “Poem of Silence” The 5th Exhibition Hall, Gwangju Museum of Art - May 30, 2010 Choon Samwol Jeon (Spring, March Exhibition) The Sangrok Exhibition Hall, Gwangju Museum of Art - April 11, 2010

Venue: Gwangju Mudeung Stadium (Baseball Field) 무등경기장 Buses 16, 38, 51, 53, 58, 89, 95, 98, 151 get off Mudeung Stadium bus stop Taxi direction: go to 무 등 경 기 장 (Mudeng Gyeonggijang gajuseyo.)

Advance Purchase: www.ticketlink.co.kr or 1588-7980 Ticket Price: Adults 7,000 - 12,000 won Students (13-18 years old): 4,000 - 9,000 won Children (under 13 years old): 2,000 - 6,000 won Date

Match Team

Time

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 13rd 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 27th 28th 29th

Samsung Lotte Lotte Lotte Doosan Doosan Doosan LG LG LG SK SK SK

18:30 18:30 17:00 17:00 18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30 17:00 17:00 18:30 18:30 18:30

Gwangju Sangmu Soccer Team Match Schedule Venue: Gwangju Worldcup Stadium (광주월드컵경기장) How to get there: Buses 6, 16, 20, 26, 47, 74 get off Worldcup Stadium bus stop Taxi direction: please go to 월드컵경기장 에 가주세요(Woldeukeop Gyeonggijange gajuseyo.)

Advance Purchase: ticketlink.co.kr Ticket Price: Adults 6,000 won (Advance Purchase 5,000 won) Students (13-18 years old): 3,000 won (Advance Purchase 2,000 won) Children (under 13 years old): free Date 3rd 18th 24th

Match Team Daejeon Jeonbuk Seongnam

Time 15:00 15:00 15:00

Upcoming Events

Movies

Iron Man 2

Leap Year Genre: Comedy Language: English Cast : Amy Adams, John Lithgow Matthew Goode Run time : 100 minutes Synopsis: When her longtime boyfriend, Jeremy (Adam Scott), fails to propose before flying off to a medical conference in Dublin, Anna (Amy Adams) decides to take matters into her own hands. Leap Day (the 29th of February) is imminent, and the Irish apparently have a custom in which women can ask their boyfriends for their hand in marriage on that particular day. But a storm undoes her best-laid plans, and a detour lands her in beautiful but far-off Dingle. She hopes to get to the city in time by enlisting a broody local named Declan (Matthew Goode) as her guide ... but he may just prove too intriguing for her to resist.

Clash of the Titans Genre: Action/Adventure Language: English Cast : Sam Worthington(Perseus) Synopsis: The 1981 mythological fantasy adventure Clash of the Titans is resurrected in this remake from Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier and veteran writer Lawrence Kasdan.

The joint Legendary Films/Warner Bros. production focuses on Perseus (Sam Worthington), the mortal hero made to carry out a series of quests by the gods in order to win the hand of the imprisoned princess Andromeda.

Bounty Hunter Genre: Comedies Language: English Cast : Gerard Butler , Jennifer Aniston, Christine Baranski Synopsis: Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler), a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter, gets his dream job when he is assigned to track down his bail-jumping ex-wife, reporter Nicole Hurly (Jennifer Aniston). He thinks all that's ahead is an easy payday, but when Nicole gives him the slip so she can chase a lead on a murder cover-up, Milo realizes that nothing ever goes simply with him and Nicole. The exes continually one-up each other -- until they find themselves on the run for their lives. They thought their promise to love, honor and obey was tough -- staying alive is going to be a whole lot tougher.

Andy Tennant ('Hitch,' 'Sweet Home Alabama') directs.

Genre: Action Language: English Cast: Robert Downey, Jr. (Tony Stark), Gwyneth Paltrow(Virginia "Pepper" Potts), Don Cheadle(Colonel James Rhodes), Mickey Rourke(Whiplash), Sam Rockwell(Justin Hammer) Synopsis: Robert Downey Jr. returns as Tony Stark, the wealthy playboy whose exploits as Iron Man are now public knowledge after his admission at the close of the first film. In the follow-up, Stark is pitted against his Russian arch nemesis, Whiplash (Mickey Rourke), and corporate rival Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell). Also making their Marvel debuts are Scarlett Johansson as the sexy Russian spy Black Widow, and Don Cheadle, who takes over the role of Colonel James Rhodes from Terrence Howard. - Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide Movie info from http://www.rottentomatoes.com http://www.commonsensemedia.org http://www.moviefone.com/reviews http://www.hollywood.com/movies/reviews

Gwangju Theater Chungjangno 5-ga (two blocks back behind Migliore) Phone: (062) 224-5858 http://cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju.cafe (only in Korean) Films change weekly to bi-weekly. Shows films from several different countries. Korean subtitles available for all international movies. Check online for calendar and prices.

Admission fee: 7,000 won , 18,000 won for 3 films Showing Period: April 15th – April 28th

1. Un Prophete Genre: Criminal, Drama Director: Jacques Audiard Cast: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Gilles Cohen Language: French, with Korean subtitle

2. Up in the Air Genre: Comedy, Drama Director: Jason Reitman Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick Language: English, with Korean subtitle

3. Away We Go Genre: Comedy, Drama Director: Sam Mendes Starring: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph Language: English, with Korean subtitle

Gwangju News April 2010

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Upcoming Events

A Family Affair GAIA Gallery presents “A Family Affair”, works by James Hyuntay Stuber, born November 12, 2005. This is his first exhibition, and features expressionist paintings on canvas and drawings and collage on paper. In support of his first show, parents Doug Stuber and Park Kwang Suk will also present work. Park’s work is figurative watercolor and Chinese ink on rice paper, and Doug’s work is abstraction.

Hyuntay picks natural and family subject matters in his drawings, and has made animals and a tree expressively in his work on canvas. He is meticulous about his methods and has a keen eye for “what should be in a show, and what should not.”

Doug and Kwang Suk have exhibited in the US and Europe, and visited art colonies in Europe the last two summers. Stuber was an apprentice of Leo Garel (1978-1980) and Park Kwang Suk took her BA in Studio art from Chosun University, and MFA from Kyung Hee University. Stuber has also served as exhibit chair of the Visual Art Exchange (1999-2005) in Raleigh North Carolina, USA, and has written art critiques since 1985.

This exhibit is on view from April 3-30, and visitors are free to contact the Gwangju International Center for viewing during business hours, 10-6, Monday through Saturday.

The opening reception and artist talk: Saturday April 3, 2010, 2:30pm at the Gwangju International Center, fifth floor, Jeon-il building, downtown.

For further information click www.stuberpark.com

GIC Talk - April Schedule Time Change: Every Saturday, 15:00-16:30 Please note that there has been a change in the start time for the GIC Talks, and that as of April 3rd they will now begin at the slightly later time of 3 p.m. every Saturday.

For more information, visit www.gic.or.kr or contact Singsing Kim at: gwangjuic@gmail.com Check out pictures from previous GIC Talks http://picasaweb.google.com/gictalk

Place: GIC office (5th floor of Jeon-il Bldg) April 3

April 17

Topic: A Family Affair Speaker: Doug Stuber (Visiting Professor, CNU)

No indoor talk! Let’s go outdoors!

Trip to the historic capital of Jeollanam-do: Naju For more details, see page 2

April 10 Topic: The New Kenya Speaker: Brian Sambu (Student, CNU) Kenya is one of the emerging economies countries in Africa and as entrenched in the vision 2030 the country is on a fast recovery path. Kenya which enjoys a vast of resources is seeking to shake Africa and become a middle income country in 2030.This vision can only be achieved with factoring in modern technology and commitment from people and the leaders. There is a problem with their leaders and systems since they haven't moved from its colonial era. This is the reason why the Kenyan elite group, young and broad minded Kenyans are ready and willing to go back and bring the needed change in their country.

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Gwangju News April 2010

April 24 Topic: Clean Coal and Environmental Protection Speaker: Dr. Piyush Rai, FIE (Visiting Professor, CNU) The presenter will discuss the importance of coal as a prime energy source using global statistics.

He will also introduce state-of-art technologies being developed and implemented world over to combat the carbon-di-oxide (CO2) emissions and reduce the global warming impacts of power generation from coal.

GIC News

GIC News Gwangju News: Contribute articles or photos. Edit or proofread. Assist with Gwangju News website. Assist with distribution (letter shop, delivery and promotion).

Contact Jon Ozelton or Minsu Kim gwangjunews@gmail.com or Maria Lisak gwangjumaria@yahoo.com

GIC Talk: Presenters needed for the weekly GIC Talk, held Saturday at 3:00 at the GIC. Topics negotiable.

Contact Singsing Kim gwangjuic@gmail.com

violence intervention and counseling, substance abuse recovery, mental health support, pension, insurance and financial counseling. Contact Karina Prananto giccounseling@gmail.com

STPIE: Next Special Training Program for International Exchange (STPIE) starts in July. Eligible Korean candidates can contact Jiyeon Kim gwangjuic@gmail.com T r a i n i n g W o r k s h o p s : Looking for specialists in communication, various computer programs, meditation, positive thinking, database management, Photoshop, NGO specialists, motivation and leadership to give free workshops, seminars and training to GIC staff. In-house only.

Contact Maria Lisak gwangjumaria@yahoo.com

Homestay: Looking for host families for international students and visitors. Contact Minsu Kim gwangjuic@gmail.com International students and visitors looking for homestay, also contact Minsu Kim gwangjuic@gmail.com

Program Evaluators: Looking for HPT specialists and program evaluators for GIC programs and project. Volunteer position only. Contact Maria Lisak gwangjumaria@yahoo.com

Volunteers: Volunteers needed for various programs.

Membership Drive: Looking for membership event manager to plan and implement Membership Drive. Volunteer position only. Contact Maria Lisak gwangjumaria@yahoo.com

Contact Taehyoung Kim gwangjuic@gmail.com

Interns: Internships available for various programs. Contact Singsing Kim gwangjuic@gmail.com Promotional Team: Please share your social media skills.

Promote GIC and GIC related programs, projects and events.

Thanks. Contact Singsing Kim for details gwangjuic@gmail.com Volunteer Encouragement Team: Help us say thank you. We need volunteers to say thanks virtually through our website, blog, and e-mail. Contact Maria Lisak gwangjumaria@yahoo.com

Counseling: Please help us help our community. We are looking for pro bono experts in law, labor, mediation, domestic

"Ideas into Action" Grant Workshop: Turn an idea into a project. 3rd Saturday of the month 5-7 p.m. @ the GIC. This is an opportunity for you to put your idea into action. This is an opportunity to design, develop and implement your idea for our community with Maria Lisak acting as a mentor.

GIC membership required.

E-mail gwangjumaria@yahoo.com for questions.

Bridges – Connect the Gwangju International Community: Afternoon on 2nd Sunday of every month visit an NGO to introduce GIC and get to know those who use other organizations such as the Migrants Center. Contact gwangjuic@gmail.com.

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Community Board

Are you looking for a translation service? Translation Service is available at GIC. Korean to English, English to Korean - Certificates; Criminal History, Family relation certificate, Marital Statement, Medical Record, etc - Webpages & catalogues - abstracts, literature, etc Contact GIC for more information 062-226-2733/4 "Creativity Workshop & Support Group" Twelve week program – daily writing, weekly readings & tasks, monthly gatherings .Purchase The Artist’s Way

by Julia Cameron @ the GIC. April 1 – Start reading Basic Principles & Tools & Week 1 of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

Continue reading one chapter per week for 12 weeks. This is a 3-month commitment.

Monthly Gatherings (5-7p.m. @ the GIC) April 24 (Chapters 1 - 4 review) May 29 (Chapters 5 - 8 review) Jun 26 (Chapters 9 -12 review) Using the book, The Artist's Way, participants are able to kindle and support their personal creative projects.

Maria Lisak facilitates this support group for community members to write, create artistic projects or just live life as your “art”. Advanced enrollment requested @ GIC or http://gicartistway.ning.com/. GIC membership required.

Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of KOTESOL Korea Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (KOTESOL) is a professional organization for teachers and other individuals interested in English Education. Our main goals are to assist members in their self-development and improve ELT in Korea. KOTESOL allows teachers to connect with others in the ELT community and find teaching resources in Korea and abroad through KOTESOL publications, conferences and symposia, and chapter meetings and workshops.

Meeting Dates/Times: Our chapter meets from 2:00-5:00 every second Saturday of the month (Spring schedule:

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Gwangju News April 2010

April 10, May 8, and June 12) Usual Venue: Chosun University, Main Building, 2nd Floor, Room 2123 There will also be an outreach workshop at Mokpo National University on May 1.

To receive information about upcoming events, send an email to gwangju_kotesol@yahoo.com “My Life in Gwangju” “My Life in Gwangju” is a five week art project which uses photography, drawing, and collage alongside dialogue to bring together a variety of people living, working and studying in Gwangju. The purpose of the project is to creatively explore our personal relationship to Gwangju and meet other people who also call Gwangju home. Each week the group will meet in class to share and make art work; in addition to in class projects participants will receive a short individual assignment to complete each week. Participants will have an opportunity to exhibit their art works at the GAIA Gallery in May. The program is open to everyone with basic English skills and a strong desire to make art; digital camera and sketch books are required.

(Application needed) Dates: March 13, 27 April 10 and 24, Final art show May 1st.

For detailed information, please visit the GIC website at www.gic.or.kr/eng Sung Bin Orphanage Sung Bin Orphanage is looking for long-term volunteers. 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. For more information please contact Mike at:sungbinvolunteers@gmail.com.

Gwangju Men’s Soccer The Gwangju international soccer team plays regularly most weekends.

If you are interested in playing, email: gwangju_soccer@yahoo.com.

Free Health Clinic for Foreigners Venue: Gwangju Joongang Presbyterian Church.

Time: Sundays from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Offers: Internal medicine, Oriental medicine and Dental service. You could take some medicine after treatment. www.joongang.or.kr/clinic How to get there: Buses - 19, 26, 39, 59, 61, 74 (around Hwajeong crossroads) Subway - Exit 2 Hwajeong Station.

Apostolate to Migrants Center 969-10 Wolgok-dong, Gwangsan-gu Phone: 062-954-8004 Buses: 18, 20, 29, 37, 40, 98, 196, 700, 720 get off at Wolgok market bus stop.

Mass: Sundays 3 p.m. at Wolgok-dong Catholic Church The Gwangju Book Club Meets every Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m. in front of the downtown YMCA before moving nearby for a discussion over coffee.

We welcome new members!

Look up 'Gwangju Book Club' on Facebook for more details, or email cherrycoke52@hotmail.com for more information.

The Gwangju Women's FC Meets every Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Pungam-dong We welcome new members!

Check out 'Gwangu Women's FC' on Facebook for more details, or email cherrycoke52@hotmail.com for more information.

Used Books/ CDs for sale Many used books (fiction/ non-fiction) and CDs (mainly classical and classic rock) for sale CHEAP. Must get rid of.

Call David 010-5821-1003 Translation/ Correction Service Korean manuscripts translated (into English) or English manuscripts corrected. Call David Lee 010-58211003 or e-mail delnova45@aol.com/ delnova45@excite.com

GIC News

Medical Information

Dr. Yun Gil-jung Balgeun Eye Clinic 21

LASIK Q & A

LASIK operation is a surprising discovery of modern medical science, and uses lasers to perform vision correction operations. Its success is leading many wearers of glasses and contact lenses to consider taking the operation. I’d like to provide some useful information about LASIK based on my experience and the study of America’s Society of Cataract and Refractive

Surgery.

Q: How safe is LASIK? A: LASIK has been used for 20 years. Although it is a kind of surgery, and so does have potential complications, statistical analysis of the results of the surveys determining patient satisfaction revealed that any complications occur in less than 1% of patients. LASIK is FDA-approved in Korea, as well as USA, Europe etc, and is considered the most popular refractive surgery in the world.

Q: Even though LASIK is called safe and good, why do some ophthalmologists not want to take the surgery?

A: There are many ophthalmologists who perform LASIK

surgery. The biggest reasons for not undergoing LASIK are because the patients are afraid, there’s less desire to get an operation, and the inconsistency of the eye condition after operation. It is not because of the uncertainty of the safety.

Also most ophthalmologists won’t recommend the surgery if a patient hasn’t a big problem to wear glasses and contact lens.

Q: How long will it take after the operation for me to see more clearly?

A: One of LASIK’s main benefits is the short recovery time.

Most patients recover within a day after the surgery and will have regained full eyesight within two or three months.

Q: Does LASIK have any permanent effects on our sight?

A: For correcting the refractive error, the cornea tissue will be removed during the operation and it will have a permanent physical effect. However a person’s sight may still change with age and illness.

Q: If after I undergo an operation and I again feel wrong with my sight, it is possible to have another operation?

A: If the patient’s cornea’s tissue is enough thick to remove, it is possible to take the surgery again. However a second operation is not recommended and wearing glasses is advised instead.

Please remember '21'

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Gwangju News April 2010

Advertise in Gwangju News Target Your Customers!

Does your business cater to the foreign community?

Advertising in Gwangju News is the best way to reach your target market. 3,000 copies are printed and distributed every month. News about your services will spread like wildfire!

For advertising information contact Minsu Kim at (062) 226-2734 or e-mail: gwangjunews@gmail.com

Worship at Dongmyung English Service Sunday 11:30 am, Education Bld.

Pastor : Dan Hornbostel (010-5188-8940)

Bus: 15, 27, 28, 55, 74, 80, 1000, 1187 get off at Nongjang Dari or at Court Office Entrance

Gwangju News April 2010

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