Gwangju and South Jeolla International Magazine I January 2019 #203 I Yasameen Alqaifi: An Uphill Battle Towards Recognition
11:20:30
2018-12-30
.indd 1
_
2019 1
Chosun University Hospital
Jeolla-do’s First AI Cancer Center Artificial Intelligence
Now Open for Introduction/Treatment: "Watson for Oncology"
Cancer Treatment Method provided by AI Program based on big data to suit the patient’s needs. Inquiry: AI Cancer Center 062-220-3418/9 .
2019 1
_
.indd 2
.
.
2018-12-30
11:20:31
1
From the Editor
Gwangju & South Jeolla Intern ational Magazine
I
ssue #203: January 2019. This is not just another issue coming out in another month: It is a brand new issue being published in a brand new year! The Gwangju News is entering its 19th year of serving the Gwangju-Jeonnam community.
January 2019, Issue No. 203
Published: January 1, 2019 Cover Photo Yasameen Alqaifi by Sarah Pittman
THE EDITORIAL TEAM Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Chief Proofreader Layout Editor Photo Editor Proofreaders Online Editorial Team Researcher
Dr. Shin Gyonggu Dr. David E. Shaffer Wilson Melbostad Isaiah Winters Karina Prananto Sarah Pittman Elisabeth Loeck, Timothy Berg, Di Foster, David Foster, Stephen Redeker, Joseph Nunez, Gilda Wilson, Ynell Lumantao Karina Prananto, Sen Nguyen Shahed Kayes Baek Ji-yeon
The Gwangju News is the first English monthly magazine for the general public in Korea, first published in 2001. Each monthly issue covers local and regional issues, with a focus on the roles and activities of the international residents and local English-speaking communities. Copyright © 2019 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 publisher.
Registration No. 광주광역시 라. 00145 (ISSN 2093-5315) Registration Date: February 22, 2010 Printed by Logos Color 로고스칼라 (+82)-62-672-2566 GwangjuNews
gwangjunews
GwangjuNewsGIC
For advertising and subscription inquiries, please contact karina@gic.or.kr or 062-226-2733. Special thanks to Gwangju City and all of our sponsors.
2019�1��.indd 1
Our cover feature this month is about a Yemeni refugee’s plight that brought her here and her struggle for acceptance. We also feature the Gwangju Urban Design Forum, which urges that future design plans focus on the city’s distinct character. Our other feature this month is about a former Gwangju News staff member and how that position helped him move into German broadcasting. This issue takes you to Gwangju’s old Red Cross Hospital, and then it’s on to the festivals, beaches, hanok, and strawberries of Hampyeong. From there, we take you to Vietnam for one Gwangju resident’s travel story. And then we transport you to a photo essay of Kyoto, Japan. Our Photo of the Month brings us back to a snowy Gwangju. Back in Gwangju, we introduce you to market musicmakers and their patron (Dreamers) and take you to a quiet, little café in Sangmu (Caffe l’eau). They don’t serve bulgogi, but we tell you how to make it (“Fire Meat”). And we have so much more to serve you this issue. If you haven’t made your New Year’s resolutions yet, we offer some tips. And other tips on driving under the influence. We at the Gwangju News wish you the happiest of new years and hope that you will enjoy reading the Gwangju News throughout 2019!
David E. Shaffer Editor-in-Chief Gwangju News
January 2019
For volunteering and article submission inquiries, please contact the editor at gwangjunews@gic.or.kr.
Janus is depicted as a two-headed god: one head looking back to the past, the other to the future. Accordingly, this January, we begin a new column, Blast from the Past. Each month, this column will feature an article from a past issue of the Gwangju News that is interesting, relevant, and informative today (this issue: Seollal).
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
The Gwangju News is published by Gwangju International Center, Jungang-ro 196-beon-gil 5 (Geumnam-ro 3-ga), Dong-gu, Gwangju 61475, South Korea Tel: (+82)-62-226-2733~34 Fax: (+82)-62-226-2731 Website: www.gwangjunewsgic.com Email: gwangjunews@gic.or.kr
January is named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, gates, and passages. The Gwangju News is entering the gate of 2019, the entrance to a passage of 12 months and a dozen quality issues of this community’s magazine. Our New Year’s resolution is “to continue to bring you our best, and for our best to get even better.” Our readers are very important to us, and we wish to serve you as best we can throughout 2019.
2018-12-30 �� 11:33:27
CONTENTS January 2019. Issue No. 203
8 GWANGJU NEWS 03. Gwangju City News 05. January 2019 Happenings 07. Gwangju Theater Schedule 56. Community Board FEATURE 08. An Uphill Battle Towards Recognition: A Yemeni Seeking Acceptance in Korea 13. Seollal: The Korean New Year 14. Gwangju Urban Design Forum: How to Find the Character of a City 17. “The Gwangju News Helped Launch My Career”: An Interview with Former Volunteer Shay Meinecke COMMUNITY 20. Community Leaders: Dreamers – A Harmonious and Unbiased World 38. Expat Living: Driving Under the Influence in Korea: What You Need to Know
14
17
SPORTS & OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES 36. Gifts from the Mountains FOOD & DRINKS 40. Where to Eat: Caffe l’eau: A Community Staple 42. Bulgogi: “Fire Meat” EDUCATION 43. Everyday Korean: Episode 13 – 쇼핑 (Shopping) 44. Korea TESOL: The Kaleidoscope of Expat Teachers ARTS & CULTURE 46. Photo Essay: Birthday in Kyoto 50. Photo of the Month 52. Book Review: A Tribute to Carrie Fisher 53. Gwangju Writes: “Eyes” and “The Sound of a River Sobbing” OPINION 54. Seven Simple Tips for Making Your New Years’ Resolutions a Reality
TRAVEL 24. Lost in Gwangju: The Old Gwangju Red Cross Hospital: Drawing the Lifeblood of Democracy 28. Around Korea: Hampyeong – More Than Just Butterflies 32. From Abroad: Sunny, with a Chance…
The Gwangju News Team wishes you a very Happy New Year!
2019�1��.indd 2
2018-12-30 �� 11:33:34
3
Gwangju City News Reprinted with permission from Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall Photographs courtesy of Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall
GWANGJU NEWS
Gwangju to “Dive into Peace” July 2019
T
2019�1��.indd 3
Gwangju has started its overseas promotion for the competition’s opening in July 2019. Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-sup visited Hangzhou and Shanghai last December 16–19 to promote the 2019 Gwangju World Swimming Championship and to attract more Chinese visitors. At the closing ceremony of the 14th Hangzhou Swimming Championships (25 meters; aka “short course”) on December 16, the mayor informed 140 journalists from all over the world about the preparations for the Gwangju swimming tournament and Gwangju City’s attractions. He hoped that through the presentation, the world would become more aware of Gwangju and visit Gwangju next year. At the FINA World Aquatic Gala “Starry Night,” which was held afterwards, the mayor also introduced the preparations that Gwangju is currently making to host the event and make sure that all athletes enjoy their stay in Gwangju with access to the best possible facilities.
January 2019
According to FINA, any athlete between 25 and 100 years old as of December 31 of the year in which the competition is held will be eligible to enter the competition. Individual athletes or teams will be representing their swimming clubs, not the states or federations from which they come. The swimming event will include diving, water polo, artistic swimming, open water swimming, etc., but unlike the
World Swimming Championships, there will be no high diving competition. www.gwangjunewsgic.com
he 2019 Gwangju World Swimming Championship will be held in Gwangju July 12–28, 2019, with the slogan “Dive into Peace.” Over 15,000 people from 209 countries will take part in this event and compete in venues at Nambu University, Yeomju Gymnasium, the Yeosu Expo Park, and Chosun University. Participants will consist of 4,000 athletes from the Athletes Federation, 8,000 people from the Masters Competition, and 3,000 people from the International Swimming Federation (FINA) and the press. The purpose of the competition is to promote global friendship and athletics through swimming. Since the first contest held in Tokyo, Japan, in 1986, the competition has been held every two years.
2018-12-30 �� 11:33:35
4
▲ Mayor Lee Yong-sup (eighth from left) at the Gwangju Innovation Promotion Committee Inauguration Ceremony last November 27, 2018.
All-Encompassing Gwangju Innovation in Full Swing
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
G
wangju Metropolitan City has launched the Gwangju Innovation Support Committee, which is directly under the mayor, to promote strong innovation on municipal and social fronts. The City will establish an Innovation Policy Office and a Citizens’ Communication Planning Office to realize the three all-important administrative values of innovation, communication, and integrity, and to begin the era of a just and affluent Gwangju. Following the commissioning of the Citizens’ Rights Commission to implement a model of cooperating with the citizens’ will, the Gwangju Innovation Support Committee, which is composed of experts from various fields of civil innovation, is ready to get down to work. The Gwangju Innovation Support Committee will be the core of innovation to lead in the transformation of Gwangju. The committee includes 19 private-sector innovation experts covering various fields, including
2019�1��.indd 4
economics, academia, civil society, media, law, youth, environment, and welfare. The committee will advise, propose, and deliberate on innovation policies throughout the city, including identifying, enforcing, and evaluating innovation policies, while ensuring that innovation policies will work properly in the field and controlling any resistance or conflicts related to innovation. In addition, the committee plans to work with the Civil Rights Commission so that the reforms of the municipal innovation system will be realized through institutionalization and communication. Mayor Lee added, “Innovation is a difficult path to take, but it is the right path for the future of Gwangju. We dare to cast off old ideas, values, and wrong practices with a challenging and creative attitude.”
2018-12-30 �� 11:33:36
5
January 2019 Gwangju Happenings Compiled by Baek Ji-yeon
Exhibitions The 2018 Namdo’s Light and Wind 남도의 빛과 바람
Dates: Location:
Admission: Telephone: Website:
September 7, 2018 – January 27, 2019 52 Haseo-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju (Gwangju Museum of Art, Main Building Exhibition Rooms 5 & 6) 광주 북구 하서로 52 광주시립미술관 본관 제5,6전시실
Free 062-613-7100 http://artmuse.gwangju.go.kr/
Jeolla Province and Its People Over the Past 1,000 Years 全羅千年-전라도 천년을 지켜온 사람들
Dates: Location:
2019�1��.indd 5
광주 북구 하서로 110 국립광주박물관 2층 기획전시실
Free 062-570-7000 http://gwangju.museum.go.kr/index.do
Dates: Location:
December 14, 2018 – February 10, 2019 38 Munhwajeondang-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju (Asia Culture Center, Culture Creator Building 5)
광주 동구 문화전당로 38 국립아시아문화전당 문화창조원 복합5관
Admission: General (ages 19 and over) 5,000 won; Youth (ages 13 to 18) 3,000 won; Children (ages 7 to 12) 2,000 won Telephone: 1899-5566 Website: https://www.acc.go.kr/
Jayeon Saenghwal Vegetarian Restaurant 자연생활채식뷔페
Seoseok-ro 85beongil 12, Dong-gu, Gwangju 062-228-0482, 0485
January 2019
Admission: Telephone: Website:
October 23, 2018 – February 10, 2019 (open 10:00–18:00) 110 Haseo-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju, (Gwangju National Museum)
Kim Se-jong is exhibiting a collection of 60 folk paintings produced over the past two decades. These include Munjado (문자도 – 글자로 된 그림), Books (책거리), Hwajo (화조 – 꽃그림), Sansu (산수 – 풍경그림), and The Three Kingdoms (삼국지). These folk paintings reflect the public’s thoughts on the social phenomena of the Joseon Dynasty. This exhibition is particularly significant in that it displays folk paintings of the people’s culture at the Asia Cultural Center, built on the site of the old Jeonnam Provincial Government Office, which was pivotal in our democratic history. The exhibition will be a chance to recall the meaning of the aesthetic feelings of humor and embrace in the Joseon Dynasty while admiring the works of art that are the product of the times.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
“Jeolla-do” is the oldest recorded name of this administrative district in southwestern Korea, and it can be found in the History of Goryeo, written in the 9th year of the reign of King Hyeonjong (1018). However, long before the name “Jeolla-do” was given, there were people living in the area now comprising the two provinces of Jeollabuk-do and Jeollanam-do who dreamed of a better world. In this exhibition, you can see various stories of the people who have preserved this land of Jeolla-do for more than 1,000 years.
김세종민화컬렉션 < 판타지아 조선 >
GWANGJU NEWS
This exhibition, which displays pieces from the Gwangju Art Museum, focuses on the characteristics and identity of local art, and aims to provide spiritual comfort to the modern individual who lives in today’s civilized society with a high level of naturalistic emotion and humanistic sensibility descending from traditional art.
Kim Se-jong Folk Painting Collection “Fantasia Joseon”
2018-12-30 �� 11:33:40
6 Our Lives, Looking Back at Jeolla-do 삶의 터전, 전라도를 돌아보다 특별전시 개최 At the Gwangju Folk Museum, a special exhibition is underway that looks back on the past 1,000 years of Jeolla-do. This exhibition is designed to look back on the life of local people over the last millennium. The exhibition consists of four parts and introduces 500 items. In Part 1 (Living Environment with Nature and Harmony), the residential living spaces of everyday life are reproduced. In Part 2 (Living Place), various agricultural technologies of the time are displayed. Part 3 (Art of Fingertips, Folk Crafts) focuses on crafts such as bamboo crafts (죽세공예), woodworking (목공예), and pottery, including bunchungsagi (분청사기, a grayish blue powdered celadon) and celadon (청자). Part 4 (Jeolla-do People) explores the roots of consciousness and life views of the local people and conveys their meaning. This exhibition provides a unique chance to look back on the journey of the people of Jeolla-do.
Dates: Location:
September 19, 2018 – November 2019 (TBD) 48-25 Seoha-ro, Yongbong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju (Gwangju Folk Museum) 광주 북구 서하로 48-25(용봉동) 광주시립민속박물관
Admission: Telephone: Website:
Free 062-613-5337~8 http://gjfm.gwangju.go.kr/
Asian Sounds and Music – Indonesian Pop Music Collection Exhibition < 아시아의 소리와 음악 > 주제전문관 인도네시아 대중음악 컬렉션 기획전 This exhibition will be held as part of the “Sound and Music of Asia,” an archiving project of the Asia Cultural Center that investigates and shares music and sound culture that is disappearing from various parts of Asia. Since Indonesia’s independence in 1945, Western culture has been actively introduced in its music and movies. This exhibition will show how Indonesian pop music formed and developed under the influences of the Cold War, Westernization, and democratization, and how the changing political and social ideologies impacted pop music during each period.
Date: Location:
November 29, 2018 – April 28, 2019 38 Munhwajeondang-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju (Asia Culture Center, Library Park)
광주 동구 문화전당로 38 국립아시아문화전당 라이브러리파크
Admission: Telephone: Website:
Free 1899-5566 https://www.acc.go.kr/board/schedule/ exhibition/2455
Paradise Within You – Media YouTopia
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
당신속의 낙원 Media YouTopia The Gwangju Museum of Art will hold a special exhibition to promote citizens’ interest in media art in the UNESCO Media Art City of Gwangju. This will not only contribute to fostering regional media art, but will also strengthen the city’s role in providing a window on all aspects of media art. In this exhibition, media art will produce its own “utopia.” Through this, audiences can cross reality with virtual time and space. The artists who participate in this exhibition cover various issues that may face the present and future – including the issues of migrants and environmental problems due to climate change – through light, image, and installation works. As we live in the rapidly changing world of the fourth industrial revolution, you will be challenged to think about the metaphorical meaning of true utopia and what genuine happiness is.
Dates: Location:
November 27, 2018 – February 24, 2019 52 Haseo-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju (Gwangju Museum of Art, main building exhibition rooms 1, 2) 광주 북구 하서로 52 광주시립미술관 본관 제1,2전시실
Admission: Free Telephone: 062-613-7100 http://artmuse.gwangju.go.kr/ Website:
2019�1��.indd 6
2018-12-30 �� 11:33:41
7
Gwangju Theater
62 Chungjang-ro 5-ga, Dong-gu, Gwangju (two blocks behind NC Wave) TICKETS: 8,000 won CONTACT: 062-224-5858 For more information, please visit http://cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju * Synopses excerpted from Wikipedia, IMDb, and Hancinema. All English language films are presented with Korean subtitles; non-English international films are presented with Korean subtitles only.
THE OLD MAN AND THE GUN 미스터 스마일 Genre: Drama Director: David Lowery Film Length: 93 minutes Language: English (Korean subtitles) Starring: Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, Casey Affleck Summary: Based on the true story of Forrest Tucker from his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public. Wrapped up in the pursuit are detective John Hunt, who becomes captivated with Forrest’s commitment to his craft, and a woman who loves him in spite of his chosen profession.
LETO, SUMMER 레토 Genre: Drama Director: Kirill Serebrennikov Film Length: 128 minutes Language: Russian (Korean subtitles) Starring: Teo Yoo, Roman Bilyk Summary: Leto depicts the youth of Viktor Tsoi and the Leningrad underground rock culture of the early 1980s. The main storyline of the film
January 2019 Jeollanamdo Happenings The 2019 Boseong Tea Garden Light Festival 대한민국 국향대전 2018 December 14 – January 13, 2019 (open 18:00–22:00) 775 Nokcha-ro, Bosung-eup, Bosung-gun, Jeollanam-do (Korea Tea Culture Park) 전남 보성군 보성읍 녹차로 775 (한국차문화공원일원) 3,000 won 061-850-5211~4 http://www.boseong.go.kr/tour/ festivity/light_festival Yeosu Marathon Race 여수마라톤대회 January 13 Yeosu World Expo Exhibition Venue 여수세계박람회장 10,000 won (5 kilometers); 20,000 won (10 kilometers); 30,000 won (half & full course) 061-921-9906 http://www.ysmarathon.co.kr
January 2019
2019�1��.indd 7
MARY SHELLEY 메리 셸리:프랑켄슈타인의 탄생 Genre: Drama Director: Haifaa al-Mansour Film Length: 120 minutes Language: English (Korean subtitles) Starring: Elle Fanning, Douglas Booth, Bel Powley Summary: Mary Wollstonecraft’s family disapproves when she and poet Percy Shelley announce their love for each other. The family is horrified to find that the couple has eloped, accompanied by Mary’s halfsister, Claire. While staying in the home of Lord Byron at Lake Geneva, the guests are challenged to write a ghost story, which leads Mary to conceive her novel Frankenstein.
regards the relationship between the 19-year-old Tsoi, 26-year-old Mike Naumenko (Roman Bilyk), and his wife Natalia (Irina Starshenbaum), as well as the formation of the Leningrad Rock Club and the recording of Tsoi’s first album, 45.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
THE PARTY 더 파티 Genres: Comedy, Drama Director: Sally Potter Film Length: 71 minutes Language: English (Korean subtitles) Starring: Patricia Clarkson, Bruno Ganz, Cherry Jones Summary: Janet hosts an intimate gathering of friends in her London home to celebrate her political ascension. After her acerbic best friend and others arrive, some with dramatic news to share, an announcement by Janet’s husband provokes a series of revelations. As the sophisticated soiree starts to unravel, a night that began with champagne soon ends up with arguments, shouting, and a pointed gun.
ITZHAK 이차크의 행복한 바이올린 Genre: Documentary Director: Alison Chernick Film Length: 83 minutes Languages: English, Hebrew (Korean subtitles) Starring: Itzhak Perlman, Toby Perlman Summary: A look at the life, work, and religious heritage of violinist Itzhak Perlman.
2018-12-30 �� 11:33:41
8
An Uphill Battle Towards Recognition
A Yemeni Seeking Acceptance in Korea Written by Wilson Melbostad Photographed by Sarah Pittman
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
FEATURE
Y
emen, the poorest country in the Arab world, has been amidst a bloody civil war for nearly four years. Since March 2015, neighboring Saudi Arabia has been leading a coalition of Gulf States against the radical Houthi rebels in northern Yemen, and the impact on the civilian population has been nothing less than devastating. The war has led to what the United Nations has described as the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis,” with the largest outbreak of cholera ever recorded in world history and 14 million people in Yemen (approximately half of the country’s population) in need of aid to survive amid fears of an imminent and massive famine. The independent Yemen Data Project has tracked the number of air strikes since the start of the war to be around 18,000, which works out to an average of about 14 bombings per day. Meanwhile here in Korea, over the course of the first five months of 2018, a total of some 480 Yemenis seeking asylum from the war arrived on Jeju Island. Though it has been over 25 years since Korea became a signatory of the Refugee Convention, the treaty that grants individuals the right to faithfully seek shelter from impending persecution at home, a surprisingly large majority of the Korean population has deemed the Yemenis in Jeju to be trespassing upon Korean soil and, accordingly, unwelcome. Many were outraged when they learned that the Korean National Assembly had also passed the Refugee Act in 2013, which further confirmed the right of those fleeing violence to seek sanctuary in the land of the morning calm. Such disdain in Korea has been evidenced by numerous anti-refugee protests that have taken place all over the country, vicious hate speech online, and even an online petition submitted to President Moon Jae-in and signed by over 700,000 citizens calling for the government to immediately deport the Yemeni asylum seekers. Insert into the story Yasameen Alqaifi, a 28-year-old English teacher from Sana’a, Yemen’s once-thriving capital city. Yasameen herself arrived in Jeju in May of 2018, and though she received legal affirmation of her ability to stay in the country via a humanitarian status visa1 in October of 2018, she still personally fights on a daily basis for the affirmation of her new community. The Gwangju News was lucky enough to catch up with Yasameen and hear her incredible story of perseverance and love, even in the face of hate. Gwangju News (GN): It is a pleasure to meet you, Yasameen. Please introduce yourself to our readers. Yasameen: My name is Yasameen Alqaifi and I am from Yemen, where I was an English teacher for elementary school. I graduated from Suna’a University with a major in traditional English literature. I taught for one and a half years before the war broke out. I am single and 28 years old.
2019�1��.indd 8
2018-12-30 �� 11:33:41
99
www.gwangjunewsgic.com www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019 January 2019
Yasameen Alqaifi.
2018-12-30 �� 11:33:41
2019�1��.indd 9
10 GN: What were the circumstances back home that led you to flee your country?
GN: So, it seems like the violence got to a point where you were forced to leave. How did that come about?
Yasameen: The whole story? Well, I guess I should start from the beginning. Though the records say the war started in 2015, the truth is that Yemen has been in a political crisis since 2011, when a series of street protests against the government broke out. The government retaliated violently against the protestors and negative sentiments against the government became more and more serious. This backdrop helped give rise to the 20–30 percent of Yemenis who not only were anti-government but who also began to push forward these ideas of killing the president and other heinous acts. These individuals, who call themselves the Houthis, lived among us as normal people, but slowly but surely everyone else began to realize what they really wanted. Fast forward a few years and the Houthis revolt within the country gained so much traction that the group took control of the capital in September 2014. The new president of our country, terrified of the Houthis’ advancements, fled to Saudi Arabia and asked the Saudis to help overthrow the Houthis and take back control of the country. Saudi Arabia then teamed up with 12 other nations to begin the air strikes and counter attacks, which have continued to this day.
Yasameen: Essentially, the situation got so bad in Yemen that I, as well as many other people, lost hope. If there is no hope, how can you live? Even animals have hope, you know. Our lives were completely in the hands of the Houthis, who only cared about fighting the Saudis and did not want to spend any money on protecting the citizens who were starving and dying around them. My brother and I received an invitation to study in Belarus from another Yemeni guy from our neighborhood. I initially refused this offer since it meant I would have to leave the rest of my family behind, but my mother said that I had to go. In her mind there was no longer a future for me at home. I was in a situation where if I stayed in Yemen, I knew I would lose myself. Yet at the same time, if I left, I could hold onto my identity, but I would also lose my family and homeland. I made a promise to my family that I would someday return, and ultimately my brother and I left in November of 2017. However, Belarus did not pan out as I had originally thought it would. I had gone with the idea of finishing my master’s degree in English, but tuition fees there were far too expensive and I would have been forced to take classes in Russian. Sensing that I perhaps should try elsewhere to secure my future, my cousin living in Seoul told me about an opportunity to arrive in Jeju without a visa and apply to receive refugee status from the Korean government.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
GN: Do you remember where you were when the air strikes started? Yasameen: Yes, of course. March 25, 2015, was the first time that I encountered the bombings. My family and I were woken up by a huge boom. Since it was raining outside, I had assumed the noises were just from the thunderstorm, and I remember telling my sister this as I helped her back to bed. Seconds later, we heard an even bigger boom than before, this one shocking me to my core. Realizing these sounds were much bigger than thunder, I turned on the TV and a Lebanese news anchor came on announcing that the Saudi coalition was starting its first day of bombings. I remember turning off the TV and coming back to my family feeling extremely sad; it was as if life had stopped. The Lebanese anchor on the TV said the bombings would last only three days and the war would be over, but truthfully, we were all very scared of the bombs. I remember trying to distract my younger brothers and sisters by telling them about the good news that school would be closed for a little while. Three days passed and nothing changed as the bombings continued. Weeks became months, and eventually we heard news that the Saudis would be using illegal chemical weapons and bombs in our neighborhood. That night at 6 p.m., a bomb went off that knocked me off my feet. In Yemen, when you heard a plane, you knew it was going to be dropping a bomb. I still think of those bombs every time I hear an airplane; the images will not leave my mind.
2019�1��.indd 10
GN: What happened upon your arrival in Jeju? Yasameen: Once I arrived at Jeju Airport, I was told that I would have to stay in a hotel in Jeju until the Korean government gave permission for me to do anything further. We were totally restricted from leaving the island. I felt trapped and unwanted. For the first 24 days, I just cried by myself and stayed inside my room. An old Korean woman who worked at the hotel saw me one day and told me she had a friend who could help me. This friend eventually called me and invited me to live with her and her family in Jeju. This friend had also opened a cultural center in Jeju that provided a safe place for Koreans and Yemenis to talk and learn about each other. I met lots of Koreans there and learned about why the response to us had been so negative up to that point. I will never forget that after one of these culture classes, on my way home an older Korean man approached me and asked me in broken English where I was from. As soon as I responded that I was from Yemen, he screamed at me that I and all other Yemenis were not welcome here and should get out of the country. From that point forward, I learned that I needed to be really careful, as there were lots of individuals here who hated me. During my time on the island, I tried my hardest to find work, as I wanted to somehow repay my host family for the incredible hospitality they showed me.
2018-12-30 �� 11:33:42
1111 Unfortunately, there were not really any jobs available other than hard manual labor. I tried working on a garlic farm and as a dishwasher in a kitchen, but I just could not do it. GN: The Korean government eventually did offer you some sort of legal status and then gave you permission to leave the island, correct?
Yasameen: I would hold their hand and let them know I am human. I would explain that my language or cultural background is secondary to getting to know me and the fact that I am a human. Some people here are shocked that I have a cellphone, or
2019�1��.indd 11
January 2019 January 2019
GN: If you could speak to the Korean people who might be afraid of you and other Yemenis now living in Korea, what would you want to say to them?
www.gwangjunewsgic.com www.gwangjunewsgic.com
Yasameen: Yes, my brother and I were told that we did not get refugee status but instead humanitarian status at the end of October 2018. I will never forget when immigration told us that we would “be like Koreans.” I was fairly excited by this news, and my brother and I decided to move up to Seoul where my cousin was living. My brother and I were able to rent a room – it was expensive – but my brother has been helping me pay the rent thus far thanks to the fact that he found a job at a car factory. In the meantime, I have been trying my best to find work. Upon my first visit to the job office in Seoul, an officer there told me there were lots of opportunities to work in either a chicken factory or clothes factory. Yet, the officer told me I would be required to take off my hijab. I told him that I could not take it off, which angered him, and he promptly told me to leave. That same officer called me again in the evening and told me he had found other jobs for me. I thought this meant that he had found a place that would accept my hijab, but when I arrived at the job office the next day, that same officer asked me if I had understood what he said about the hijab. I told him that I understood my hijab might break some of the uniform policies here in Korea. “No, it is because you are dangerous,” he replied. My hijab represents the fact that I am Muslim and thus dangerous. The officer pointed out that the Indonesian man sitting next to me was also Muslim, but since he was not wearing a hijab, people would not be scared of him. He told me that no one will respect me in Korea because of my hijab. I replied that in my six months in the country he was the only one to disrespect me for it. He became red with anger once more, and I left once again without a job. I am still looking for work and will hopefully find something soon.
2018-12-30 �� 11:33:43
12
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
“I would hold their hand and let them know I am human. I would explain that my language or cultural background is secondary to getting to know me and the fact that I am a human.”
can speak English, or have money. I did not come from another planet, I am from Earth – I speak and have a heart and brain just like everyone else. People have a right to be afraid of me; they also have the right to say that Islam is inherently dangerous. But I would like to ask those who doubt Islam, “Are you really sure the terrorists you are mentioning are Muslim? Does the Quran say you have to kill other people?” My Quran never mentioned that. As far as I am concerned, the acts of terrorists in other parts of the world are not representative of Islam. People ask me all the time, “Why do Muslim men treat women so badly?” To this I always respond that we respect each other. We have good things and bad things in our lives just like any other humans in this world. To these people I ask, “Have you ever fought with your husband, girlfriend, partner, etc.? Do you fight with your spouse because of your religion?” People fight because they are human and cannot control their behavior but certainly not because of their religion. We have to respect each other as human beings. GN: Thank you so much for your time, Yasameen! All the best to your future life here in Korea. Yasameen: Thank you.
2019�1��.indd 12
FOOTNOTE 1 According to the Korean Ministry of Justice’s refugee status determination proceedings, an asylum seeker can (a) receive refugee status and be granted a permanent visa, as well as access to Korea’s welfare programs, (b) be outright rejected from receiving any sort of protection from the Korean government, or (c) be granted humanitarian status, which denotes that the government finds that the asylum seeker’s circumstances do not meet the minimum standard to be considered a refugee (i.e., establishing a wellfounded fear of being persecuted should one return to their country), but are credible enough to not receive provisional protection. Humanitarian status holders are given temporary visas that provide access to work and the right to lawfully reside within the country, but concurrently restrict individuals from accessing Korea’s state-sponsored insurance or other welfare programs. Furthermore, visas must be renewed at the discretion of the government on either a three-month, six-month, or annual basis. Of the 480 asylum seekers who arrived in Jeju in 2018, two individuals were given refugee status, 412 were given humanitarian status, and 56 were outright denied any protection.
The Author
Wilson Melbostad is an international human rights attorney hailing from San Francisco, California. Wilson has returned to Gwangju to undertake his newest project: the Organization for Migrant Legal Aid (OMLA), which operates out of the Gwangju International Center. He has also taken on the position of managing editor of the Gwangju News.
2018-12-30 �� 11:33:45
13 Blast from the Past 13
Seollal
The Korean New Year Written by Emma Dooley
(Originally appearing in Gwangju News, #119, January 2012)
This is the first article of a new column in the Gwangju News, Blast from the Past, in which we will reintroduce to our readers select articles from past issues that, in addition to being high quality, relevant, and interesting, also provide useful information. We hope you enjoy the column. — Eds.
With approximately 20 million people heading home for the holidays, an important part of Seollal preparation is arranging transport. Many travelers prefer to avoid the traffic by relying on the train system, with the result being that services are often booked out a month in advance. Those who do brave the roads can expect their journey time to be doubled at the very least!
Happy New Year to all, and 새해 복 많이 받으세요 (Hope you receive many New Year’s blessings)! [Note: Every year the Gwangju City Folk Museum prepares a Lunar New Year’s program of traditional games and a masked dance performance. Website: https://gjfm.gwangju.go.kr/]
January 2019 January 2019
2019�1��.indd 13
Instead of going home for Seollal, many people make trips to locations on the east coast to greet the first rays of the Lunar New Year’s sun. Homigot (호미곶), in Pohang, is the easternmost point of the Korean peninsula and the location of the first sunrises in Korea. It is home to a pair of giant hand statues, one in the sea and one in Sunrise Square, through which the first rays of sun pass on New Year’s Day, as well as home to the Sunrise Festival (although this is celebrated on January 1 of the Gregorian calendar). The festival includes a fire show, sunrise concert, kite flying, and free tteokguk for all!
www.gwangjunewsgic.com www.gwangjunewsgic.com
The days preceding Seollal are generally spent purchasing gifts for family members and preparing for the ancestral rites performed on Lunar New Year’s Day. On the morning of Seollal, people traditionally get up early and dress in their seolbim (설빔, brand new hanbok, arranged especially for the occasion). When everyone is ready, the family gathers together to pay their respects to their ancestors by offering food. According to Korean beliefs, the ancestors’ spirits return to enjoy the holiday food set out for them. This ritual is called charye (차례) and involves setting up a temporary shrine composed of an ancestral tablet (sinwi, 신위) as well as many types of food, including tteokguk (떡국, rice cake soup), sikhye (식혜, a sweet rice drink), rice wine, several types of fruit and vegetables, and various fish and meat dishes. The eldest male burns incense and welcomes the ancestors by pouring wine into the glasses at their place settings. The whole family then bows to the ancestors and offers the prepared foods to them. The rite is completed with the performance of a second bow.
Following the meal, children wish their elders a happy new year by performing sebae (세배), a deep traditional bow. The elders then reward the children with sebaet-don (세뱃돈), or “New Year’s bow money,” along with some wise words or well wishes. The family may then visit the graves of their ancestors before spending the afternoon playing traditional Korean games like yut-nori (윳놀이), a board game played in teams with four sticks that are thrown into the air like dice and then the player’s board piece is moved according to how the sticks land. Families may also play “go-stop,” a card game played with hwatu (화투, “flower cards”). Tuho (투호) is another popular game and involves throwing long, thin arrows into a basket. Kite flying is also a popular Seollal activity. Kites are raised into the sky, then the line is cut and a wish is made.
FEATURE
A
longside Chuseok, Seollal (설날, Lunar New Year’s Day), is one of the most important holidays in Korea. Seollal is the first day of the lunar calendar and falls on January 23 this year [on February 5 in 2019]. This holiday is typically spent with family. 2012 will be the Year of the Dragon, the fifth sign of the Chinese zodiac [2019 is the Year of the Pig].
Afterwards, the family shares the food, believing that their ancestors have left them good luck in exchange for the meal. According to tradition, eating tteokguk on Seollal adds one year to one’s age, so a fun way to ask someone how old they are is to ask how many bowls of tteokguk they have had!
2018-12-30 �� 11:33:48
14
Gwangju Urban Design Forum How to Find the Character of a City
FEATURE FEATURE
Written by Jennifer Marlton Photographs courtesy of Gwangju Urban Design Forum Secretariat
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
Saeki Tetsuya, urban design expert from Toyama City, Japan, leading a session on Shaping Future Cities with Landscape Design.
T
he Gwangju Urban Design Forum is an annual forum that brings together people from around the world, including students, professors, and experts in architecture, engineering, and design. Urban planning in a city can have a huge effect on the inhabitants’ quality of life. There are many factors that can influence the need for change or growth within a city, such as climate change, modern industrialization, culture and art, livability, aesthetics, and suburban activities. The Gwangju Urban Design Forum is hosted by the City of Gwangju and is supported by various institutions, including the Gwangju International Center and the Urban Design Institute of Korea. The recently concluded forum was held November 28–30 at the Kimdaejung Convention Center. The subject of the forum was
2019�1��.indd 14
“Finding the Character of Gwangju.” This urban design in Gwangju has been attempting by showcasing the history of Gwangju and its culture. The idea of the forum, however, was to complement this to better show Gwangju’s unique identity and how it will respond to future economic and social variables. At the back of the hall was a display of the winners of the 100 best architectural designs of 2018 – ideas that showed stunning designs, showcasing the effect that architecture can have on the presence of a city. One of the displays featured designs at Haeundae Beach in Busan. Many travelers know the effect architecture can have when traveling through different cities. The urban design of a city speaks to its culture and beauty, but the design of a city can affect things such as sewerage, waste and water
2018-12-30 �� 11:33:52
1515
Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-sup welcomes guests at the opening dinner.
Prof. Kim Woo-young of Sungkyunkwan University gives the keynote address.
2019�1��.indd 15
Prof. Kim Woo-young discussed his view that people should live close to where they work, because this cuts down on transportation time and allows people to enjoy where they live more fully. He quoted Jan Gehl, a famous architect, who said, “Planners looked down on the scale of cities. What they missed was the environment at eye level.” Kim stressed that cities should be viewed from inside for how they are lived in, not how others view them from above.
January 2019
The introductory speech noted that Gwangju had been recognized in the past in three specific areas: justice, arts and culture, and cuisine. These forums have already contributed to the urban regeneration of Gwangju Station, the Chonnam University area, and the GwangjuSongjeong Station Project. The design for Gwangju is centralized around showing its human rights history. There are many structures, relics, and areas around Gwangju that are specifically designed to show this history. The forum recognized the need for Gwangju to be able to place itself amongst a society that is constantly
changing, especially while the fourth industrial revolution is taking place. The fourth industrial revolution is the rapidly developing technologies that connect billions of people around the world and new advances in things such as artificial intelligence. This revolution has the power to raise income levels and improve the lives of millions around the globe.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
management, heating, and air conditioning. It can also affect pollution levels, as cities with good transit systems have less pollution, fewer accidents, and fewer spacetaking parking spots.
2018-12-30 �� 11:33:58
16 Other cities were mentioned as examples in the speeches made during the forum. Prof. Guy Burgel, talked about a map study of Lyon in France. He discussed the “competitive international metropolis, small and medium-sized cities…and rural agricultural regions isolated from urban centers.” The study of this city showed a small elite group who worked to retain the culture of the city after recession and kept it competitive with the rest of Europe. There were many changes over the years with population increases and the gap between the rich and the poor widening, as well as sprawling urbanization. This was compared to another city, Parduil, and the extensive redevelopment there, through the addition of living spaces, shopping centers, jobs, and green centers. However, in both of these rich cities, while the development increased the value of the economy and appearance of the city, it did not necessary help the poor in the region. His lesson for Gwangju was that a city’s history and culture can determine a different future for it than for other cities, even with the same conditions applied. A city belongs to the citizens and the government, and cannot be changed simply with scientific reasoning.
There were many speakers and the visitors explored different aspects of Gwangju’s unique urban design. It was a successful forum that, it can be hoped, will pave the way for more successful urban development in Gwangju!
The Author
Jennifer has been living in Korea for just over a year and, in that time, has experienced many facets of Korean life. She is very interested in culture and traveling, and there has been a lot to explore in Gwangju and the surrounding regions. She has majored in journalism and has enjoyed getting back into writing while in Gwangju.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
This forum included a youth camp for students from cities that are considered to display East Asian culture. The students had a chance to contribute to their own
design project that would in turn contribute to Gwangju. Some of the students who attended the forum spoke at the final question-and-answer session. They were efficacious in pointing out the opportunity the forum gave them to experience and explore Gwangju from an urban design point of view with other similarly minded students. There were students from China, Indonesia, and other East Asian countries present. They spoke about experiencing a different culture based on the urban design of the city and what this meant that they could take back to share with their home countries.
Urban design experts posing for a group photo with Jeong Jongje (ninth from left), deputy mayor for administrative affairs.
2019�1��.indd 16
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:02
1717
FEATURE
“The Gwangju News Helped Launch My Career” An Interview with Former Volunteer Shay Meinecke
N
2019�1��.indd 17
be a writer. I don’t know if they meant a journalist, but that’s how I took it. So when I came to Korea, I saw the opportunity to learn how to be a journalist and to launch my career.” Shay was on assignment to Korea and the Philippines last November when he took the opportunity to visit Gwangju, the city that has always had a special place in his heart. “After I left Gwangju, I missed the food, especially chamchi bibimbap [tuna bibimbap], mandu [dumplings], and tteokgalbi [grilled short rib patties]. I missed the people. Seeing old places and recovering old memories is kind of cool.”
January 2019
o pain, no gain. Shay Meinecke came from the U.S. to Korea in 2011, like many others before him, to find new adventures. He’d taught English for some time when he felt the need to find more activities and to make use of his knowledge in public relations. He found the Gwangju News by chance. As one of the Gwangju News volunteers and the assistant editor at that time, Stephen Redeker invited him to join in as a writer. Shay said he was nervous at first, with the Gwangju News being his very first publication to write for, but he built up his courage to apply. “Everyone I met told me I should
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
Written by Karina Prananto Photographs courtesy of the Gwangju International Center, Gwangju News, and Shay Meinecke
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:03
18 To Shay, his first piece in the Gwangju News, about a rock climbing gym in Buk-gu, is the most memorable to date. “This gym was inside a very small building…a room in fact. The ceiling was lower than this (pointing to the ceiling inside the Gwangju International Center), which didn’t seem to be a great place to have a gym, but it was a great experience. The guy didn’t speak any English, and we didn’t really speak much Korean. It was cool to somehow make the article work and see him climbing up and down his wall. The owner was really nice. He had a 10-year-old daughter who would move like Spiderman around the gym, and that was by far the most memorable experience.” Later on, Shay focused more on sportsrelated articles, even founding the Athletic Supporters volunteer group in the process. With the group, Shay held athletic events for charities and organizations that needed additional funding and exposure. Shay’s commitment and enthusiasm to the Gwangju News earned him the position of assistant editor in 2013.
Shay saw the opportunity to be an international journalist when an opening at Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany’s public international broadcaster, appeared in August 2014. The rest is history. Although he was sad to leave Korea, Shay thought that working for DW would help him achieve his career goals. At DW, “I work for a podcast called ‘Africa Link,’ where I’m the international news broadcaster. The podcast is 30 minutes long, and I have to write a news script and a global roundup of the news of the day, and put in audio clips for three and a half minutes. It reminds me of my time at GFN, though this is far more serious. I broadcast a dozen to 15 times per month. I really enjoy collaborating with everyone on the show, which we do every weekday. It’s live and fun. It’s demanding, challenging, and sometimes stressful, but I really enjoy it.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
At that time, Shay had been expanding his experience around Korea by becoming a host for the Gwangju Foreign Language Network (GFN) in 2013, and as his specialty, he also hosted programs on sports in Korea and abroad. Later on, Shay also worked for Arirang TV until 2014. “Working with Arirang was pretty memorable. Every
weekend, we would go around Korea to interview locals and experience festivals. We would sometimes travel for 24 hours at a time to just put together a three-minute show. I would often go from Gwangju to Seoul, and then up and down the coast, and back to Daegu all in one day. It was wild! Working with foreign languages as an English speaker is always a challenge. They sort of assume that you speak many different languages. As far as difficulties traveling abroad to finish a story are concerned, these were probably the most challenging aspects.”
Shay (third from left) on his first interview with the rock climbing gym owner (third from right) in Buk-gu.
2019�1��.indd 18
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:04
19
▲ Clockwise from top left: Shay on his reporting duties with Arirang TV, Shay in GFN, Shay with DW.
My new thing is the environment department, which is kind of a step up in my career. I went to Cancun, Mexico, last year to follow a story on the Nature Conservancy. They have a global fund to restore coral reefs and to sort of limit the reduction of hurricane damage. I will also do a feature story in Cebu, the Philippines, about swimming with whale sharks and its impact on the environment. I will be going there after leaving Korea.”
2019�1��.indd 19
The Author
Karina is from Jakarta, Indonesia, and has been involved with the Gwangju News since 2007. She feels so lucky to be part of the Gwangju News’ transformation and is very thankful for all the opportunities to meet new people and learn many new things at the Gwangju News.
January 2019
For those who dream of becoming an international journalist, Shay commented that finding different opportunities for getting involved and moving towards your goal is what’s best. “For me, I never thought I’d be on the radio. Working with the Gwangju News would
Even with lots of things happening in his life at the moment, Shay still thinks that he’ll be working abroad as an international journalist in the next five years. He said he always wanted to be a better journalist. We’re sure he will be. The Gwangju News wishes him all the best and we can’t wait to hear more success stories from Shay in the future!
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
Although one can say that Shay has achieved most of what he’s dreamed of, he never forgets his roots at the Gwangju News. “When I first applied for work with DW, I told them about the Gwangju News and that it was a volunteer magazine. The Gwangju News really helped me launch my journalism career. It laid a foundation for what it means to be a journalist. The whole experience here at the Gwangju News was extremely educational. The magazine is a community driver. It brings people together not only to help each other, but also to learn about the community we’re living in.”
help connect me with GFN, and now I love working on the radio. I came here to experience Korean culture and just live abroad, but I really had the mindset to also do as much as I could to use my experience to launch my career elsewhere, and that’s what has happened. I put in the work where I should have, and it worked out for the best. It’s just something you can never pay back. I will always be indebted to the Gwangju News. This type of opportunity was so special for me. This is what launched my career! So, I’m forever thankful to the Gwangju News.”
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:06
20 Community Leaders
COMMUNITY
Dreamers: A Harmonious and Unbiased World
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
▲ Left: Dreamers’ stage. Hyeon-Jae and Anu warm up the instruments while they wait for the crowd. Right: Taesang Park proudly looks over the Dreamers and the realization of his dream.
“I thought of the prejudice in our minds against other nationalities. I realized it could all be from fear that we don’t know each other, and that fear makes walls. Those walls force us to forget our conscience; they make us irrational and prejudiced. I wanted to break the walls in our minds, wanted the people to understand each other, to have open hearts. I wanted to create a harmonious and unbiased place in Gwangju.” — Taesang Park
T
ucked away near the west entrance of Daein Market is a modest little shack. If you did not know it, you would pass it by, thinking nothing of it or the man who runs it. You would perhaps glance at its beat-up shutter door, hundreds of photos on the windows, or the busy man in the maroon cap hastily washing beer glasses and sweeping the cracked floors of the establishment. If you gazed at each other, he would certainly give you a smile. As you continued your journey, you would likely
2019�1��.indd 20
forget that moment of your day, unaware of what you just saw. The space to which I am referring is Dreamers Open Space, and that man, the one in the maroon cap, is Taesang Park. Taesang is an idealistic, humble, and deeply compassionate human who is overflowing with love and renowned among the Gwangju community.
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:06
21
Written by Tobias Hills Photographed by Tobias Hills and Taesang Park
“Taesang is like my real brother. He has no greed, but I feel rich when I’m with him. He is always satisfied with the small things and always takes care of his friends with his great love. He is the best.” — Edward Kim
2019�1��.indd 21
“It’s a church without a religion, a community without color of skin, wealth without possessions, a piece of land without a border. It’s a place for love, for friendship, for creation – a place for us, Dreamers.” — Laureline Claeys
January 2019
He is easily recognizable, perennially sporting: his trademark maroon cap, a camera around his neck, a wispy goatee, and his soft smile. Taesang is a friend, planner, and leader; however, perhaps more important than any of that, he is responsible for founding Dreamers Open Space: a Gwangju haven cherished by locals, expatriates, and tourists alike.
“Dreamers is a safe space, a place for friends to gather and new friendships to form, an open space welcoming anyone who will join. You never know what new face will show up on any given night, but you always know a familiar face will be there.” — Eden Jones
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
▲ Edward Kim, Anu Bandaras, Jinseon Yun, and Dongmin Lee draw in the crowd with their incredible arsenal of Korean ballads.
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:07
22 Dreamers’ official tagline is “Dreaming of a World Without Discrimination and Prejudice.” Inspired by John Lennon’s “Imagine,” Taesang created Dreamers with a similar mantra in mind: to give people a space that promises inclusion and harmony among those who visit. “Dreamers has taught me to look at the world without prejudice. It is the place where all people can communicate and where we can heal each other’s hearts.” — Dongmin Lee “Dreamers is as much a realized idea as it is a friendly yellow shack in a thriving night market. It inspires creativity, grows and strengthens relationships, and provides an intimate space for artists of all kinds to share their talents with the community. I couldn’t ask for a better home away from home.” — Andrew Vlasblom
It encourages artistry and creativity. It brings together people from all corners of the earth and forges kinships that would not necessarily occur otherwise. Dreamers emboldens all to abandon their inhibitions, to break down the walls, to feel freedom in being themselves. And, with that mission, it creates an ever-enveloping atmosphere of togetherness to which all are entitled. “I’ve never felt so free to be myself with such kind-hearted and passionate individuals. Dreamers is the creative pulse in the heart of the Gwangju community, giving us all the little extra energy we need to get through and thrive.” — Ashley Johnson Every Saturday night on which Daein Market is operating, Taesang opens Dreamers’ yellow sliding door, pulls up the ragged metal shutter, puts out the various pieces of seating, taps the keg of Kloud, and waits for his perpetually growing group of friends to arrive.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
▶ A small sample of the crowds that flock to Dreamers every Saturday evening. ▼ Andrew Vlasblom’s “Boardwalk City Blues” reaches a brilliant end on its debut weekend.
2019�1��.indd 22
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:09
23
▲ The Dreamers family, brought together by Taesang Park, welcoming and eternally growing.
“Dreamers is a place where I felt at home; it stopped me from being lonely. There is no other place I will visit before Dreamers when I return to Gwangju. I love it and I miss it.” — Tao Don Tajaroensuk
With Dreamers, Gwangju has a small utopia that, although modest and unassuming, welcomes any who wish to walk through the yellow, picture-laden threshold.
2019�1��.indd 23
Come say hello. **Thank you to the Dreamers – Edward, Eden, Dongmin, Andrew, Laureline, Don, Ashley, and Jazz – for their contributions. And a special thanks to Taesang for allowing us to dream.
The Author
Tobias Hills is among many English teachers who have found a home in Gwangju. Toby made his way to Korea from Toledo, Ohio, in July 2017 and has become a well-known member of the community. He’s usually found frolicking through Daein Market discovering food spots when not doing photography, teaching, or writing.
January 2019
“When I look around, I wonder how many of those strangers now gather here as friends. Perhaps I can’t count, but enough for me to know that every new face at Dreamers is a story to be learned and a future to be shared.” — Jazz McClure
Dreamers has become a cornerstone of the community and, for many, a second home. The door is always open and even when it is closed, it is still open. A simple “Hi, my name is…” makes you family.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
As soon as the first note of music is played, people flock to Dreamers to watch the myriad of performances. Hordes come to watch the Irishman’s folk songs; the soulful Korean trio; the masterful violinist from Wisconsin, and the Canadian piano virtuoso; the soothing voices from France, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and America; and the Mancunian’s strum of the guitar. They come to immerse themselves in the dream that Taesang has brought to life.
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:11
TRAVEL TRAVEL
24 Lost in Gwangju
The Old Gwangju Red Cross Hospital
Drawing the Lifeblood of Democracy
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
Written and photographed by Isaiah Winters
Despite its bright stripes and good location, the old Gwangju Red Cross Hospital sits largely overlooked.
2019�1��.indd 24
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:12
2525
A
t the end of “Wedding Street” downtown, just before the Seoseok Bridge over the Gwangju Stream, the old Gwangju Red Cross Hospital (구 광주적십자병원) sits overlooked behind a cordon of chains. The signboard out front bears the image of a skeleton’s hand over the word “AIDS” with the subtext “Only your wholesome sex life can prevent AIDS.” Though cracked and faded, the public health warning still lists the symptoms of AIDS and oddly explicit instructions for how to prevent it, like by avoiding intercourse with female prostitutes and staying clear of the blood and organs of those infected. When viewed in isolation, the morbid old sign seems almost humorously inappropriate, but when it’s paired with the hospital’s history, a more apropos context emerges. Given its proximity to the old Jeollanam-do Provincial Hall, the former Gwangju Red Cross Hospital was where many of the wounded were brought during the Gwangju Uprising in May 1980. Overwhelmed by the deluge of patients with gunshot wounds, the hospital’s blood bank was rapidly depleted, causing alarm among the medical staff. In response, the staff began making urgent pleas for the local community to come together and donate blood. As solidarity and civic-mindedness among the denizens of Gwangju were then at an all-time high, people from all walks of life began turning up in droves to donate their blood to the cause, including many female prostitutes. Today a commemoration plaque outside the hospital praises these “bar girls” for their acts of altruism, while the contrasting AIDS warning also seen outside the hospital reflects society’s hyper-vigilant and, at times, oddly selective response to the virus.
2019�1��.indd 25
January 2019 January 2019
While looking through some of the junk left around, an old wooden stationery box turned up bearing an interesting message from just over 40 years ago. On the underside of the lid, a doctor had penned the following message in English:
www.gwangjunewsgic.com www.gwangjunewsgic.com
At present, the inside of the hospital sits largely unchanged since the day it was shuttered in 2014. Gurneys can still be seen in many of the rooms, including the emergency room, where squatters have taken over and made good use of the beds. The emergency room also includes a tiny operating room with a single stretcher and a few trolleys stacked with many of the nightmarish instruments an ER doctor might need in a crisis, including scissors, kidney dishes, tweezers, and blades of all sizes. Straight down the hall from this emergency room is the main operating room, though it’s unfortunately padlocked. In fact, most of the doors throughout the hospital are locked, save an OB-GYN office and a few other rooms squatters have taken over.
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:12
26
▲ The entrance to the OB-GYN office offered a detailed diagram of birth and pregnancy.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
◀ With a gurney at hand, the “operation room” keeps its secrets secure behind a padlock.
Dept. of Otolaryngology, Kwangju Red Cross Hospital May 1978 Sung Kon Kim, M.D. “For My Patients” Signed just two years shy of the Gwangju Uprising, it’s possible that this doctor was also part of the medical staff during those harrowing days. Interestingly, the strongest online link between this name and the Gwangju Red Cross Hospital are hospital records from the 5.18 Archives website showing that a 33-year-old man with the same name arrived at the same hospital on May 22 with a gunshot wound to the right leg.[1] Is it just a coincidence, or did Dr. Kim, after being wounded in the uprising, become a patient at his own hospital? Whoever the patient was, did the community’s blood donations save his life, or did he perish? The records simply don’t say.
2019�1��.indd 26
One mystery about the old Gwangju Red Cross Hospital that was easier to solve was why it has such a nice new gate out back despite being over 50 years old. The answer is likely because one of the hospital scenes from the 2017 film A Taxi Driver was actually shot there on location. In the film, many retro vehicles had to be brought into the hospital’s rear parking lot to recreate how things might have looked back in 1980, and this probably required a sturdy new gate to accommodate all the activity. Another change made to the rear exterior of the hospital for the film’s sake was the addition of the name “Gwangju Red Cross Hospital” in Korean across the second-floor banister, though no trace of this add-on remains today. In fact, it’s hard to find any reference to “Gwangju Red Cross Hospital” on the building today, and that’s because after the hospital went bankrupt in 1995, it was
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:15
27 purchased a year later by Seonam University owner Lee Hong-ha and then renamed Seonam University Hospital.[2] If these names sound familiar, that’s because Lee and his now defunct Seonam University were mentioned in the Gwangju News’ 200th issue last October (see “That Other Creepy Gwangju Hospital”). Like with many of his acquisitions, Lee was more interested in embezzling money from them than in maintaining them. This explains both why he’s in jail and why the hospital still looks straight out of the 1980s. It’s a shame to see such an iconic piece of Gwangju’s history still bearing his brand. It’s hard to say what will become of the old hospital, given its current ownership. Most likely, it’ll continue to sit and fester like so many of Lee’s other properties. In recent years, Gwangju City has certainly recognized the hospital’s historical significance, as it’s now registered as “Historic Site No. 11” along 5.18 Road (오월길), a course through the City of Light showcasing the most noteworthy sites from the Gwangju Uprising. Though the old Gwangju Red Cross Hospital’s private ownership casts serious doubts on any hope for a quick salvaging, last year’s A Taxi Driver and minor articles like this can at least help keep the old hospital’s memory alive in the public consciousness.
References [1] 5.18 광주민주화운동자료총서 제25권. Retrieved from the 5.18 Archives website: http://www.518archives.go.kr/books/ebook/25/#page=357 [2] Moon H. (2017, August 21). <디테일추적>영화 ‘택시운전사’, 서남대 부속병원을 세트장으로 쓴 이유는. Retrieved from the Chosun.com website: http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_ dir/2017/08/21/2017082101881.html
The Author
Originally from Southern California, Isaiah first came to Gwangju in 2010. He returned to South Korea in 2017 after completing his MA in Eastern Europe and is currently the chief proofreader for the Gwangju News. He enjoys writing, political science, and urban exploring. ▼ The emergency operating room, with many fixtures still in place, is a dark, cramped hellhole (photo by Ryan Berkebile)
www.gwangjunewsgic.com www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019 January 2019
A rare abandoned ambulance sits in the rear parking lot of the hospital.
2019�1��.indd 27
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:18
28 Around Korea
함평
Hampyeong
More Than Just Butterflies
W
hat does Hampyeong never run out of? Hampyeong is famous in Korea for its butterflies, just like Boseong is renowned for its green tea. In fact, I bet there are more butterflies than there are people in the whole of Hampyeong County (population 33,463 in November 2018). Everything in Hampyeong is about butterflies, and I think that is what the county is trying to portray. So that is what initially came to mind whenever I thought of Hampyeong – that there is nothing much to see there except for butterflyrelated attractions.
But I was wrong. I visited Hampyeong twice in the past three months, and neither visit was related to butterflies. First, I was invited there to see a lantern festival (think Tangled, the movie) on a beach this summer, and then I visited the beach once more in winter. There is no doubt in my mind that Hampyeong has many things to offer beside butterflies, and after learning this, I am glad that Hampyeong is located only about 50 minutes from Gwangju. Dolmeori Beach (돌머리해수욕장) is located on the western tip of Hampyeong County. It is mostly a mud beach,
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
TRAVEL
Written by Karina Prananto Photographed by Karina Prananto, Gong Yiwen, and Kim Hyun-ji
Dolmeori Beach in winter.
2019�1��.indd 28
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:19
29
Kitchen 205 is a quaint cafe selling all things ▶ strawberry pink.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019 January 2019
2019�1��.indd 29
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:20
TRAVEL
30 30
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
▲ Traces of snow can be seen on the rooftop of a hanok in Jupo Hanok Village.
even during the summer, and this may decrease its fame relative to other beaches, like those in Yeosu and Busan. But Dolmeori Beach is still a nice place, nonetheless. In summertime, there are two man-made pools: One is for kids with a water slide, while the other is a deeper pool for more experienced swimmers. There are also huts for rent surrounding the pools and even an observation deck. What it may lack are food and dining options, so you are advised to bring your own. In the wintertime, when no one thinks of going to the beach, it may look deserted, but you can still walk the 400-meter-long deck and take in a fine view of the sea. Sunset on the beach is also an awesome sight to behold. If you think that Jeonju is the nearest place to Gwangju where you can go to see a hanok (한옥, traditional Korean house) village, you may be surprised to know that Hampyeong actually has one, too. Jupo Hanok Village (주포한옥마을) is a cluster of modern hanok that are actually pensions or minbak (민박, bed and breakfasts) for rent. You can look around the area and take pictures of the properties, provided you do not go into the main
2019�1��.indd 30
yards. Near the main parking lot and the management office is another water playground for kids and a wide patch of reeds and pink myuli (뮤리) grass, which make great photo backgrounds in autumn. In winter, the snow on the hanok will make for great shots as well. Hampyeong is also known for its beef. Raw beef mixed with rice, or saenggogi bibimbap (생고기비빔밥), is said to be one of Hampyeong’s specialties. You can try the dish at Hampyeong’s Five-Day Market (5일시장). Almost every restaurant in this market sells bibimbap. If you don’t like your beef raw, you can always try it cooked (익힌비빔밥, ikhin bibimbap). One restaurant where I went to try the dish is small and always has a queue, even on weekdays. You might want to come earlier for lunch; otherwise, you can expect to wait for at least 15 minutes. After a nice meal, it is time for dessert. Kitchen 205 (키친 205) is a cozy café located just 500 meters away from the market. It is famous for its strawberries. If you like pink, this place has all things pink on the menu. As you can imagine, they only sell strawberry drinks. They prepare
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:21
31 everything fresh, so the prices might be a bit steep, but it is truly worth it. It is a very Instagram-able place. The only drawback might be that the place is small.
DIRECTORY LIST Jangan Restaurant 장안식당
Hampyeong is a rather small county, so you can easily access the restaurants and cafés on foot. Hampyeong Expo Park, which hosts the chrysanthemum and butterfly festivals annually, is only a few hundred meters away from the bus terminal. You can take bus 500 from the Gwangju U-Square Bus Terminal to reach Hampyeong.
Address: Sijang-gil 49-5, Hampyeong, Jeollanam-do
Again, Hampyeong is more than just butterflies!
Telephone: 061-322-9898 Opening Times: Daily 13:00 - 17:00
전남 함평군 함평읍 시장길 49-5
Telephone: 061-322-5723 Opening Times: Daily 10:00 - 20:00
Café Kitchen 205 키친205카페 Address: Yeongsu-gil 205, Hampyeong, Jeollanam-do 전남 함평군 함평읍 영수길 205
The Author
Karina is from Jakarta, Indonesia, and has been living in Gwangju since 2006. One of her hobbies is driving to places with her family, and she thinks Jeollanam-do has many great sights (and foods!). Her personal favorites are Suncheon, Yeosu, and Cheongsan-do, but that’s another story!
Dolmeori Beach 돌머리해수욕장 Address: Seokseong-ri 523, Hampyeong, Jeollanam-do 전남 함평군 함평읍 석성리 523
Telephone: 061-322-0011
Jupo Hanok Village 주포지구한옥전원마을 Address: Seokseong-ri, Hampyeong, Jeollanam-do 전남 함평군 함평읍 석성리
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
2019�1��.indd 31
January 2019
▲ Delicious ox blood soup (bottom left) served at Jangan Restaurant in Hampyeong’s Five-Day Market, part of Hampyeong’s culinary delight.
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:23
TRAVEL
32 From Abroad
Chasing light in a hostel located in Ho Chi Minh City.
Sunny, with a Chance…
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
Written and photographed by Amy Braff
A
journey to Vietnam can leave one’s senses fulfilled, their hearts warmed, and their minds opened. Exploring Ho Chi Minh City was an adventure I had planned very well; however, I did not anticipate that which would follow. The only way I could truly appreciate the magical occurrences that happened after I had arrived was to see it all as if it were happening to somebody else. I had met a hostel receptionist called “Sunny” in Ho Chi Minh City, and he decided to help me out and take me on the back of his motorbike for a seven-hour journey to stay with his family in an isolated village along the Mekong Delta River – this is our story. Sunny’s eyes locked onto her face as she brushed a stray strand of her curly, brown hair behind her ear, an ear that sort of resembled a dried apricot that his father used to give him back by the village after supper every night to help with digestion. She bit into an incredibly juicy pear that gave birth to a droplet that descended contently down her
2019�1��.indd 32
chin. Wiping it off exasperatedly, she bit into the fruit once more – not even taking a breath. Sunny felt both in awe and irritated by the rawness of her actions, but like most of the backpackers who arrived there daily, they were all raw. Deliriously liberated they were. Solo female travelers often kept to themselves after retrieving their hostel keys; often they would shower and descend the stairs shyly, accompanied with a book or a prop of sorts to keep themselves company in their new environment for the day. Lounging on the couches were normally the local travelers, the ones who found homes in hostels that housed them biannually. Sunny found these particular travelers to be the most arrogant – he did not enjoy tending to them and avoided the chance whenever he could. More often than not, one of these young men in their late 20s would run down the stairs around 1 a.m., when Sunny’s shift was about to end, and would ask for favors, condoms,
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:23
33
A woman works in a market in Ho Chi Minh City.
A neon-lit street.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
2019�1��.indd 33
Two children ride bicycles in a street in Ho Chi Minh City.
January 2019
An isolated alley in Ho Chi Minh City.
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:27
34
A man and women stand in a Ho Chi Minh City alleyway.
A man picks fresh produce.
A woman works in a Ho Chi Minh City market.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
A vibrant nightscape of an alley in Ho Chi Minh City.
2019�1��.indd 34
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:30
35 or stored beers because the convenience store had closed an hour before, and they hadn’t earlier contemplated needing to go out. But Sunny needed to smile. He had to act like one of them and chuckle at their charming abrasiveness as if they should be rewarded for it. Working in the hostel was a decision that he had made about three years ago, before he even moved into the city. Ho Chi Minh City was a distant dream he had as a child; he had hoped to be a trader in the markets when he was first told about it. The Mekong Delta had been his home for his whole adolescence, and now he felt like an imposter in his own country. He worked alongside two women, Lee and Fiona. They had been there for far longer than he had, and with his 25th birthday approaching, they agreed to let him go back home for three days, to Cai Rang to see his family. The hostel was a seven-hour motorbike ride away, and he normally stopped five hours in on the highway by a hammock stop. An elderly woman cooked meals there for passersby and truck drivers who needed a quick pick-meup. When he arrived home, his two grandmothers would shuffle out, slippers on and arms entwined, to greet him with their dog Pipi, who at this point would be running around hysterically partly wetting herself. Their village was quite isolated and the locals almost never saw foreigners. Sunny’s parents keep a spare guest room open in case family members needed to stay over after events, but it was normally left empty.
“Or you can take a tour bus to Cai Bai, which is a market in Tieng Gang Province – very nice and close, also.” The girl’s mouth contorted and curled upwards like a live coconut
2019�1��.indd 35
Turning to get the bag that she had left hanging on her chair, the backpacker headed towards the door. Fiona looked displeased. “Wait!” The girl turned with hopeful eyes darting between the two receptionists. “You can go with Sunny – he’s planning on going that way tomorrow. He can take you!” Fiona nodded at Sunny, who at this point was worrying that all this might trigger heart palpitations. The girl’s face relaxed, “Okay, great! When should we go? Thank you. That’s amazing, really.” “His family lives along the Mekong Delta, and he was given time off to go for his birthday. It’s a seven-hour motorbike ride there. Sunny, what time were you going to leave?” “Around 3 a.m.,” he managed to say, the words barely escaping his mouth. The girl smiled at him and tilted her head to the right. For the first time she looked relieved – more natural color seemed to return to her face. “At 3 a.m. – Alright, I’ll meet you outside then with my bags.” The girl put her hand on his arm and gave it a light squeeze before she turned around to walk back upstairs. Fiona and Lee continued going about, attending to their duties; Sunny’s feet were locked to the floor. His face felt warm, and the coming of tomorrow, somehow, was not such a somber thought any longer.
The Author
Amy Braaf is a writer, photographer, and teacher currently living in South Korea after having freelanced in Cape Town, South Africa. She has a BA specializing in film production and English literature. She hopes to open up a cafe in a few years where artists and travelers can connect.
January 2019
“Hi, do you know where these floating markets are?” The girl asks. Sunny looks down and picks up her unfinished breakfast. “Yes, ma’am,” Fiona replies, “there is a five-hour bus that can take you to Can Tho, and then you would have to hire a taxi to drive you to the market for 19 miles.” Fiona always exaggerated her pronunciation when she spoke to foreigners. She nodded at every word they would respond back with as if their words were delicacies and she had not eaten in a week. The girl stared blankly at Fiona and nodded, prodding her along to give her more options. Fiona picked up on this quickly.
“Thank you,” she said with a strained smile, “but I was robbed yesterday on a boat by the taxi driver guide. He also dropped me off six districts away in the rain, and I had to walk until late last night. I also don’t like tour guides or sitting on a boat with a whole bunch of tourists. I came here to see Vietnam as authentically as possible, but I realize that I can’t just demand special treatment. You see, I’m a photographer…” Here she paused and looked down, gently pressed her lips together and smiled. As if her previous self had returned to her tattered body, she was suddenly filled with a radiant aura – as if she were somebody completely new. “…but thank you – I really appreciate this.”
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
The young backpacker got up from her hostel seat. She had not eaten much of her breakfast; besides nibbling on the fried mushrooms and bacon, she had left her eggs, bread, and tomatoes. Her coffee was finished, and with interrogating eyes she scanned Sunny, as he realized that he was staring at her. He noticed a scar on her right eyebrow. It had whitened and so must have been a couple of months old. Fiona sat up at the same time and nodded to Sunny to pick up her plate and take it to the kitchen.
worm. She glanced at Sunny for a moment, looking slightly displeased at the suggestions – she did not seem rude but rather exhausted, as if she had endured something traumatic. All of a sudden her mouth seemed far more pleasant than before. In fact, she was quite beautiful – Sunny felt a shift within himself.
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:31
SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
36
Gifts from the Mountains
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
Written by Jonathan Blaney Photographed by Jonathan Blaney and courtesy of the Gwangju International Center
T
here are certain landscapes or natural areas around the world that seem to feel like home as soon as you set foot there. It is a feeling of an inviting pull that grounds and comforts you. You just strangely know that this familiar-feeling place is home, even though you have never been there before. This is what I experienced when I first came to Korea in 2008, and as soon as I stepped off the plane, that feeling hit me like a truck. This was while on a family trip when we were on a huge tour bus driving all around Korea. I remember visiting Seoraksan National Park, and the mountains blew me away. I could feel the plants and trees almost pulling me closer to them so I could learn more from this unknown and homey place. Once our trip ended, we all returned home to Los Angeles. Over the next ten years, I studied as much as I could about primitive skills and technology from many schools and programs. But I always felt a call back, a longing to learn deeper about this landscape.
2019�1��.indd 36
I finally came back to Korea last year and spent a lot of time learning about as many of the plants, animals, and ancient tools as I could, along with running children’s nature programs through the Gwangju International Center (GIC). It has been so much fun! The first thing I noticed when I started talking to Koreans and expats about the nature of Korea was that there was very little nature in Korea, that it was not very unique, or that there were no animals. From my experiences, I found this to be completely untrue. Even from my basiclevel animal tracking, I could see numerous trails of sika deer, weasels, boars, herons, pheasants, and squirrels. I also would accidently spook deer while going just ten feet off the trail. I found that there is an abundance of wildlife, but it is often just right under our noses, and we pass by too quickly to notice. Over the past year, I have had so many amazing
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:33
37 interactions with nature at Mudeung Mountain and even at the Gwangju Stream. One day, I was walking along the stream’s path and decided to sit down for a while to watch the water. I noticed out of the corner of my eye a small weasel bounding up to me. I stayed completely still as it came right up and smelled me. I was really still, and then it started bounding around me and smelled my back. I was feeling nervous, but then it ran in front of me and dived into the grasses. I was so thankful and excited to see such a beautiful animal, and as I stood up, the weasel popped out its head and looked at me, almost as if to say “See you later!” and then went back to hunting. To have such an amazing communication with this wild animal was so powerfully moving. But only the act of sitting down and becoming as present as possible allowed for this to happen.
I think the most fulfilling parts of this year were the teaching programs. In association with the GIC, we ran a number of programs that were geared to connecting kids to their natural environment. These programs connected all of those involved to the earth and allowed us to learn from and have fun in completely natural settings. We learned how our ancestors lived and practiced skills related to fire, shelter, plants, and so much more. A practice exercise we all did together at the end of each program was to say “thank you” to the land on which we did the program. This is the best way to end and begin any skill and to develop a deeper relationship with the earth and life.
The Author
Jonathan Blaney is a wilderness survival and nature connection youth educator who is driven to share his passion for facilitating a deeper connection with the earth and keeping the skills of our ancestors alive. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Jonathan’s education in wilderness survival and nature awareness began in 2009 and continues to this day.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
2019�1��.indd 37
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:35
COMMUNITY
38 Expat Living
Driving Under the Influence in Korea What You Need to Know
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
Written by Wilson Melbostad
D
riving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol is obviously not something to be taken lightly. This is especially true since the Korean government is now attempting to up the maximum punishments for those who cause accidents while under the influence. In cases of death caused by DUI, offenders will face a minimum of three years in jail and up to life imprisonment. For DUI-related injuries, the prison term for the offender will range from 1 to 15 years. Driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05% or higher constitutes drunk driving in Korea. It takes around three shots of soju for an adult to attain a BAC
2019�1��.indd 38
of 0.05%. The criminal punishment for drunk driving is imprisonment for not more than three years or a (criminal) fine not exceeding ten million won. At the same time, the offender’s driver’s license will either be revoked or suspended for a period of time. Article 38 of the Guidelines for Traffic Enforcement Procedures (교통단속처리지침) is noteworthy in that it outlines the procedures police officers are told to follow when administering sobriety tests. Before testing, the officer is to check if the breathalyzer is actually working properly. In principle, the mouthpiece (or straw that one is to blow into) is for one-time use only. The officer
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:38
39 is also supposed to ask the driver (a) when exactly he/ she finished drinking, as well as (b) whether he/she used any alcohol-based mouthwash, particularly within the past 20 minutes. Sometimes, recent use of alcohol-based mouthwash can affect the results of a breathalyzer test. If you use mouthwash frequently, you should mention this to the officer first and ask for an opportunity to gargle your mouth with water. If you expressly asked for an opportunity to gargle but were denied, this could be deemed as a violation of your rights. In contrast, failure by an officer to voluntarily offer or inform someone of the opportunity to gargle is unlikely to be illegal. One particular lower court case here in Korea confirmed that the absence of an opportunity to gargle does not, in itself, negate a breathalyzer test result.
”You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning.” When the BAC is 0.05% or higher, the officer is to notify the driver that he/she may ask for a blood test. Korean courts view breathalyzer test results as definitive unless the driver, with justifiable reason, had asked for further tests (i.e., blood tests) within a reasonable period of time. A blood test may be conducted with consent when a driver refuses to accept the results of the breathalyzer test. As one can imagine, blood test results normally prevail over breathalyzer test results.
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning.
2019�1��.indd 39
The Author
Wilson Melbostad is an international human rights attorney hailing from San Francisco, California. Wilson has returned to Gwangju to undertake his newest project: the Organization for Migrant Legal Aid (OMLA), which operates out of the Gwangju International Center. He has also taken on the position of managing editor of the Gwangju News.
January 2019
In Korea, there are also “replacement driver services” (대리운전) available. You can call and have someone drive you and your car home (for around 10,000–30,000 won). These are the dudes you see riding around on the electric stand-up scooters at night. But make sure the company has insurance. It’s a good idea to use one reliable company repeatedly and to avoid drivers who solicit you on the spot.
The bottom line? Don’t mess around with driving under the influence. You booze, you cruise, you lose.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
When making an arrest, the officer is to clearly give the offender his/her Miranda rights (미란다 고지). For those who haven’t watched a police flick recently, the full Miranda rights (which are the rights established in the 1966 landmark United States Supreme Court case Miranda vs. Arizona) are as follows:
One should also make sure to never get into a vehicle being driven by a drunk driver. In a worst-case scenario, the passenger can face criminal punishment (for “aiding and abetting”) if the drunk driver ends up killing someone. Also, if it can be proven that the passenger was aware that the driver was drunk, he/she can be held 40 percent responsible for his/her own injuries in the case of an accident. Even when the passenger was too drunk to have any recollection of boarding the vehicle, he/she can be held 30–35 percent responsible. So, the idea is you should always make plans (beforehand) on how to get home safely.
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:39
40 Where to Eat 40
Caffe l’eau
FOOD FOOD& &DRINKS DRINKS
A Community Staple
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
Written and photographed by Sarah Pittman
I love all of the climbing vines that the owners let grow inside on the concrete.
2019�1��.indd 40
My “breakfast” for the day: a cappuccino, a mocha bun, and a caramel frappuccino.
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:43
41
O
ne thing I love about living in a city like Gwangju is being able to find shops and stores that separate themselves from the hustle and bustle of corporate branding and seasonal offerings. I love finding quiet places that seem timeless. Caffe l’eau captures that feeling for me, not only as a quintessential mom-and-pop cafe but also as a fixture of its neighborhood. I found Caffe l’eau one day when I was taking my morning walk. I saw this massive old wooden sign attached to the side of a duplex advertising coffee, beer, and cocktails. The age of the sign is honestly what piqued my interest. It’s not very often that independent cafes survive longer than one or two years in Sangmu, so a business that opened in 2012 must be doing something right if it’s lasted this long in the area around the Kimdaejung Convention Center.
The interior is cozy and clean with a wide variety of tables to choose from.
Taking a look at their menu, I noticed that they offer beers and wines in the evening. I couldn’t make up my mind on what type of coffee I wanted, so I ordered a cappuccino and a caramel frappuccino to go with my mocha bun, and all were reasonably priced. I loved their interior design: a cute but clean hodgepodge of styles that felt very cozy and lived in. The cappuccino had a light dusting of cinnamon sprinkled on top and was very well made. My personal favorite, however, was the caramel frappuccino sans whipped cream. The flavors were perfectly balanced – not so sweet but also not bitter. The mocha bun was soft and fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside, and dunking it in my cappuccino gave me a perfect breakfast snack.
CAFFE L’EAU 카페 루
Address: 32 Sangmuhwawon-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju 광주 서구 상무화원로 32
Telephone: 062-383-1312 Opening Times: Daily 10:00–22:00 (subject to change)
Sarah Pittman is an English teacher from Southern California. She is an avid hobbyist and enjoys knitting, sewing, and photography, among other things. If you have a place you think that Sarah should try next, you can contact her on Facebook or on her Instagram @hello.korean.adventure.
January 2019
The Author
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
Overall, I think that Caffe l’eau is a fantastic, quaint little shop. In my short time there, I got the feeling that Caffe l’eau had become an important part of its community. It wasn’t just that it was busy; it was also filled with business meetings, community events being organized, and families. So if you’re down by the Kimdaejung Convention Center, you should give it a try.
The caramel frappuccino was light and refreshing.
2019�1��.indd 41
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:46
42 42 Korean Food
Bulgogi “Fire Meat”
FOOD & DRINKS
Written by Joe Wabe
INGREDIENTS (Serves 4-6)
B
ulgogi is one of the most well-known Korean dishes around the world. The word “bulgogi” is even listed in some English-language dictionaries, such as the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary of English. The name literary means “fire meat,” and according to history, its original version, which originated in North Korea, was grilled on a skewer directly in hot charcoal.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
After the liberation of Korea from Japanese occupation, bulgogi became popular in South Korea, especially in Seoul where it was widespread in small restaurants and markets. Many refugees from Pyongan Province in North Korea, from where this dish originated, made it popular when they migrated to the South.
Bulgogi is made of thin, marinated slices of beef or pork grilled on a barbecue or on a stovetop griddle. It is also often stir-fried in a pan at home. During the Joseon Dynasty, the original form of bulgogi was called neobiani (너비아니), which means “thinly spread meat,” and was traditionally prepared especially for the wealthy and the nobility. Today, the recipe has changed from its original form to adapt to the palates of new generations, and the added ingredients vary by region and personal tastes. From bell peppers to wild mushrooms and rice noodles, there is no doubt that bulgogi has evolved to satisfy contemporary needs. But this evolution has not stopped this dish from being one of the top favorites of every Korean and Korean food lover around the globe.
2019�1��.indd 42
The Author
Joe Wabe is an established photographer and Gwangju local business entrepreneur. He has been contributing to the GIC and the Gwangju News for more than eight years.
Marinade 6 tablespoons of soy sauce 2 tablespoons of sesame oil 3 tablespoons of brown sugar (or plum syrup) 2 tablespoons of mirin (rice wine) or soju 1/2 an onion 1 tablespoon of minced garlic 1 teaspoon of minced ginger black pepper MAIN 800 grams of any tender prime beef cut (rib eye or top sirloin) thinly sliced 1 large chopped yellow onion 2 stalks of green onion 1/2 a medium chopped carrot 2 red chopped sweet red peppers 3–4 shiitake mushrooms (표고버섯) 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds PREPARATION
1. Put the marinade ingredients in a bowl
2. 3.
4.
along with the meat, mix well, and let it sit in the fridge for four to six hours or overnight. Preheat the skillet on medium high heat; once heated, add the meat and stir for about three minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook until the meat and vegetables are tender. Reduce the heat and add the sesame seeds last. Serve and enjoy!
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:47
43
4343
TOPIK Guide (topikguide.com) is the most comprehensive website devoted to the TOPIK exam. It’s been helping Korean language learners pass the TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) for more than seven years. On this website, you can get all the TOPIK updates, grammar and vocabulary material, and study tips.
Everyday Korean
Episode 13: 쇼핑 (Shopping) Written by Harsh Kumar Mishra Korean Language Expert at TOPIKGUIDE.COM
아나: Ana:
왜? 내일 세일해?
[Wae? Nae-il se-il-hae?] Jeong-min: Why? Is there a sale going on?
아나: Ana:
정민:
아니요. 그냥 겨울부츠를 사고 싶어서요. [A-niyo. Geun-yang gyeoul-bu-cheu-reul sago sipeo-seoyo.] Nope. I just wanted to buy some winter boots.
그래. 가자. 나도 패딩 하나 살래.
[Geu-rae. gaja. nado pae-ding hana sal-lae.] Jeong-min: Okay. Let’s go then. I’ll buy a padded jacket.
아나: Ana:
정민:
부츠를 얼마짜리 사면 좋아요? [Bu-cheu-reul eolma-jjari sa-myeon jo-ayo?] How much do you think I should spend on boots?
가격보다 질이 중요하니까 가 보면 알 수 있어.
[Ga-gyeok-boda jiri jungyo-ha-nikka ga bo-myeon aal su is-seo.] Jeong-min: Because quality is more important than price, you can know once you go and see.
Ana:
네, 선배 말이 맞아요. 그럼 내일 점심먹고 갈까요. [Ne, seon-bae mari majayo. Geu-reom nae-il jeom-shim-meokko gal-kayo?] Yeah, you’re right. So, shall we go after lunch tomorrow?
정민:
콜! [Kol!] Jeong-min: Sure!
~(으)ㄹ 수 있다: Use this with verb stems to express the meaning “can ~.” Ex: 영어를 할 수 있어요. I can speak English.
~(으)면: Use this with verb stems to express the meaning “if ~.” Ex: 많이 추우면 나오지 마세요. Don’t come out if it’s too cold.
#Korean slang/Fad words
***Last year, I covered various life hacks for life in Gwangju and Korea, which I hope were helpful. For those who are reading this for the first time, I encourage you to check previous issues of the Gwangju News for those cool tips. Starting from this episode, I plan to write about commonly used or newly coined Korean words or phrases that are difficult to find in any dictionary. These will not only improve your Korean vocabulary, but will also make you look cool when you use them. 1. 콜: This is used to express confirmation of what another person has asked or suggested. It can be best understood as “cool,” “for sure,” or “of course” depending on the context. 2. 패딩: This sounds like the English word “padding.” It’s a common word for referring to a padded jacket in Korea. “롱패딩,” as you might expect, refers to a long padded jacket.
Vocabulary
Visit the TOPIK Guide website or our YouTube channel to improve your Korean and reach your goal on the TOPIK test.
2019�1��.indd 43
January 2019
가격: price 부츠: boots 쇼핑: shopping 세일하다: to have a sale 사다: to buy 중요하다: to be important 질: quality 점심: lunch
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
아나:
Grammar EDUCATION
정민:
내일 같이 쇼핑하러 갈 수 있어요? [Nae-il ga-chi syo-ping-ha-reo gal su isseo-yo?] Do you want to go shopping with me tomorrow?”
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:47
44 Korea TESOL
The Kaleidoscope of Expat Teachers
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
EDUCATION
Written by Dr. David E. Shaffer
T
he expat English teacher has become a prevalent fixture on the Korean education scene, and like socks, they come in many different styles and for many different purposes. There are many different reasons for the expat native English speaker to come to Korea and take up a teaching position – some more altruistic than others, some more self-centered than others. While recognizing that each individual is different, this article takes a look at a number of quintessential types of expat English teachers, their strengths, and their vulnerabilities in the hope that with a bit of self-reflection we will be able to improve upon our roles as teachers. THE ALTRUISTIC TEACHER Having the desire to help others less fortunate than oneself is a very selfless aspiration. It was the calling of some of the North American Christian missionaries who came to Korea in the 1900s to teach English as part of their mission. It was the ideal of members of the U.S. peace movement of the 1960s, and quite a few of these idealists, in answering the call to service, signed up for the Peace Corps to teach English in Korea. While their intentions were to be commended, there was very little ELT support available for them at the time. If today’s methods had been known to them and if today’s materials and technology had been available to them, I am sure that they would have been English teachers par excellence. They did, however, fill a need; it is not uncommon to hear an older Korean today say that they were thankful to have had a Peace Corps member as their middle school English teacher. But the age of the altruist is waning; Most expat teachers in Korea today have a more practical or personal reason for being here. THE “I LIKE TEACHING” TEACHER Some people are just born teachers. For them imparting knowledge and skills to others and watching them develop is most gratifying. The native English speaker who likes teaching may have majored in TESL (teaching English as
2019�1��.indd 44
a second language) in college in the hopes of following a career in this field but finds job opportunities too limited in their home country. They may consider teaching abroad for a period of time and end up teaching English in Korea. They may also find that their degree did not fully prepare them for teaching in a different culture with a different educational system and a different language. Programs such as EPIK realize this and organize training sessions for their members. A group such as Korea TESOL – a group of “teachers helping teachers” – could also be of help to them, and even more so for those not associated with an EPIK-like program. College graduates finding a TESL job in Korea but having a degree less closely related to ELT (English language teaching), such as education or communications, should seriously consider an online TESL certificate program in addition to seeking out a teachers group such as Korea TESOL. THE “I LIKE KIDS” TEACHER Some people just like working with kids and are good at it. It may well be that this type of native English speaker (NES) also finds an English teaching job in Korea more readily available than a job working with children or teens in their
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:48
45 home country. While such a NES teacher may be able to work well with Korean students, they are quite likely to find their teaching skills lacking if they did not receive prior training in TESL. This could easily result in the students not being able to reach their language learning potential and in their school supervisors and their students’ parents being less than satisfied with the teacher’s performance. For this type of NES teacher, too, an online TESL certificate program as well as Korea TESOL could be of great help. There are now numerous quality TESL certificate programs available online at reasonable prices.
teaching position – a situation in which their performance on the job directly impacts the lives of others – that person must be at least as concerned about their students as they are about themselves. It is incumbent upon them to seek out the necessary training that English teaching in Korea requires. As mentioned above, completing an online TESL certificate program is one option. Asking a colleague for advice or mentorship is another. And seeking out the teachershelping-teachers assistance that Korea TESOL can provide is yet another. What every English language teacher must do, NES expat or not, is to take some time for some sincere self-reflection on the teaching job they are performing and determine how they can best improve their teaching skills to best serve their clients – the English language learners in their charge.
The Author
THE SELF-CENTERED TEACHER In addition to the NES teachers who are teaching English in Korea because of their love of teaching or working with young people, there are others who are here for quite different reasons. Because the demand for native Englishspeaking English teachers in Korea is considerably greater than the supply of NESs with English teaching training, the requirements for English teaching positions in some areas of the industry are quite limited. Accordingly, it becomes relatively easy to land a teaching position in some language schools for NESs whose main concern is something other than teaching English.
2019�1��.indd 45
Date: January 12 (Saturday) Place: Gwangju National University of Education (GNUE) • Presentation/Workshop: Framegames By Maria Lisak (Chosun University, Gwangju) • Presentation: Making Writing Fun By Peter Lucarotti (Jeollanamdo International Education Institute, Yeosu) • SwapShop – Share with the group an activity or teaching idea that you have. For full event details: Website: koreatesol.org/gwangju Facebook: Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL
January 2019
Everyone needs a means of support for themselves and possibly for their family also. English teaching is the most available option for many NESs. However, when one is in a
GWANGJU-JEONNAM KOTESOL MONTHLY MEETING www.gwangjunewsgic.com
There is the “world traveler,” who travels, stops to make some money for additional travel, and continues the cycle. A teaching gig in Korea fits well into their travel plans. There is the college graduate who, fresh out of college, may have considerable college loans to pay off. A teaching job in Korea may be seen as the quickest path to employment to begin paying down their debt. And there are those NESs who wish to live in Korea for an extended period of time for numerous other reasons (e.g., to do research for a book they wish to write, to study taekwondo, to live in their spouse’s home country). For these individuals, too, English teaching positions may be the easiest for them to get to support themselves.
David E. Shaffer is vice-president of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of Korea TESOL (KOTESOL). On behalf of the chapter, he invites you to participate in their teacher development workshops at their monthly meetings (always on a Saturday). For many years, Dr. Shaffer has been a professor of English Language at Chosun University. He is a long-time member of KOTESOL and a holder of various KOTESOL positions; at present he is national president. Dr. Shaffer credits KOTESOL for much of his professional development in English language teaching, scholarship, and leadership. He is board chair at the GIC and also editor-in-chief of the Gwangju News.
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:48
46 Photo Essay
Birthday in Kyoto
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
ARTS & CULTURE
Written and photographed by Annalise Reinhardt
T
his year, I spent my birthday in Kyoto, Japan. It rained all day that day. My love was laying feverish in bed from the black mold on the ceiling and ancient shadows living in between the sliding doors of our ryokan (traditional Japanese inn). We had booked it on the cheap, and initially, it was perfect: The inn was nestled in a traditional neighborhood between the sun-dappled canal and the Kamo River, appearing illuminated with music, so infinite and glorious. I went out to find some medicine for my ailing partner. At the same time, my friend from Tokyo came to visit and we met in a neighborhood cafe. He helped me choose a box of cold and flu pills out of what seemed to be a wall of hundreds of neon medicine boxes. We later sat next to the window and caught up as we watched the rain paint everything grey and blue. On that day, I did not see as many bicycles out and about.
2019�1��.indd 46
Once we were all together, we traveled through the city, and I photographed the light, paper offerings hanging from the beams of shrines, and the abundance of lush plants facing the streets outside residents’ homes. We spent a week there in the often nostalgic, autumnal harvest month of October. This city was a mood, a feeling, a memory, a dream. We walked along the river one day and watched young students skipping stones and playing in the water. It was not a holiday for the city’s citizens, but it felt like it could have been. Families and couples picnicked and played music, and the river washed over everyone’s minds. I could not describe this place in any other way but by photographing its wind, light, pale colors, and the memory of gentle smiles on bicyclists passing us and bowing their heads as we stood aside, our paths crossing in the darkness underneath the railroad overpass.
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:49
47
▲ Young people swimming in the Kamo River.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
2019�1��.indd 47
January 2019
▲ Young people sitting on the platform waiting for the train.
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:50
48
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
▲ Sanshi Suimei (“purple mountains and crystal streams,” an ancient epithet about the royal landscape surrounding Kyoto) from the train platform facing Mt. Hiei.
▲ Gohei (ritual wooden wands) blessings on shimenawa (ritual purification ropes) at the entrance of the Nyakuichi-Jinja Shrine.
2019�1��.indd 48
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:51
49 The Author
Annalise Reinhardt (b. 1985, New York) is a photographer, art educator, and ESL teacher living in Gwangju, South Korea. Annalise seeks to engage with experiences of creative expression, vulnerability, and transcendence, and creates collaboratively with others through the mediums of photography and video. Annalise completed the Full-Time Certificate in Documentary Studies program at the International Center of Photography in 2008 and graduated with a BFA in arts practices from Portland State University in 2014.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
2019�1��.indd 49
January 2019
A sacred camphor tree at the Nyakuichi-Jinja Shrine.
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:52
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
ARTS & CULTURE
50
2019�1��.indd 50
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:54
51
Photo of the Month By Lex Asbury
D area.
uring January 2016, there was a lot of snow in Gwangju. This shot was taken on a snowy morning in the Sangmu
The Author
Lex Asbury is a photographer and teacher in Gwangju, South Korea. She has a bachelor’s degree in photography from Indiana Wesleyan University and about seven years of photographic work experience. She enjoys photographing people and food best.
January 2019
2019�1��.indd 51
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
Do you have any photos that you would like to show to Gwangju (and the world)? Gwangju News features a photo of the month to create more opportunities to promote more photographers based in the Jeollanam-do region and to show off our beautiful province from different areas and angles. Submissions can be emailed to the editor at gwangjunews@gic.or.kr or posted in the “Photography in the South” Facebook group throughout the preceding month.
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:55
52 Book Review
A Tribute to Carrie Fisher “If my life wasn’t funny it would just be true, and that is unacceptable”
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
ARTS & CULTURE
Written by Kristy Dolson
H
appy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are enjoying the vacation/ desk-warming season. I do not know about you, but ever since Carrie Fisher’s passing on December 27, 2016, this time of year has left me with a sense of grief. And so this January, to honor her legacy, I would like to review her memoir, Wishful Drinking. Even though her death was sudden and tragic, this memoir is delightful and hilarious – just like her.
Wishful Drinking contains selected episodes from Fisher’s childhood and adult life. These highlight her early family struggles (an absent and scandalous father) and her later addiction problems, but they are infused with the humor of hindsight. It was written after she underwent electroconvulsive therapy, a treatment made necessary by her bipolar disorder and manic-depression. She was encouraged to write down her memories after the procedure to help maintain her identity. It shows us a woman who struggled with substance abuse for years before her diagnosis. And even with a diagnosis, she did not always get the correct treatment. She was a survivor, although she herself never really embraced the title. Her memoir stands as a powerful call for compassion and love. In a world that still treats mental illness as taboo, Carrie Fisher stood up as an outspoken advocate for mental health awareness. She was a complex woman, and I did not know her full story. I had a vague understanding that her parents were famous and that she fell into alcohol and drug addiction after she herself became famous, but otherwise she was just Princess Leia to me. When she returned to the character for Star Wars Episode VII, I became better acquainted with her. While watching interviews for the movie, I realized that she was an inspiring and brilliantly funny woman. I discovered that she was not just an iconic princess from a galaxy far, far away, but also one of the few celebrities who had been actively speaking up about mental health and
2019�1��.indd 52
lifting the stigma surrounding it. During her career, she reached thousands of people with her message that there is no shame in having a chronic brain illness. People everywhere looked to her for inspiration and strength, as a role model and champion. She may have gotten her start as a princess in distress, but Fisher became so much more than that. Since her death, her image has become part of the Me Too movement, and she continues to inspire men and women struggling with bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression. If you, like me, are feeling her loss, then it is a small but powerful consolation that she left several books behind for us, Wishful Drinking being just one of them. Written with her voice and trademark sense of morbid humor, this memoir radiates with her strength, wit, and wisdom. Last year was a bit of a roller coaster for me personally and professionally. Despite a number of lows, I attribute my successes to my own ability to find humor in bleak and/or stressful situations. Comedy has always been an outlet for me, and I greatly appreciate it in others. Carrie Fisher left us too soon, taking her unique voice with her, but she spent the later years of her life urging other voices to speak up. This year it is my resolution to bring a diverse range of voices to your attention. So here is hoping 2019 is smoother than 2018. Best of luck! I hope none of us drown in moonlight, strangled by our own bras!
The Author
(Photo by Cheyenne Taylor)
Kristy Dolson lived in South Korea for five years before taking a year off to travel, read and spend time with her family in Canada and Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Education and has just returned to Gwangju where she splits her time between teaching at the new Jeollanamdo International Education Institute and reading as much as she can.
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:56
Gwangju Writes 53
“Eyes” and “The Sound of a River Sobbing” Written by Shahed Kayes Photograph by Sarah Pittman
THE SOUND OF A RIVER SOBBING
The train is speeding through the deep forest in the full moonlit night. Clouds of pain rushing out of her eyes she is in deep thought…
It was the place where the fallen sun sleeps... at a quite tiny island they say, the “land of affection!” where the fisherfolk used to live with love, honor, and happiness
Can peace be found without justice? Can anybody make the hated fear into love? Her eyes have stopped at a certain point.
Now this is a sad story from the past There is no land at all The whole island is now the river If you enter into a mood of complete silence you can listen to the sound of a river sobbing!
The Author
Shahed Kayes is a poet and human rights activist from Bangladesh. He has published three volumes of poetry in Bengali and edited an anthology of Bengali love poems. He has also produced one book in English entitled Laureates of Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award: Who Really They Are? At present, he is pursuing an MA in human rights at Chonnam National University in Gwangju.
ARTS & CULTURE
EYES
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
2019�1��.indd 53
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:58
OPINION
54 Opinion
Seven Simple Tips for Making Your New Years’ Resolutions a Reality
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
Written by Michael Goonan Who cares about New Years’ resolutions? Does anybody really take that gobbledygook seriously anymore? Am I really three sentences into reading some psychobabble on the subject?
A
s much as popular culture these days scoffs at the idea of New Years’ resolutions, they are a perfectly reasonable and workable means of selfimprovement. It is true: There is nothing magical about January 1, as any cynical advertiser coming up with a scheme to redirect your desire for self-improvement to consumption of their products knows. The good news is that, any time of year, you have the power to set and work towards goals that make your life better. If you find yourself in that mindset at the start of 2019, congratulations!
2019�1��.indd 54
We are conditioned by popular misconception to believe that setting and working towards New Years’ resolutions is a daunting process. The truth is that it can be a simple and enjoyable way to start your year. Here are seven simple tips for setting and achieving your New Years’ resolutions for 2019. Be kind to yourself: This is the foundation upon which your entire resolutions project rests. We take on New Years’ resolutions because we care about ourselves and our wellbeing. Please remember this and let it guide you
2018-12-30 �� 11:34:59
55 through the process. Understand that habits can be changed over time: On average, it takes about 66 days to form a new habit. So whether you are trying to start a new exercise routine, devote an hour a day to your writing, or practice your instrument each day, understand that you probably will not be perfect immediately. Just stick with the process. Your mind is currently used to its other habits, but if you keep moving forward, this new one will become second nature in due time. Set challenging but attainable goals: In order for goal setting to be fun and rewarding, our goals need to be attainable. If I resolve, by the end of January, to be as good a basketball player as Michael Jordan, I am bound to be disappointed. If, however, I resolve to work on my jump shot for 30 minutes each day, I am extremely likely to be a better player by the end of the month than I am right now. It takes commitment and effort to set aside those 30 minutes a day, so the goal presents me with a challenge to meet. But it also presents me with a strong chance at success if I keep at it. Focus on one or two goals: Often, we set too many resolutions in our zealousness. Enthusiasm is a good thing, but alas, it is just not realistic to think that we can write a novel, become a world-class cello soloist, and run a marathon all at once. Better to set one or two achievable goals, and then check in after a few months to see how we are progressing. If by then our goals have become habits, and we are making steady progress towards them, perhaps we can start to think about new goals.
Better than simply sharing, find someone with similar
2019�1��.indd 55
If these tips are of benefit to you, please feel free to use them. I know for a fact that these methods of goal setting have worked in my life and in the lives of others. Sometimes, though, thinking of things in this way can seem overly complicated. When that is the case, it is best to simply pick something you are passionate about and do it. Do not stress about how it will be done, how you will track your progress, or whether you are doing it “right.” Simply start doing the thing you have been meaning to do – whether it is exercise, making art, writing that song, or whatever! As I stated at the beginning: New Years’ resolutions should be about being kind to yourself and living a better life today than you were living yesterday. If they do not serve that purpose for you, then you are better off without them.
“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” — Lao Tzu
The Author
Michael Goonan teaches English at Nampyeong Elementary School in Naju. Originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania, he’s also lived in the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Australia, and the Netherlands. He blogs about travel, culture, politics, and more at www.adventuresofmike. net.
through Kakao Talk Plus Friend “AskGwangju.” Add us now! :) H
Mon. – Sat. Lunch hours
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
January 2019
Share your goals with (positive) people you care about: If you have shared your goals with friends and family, you will be motivated to uphold your word. Just make sure that those are positive people who will encourage you in your progress. Do not waste time talking about your resolution with those who would relish in your failure.
Enjoy the process: It does not serve you to view your New Years’ resolutions as a chore. Instead, I suggest thinking of them as a game. Being playful will not only make the process fun, it will ensure that you are more present to the goals you are working towards and will very likely improve your performance. If you find yourself thinking “This is a drag,” bring in your sense of humor and have a good laugh. From there, shift your focus to one or two things you appreciate about your new behavior.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
Reward yourself for your progress: Research has demonstrated that positive reinforcement is a very effective tool when attempting to change our behaviors or adopt new ones. Positive reinforcement is simply the application of a positive stimulus immediately following the desired behavior. The stimulus can be anything harmless that you enjoy: a cup of coffee, a hug from your significant other, a ride on your skateboard. It does not matter what it is as long as it makes you feel good, it does not hurt you, and you can do it immediately following your new behavior. Do this every time you engage in the behavior that you would like to habituate.
interests and work towards the same goals together. Research has shown that social support is one of the most effective means of forming and keeping new habits.
2018-12-30 �� 11:35:00
56
Community Board
Have something you want to share with the community? The Gwangju News Community Board provides a space for the community to announce club activities and special events. Please contact gwangjunews@gic.or.kr for more information. UNESCO KONA VOLUNTEERS KONA Storybook Center (KSC) is a registered small public library supported by UNESCO KONA Volunteers (UKV). UKV is a registered organization that helps disadvantaged children learn English independently through storybooks and story-maps. We guide families and children to develop a love of reading storybooks in English. We also give guidance to volunteers in using storybooks. We are looking for long-term volunteers who desire to enrich their lives. We are asking volunteers to commit to helping at least once a month. For more information, please visit http://cafe.daum. net/konavolunteers or our Facebook pages for KONA Storybook Center and UNESCO KONA Volunteers. Also, you can contact Kim Young-im at 062-434-9887 or email konacenter@gmail.com.
working with the GIC on this project. She has found about 20 poems online, but she is seeking more. If you know of any poems that should be included, please contact her. If you are a poet whose work has been translated or if you have poems you would like to have translated, please get in touch. Her email is tanter@tarleton.edu. GWANGJU KNITTING CLUB Every Thursday (unless otherwise stated on the Facebook page) From 7:00 p.m. Ember Cocktail Bar Dongmyeong-dong 154-230, 2nd floor Facebook: Gwangju Knitting Club Bring your own supplies!
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
January 2019
VOLUNTEER TEACHERS NEEDED for the Gwangju UCC (Universal Cultural Center). English teachers in the Gwangju area for 2019 with any level of experience are welcome to participate. UCC has a Facebook profile if you would like to see what kind of other services are available. To participate in the international cultural exchange programs, you may email peter.j.gallo@gmail. com or phone or text 010-9490-4258. GWANGJU FILIPINO ENGLISH TEACHERS (GFET) Every 3rd Tuesday of the month 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., GIC, Room 3 (2F) We are a group of Filipino English teachers in Gwangju who conduct regular lectures and accent training to help fellow English teachers to become better educators. GWANGJU INTER FC The Gwangju International Soccer Team (Gwangju Inter FC) plays regularly every weekend. If you are interested in playing, email gwangju_soccer@yahoo.com or search “Gwangju Inter FC” on Facebook. POEMS WANTED! Professor Marcy Tanter teaches American, English, and Korean literature at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. To mark the 40th anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising and to help spread knowledge of the event beyond Korea, she is editing an anthology of poems written by Koreans and translated into English; she is
2019�1��.indd 56
A CALL TO UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS: WE URGE YOU TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT CRIMINAL DAMAGE If you are the victim of a crime and report the damage to the police, you can obtain a waiver of inadmissibility to overcome your unlawful status from the Immigration Office. Are You the Victim of a Crime? 1. Call 112 / Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency Foreign Affairs Section: 062-609-2176, 6092201 2. Visit a nearby police station (Public Service Center, etc.) in person: You can be accompanied by someone of your choice or can designate a third party to report the incident. 3. Visit our website: www.safe182.go.kr
2018-12-30 �� 11:35:01
Attorney Attorney Park’s Park’s Law Law Firm Firm We're ready to serve your best interests in legal disputes. We provide affordable consultation & representation.
▶ Areas of Specialty contracts, torts, family law, immigration, labor ▶ Civil & Criminal Attorney Park, Duckhee
former judge, GIC board member Services available in Korean, English & Chinese
Tel: 062) 222-0011
#402 Simsan Bldg, 342-13 Jisan-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju Location: next to Gwangju District Court
Fax: 062)222-0013 duckheepark@hanmail.net
Gwangju Guide www.gwangjuguide.com For Information on Living in Gwangju Korean
2019 1
_
.indd 3
I
English
I
Chinese
2018-12-30
11:20:31
HOST
ORGANIZER
GWANGJU GLOBAL COMMUNITY SUPPORT 2019 Gwangju City and the Gwangju International Center (GIC) support global communities comprised of local and international group members in Gwangju.
Eligibility Non-profit communities in Gwangju creating activities and events for cultural exchange among local Koreans and expats. The representative of the community must have resided in Gwangju for at least one year.
“Gwangju Global Community Support” aims to promote international exchange to enable citizens of the global community to freely enjoy their activities. Application Schedule PROJECT MONTH 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH
2019 1
(JAN - APRIL) (MAY - JULY) (AUG - OCT) (NOV - DEC)
APPLICATION PERIOD FRI. JAN 4 - FRI. JAN 18 FRI. APRIL 12 - FRI. APRIL 26 FRI. JULY 12 - FRI. JULY 26 FRI. OCT 11 - FRI. OCT 25
Members of the community must consist of both Koreans and expats in Gwangju.
Criteria Events or activities related to culture, art, sports, festivals, workshops, and/or seminars. Any activities aiming at the expansion of the local community for both Koreans and international residents. The group should be comprised of both Korean and foreign members. ※ Any project related to language classes or any specific religion or politics does not qualify for this project.
Application Submission
Inquiry
Online registration through the Gwangju International Center website: www.gic.or.kr
(062) 226-2733 / community@gic.or.kr (Mon. – Fri. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., except lunch hours.)
_
.indd 4
2018-12-30
11:20:31