(EN) Gwangju News January 2012 #119

January 2012

Issue No. 119

Yi Soyeon Meet Korea’s first astronaut in space

Egyptian Revolution A first-hand account

Happy New Year!

The tradition of Seollal Pull-out event calendar inside!

www.gwangjunewsgic.com

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Gwangju News January 2012

What’s On

Gwangju News

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Cover Photo Photographer: José Antonio Nigro Cover Photo: Yi Soyeon

Taean Oil Spill Newsis

Publisher: Gyonggu Shin Editor-in-Chief: Julian Warmington Editors: Julian Raethel, Minsu Kim Assistant Editors: Seth Pevey, Stephen Redeker, Kathleen Villadiego

Copy Editor: Emma Dooley Coordinators: Karina Prananto, Jihyun Kim Layout and Design: Karina Prananto, special thanks to Jen Lee Chief Proofreader: Emma Dooley Proofreaders: Rob Smith, Jake Melville, Pete Schandall, Mike Melzer, Aaron Damrau, Gina Covert, Jon Ozelton, Samantha Richter, Emma Dooley, Julian Raethel

Online Editors: Andrea Galvez, Caitlin Jacobs Researchers: Jiwon Park, Dongjun Yang, Jinseon Jang, Hyejung Jeong, Changho Yoon

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

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

30 Shimonoseki

Gwangju News is written and edited by volunteers.

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

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

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

Korean Fables Gwangju News January 2012

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Contents

Featured Articles 10

13

19

22

30

32

34

36

37

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Regular Columns 6

Upcoming Events

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Local News This Month in Gwangju

By Gabriel Ward

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News Home Pages

23

Photo Essay

By José Antonio Nigro

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Photo Contest

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Travel Japan, Shimonoseki: Visa Run or Just For Fun?

By George Palafox

Comic Dear Korea

By Jen Lee

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Travel Winter Heat

By Anna Corbett

Fashion Fash-on with xxl jjdp By jjdp

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National People of Gwangju on KORUS FTA

By Wil Rawlins

Fashion Letters to KOTESOL

By Prof. Dave Shaffer

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Environment Environmental Vignettes in 2011 - Welcome 2012

By Elizabeth Allen

Language Study The Pattern '-(으)ㄴ 다음에'

By Soo-a Jung

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Media New Comedy Heroes By 8ball

Fable Behind the Myth: “The Deadly 4”

By Stephen Redeker

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Movie Review Sunny

By Seth Pevey

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Food and Drink I Love Serendipity

By Gabriel Ward

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Recipe Pumpkin Porridge

By Jinseon Jang

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

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Seollal

Puzzle Puzzle Pages

By Emma Dooley and Brian Paredes

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Community Board

Cover Story The Next Frontier

By Andrea Galvez Feature Egypt Travel Diary

By Leroy Kucia National Seollal: Korean New Year

By Emma Dooley Environment The Fourth Anniversary of the Taean Oil Spill

By Michael Bielawski

Gwangju News January 2012

editorial Introducing our New Editors It’s been a fantastic couple of years being involved with the GIC and Gwangju News, and I’ve had the privilege of being editor for 9 months of that time. I hope we have delivered to you, the community of Gwangju and Jeollanam-do, and I’m sure the new head editors Seth and Kat will keep pushing the standard.

It’s time for me to move on and I want to thank all the writers, proofreaders and contributors in general. It’s been an amazing effort from all of you. And also to the editorial team, thank you so much for everything. If you see them out and about downtown make sure you stop them for a chat; they might even buy you a beer…

By Julian Raethel My first involvement with Gwangju News was purely by chance. I was dragged along by my friend Finbarr Birmingham to meet the then editor, Daniel Lister, for coffee. From those early days of writing simple reviews and short interest pieces, I began to realize the importance of the magazine piece by piece, month by month. Not only was it important for the community of Gwangju as a whole, joining and linking together what might otherwise be a random and chaotic series of cultural events and ex-pat expressions, it was also becoming important to me - if only to make myself feel for the first time like this place might be somewhat of a home, to make some sense out of the overwhelmingly saturating experience of moving to a foreign country. The people I've met and experiences I've had through the magazine have been among my most priceless memories in this strange and beautiful land.

Although Julian Raethel leaves behind a legacy of incredible diligence and devotion, with shoes nearly impossible to fill, our team remains dedicated and capable. With the help of Kathleen Villadiego, Julian Warmington, Stephen Redeker, Karina “Nana” Prananto Kim, Jihyun Kim and Professor Shin, we will continue to improve, as we try to share something of the experience of this place, painting our own portion of the “local color” through Gwangju’s changing days.

By Seth Pevey I’ve been volunteering for Gwangju News for nearly two years having now worked under three great editors who each left a distinct imprint on the magazine. The first of these was the very organized Jon Ozelton who brought the magazine to a higher level creating the foundations for the current issues. He was followed by the highly enthusiastic Daniel Lister who introduced a new range of columns which have become Gwangju News staples. Our outgoing editor, the much treasured Julian Raethel, was the first to work with the never-before-seen editorial structure. It is no easy task to manage a team of six editors, and a growing group of writers and proofreaders, but Julian R. did this through his support and encouragement while at the same time maintaining the magazine’s forward-and-upward momentum.

I look forward to continuing to work with the current team which includes the very talented Seth Pevey, Julian Warmington who always strives for more, Stephen Receker – so selfless and industrious, and Emma Dooley with her keen critical eye. None of this is possible without the continual hard-work of Nana Kim, the strong guidance of Jihyun Kim, and Professor Shin who is forever nurturing.

Gwangju News also owes much gratitude to all the volunteers and readers for their ongoing support.

Seth and I will endeavor to build upon what our past editors have provided and take the magazine another step forward.

By Kathleen Villadiego Gwangju News January 2012

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Upcoming Events

This month’s Upcoming Events contributors: Dongjun Yang, Hyejung Jeong, Jinseon Jang, Changho Yoon (GIC Int’l Residents Support Team), Jiwon Park, Karina Prananto

Movies @ Gwangju Theater Chungjangro 5-ga (two blocks behind Migliore) Phone: 062-224-5858 Films change weekly to bi-weekly. Check online for calendar and prices. (http://cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju) Mary and Max Genre: Animation, Drama Director: Adam Elliot Stars: Toni Collette, Philip Seymour Hoffman Running Time: 92 min Country: Australia Language: English Mary, an eight-year-old girl living in Australia, has grown up with an alcoholic and kleptomaniac mother and a father who doesn’t manage his household. One day, she makes a middle-aged pen pal in New York who has asperger syndrome, and they start to form a friendship for over 22 years neglecting distance and age gap.

La Piel Que Habito (The Skin I Live In) 내가 사는 피부 Genre: Drama, Thriller Director: Pedro Almodovar Stars: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Jan Cornet Running Time: 117 min Country: Spain Language: Spanish (Korean subtitles) Losing his wife scalded to death by a car accident, a famous plastic surgeon, Dr. Robert, sticks to making perfect artificial skin in his secret laboratory for 12 years. His subject, Vera, is kept in his big house wearing only a body suit and taken care of by Marilia, a maid of the house. One day, while Robert is out, a guest who introduces himself as Marilia’s son visits the house and the secrets around Robert and Vera start to get out.

Chico & Rita 치코와 리타 Genre: Animation, Romance Directors: Tono Errando, Javier Mariscal, Fernando Trueba Stars: Mario Guerra, Limara Meneses, Eman Xor Ofia Running Time: 93 min Country: Spain, UK Language: Spanish, English (Korean subtitles) In 1948 in Havana, Cuba, an ambitious genius pianist and composer, Chico, one night encounters Rita singing a song with her beautiful voice in a club. They are young

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Gwangju News January 2012

and talented and soon fall in love. However, their relationship breaks down with passion, desire, jealousy and misunderstanding. Chico moves to New York and, by chance, runs into Rita again.

The Swell Season 원스 어게인 Genre: Documentary, Drama Directors: Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins Stars: Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova Running Time: 91 min Country: USA, Czech Republic, Ireland Language: English (Korean subtitles) A documentary of ‘Swell Season’ famous with the film ‘Once’. After a box-office success, ‘Glen Hansard’ and ‘Marketa Irglova’ became lovers in reality, and their twoyear world tour itinerary is spread with beautiful music and a black and white picture.

Le Gamin Au Velo (The Kid With A Bike) Genre: Drama Director: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne Stars: Thomas Doret, Cecile De France, Jeremie Renier Run Time : 87 min Country: Belgium, France, Italy Language: French (Korean subtitles) Cyril, an 11-year-old boy living in a nursery, has a dream to find his lost bicycle and father with whom he has lost contact. Running away from the nursery to look for his father, Cyril finds his father has sold the bicycle off and he was discarded by his distant father. Samantha, who met Cyril by chance and came to know his situation, promises to be a foster mother for weekends. But Cyril still yearns to find his father who abandoned him.

Performances One Vessel of Noodle 우동 한 그릇 Date: Until January 8, 2012 Time: Weekdays (except Monday) 7:30 p.m. / Saturday 4 p.m, 7 p.m. / Sunday 3 p.m, 6 p.m.

Location: Postal Insurance Gwangju building 우체국보험회관 16F theater, Chipyeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju Admission fee: 30,000 won Contact: 1600-6689

This play’s story is about a noodle restaurant, called “bookhaejung”. One day a woman wearing shabby clothes visits there with her two sons and orders only one vessel of noodles as they don’t have enough money. This is a tale of pride and sympathy.

Musical “May 18” 화려한 휴가 Date: January 28~February 22, 2012 Time: Weekdays (except Monday) 7:30 p.m. / weekend 3p.m, 7 p.m.

Location: U-square Dongsan Art Hall Admission fee: 14,000 won Contact: 062-655-3580

This Month at Holiday Inn Gwangju Season’s Greetings from all of us at Holiday Inn

Gwangju and wishing you all a great 2012!

To get us started into the New Year we have commenced (December 15th) our fantastic Lobby Lounge evening snack buffet ‘Happy Hour’ with unlimited food, beer, wine and soft drinks.

Times: From 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Thursday, Friday & Saturday (to January 31, 2012)

Il Divo Concert Date: March 3, 2012(Sat) Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Jamsil indoor stadium, Seoul Admission fee: Seat VIP 220,000 won, Seat VR 180,000 won, Seat R 165,000 won, Seat S 130,000 won, seat A 99,000 won International pop-operatic quartet Il Divo will hold a concert in Korea in March this year. Il Divo’s formed of American tenor David Miller, Spanish baritone Carlos Marin, Swiss tenor Urs Buhler and Frenchman Sebastien Izambard made their debut under Simon Cowell’s label Syco Music in 2004. Il Divo has sold more than 26 million albums worldwide and recently released their new album “Wicked Game.” Il Divo will have the world tour concert this year in Asia, Europe, and the United States.

For reservation, please visit www.interpark.com Norte Dame de Paris Korea (English version) Date: January 19 ~ February 5, 2012 Venue: Grand Theater, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Admission fee: Seat VIP 200,000 won, Seat R 150,000 won, Seat S 120,000 won, Seat A 90,000 won, seat B 60,000 won For more information go to: www.notredamedeparis.co.kr

KRW 21,500 including tax to January 31, 2012 To keep you warm our January promotion in the Lobby Lounge continues to feature special coffees: Irish, Vodka Mocha, Kahlua, Bailey’s and Café Cointreau. In addition we have beautiful Gluhwein (warm red wine with cinnamon, star anis, cloves and orange).

Overview The musical Korea’s been waiting for! Notre Dame de Paris original tour team’s first visit to Korea since 2006! The best French national musical seen by over 10 million people around the world!

Presenting the 2012 Asian tour of Notre de Paris English version, a musical with success stories in America’s Las Vegas and England’s West End! Synopsis Three men are in love with Esmeralda, the free-spirited gypsy woman. They’re all head over heels with this woman who’s as dangerous as the red apple, but each

Michael Wilson General Manager Holiday Inn Gwangju Michael.Wilson@ihg.com

love is different.

Ready to break his oath with God, Father Frollo’s love is closer to lust, and Guard Pheobus, who betrays his fiance, has just a fleeting desire for Esmeralda. To Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bell ringer of the cathedral, Esmeralda is his only savior who affirms his existence. The future of their love is bleak as they dash forwards to their unavoidable fate

Exhibitions Putting the Cultural Heritage on Paper 화폭에 담은 문화유산 Location: Gwangju National Museum 국립 광주박물관 (The Planning Gallery) Date: Until January 24, 2012 Artwork and photography about the cultural heritage of Korea Admission fee: Free Phone: 062-570-7000 For more information go to: gwangju.museum.go.kr The 24 Artists Who Embrace Gwangju 광주를 품은 예술가 24인의 광주 이야기 Location: Gwangju Museum of Art 광주 시립 미술관 (Main building, 3rd floor, 6th gallery) Date: Until March 25, 2012 Artwork and paintings Admission fee: 500 won Phone: 062-613-7100 For more information go to: www.artmuse.gwangju.go.kr A Style of Namdo Ink Painting Lives on Today 남도묵향 내일을 가다 Location: Gwangju Museum of Art 광주 시립 미술관 (Main building, 2nd floor, 3rd and 4th gallery) Date: Until March 25, 2012 The colored painting, The Chinese painting of Southern School, The painting in the literary artist’s style and calligraphy Admission fee: 500 won Phone: 062-613-7100 For more information go to: www.artmuse.gwangju.go.kr

Festival First Muju Namdaechen Ice Festival 무주남대천얼음축제 First Muju Namdaechen Ice Festival Date: January 13 - 17, 2012 Venue: Muju Namdaechen (whole area) Activities: Ice sledding, trout ice fishing, ice sculptures (exhibition hall) Food: Food marketplace, trout sashimi, charcoal-broiled trout and folk game experience Contact: 063-320-5703 To get there: Take the bus to Muju from U-Square Bus terminal (Fee: 15,400 won) Bus schedule : 7:05/9:15/11:10/13:20/15:00/17:00 Hours of operation : 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

This festival’s main concept is the return to the innocence of childhood.

For more information go to : www.muju.go.kr Mokpo, The New Year Festival On Board 목포선상해맞이축제 Date: January 1, 2012 (5 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.)

Place: on board Seaworld Seastar Cruise, Mokpo Harbor International Passenger Terminal 목포국제여객터미널 Main performance: See the sunrise/ naval band performance/ drum performance/ Mokpo municipal chorus performance/ magic show.

To get there: Take the bus to Mokpo from U-Square Bus Terminal (Fee: 5,400 won) Reservation & ticket purchase: 1577-3567 www.seaferry.co.kr Inquiry: Department of Tourism and Planning, Mokpo City Hall (061-270-8442) 2012 Jiri Mountain Baraebong Snow Festival 지리산눈꽃축제 Date: January 6 - February 25, 2012 Venue: Jiri Mountain Herb Valley, Baraebong (바래봉) Performance: Ice sledding, ice wall experience, snowman, snow sculpture exhibition, kite flying Website: www.namwon.go.kr

Need to Know More Events?

Check out Gwangju and Korea’s big events in the first half of 2012 on the center of this magazine

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Gwangju News January 2012

news

This Month in Gwangju

A brief roundup of news stories from in and around Gwangju

By Gabriel Ward

New Cameras for Buses All 972 local buses will have digital video cameras installed this year. They are being installed as a means of accident prevention and improving safe driving practices. The recording of bus drivers is intended to act as a deterrent for reckless driving. Furthermore in the event of an accident that may occur, the footage captured by the on-board cameras will provide evidence of actions when resolving any subsequent disputes. The footage will potentially be used as training material for new bus drivers.

The Russian Grocery Store

gjdream.com

KORUS Free Trade Agreement Korea’s trade minister Kim Jeong-hoon believes the Korea-USA Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will take effect sometime in February after Korea’s National Assembly ratified the agreement in November.

Furthermore Trade Minister Kim believes that “the agreement will create jobs as there will be more foreign investment in Korea.”

Not everyone agrees with him however, disapproval is spreading around the country and calls for the abrogation of the agreement are growing, not least of all in Gwangju where people have been voicing their disapproval with the FTA by holding candlelight vigils. A director of the Alliance of Progressive Movements said that demonstrations by national civic groups against the FTA were expected to be held frequently in Geumnam-ro.

While there are sectors of the Korean economy that are expected to benefit from the FTA such as the auto-industry, local farmers stand to lose out. Thus rural farmers in Gwangju have been prevalent in voicing their opposition.

New Russian Grocery On December 4th, a Russian grocery store was opened in Wolgok-dong in Gwangsan-gu. Gwangju has a growing number of immigrants, and it was this that apparently inspired Natasha Park, a woman from Uzbekistan who now lives in Gwangju, to open the store. She had prepared a variety of samples for guests to try at the opening, which was well attended. There were people from countries as diverse as Nepal, Russia, and Vietnam there to sample the goods and check out the store.

Café Holder for Inhwa School A cafe was opened for the students of Gwangju Inwha School who are deaf, on December 21st. The café, Holder, is located on the first floor of the Gwangju Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation. The Inwha School Committee and the Challenged Person Family Life Committee both supported Inwha School and held fundraising events at KBS Gwangju in 2011.

The mayor of Gwangju, Kang Un-tae, showed his support at both of these evenings so that funds could be raised for the café. Kia Motors, the well known author Gong Ji-yeong and her publisher made generous donations to the students of Inwha for the establishment of the café. The money earned by the café is intended for the students so they can live more independent lives.

Downtown’s Art Wall

The project of decorating the w a l l downtown near the fountain was initiated on November 12, and will Barrier downtown continue into gjdream.com 2014.

Both artists and citizens of Gwangju have been decorating the wall, bearing in mind the theme of ‘the body and food.’ The wall will be decorated in four parts, with art by artists at the Dong-du intersection and those works by citizens at the opposite end at Dae-sung academy. Particularly at the Dong-bu police station, there is a frame which anyone could decorate, and was completed by 2,000 people.

Gwangju News January 2012

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cover story

The Next Frontier

By Andrea Galvez Photos by JosĂŠ Antonio Nigro

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Gwangju News January 2012

C

licking heels echo through the museum at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). Just inside the doors is a life-size model of Korea’s first astronaut, a woman, Yi Soyeon. Only two other countries (Iran and the UK) have had a female as their first space explorer, and the KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute) Space Flight Museum highlights Yi with smiling photos next to star charts and historical rockets.

The real Yi turns the corner sporting funky greenstriped heels expertly coordinated with a red and white cape-style jacket. She smiles as she approaches and jokingly poses beside the model of herself. Some people call her a star, but she balks at that title. If you ask her, she’s a scientist, a woman, a daughter. After spending months in training and 10 days in space to become the first Korean to ever ride a rocket away from earth, most people would call her an astronaut. She’d agree with that, too.

Yi Soyeon was born in Gwangju and spent the first 15 years of her life living among the people of this city. Then she began studying at Gwangju Science High School and began nurturing what has been a life-long passion for science and learning.

Throughout undergraduate and postgraduate coursework at the renowned Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), she lived in the lab. It wasn’t until she had become burnt out from sleeping in ‘clean rooms’ that she learned about the Korean government’s competition to send someone to space.

After an exhaustive nationwide selection process and 12 months of training in Russia, Yi was selected to represent Korea aboard the Russian Soyuz TMA12 along with two Russian cosmonauts for a 10-day space mission. They launched on April 8th, 2008.

Yi settles into a comfortable chair and bats away a prepared list of questions before mentioning her time in space fondly. While living in the International Space Station she performed 18 different experiments, including studying the effects of gravity on the pressure in her eyes and the shape of her face. She comments on the value of image in Korea as she described taking daily photos of herself. She encourages women to not let concern for image get in the way of doing their job.

“It was hard, but I don’t have to worry about (my) puffy face at all, even though I had a puffy face and pony tail, I could smile in front of the camera.”

“There was one great role model of mine in Russia, a female astronaut, Peggy Whitson. Thanks to her, I learned when I should be a woman, when I should be a scientist, when I should be an astronaut, when I should be a teacher and when I should be a good daughter. Women should not confuse the right time. In your office you don’t have to be a woman.

You should be a good worker. But after your work, you should be a pretty and sexy woman. You have enough time, even more than enough. So, I learned that timing is important,” said Yi Soyeon.

It’s clear that she puts to practice the value of a balanced life. While traveling in space was a ‘really cool’ experience, her real goal in becoming an astronaut was for science.

“The only reason I applied for the astronaut position was to go to space for the experiments, not to be a star.” Now as a Senior Researcher at KARI she continues to work on aerospace research and was recently named as one of the ‘15 Asian Scientists to Watch’ by Asian Scientist Magazine.

She describes her current research using worms to study the effects of long-term zero-gravity. “I’m working with small, small worms we call ‘C. elegans’. We try to simulate space environments with worms to learn what to expect what should happen to people when we stay in space for more than two years. Nowadays if we want to go to Mars, to do that, we have to stay outside of Earth for more than two years.”

Although she has lived her life in the lab with worms for institute, she smiles easily and laughs often.

“When I was up there, I could see the earth and think, ‘Wow, that’s where I was.’ I’m an engineer, so I think about the probability to be born in a place, and it’s a really, really low probability to be born in Korea. And I realize how lucky it is. Because if you were born in Africa even you cannot be sure if you will survive or not. Compared to those kinds of huge land space, Korea is too small. But compared to, maybe the 200 countries on Earth, Korea is maybe in the top 90 percent. I realized I should appreciate that type of huge luck.”

She believes in making your own luck, too. She encourages young people and adults to examine themselves first, and complain later. “It’s so surprising. The person who did their best, they are very easy to blame themselves. But the person who didn’t do their best, they very easily complain or blame other people. Before complaining, you should think about yourself first. You should think Gwangju News January 2012

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Launch day

Reuters

about whether you did your best or not first, and then if you didn’t do your best, you should do first and then complain.”

As time and questions run on, Yi folds her hands and patiently, even passionately, tells of being surprised and honored to be invited as adjunct professor at her alma mater, KAIST. She admits to thinking she’s not smart enough to be a professor there. She talks about trying to be a good daughter, and always preferring movies with happy endings. She confides that she learned English through the first-generation online messaging service ICQ, and challenges young people to first find their passion in life and then use English study as a tool to get there, if it even applies.

Soyeon at work

“To do my own job, I need English. But so many people try to do English first. That’s not good. I think you have your own object; you have your own dream. To make it, if you need English, you should do that. Then it’s easy to learn English, I think. Language is a kind of potential or something to support yourself, not the main job.”

She seems surprised when time runs out and says her goodbyes amid quips about sending her photos to cute single men. The staccato of her heels fades across the KARI campus as she returns to her lab and her worms.

Her work requires her to be taken photos daily. www.asianoffbeat.com 12

Gwangju News January 2012

cover story

Egypt Travel Diary Story and photos by Leroy Kucia

Giza, Egypt: 19, Jan 2011 Journal Entry #1: Welcome to Egypt

W

ell I finally arrived into Cairo, Egypt after traveling for 26 hours. Driving in my cab through the city to my hotel in Giza was somewhat overwhelming. The poverty in this city is expansive. The architecture is a miserable sight to see. Red and mustard colored tenement buildings layered in soot and grime. Laundry is suspended from balconies and awnings and it is hard to quite figure out the layout of the city, as the buildings are stacked one upon the other. Filth and debris is everywhere, in the streets, on the freeways and the intersections. All the while, existing in the shadow of the towering pyramids, my hotel in Giza is nice, and there are many amenities here. However, nothing is complimentary. You pay for everything. While I am in the hotel, my wallet continues to get lighter.

The U.S. dollar is strong here. Yet the Egyptians take advantage of the American way of thinking. One U.S. dollar is valued at five Egyptian pounds.

Egyptians are pushy. If you tip someone a $5 bill (30 pounds Egypt), he asks you, "Only five dollars? Did I not do a good job? So you give him an extra dollar.

Now he is satisfied. He just made 35 pounds Egyptian currency for serving you a meal. I will have to be stern and EXTREMELY mindful here.

Tourism is a huge business in Egypt. They overcharge you for everything. And you are expected to pay it.

You came to visit them; they did not come to you. I have been here about a day and have already spent about US$125 on so little. I can't even consider enjoying the amenities of this hotel, knowing full well they will clean my wallet down to the interior fabric of it.

Giza, Egypt: 21, Jan 2011 Journal Entry #2: Uh I don’t own a Rolex or a Fortune 500 Company. My travel agent is to blame.

I arrived at my hotel a day early to rest and relax from a long journey into Egypt. My travel agent booked me into a 5 star golf resort. I don’t even Gwangju News January 2012

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was hard to describe, but I was just in awe during my tours today. Tomorrow I will travel upward from Giza to Alexandria.

Alexandria, Egypt: 23, Jan 2011 Journal Entry #4: Alexandria: another dirty city with a colorful past.

Policeman taking a nap

golf. Beyond the perimeter of the hotel is an expansive desert oasis. Large gated fences, metal detectors, bomb sniffing dogs and police surround the hotel complex. The endless levels of security here bring me back to the realization that I am in fact in the Middle East. I am relaxed though and ready to go adventuring into the desert. I am waiting for a guide who is supposed to arrive today to take me touring the pyramids and Giza plateau.

Maybe I will finally get my chance to ride a camel through the desert.

Giza, Egypt: 22, Jan 2011 Journal Entry #3: Out and about My tour guide arrived today with an armed guard.

A very thin gentleman with a crisp grey suit, nice red tie and a sub-machine gun slung from his arm underneath his suit jacket. The first agenda for the day were the tombs in the Valley of the Kings in Saqqara. I had a chance to go into the tombs.

However, they are not recommended for those who are claustrophobic.

When I got to the great pyramids of Giza, my heart was pounding like a jackhammer. I had visualized this moment for the last 12 months, and now to finally be in front of these massive monuments was somewhat overwhelming. I finally got my chance to ride a camel and it was everything I had expected it to be, nothing short of awesome.

Riding this camel around the pyramids and through the Sahara had me feeling like a 12-year-old kid again, living out my childhood Indiana Jones fantasies. It was great. I also visited the Sphinx. To stand in front of this monument and walk around it 14

Gwangju News January 2012

I took the opportunity to visit Alexandria yesterday.

It was nice to revisit my favorite period in art history, the Greek and Roman era. I expected to see a city filled with classical adornments and Mediterranean themes throughout the city and streets, as this city was founded by Alexander the Great. However, I was greeted with the same conditions that are commonly present in Giza and Cairo. The neighborhoods were littered with trash and debris from dilapidated buildings, scattered along the pavement and filtering out into the streets. There were some areas that were nicer than others, as I got closer to the beachfront along the Mediterranean coastline. While here, I visited the catacombs where Alexander was buried and then the remains of the old Roman forum and University of Alexandria.

The unique thing about this city, unlike many in Egypt, is that you can see the emersion of three cultures as one empire rises and another falls.

Throughout the city you bear witness to the fall of the Egyptian empire, the expansion of Greek rule and eventual Roman domination over this region. I was rather frustrated with the street vendors. I now resort to speaking only Korean, and distance myself from them as they stare at me with perplexed looks.

Luxor, Egypt: 24, Jan 2011 Journal Entry #5: The Valley of the Kings.

I left the golf resort this morning at 1am to catch a flight down to Luxor. It was only one hour, which was nice. The statues and temples here are even more impressive than those I had witnessed in Giza.

While the great Pyramids exemplify the greatness of Egyptian engineering, the temples and sculptures in Luxor reflect the grandeur and prominence of Egyptian rule over the land. I spent the afternoon in the Valley of the Kings. To say the least, it was one heck of a workout. It was around 80 degrees Fahrenheit outside and in order to enter the tombs, you have to descend down the long shafts leading to the burial chambers. Police were patrolling the area heavily and were enforcing the “No Camera� policy. If any tourist is found with a camera while in the valley (even if they are not photographing anything) they are issued a 2000 Egyptian pound citation that must be paid immediately or you face jail time. This basically equates to $340.

Aswan, Egypt: 26, Jan 2011 Journal Entry #6: Touring the Nile River I have been completely oblivious to the world around me for the last few days. I boarded a cruise ship that set sail from Luxor and I am traveling down the Nile River. I am stopping in ports along the way to visit several temples and cities. Each and every one of them leaves me even more awe struck than the one before it. Last I checked on the news, there were public riots taking place in Tunisia, Alexander and Cairo. As a result, three people have died and a few police officers were severely wounded. I sit out on the top deck during the day and enjoy the warm sun and lush green landscape, while at night I relax with a few glasses of wine under what appear to be millions of stars. I still have about five more days in Egypt before I head back to Korea. When I was a kid I dreamed of one day visiting Egypt. My expectations were high, and now that I have finally arrived and toured this country, it has proven to be larger than life. This place is exotic and mysterious.

Aswan, Egypt: 28, Jan 2011 Journal Entry #8: Hostilities in the Middle East.

Egypt has erupted into a full-scale public protest throughout the region. What initially started out as a peaceful protest organized by the Muslim community on Facebook, has erupted into public riots in the streets from Tunisia all the way to Jordan.

The protests began shortly after I had arrived in the country. However, because I was constantly on the move with a tour guide and armed security officer, I was not affected by the hostilities. The people of Egypt are protesting the strain of political corruption

that has all but enslaved the population in poverty and turmoil. They are demanding that the current president, Mohammad Mubarak, resign from office; a position that he has held for over 30 years.

Many public officials fled the country on their private planes yesterday. A revolution is coming to Egypt. It has gone from a peaceful protest to a violent demonstration. Phone lines and the Internet have been shut off here. The police in Alexandria were overwhelmed by the mass of demonstrators and surrendered their weapons to them. A few people have been seriously injured and now the military has entered Cairo. The city may soon be under martial law. I have lost the protection of my armed guard, and I am unable to contact the U.S. Embassy. My tour guide has been extremely helpful to me and has assured me that he will stay at my side until I can get out of Cairo. All American tourists have been directed to leave the country immediately for their own safety. Unfortunately for me, I am traveling back to South Korea and I am unable to get a hold of my airline. I have to wait it out here until the 31st.

I foresaw this. I had expected something like this to happen and did my best to prepare for it. I cannot contact family or friends, but I am hoping they used the information that I have sent them and forwarded it to the U.S. Embassy. If I make it out of the Middle East, I doubt very much that I will be inclined to revisit. Egypt is an exotic country, but a dangerous one. One has to exercise discretion at every turn and tread carefully here.

Cairo, Egypt: 30, Jan 2011

The view from my hotel room. I wake up to the, golfers whacking golf balls at 8 a.m.

Gwangju News January 2012

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personal property. It has erupted from a peaceful demonstration to chaos in the streets. Vandals have broken into the Cairo museum and have stolen precious artifacts belonging to the Pharaoh Tutankhamen. Access to the Internet is extremely limited.

Fortunately, I was able to get online at my hotel. I used that opportunity to contact friends and family.

Hell, I even used it to try and convince an exgirlfriend of mine to take me back if I survive this ordeal. While my safety is not threatened in anyway, surely if I can survive a revolution in one piece, that has got to convince her that I am one boyfriend worth keeping around. For now, I wait, and observe, waiting for the very moment that the people of Egypt desperately desire, the resignation of the current president. The level of corruption is embedded so deep in this culture’s history that it is like an ink stain on a white shirt. I knew full well the dangers of touring the Middle East, and now I have to just persevere and do my best to get home.

Cairo, Egypt: 31, Jan 2011 Journal Entry #9: Monday morning fallout I woke up early today, and had breakfast and met Abu Simbel Temple in Nubia dedicated to the Pharaoh Ramses II

Journal Entry #8: Trapped in the Revolution.

Everyone in my tour group was able to safely get out of the country yesterday. Only my tour guide and myself are left behind. I hope that I am able to get out tomorrow. For now, my travel agent has generously paid for me to stay at the Intercontinental Hotel here in Cairo. It is a 5 star luxury hotel, which is amazing, and surprisingly, a safe distance from the hostilities taking place in the city. The bus ride to the hotel was very sobering.

Only an hour ago it was filled with the entire tour group, whom I have come to appreciate and respect. Now it is only I. During the scheduled meals, I talk with my tour guide and listen attentively to him, as he talks about the political situation and the affects that it has had on the country over the last 30 years.

I appreciate his sincerity and forwardness, taking into consideration that I am an American tourist, with no genuine insight into the frustrations and hardships that have plagued the country of Egypt for over three decades. I watch the news closely and I am truly disturbed by what I see. Masses of people protesting for the president to resign, looting in the streets, destruction of public buildings and

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Gwangju News January 2012

The more modern city of Alexandria

with my tour guide to say our final goodbyes. He has truly been a blessing to have around. His name is Hesham, and for his own personal safety in this hostile region, that is all that I will disclose. I was able to catch a flight out of Cairo at 3pm today. I took a limousine from the hotel to the airport. On the way I was able to assess the damage that I had been viewing on CNN for the last few days. Locked away in the hotel, I couldn’t really grasp the magnitude of this revolution that has been taking place since last week. I witness barricades, burned out cars, trash and debris littering the streets and military personnel everywhere. Every soldier patrolling the streets has AK-47s with fixed bayonets. It was relatively calm in the streets. However, this was Monday, or what I will aptly refer to as Evacuation Day. When I arrived at the airport, I was overwhelmed by what I witnessed: masses of people fighting to get into the airport. My driver let me off about 30 feet from the entrance and wished me luck in his native language, or so I assumed. When I entered, it was absolute chaos, no organization whatsoever.

Masses of people were pushing and shoving, shouting and crying. The banks had shut down in Cairo, and the ATMs were completely dry. Access to hard currency was scarce. Baggage handlers tugging at my luggage offering to help me get to my gate for $100 bombarded me. At every turn someone was offering to help me, demanding a tip. A security officer directed me to pass through the metal detector and then wouldn’t let me proceed until I tipped him $20. There was no police presence and everyone was taking advantage.

The tension was reaching a fever pitch and I truly felt that at any moment, without some level of law enforcement, the airport would erupt into an explosive mob of angry and panicked travelers. My blood was boiling and I did my best to remain calm.

Despite the fact that I checked in for my flight online, it didn’t ease my situation in any way.

I really felt that I was going to break under these conditions, regardless of my military training. In my peripheral vision I noticed something odd among all of the disorder and chaos. Not too far from where I was standing, there was a little Chinese woman wearing a cotton white cap with a lock of purple hair running down the side of her face. Yes, it was purple. She was sitting on her luggage patiently. She looked directly at me, and when I looked back at her, I could not help but notice how serene and relaxed she appeared. When I approached her I noticed that she must have been in her late 40’s, but she was wide-eyed and appeared to have a keen fashion sense. I was stuck in the airport not going anywhere for a while so I laid my luggage down and sat down beside

her. She had a real calming effect on me.

We began talking, about random stuff mostly.

Occasionally she offered words of wisdom, from years of travel. I was truly taken by this woman’s charm. Despite the hostility swirling all around us, she was very cheerful and joked candidly about our situation. Talking with her, I began to calm down and felt more relaxed myself. She was leaving Egypt to go back to China to be with her family. She had lived in Cairo for two years and was regretful about the situation that was taking place. However, she was compliant and at ease. She expressed how truly grateful she was to be alive to have witnessed so much in her life, and now this. I was so grateful to this woman whom I barely knew, and felt that she was truly a blessing in disguise. She added balance to the disorder and helped me get through this traumatic experience. I eventually checked in and made it through all the checkpoints and finally to my departure gate. I lost sight of her after that. By this time I was fatigued and maybe a little delirious.

As I was getting in line to board my flight I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to her, as she was

One of many neglected neighborhoods in Cairo

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woman that I had the luxury of meeting today. So ends my journey to the Middle East. GN

I learned a lot about the fascinating traditions and rituals of Muslim culture through my tour guide.

on the same flight as I. When I asked people around me, it was the same, they had recalled seeing her, but not for some time. I actually stepped out of line, knowing that my flight was getting ready to board in order to look for her. I don’t know why I did this, but I felt genuine concern for this woman and didn’t want her to get left behind. Eventually I could see her white cab bobbing among the crowd as she was struggling to get to the gate. I offered to help her with her luggage but she refused kindly, saying how embarrassed she felt because she was having difficulty. We made it out of Cairo safely and headed to Doha, in Saudi Arabia, to catch our connecting flights. I felt relieved knowing that she was safely on the plane.

That was the last that I saw of her. I eventually made my way to my connecting flight and headed home to South Korea. I knew that she would be ok though, because she was so charming and regal. I am not super religious or anything, but I do believe in God. You know, I never met an angel during my world travels, but if I ever do, I am pretty confident that they will resemble this kind little Chinese 18

Gwangju News January 2012

The Temple of Luxor, dedicated to the Pharaoh Ramses II

national

Seollal: Korean New Year

By Emma Dooley

A

longside Chuseok, Seollal, or Lunar New Year, is one of the most important holidays in Korea. Seollal is the first day of the lunar calendar and falls on January 23rd this year. It is a three-day holiday, and is typically spent with family. 2012 will be the Year of the Dragon, the fifth sign of the Chinese zodiac.

With approximately 20 million people heading home for the holidays, an important part of Seollal preparation is arranging transport. Many travellers prefer to avoid the traffic by relying on the train system, with the result 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!

The days preceding Seollal are generally spent purchasing gifts for family members and preparing for the ancestral rites performed on New Year’s Day. On the morning of Seollal, people get up early and dress in their seolbim (brand new Hanbok, arranged especially for the occasion). When everyone is ready the family gather 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 and involves setting up a temporary shrine composed of an ancestral tablet, or Sinwi, as well as many types of food, including ddeokguk (rice cake soup), sikhye (a sweet rice drink), 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. The whole family then bows to the ancestors and the food is offered to the ancestors.

The rite is completed with the performance of a second bow.

Afterwards, the family shares the food, believing that their ancestors have left them good luck in exchange for the meal. According to tradition, eating ddeokguk on Seollal adds one year to your age, so a fun way to ask someone how old they are is to ask how many servings of ddeokguk they had!

Following the meal, children wish their elders a happy new year by performing Sebae, a deep traditional bow. The elders then reward the children with sebaetdon, or “New Year’s 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, a board game played in teams with four sticks which are thrown into the air and then moved according to how they land and go-stop, a card game played with Hanafuda, or flower cards. Tuho is another popular game, and involves throwing long, thin sticks into a basket. Kite flying is also a popular Seollal activity.

Kites are raised into the sky, then the thread is cut and a wish is made.

Instead of going home for Seollal, many people make trips to locations on the east coast to greet the first rays of the New Year’s sun. Homigot, 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 the Sunrise Festival (although this is celebrated on January 1st according to the Gregorian calendar). The festival includes a fire show, sunrise concert, kite flying and free ddeokguk for all!

If you wish to take part in traditional Korean activities over the Seollal holiday period, head to the Gwangju National Museum, where an event called 놀이마당 (norimadang), or Playground of Traditional Folk Games will take place. Visitors can fly kites, play yut-nori and tuho, watch movies and observe traditional dances, and anyone wearing Hanbok will be admitted for free!

Happy New Year to all and 새해 복 많이 받으세요 (please receive many blessings in the New Year)!

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news

Home Pages Want to write about news from your country?

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

Wales Both Wales and the football world have been rocked this month by the death of former Welsh international and national team manager Gary Speed who was found hanged at his home. The much loved sports personality's death has provoked a torrent of tributes from former team mates and friends all reaffirming the massive shock felt over his suicide. Hailed as a true professional and consummate gentleman, Speed was best known for his playing career at Leeds and Newcastle United as well as being the most capped outfield player in Welsh history with 85 appearances.

He captained his nation on 44 occasions and was appointed Wales’ manager in December 2010. He leaves a wife and two children as well as countless adoring fans across the country.

By Andrew Thomas

Indonesia A security officer was sued for kicking an apartment owner’s daughter in Bandung, West Java. On Saturday December 10, the officer was inside the elevator with the guest’s friends when the door opened, and a “creature” that looked like a bloody nurse was waiting for them in front of the elevator. The officer, instinctively, kicked the “creature” who turned out to be a young girl in her 20s, whose original plan was to scare her friends who were on the same elevator as the security officer.

The plan worked, as they jumped in fright seeing the “creature”, but the security officer had quicker reflexes than anyone. Surprised with the sudden attack, the girl fell, broke her tooth, and fainted. Not only that, the incident brought the girl, the security officer and the elevator witnesses to the police station.

By Karina Prananto

China India The central government is recently answering charges of laziness and corruption by insisting government workers attend video conferences on the matter. The criticism was broadcasted in stories circulated online on popular microblogging sites. Following one such conference, the official news agency Xinhua reported how five high-level workers at a tax bureau in the northern province of Shanxi had been suspended indefinitely. The reason? Falling asleep or reading the newspaper during the video conference on laziness and work discipline.

By Hou Weiwei

Why this Kolaveri Di? A tamil song sung in Tanglish (Tamil and English), has become viral soon after its release in India. Kolaveri when translated means murderous rage. The universal appeal of the song has perhaps made it such a hit. Sung and written by the lead actor Dhanush for his upcoming movie 3, the song is about a boy who has been dumped by his girlfriend.

YouTube has honored the song with its Gold award.

The song may be simple and senseless with its lyrics but this nonsense may have given it the extra edge and made it all the rage.

By Sreejith

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Gwangju News January 2012

Canada

U.S.A

Santa Claus was making a list and checking it twice this Christmas as Canada Post estimated that he received approximately 1.25 million letters this year alone. The program, which began 30 years ago as a way for children to ask Santa for presents, employs 9,000 “elves” who help Santa respond to every request. Children who wrote to Santa could then track the big man in red using the North American Aerospace Command’s website to make sure that he makes it safely to their houses with the presents that they requested in the mail.

By Kreeco

How NOT to spread Holiday cheer Many little girls dream of being a Sugar Plum Fairy but no one imagines that they could get replaced because of their potty mouth. Laura Coppinger has worked with the St. Charles, MO Christmas Traditions for six years. She has been an exemplary Fairy but during a drug test she let a foul word slip and now she is fighting to get her job back. Her supporters have even started a “Save the Sugar Plum Fairy” facebook page. In a time when having any job means hope, why clip this fairy’s wings after having a moment of frustration?

By Aisha Hobbs

New Zealand Representatives from the Department of Conservation recently held a ceremony amongst the trees on a butterflycreek.co.nz “pest free” island. The ceremony involved the releasing into the wild of 25 of New Zealand’s ugliest insects. Despite its slow moving nature and delicious taste to recently imported rats and stoats, the “wetapunga” was named by Maori for “the God of ugly things.” Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings and King Kong movies, named his workshop studio Weta Workshops in honor of the scary-looking but actually gentle insects. A female weta can grow as large as 50 grams and 10 centimeters long.

By JJ Parkes

Colombia Christmas in Medellín Every year the city of Medellín places Christmas lights throughout the city and along the city’s river to bring holiday spirit during the Christmas celebrations that last the month of December. This year, the city created a theme of “universal literature” that showed tales - such as the Grimm Brothers fairy tales and stories from Hans Christian Anderson - with Christmas lights. The city has become famous for its yearly tradition that started in the 1950s. The 2011 edition of “Alumbrados Navideños” included over 16 million bulbs, cost close to US$3 million, and used more than 300 kilometers of cable.

By Juan Esteban Zea

United Kingdom Depending on your point of view, UK Prime Minister David Cameron had emerged this week as a defender of British interests overseas/destroyer of economic relationships, by vetoing a Europe-wide treaty which he claimed would be bad for the economy of the UK. Mr Cameron has bravely demonstrated that Britain will not be subject to the whims of the EU/isolated Britain from the rest of Europe, and ensured the continued survival of the British economy/ marginalised the UK’s business interests and hastened the coming of another period of recession. The British public are behind him/against him and the move will ensure the conservatives’ re-election/doom the coalition to oblivion. Well I’m glad that’s all cleared up.

By Anna Corbett

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environment

Fourth Anniversary of Taean Oil Spill

By Michael Bielawski

through an investigation by the Korean Coast Guard. Two tug boat captains were later convicted of criminal negligence and imprisoned, while the other captains were exonerated.

However, against the protests of the international maritime community, two captains from the oil tanker were imprisoned for 18 months before the case against them was finally dropped.

The real damage

Korean Federation for Environment Movement

T

his past December 7 marked four years since South Korea’s worst oil disaster. It occurred off the shores of Taean County in the Yellow Sea, and has since devastated that area’s environment and economy. A Samsung crane barge (literally a floating crane for offshore construction) had its cable snapped while being tugged by a boat, allowing the free flowing barge to crash into a Chinese oil tanker, puncturing three tanks and releasing over 10,000 tons of oil into the sea.

The spill has greatly affected Korea’s famous Malipo beach, known for its great scenery and local sea food. There is also a huge wetlands area used by birds and about 450 sea farms used to harvest oysters and other seafood. After the spill, the sand and water became soaked in oil and tourists cancelled their reservations at local hotels.

Without tourism or clean local seafood to supply, the restaurant industry also suffered. In total, about 30 beaches and half of the sea farms were affected. Luckily, most migratory birds had not yet arrived to the wetlands, but mallard ducks and seagulls were tarred in oil.

After the Korean government declared a state of disaster, over a million volunteers including citizens, military, celebrities and politicians (it was an election year) came to help the cleanup effort in nauseating conditions. The cleanup cost an estimated US$330 million, and included material and financial aid from China, Russia and Japan.

After just one month, over 4,100 tons of oil was collected, or almost half of the initial spill.

The captains of the tug boat, the crane barge, and the oil tanker were all considered at fault 22

Gwangju News January 2012

Since the spill and the massive cleanup effort, the results have been mixed. The beaches certainly look better, but some say that there is a lot of remaining contamination that simply can’t be seen. In the first year after the spill, there were at least four suicides as frustration grew over the damaged economy. Collecting compensation money was difficult because many of the sea farmers worked off the books, meaning there is no documentation of what they earned.

As of July 2010, things certainly still looked bleak, according to John Glionna of the Los Angeles Times. “Two and a half years after the accident, Taean is a ghost town. Tourism has dropped 86 percent and has just begun to bounce back. As scientists predict the ecosystem will take at least 20 years to heal, livelihoods that took generations to develop have been cut short. Today, only 30 percent of the area's nearly 5,000 fishermen are back at work. Many others are scrambling for government loans to see them through the crisis.”

This past year has not brought much change. Only 28 percent of compensation claims have been approved by the IOPC (International Oil Pollution Compensation), and almost no money has actually been collected. Most people still can’t go back to work at the sea farms because oil is still present beneath the surface. As a result, people are simply losing faith in the government’s ability or willingness to take further action with compensation or cleanup.

It’s a sad story, especially considering the area is not far from Seoul and could have been a great beach visit for residents of the capital without having to travel down the coast or to the east coast.

Hopefully, in the years to come, they will eventually see some real progress. With other recent oil spills, the Fukushima nuclear disaster, and the inefficiency (high cost per kilowatt) of alternative energy sources, the energy debate is sure to remain intense for the foreseeable future.

photo essay

José Antonio Nigro A

s a child traveling to his father’s house amid Sicily’s island regions, Italian-Venezuelan photographer José Antonio Nigro was exposed to the supreme passion and commitment his mother submersed into her photography.

Seeking to create an intimate relationship with everything surrounding our daily motions in their own specific and unique moment of time, he dedicated himself to documentary photography.

Striving to unify the plethora of emotions surrounding our reality and way of life is José Antonio’s mission.

Focusing on integrating the colors, shapes, forms and textures to create a harmonious relationship in a photograph stimulates him to travel the globe hunting for exquisite scenes and picturesque

Gwangju News January 2012

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Gwangju News January 2012

moments immortalized at a distinct moment in time.

Transferring himself into the object and reproducing its delicate story fuels his enthusiasm and encourages his endeavors to continuously expand by way of advancing his techniques, improving his formats, and finetuning his qualities as an artist.

Encouraged by French impressionism and their spontaneity in capturing an image at a particular moment in time, his works capture a natural and un-obstructed portrait by grasping the images thoughts, feelings, and emotions contained at an exact period of time, which fades to our memories seconds later and is lost for others to experience.

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PHOTO CONTEST W I N N E R

Making his way at the Kimchi Festival Photo by Stephen Gale

Hanging out to dry in Beopseongpo 26

Gwangju News January 2012

Photo by Jannies Le

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

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

Submit your best shot of Korea!

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

Fruits of Autumn Photo by Ray Ho

The title of Christina Wolfe’s photo in Gwangju News December 2011 issue should be “Marching to the Beat”. We apologize for this error and for any inconvenience caused.

Harvesting the Mist Photo by Christina Wolfe

Gwangju News January 2012

27

ut!

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Events Calendar 2012 1 January Jan. 7 (Sat) ~ 29 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival Hwacheon, Gangwon-do www.narafestival.com (Sun) Experience catching mountain trout and ice fishing Jan. 13 (Fri) ~ 17 Muju Namdaecheon Ice Festival Muju, Jeollabuk-do www.muju.go.kr (Tue) Go back to your childhood memories with ice sleigh, ice fishing, and other traditional games Jan. 23 (Mon)

Seollal One of Korea’s biggest holiday, is Korea’s lunar new year celebration

Jan. 27 (Fri) ~ Taebaeksan Snow Festival Taebaksan (Mountain), Gangwon-do http://festival.taebaek.go.kr/ Feb. 5 (Sun) Enjoy a variety of skiing and games in one of the most famous mountains in Korea ~ Jan. 29 (Sun)

Boseong Green Tea Light Festival Boseong, Jeollanam-do www.boseong.go.kr Boseong is regarded as one of the main producing areas of green tea in Korea. In this festival, the green tea fields will be showered with lights and wishing trees.

February 2

Feb. 2 (Thurs)

Annual Cheomdan Kite Flying Festival Ssangam Park, Cheomdan, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Have fun in this family-oriented festival where you can experience traditional Korea new year games, such as kite-flying, tuho, etc.

Jan ~ Feb. 26 (Sun)

National Geographic Photo Exhibition Gwangju Culture and Arts Center, Buk-gu, Gwangju www.ngphoto.co.kr Explore the beauty of nature and life through this photo exhibition

3 March March 1 (Thurs)

Independence Movement Day This holiday is to mark Korea’s declaration of independence against the Japanese colonial government

March 15 (Thurs) Gwangyang Plum Blossom Festival Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do ~ 25 (Sun) www.gwangyang.go.kr/maehwa/index.jsp Villages of Gwangyang are filled with plum blossoms flowers for you to appreciate March 17 (Sat) ~ Gurye Sansuyu Flower Festival Gurye, Jeollanam-do 20 (Tue) www.sansuyu.go.kr Sansuyu (cornus fruit) is the main theme of this festival. Performances will also be held.

March 30 (Fri) ~ April 8 (Sun)

Gwangju Spring Flower Exhibition KDJ Center, Gwangju www.flowershow.kr This exhibition will showcase spring flowers divided into themes and gardens

4 April April 7 (Sat) ~ 9 (Mon)

TBA

Jindo Sea Parting Festival Jindo, Jeollanam-do http://eng.jindo.go.kr Better known as “Moses Miracle Festival”, this is the time where visitors can walk through the sea from mainland, where the sea mysteriously part.

Hampyeong Butterfly Festival Hampyeong, Jeollanam-do www.hampyeong.jeonnam.kr Experience catching mountain trout and ice fishing

May 5

April 26 (Thurs) ~ Jeonju International Film Festival Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do www.jiff.or.kr May 4 (Fri)

May 5 (Sat)

Children Day This is special day for children where they can enjoy discounts in tourist destinations, receive gifts and spend time with family

May 12 (Sat) ~ August 12 (Sun)

2012 Yeosu Expo Yeosu, Jeollanam-do http://eng.expo2012.kr/ The theme for this world expo: “The Living Ocean and Coast” will showcase the world’s ocean and its environment

TBA

Damyang Bamboo Festival Damyang, Jeollanam-do www.bamboofestival.co.kr Feel the beauty of bamboo forest and experience many kind of food made of bamboo

TBA

Boseong Green Tea Festival Boseong, Jeollanam-do www.boseong.go.kr Boseong is very famous for its green tea, and you can taste the best tea produced in this festival.

TBA

Wando Jangbogo Festival Wando, Jeollanam-do http://tour.wando.go.kr/ Jangbogo is the first ocean pioneer in Korea and Wando is his main stage

TBA

Chosun University Rose Festival Gwangju http://rose.chosun.ac.kr/ Smell and see the nice fragrance of roses in Chosun University Rose Garden, right in downtown Gwangju

TBA

Namwon Chunhyang Festival Namwon, Jeollabuk-do http://chunhyang.org/ This festival is based on the famous Korean love story Chunhyangjeon

May 28 (Mon)

Buddha’s Birthday This day is to celebrate Buddha’s birthday and there will be celebrations in all Buddhist temples all around the country

June 6

June 6 (Wed)

Memorial Day This day is to honor national heroes and those who died during the Korean War

TBA

Gokseong Rose Festival Gokseong, Jeollanam-do www.gokseong.go.kr

TBA

Muju Firefly Festival Muju, Jeollabuk-do http://firefly.or.kr When the weather gets warmer in Muju, fireflies come out and make a spectacular sight. Don’t miss this chance to see this special creature.

TBA

Haeundae Sand Festival Busan http://sandfestival.haeundae.go.kr/ The sand festival takes place at Busan’s beautiful Haeundae Beach, Korea’s popular summer vacation spot

June 22 (Fri) ~ 24 (Sun)

Dano Festival and Dried Corvina Festival Yeonggwang, Jeollanam-do

travel

Shimonoseki Visa run or just for fun (Part 2) Story and photos

by George Palafox

ention Japan to any traveler and immediately the big cities will come to mind. Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto all get name-checked. While the big three rightly deserve their status, Japan is much more than those cities in the same vein that the USA is more than New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. Japan is rich in culture and has many smaller cities worth exploring.

One of these cities is Shimonoseki which lies on the western edge of the main island of Honshu.

Shimonoseki’s location has historically made it an important gateway between Japan and the rest of the world. Being a port city, Shimonoseki also enjoys having more diverse foreign cultural flavors than say, Kyoto which is steeped in tradition.

M

Shimonoseki is accessible through the international ferry terminal in Busan. The ferry to the city runs daily and is an overnight trip. You can expect to leave Busan at 8pm and arrive at around 8am the next morning in Shimonoseki. The departure time from Shimonoseki is the same as Busan. Before leaving there is a small fuel/port tax on top of the fare. The ship is large and has three main decks. Amenities on the main deck are a duty-free shop, a karaoke room, a small arcade and a common area. Rooms line the main, second and third decks with the shared bath area on the second deck There are different classes of rooms available.

Second-class is the cheapest and costs 180,500 won (all prices quoted are round trip). If you don’t mind sleeping on the floor with strangers and dealing with more noise, this is the most economical way to travel.

Upgrading to first class costs 237,500 won with the choice of either a two or four bunk bed room. If you are traveling in a group this may be your best bet.

You can also pay extra to have these rooms to yourself. Those craving luxury can choose the deluxe cabin for 332,500 won along with an extra 40,000 to make it a solo affair.

After leaving Shimonoseki’s terminal, if you head east 30

Gwangju News January 2012

Akama Shrine

you can see the Kaikyo Yume Tower that stands at 502 feet (153 meters) and has the highest observatory in western Japan. The observatory at the top offers excellent views of the city and the tower is beautifully lit at night. Head further east and you will enter the Karato area where you will find the Kaikyokan Aquarium, Karato Marketplace (a fish market), the Kanmon Wharf and Akama Shrine. Kaikyokan Aquarium houses over 200 species of fugu (the poisonous blowfish) along with other rare and interesting fish from across the globe. A bit further down the road is Akama Shrine that is hard to miss because of its beautiful bright red and white gates.

The shrine commemorates the tragic story of Emperor Antoku who died at eight years old in 1185.

In Shimonoseki, you will notice the fugu motif just about everywhere you look. Shimonoseki handles half the country’s catch of the blowfish, making it the fugu

View of the port

Left: Kaikyo Yume Top: Fugu dish

capital of Japan. Fugu poisoning is lethal and the adventurous often sample this fish to tempt fate.

Fugu is served in wafer-thin translucent slices cut and arranged artistically so that they turn any light they catch into rainbows. The fish tastes quite bland and is slightly chewy. Most fugu is commercially farmed and safe so it is free of the deadly tetrodotoxin. Strict regulation and licensing of chefs is also in place to prevent poisoning.

Another controversial dish served in the city is whale sashimi. The meat is a deep ruby-red color and is greasy, yet essentially tasteless and rather disappointing.

The areas away from the coast are also worth exploring. Chofu area is known as Castle Town due to the many old temples and samurai residences. For those seeking a relaxing soak, hot springs are scattered throughout Shimonoseki, including one on the northern tip near the ocean.

Here is some advice for the working or the soon-tobe working teachers. Shimonoseki does not have

a Korean consulate where you can acquire a new working visa. You must go to the consulate in Fukuoka for that. However, if you are in-between jobs and/or just want to tour Japan for a while by obtaining a 90-day tourist visa, Shimonoseki offers a great starting point for travelers thanks to its rich history and unique local cuisine.

Whale sashimi

Overnight ferry from Busan: 8 p.m. departure (Busan), 8 a.m. arrival (Shimonoseki) For more information visit: www.pukwan.co.kr Hotel rate: 86,000 won for single room, 103,338 won for double For more information visit: www.shimonoseki.hotelwingjapan.com

Gwangju News January 2012

31

travel Haesujjim before the hot coals were added

Winter Heat

By Anna Corbett Photos by Julie Maycock

I

f you are not from Korea (or Finland) it may be unusual for you to consider spending a cold Sunday languishing with strangers in a hot room.

Even if you are familiar with the Korean bath house (jimjilbang 찜질방) remember there are always new and interesting ways to heat up this winter. This month I was lucky enough to be introduced to a brand new bathing experience on a trip with nine others to a traditional Korean saltwater steam room called a haesujjim (해수찜).

The history of haesujjim is long and colorful, much of it centering around the South Jeolla coastline.

The steam room which we headed to is located in Hampyeong district, just under an hour’s drive from downtown Gwangju. This small area has become popular with visitors from all over Korea who come to enjoy the supposed healing properties of the salt water steam. Thankfully the location has yet to be overcome with tourists and has maintained much of its rural charm in the face of increased commercialization. Set in a tiny village on the windswept coast of the Yellow Sea, the steam room looks more like a ramshackle collection of buildings than a popular tourist destination. Only the hundreds of towels drying on long lines outside give an indication of its true identity.

After several minutes of being chilled by the sea air, we were ushered into the complex of buildings and handed heavy cotton uniforms to wear inside.

Looking much like wide-eyed visitors on a temple stay, we dressed in orange and blue trousers and wrap-around tops and stowed our belongings in lockers just outside the room where we would be spending the next two hours.

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Gwangju News January 2012

The rooms at the haesujjim are warm, damp and lined with wood, with two pools filled with sea water set into the floor. After we seated ourselves awkwardly against the walls next to a small plastic bowl and towel, men clad in protective gloves strolled in and dumped shovels full of red hot coals into the already steaming water. I jumped to my feet, afraid of being caught by the spitting drops that leapt out of the pool, and was soon told in universal sign language by the friendly lady proprietor to sit down and stop being such a fusspot.

The hot coals are in fact a mixture of pinewood, sulphur and various herbs thought to have healing properties. The burning mixture heats the salt water to a blistering 80 degrees and fills the room with steam, obscuring the faces of those around you. It is claimed that the salts and minerals in the steam can cure or aid in the treatment of, among other things, skin disorders, nerve pain, arthritis and diabetes. Whatever your beliefs concerning the healing properties of the haesujjim, the experience itself is extremely enjoyable. The heat is not only bearable but rather welcome after the chill of the wind outside. The wooden slats on the floor let in some cool air and the steam shrouds bathers in a crystallising layer of salt which can be crunched between your teeth.

After the water has cooled a little from actually scalding to merely simmering, bathers can dip their towels into the pools, making sure to hold onto a dry corner as the water is still far too hot to touch directly. The plastic bowls that have been provided are then used to crush out the excess water and the steaming towels can be draped around the body. The thick uniforms provide a

Seawater Sauna (주 포 해 수 찜 ) to the west of Hampyeong. The area is renowned for its saunas and there are several scattered around the countryside.

To get to Jupo haesujjim by public transport take the bus to Hampyeong bus terminal and then the local bus to Jupo/ Sonbul (주포/ 손불). If you are in a group then a taxi from Hampyeong should cost no more than 20,000 won and is more convenient than the bus which only runs once an hour. For driving directions search for 주포해수찜 on Google Maps.

The steam room costs 30,000 won for every three people and up to ten can fit into a room. This price includes towels, uniforms and lockers and you are welcome to stay in the room for several hours.

The furnace buffer against the heat of the water and it’s possible, with good company, to lose hours in the steam.

Sometime later and feeling clean, salty and rather smug, our group left the room in ones and twos to change back into our clothes. There are no showers on the site as it is believed that washing too soon will remove the beneficial layer of minerals that the steam has left on your skin. The prospect of riding home on public transport while smelling distinctly of feet may be less than thrilling, but you will likely feel so relaxed that you won’t even notice.

For trips like this and a whole lot more join “Lonely Korea” on Facebook; a group based in Gwangju and run by the wonderful Pedro Kim. The ragged coastline of the Yellow Sea

Practicalities The sauna pictured and described here is Jupo

Gwangju News January 2012

33

national

eastasiaforum.org

People of Gwangju on the KORUS FTA

By Wil Rawlins

W

ith the passing of the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA), opinions have been strong on it being ratified. Multiple demonstrations have been held in Seoul denouncing the agreement, erupting in violent clashes with the police. Vehement confrontation has also occurred in the National Assembly itself resulting in an anti-grand national party member lobbing tear gas at the political opposition.

This intense hostility is the scene that is playing out in Seoul, but how do local residents in Gwangju feel about the recent FTA ratification? Is the mood just as heated, if not more, or is it more passive? A random sampling of Gwangju natives and residents were given an opportunity to express themselves in Gwangju News this issue.

1. How much do you know about KORUS FTA/ How were you informed?

2. What do you think are the benefits and drawbacks of KORUS? 3. What should change to make KORUS fair?

4. Do you think protesters are overreacting?

(Throwing tear gas in the congress, fighting with the police, etc.)

Given the sensitivity of the subject the participants have chosen to remain anonymous giving only basic background information about themselves.

Profession: Business Age: 27 Nationality: Korean 1. If countries signed the FTA, they eliminate tariffs, 34

Gwangju News January 2012

import quotas, and preferences on most goods and services traded between them.

2. If we have the FTA with the US, the Korean economy will grow so much because the US is one of the top countries that Korea is exporting to.

3. The Korean government needs to create some way to make farmers or other people live with the FTA (because most people who are protesting are farmers I think?)

4. No. If I were them, I would probably do the same thing.

Profession: Student Age: 20 Nationality: Korean 1. I just know the meaning of “FTA.” Also I heard it was kind of an unfair agreement similar to the treaty that gave Japan control of Korea in 1905.

2. I heard there were only a few merits. For example, according to the FTA we don’t need to pay much on imported cars and some goods.

3. I think many politicians who are eager to keep their prestige will jump on the wagon to make a fair agreement. First of all, I think they must think about their position (they have to know what to do as politicians), and they need to listen to the people over and over again. If politicians do these things they could make the FTA fair.

4. I wonder if all the protesters know about the FTA. I guess some of the protesters really don’t understand the FTA. It’s ridiculous how they are acting and I don’t understand how they could do that. Their demonstration is not serious.

Profession: Native English teacher Age: 20s Nationality: American 1. I suppose I'm more informed than most Americans on the subject, but to be honest, I don't feel that informed. While there is a lot of government material available online about the subject, there hasn't been a lot of detailed information in the English/American mainstream media. I'm sure Koreans have read more about the subject than I. 2. I don't think I'll be in Korea to see many of Yeonhap the advantages (as it will take some time to take effect). But in short, we'll see a lot more part of our culture. If you know about the history of foreign products in the stores, and products that Korea you might understand how we became a already exist will be much, much cheaper. As it is democracy. There will be a lot of problems in Korea right now, we pay 1/3 -2/3rds more for a product as a result of this. Especially if the rich get richer and than it would cost in the States. That sucks. It will also the poor are worse off. be nice when the tariffs on imports, even for personal use, disappear.

Profession: Radio writer The disadvantages are all on the Korean side as far Age: 32 as I see it. America is going to import more Korean Nationality: Korean products. Okay, fine. Maybe I'll buy some Korean 1. Not very much. I know it's about agricultural product, maybe I won't. But America is already trade. And there has been heated dispute. But saturated with foreign products, so it's not going to that's all. Nothing specific. affect us as a country. Korea, on the other hand, is 2. In the short term, consumers would like it just getting into the globalization game, and because things are cheap at the market. But in the Koreans are very much resisting it. It's new, and long term, the price of Korean products rises up. different from the ways they know, and that And farmers will suffer which will affect consumers, frightens them. To stay viable in the global and ultimately the entire country will suffer from the community Korea is going to have to find some new inflation of Korean products. niche market to enter into.

3. No idea.

3. I honestly don't know. I'm sure Koreans perceive it 4. That's overreacting, but understandable. They as being unfair, but for me? I just care about buying just wanted to block the ratification at all costs.

American foods at E-mart.

4. Yes, they're absolutely overreacting. By all means, Profession: Teacher occupy the capital, write letters to your leaders and Age: 40s phone them non-stop. Write opinion pieces to the Nationality: Korean newspapers. Get on the local news. Make your 1. I know a little. voice heard. But the moment you start hurting other 2. I think there are good points and bad points. First people as part of your protest, you've crossed the of all motor companies will be able to earn more line and your protest becomes meaningless. Instead money than before. However farmers will become of your cause being the news story, you're the story, more impoverished. and that makes you an idiot.

3. The government should support the farmers.

4. Yes I do. Especially throwing tear gas in the congress. That is the worst. We should talk Profession: Housekeeper peacefully.

Age: 30s Nationality: Korean This small sampling of questionnaire applicants does 1. Through TV and newspapers not necessarily reflect the views of Gwangju as a 2. People can get things at cheap prices. whole, but it does give us more insight into how 3. The FTA is not meant for Korea but for the United common people view this issue.

States which is a bigger and stronger country. It cannot be fair because of the purpose of the FTA. 4. The way of expression is overreacting, but it is also

Gwangju News January 2012

35

environment

Environmental Vignettes from 2011– Welcome 2012

By Elizabeth Allen

350.org

O

ver the past several months the co-host of GFN’s environmental segment titled “Green Mondays” has been very green herself indeed. GFN host Joseph Kim was kind enough to coach his new climate change expert, but radio amateur, into a weekly fifteen minutes of fame.

The following true to life scenes have unfolded between approximately 7:35 p.m. and 7:50 p.m. for the past few months. This article gives Gwangju readers and listeners the summations of these past broadcasts. Hopefully the overview will inspire others to get involved and become more conscience of individual changes one can make to help to save the Earth.

If these environmental topics catch your interest or you have any questions please feel free to contact elizabethjallen@gmail.com or simply tune into GFN 98.7 FM. December 12, 2011- Decisions from Durban November 14, 2011- Rooftop Gardens in Gwangju November 7, 2011- O-What a Zone October 24, 2011- Joe and Jessie Go Toe to Toe on Bottled water September 29, 2011- 350.org Event Decisions from Durban In the northern corner of South Africa, the UN, led

by Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, a Korean, came to the conclusion that the Kyoto Protocol should be extended for another five years, limiting carbon emissions in developed countries as well as legally calling for developing countries to begin limiting their own output of climate-changing fossil fuel burn-off. Environmental groups worldwide are concerned that the new agreement, made until 2020, will not be able to stop the progressing carbon production from permanently damaging all living ecosystems. Progress was made in bringing opposing nations together in unity for improving the planet.

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Gwangju News January 2012

Rooftop Gardens of Gwangju One inexpensive way to help the environment is to create a small rooftop garden. For less than a 10,000 won investment, apartment roofs can begin to blossom with locally-grown, oxygen-enriching, carbon-fixing plants. In a country with one of the most densely populated urban areas, finding gardening space can be a challenge and will continue to be a problem with regards to future food production without finding alternative ways to utilize more farm land. Koreans already set a high example of growing potted plants on rooftops, but now they have the means to lead the world in setting an example for greener cities with temporary low-cost alternatives.

O-What a Zone Reviewing the creation of the ozone hole, Korea impacts the amount of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) released by being one of the industrial nations that continues using the substance that depletes the protective atmospheric covering of our earth.

Finding alternative chemicals will, for example, alleviate the damage to Australia’s ozone hole on the southern coast, as well as the impact on the North and South Pole ice caps.

Going Toe to Toe on Bottled Water Bottled water worldwide has caused more problems than simply using up landfill space. The plastics themselves can contain harmful chemical substances that cause problems by building up in the tissue of the human body. Gwangju tap water is safe to drink and there are alternative bottles that are “PCB (polychloronated biphenyl)-free.”

Simply switching water bottle choices can save you money and improve your health as well as benefiting the environment.

350.org Event Gwangju residents walked, rode bicycles and used mass transit instead of cars to show their active support for reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. The current projected worldwide level of carbon dioxide in the environment is 391 ppm (parts per million) but this worldwide non-profit organization hopes to inspire individuals to become part of the solution to reduce the pollution level below 350ppms.

Changing singular transportation habits can account for less greenhouse gas production every year and slow climate change.

media

New Comedy Heroes By 8ball (Kim Dong-hun)

I

n the movie 'Fantastic Four', four superheroes work as a team to protect the planet against evil-minded villains. In the end, the good overwhelm the bad, and as a consequence of such a belief we are always hoping for a better world. However, reality bites. Justice and fairness seem to exist merely as a pipe dream.

Villains are lucky and blessed enough to enjoy all the luxuries and privileges, seemingly born with silver spoons in their mouths, and most people, socalled “commoners” like myself, end up being manipulated like puppets, sacrificing many things we value and cherish in our lives or feeling frustrated and miserable, not knowing what is going on. Where art thou 'Fantastic Four'? Will the time come when the bad are punished and the good are rewarded as seen in the movie? Here's an interesting case.

One weekly podcast radio talk show named '나는 꼼수다 (I am Ggomsu or I am a schemer)' has gained phenomenal popularity and attention among Koreans across the nation and has attracted much attention, regardless of age, gender and so forth. Even the International Herald Tribune published the article describing it as the most-downloaded and listened-to radio show in the world, according to a recent survey.

The show was launched on April 27, 2011 as the only radio show seemingly dedicated to Lee Myung-bak, the incumbent president of Korea.

However, it is a political satire program led by four men (I like to call them the 'Fantastic Four') mainly to ridicule and criticize President Lee, his close aids and relevant scandals with a series of laughter, trivial chitchat and gossip. In this radio show, President Lee is sarcastically referred to as "Gaka (Mr. President)" or “Your Excellency.” They pretend to show respect for him, which plays on the irony.

The show is scheduled to air until February 2013, when President Lee's tenure is officially over, because they believe that he won't be able to use a smartphone once he is in prison. So far they have produced over thirty shows covering a variety of controversial issues focusing on President Lee.

These four men never hesitate to talk down to or demean power and money-drunken people including President Lee. Kim Eo-jun has a bushy mustache and seemingly uncombed hair who runs Ddanzi Ilbo, a renowned parody website. Jung Bong-ju was a former politician who constantly chatters like a stand-up comedian. Kim Yong-min is a commentator and a professor. And Joo Jin-woo is a journalist. What an incredible combination it is!

However, such criticism, sarcasm and satire are expressed using oxymoronic or metaphorical expressions.

I myself have been also addicted to this radio talk show, laughing my head off and nodding in agreement while listening. In appearance they are far from being heroes. They are more like losers in our eyes. They certainly don’t belong to the group who have money, power or reputation. They are a group of ordinary ajossi (아저씨), gossiping about the incumbent president, his administration and other controversial, pending issues during the entire show.

If you happen to meet them at a bar, you would simply regard them as a group of women- repellers.

So why have they and their show become so popular? Their outspoken behavior and explicit remarks magnetize people who crave an escape from harsh reality and give them a sensation of satisfaction or vengeance. They have no super powers and wear no masks or capes, but they mesmerize people and verbally punish our social and political villains. In this sense, they are true heroes who are not afraid of revealing themselves in front of authority and speaking their minds over the internet to all the listeners.

I believe that heroes are not born but made. I hope they stop at nothing while striving for a squeaky-clean society and struggle to discover the inconvenient truth until justice stands. I will keep listening to this show as a means of supporting their endeavor. Give it a try and enjoy the show as it is. If you are a foreigner and are interested in this show, then learn some Korean!

To find these podcasts, search for: '나는 꼼수다 (I am Ggomsu)’ at your online app store.

Gwangju News January 2012

35

fashion

Fash-On with xxl jjdp ENTER THE BLACK DRAGON By jjdp Photos by Delsie Kwon and Brian Klein

W

elcome to it. 2012 has just arrived and with all the crazy astral energies about, it is sure to be a very eventful year. So are you ready to make the most of it looking your absolute best? Well, I am!

Fash-On this month celebrates the coming of the New Year, not once but twice, as Lunar New Year happens a little later this month. Therefore we are taking a look at probably one of the easiest allround colors that is perfect for any event: we go back to black.

Henry Ford once quipped, “You can have it in any color as long as it is black.� Very wise and truthful words, and there is no denying that an all-black ensemble has a place in every wardrobe.

2012 is also the Year of the Black Dragon in the Chinese Zodiac, so we will be celebrating a whole new world of opportunities and occasions to make you stand out from the crowd. This auspicious year welcomes the dragon which is associated with being magnanimous, stately, strong, self-assured, proud, and intellectual; if I could think of any color possessing all of these traits, it would have to be black. Added to this, the signature metal of the fierce protector the dragon is gold. That is why in order to ring in the New Year I have paired these two stalwarts of fashion together - black and gold.

Black is universally known for it slimming properties and hides all the not-so-flattering body angles, especially in the cold heart of winter. But in order to make it less gothic, add some metallic accents to balance it out. However, be very cautious as to how you wear gold as too much can entirely ruin an outfit, and you might appear as a gangster lookalike or an extra from an Austin Powers movie.

Also winter is the time to experiment with various rich and different textures and fabrics to create a luxurious look for both day and night.

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Gwangju News January 2012

For this month I have used wool, denim, fur, leather and metal which all work in harmony to balance each other out.

Of course it being the New Year and the time for sharing and celebrating with friends, one needs to be able to make the transition from day to night without breaking the budget. So I have showcased a versatile basic outfit combo that can be tweaked and tailored for your party needs.

For the basic look that works for everyone, male or female, start with a basic skinny jean and layer it with an abstract graphic gold and black wool knit.

To this I have added a longer pure wool relaxed oversized and distressed cardigan (worn backwards) with a soft touch black leather jacket.

Round this all off with a pair of gold trainers.

Now to customise this look for the day, add a woolly hat or beanie in black and a silver studded leather belt. The shine from your sneakers will be offset by the matte sheen from the leather. The rips and holes from the distressed oversized cardigan also add interest and character to your look.

For your night look, keep it simple and surprising.

Keep the jeans but wear a pair of black and gold print leggings underneath. Roll the jeans to just about knee level to create a layered look. Of course a black leather jacket is a wardrobe staple.

For added effect, remove the jacket to reveal the detailed and graphic print of the black and gold knit which has been somewhat hidden underneath. For the evening I have also added a black faux fur hat to keep in the heat and to maximise on the drama of the New Year and to create some buzz at any event.

Be bold, be daring and embrace 2012 as the year to break out of your clothing rut. I always try to break or re-invent the rules when I get dressed.

Don’t be afraid to switch things up and wear it

inside out, backwards or even to just take a scissor to your clothes in order to customise it. You paid for it, now take ownership of your style!

Now that you have some great ideas for what outfit to wear during this festive and cold season, I wish you all the best for 2012 and here is hoping that the Year of the Black Dragon brings you and your family much success and happiness.

Shot on location in Han Gang in Seoul.

Black skinny jeans - Have a Nice Day store (next to Uniqlo downtown) Black and gold graphic knit - Tokyo Juice Oversized distressed cardigan - Time Zone/The Gam Gold sneakers - Seojung Outlet, just outside Sangmu Subway station Black and Gold tights - Gmarket Faux Fur Hat - Myeongdong Seoul Leather Jacket - London (for new real leather jackets it is worthwhile checking Lotte Department store or Shinsegae or for vintage jackets at a cheaper price check Tokyo Juice near Migliore or underground at the Culture Complex Station entrance) Belts and accessories - Time Zone Gwangju News January 2012

37

language study

Letters to KOTESOL

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

Dear Dr. Dave, I have a student in my class who says she needs to pass in order to carry on with her thesis, but honestly she speaks very poorly and has little to no conversation ability. She seems to understand only about 10% of the questions I ask her, and talks in a whispered voice that I, in turn, catch only about 10% of.

40

effects if your personal value system clashes with that of the community. If you cannot accept the community’s value system, try to stretch its boundaries from within. If you cannot conscientiously do that, you need to find a value system to work in that is more compatible with your own.

Dr. Dave

Although I realize it is my responsibility to try and reach her as a teacher, my ultimate question is: “What are your feelings on passing students who need the credit for a different major but obviously can’t speak the language at all?”

Dear Dr. Dave, What is your opinion on broaching taboo subjects in adult conversation classes? I find my students respond better to a bit of controversy, and when the conversation gets heated is when they really strain to express themselves the most in English.

-Degree factory

-The 1st amendment

Dear Degree, Your situation is not an uncommon one for an instructor to face, especial at the tertiary level. I obviously cannot tell you what to do in your specific situation because of the lack of details, and thankfully you are not asking me to. What you are asking for are my general feelings on passing students for low level work. Several things need to be considered. First of all, was it made clear to the student at the onset of the course what was expected of the student in the course? And did that student strive toward those goals? Second, I think that degree of effort is important. In a skills course such as English conversation, students often come into the course with greatly varying language proficiency levels. I do not think that the student who comes into a course with the highest proficiency level and still has the highest proficiency level and the end without making much of an effort at improving is the best student, and therefore should not get the best grade.

For me, effort toward improvement of proficiency level is the most important factor to consider in assigning final course grades. Thirdly, take into consideration the value system of the people within the educational system that you are associated with.

Recognize what the community expects of an educator within that value system and act accordingly. Trying to implement your own value system that you may have brought with you from the other side of the globe is not going to yield positive

Dear First, Taboo subjects are by definition subjects that are not to be talked about. Therefore, if either the teacher or the students think of a subject as being taboo, it should not be discussed in the classroom. I do not think that Korean students especially enjoy controversy; in fact, I think they go out of their way more than others to avoid it. What students everywhere respond well to are topics that are of interest to them. What the EFL teacher needs to do is find out what the topics are that most interest the students in their classes and construct lessons around these topics – whether they be topics like “tigers” for elementary school boys or “cougars” for university guys.

Dr. Dave

Gwangju News January 2012

“Dr. Dave” is Dr. David Shaffer, current President of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of Korea TESOL (KOTESOL). On behalf of the Chapter, he invites you to participate in the teacher development workshops at their monthly meetings. Dr. Shaffer is a professor of English at Chosun University, where he has taught, graduate, undergraduate, and postgraduate courses for many years. He has recently received the first-ever KOTESOL Lifetime Achievement Award.

Facebook: Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL Email: gwangju_kotesol@yahoo.com www.koreatesol.org/GwangjuJeonnam

language study

The pattern '-(으)ㄴ 다음에’: after doing something

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

Dialogue 소라 : 존씨, 안녕하세요? [ Jon nssi,, annnyeonnghasseyo?]

Sora : Hello, John! 존

: 네, 안녕하세요? 그런데, 소라씨 지금 어디 가세요? [ne,, an nnyeonnghasseyo? geureonnde sorasssi jigeum m eod di gasseyo? ] John : How are you? By the way, where are you going? 소라 : 시내에 가요. 시내에서 친구들 크리스마스 선물을 사려고 해요. naee gayo. shinnaeesseo chinngud deul keurisseum masseu seonnmureul saryeogo haeyo.] [shin Sora : I am going downtown. I intend to buy Christmas presents for my friends. 존

: 정말요? 선물을 산 다음에 뭐 할 거예요? [j e o n g m a r y o ? s e o n m u r e u l s a n d a e u m e m w o h a l g e o y e y o ? ] John : Really? After buying them, what are you going to do? 소라 : 폴씨와 점심 식사를 할 거예요. 점심 식사를 한 다음에 영화를 볼 거에요. [po olssiwa jeeomshim shiksarreul hal geeoyeeyo o. jeeomshim shiksarreul han daeeumee yeeonghwarreul bo ol geeoyeeyo o. ] Sora : I will have lunch with Paul. After we have lunch, we will see a movie. : 그래요? 영화를 본 다음에 제 한국어 숙제를 도와 줄 수 있어요? [g e u r a e y o ? y e o n g h w a r e u l b o n d a e u m e j e h a n g u g e o s u k j e r e u l d o w a j u l s u i s s e o y o ? ] John : Is that so? Could you help me with my Korean homework after you see a movie? 존

소라 : 네. 한 여덟시쯤 만나요. [ne e, han yeeodeolshijjeeum mannayo o. ] Sora : Yeah, let's meet at about 8 o'clock. 존 : 네, 그래요. 고마워요. [ Ne,, geuraeyo. Gom maw woyo. ] John : Yes, let’s. Thanks.

Vocabulary 크리스마스[keuriseumaseu]: Christmas 선물[seonmul]: a gift 남동생[namdongsaeng]: a younger brother 학교[hakgyo]: a school 전화[jeonhwa]: a telephone, phone call

Reference: 김성희 외. (2009). 서강한국어2A 서울: 도서출판 하우 서강한국어. Retrived November 26, 2011from http://korean.sogang.ac.kr

Grammar The pattern '-(으)ㄴ 다음에': after doing something The pattern '-(으)ㄴ 다음에' is used to express 'after something happens' or 'after something happened'. It is used only with verbs.

Example (1) Tense and negation is expressed in the main verb.

•수업이 끝난 다음에 점심을 먹읍시다. (Let's have lunch after class finishes.)

•남동생을 만난 다음에 그 일을 하겠어요. (I will do the task (job) after meeting my younger brother.)

•전화를 한 다음에 오세요. (Please come over after you call.)

(2) If the subject of the two clauses (the main clause and the dependent clause which is introduced with this pattern) is the same, this pattern cannot be used with the verbs '가다' (to go) / '오다 '(to come) and their compounds.

•내가 집에 간 다음에 공부합니다. (awkward/never used) •내가 학교에 온 다음에 친구를 만납니다. (awkward/never used) Gwangju News January 2012

39

fable

Behind the Myth: Exploring Korean Tradition This series of articles will shed light on some Korean myths, folklore, traditions and superstitions. Every country has their own share of beliefs, fact or fiction, and many foreigners living in Korea have not yet heard or understand the basis of various Korean beliefs as they become apparent.

“The Deadly 4”

By Stephen Redeker

D

o you believe in “unlucky” numbers? In some western countries, the number 13 is considered to be bad luck. It is often avoided and even the 13th day of the month, if it falls on a Friday, is considered to be an unlucky day. Sufferers of “Triskaidekaphobia” are scared of anything labeled 13. In the United States, the two dollar bill was phased out because people believed using them brought bad luck. They are still printed, but are only available by request at the bank. On the flip side, the number seven is considered a “lucky” number, especially evident at casinos where a seven is a good dice roll at the craps table or a “777” at the slot machines wins the jackpot. Nowadays, seven has been adopted as a lucky number in Korea. Traditionally, the number three was considered good luck.

In Korea, the number 4 is considered to be bad luck. It goes even further; this number is believed to symbolize death itself. Unlike the unlucky number 13 (which does not have a real explanation for the bad luck), the basis behind number 4’s superstition is logical. The Chinese character for the word “death” is pronounced “sah”. This is the same sound as the Korean “four”. Because of this reason, Koreans associate the number 4 with death and thus consider it bad luck. For example, some buildings don’t have a fourth floor and they have elevators without the number 4 button (using the letter “F” instead). Table settings don’t come in sets of four, so you will find sets of two, three or five. Also, it is customary to give monetary gifts but not in denominations of four. 30,000

42

Gwangju News January 2012

won or 50,000 won would be acceptable but 40,000 won could be considered impolite.

The times are changing so fast in Korea, so the question about this unlucky number remains: Do Koreans still believe in this superstition? For the older generation, many still see 4 as a bad number and tend to avoid it. As for the younger Koreans, you’ll find mixed emotions on the topic. The youth is generally not as superstitious at the elders, so they see the number 4 as any other number and not worth a care.

However, there are still quite a few conservative thinking young Koreans out there who do not appreciate the appearance of this number. They might ask for no 4’s when signing up for a new phone number. They would probably be upset at reading “4:44” on the clock. While one four may not be bad, seeing “44” or more 4’s consecutively would certainly be disturbing.

Even though the superstitious belief behind the number 4 is really just based on language, it’s important to understand and act accordingly. It might not be our particular belief that it brings bad luck.

When dealing with our Korean friends, family, coworkers and students, let’s consider the possibility that they might not welcome that number and, by all means necessary, stick with odd numbers and avoid that dreaded “4”.

review

Movie Review

Sunny 써니

By Seth Pevey

A

s you may or may not know by now, Korean high school girls are hardcore. At least that is what one of the latest smash blockbusters entitled “Sunny” would have us believe.

When Na-Mi (Shim Eun-Kyung) arrives at her new high school in Seoul, fresh from the pure country life of our own Jeonnam province, she is scared and naïve. Her dialect is a dead giveaway to her simple bucolic roots, and is originally the source of much teasing from her peers.

Eventually, as we might expect, Na-mi falls in with a group of girls that, while cute and filled with typical Korean schoolchild charm, are actually a part of a “gang” which rivals other groups and schools and competes, sometimes violently, for dominance over the kingdom of their small neighborhood in Seoul.

Each of the girls comes complete with their own dimensions, skills, talents, desires and motivations.

And this goes a long way in helping the film transcend its “chick flick” basis (to use the parlance of our times) and become something a bit deeper and richer. It is certainly more of a pleasure to watch thanks to well fleshed out characters.

what audiences want, and he must be a millionaire now even only after two movies - a startling accomplishment for anyone who makes any kind of art.

The film is a little overwrought, but it definitely has its special moments; in the end it is a very satisfying and well-made film. Enjoy, and if you work at a girls high school, watch out!

Their group of seven is called "Sunny", and they make a promise to stay together forever. An interesting plot aspect comes into play when a large portion of the film takes place in the present day (25 years later after the great girl gangland wars). This time split keeps it original and fresh, and allows for the filmmakers to tie in the past and the present with interesting results.

The film was written and directed by Kang Hyeong cheol. Sunny is only his second film, after 2008s Speedy Scandal 과속스캔들, another smash success.

There is nothing really special about his style, except he seems to have his finger on the pulse of exactly

Sunny is a brilliant tale of everlasting friendship. hancinema.net Gwangju News January 2012

43

review

I Love Serendipity

I

Love Serendipity is a pasta restaurant downtown I’ve been meaning to go for quite some time. I finally made my way there for dinner one rainy weeknight a couple of weeks ago.

Inside there are only four small wooden rustic tables all close together, giving the restaurant a cozy feel. There’s also one table outside.

Aesthetically there’s lots going on with art and photos on the walls and books stacked on a couple of shelves. There was real deal jazz playing when I was there, which certainly beats the cheesy Christmas songs and Beatles covers that one hears being played at many of the cafes downtown. To top it off the lights are dimmed, with everything combining to create a brilliant, relaxing atmosphere.

Sitting down at our table, there were others not far from us at all and already occupied by other patrons happily eating and enjoying themselves (a good sign). The selection of pasta was pretty appealing: we ordered a tomato mozzarella and gambero, a pasta dish with a cream sauce and prawns.

You can see your meals being cooked in plain sight, as the kitchen is right by the dining area. A late twenty-something bohemian looking Korean woman was cooking.

Tomato Mozzerella

small gripe. I tried some of my friend’s gambero and it was also pretty tasty. The sauce was a really good consistency, not too runny, not too thick, and it also didn’t taste loaded with sugar.

One other bonus is that I Love Serendipity has crate bottles of Heineken, and at a reasonable 10,000 won, all things considered. We got a bottle to share with our meals.

All the pasta dishes range from 10,000 – 13,000 won. The tea selection are all 5,000 won each and the coffees range from 3,000 – 4,000 won.

So in sum, you should go along to I Love Serendipity for a nice bowl of pasta in a really enjoyable atmosphere – if you’re into the books/art/jazz feel. I didn’t mind the cramped seating, but I can imagine this might be a bit of a put off for some people. Nevertheless it’s worth going once.

To get there keep walking past German Bar towards the river, pass the Mini Stop on your right and keep going around 50 meters. I Love Serendipity will be on your left.

It wasn’t too long before our meals were brought out to us by the one waiter in the restaurant, a mid twenty-something guy, equally as bohemian looking as the chef. He didn’t speak great English, but he was perfectly confident in serving us; I was thoroughly impressed with his service throughout our evening there.

I was really happy with my tomato mozzerella pasta. It had decent sized chunks of mozerella in it, the portion size was good and the sauce to pasta ratio was satisfactory as well. The sauce tasted good and there wasn’t a sugary taste to it you sometimes get with pasta sauces in Korea. It could’ve been a touch thicker, but this is a pretty 44

Gwangju News January 2012

Gambero

recipe

Korean Easy-Cook Recipe

호박죽

Pumpkin Porridge

By Jinseon Jang

N

owadays, we resort to quick and easy foods whenever we find ourselves in supermarkets and convenience stores. Though porridge can now be found as an instant food you can cook in the microwave, our ancestors often used to cook delicious home made meals for the family by the fireplace, without the help of pre-packaged meals. It’s about time we went back to our roots.

Among many kinds of porridge, pumpkin porridge is the most common. Pumpkins are very easy to find and cook. They’re also great for your health. Moreover, this dish is especially popular among women because pumpkins are very effective in helping you lose weight. During the winter, pumpkins have a warm nature, so we are accustomed to eating pumpkin porridge during the winter months. Pumpkins are also known to remedy the common cold by bringing warmth to your hands and feet. On Dong-Ji Day (December 22), which is considered the longest night of the year, it’s customary in some households to enjoy a pumpkin porridge.

How to make pumpkin porridge Things to prepare (for four servings): Pumpkin 290g, water 200ml, glutinous rice flour 30g, salt 2g, sugar 12g, sweet potato (optional)

Cooking Method: 1. Cut out a large piece of the pumpkin, and peel it.

Cut it into relatively small pieces and place the pieces in a pot with 200ml of water. (If you want to add sweet potato, add it to the pot also.)

2. Boil and stir until the pumpkin reaches a paste-like texture. During the heating process, make sure you do not burn the bottom of your pot or the pumpkin.

Bringing the water to a boil, then lowering to moderate flame is recommended.

3. Mix the glutinous rice flour with water. Be sure there are no clumps before adding to the pot.

4. Add the rice flour mixture into the pot and stir well until it is evenly cooked. Add salt or sugar according to your taste and enjoy!

The appearance of the pumpkin is not so good, however. For a long time, our ancestors have used the pumpkin as a euphemism for something ugly. For example, “A face like a pumpkin.” Or the saying, “Sticking pumpkin seeds in someone’s back.” This is another way of calling someone a backstabber. Where did these sayings originate? The pumpkin looks unpleasing to the eye, yet it contains many nutrients and minerals. For this reason, pumpkins were sought out by people as a food that was available to satisfy the Korean people during even the most difficult eras of their history. As history and traditions prove, the pumpkin is not something to take for granted. Why not try a warm bowl of pumpkin porridge for yourself and get a taste of Korean history?

Gwangju News January 2012

45

literature

POETRY

문정희) Moon Jung-hee (문 Translated by Chae-Pyong Song and Anne Rashid

Author’s Brief Biography

Moon Jung-hee (1947- ) was born in Boseong, Jeollanam-do. She received her Ph.D. from Seoul Women’s University. She made her literary debut in 1969 in The Literature Monthly. Her poetry collections include The Baby Brier, For Men, Now Following the Rose, I am the Door, The Joy of Love, and The Prolific Virgin. She received such prestigious awards as the Modern Literature Award and the Sowol Poetry Award.

46

Cold Rice

찬밥

Rousing my sick body, I eat cold rice alone— the ice in the cold rice pokes my throat.

We live in a world where people can cook hot rice so easily just by pressing a button on one of the kitchen appliances.

It’s not easy to have cold rice, but today I eat it alone.

The woman who ate cold rice made hot rice for the family.

The woman who scrubbed cold rice from the chipped-off bowl, picking at the radish remnants someone left, and licking off the fish bones, radiated the warmest love from her body.

Longing for the hand that rattled alone even in the deep night, I rouse my sick body and eat cold rice.

They say, a god couldn’t be sent to every house, so she was sent, in lieu of a god.

In the cold rice I eat alone today I meet her, becoming the cold rice of the world.

아픈 몸 일으켜 혼자 찬밥을 먹는다 찬밥 속에 서릿발이 목을 쑤신다 부엌에는 각종 전기 제품이 있어 일 분만 단추를 눌러도 따끈한 밥이 되는 세상 찬밥을 먹기도 쉽지 않지만 오늘 혼자 찬밥을 먹는다 가족에겐 따스한 밥 지어 먹이고 찬밥을 먹던 사람 이 빠진 그릇에 찬밥 훑어 누가 남긴 무 조각에 생선 가시를 핥고 몸에서는 제일 따스한 사랑을 뿜던 그녀 깊은 밤 에도 혼자 달그락거리던 그 손이 그리워 나 오늘 아픈 몸 일으켜 찬밥을 먹는다 집집마다 신을 보낼 수 없어 신 대신 보냈다는 설도 있지만 홀로 먹는 찬밥 속에서 그녀를 만난다 나 오늘 세상의 찬밥이 되어

Gwangju News January 2012

Love Song for the Hill of Limits

한계령을 위한 연가찬밥

In deep winter, as I drive over Hangyeryong, the Hill of Limits with the one I love I would like to run into an unexpected snow storm.

The news networks compete to report the most snow in a decade.

Sputtering along, the cars hurry to return to their spots, but I would rather be held up, overwhelmed by the limits of Hangyeryong.

한겨울 못 잊을 사람하고 한계령쯤을 넘다가 뜻밖의 폭설을 만나고 싶다. 뉴스는 다투어 수십 년 만의 풍요를 알리고 자동차들은 뒤뚱거리며 제 구멍들을 찾아가느라 법석이지만 한계령의 한계에 못 이긴 척 기꺼이 묶였으면.

Oh, the blinding isolation— would that my fate, not my feet, be held up here in this fairytale land surrounded by white in all four directions.

오오, 눈부신 고립 사방이 온통 흰 것뿐인 동화의 나라에 발이 아니라 운명이 묶였으면.

When the day quickly darkens, the abundant snow will turn to terror little by little, and reality will begin to cast the color of fear.

Even when a helicopter appears, I would never wave my hand, even when it drops food for the wild birds and animals trapped in the snow.

이윽고 날이 어두워지면 풍요는 조금씩 공포로 변하고, 현실은 두려움의 색채를 드리우기 시작하지만 헬리콥터가 나타났을 때에도 나는 결코 손을 흔들지는 않으리. 헬리콥터가 눈 속에 갇힌 야생조들과 짐승들을 위해 골고루 먹이를 뿌릴 때에도...

Even when the helicopters, which sprayed dark bombs toward the newly alive, young hearts, mercifully drop the rations evenly for the daily meals of the elk and pheasants, I will not even show the hem of my dress.

시퍼렇게 살아 있는 젊은 심장을 향해 까아만 포탄을 뿌려대던 헬리콥터들이 고라니나 꿩들의 일용할 양식을 위해 자비롭게 골고루 먹이를 뿌릴 때에도 나는 결코 옷자락을 보이지 않으리.

I would not know what to do with this brief blessing, willingly kept by the beautiful Hangyeryong.

아름다운 한계령에 기꺼이 묶여 난생 처음 짧은 축복에 몸둘 바를 모르리

A Winter Diary I have spent this winter lying down.

I have lost my loved one— the monologues have ended that I rolled shiny like a rosary; the wind has stopped, and I have spent this winter comfortably, lying down.

Even when the naked trees in that field cry because they are cold, even when they become a forest, leaning on one another— having nothing to do with them, I didn’t bother to open the door even once; like a ruminant, I took out only death to chew.

I spent this winter comfortably, lying down when I lost my loved one.

겨울 일기 나는 이 겨울을 누워 지냈다. 사랑하는 사람을 잃어버려 염주처럼 윤나게 굴리던 독백도 끝이 나고 바람도 불지 않아 이 겨울 누워서 편히 지냈다. 저 들에선 벌거벗은 나무들이 추워 울어도 서로 서로 기대어 숲이 되어도 나는 무관해서 문 한번 열지 않고 반추동물처럼 죽음만 꺼내 씹었다. 나는 누워서 편히 지냈다. 사랑하는 사람을 잃어버린 이 겨울.

Translators’ Brief Bios Chae-Pyong Song is an associate professor of English at Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan, where he has taught since 2001.

His translations of Korean literature have appeared in Gwangju News, list, The Korea Times, New Writing from Korea, Sirena, Metamorphoses: Journal of Literary Translation, and Azalea: Journal of Korean Literature and Culture. Along with Anne Rashid, he recently won the Grand Prize in the Poetry Category of the 40th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards for translating Kim Hyesoon’s poems. His fields of interest include twentieth-century English literature, post-colonial literature, translation studies, and globalization of culture.

Anne M. Rashid is an assistant professor of English at Carlow University in Pittsburgh, where she has taught since 2008. She and Song have published translations in New Writing from Korea, list, Gwangju News, Azalea: Journal of Korean Literature, and Sirena. Her current research interests include African American literature, literature of environmental justice, and twentieth-century women’s poetry.

Gwangju News January 2012

47

puzzle

PUZZLEs

By Emma Dooley and Brian Paredes

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

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

Winners will receive a collectors' edition GIC mug which can be collected from the GIC.

Across 3. Having a fat, rounded build or body structure (6) 5. Largest country in the world by area (6) 8. A mythological, fire-breathing monster (7) 10. Korean Lunar New Year (7) 11. The first appearance of daylight in the morning (4) 12. Beverage made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant (3) 13. Winner of the 'Race to Dubai' crown, Luke ......

(6) 15. Unit of length (4) 16. National animal of Korea (5) 17. The 5th element in The Periodic Table 18. Second-highest-grossing film of all time (7)

Down 1. A five point score in rugby (3) 2. The god of the doorway (5) 4. The prominence of the lower jaw (4) 5. Capital of Italy (4) 6. All-time top scorer in the English Premier League (7) 7. A fear of developing a phobia (11) 9. In or according to the fashion (7) 14. 2012 is the ‘Year of the....’ (6)

48

Gwangju News January 2012

First Lines Quiz Name the band or singer who originally sang the following lyrics: 1. I guess I shoulda known by the way you parked your car sideways 2. You could have a steam train, if you’d just lay down your tracks 3. Well, since my baby left me, I found a new place to dwell 4. Well, she was just seventeen, you know what I mean 5. You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips 6. So, so you think you can tell heaven from hell 7. Well I guess it would be nice if I could touch your body 8. There must be some way out of here, said the joker to the thief 9. Hey little girl is your Daddy home, did he go and leave you all alone 10. Dirty old river, must you keep flowing, rolling into the night

Visual Puzzles 1. Connect each numbered circle to its corresponding numbered circle. You cannot intersect any line segments, you cannot go outside the rectangle and you cannot touch any other circle.

2. There are two containers available, as shown in the illustration. The object is to measure exactly four liters of water with the help of these two containers and an unlimited supply of water.

How this can be done?

Last Month’s Puzzle Solution First Lines Quiz

Source: www.greenleecds.com/rgbest/puzzles1.pdf

Visual Puzzles

1. 1984, George Orwell 2. The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger 3. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen 4. Beloved, Toni Morrison 5. Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf 6. Slaugherhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut 7. Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury 8. Catch-22, Joseph Heller 9. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald 10. The Color Purple, Alice Walker

Crosswords

The answer to puzzle 1 is 21 perfect squares.

Across 2. kakapo 4. eggnog 6. mosaic 8. warren 11. moonbear 13. Reagan 14. random 16. pansophy 18. Monet

Down 1. Hangul 3. proposition 5. kimono 6. meter 7. German Bar 9. Daegu 10. Homer 12. Hapkido 13. Rudolph 15. Dos Santos 17. pretzel

Gwangju News January 2012

49

community board

GIC News GIC Journal: Social Discourse of Disquiet Got something to say that’s deeper than the latest travelogue? Wondering about the space in between cultures and have some lessons to share? Have art that people generally don’t ‘get’?

You have a home at SDoD. A space for artists, photographers, writers, pundits, and critics to share about Gwangju, the art scene, art without a capital A, and expressing your confusion, clarity and kookiness through your creative ventures. Get involved. Check out the website: http://gicjournal.wordpress.com.

Contact us to contribute: selina.gicjournal@gmail.com Art Gwangju Artist Collective Our group is organic and multi-disciplinary: painters, photographers, illustrators, and media artists. It includes members from all around the world. Our aim is to stimulate the flow of creative energy through workshops, discussion and community art projects.

Facebook: Gwangju Artist Collective E-mail: gwangjumaria@yahoo.com The Vagina Monoloques Are you interested in performance? Want to spark dialogues on race, gender and sexuality? We are doing a performance of The Vagina Monologues in 2012. If you want to get involved, please contact Leigh Hellman at gwangjuvwarriors@gmail.com.

We’ll be sure to find space for you.

The Gwangju Photography Club The Gwangju Photography Club is a group that was created about a year ago. The Photo club is a place where many different people can meet, share advice, give ideas, and practice photography. Every month, the Photography Club goes on a photo outing to different places around the city and country to capture the moment and practice new techniques. Also, every month there is a group photo theme where we submit photos on a particular topic. Anyone is welcome to join the photography group and help share in the experience. To join the group, go onto the Gwangju Photography Club group page at www. facebook.com/groups/126708410717533/ or search Gwangju Photography Club on FaceBook.com.

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

Gwangju Ice Hockey Team Looking for men and women of all ages to join us every Saturday night from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Yeomju Ice Rink near World Cup Stadium. If you are interested, contact either Andrew Dunne at atdunne@gmail.com or Chris Wilson at kreeco@rogers.com Gwangju Chaoreum Taekwondo Add: 1187-3 Chipyeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju Phone: 062-384-0958 Location: Chaoreum Taekwondo Gym is located on the third floor of Jeong-yeon (K-1) building (just beside the bus 50

Gwangju News January 2012

stop) Buses : 62, 63, 64, 518 (bus stop: 상무대우아파트 - Sangmu Daewoo Apateu) Taxi directions: "Sangmujigu Kumho Daewoo Apart ro gajuseyo".

Method of instruction is in English.

Weekday Classes: 2 p.m - 9 p.m.(Monday to Friday) Sunday Classes: 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Brazilian Jiujitsu in Gwangju Add: 522-3 Jisan-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju Phone: 010-9354-6279 Location: Basement of the 20000 Eyeglass shop near Salesio Girls High School.

Buses: 1, 15, 17, 27, 28, 35, 36, 55, 80 (bus stop: 살레시오여고 - Salesio Yeogo) Taxi directions: "Salesio Yeogo jungryu jang gajuseyo".

Method of instruction is in Korean-English.

Weekday Classes: 7:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. (from Monday to Friday) Community Sung Bin Orphanage Sung Bin Orphanage is looking for creative/ active/ energetic/ outgoing/ enthusiastic long-term volunteers to join in our regular Saturday program. We would like you to give at least two Saturdays per month. Meet every Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in front of downtown Starbucks. All are welcome. For more volunteering information please contact Al Barnum at: al_barnum@yahoo.com.

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

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

Sunday masses: 10:00 a.m. (Indonesian/ East Timor); 3:00 p.m. (English) at the Migrant Center; 6:00 p.m.

(Vietnamese). 2nd Sunday: 11:00 a.m. Mass for multicultural families.

Spanish/ Korean Language Exchange Do you want to learn basic Spanish? Or do you want to review what you have learned in the past? Do you want to learn Korean phrases and grammar? Or do you want to practice speaking in Korean? Come join the Spanish/ Korean language exchange group every Saturday at 5:00 p.m. at the GIC. Free for GIC members. For more information, contact Juan Esteban Zea (juanestebanzea@gmail.com)

gic talk

[ GIC Talk ]

Time & Place: Every Saturday, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., GIC office (5th floor of Jeon-il Bldg) For more information: visit www.gic.or.kr or contact gic@gic.or.kr Check out pictures from previous GIC Talks http://picasaweb.google.com/gictalk Click for the highlight clips of GIC Talk at www.youtube.com/GICTALK

January 7 Topic: Detroit - The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of a City Speaker: Krysta Hand (ESL Instructor) Detroit, Michigan has seen the best and the worst of the changing economic and social landscape of America during the 20th century. The capital of automobile production, Detroit was the embodiment of the American Dream. Following the decline of the American auto industry, Detroit became a postindustrialized and eerily apocalyptic city plagued by crime, drugs, and deterioration, witnessing a 25% population decline during the last decade. However, during the same time, there has been a 59% increase of young and college-educated residents who are committed to recreating Detroit based on ideas of creativity, innovation and community. Come learn how Detroit went from being the Paris of the Midwest, to Murder City, to the City of the Future all in one century.

January 14 Topic: How to Brew in Korea Speaker: Dax DeFranco (Homebrew Novice) Homebrewing has gained a huge worldwide following in recent years. People from every walk of life have begun fermenting beer, wine, cider, mead and a

variety of other drinks for equally varied reasons.

Homebrewing in Korea can occasionally be a struggle but the rewards are greatly worth the effort. In this talk, I hope to illustrate the unique challenges, outstanding benefits and warm community that is part of brewing in Korea.

January 21 GIC is closed for Seollal (Lunar New Year) holiday January 28 The Gwangju Performance Project Fueled by coffee, unfounded optimism, and the vigor of youth, we are an amateur, non-profit theatre team that intends to tap into all the vibrant creativity which already exists in the Gwangju English community. The Gwangju Performance Project is a new and ambitious English performance group that was dreamt up sometime in 2010, but really got moving in early 2011.

We have produced two successful theatre performances in Gwangju. Our presentation will highlight our past works as well as our hopes for the future. We will also share with you how starting this project has really brought us closer to the great people of Gwangju.

2012 GIC 1st Korean Language Class Four reasons why you should learn Korean at the GIC: 1, “Culture Program” in which you can participate in Korean culture first-hand while practicing your Korean.

2. Classes designed for your needs: Intensive Beginner, Beginner to Advanced class.

3. You will receive a certificate upon finishing the class and a special award for best student.

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

Saturday Classes

Weekday Classes Level

Days

Intensive Beginner

Monday ~ Friday

Beginner 3

Tuesday & Thursday

Intermediate 3

Tuesday & Thursday

Level

Textbook

서강한국어 1A

Beginner 1

서강한국어 1A (Pre-lesson ~ Lesson 1)

서강한국어 1B (Lesson 1 ~ Lesson 4) 서강한국어 2B (Lesson 1 ~ Lesson 4)

Beginner 2

서강한국어 1A (Lesson 2 ~ 6)

Beginner 4

서강한국어 1B (Lesson 5 ~ 8)

Advanced

서강한국어 3A

Textbook

Period: Weekday: Jan.2 - Feb. 17, 2012 (Twice a week for 7 weeks) Saturday: Jan. 7 - Feb. 18, 2012 (Once a week 7 weeks) Class hours: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (2 hours) Tuition fee : Weekday intensive: 150,000 won Weekday regular: 80,000 won Saturday: 50,000 won (GIC membership fee: 20,000 won/ year and textbooks excluded) cash only.

A class may be cancelled if less than 5 people sign up.

Enrich your life in Korea by studying Korean and learning Korean culture with the GIC!

Gwangju News January 2012

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Midway between Kunsthalle and the Grand Hotel, across the main street at the traffic lights from the Crown Bakery.

On the 3rd floor of the T World building.

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