(EN) Gwangju News October 2009 #92 by Gwangju International Center

Gwangju News International Magazine for Gwangju and Jeollanam-do

October 2009 Volume 9, Issue 10

Editorial

ay hello to Jon Ozelton, the new editor of the Gwangju News from next month. Thanks to the help of Jon and the previous editor Andrew O’Donnell, along with the consistent guidance of Kim Sing-sing and Kim Min-su, who “co-ordinate the magazine,” which means keep it together, the magazine keeps getting better and better. The creative and fun talents of Kim Hye-young have made the magazine look better, and the volunteer writing team of Lee Kee-eun, Ahn So-young, No In-woo, Kim Yae-lim, Lee Si-hwa and Kim So-ri worked tirelessly to write stories in ENGLISH that did not need much editing. No In-woo is staying with the writing team for another “semester,” as the team welcomes Ahn Hong-pyo, Ko Na-mil, Park Su-ji and Park Min-ji.

When a golfer misses a putt by three or four feet to the left and it sails maybe ten feet past the hole, an American funny-guy, playing-mate might say “that was a great putt, except for aim and distance.” This would normally get a chuckle from all involved, unless there was a lot of money on the line. But, when a player proudly steps up to the tee box and sails one 50 meters outside the out-of-bounds marker, and then, striking his second shot, but third stroke, it goes 150 meters wide, the other three players generally stand mute. Here in Korea there is an “Out of Bounds” tee 150 meters down the fairway, which precludes the need for players to repeat their agony. It also speeds up play. It also represents the Korean tradition of supporting fellow mates without causing embarrassment, even in the most embarrassing situations. Please accept my sincere apology to all who had to witness the occasional out-of-bounds shot during the past eight months. Michael Moore I am not, yet I snuck in a few controversial issues, stirred the political pot, and waded into forbidden territory. I should have known better. I apologize for offending the common decency that makes the Korean culture so alluring. In typical Asian form, Miriam Ho continues to smile, encourage creative ideas and submit stories. I will find ways to exclude my penchant for muckraking and make what I write more fun. The Gwangju International Center provides a large number of services to many international residents. The new addition of the Artists Collective invites anyone who makes any type of visual art, or who likes to hang out with artists and talk about creative forces. The next meeting is at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday October 10th, just before Eun Byung-soo, the artistic director of this year’s Design Biennale gives his GIC Talk 2:30 p.m. Special thanks to Kim Ji-hyun for snagging such a great speaker. She’s also been a driving force behind the success of GAIA Gallery. The GIC is open to new ideas that foster multicultural exchange, so don’t be shy about proposing yours. We’re always looking for more good stories here at the Gwangju News too. Congratulations to Jon, who is on his third year working as a volunteer for the magazine. The Gwangju News, which may have a new name soon, has an editor that will not put personal issues above common sense. For my penny’s worth, I’d support the name “Gwangju” as a replacement for the Gwangju News. “News” is a word that is not that inviting anyway. Doug Stuber, Editor

2009 GIC 6th Korean Language Class Weekday Classes - Period: Novemer 14th – December 26th (Twice a week for 7 weeks) - Class hours: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (2 hours) - Tuition fee: 80,000 won (GIC membership fee: 10,000 won/6 months and textbooks excluded)

Saturday Classes - Period: Novemer 19th – December 24th (Twice a week for 7 weeks) - Class hours: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (2 hours) - Tuition fee: 50,000 won (GIC membership fee: 10,000 won/6 months and textbooks excluded)

Note

* The tuition fee is non-refundable after the first week. ** A class may be canceled if less than 5 people sign up.

GIC is located on the 5th floor of the Jeon-il building, the same building as the Korean Exchange Bank, downtown. The entrance is located immediately to the north of the bank. Contact GIC office for more information. Phone: 062-226-2733/4 E-mail: gwangjuic@gmail.com Website: www.gic.or.kr

Gwangju News October 2009

Contributors

Contents 4

Moon Bears in Mt.Jiri By Jocelyn Stokes

October 2009, Volume 9, Issue 10

Publisher: Prof. Shin Gyong-gu

Multicultural Well-being By Doug Stuber

Editor: Doug Stuber Copy Editor: Jon Ozelton

The Korean Way No.80: In Praise of Tree Burial By 2Ys

Coordinator: Kim Minsu Layout and Design: Kim Hye-young

Useful Korean Phrases By Kim Hyeon-jeong

Proofreaders: Adam Bourque, Rupsha Biswas, Stewart Wallace, Pete Schandall, Edward Lyons, Hughie Samson, Miriam Ho, Rob Smith, Michael Begin

What I saw in Moran Market By Miho Hirase

Printed by: Saenal

Photographer: Kuk Kyeong-won

The Red Scooter Diaries By Adam Bourque

Cover Photo: Experiencing wearing a Korean traditional bride’s costume in Gwangju Hyanggyo

The Top Ten Things I Learned at a North Korean Human Rights Conference By Jeff Smith

Inward Reflections at the Design Biennale By Allen Gray

Gwangju News uses 100% E-PLUS recycled paper provided by Daehan Paper in Seoul. www.daehanpaper.co.kr

18 Special thanks to the City of Gwangju and all of our sponsors. Copyright by the Gwangju International Center.All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by this copyright may be reproduced in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise - without the written consent of the publishers. Gwangju News welcomes letters to the editor (gwangjunews@gmail.com) regarding articles and issues. All correspondence may be edited for reasons of clarity or space.

Finding Foreigner Foods By Alva French

Project Beer By Miriam Ho

Photo Contest

Aussie Aussie Aussie! By Jake Melville

Discovering the “Hidden Place” via the International Students Meeting By Sanjog Bhatta

Appreciating “Mt. Mudeung Youth Declaration Exhibition” By Gang Munhye

Al-Arab Restaurant By Maria Lisak

k i m ’s Dental Clinic

Gulu Walk? Gulu Walk! By Angie Kim

Cartoons By Eric Park, Leroy Kucia

Events Compiled by Kim Minsu

Community Board

Gwangju News October 2009

Current Issue

xhibiting a distinguished creamy orange Vshaped crest on its furry black chest and two large cartoonish-round ears upon its brow, the Asiatic Black Bear, or Moon Bear, is a sight to behold. Similar to China’s Giant Panda Bear, this exquisite mammal has adopted special cultural meaning for its home country. These bears are widely considered the Mother Goddess of Korean soil. Unfortunately, in contrast with the common awareness of the Giant Panda’s threatened existence, many people remain incognizant about the desperate state of the Asiatic Black Bear. In just the past fifty years, the population of Asiatic Black Bear has been diminished by 95% due to habitat destruction and poaching. Without any conservation activity it is estimated that the current population would drop to 2% in less than 10 years, moving towards complete extinction in a brief 23 years. In direct response to these devastating estimations, a group of scientists have collaborated amidst the lush hills of Korea’s first designated National Park, Jirisan Mt., to proactively restore hope for these special bears. The Restoration Project of the Asiatic Black Bear, Species Restoration Center was first launched in 2004. This being one of the first conservation projects initiated in Korea, it has commendably introduced an

Gwangju News October 2009

essential environmental concern into the nation’s consciousness. As stated in the Species Restoration Center guidelines, this project is dedicated to the development of wildlife conservation efforts and education, as well as the protection of natural ecosystems and the restoration of endangered wildlife in Korea. They aim to encourage a caring and positive relationship between all of the nation’s inhabitants, and create a foundation where

people may harmonize with wildlife. Currently, nine bears reside at the center. Cheon-wang (천왕), named after the highest peak in Jirisan, was recently taken in after too many friendly encounters with campers in the park. His apparent sweet tooth and forthcoming demeanor has regrettably spoiled his dental health, and he has since been isolated for intensive treatment. His charming character, however, has respectably deemed him worthy of such a name. Je-seok (제석), another handsome male of the group, sadly, was brought in after being caught in a bear trap laid by farmers (trying to protect wild pigs). His fate was uncertain after such a terrible encounter with the rusty metal claws and sharp wire that tore through his flesh. Fortunately, the Species Restoration team was timely and effective in mending his potentially lethal wounds. He has since recovered and met his mate, the lovely Chil-seon (칠선), and will hopefully be expecting cubs this winter.

and copulating, then that bear is considered successfully adapted into its environment. Asiatic Black Bears are not mature enough to reproduce until they are four years old. After mating, delayed implantation of the fertilized egg allows the female to stave off pregnancy until winter hibernation. During hibernation, in accordance with proper nutrition, the female may give birth to two cubs. The bear cubs are extremely vulnerable for the first several months of their lives. They are unable to see or hear for up to 60 days after their birth. They are finally weaned after six months, but may stay with their mother for two to three years. Only 50% of cubs generally survive to maturity. This fragile reproduction cycle has undoubtedly affected their population recovery. Nonetheless, the project’s first cubs were born in the wild this year, which alludes to a prosperous future for the Restoration Project of the Asiatic Black Bears. Photographs and Words by Jocelyn Stokes

The Restoration project is working swiftly towards its main aspiration of achieving a wild bear population of at least 50 by the year 2012. When a bear is released into the wild and is able to proceed with its natural lifecycle, including independent feeding, hibernating

Jirisan is easily accessible by bus, approx. 1 1/2 hours from the Gwangu U-Square terminal. Take the bus to Gurye, then to Hwaesum, or a direct bus to Hwaesum.

Gwangju News October 2009

Local Scene

Multicultural Well-being headed down the mountain, but at the bottom I had no idea where I was. My meditation had found great energy there, and after that I wanted to settle near Jiri Mountain so I could visit often.” Mukul said. He was also attracted by three institutions that have done so much to increase multicultural awareness in Gwangju: The Gwangju International Center, UNESCO and the Asia Cultural Exchange Foundation, Mukul said. “This team of three made it possible for me to volunteer and work here at the same time.” His workload is typically Korean: massive. After studying Korean for six months at Ewha Woman’s University and six months at Seoul National University, Mukul was able to teach Koreans yoga meditation practices, as well as English. His volunteer time as Director of the UNESCO Gwangju-Jeonnam Association, and Director of the Basu Mukul Cultural Center is supplemented by paying work at Catholic University, and as a guest speaker about yoga and meditation.

ew foreigners have stretched the boundaries of multicultural exchange in Korea as successfully as Busu Mukul. In his 12 years here, he first gained many new comforts for international students in Seoul, and for the last three years he has been working his magic in Gwangju. Mukul, originally from India, has been a yoga and meditation instructor since age 16, and taught spiritual well-being classes in Africa, South America and Australia, in a total of 40 countries before moving to Korea. “The first reason I moved to Gwangju was because of an experience I had on Jiri Mountain. The first time I climbed it was with a large group, but I got into a meditation and lost my group. I also lost the trail, so I

Gwangju News October 2009

He teaches English at the Rainbow Center and runs yoga and meditation classes for free at elder care centers, yet spends the bulk of his time helping foreign students be at ease in Korea, and teaching Koreans more about foreign cultures. “The Gwangju UNESCO Association is a club that provides opportunities for students of many cultures to form communities via shared experiences. This year we are planning another trip on Chuseok, which will be to Daewansa Buddhist Temple. We keep the price down to 10,000 won per student by obtaining grants,” Mukul said. “Foreign students often have little to do during Korean holidays, so this gives them a chance to meet students from different campuses. UNESCO also runs the Cross Cultural Awareness Program that pairs one Korean and one foreign resident together during Saturday sessions to help broaden the awareness of the different cultures represented in Gwangju.

“In addition to intellectual exchanges, we also have an exchange of well-being cultures such as Su Haeng meditation techniques to develop spirituality, or the Korean Tea Ceremony, which is much more than simply having tea,” Mukul said. Students from India can learn Tae Kwon Do, and interested Koreans can learn new meditation techniques. Other ideas that have worked in Seoul and are on the drawing board for Gwangju include a cultural resource room where students can borrow items to represent their home cultures at meetings and events. These items are often bought by students using money provided by one of Mukul’s cultural resource centers. They come back from their home countries with lightweight, but excellent items to be shared. In both Seoul and Gwangju, Mukul has taken on a multitude of issues: different food needs of international students of a wide number of faiths, the intricacies of Korean immigration law and the effect of dormitory policies on graduate students. Mukul explains, “There is a policy in which foreign graduate students who are even on scholarship are given only three years to finish a Masters degree. Most spend one year studying Korean, which they may not have ever studied before, and when they are able to attend graduate classes taught in Korean, there is not enough time for the degree to be obtained. Even though the Korean government sponsors these students with scholarships, many leave without obtaining a degree. Likewise, dormitory policies can cause international students to be out on the streets after a specified amount of time is up, so we work to find them deposit money, and even rent money so they can stay long enough to finish their degrees. By law students cannot work for money, so paying rent is a problem.” In Seoul, Mukul was able to find ways for international students to cook food, at least on weekends, in order to be able to eat their own cuisine. He is working with Tim at Underground Grocers to provide traditional Indian healing herbs and foods in Gwangju. He is also pushing the idea of weekend family trips in which foreign students would be teamed up with Gwangju families to take culturally relevant trips around Jeollanam-do. During the 2015 Universiad, 1,500 Gwangju families will take part in a family stay program, allowing foreign participants to stay in their homes. Mukul is seeking 50 families to take part in a trade in which the teaching of English to parents and/or children would be traded for a free place to stay. Not for a weekend, but for a month, or an entire semester. “The idea is to have

foreign students teach one hour every day in trade for a room. This way parents who have their children in private academies learning English, can also learn English to be able to assist their children in the language,” Mukul said. Mukul gained a lot of experience with multicultural programs while living in Sydney, Australia and working as a Cultural Exchange Volunteer for City Hall. “Here in Korea, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been a catalyst,” Mukul said. “Having been a foreign student, I knew the trials and problems facing incoming students from other cultures. I found that most Koreans were not aware of these problems.” The challenge of creating meeting times and space for Koreans and people of diverse cultures is daunting. Koreans are often very busy with work demands, and students are also swamped with their studies and rarely roam outside familiar social circles. These facts don’t slow down Basu Mukul though, so Gwangju has a resource who is much more diverse than just his yoga and meditation teachings. “The Korean government spends a lot of money promoting Korean culture overseas, but I am sure that the foreign students living here will be excellent ambassadors of this culture. Thus, Koreans should spend time teaching and learning from foreign students,” Mukul said. “Cultures are not to be compared or calculated, but understood as they are.” By Doug Stuber

Gwangju News October 2009

The Korean Way No. 80

In Praise of Tree Burial

Tree burial

here are four prominent clans in Korea – the Kims, Lees, Chois and Parks. There is a joke in Korea that refers to the number of people with the same family name, that is, if you toss a stone from the top of Namsan Mountain in Seoul, it will land on one of the Kims. The Kims are ubiquitous. They are so numerous in Korea that when the clan does something that is socially significant, the pervasive effect of that incident will be nationwide. For example, sometime ago one of the major Kim clans – there are so many Kim clans – declared that they would henceforward observe funerals by tree burials. The decision was made by the Kim clan elders in a clan convention who happen to be the descendants of a great scholar of rites Kim Jang-saeng (金長生). Individually, there are families who conduct their funeral rite by a tree burial, but on a clan level this is said to be the first in Korea. So the ripple effect of this incident will be considerable. Speaking of burials, there are many forms of burials, and some are quite bizarre. For instance, in the icebound Arctic region where an earth burial is difficult, or in Tibet, there is a bird burial in which the dead body is chopped up for wild birds to pick. The sooner the bones are thoroughly picked the better. This burial

Gwangju News October 2009

Ash pot

is also referred to as a heaven burial. In some parts of China, there is a wind burial in which the body is put in a coffin and the coffin is placed on a steep cliff or on a windy rock. There is a water burial where the body is placed in a flowing stream which is supposed to cleanse the body. The ancient Egyptians made mummies out of the dead bodies by applying antiseptic myrrh on the bodies and wrapping them up with fine cloth. Embalming is still another method of burial, and is done by treating the dead body with chemicals and oils to prevent it from decaying and making the deceased look alive. The most notables are those of Lenin and Stalin of Russia, Mao Ze-dong of China and Kim Il-sung of North Korea. Until recently, the most common burial in Korea has been an earth burial, which is done by burying the coffin in the ground cave and putting up an earth mound over it. This kind of burial usually takes up a considerable amount of space for each tomb. In fact, the statistics show that in Korea, the deceased occupy more land than the living. In the past, the wealthy and the powerful had the tendency to build their ancestor’s graveyard in a grand scale to show off their wealth and authority. This is why, sometime ago, the government

Useful Korean Phrases 택시기사: 어서오세요. 어디가세요? [Eoseooseyo. Eodigaseyo?] Taxi Driver: Welcome! Where do you want to go? Ash pot

stepped in to limit the size of a graveyard by law. But old customs die hard. People now find it increasingly difficult to find a suitable burial ground, and if they do, it is quite expensive. With the government’s recommendations and encouragement, an increasing number of people now seem to choose one of three options: tree burial, flat burial or cremation. The first two are of the same category, that is, natural burial. It is natural in that the two methods do not inflict any harm whatsoever to the environment. They are eco-friendly. For a tree burial, the bereaved family will choose either an evergreen or deciduous grown tree (not too young) for a tree burial. They put the cremated ashes in an unbaked clay pot and bury it under the tree, or scatter the ashes around the tree and hang a plastic tag with the deceased’s name and dates of birth and death inscribed on it. In time, the tree will grow big. The other type of natural burial, flat burial, is almost the same. In this case, a flowering shrubbery is a suitable burial ground. The unfired clay pot containing the deceased’s ashes is buried under the shrubbery, and a small slab with the dead person’s name and dates of birth and death on it is all that remains. There is practically no disturbance to the surroundings. In time, the unfired clay pot will disintegrate into soil with the ashes and nourish the plant. There will be no damage done to the ground. That is why it is called a flat burial. Almost no trace is left except the slab. Recently, due to a shortage of burial ground and the establishment of charnel houses by various organizations – municipal, religious, and commercial – have made a growing number of people prefer cremation to other modes of burial. After cremation, the bereaved family stores the potted ashes on the multi-tiered shelves in the charnel house. This has alleviated many municipalities’ difficulties in providing enough burial ground for citizens. By 2Ys

Tom: 안녕하세요. 시내 전일빌딩으로 가 주세요. [Annyeonghaseyo. Shinae jeonilbildingeuro ga juseyo.] Tom: Hello! Pleaes take me to Jeonil building in downtown.

Tom: 기사님, 여기에서 세워 주세요. [Gisanim, yeogieseo sewo juseyo.] Tom: Sir, please pull over here.

택시기사: 네, 삼천오백 원입니다. [Ne, samcheonobaek wonibnida.] Taxi Driver: Yes. It costs 3,500 won.

Tom: 여기요. 감사합니다. [Yeogiyo. Gamsahapnida.] Taxi Driver: Here you go. Thank you.

<Key Expressions> 1. V(으)세요. V(으)세요 is a polite question ending or regular sentence ending. 어디 가요? [Eodi gayo?] → 어디 가세요? [Eodi gaseyo?] 지연씨는 영어를 잘 해요. [Jiyeonssineun yeongeoreul jal haeyo.] → 지연씨는 영어를 잘 하세요. [Jiyeonssineun yeongeoreul jal haseyo] 여/아/어 주다. 2. V여 V 여/아/어 주다 means to do something for someone. When you want to ask someone to go somewhere, use: 가주세요(가+아=가) 세워주세요(세우+어=세워) 해주세요(하+여=해) By Kim Hyeon-jeong She is teaching Korean at the GIC.

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

Gwangju News October 2009

Opinion

What I saw in Moran Market – the reality of dog meat trading ven before I came to Korea, I’d heard some people say that dog-eating is a part of Korean culture and dog meat is a traditional Korean food. To my surprise however, many people, not only foreigners but also Koreans, don’t really seem to know that much about dog meat. It's not difficult to find restaurants serving dog meat soup all over the country, but other things such as where these dogs are coming from, how they are slaughtered, or how their meats are sold, seem as if they are hidden behind a thick curtain.

Not so long time ago though, I saw something very strange while driving on highway. What caught my eye was an old truck with a big metal cage filled with live dogs. The size of the cage was similar to a big refrigerator which we can usually see in school cafeterias, and about 15 to 20 grown-up dogs were packed into it. So tightly packed, they were unable to stretch their bodies or even move. Due to the lack of space, some were forced to lie in upside-down positions, sticking their arms and legs out of the cage. These dogs stayed very quiet in the cage. No barking, no scratching, no tail-wagging, nothing. It seemed as if they had no energy left for these actions. Some had

their eyes closed, some had their eyes wide open. Through their eyes, I sensed that they were not transported to be pets. As I found out later by searching online, they were on their way from a farm to a market, to be slaughtered. The road to death. After learning about these dogs, I had to endure many sleepless nights. I’ve been living in Korea for more than two years but knew almost nothing about its dogeating habits. So one day in mid summer, I decided to visit Moran market in the vicinity of Seoul, a market famous for dog meat trading. My purpose was not to blame the existence of dog meat industry or those who eat dog, but to see what is going on with my own eyes. I am a vegetarian myself and don’t eat any animals (though I sometimes have to compromise with chicken and fish when I eat out in Korea), but I don't care what other people eat. I think I simply don't have a right to say anything. If I eat vegetables, it's my choice. If they eat meat, it’s their choice, too. However when I saw these dogs stuffed in a cage on the highway, I thought something wasn’t right. Dogs are considered as human’s best friend in my culture, and to my eyes, it was definitely not a right way to treat them. But if I don’t know anything about the reality of the dog meat market, I won’t be able to say anything to anybody. This was the reason why I headed to Moran market. Unlike Namdaemun market or Tongdaemun market in Seoul, Moran market is not a kind of market which attracts tourists. Since it is located near Seoul, Sungnam-city is known as a commuter town and all you can see are huge apartment buildings with similar exteriors. No wonder that we can't find anything other than everyday necessities including vegetables, fruits, beans, oils, fishes, and dog meat. The atmosphere of the market is not a very peaceful one though. Dog meat store owners

Gwangju News October 2009

hair which doesn’t resemble any of the dogs typically raised for meat. I could not identify its breed, but the possibility is that it's another unfortunate pet which was either abandoned or stolen. I approached to the showcase and looked inside. At a glance, these carcasses look exactly like barbecued pigs, but when I noticed the tips of their legs, I had to realize that they are dogs. Instead of hooves of other cattle animals, they had paws of companion animals.

lift up a big chunk of meat on a scale to lure customers. Right below the scale are the rusty cages filled with dogs, patiently waiting for their turn to be slaughtered and to go up the scale. I've heard that dog meat venders tend to be hostile to those who disapprove, so I tried very hard to look neutral. My appearance looks Korean, so I think that helped. To my surprise, dogs are fed the organs of their dead friends while on display. Probably because these organs contain a certain amount of water, as even on a hot August day, no separate bowls of water were given to them. When I tried to take some pictures of caged dogs, a middle-aged man with menacing look in his eyes stormed out from the store and yelled me not to take any pictures. “Why not?” I asked “Because it’s forbidden” he yelled back. I wanted to ask why taking a picture is forbidden, but my purpose in Moran market was not to argue with him, so I simply walked away and took some discreet photos later. Though the butchering of dogs is not legal in Korea, standard of dog slaughter prohibition is unclear, leaving the law in the gray area. Probably this is one of the biggest reasons why vendors don’t want their pictures to be taken. Another possibility is that they have a guilty conscience about making a profit by killing dogs somewhere deep inside of their mind. Dogs in cages are so called Noo-rung-yee, or yellow dogs, especially raised for eating. They have big muscular bodies and short, light-brown hair. Many people say there's a distinction between food-dogs and pet-dogs, but in glass showcases in Moran market however, I saw many carcasses of small dogs as well. Chances are that they are former pets once brought up in homes but then sold to the dog meat market by their owners. In fact, I saw a dog with long black and white

“Can I help you?” A young vendor approached me. He had a look in his eyes that he knew I was not going to buy anything anyway. To avoid awkwardness, I asked him how much the dog meat cost. “18,000 won per kilogram”, he said. I had no idea if this price is appropriate, expensive or cheap. I didn’t even want to think about it. All of a sudden, my ears caught a strange noise. A kind of noise we often hear at construction sites. As I turned around, I saw a vender thrusting an electric rod at a big dog. At the time it did not seem clear, maybe not to kill, but to paralyze and make it easier for him to drag the dog inside of the store to be slaughtered. As far as I learned from internet, butchers believe dogs that die painfully will release more adrenaline into their flesh, which help make the meat more flavorful. The rod was continuously shoved against the dog's skin, leaving a dark spot of urine on the floor. I felt very sick and ran away from the dog meat store, and from the Moran market. Right across the dog meat store where the cruel electric shock slaughter was taking place, there were some stalls selling vegetables and fruits. Behind those stalls there was a food stand serving noodles, and some families were enjoying their lunch. As I hurried out from the market, I looked into their eyes. No visible expressions were found. It was horrifying to see a butcher mercilessly thrusting an electric rod to a scared dog. But what was more horrifying was the sight of ordinary people having their lunch on ordinary day in a market as if nothing is happening in front of their eyes. The dog meat is mainly consumed by middle-aged men obsessed with their virility. Rumors are that dog meat venders inject steroids and other hormones into the dog meat to make this effect. I'm not sure if those rumors are true or not. I only believe what I actually saw on that hot day in Moran market. To eat or not to eat dog meat the choice is yours.

By Miho Hirase

Gwangju News October 2009

Travel

s I woke up today, I looked out the window and decided that I should go for a cruise on my little scooter. I really enjoy driving my scooter around Gokseong and the surrounding area because the air is fresh and the scenery is extremely calming and peaceful. My little red scooter has seen its fair share of sights. For some, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to believe that they even exist, yet they do. Helmet? Check. Keys? Check. Camera? Check. Gatorade drink? Check. I was good to go. My first stop is always the dam of Gokseong. Located just outside the town, people come here to relax in the country atmosphere, drink some fresh spring water and enjoy the view. Some people use the water supply as their main drinking source of water. People make daily pilgrimages to this place with empty jugs in their cars and on their scooters to be filled with the refreshing spring water. I already had my Gatorade, but splashing some fresh water on my face really vitalized my energy better than any energy drink. There is a really nice pagoda here where people relax and enjoy the shade, and there is also a great view of the wonderful mountains that surround Gokseong. Gokseong is located within a basin, and the weather allows for a

Gwangju News October 2009

really great location to grow many fruits and vegetables. After being refreshed, it was time to move onto the Gokseong Train Village. I really enjoy traveling to the train village, not just to see a lot of old trains and watch people ride self-propelled carts, but the ride through the side roads is nice and full of rich green rice fields.

The train village is quite the sight. Gokseong has dedicated the entire old train station as a historical site. People come from all over to visit this particular train village. There are two parts. One includes a ride on a very traditional locomotive. Once people disembark from the train, they enjoy a very picturesque ride on a bicycle propelled train car. It really gives people that visit the train village a special experience. The train village used to be an actual train station in 1960. It was moved to the current train station, Gokseong, and the county turned the older station into a Train Theme Park. It is the only train theme park in all of Korea. This place is busy every time I visit it. I tried to ask the polite attendant how old the train station was, but due to my lack of Korean language skills, communication was tough. The big black locomotive stands ready to take on many passengers and transport them back into a time when locomotives were used in Korea. These days, the train system uses the big diesel engine trains and the KTX high speed trains. My final stop was Dorimsa Temple. I’m not Buddhist, however, the scenery and the quiet tranquility of the natural surrounding was difficult to say no to as I sped

away from the train village. After turning off of the highway, the road up to the temple is framed with trees on either side and makes for a very calming welcome. I drove up to the temple and enjoyed the scenery and silence. However, I noticed something else on the way down. Next to the road, there is a nice river where people were having picnics! There were families, couples and day hikers eating and talking on the rocks. There were children laughing and playing in the water trying to cool off. I realized that people don’t come here just for the temple, but also for the hiking trail that begins just after the temple. Many people come here to do the day hike, and then after a long hard walk, either rest by the river or enjoy a BBQ. One group had a bus and drove almost 3 hours to come to this place, climb this beautiful area, relax and have some bountiful samgyupsal. At the end of my scooter tour, I felt relaxed and tranquil. I didn’t get to enjoy any samgyupsal, but then again, I only drove a scooter and didn’t climb a mountain. By Adam Bourque

Gwangju News October 2009

Current Issue

The Top Ten Things

I Learned at a North Korean Human Rights Conference

bout this time last year, I had the opportunity – or rather privilege – of attending the last day of the North Korean Human Rights Conference in Seoul. I listened intently to fifteen speakers, mostly in Korean, with English translation provided. I heard quite a few things I had learned or read before, but also received some important bits of new information as I considered what I could possibly do to be a voice for the millions suffering under the current terrors of the North Korean regime. From my notes, I would like to share with you what I believe are the top ten things I learned at this conference. But, before I do, consider the following statements from the civil liberties section of www.about.com to help understand the gravity of the situation in the North, thought by many to be the world’s largest prison: “North Korea is in all likelihood the most oppressive regime on Earth. Although it is generally described as a Communist government, it would also be accurate to call it a theocracy. “The North Korean government operates more than 450,000 “Revolutionary Research Centers” for weekly indoctrination sessions, where attendees are taught that Kim Jong-il, who must be referred to as “Dear Leader,” possesses supreme supernatural powers. “The North Korean government enforces loyalty and obedience through its Ministry of People’s Security, which requires citizens to spy on each other, including family members. Anyone who is overheard saying anything perceived as critical to the government is subject to a reduced loyalty group rating, torture, execution or imprisonment in one of North Korea’s ten

brutal concentration camps.” (http://civilliberty.about.com/od/internationalhuma nrights/p/northkorea101.htm) It is with that in mind that I present you with the top ten things I gleaned from my day at the conference.

TOP TEN LIST 10) The North Korean government tries to keep tight control on all television, radio, newspaper, and magazine information, making sure it all praises Kim. Anyone who makes contact with foreigners in an unapproved way or listens to foreign radio stations, some of which are available in the North, is in danger of severe punishment. 9) Many North Korean women who have escaped into China have been sold into sexual slavery and are living in horrific conditions without rights or protection, as human trafficking abounds near the North Korea/China border. 8) More than one-third of North Korean citizens are currently living in a state of extreme poverty and more could die from starvation. Especially at risk is a vast number of homeless orphans. 7) Chinese authorities have continued to turn a deaf ear to what the international community says about its lack of help offered to North Korean refugees and has even refused aid. 6) In general, South Koreans need to be better informed about the true situation of their brothers and sisters to the North. The fundamental principle of human rights in North Korea has taken a backseat to political, economic and other diplomatic concerns over the past ten years, and has even been considered a subject of taboo under South Korea’s previous two

Gwangju News October 2009

regimes. To the present day, those advocating for human rights in North Korea on the streets of Seoul can be forced to stop their activity by South Korean authorities. 5) A step-by-step plan headed by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) could be the best way to help improve the human rights situation for North Korean citizens, and the secretive and reluctant North Korean regime must allow monitoring of the aid provided inside its borders. 4) Over ninety percent of the billions of dollars of food, agricultural and other aid provided to the North under South Korea’s previous two presidential leaders has been redistributed to military personnel, sent to top government executives or sold to a third party for profit. In other words, most of the aid hasn’t reached its intended targets: the poorest of the poor and the hungriest of the hungry. Unmonitored aid has often served to merely prop up Kim and his dictatorship. 3) South Korea’s ten-year “Sunshine Policy (햇볕정책)” was based on peaceful cooperation and short-term reconciliation as a prelude to long-term reunification, and yielded some positive results. However, it accomplished very little to improve human rights and the continual crimes against humanity that take place in North Korea on a daily basis. 2) How about some good news? There is a growing network of South Korean NGOs and other organizations and individuals, many of whom I met at the conference, that are taking action on behalf of those who can do little or nothing for themselves in North Korea. You and I also can choose to do something about this horrible, sometimes horrific situation. 1) The worst thing for a North Korean who is suffering is to think that nobody cares. Of course, my list only provides some of the information I gathered at the conference, but I hope it has stirred some thought and compassion within you. Here, I would like to add a bit or two about my top ten list. First, in number three, I talked about the “Sunshine Policy (햇볕정책).” Those of you familiar with this policy may know it was the brainchild of former Korean President and Jeollanam-do native Kim Dae-Jung, a true hero to many Gwangju citizens, and a good president in my view as well. This policy was great in theory, as South Korea’s government sought to improve relations with the North, but after ten years of experimentation, it hadn’t yielded enough positive results, and generally ignored the poor human rights record in the North. Nearly

every speaker at the conference felt the South Korean government needed to take a different route regarding relations with North Korea, as the peace-at-all-costs approach has not worked well with the unflinching Kim. In other words, two sides can only truly improve relations when both parties are willing to compromise and sacrifice. Furthermore, the nuclear issue can be viewed as superficial and something Kim continually uses as a bargaining chip to try and gain aid from South Korea, America and other foreign countries, although the entire cultic ideology of North Korea is based on selfreliance. There is a plethora of information regarding North Korean human rights issues on the web. If interested, one South Korean organization I highly recommend is “The Daily NK,” a true hub of current North Korean news. With purported contacts inside the North and numerous articles and stories in four languages, including English, www.dailynk.com is extremely informative and up to date. Finally, I recently was made aware of “Unify Korea 2009.” Connected to the “North Korean Liberation Prayer Network,” this worldwide organization kicked off with demonstrations in Seoul on September 4. An excerpt from www.unifykorea2009.com reads: “In September of 1989 protests and demonstrations began which led to the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the unification of Germany. On the 20th anniversary of these demonstrations, people from all over the world will begin unceasing demonstrations and protests which will lead to Korea’s unification.” Let us hope and, if so inclined, pray together for freedom and life for all North Koreans. By Jeff Smith Jeff Smith can be reached at jrs1040@yahoo.com.

Gwangju News October 2009

Review

Inward Reflections at the Design Biennale

omposers like Gustav Mahler are renowned for writing passages of noisome, grating music, so that the blessed release from it, when it comes, will be all the more ecstatic. Entering the 2009 Design Biennale, I got the distinct feeling that the curators were hitting on the same tactic. Certainly, the initial gallery housing the Design to Save exhibits appears to have borrowed this format, as if to emphasize the sense of fulfillment that arises from a tastefully designed environment, vis-à-vis the sense of desolation that comes from its negation. Here, piles of kitsch and tastelessness are set against smaller, and gratifying, displays of the beauty to be found in everyday practical objects.

questions raised by the juxtaposition between rolls of barbed wire and a display of the festive plates used at Buddhist ceremonies. Both were designed, of course. And both had a similar spiky quality about them. But the one was designed for a more practical use, and the simplicity of its design served to enhance its beauty as well as its utility. Conversely, the ceremonial dishes, designed to actually be beautiful, had their appeal diminished by their garishness. One gets the same impression walking down Art Street. The simple, practical beauty of the underfoot cobbles are set in bizarre contradistinction to the impractical and tawdry Christmas decorations that tower above them. There may well be a purpose here, too. A feature of many East Asian landscapes is for certain pathways through less than exalted areas to be interestingly rough hewn, so that people passing through are obliged to watch their step, and reflect inwardly, rather than be

A line of colorful and interestingly shaped brushes set against a garish day-glo pink wall is a case in point. Most interesting for me, though, were the intriguing

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❹ ❶ Tools, tastefully arranged ❷ Barbed wire and festive plates ❸ Cardboard carton and tape seats ❹ Mosaic 1 ❺ Canvas bag with hanbok ❻ Modern shoes incorporating traditional Korean “Gomushin” design

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Gwangju News October 2009

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❶ Mosaic 2 ❷ Hangeul as art ❸ Models 1 ❹ Models 2 ❶

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More jobs!! Bigger profits!! From Japan, edible tableware, made from hard tack rice, leaves no waste, and is almost too beautiful to eat! At the other end of the eating cycle, so to speak, a Swedish company has developed what they call the “peepoo” bag with the slogan, “2.6 billion people just got their own toilet”. Along with free fertilizer. I am sufficiently impressed to give you their website: www.peepoople.com.

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distracted by external realities. On Art Street, though, this may mean getting run over by a car. The functional themes of the Design to Save gallery were to do with conservation of resources and with frugality: with recycling materials in a practical and simple way, but in a manner that enhanced the design qualities. Thus we had canvas bags using material from discarded hanbok costumes, chairs made from packaging tape and cardboard cartons, and other chairs made from vinyl carry bags. In subsequent galleries, the rustic ambience of Design to Save gave way to the greater sophistication of the professional designers, but without the basic theme being subverted. Creating mosaics is an art form that not only can make use of otherwise wasted material such as broken glass and porcelain, but does so in a way that can truly augment a living area. Mosaic artists from the Friuli Mosaic School in Italy gave a wondrous display of their abilities and talents. I was most pleased, though, to see that design innovation is addressing one of my pet hates – namely the argument that the more waste that can be created, the better it is for our collective economic well being.

A few of these 2.6 billion people find some meaning in life as craftspeople in artisan cooperatives in countries as diverse as Brazil, India, Sudan and Laos. Pleasingly, some of their ware is displayed at the Biennale. It is incredibly beautiful and well made, but most importantly, the humanity that went into the making of it shines forth from it – something that cannot always be said about work from the Mies van der Rohe’s of our time. But don’t listen to me. Here is what the Biennale people themselves have to say: It is contradictory to confine the design exhibition into the exhibition hall, while arguing that everything for the public or everything in our daily life is design. One should go out to the streets and meet the authentic design. A brilliantly decorated department store or cafe is not the only place you find design. Where people get together and exchange is the true place where design is born. As long as people are the centre of design, and communication is the goal of design, we need to make efforts to narrow the gap between people, and between people and things, and to go beyond the break between ages. Design is sharing and the efforts to share can be realised oullim(어울림)* out in the streets. By Allen Gray *어울림[oullim] – Design to Share

Gwangju News October 2009

Local Information

Finding Foreigner Foods O

k so you’ve been in Korea for a bit and maybe you’ve had your fill of eating kimbap and galbi for the moment. You find the tiny shelf of foreign foods at Lotte and Emart seriously lacking some basic staples of a typical western diet. You crave a taste of gooey cheese nachos with sour cream, crispy bacon or flavorful chicken curry, but are unsure where to find these and other foods in your adopted home. Luckily for us, Gwangju has some great options for finding some of your favorite imported foods, often in bulk and at reasonable prices.

beer, and are currently trying to find harder stuff like whiskey and tequila. Our problem is where to put it all… We have [also] added a range of Indian/Pakistani and Southeast Asian foods. We keep trying to find new stuff and get it in, if the price is reasonable.” The shop even accepts special orders, as Tim added, “If there is something special you want please let us know we will try to find it for you. If you need something for a particular date, we can have it ready for you (as long as it is in stock with us or our suppliers).”

The Underground Grocers

Your very first stop should be to the Underground Grocers downtown behind the old Migliore department store. Owned by Tim Whitman, the shop is your quick fix to huge blocks of cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, spices, chocolate chips, Mexican, Indian and Southeast Asian foods, and Dr. Pepper, not to mention hallal meats, and hard to find salad dressings. The Underground Grocers even has a website up and running, www.ugfoods.co.kr/ or check out www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=28342739293 The shop itself is open Tuesday through Sunday. They deliver throughout the city and around Korea for a small fee, and any order above 150,000 won is delivered free. Despite its small size, the Underground Grocers is doing its best to cater to customers’ needs. Tim says, “We have a small, but growing selection of foreign

Although Gwangju doesn’t have a Costco of its own, that hasn’t deterred some from investing in the 35,000 won annual individual Gold Star membership. While the closest Costco to us is in Daejeon (see address below), many take advantage of the multiple locations around Seoul to pick up groceries while visiting there. Like Costco in the US, the store offers everything from flat screen TVs, electronics and clothing to bulk size foods you thought you’d never see again. Be prepared to bring lots of cash (ATMs are available there) as this and their branded Samsung credit card are the only acceptable tenders. The membership is also payable in cash and according to the website at www.costco.co.kr is valid at any Costco worldwide for one year; members can bring up to two guests to shop

EzshopKorea.com and Hello Mart If you don’t feel like leaving your apartment, two online options to consider are EzshopKorea.com, and Hello Mart. EzshopKorea.com, not only offers the usual imported foods, but also books, cds, select items from Victoria’s Secret, sporting goods, baby products and housewares. For a small delivery fee, goods can be delivered anywhere in the country in a matter of days. There is also free shipping on any order over 250,000 won. Hello Mart at Hellocost.co.kr may intimidate some with its all Korean website, but it too offers many

Gwangju News October 2009

foreigner foods and health and beauty products that will remind you of home. While you may need help from a Korean-speaking friend to order, the selection can’t be beat, providing a great alternative to trekking all the way to Costco or elsewhere.

Occasionally Homeplus (see address below), often called the Walmart of Korea, stocks an interesting variety of imported foods. While most of what is offered is Korean their multiple locations around town make it more convenient than heading elsewhere. It’s worth checking as their selection sometimes offers slightly more than what is offered at Lotte and Emart.

HomePlus – Gwangju Gyerim-dong: 505-900 Gyerim-dong Dong-gu 062-530-8000 10 a.m. - 12 a.m. Buses: 19, 55, 83, 98, 151, 184, 518 Kwangju Bank Gyeongyang-no Jijeom bus stop Duam-dong: 575-1 Duam-dong, Buk-gu 062-250-8000 open 24 hours Buses: 6, 17, 18, 39, 47, 81, 87, 180, 181, 187, 518 Gwangju Hospital bus stop Hanam: 3-1 block 2-jigu zone, Hana-dong 062-616-8000 10 a.m. - 12 a.m. Buses: 10, 20, 89, 92, 94, 98 Heukseok Sageori bus stop

Project Beer or an evening hangout both intimate and partilicious, visit Project Beer Shop. Marked by a pair of lighted square signs on Hwanggeumgil, the shopping district (downtown)’s easternmost artery, this hip basement venue has Gwangju's Korean and foreign population relishing an array of delectable, affordable cocktails.

“Project Beer” refers to the bar’s unique beer cocktails. A menu of fantastic blends ensue from the imaginative use of liqueurs, whiskey, and fruit sodas. There is the Amaretto Beer, a sweet almond concoction touched with liqueur of the same name, the Eye, a gleaming violet drink infused with a blueberry Italian soda, Pine Monkey, a zestfully pineapple flavoured drink, and Gold Beer, a mysteriously light, sweet, and exultant experience. Classics like Red Gin, Midori Sour, and the Orgasm can also be had – all for only 5,000 won, a discount offered to foreigners only. The bar has slick leather armchairs clustered around candlelit tables, with ample space in between for mingling or dancing. On lively nights, showers of red lasers bedazzle the concrete walls. Music can be requested on post-its and handed in to the friendly bartenders, who promptly download and indiscriminately enter all songs into the queue. If you are looking for the perfect night out, with handpicked music, scrumptious drinks, and a glam setting where east meets west, I guarantee you can look forward to a night of revelry at Project Beer. Project Beer is open from 6 p.m. - 4 a.m. By Miriam Ho

Daejeon Costco (nearest to Gwangju) 116-3 Oryu-dong Jung-gu Daejeon Business hours: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Phone: 042-539-1234

By Alva French

Gwangju News October 2009

PHOTO CONTEST

Photo by Simon Bond

Photo by Vinay Ramachandra

Gwangju News October 2009

Photo by Jung Ji-eun

Photo by Bae Sang-don

Gwangju News October 2009

Sports

Aussie Aussie Aussie! O

n September 5th, some friends, my girlfriend and I headed up to Seoul to see something that most of us had never seen before: an international soccer match. South Korea was playing Australia, and, as one of our co-teachers was Australian, he was keen on going. We tagged along to watch the game, do some shopping in Insadong and eat some American food in Itaewon. We hopped on a bus early Saturday morning and shortly arrived in Seoul. After checking into our hotel and a couple of hours of preliminary shopping, we headed to the World Cup stadium. Our seats were excellent. We were in the lower section, a few rows back, behind one of the goals. It was a great view. We were far enough from the action that we could see everything going on, but we were close enough that we could still identify the players’ numbers and catch some detail. We sat next to the Korean team’s fan club. During their national anthem, they unfurled a huge Korean flag and everyone in the section held it over their heads, waving it around. I imagine it looked pretty cool from across the stadium. The game itself wasn’t that exciting – Korea scored twice early, and the Aussies never really got in the game. The final score ended up being 3-1, Korea. I’d heard that soccer’s not that popular here, and the large number of empty seats in the stadium seemed to

confirm that. But the fans there were every bit as passionate as the fans at every college basketball game back home at George Washington University. Early in the game, an Australian player broke free and threatened to score. As he was dribbling into the penalty box, the front row of Korean fans raised some large flags and began waving them back and forth, furiously trying to distract him like students behind the hoop during a free throw. Flustered, the Aussie player’s shot sailed over the goal and into the crowd of cheering Koreans. For those of us who follow soccer as casually as I do (that is – we turn it on during the World Cup, and ignore it at all other times), there’s a certain mysticism attached to the chants and songs that a team’s supporters bellow drunkenly during a game. It’s as though the sound of thousands of drunken voices singing in unison have a mysterious power to unite a team and help them reach down and find some primeval strength for that one last breakaway and shot that it takes to win the game. It’s a power that makes our rhythmic repetition of “Aww! G-Dub!” seem childish and pathetic, by comparison. I was therefore pretty excited when the Korean fans started singing and chanting for their team. At last, I would get to witness the awesome power of the soccer chant up close! I could observe and take notes that I could use to write a powerful song that would help GW get over the hump against our hated rivals Xavier or St.

Joes next season! I could harness that power, and propel the team into the third round of the NCAA Championships! I’d be a hero! They’d erect a statue of me in University Yard, right next to George Washington himself! I paid careful attention to the first chant I heard. Immediately, I realized I had a problem: I don’t speak Korean. As the stanzas wafted over the breeze, I saw my bronze statue deflate like a giant balloon. Just as I had lost all hope, my ears picked up another chant on the breeze! Before I got too excited, I listened carefully. But wait, this was strange…It seemed I understood what the crowd was chanting. Could it be? Eeh…a ee-go! Was it possible? I turned my head towards the breeze. Heeya meego! Was the Korean crowd chanting…in Spanish?

“Meeguk is America,” he said with emphasis. “Minguk is another word for Korea.” “Well, I liked my interpretation better,” I retorted, lamely. For the second time in a half hour, I saw my bronze statue slip out of my grasp. I drank my beer sullenly, sulking about my failure to capture the power of the soccer chant when it happened. Like a choir of drunken angels singing from on high, the notes echoed through the stadium. Everyone around us stood up and joined in, and immediately I sensed a change on the pitch. The Korean team seemed a step faster, their passes a hair sharper, their defense a degree stingier. But what was this song? I knew this song, but from where? It hit me like a penalty kick to the gut: Fourth grade piano class. The Korean fans were singing… Beethoven?

Heey Amigo! Was that the secret to the mystical chants then? Just shout something in Spanish? I wasn’t sure, but it seemed plausible – they take their soccer seriously enough in Latin America to go to war over it. Why not harness that power and passion any way you can? I saw my bronze statue re-inflate on the Yard to the rhythm of ¡Vamos Amarillo! ¡Vamos Azul! I wondered aloud about the possibility of the Korean soccer fans being way more international than I initially credited when the knowledgeable Australian sitting next to me corrected me. “Minguk, minguk. They’re saying ‘Minguk,’ not ‘amigo,” he laughed. “I thought minguk was ‘American,’ I said, suddenly confused. “Why would they cheer for Americans?”

There was no doubt. It was Ode to Joy, the first and only song I learned how to play on the piano. It seemed I had been trying desperately to think of a word that rhymed with “amarillo,” when all I needed to do was get the GW student body to sing a Romantic symphony. With my limited Spanish, I knew which task would be easier. After the game, we shuffled out of the stadium. Our adopted team had lost, but we weren’t really Australian, and so we were happy all the same. We ran into some friendly Korean fans who offered to swap team colors. We declined a jersey swap, and were satisfied with a flag and photo trade. As we walked out of the stadium, I hummed the first few stanzas of “Ode to Joy” to myself, amazed at what a beautiful night it was. By Jake Melville

Gwangju News October 2009

Review

Discovering the “Hidden Place” Via the International Students Meeting

s per my understanding and from words with the I.S.M. team members, I.S.M. is a community established to promote friendship and share culture, helping to bridge the gap among the Korean and International populations. As humans are social creatures, society and social status always has the highest priority. Wherever a person goes, what matters is the ability to socialize and integrate into the local environment. Integration of oneself requires understanding of the local environment, culture, likes and dislikes of the locality and its inhabitants, as a first step. The more one understands and tries to put oneself into a new culture, the more one realizes that the native inhabitants’ frequency-of-contact affects efficient integration of international residents into the new culture and into the new social boundaries. Simple but efficient integration and interaction programs led by people who understand both the local and international cultures has helped foreign people integrate themselves easily and find much comfort to the new environment. If one is not familiar with the environment one lives in, the resulting feelings of isolation have proven to be the most degrading and demoralizing factors affecting expatriates psychologically.

“TTrip to The Hidden Place in Gwangju” was the most stimulating theme I have ever heard of. The mentioning of a “Hidden Place” is what excited me a lot. The trip took place on afternoon of September 12th. Highly fervent and enthusiastic, I, along with other participants from almost 20 countries ( Brazil, Bulgaria, El Salvador, Israel, Malaysia, Nepal, Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam, and so on), gathered in front of Miglore in downtown where the International Students Meeting (I.S.M.) team was waiting for us. This was the fourth I.S.M. meeting and was unique. The team led us to “Hyanggyo”, a state-sponsored academy, belonging to the Confucian shrine. The main motto behind this trip was to introduce the participants to various Korean traditional costumes, introduction to the traditional Korean manners and the art of respect, introduction to the traditional

Gwangju News October 2009

Korean marriage ceremony, learning about the traditional tea ceremony and learning the difference between the Korean culture and other cultures with interaction programs between the participants. Beautifully attired in Hanbok (the typical traditional Korean costume), some I.S.M. team members and the teachers of Hyanggyo awaited the participants. The program started with a briefing about Hyanggyo and Hanbok. Different forms of traditional bows were demonstrated and explained with running commentary in English as well as in Korean. Wearing Hanbok was the most beautiful experience that all of us had. Once we were all wearing Hanboks the environment was dramatically changed, thus reflecting the value of traditional costumes. I felt I was in a time machine that took all of us to the highest Korean cultural era. What mesmerized me was the glow that reflected in all of our faces and particularly on the Korean girls. I realized, “this is where the Korean beauty rises from!” The program proceeded with an introduction to the traditional Korean marriage ceremony (two of my foreigner friends were decorated in the costumes of bride and the groom), which was another beautiful experience we had. Then we learned the table manners and proceeded with learning about the traditional tea ceremony. The teachers at Hyanggyo taught us how to prepare tea, the way of holding the teapot and method of serving. After the tea ceremony, the participants divided into groups and answered a few questionnaires with insight into the various cultural ways practiced in each person’s country, highlighting the similarities and the differences with the Korean culture and tradition. Throughout the program something that kept me in a dilemma was the answer to the mentioning of the “Hidden Place.” I had to discover the reason it got this name somehow. As the program came to an end and everyone was ready to depart, not able to control my excitement to know, I asked one of the I.S.M. team members “Why did you call this a ‘Trip to Hidden Place’ when everyone can see this place?” What she answered was most surprising. “Many of the Korean people do not know that Hyanggyo exists in Gwangju”

was her reply and I was astounded! We consider ourselves most lucky for this beautiful opportunity that added a wondrous experience into our lives, and with a feeling of great value, something that is priceless. The whole four-hour program was very informative and knowledgeable. It served both as a learning program and interaction program, helping people to become familiar with each other, make new friends and to proceed with socializing. With sincerity from deep down my heart, I am very thankful to the I.S.M. team and appreciate the endless efforts and pain with which they have devoted in helping international students get accustomed with the people, culture and traditions of Korea. This beautiful experience would never have been possible without the I.S.M., its

friendly team members and the sponsors of the Global Village project. The I.S.M. has a formal meeting once a month. Each month they have different programs that shares cultures and promote friendships. For more information, visit http://ismgwangju.blogspot.com . By Sanjog Bhatta (GIST Student)

GIC will run Gwangju Tour for international students on Oct. 23rd, 24th, 30th and 31st. More detailed information will be informed soon through email and posted on GIC website www.gic.or.kr. Please join us.

Gwangju News October 2009

Art Event

Appreciating 'Mt. Mudeung Youth Declaration Exhibition' - A Special Project marking the 45th Anniversary of MBC

Park Tae-Who Go through nature (자연속으로), Black and White drawing with Color on Chinese paper, 130×162cm, 2009

t. Mudeung has an exceptional significance for Gwangju people. The mountain itself seems rather featureless in terms of height (1,187m above sea level) and aesthetics. It doesn't even have a grand mountain range or unapproachable, elegant mystery. Soaring up high just once, there is little diversity among the ridges and valleys in the mountain. However, people have a motherly warmth with the plain and emotionless figure of this mountain. Mudeung, meaning equally unified world with no rank or class and being perfect, has become a unique ideology and a prophecy with its beautiful name. Despite Gwangju being continuously harassed by long-time political persecution and alienation, when people took all of these sorrows as mere destiny and sacrificed themselves for the sake of democratization in Korea and blood was shed over the city, the mountain stood still and stayed with us all the time. It encouraged local patriotism among people at grave moments of crisis and gave comfort to people undergoing a terrifying ordeal. Moreover, it is a true origin of artists' identities and a source of their imagination. Master Hur Baek-ryeon (pen name: Ui-je) completed ‘Southern Literally Painting’ and Master Oh Ji-ho developed his 'Local Impressionism in Jeollanam-do’ here at this mountain. Unfortunately, the mountain and its sprit are being forgotten and fading away from us.

Gwangju News October 2009

In this sense Mt. Mudeung Youth Declaration (Curator: Song Gi-hee, Deputy Director: Gwangju MBC Foundation Team) shown at Gallery D from September 23rd to September 30th, 2009 was quite remarkable and special. This exhibition was held marking the 45th anniversary of Gwangju MBC and launching the 20th “Let’s Cherish Mt. Mudeung” campaign, and interesting, creative works in the exhibition caught audiences’ eyes. Twenty-one currently renowned artists, mainly from Gwangju, participated in the exhibition and they have expressed their artistic skills covering almost all kinds of art, including not only sculpture and image arts but also flat art. (Participating artists: Hur Dal-jae, Lee Gu-yong, Park Tae-hu, Hong Seong-min, Yoon Nam-woong, Baek Sun-sil, Park Hee-suk, Park So-bin, Kang Woon, Shin Yang-ho, Lee Mae-ri, Oh Su-gyeong, Suh Gi-mun, Lee Chul-ho, Park Guhwan, Lee Yi-nam, Sohn Bong-chae, Han Won-taek, Yoon Ik, Go Geun-ho, Hwang In-ok) Fitting with the exhibition title, ‘Mt. Mudeung Youth Declaration Exhibition’, it has displayed new sensibility, formative expression and creative experiments. People could enjoy the newly interpreted and re-organized exhibition and ponder upon the meaning of Mt. Mudeung and the spirit of Gwangju again. Professor Yoon Jin-seop from Honam University thinks the same way about the exhibition. “Gwangju MBC is trying to rekindle the dwindling spirit of Gwangju by holding this special exhibition. 21 artistically enthusiastic artists were invited to participate in the exhibition in order to awaken the reality of Gwangju today and its meaning. This is what this exhibition represents the most.” Word by Gang Munhye (Novelist) Translation by Kim Dong-hun

KoreaMaria: Food Critic

Al-Arab Restaurant OK

Al-Arab Restaurant Set meals: 4,000-7,000 Won 75-2 Geumnamro, Donggu, Gwangju www.wikimapia.org/#lat=35.1491087&lon =126.9102859&z=16&l=0&m=b&v=1&show =/13834319/Al-Arab-Restaurant Phone: 062-233-2231 Fax: 062-233-2230 Subway stop: Geumnamro 4, Chunpa bus stop in Shinae (downtown). Near Thali.

The atmosphere is your average sikdang; looking like a typical lunch joint. Low tables and floor seating is available. Since the restaurant is located on the second floor, you have a nice view of the park across the street. Specialties: Try the kebabs. Shaped like little sausages, these gyro-like meat feasts come in turkey or mutton, seasoned to perfection. The mutton is so tender it melts in your mouth. The dal was another winner at our table. Their rotis are a nice bread-like consistency. The food is more Indian than Middle Eastern, serving curries, bhindis, and biryanis. If you are downtown hankering for Indian food or gyros at an inexpensive price, drop in at AlArab. The people are friendly and helpful. You can also pick up some groceries. They sell box mixes of some of their items as well as fresh items like dates.

By Maria Lisak at Gwangju University

Gwangju News October 2009

Local Event

GuluWalk? GuluWalk!

ccording to Lara Rosenoff, “It is the children who desperately want out of poverty, who want to be rid of diseases, who want and believe in peace despite all that they have lived to the contrary.” Northern Uganda has been victim to a 24-year civil war, resulting in the mistreatment and suffering of thousands of children throughout the country. Little is being done within the country to help, which is why those who can give a helping hand have been trying to raise awareness and send aid to those in need. Founded by Adrian Bradbury and Kieran Hayward, GuluWalk aims to inform the world of the neglected conflict in northern Uganda. The two first heard disconcerting tales of northern Uganda in the spring of 2005. What touched their hearts the most were the hardships that the Ugandan children had to endure. Every night, up to 40,000 children would walk from their rural homes to a more urbanized location (such as the town of Gulu) to escape abduction from the Lord’s Resistance Army. Aside from the children’s nightly commute, over 1.4 million people were forced into dilapidated camps where the living conditions were unheard of. Every week, hundreds would die from the lack of essential needs such as water, food and medical care. Bradbury and Hayward were unable to just stand and listen, so they started to raise awareness through the worldwide movement for peace, now known as GuluWalk. The staff and students of Kwangju Foreign School (K.F.S.) will once again host the annual GuluWalk in

Gwangju News October 2009

Gwangju. As citizens of the world, students at K.F.S. believe it is our duty to be aware of the world and give help to those in need. Thus, we wish to raise awareness in Korea of the crisis in northern Uganda by walking seven kilometers, just as the children of Uganda did every night to escape capture. GuluWalk hopes to raise funds for those left behind in Uganda, as well as inform the world about the perilous situation there. On October 24th, residents of Kwangju will start their seven-kilometer journey from City Hall. Snacks and drinks will be provided, and, as a thank you for participating in the walk, there will be entertainment at the end. We hope that you and your friends will join us on October 24th to participate in the charitable walk! Word by Angie Kim

Cartoons

Gwangju News October 2009

Events

Festivals Gwangju Design Biennale 2009: The Clue Through Nov. 4th, 2009 Gwangju Biennale Hall, Gwangju Museum of Art, etc. Buses: 64, 83 (Biennale Hall Bus Stop); 26, 30, 56, 57 (Yongju Elementary School Bus Stop) www.design-biennale.org Admission: 9,000 won (adults), 5,000 won (children) Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival

Oct. 1st – 12th, 2009 Namhangang, Chilseok-dong, Jinju-shi, Gyeongsangnam-do Buses: A direct bus runs from Gwangju’s USquare to Jinju nine times a day http://yudeung.com/e_index.jsp (English, Japanese) The Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival celebrates the lanterns – yudeung – that were used as military signals in the Jinjuseong Battles during the Imjinwaeran (Japanese Invasion of 1592) to defend the country from the invading Japanese troops that were trying to cross the rivers. Pusan International Film Festival Oct. 8th – 16th, 2009 Cinemas in Haeundae, Nampo-dong PIFF Plaza and Haeundae PIFF Village http://www.piff.org (Korean, English) Gala Presentation; A Window on Asian Cinema; New Currents; World Cinema; Korean Cinema Today; Korean Cinema Retrospective; Wide Angle; Open Cinema; Flash Forward; Special Programs in Focus; Midnight Passion

Sixth Jarasum International Jazz Festival 2009 Oct. 15th – 18th, 2009 Jara Island, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do Jamsil Station, Line 2 and 8, Transfer to bus No. 7000 and get off at Gapyeong www.jarasumjazz.com (Korean, English) Admission: Depends on Program

www.reeds.co.kr Nestled within a reed field, Daedae-dong Village is the largest community near the wharf. There is an embankment along its foreshore, making it the best place to view the reeds. The thick early-morning fog in late fall also creates a memorable view of the bay.

Seoul Performing Arts Festival 2009 Oct. 13th – Nov. 21st, 2009 Arko Arts T h e a t e r , Daehangno Arts Theater, Seoul Arts Center, Sejong Center, Myeongdong Theater, Namsan Arts Center Contact: 02-3673-2561 www.spaf.or.kr (English, Korean, French, Japanese) Admission: Depends on Program

The Gwangju International Performing Arts Festival Oct. 20th – 31st, 2009 Gwangju Art and Culture Center and Dongsan Art Hall (at U-Square)

Busan Jagalchi Festival Oct. 14th – 18th, 2009 Busan Jung-gu Nampo-dong Contact: 051-1330 The ‘Jagalchi Market’ is one of the largest seafood markets in Korea and one of its most well-known tourist attractions. Visitors will be able to try many unusual types of seafood, fish, and sashimi (raw fish) at low prices. Jeonju International Mime Festival Oct. 16th, 17th, 23rd and 24th, 2009 Jeonju Hanok Village Area Contact: 063-287-1118 Admission: 10,000 won Suncheon Bay Reeds Festival 2009

Please note that the following events will be presented as part of the Gwangju International Performing Arts Festival. With the exception of ‘Human Comedy,’ which will take place at Dongsan Art Hall, all other performances will take place at the Gwangju Art and Culture Centre:

Romeo & Juliet (Dance) Oct. 20th, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. Admission: 20,000 won – 50,000 won

Best of the Best (Music) Oct. 21st, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. Featuring: Kang Dong-suk (Violin), Cho Young-Chang (Cello), Pascal Devoyon (Piano), Hikotaro Yazaki (Conductor), Prime Philharmonic Orchestra Admission: 15,000 won – 40,000 won Richard O’Neill & Camerata Antiqua (Music) Oct. 28th, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. Admission: 15,000won – 40,000 won Jekyll & Hyde (Musical) Oct. 24th and 25th, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. www.musicaljekyllnhyde.com (Korean) Admission: 40,000 won – 120,000 won Jangheebin (Dance) Oct. 27th, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. Admission: 15,000 won – 30,000 won Human Comedy Oct. 28th and 29th, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. Admission: 15,000 won – 30,000 won

Oct. 17th – 24th, 2009 Suncheon Bay, Daedae Port, Suncheon-shi Buses: Catch a bus to Suncheon and then take buses 66 or 67 to the venue (approximately 30 min.)

Mommy Oct. 29th, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. Admission: 15,000 won – 30,000 won Turandot (Opera) Oct. 31st, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. Admission: 20,000 won – 50,000 won

Gwangju News October 2009

Namdo Food Festival Oct. 29th – Nov. 1st, 2009 Naganeupseong Folk Village Contact: 061-749-3742 www.namdofood.or.kr or www.nagan.or.kr (Korean) Famous foods from cities and regions in Jeollanam-do are available at this festival. You can visit an exhibition showcasing the Namdo Traditional Dishes which were served on a king’s table.

Oct. 23rd – Nov. 1st, 2009 Around the Gwangju World Cup Stadium (at Yeomju Gymnasium and Multipurpose Gym); downtown in Gwangju (Geumnamno) and Traditional Markets in 5-gu (areas) of Gwangju www.kimchi.gwangju.kr Global Kimchi Hall; Kimchi Theme Exhibition Hall, Kimchi-Making Experience Hall; Cooking Classes with Recipes from Famous Kimchi Masters, etc.

Chungjang Recollection Festival 2009

6th Jarasum International Jazz Festival 2009 Oct. 15th – 18th www.jarasumjazz.com (Korean, English) Jara Island, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do Jamsil Station, Line 2 and 8, Transfer to bus No. 7000 and get off at Gapyeong Admission depends on the program Grand Mint Festival 2009 Oct. 24th – 25th grandmintfestival.com Olympic Park, Seoul Olympic Park Station, Line 5, Exit 3 Mongchontoseong Station, Line 8, Exit 1, Walk more 15 mins One day 55,000 won, Two days 88,000 won (Advance purchase)

Oct. 13th – 18th Chungjang-no, Geumnam-no and Art Street area Art and culture festival on streets with 70’s and 80’s recollection www.cjr7080.com Gwangju Kimchi Festival 2009: World Famous Fermented Foods All in One Place!

Art Exhibitions Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Chun Hwahwang: Artist of Light and Prayer Through Dec. 13th, 2009 Gwangju Museum of Art (Main Building) Admission: 500 won (adults), 200 won (children) Melancholy-han Dagwahoe (‘Melancholy Tea Party’) Through Oct. 11th, 2009 4th Floor, Hub City of Asian C u l t u r e Information Center (3rd and 4th Floor, Cheon-ha Building [North Space Building], Geumnamno 1ga, Dong-gu, Gwangju; next to the YMCA Building downtown) Artists Lee Ri-ra, Lee Hyeong-jeong, and Choi Eun-mi exhibit painting, photography and installation art.

Gwangju News October 2009

F.T 83 Oct. 29th – Nov. 8th, 2009 4th floor, Hub City of Asian Culture Information Center The F.T 83 Team exhibits video, painting and installation art. Possibility Oct. 15th – 25th, 2009 4th floor, Hub City of Asian Culture Information Center The Al-eum Team exhibits painted works. 2009 Migrants Human Rights Photo Exhibition Oct. 16th – 26th, 2009 U-Story (In Front of Yoengpung Bookstore at U-Square) Contact: 016-229-9614 (Noh Jeonghwan) Admission: Free Photos taken by migrant women and photographer Kim Taeseoung. Seokseong, Kim Hyeongsu Exhibition Oct. 8th, 2009 – Nov. 29th, 2009 Gwangju Museum of Art (First and Second Galleries in the Main Building) Admission: 500 won (adults), 200 won (children) Ha Jeongwoong Exhibition: Light 2009 Through Oct. 4th, 2009 Gwangju Museum of Art (First and Second Galleries in the Main Building) Admission: 500 won (adults), 200 won (children) East Meets West Through Oct. 25th, 2009 Gwangju International Centre, GAIA Gallery Admission: Free German Artists’ Exhibition

Oct. 9th, 2009 – Nov. 8th, 2009 Sangrok Gallery, Gwangju Museum of Art Subway: Nongseong Station, Line 1 Contact: 062-369-3515 Admission: Free Kundika and the Cult of Avalokitesvara Through Oct. 11th, 2009 Porcelain Room, Fine Arts Gallery 2, National Museum of Korea Admission: Free 39th Korea Crafts & Arts Prize Oct. 7th – 10th, 2009 Kim Daejung Convention Center Buses: 1, 38, 64, 518, 1000 Subway: Kim Daejung Convention Center Station, Exit 5 (5 min. walk) www.kocap.or.kr (Korean)

Nangnang Remains Room, Asian Arts Gallery, National Museum of Korea Admission: Free

the Green Bus No. 11 Yangjae Station, Line 3, Exit 1, Get on the Green Bus No. 17 Admission: 50,000 won – 250,000 won

Performances

At Speakeasy

Soprano Kim Mi-ok Recital “To make fundrising Korean Culture Hall in Kyoto, Japan” Oct. 13th, 7:30pm Keumho Art Hall, U-Square Admission: 50,000 won Mini-Concert with Gwangju Citizens Oct. 7th, 7 p.m. Gwangju Museum of Art (First Floor) Admission: Free Traditional Korean music, performance and dance. Yang Bang-ean Concert: Evolution 2009 10th Anniversary Oct. 23rd, 2009 at 8 p.m. Sejong Center in Seoul Subway: City Hall Station, Line 1, Exit 3; Gyeongbokgung Station, Line 3, Exit 6, 7; Gwanghwamun Station, Line 5, Exit 1, 8 Admission: 44,000 – 99,000 won

With the subtitle ‘Light and Wind’, this event is a competitive crafts exhibition. This year, 248 art crafts among 442 crafts from 16 cities and provinces will be exhibited. On Oct. 7th (11 a.m.), there will be an opening ceremony and exhibition of the winning art crafts, and during the period, an exhibition of craft artists in Bitgoeul (Gwangju), KOCAP Friends hall, Winners of prizes PR hall, Sale hall, experience hall of making craft and seminar. Divination: Report of Arts and Sorcery Through Oct. 25th, 2009 Geumnam-no Gallery, Gwangju Museum of Art Admission: Free Travelling with the Soul: Chinese Pottery Figures Through Nov. 22nd, 2009

Moonlight Odyssey of Hwangbyeokdang: Recital by Composer Kim Hyeon-ok Oct. 31st, 2009 at 7 p.m. Hwanbyeokdang (Gwangju Monument No.1, located at Chunghyo-dong) Bus: 187 On the last night of October the moon-lit inner yard of Hwanbyeokdang Pavillion will be the place where composer Kim Hyeon-ok presents her musical compositions to thrill people. In addition Painter Ju Hong’s whimsical talent and ceramist Kim Nak-gyeom’s skillful items are expected to attract the audience’s attention. The aroma from the Dadam brewed lotus leaf and buckwheat tea is irresistible. Kim’s concert in the yard of Hwanbyeokdang will be quite an appropriate venue. The last night of October is the full moon of Lunar September and Hwan-byeokdang Pavillion will be brightly lit by the full moon. Carmen (Opera) Nov. 5th – 8th, 2009 Performed by the Novosibirsk Sate Academic Opera and Ballet Theater of Russia Seoul Arts Center in Seoul Nambu Bus Terminal Station, Line 3, Exit 5 (5-10 min. walk) Seocho Station, Line 2, Exit 3, Get on

Betty Ass & 2-3 Local Korean bands Betty Ass plus 2-3 Local Korean bands will play on Friday the 9th Oct. Betty Ass usually brings in a line-up of local or regional garage rock bands that are talented instrumentalist and sing most songs in English. These bands range from 80s rock to punkie rock. The G-Jay band plays on the 17th Oct. The G-Jay band can be researched at www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm? bandID=784689 where you will find a western international rock band that has plenty of excellent Korean gigs under its belt. You can also download songs, if you like what you hear, at: http://cdbaby.com/cd/gjay2. In short, these gents rock, so be ready for a guitar-based full sound with a mix of originals and covers that are remarkably NOT K-POP. The Halloween bash is the 31st, and it includes a formalwear contest, regular Hallowe’en costumes and many drink specials. It is the most well-attended event of the year at Speakeasy.

Sports Congratulations to the KIA Tigers for finishing a top the 2009 Korean Baseball Organization Regular Season standings, thus bringing the Korean Series back to Gwangju for the first time since 1997. The 12-year drought is over! 2009 KOREAN SERIES SCHEDULE - Venue: Gwangju Mudeung Stadium (Baseball Field) 무등경기장 - Buses: 16, 38, 51, 53, 58, 89, 95, 98, 151 - Advance Purchase: gmarket.co.kr or 1566-5702 * You are able to buy the ticket from Oct. 12th. - Ticket Price: Adults 15,000 - 35,000 won Children 5,000 won Game 1: 6 p.m. Thursday, October 15th Game 2: 6 p.m. Friday, October 16th To check game times and/or possible schedule changes, visit www.tigers.co.kr.

Gwangju News October 2009

Movies Bella Director: Alejandro Gomez Monteverde Release Date: Oct. 1st, 2009 Cast: Eduardo Vera’stegui, Tammy Blanchard, Manny Perez Genre: Drama, Romance An international soccer star is on his way to sign a multi-million dollar contract when a series of events unfold that bring his career to an abrupt end. A beautiful waitress, struggling to make it in New York City, discovers something about herself that she's unprepared for. In one irreversible moment, their lives are turned upside down... until a simple gesture of kindness brings them both together, turning an ordinary day to an unforgettable experience.

Inglourious Basterds Director: Quentin Tarantino Release Date: Oct. 1st, 2009 Cast: Brad Pitt, Me’aine Laurent, Christoph Waltz Genre: Action, Drama, War During World War II a group of JewishAmerican soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds soon cross paths with a FrenchJewish woman who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers. The Soloist Director: Joe Wright Release Date: Oct. Cast: Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., Halbert Bernal Genre: Drama, Biography, Music

wind and water. It is cold enough to crack stones, and, when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the warmer south, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing: just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless cannibalistic bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a rusting shopping cart of scavenged food – and each other. I Come With the Rain Director: Anh Hung Tran Release Date: Oct. 15th, 2009 Cast: Josh Hartnett, Lee Byung-hun, Elias Koteas, Takuya Kimura Genre: Thriller

Surrogates Director: Jonathan Mostow Cast: Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Ving Rhames Release Date: Oct. 1st, 2009 Genre: Action, Sci-fi, Thriller In the near future, humans live in isolation and only interact through robotic bodies that serve as surrogates. When several humans are murdered when their surrogates are destroyed, a cop (Bruce Willis) investigates the crimes through his own surrogate. After a near fatal encounter, the cop's surrogate is destroyed and forces him to bring his human form out of isolation and unravel a conspiracy behind the crimes. Gamer Director: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor Release Date: Oct. 1st, 2009 Cast: Gerard Bulter, Amber Valletta, Michael C. Hall Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Set in a future-world where humans can control other humans in mass-scale, multiplayer online gaming environments, a star player (Butler) from a game called "Slayers" looks to regain his independence while taking down the game's mastermind (Hall). 34

Gwangju News October 2009

The only thing hurting Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez more than his face from a recent bike accident is his pressing need for story ideas. Then he discovers Nathaniel Ayers, a mentally-ill and homeless street musician who possesses extraordinary talent, even through his instruments are half-broken. Inspired by his story, Lopez writes an acclaimed series of articles about Ayers and attempts to do more to help both him and the rest of the L.A. underclass. However, Lopez is confronted with the hard realities of Ayers' personal demons and the larger social injustice facing the homeless.

The Road Director: John Hillcoat Release Date: Oct. 22nd, 2009 Cast: Charlize Theron, Mortensen, Guy Pearce Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thiller

An ex-Los Angeles cop turned private eye travels to Hong Kong in search of Shitao, the missing son of a Chinese billionaire. All the while he is hauntingly distracted by memories of a serial killer whose 'body of work' was the reason he’d quit the police force in the first place. This Is It Director: Kenny Ortega Release Date: Oct. 28th, 2009 Cast: Michael Jackson Genre: Music

Compiled by Kim Minsu Viggo

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the

▶ Note: Some events may be cancelled or postponed due to the possible spread of the H1N1 Virus. Whenever possible, check websites or phone ahead prior to attending events.

GIC TALK

Every Saturday 2:30 p.m.

October 10

October 24

Topic: The Clue: Design, Neither More Nor Less Speaker: Eun Byung-soo (Artistic Director, 2009 Gwangju Design Biennale) From the artistic director’s words in the handbook of 2009 GDB “The most basic question we have to keep in life is not different from the ultimate answer that design should aim at. It should be neither more nor less... Food, clothing, and shelter is not all there is to life it is indispensable. So is design. In order to learn, we need letters, and in order for our life to be beneficial, we need design. As pleasure makes our life happy, good design can give us joy. Vitalizing something is the process design should endeavor. The root of design is to be aware of others and to show consideration. Design’s involvement in society includes participating in things. In the field of a new paradigm that starts from the root again, the search is on for the clue to the ultimate answer to design. The Clue, 더할 나위없는...”

October 17 Topic: Free and Equal? Human Rights in Korea, Asia, and the World Speaker: Chloe Simons (International Intern, May 18 Memorial Foundation)

Topic: Being of Service: wherever you are and ways to give back Speaker: Alan H. Barnum (ESL Professor, Chosun University) The speaker will share his experiences in making a difference on a global scale, and suggest ways others can become involved right here in Gwangju. He will share his favorite NGO resources and also show two short films on volunteer work in other parts of the world.

October 31 Topic: Globalizing America through Asian American Literature Speaker: Robert Grotjohn (American Literature Fulbright Scholar, Chonbuk National University) Critics of contemporary globalism have argued that “globalization” is simply a code-word for “Americanization.” Indeed, American perspectives can be quite insular and unilateral in spite of the country's involvement in the global economy. Many Americans simply don't know much about the rest of the world. The speaker will talk about how AsianAmerican literature works to critique and break down that insularity.

A short introduction to the human rights situation in Asia focusing on case studies in the Philippines, Burma, and on the Korean peninsula, followed by an interactive workshop on what we can do to promote and protect human rights in the region. September 19th, Yangrim-dong tour

▶ Check out our pictures from previous GIC Talks http://picasaweb.google.com/gictalk

All talks take place at the GIC office. For more information, contact Kim Ji-hyun at: gwangjuic@gmail.com

Gwangju News October 2009

Community Board Gwangju News Needs You Due to the rapid expansion of our community, we need more volunteers to help with the running of the magazine. Help the community and gain new skills. You can help in a variety of roles: - proofreading - photography - writing - layout - administration - website or any other way YOU can think of. Contact: gwangjunews@gmail.com

Help Gwangju News Magazine! Volunteer one day a month GIC needs volunteers to mail out Gwangju News. Gwangju News, published monthly, is sent to nearly 700 addresses. Join our Gwangju News mail-out volunteers at GIC. Volunteers are called 48 hours before the mail-out day (during the first week of each month). GIC needs 6-8 people who can help. GIC and Gwangju News are only as good as the volunteers who bring it to life! Contact GIC at 062-226-2733/4, or e-mail us at: gwangjuic@gmail.com.

Are you looking for a translation service? Translation Service is available at GIC. Korean to English, English to Korean - Certificates; Criminal History, Family relation certificate, Marital Statement, Medical Record, etc - Webpages & catalogues - abstracts, literature, etc Contact GIC for more information 062-226-2733/4

Gwangju Expat Parents Association Raising interracial or foreign children in Gwangju? Want to meet other expatriates who are doing the same thing? A new web forum has been set up for expat parents in Gwangju, and we’re hoping that we can organize to discuss issues that are relevant to our somewhat unique situation in Gwangju. The web forum is open to

Gwangju News October 2009

people of all nationalities, not just westerners. Our main focus right now is on discussing alternative educational options for school-age children. Please join our facebook: gwangju parents

Sung Bin Orphanage Sung Bin Orphanage is looking for long-term volunteers. We would like you to give at least two Saturdays per month. As well as being a friend, you will be asked to teach basic English to girls aged 7 to 14. For more information please contact Mike at: sungbinvolunteers@gmail.com.

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

Free Health Foreigners

Clinic

for

Venue: Gwangju Joongang Presbyterian Church. Time: Sundays from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Offers: Internal medicine, Oriental medicine and Dental service. You could take some medicine after treatment. How to get to there: Buses - 19, 26, 39, 59, 61, 74 (around Hwajeong crossroads) Subway - Exit 2 Hwajeong Station.

Apostolate to Migrants Center 969-10 Wolgok-dong, Gwangsan-gu Phone: 062-954-8004 Buses: 18, 20, 29, 37, 40, 98, 196, 700, 720 get off at Wolgok market bus stop. Mass: Sundays 3 p.m. at Wolgokdong Catholic Church

GIC Counseling Team Do you need some help or question about living in Gwangju? Contact GIC Counseling Volunteers at giccounseling@gmail.com We will try to provide best information and services for you.

The Gwangju Book Club Meets every Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m. in front of the downtown YMCA before moving nearby for a discussion over coffee. Welcoming new members! Look up 'Gwangju Book Club' on Facebook for more details, or email cherrycoke52@hotmail.com for more information.

The Gwangju Women's FC Meets every Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Pungam-dong Welcoming new members! Check out 'Gwangu Women's FC' on Facebook for more details, or email cherrycoke52@hotmail.com for more information.

SCAVENGER HUNT! Hosted by Teach ESL Korea (www.teacheslkorea.com) What: An afternoon/evening of fun and debauchery in Gwangju! One hundred tasks, one hundred photos. Maximum 4 to a team. Can you complete the challenge? When: Saturday October 17, from 3pm. Where Kicking off in Downtown, and spreading to local dongs. How: Call Joanne Cronin on 0106666-1973 or join the facebook event ‘Gwangju Scavenger Hunt’. Or email cronin_joanne@hotmail.com. GREAT PRIZES TO BE WON!!

The 3 Messengers Club Invitation Callng all people who are interested in learning about God, the Bible, the future and also improving their English. Venue: Sangmu SDA Language Institute Time: 2:00-3:30 p.m. Every Saturday Topics: Prophecy Revealed, Solving the Mystery of Death, Simple faith, etc. How to get there: Buses 46, 62, 63, 64, 518 (Across from 518 Memorial Park) Contact: Moises Tablang, Jr 0102930-0867 or mion_81@hotmail.com Join us for our English worship service!

Gwangju News October 2009

Advertise in Gwangju News Target Your Customers! Does your business cater to the foreign community? Advertising in Gwangju News is the best way to reach your target market. 3,000 copies are printed and distributed every month. News about your services will spread like wildfire! For advertising information contact Kim Min-su at (062) 226-2734 or e-mail: gwangjunews@gmail.com

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

Pastor : Dan Hornbostel (010-5188-8940)

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

Gwangju News October 2009