2011 Spring Culture Mag

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Creatives&FICTION

Upcoming EVENTS AND

Announcements

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creatives

events

whats hot in kpop? the return of big bang . childrens daystaying cool in korea . love for the dance floor . shop around

korea: the first three years

hbc music festival . koreabites

CONTENTSCONTENTS

features Springtime in Seoul every once in a while it happens...

Welcome to the Gun Show bam! pop! crack! kapow! i know what youre thinking...

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Project Manager Editor-in-Chief & DesignerTravis Stewart Andrew Kim

Special thank you to all of the contributors whomade this quarters issue of the CULTURE possible!

For future inquiries regarding the CULTURE, please contact [email protected].

Thank you!

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whats hotin kpop?

the returnof Big Bang

by joe chung (dongjak)

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For starters, let me ask all of you who read this article a simple question. When you hear of the words Big Bang, whats the first thought that pops up? The universe? Or five extremely talented individuals who form the group every fan girl knows as Big Bang? As I stated in the beginning of my first article on 2NE1, I hope that this article will help teachers not only to have something to talk about with their students, but maybe even music to enjoy listening to.

Here is a brief introduction of Big Bang: G-Dragon, the leader of the group. T.O.P., the rapper and up and coming actor. Taeyang or Sol, singing and dancing extraordinaire. Daesung or D-Lite, a multi-talented singer who also stars in musicals. Last, but not least, Seungri or Victory, the youngest member who is labeled as the Prince of Variety TV Shows. As you can already tell, this is a group packed with a lot of punch. Ask your female students in class who the best boy group is and you will hear a flurry of answers. In my opinion, the only other groups that give Big Bang a run for their money is TVXQ and Shinee.

Now, after a long hiatus, Big Bang has returned with a new mini-album titled, Mini 4. The album has a total of six tracks, each of which have their own unique sound. The main title track is Tonight, a song detailing how dull love has become and the feeling of being alone at night. This song is dominated by a solemn, but powerful electronica sound. The chorus is catchy as well. Another song to take notice of is their last track titled, Caf, which talks about past memories of the moments that were shared together in a caf, a safe haven for love and romance. This song does an excellent job of blending a hip-hop beat with a jazzy melody.

Other songs to check out are, Intro (Thank You & You), Hands Up, Somebody to Love, and What is Right. This new mini-album has a totally new and mature sound compared to their previous works and there is definitely nothing else to say except that this is a solid album. Go check it out for yourself.

Album Rating: I usually dont give albums this high of a rating, but I give this album a 9 out of 10.

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I was sitting outside earlier this afternoon in this small park area in front of an apartment complex, just observing, watching the little tots running around, some of them still understanding how to work their limbs, like little neophytes running around awkwardly trying to operate their legs and arms, hands dangling around silly little ones.

Theres something about little children, watching them, seeing them play, watching them laugh or act in their innocent and adorable manner, it always catches me off guard, and I cant help but smile every time I see them.

Two little brothers riding around on their two-seater playskool bike-mobile. Obviously the older one steering, while the younger one sits back just observing where his older brother is leading him, smile on his face. Theres this sincere and genuine joy found in children that gets lost with people as they get older. Its so sad when you think about it but I cherish seeing and feeling it whenever I catch the smiles on the little ones faces.

childrensday by andy kim (mapo)

I couldnt understand this holiday, and yes, it is a nationwide holiday. All banks and government jobs as well as pretty much all big corporations are closed, probably even most small ones, besides restaurants and convenient stores. I guess I didnt understand it much like how I dont understand Valentines Day. Because it seems almost ridiculous to have to designate ONE day out of 365 to be the day spent with your kids, to take them out and show them you love them. I mean shouldnt this be a given? To do this every day? That just seemed to make more sense to me. Well, for the most part it did

But today, I was sitting there looking and watching this father playing badmitton with his son. And I had seen them before, they were playing at night the last time that I has seen them, and then, it hit me.

The people of this country work like dogs, seriously. Company workers are often in their offices twelve hours a day, sometimes even getting out of work after 11PM. Were talking about company workers

states or other countries I hope there never needs to be a designated holiday or one day out of a year for you all to show the ones you care about that you do, to make memories or spend time. Happy Childrens Day, everyone!

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childrensday

here, not liquor store owners, not grocery store owners. And these are people getting paid salary jobs. In America, I think there are laws against that kind of thing or at least something called Over-time Pay.

But to the people here... its just a given. Its a norm of Korean Business Culture. And these fathers, they work so hard And I realized that this father probably never gets the chance to spend time with his son in the daytime, so he resorts to the late night to play a game of badmitton with his son instead. And since most Koreans never take vacation either, I realized that this day, as strange as it might have seemed to me, is actually very important to the people of this country, to the mothers and fathers of this country. Because its the day where they are not obligated to work, its really a holiday in every sense of the word. And it gives them the opportunity to spend quality time with their kids, to go on picnics, or go visit the tourist sites or check out a palace, spend time, take photos, go to the beach, eat and share a nice conversation, relax. And I realized that this holiday is really more important than I could ever have known.

In America, I guess we try to make the most of this every day. Parents try to spend time with their kids and make fond memories on a daily or weekly basis, perhaps even monthlyyet, I never imagined it being brought down to a once a year thing. But in a country like this where parents almost all of themare workhorses, its remarkable. But time is precious. And so this holiday is a gift.

I dont know yet, whether thats a good thing or a bad thing. I guess its a little bit of both.

But I wont judge. In any case, I hope all parents do something fun and memorable with their kids today. And for everyone reading this back in the

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I feel old. Im 26. Okay okay, Im sure there a few 40 and ups thinking what do you know you little uhh guy. And the 30s crowd wants to tell me that youre not old. 30 is the new 20. But hear me out. I dont feel old because my waistline is stealing territory from my hairline. Or because I get debilitating soreness each week from playing pick-up baseball, the worlds least athletically demanding sport thats really a sport (sorry bowling). I feel old because Ive lost touch with the music scene.

Music has always been the domain of the young and hip and ones knowledge of new music correlates directly to ones level of coolness. These days, the only new songs I listen to are the latest releases from bands that were fresh 5, 10, even 20 years ago (see Radiohead, The Black Keys, Gorillaz). As I write this, I honestly have no idea where my iPod is. To make matters worse, 60% of the posts on my Facebook wall are youtube videos from Glenn M. of his favorite Grateful Dead performances. In the last 2 years since Ive been in Korea, Ive completely lost my music aficionado status and that makes me feel old. So naturally, when my roommate Steve S., a confirmed hipster (see nonsensical bumper sticker on his 6 year old

staying cool in koreaby chris heron (pyeongchon)

Macbook), asked me if I wanted to see a show in Hongdae, I readily accepted. In fact, I was so excited to reenter the arena of hip that I didnt ask the name of the band or what kind of music they play which would later turn out to be a mistake.

* * *

In my younger days back in the States, I lived in a trendy neighborhood of DC which meant I got all the coolness benefits of living in major and relatively cultured (sorry all southern cities sans Austin, TX) American city. My friends and I could see nationally established bands, a crappy local groups, and most importantly the bands from Hipster Mecca (Brooklyn, NY) who had made it big enough to get an East Coast tour going. In addition (thank you Bridge Reading), I was an amateur musician and a member of several Myspace bands which gave me obvious credibility when critiquing these shows. The trick was combining semi-musical terminology with a cool reference. For example (thanks again), The minimalist usage of their instruments gives them somewhat of a Joy Division feel. Or The singers emotionless monotone totally makes this band another Joy Division wannabe group (for those you dont

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staying cool in korea

know, Joy Divisions full name is I Am a Hipster Therefore I Must Like Joy Division). I was always good at criticizing bands because, as every cool person knows, being hip is all about telling others what is not hip in a hip way.

* * *

Fast forward to Hongdae a month and change ago. The club may have been hard to find but the line outside was not. Hundreds of foreigners were stretched down the block and around the corner and I was at the very back. Wow this must be a pretty cool band if all these people have heard of them and are waiting to see them. I learned from the people in front of me that the band consisted of two brothers from Brooklyn (surprise, surprise) and that they were called French Horn Revolution the first bad sign. I mean really? French Horn Revolution? Of course indie band names have never been known for being very creative. They generally sound like somebody picked out two or three words randomly from the dictionary like say Medicinal Furniture (Theran B. once made the astute observation that any title from the Goosebumps series would make a great indie band namemy favorite is Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes). Still, French Horn Revolution is a seriously unclever attempt at being clever. Anyway, after being convinced by Steve S. that I could sneak in (Dude, its Korea, cmon), I skirted the line, got in easilythe second bad signand hoped for the best.

As I sipped a lukewarm can of Cass in anticipation, the lights dimmed, the fog machines whirred to life, and the laptops were brought outthe third bad sign. Two tall, shaggy-haired guys came on stage to loud cheers from a crowd that probably wouldve cheered Lee Myung Bak at that point. The two rockstars opened their laptops and hit play. That was the show. Oh and one of the guys occasionally played a French horn over the dance beats. I guess thats why they needed two people. Honestly, the French horn has not been played by anyone cool ever. No classical virtuosos, no slick jazz musicians, and definitely no rockstars. A die-hard FHR fan might whine that the uncoolness of the French horn is ironic. To that idiot, I would respond by saying that I dont go to shows (being the operative word here) to experience irony. I go for the ridiculous stage set ups, for singers with wild hair and off the wall fashion sense, for silly crowd interaction, for egotistical guitarists who can solo for twenty minutes with their toes, for bands who are tight and together enough to adjust their music to each show, for over-the-top spectacle and pageantry otherwise Ill just listen to it on my iPod (wherever it may be). Honestly, FHRs music wasnt half bad, I just wouldnt (didnt) pay to see them on-stage dancing around behind fake fog while their iTunes play.

Now that I think about it, if being hip means knowing what isnt hip, then I guess I still got it, baby. The fact the Glenn M. calls Radioheads lead singer little Thom (with a th sound) Yorkey makes him the most hip guy I know in Korea. I guess the older you get the more hip you get. How do you like me now, 40 and ups?

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loveforthedancef loorby philip johnson (pyeongchon)

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Hana. Dul. Set. Pause.Five. Six. Seven. Pause.

It took only one evening and two pretty dance partners to get me hooked on salsa. My friend had invited me to a small club in Itaewon called American Latina that he had recently been frequenting. It was small and dark and cozy; the few tables and bar stools were deserted; no one left the dance floor. My friend showed me the basic step and we practiced in front of a mirror. A few drinks made my movements more fluid, or at least less self-conscious. Then I was on the dance floor, where two Korean girlsall smiles and dimplessubtly pushed me back and forth, offering words of encouragement while they spun. By the end of the night I had drunkenly scribbled my name across a class sign-up sheet and found myself making a weekly bus trip to Itaewon.

Our instructor is a diminutive, instantly likeable Korean man who goes by the name of Max. He wears tightly fitted, brightly colored button-down shirts covered with floral patterns. He admits to working in an office during the weekdays, but clearly spends his working hours waiting for the weekends. He teaches in a mish-mash of Korean and English.

Our class is a mix of nationalities; on the first day I am paired with a Russian girl because I am the only one tall enough to dance with her comfortably. After only a few weeks, we become close friends. That is the way with salsa.We spend an hour each Saturday evening learning a handful of new patterns. In a month, the basic step becomes second nature.I can spin my partner in both directions and switch places with her. I begin to learn the subtle guidance necessary for leading ones partner; she begins to learn how to follow these clues. We are a team.

I sign up for level two. I begin spending my Friday nights at Caliente, a livelier club just down the street. It is a typical Itaewon bar except that between conversations you take a girl to the dance floor. No introduction is necessary; one simply walks up to a stranger and asks her to dance.

The floor is too full, but no one notices. The dancers are sweaty, but no one notices. We dance meringue when we need something light; reggaetn, when we need something less

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practiced; bachata for something more slow and passionate. But, salsa is king.

Yet it is not for the thin-skinned. During one of our lessons, my Russian partnernever one to mince wordstells me that, though I am doing a move correctly, I need to do it more beautifully. She makes me practice until I can meet her standard.For a change, I try a lesson at another salsa bar, this one a tiny basement in Hongdae. A girl I dance with continuously and inexplicably spins in the opposite direction of where I lead her. I discover it is her first time, yet she will not listen. Instead, she tells our teacher I need more instruction and

finds another partner. The teacher makes me practice until I can meet her standard.

But worst of all are the ones who never say anything. They are the ones that graciously dance with me, politely thank me, and then avoid me for the rest of the evening. I did my best, but it was not enough. I am too inexperienced. Even the beginner dancers sometimes shun me; after all, on her first night, a girl can dance with almost anyone, provided her partner is skilled enough. I am limited to those less able than myself.

I smile and ask another girl to dance.

***

It is difficult to explain the appeal. Salsa is, of course, a great way to meet people. I have made several close friends, and it is how my friend eventually met his girlfriend. It is also, despite the ridicule one must sometimes

endure, a desirable skill. When I attended a wedding last summer in America, people were asking me to dance, simply because I knew how to spin

them. And, it can even lead to unexpected opportunities: last fall I was among a group invited to SBS studios to be background dancers for a scene in the drama .

But its more than that. One has to try it for oneself. Make your way to a salsa club; they are in Itaewon, Hongdae, Apgujeong, and probably elsewhere. Many offer free lessons, or one that costs only a drink (which is helpful anyway). Dont forget your dance shoes.

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shoparoundby matth merritt (dunsan)

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When I was preparing for my voyage to Korea, I was consumed with anxiety about leaving. I feared that homesickness and yearning for my friends would prove to be nearly fatal. To ease the transition, I gorged my suitcase with every conceivable relic from the US that I might need: six tubes of Chapstick, deodorant, shoes, heaps of clothes. Once I settled into my apartment, I realized how misguided I had been. Sure, I miss my friends and certain novelties of American life, but theres always Skype and I wouldnt be caught dead without my iPod full of American music. What I quickly realized was that my anxiety was channeled in the wrong direction, which resulted in a suitcase filled with all the wrong things. Allow me to explain.

After my arrival, my apartment was begging to be filled with food. I was eager to embark on my first grocery store trip so I could reconstruct my finely crafted American health-conscious diet: whole grains, raw nuts, lean protein and gobs of vegetables. Once I stepped foot into the store, my heart sank and my anxiety returned with crippling intensity. I nearly panicked. Whole grain was scarce, produce was twice as expansive, peanut butter was both expensive and full of unhealthy hydrogenated oils. Raw nuts and oatmeal? Sorry, not here.

The experience was an affront to my expectations. I had anticipated returning home with all the healthy spoils I enjoyed in the US. Instead, I returned with barely one bag of goods. I sat on the couch and stared pensively at the wall, with a mixture of confusion and sadness. How, then, are they so skinny here? How am I going to overcome this?

I treat my eating habits with the utmost seriousness. Would the highly lauded Costco prove to be a haven of healthy American foodstuffs?

The short answer is yes and no. Sure, Costco was brimming with overly sugared confections, processed snacks and an entire aisle dedicated to seaweed. However, they supplied chicken breast at a tolerable price and they had a moderately healthy salad dressing. On the other hand, they lacked my beloved quinoa (a healthier rice alternative), organic peanut butter was choked out by Skippy and oatmeal was about eight times the price as in the US.

After a couple of weeks, I was beginning to cope with and accept the new reality of eating in Korea. I recognized that I would have to put forth a great deal of effort to find certain products and that I was going to have to compromise. I capitulated to the hydrogenated-oil laden peanut butter, but abandoned my oatmeal habit for the time being. I discovered some very cheap produce available at the large market near the Daejeon World Cup Stadium, although its a trek.

In retrospect, I wish I had jammed my suitcase full of quinoa, raw trail mix, organic peanut butter, whole-wheat crackers and sacks of oatmeal. Now, my only recourse is to plead with my mother to ship a Whole Foods-inspired care package! Id rather not imagine what that would cost in shipping fees, but I also dont want to imagine a year without quinoa!

SPRING (1/2)

Every once in a while, it happens. Your usual schedule of juggling rowdy elementary students and pulling teeth to get the middle kids to talk has been cut in half. You no longer need to leave your apartment with your hat, gloves, and/or an umbrella. You dont even need your hello kitty facemask to protect yourself against some bizarre mix of radiation and yellow dust. And if youre anything like me, when these rare moments happen, you take full advantage of it.

Bike Riding, Cherry Blossoms and the Fish Market. Last Saturday a group of friends and I braved the absurdly crowded subway to get to Yeoido Hangang Park. (Exit 2 of Yeouinaru station -Subway line 5) Before heading to the Cherry Blossom festival, we decided to take advantage of the great deals on bike rentals. For a mere 3,000won/per hour or 6,000won/per hour for a tandem bike, you can pedal your way past the 63 building, kids playing in water fountains, and hoards of families picnicking on ramen, cuttlefish and Cass. Afterwards we strolled past the National Assembly Building to join the thousands of other camera-clad festivalgoers in posing in front of every cherry blossom tree we saw.

After a long day in the sun, it was time to get our fill of fresh seafood from the Noryangjin Fish Market. When we got to Noryangjin station, we simply followed the smell of fish down a pedestrian walkway and past a parking lot until we found ourselves staring at stall after endless stall of literally everything from the sea. It is a seafood lovers heaven. We quickly found ourselves haggling for a good deal for fresh flounder, king crab, and giant prawns. Before we knew what was going on, we were whisked downstairs to a fish restaurant to be greeted by ladies eagerly waiting to take our purchases off our hands and into a steaming pot. The seller cleaned and cut our fish into absolutely delicious sashimi while the restaurant boiled the crab and grilled our prawns. They also provided the side dishes, hot soup from the deboned fish, and cold beer. Three hours and way

springtime in sunny seoulby xouhoa ching (chungdahm)

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too much sashimi later, we rolled out of the market thoroughly satisfied.

Field Day in the Park. Lucky for us we were able to run off the feast from the night before the park. About 30 teachers from several Chungdahm branches and franchises gathered together on Sunday at Ttukseom Hangang Park to enjoy the day in the sun. (Exit 2 of Ttukseom Resort station-Seoul Subway Line 7) Some chose to play ultimate and touch football, while others opted for sunbathing, people watching, and kite flying. A few even gave their best efforts on the artificial rock wall.

Once everyone was loosened up, it was time. Kickball is not a game for the faint-hearted. Sure, the rules seem easy enough. But once you start sprinting around the bases and dodging soccer balls, you quickly realize that you could definitely be in better shape. Im still getting reports of bruised knees, sore muscles, and even sprained ankles from the game! Despite the achy legs, Im glad to have spent the weekend being a big kid and eating delicious food.

Next weekend, were heading to Seoul Race Course Park to bet on the horses and Jamsil Stadium to cheer on the Twins. Hope to see you there!

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GUNS (1/2)

Intro

Bam! Pop! Crack! Kapow! I know what youre thinking, and Im not talking about the theme song from the hit 1960s hit TV series Batman(http://ualuealuealeuale.ytmnd.com/); Im trying my hardest to describe the sounds of the passing bullets shot by the Army guys while waiting my turn at the Lotte World Shooting Range. A REAL shooting range.

Location -n- price:

Located in Lotte World, aka the happiest place in South Korea, under the main amusement park where secretly miserable mascots are forced to hand out colorful balloons to please giddy kids and their secretly miserable moms, and right next to the ice skating rink littered with honeymoon couples who now have a good excuse for excessive physical contact, the placement of the shooting range can only be described as ironic. The price, which is 20,000 won for 10 bullets, seems fair until you break it down. 2,000 won for ONE bullet fired. A generic brand tequila shot sans lemon at a hole in the wall Hongdae bar for ONE bullet. A Mr. Sausage hot dog for ONE bullet. Ill be honest; I wanted to leave. However, my pride couldnt and wouldnt let me put my tail bone between my legs and walk out; I came to a shooting range and I took it like man in a shooting range would. Gimme 10 bullets. NOW, my reply was, as my wallet silently wept. The build-up:

Afterwards, I had a choice between 2 hand guns. One was a glock, and I dont remember the other, purely because when I saw the glock, my Counter-Strike past consumed me, took over, and coerced me into choosing the glock without thinking twice. Excellent. Now I would know how it would feel to spawn as a terrorist. Anyways, all I could think about as I sat waiting in my chair were those Hollywood blockbuster films where the

WELCOMEto theGUNSHOWby min shin (FHR)

the half-squinting acknowledgement stare (even though I had no idea what he had just said), nodded in slow motion for dramatic effect, and picked up the gun with two hands. I held the gun as steady as possible, aimed at the bullseye, thought of Jean Reno as Batman, and squeezed the trigger. BAM! POP! With every shot, I strangely felt parts of my stress leaving the body, and as a result, felt more at ease. Bam! Work stress. Pop! Girl stress. Crack! Financial stress. Kapow! Fam-ily stress. Bam! Family stress. Pop! Family stress. Crack! Family stress. Kapow! Family stress. (You can probably see by now where I get most of my stress from). And just like that, 1 minute later and 20,000 won poorer, I was finished.

The aftermath:

Would I go again? Well, I guess that depends if I have 20,000 won worth of stress that I can spread over 10 bullets, which probably is very likely. Or if I get a sugar momma.which probably isnt very likely.

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GUNS (2/2)main character never missed, and the countless other guys couldnt shoot to save their lives (which is probably why they ended up dead). Films like The Professional. Would I be Jean Reno? Or the other guys? Would they be Jean Reno? Or the other guys? As the army guys finished up and walked out, targets in hand, I could not help but peek. I was shocked. Aside from a few well-placed shots, the bullets were all over the place! They were the other guys. This didnt feel or seem right. I thought these people were trained to be deadly sharpshooters. I extrapolated using their data and predicted what my target would look like. It would look clean, mainly because according to the extrapolation, I would completely miss the target every single time. I wont be one of the other guys. Ill be the OTHER guy; the guy that dies within the first 30 seconds of the film. Great.

The range:

They called me in, fitted me with all of the safety gear just in case I decided to go crazy and shoot myself in the chest, and escorted me to the room with the gun and the target. The guy said something to me but I couldnt hear him because I was super focused and zoned in. Just kidding, it was because I had put on the soundproof headphones too early. Regardless, I gave him

FOLIO 5CREATIVES (1/3)

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korea:the first three yearsby sasha harrison (mokdong)These paintings represent the three years I have been in Korea in that they are paintings of the the first three Sino-Korean numbers.


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upcoming events& announcements

what: Haebanghon Music Festival (over 60 acts & Chungdahm representin!) when: May 21 (saturday) at 2P.M.where: Haebangchon, Seoulwhats the damage: check homepageevent info: www.hbcfest.com/facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000366156175&sk=wallFor more details, check out the Event Info homepage!! May 21st! Be there!!

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EVENTS

upcoming events& announcements

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EVENTS

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2011 Spring Culture Mag