Daejeon AccessOctober 2011 Free

Think local

Fall cooking

Do you really have Medical insurance in Korea?

When is ittime toleave?

Screening the rugby world cup for the month of October 2011Dinner hours 6pm-11pm daily. Closed on Tuesday’s

Live Music on Saturday’s TBA, for more info find us on facebook (Daejeoncantina)Late night finger food available (wings, nuggets and chips)

Free salsa classes on Friday nights TBA, find us on facebook (daejoncantina)Beer Pong event TBA, we also will be showing NFL, NBA, NHL, and of course soccer!

Check website for all events

Publisher: Yujin Kim (Seffrood)Editor-in-Chief: Earl NobleProduction Manager: Todd Seffrood and Sandile Nkosi Assistant Production Manager: Earl Noble Assistant Editor: Todd SeffroodClient Accounts: Yujin Kim (Seffrood)

Daejeon Access Content

Present and Past Contributors: Mike McStay, Chris Leslie, Jeffrey Neeser, Eunjoo Byun, Mik Fanguy, Tak Sakong, Van Walker, Frankie Pantangele,Todd Seffrood, and James Bordewick

The Daejeon Access is a bi-monthly magazine founded by expatriates living in Daejeon, South Korea Web site: www.daejeonaccess.com.

Submissions to the Daejeon Access are always welcomed. Publication staff reserves the right to edit submissions for length, content and other editorial reasons and to print submissions as it sees fi t. *Opinions expressed in the Daejeon Access are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect those of the publication, its contributors or its advertisers. For more information on submissions, contact us at: daejeonguys@daejeonaccess.com *Daejeon Access wouldn’t be possible without the invaluable assistance of DICC –Daejeon International Community Center.

Do you really have medical insurance?Page 1

Think localPage 2

Fall cookingPage 3

Time to leave or time to stay?Page 5-6

Takorea- New Flavor in Daeheung DongPage 7

Chilling on the beachPage 9-10

Backdoor AccessPage 11

Fall TVPage 12

Profi le - Sunmi Lee High school teacher at Seodaejeon Girls High school

Health insurance is mandatory for all expats in Korea and is provided by the National Health Insurance Corporation of Korea (NHIC). Foreigners working legally in Korea are eligible upon receiv-ing their Alien Registration Card from Korean Immigration. In order to receive health insurance, one must first make an application for enrollment at the NHIC office. The application form should be submitted to your employer, who is responsible for remitting the application to the NHIC office with all the necessary documents.

Your employer, you, and the government contribute to your insurance plan. Here is a breakdown of the contribution rate.

really have medical insurance in Korea?

you

oD

Corporate Employee

Government Employee

Hogwan Teacher

Contribution Rate 5.08

5.08

5.08

Employee

2.54

2.54

2.54

Employer

2.54

1.524

Government

0

2.54

1.524

The Monthly contribution = average monthly salary × contribution rate

Average monthly wage = an annual salary ÷ months employed The employee pays 50% of the contribution.

If you did not enroll in the health insurance plan, but are getting deducted on a monthly basis for health coverage, then you should have a discussion with your employer. Ask for proof of your enroll-ment. Hagwons are notorious for deducting money from teachers for health insurance and pocketing the money. If a teacher becomes ill, the school will often elect to pay the medical bill out of their own pocket, or choose not to.

If you would like more information, call the National Health Insurance in Korea at 02-390-2000 or visit http://www.nhic.or.kr/wbe/wbeb/2002/11/19/207,257,6,0,0.html.

1

21

Like some of you, I came to Korea thinking it was only going to be for a short time, three months or so, and then I would return. Over 6 years later I’m still here and in that time I have been teaching English all over the Daejeon Metro area and on every level from kindy to business professionals. Despite my developing a comfortable network and clientele, four years ago I decided that teach-ing was not my true calling here. I saw a need here for true Mexican food and decided I wanted to

be the person to satisfy the craving that expats get when their appetites tire from samgyapsal and the faux-Italian “red sauce, white sauce, rose sauce, oil sauce” restaurants. Capital wasn’t an obstacle as all that took was long hours, dedication, and self-denial. The real obstacle was maneuvering through the Korean business framework, a laborious task for even the most dedicated Korean. I knew I couldn’t let the local bureaucracy be the deal breaker after all the sacrifices I had been through, especially when I see expats get excited about bringing home canned refried beans from Seoul. After a long period of reflection I realized that to succeed in Korea you have to think local.

By Alfredo “Freddie” Alvarez

LocaLthink

With that inspiration and a rebirth of faith in myself and the mission of Mexican Food Truth I built a custom taco truck. After a few weeks of being parked around the city, Daejeonites, expats and locals, who wanted the taste of authentic Mexican cuisine started trampling over each other for as if my tacos were a Who concert. Several thousand tacos and burritos later, the opportunity to open a restaurant in Dunsan-dong presented itself. My vi-sion of authentic Mexican cuisine was now coupled with a western-style entertainment experience that has been altogether lacking in Daejeon. The Can-tina features a pool table, a dart board, a singing room for expats and Koreans to belt out La Bamba, and a stage with which we can showcase profes-sional and local bands all backed by quality sound system that pleases the performers and the audience alike. All of our entertainment is supported

by a fully-stocked bar that can produce a stunning array of cocktails if you ever happen to tire of our fabulous margaritas. bar that can produce a stunning array of cocktails if you ever happen to tire of our fabulous margaritas.

This is just the foundation of our vision. We hope that our guests will approach us with ideas of how to best serve the community of Mexican food lovers in Daejeon. We want to create a dining and entertainment experience that will compel people from all over Korea to travel to this city that we love and partake of a large slice of Cantina life that they can’t get in their town. After visiting The Cantina we hope that you will also be inspired to respond to that call of your true life and follow what you love. If two longtime expats in Daejeon can do it, we are sure that you can do it.

3

Yellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow Taxi

Yellow Taxi

Fall cookingNot everyone has an oven but quite a few of you out there have purchased a Weber One-Touch from Costco. One of you has also stolen Todd’s grill from beneath the Brickhouse and when we find you we will slow smoke your children and eat them—yes we channel Mike Tyson here. (Cost-co rocks. Fixed my tire, cleaned out the tire well in the trunk, put the spare back, and all for no cost. Glad to know that my membership fee is for more than getting in the building. But I digress…) There are some other things you can do with your big grill besides flame up chicken, burgers, and steaks, and that glorious other thing is to smoke a brisket.

Get one of those huge honk-ers from Costco, running at under 9000 won a kilo.

Get one at about 14 pounds. Yes FOURTEEN FRIGGIN’ POUNDS. Get a meat thermometer. Do not trim a lot of the fat; the meat needs a fat cap so it can self-baste. Smoked fat off a brisket is referred to as “the candy” where I’m from. Cover it with a dry rub (recipe follows) and let it sit in the fridge for a day. Put all your smok-ing wood in a bucket of water after you do this. The wood has to be completely waterlogged to smoke properly. When people say soak it for an hour or two, it just demon-strates they know nothing about barbecue. Those people probably put beans in their chili as well. truly belong here,

After firing up a small amount of coals move them to the sides and place an aluminum drip pan in the center.

This is so necessary as the bris-ket is going to drip a lot of fat. The temperature has to be low, 185° F (85°C) so very few coals have to be in the Weber. You’ll have to add coals every thirty minutes or so to maintain the heat. Cook-ing a large, tough hunk of meat slowly allows the heat to melt all the connective tissue and make the meat moist and tender. When you place the rack on, make sure the space on the sides match up with where the coals are so you can easily drop the coals when you maintain the heat (some of you out there have wondered why they didn’t make the grill surface covered fully covered by the rack and now you know.)

Place the rubbed brisket fat side up on the grill, add heaps of smoking wood, and cover.

“Heaps of smoking wood” means so much wood that smoke es-capes from the edges of the cover. Any less and the smoke won’t penetrate. Cook until the internal temperature is at 180° F, about four hours or so.

Smoking a brisket takes practice, so smoke a few this summer.

Write us at daejeonguys@dae-jeonaccess.com to come over and help drink your beer while giving you pointers on smoking your brisket.

Wine pairing: White when you smoke it, red when you eat it, pink if you run out of white.

Dry Rub Recipe

You can put a combination of these ingredients or all of these ingredients in a variety of proportions and you’ll have a great dry rub. We suggest measuring and writing it down because if you like what you did, you can do it again.

• Black pepper• Salt• Chili powder• Garlic powder• Onion powder• Paprika• Dried parsley• Dried oregano• Chat Masala• Cumin• Cayenne pepper• Dry mustard• Brown sugar

(we at Daejeon Access never use sugar in our rubs but many people swear by them)

Yellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow Taxi

Yellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow Taxi

Yellow TaxiYellow Taxi

Yellow Taxi

Yellow

Live music from Rock to JazzWednesdays - 3,000 won cocktails

Thursdays - Ladies Night

Friday is Yellow Day - 5,000 won pizzas!

Located in Dunsan-dong, 3 blocks from Time World Galleria. On the corner above Garten Bier on the 4th Floor

Yellow Taxi has: a nice long bar, friendly staff, pool table, dartboard, large dance floor, booths, and stage for LIVE MUSIC!

-Tell them Daejeon Access sent you^^

5

T here are people

who come to Korea for one year, have an experience, and then re-turn. There are some people who stay for two or three years, have a richer experience and then return or go off to another country for an-other experience. Then there are people who stay for longer, their stay here in Korea open ended. These people enjoy their lives here, make friendships and form rich bonds with their neighbors and co-workers. They have rela-tionships with significant others and they form professional con-tacts that they will take with them for their whole lives. Some get married and begin to raise chil-dren, putting roots even deeper into this country. For these people the question is deep, a question

Timeto

that holds an answer that may uproot families and change lives in a manner so profound that recovering from the decision will leave a deep mark on a person’s psyche.

When is it time to leave?

You have to know that you are going to leave. You have to know that this is not your home, not the place that you want to dig deep and sink in those roots, not the place that you belong. That is the twenty buck question—do you belong here? That’s the first question a person needs to answer before they can go on. If you decide that, for reasons of family, career, or comfort that you belong here, truly belong here,

then the question of where to leave is moot. Your time to leave is only on vacation and there is no shame in that.

If you don’t belong, truly have no real place in this society, then you have to leave.

You have comfort, financial secu-rity, and respectable profession, things that may not be available in this uncertain economy, yet you know that you do not belong and therefore you have to leave.

The options are simple and short: return home or go to another country.

You can take up another profes-sion in another country, not

When is it...time to leave?

6

“Don’t be afraid”

toleaveunheard of since people do gain other qualifications prior to leav-ing. You can go to another coun-try and practice the same profes-sion if there is an opening there, which country is immaterial since the discussion is about leav-ing, not about what you want to do. For many there is a demand for what they do, for others the choices are not as extensive yet more financially rewarding.

Yet the question of when to leave is not answered by the options.

When to leave is a choice that comes from the moment or comes from the reflection of one’s life. When to leave can be com-pelled by the future of staying or

by the opportunity of elsewhere. It could also come from wander-lust.

If you think your life is re-peating last year, then sign the new contract but plan to leave.

Your plan may be a one-year, two-year, or (gasp) a three year plan, but make a plan. Think about finances, location, profes-sion, and personal relationships when you make your plan but most importantly do make a plan. We all know the person who declared “I’m outta this cheap hotel.” And then saw that person back in Daejeon less than a year later. They tell you why they’re back “I want to

travel in Asia more.” “I missed sam-gyap-sal dinners.” “The driving in this country made me feel truly alive.” But most likely the real reason is that they had no plan for what to do when they left and they were bereft of op-portunities that provided a rich and sustainable lifestyle.

Most of all don’t be afraid to change your plan after you make it. You may even decide to stay. One year is more than enough time to realize you belong.

When is it...time to leave?

7

The menu is tweaked on a regular basis offering a variety of cream soups, salads, and entrees; a chalk-board out front displays the specials of the day.

The soup I sampled was as delicious cream of broccoli soup, served with warm dinner roles and a side of savory garlic butter. The ingredients are fresh. This is true not only of the soups, but also the delicious dipping sauces. A choice of red and green sauce, Pica de Gallo (chopped tomato, chilli, onion and a secret ingredient) and Takorea’s own Kimchi sauce. I liked the Chicken burrito.

A well portioned, flavorful lunch time snack, served with a rice, egg and vegetable medley, and a simple tomato and lettuce salad. For me, the burrito did lack a punch in terms of spice, but there is a rea-son for that. Roberto is no stranger to Korea and believes that in order to maintain an appeal with Korean customers, as well as Westerners, he must gradually introduce his customer base to the tra-ditional flavors of Mexican fair. He is keenly aware that the thick sauces, rich flavors and fiery

Some Straight from the streets of Hong Kong,that’s right Hong Kong, a new eatery has ar-rived in downtown Daejeon. Mexican born Roberto Olguin (Managing Director) has cut his teeth in the Asian restaurant market over the past nine years and has now arrived in Daejeon. His mission: to win over Korean and Western food lovers with his brand of Mexican cuisine. At first glance you know that you’ve found something new and intriguing nestled amongst the

many barbecue restaurants and beer hofs of Daeheung-dong. Brightly colored walls, simple table settings and friendly staff invite you into a new world of downtown dining. Free of clutter and impeccably clean, food takes center stage at the Takorea Mexican Grill.

“The premiere dish of Takorea is the Enchilada”

The cheese Enchilada is two corn tor-tillas stuffed with cheese, smothered in a tangy, red sauce, topped with onions and another healthy dose of cheese.

Keep your eyes open in the coming week for Ta-korea on www.groupon.kr for new special offers.

TakoreaA New Flavor for Daeheung Dong

condiments associated with his native food can be unsettling to some. I personally begged him to upset my stomach on my next visit!

8

1. Terribly short summer is over; sweaters and hoodies coming out soon.

2. American Football and the Rugby World Championships just scream autumn.

3. Fall BBQ parties. Great weather for them.

4. Time to break up and meet someone new; your summer love is so OVER.

5. Spend all your extra money from low utility bills on something worthy, like a Jaeger shot.

1. Your summer love dumps you.

2. Back to whiny freshmen (if you teach at a university).

3. Breaking out in an intense sweat after being outside for five minutes.

4. Soon the long Korean winter will set in. That’s nuggin futz.

5. “Look at these rocks!”

Moshiso Babo

Daejeon Access, in doing research for an article, opined that there is no

immediate need to declare boyfriend/girlfriend status. When one tires of

the other, they stop seeing each other. If that comes after two dates or two

thousand, it doesn’t change the fact that when one tires of another, one

stops seeing the other person.

A woman rebutted that women just want to make sure that the man isn’t

cheating on her.

Daejeon Access did not say, but did think:

“Doesn’t making someone a boyfriend quickly hasten the chance to cheat?

If one isn’t a boyfriend, then it isn’t cheating.”

Write us at daejeonguys@daejeonaccess.com

RelationshipsR R

9

The Korean summer days of oozing sweat and discomforting heat have come and gone. Despite the rain that made it seem like God was crying, I made it to some beaches for some R&R. The Korean pen-insula offers an abundant selec-tion of beaches to choose from on

the coastline along the Yellow Sea, East Sea, and South Sea. Due to Busan and the Mud Festival’s popularity, most people have already visited Dae-cheon Beach on the West Coast and Haeundae, and Gwangalli Beach in Busan. Haeundae beach is usually crowded and strewed with beach umbrel-las, so overwhelmingly it may lie unrecognizable as a beach. Gwangalli, on the other hand, may not be tainted by the sight of umbrellas covering most of the beach, but the view of buildings and a bridge is reminds you of a bustling city and does not offer a genuine sense of tranquillity. Daecheon Beach, mentioned earlier, doesn’t become as populated as the two in Busan, except during the Mud Festival. This beach is probably the closest to Daejeon and is the best option for a quick getaway from home.

I have been told by quite a number of individu-als that the East Sea contains some of the best beaches on mainland Korea.

I have had an opportunity to visit beaches in Gang-neung and Sokcho and would agree that some of the best beaches in Korea are indeed on the East Coast. The sand on these beaches is whiter and the water is clearer. Apart from the beaches, a drive along the East Coast is also a worthwhile venture. If you can’t make it by car, there are also buses and trains operating along the coast traveling from city to city.

While Korean summers are excruciatingly hot and humid, the proximity of the beaches is a blessing.

Try exploring new areas and new beaches, rather than flocking to those with which you are well acquainted. Keep all of this in mind when the sum-mer of 2012 rolls around.

Chilling on

10

Looking Back at Breaks in the Rain

Visit http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=745616 for more information about the beach-es in Korea.

Summer Festivals Galore!

In July•Boryeong Mud Festival on Daecheon Beach from 07.16.2011 ~ 07.24.201

In August•13th World Championships in AthleticsVisit http://www.daegu2011.org/do/front/page/ticket_info?lang=kr for ticket and additional information.

•Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival - this enjoyable event is held in the COEX Centre every year and features six days of movie-watching

In September•Baekje Tomb Festival (Hansong Paekche Cultural Festival) - celebrated over three days to commemorate the Hansong and Paekche Kingdom empires, who helped shape Korean culture. There is folk dancing, a folk fiesta, and a dazzling procession•Andong Maskdance Festival in Gyeongsangbuk-do Andong-si Pungcheon-myeon Hahoe Village from 09.30.2011 ~ 10.09.2011

Visit http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_2_2.jsp?cat=1&area=&dateStart=02-01-2009&startDate=20090201&dateEnd=&endDate=&keyword=&category=&areaCode=&gotoPage=&stype=&cid=697123

the Beach

11

Open: Monday-Saturdays 11am - 11pmSunday 11am - 10pmAll food available for take out (042)-221-8005 Location: at the crosswalk next to the Catholic Cathedral Book-store, beside the Korea Exchange Bank(KEB) in Daehung-dong, and kiddie corner from the Flying Pan Italian restaurant.Wifi available

Menu accommodates a full range of food tastes, including

vegetarians.

Danny, the head chef mastered his culinary arts in Australia and the difference in taste is mouth-wateringly palpable!

The Mill offers a Western-style environment that feels like home.

Backdoor Access

12

From Sy-Fy:Eureka is in its fourth season and this quirky show is more hit than miss (with Syfy it’s usually more miss than hit.) All the best minds in the nation tucked away in a little town doing high-level government research. The dramedy had a lame season but now it seems to have more life. Colin Ferguson, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Erica Cerra and the always reliable Joe Morton star.

Warehouse 13 is the best out of the Syfy schedule. There are artifacts in the world with strange powers that wreak havoc. The fate of the world I sometimes in the balance and the Warehouse agents are the only thing standing between order and chaos. The basis for the show seems like the old Friday the 13th: The Series. Straightforward actionish comedy with lovable characters. The terrific Saul Rubinek plays the curator with Eddie McClintock (a David Boreanaz clone) and the super hot Joanne Kelly. A must for science fiction fans.

Haven is back and we watch it and can’t figure out why. Weird town has weird things happening and an FBI agent decides to stay in the town since it may provide clues to her past. Season opens with her may not being who she thinks she is since another Audrey Parker, FBI has showed up. Worth a look. Stars Emily Rose as Audrey Parker.

From TNT:Leverage is easily the best of the bunch. Timothy Hutton, Gina Bell-man, Christian Kane, Beth Riesgraf, and Aldis Hodge do a great job as a crew of con artists who put their evil powers in the service of good. Who doesn’t like con shows? We love all the names they drop for con schemes and the way the characters argue about them. As always with TNT, quirky lovable characters drive the show.

Franklin and Bash Oh no, not another legal show. Yet the interesting duo of Breckin Meyer as Franklin and Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Bash may pique the interest of those who bemoan their lack of TV choices in the summer. Malcolm McDowell provides a bit of integrity.

Rizzoli and Isles The gorgeous Angie Harmon leads this (Oh no, not another) crime drama as Detective Rizzoli but it is Sasha Alexan-der as Dr. Maura Isles that seems to be the attraction. Harmon’s character is two dimensional while Alexander has a deeper character. First season was crap, but this season it looks like they may actually write lines that develop Angie Harmon’s character. If they don’t, this will probably be the last season of Rizzoli and Isles. Then again, Jericho was a great show and it got cancelled.

See for yourself:Alphas, the new sci-fi show from Syfy and Falling Skies, the post-apocalyptic drama starring Noah Wyle and the always luscious Moon Bloodgood (is it her voice?)

tvFall

All of your shows are coming back after

summer hiatus. Dae-jeon Access suggests watching these while

you wait.

Watch these while waiting for

Remember downloading

is illegal

1. In your opinion, what is the standard for living overseas?

I’ve been to New Zealand for 1 month. I lived with a native family there. Last winter I visited my sister’s house in New York. Living in another place is attractive in some ways, but Daejeon is the loveliest place to live in for me.

2. If you were stranded on a desert is-land and could have only one book, one CD, and one movie, what would they be?

If I were stranded on a desert, then I would want to have an encyclopedia or a bible and I wouldn’t need any music or movies because of the electricity problem or the devices. Am I realistic?

3. Where is your favorite place to go for a weekend getaway?

To me, my favorite place to go for weekend gateway is the front yard of Daejeon Art Mu-seum. I like to see people enjoy their free time. I also like to go to Seoul in weekends to my friends or sisters. As you know, Seoul is the capital of Korea and has many nice places to visit such as Insadong and the Hangang River

4. What are your favorite sports teams?

I like Hanwha Eagles team most. I, how-ever, don’t watch their games a lot. Maybe you know the reason even though I don’t say anything (TT). I like baseball because it is a psychological game among the players.

5. What’s the most embarrassing thing to happen in your professional life?

I like my work most of the times. Some-times, however, I feel bad due to too much work or many burdens. I take some respon-sibilities for my work. I get easily tired and frequently sick these days.

6. What’s the most annoying thing about expatriates in Daejeon?

I think most of the foreigners in Daejeon are kind. In every place people should be polite to each other anyway

8. What’s the best thing about expatri-ates in Daejeon?

The best thing is that they like to live here. With this, we can have a lot in common . How can we live together if they don’t enjoy living here? I can feel their love for Daejeon.

Daejeon Access Profiles: Sunmi Lee.High school teacher at Seodaejeon Girls High School