Gwangju International Center

  The Road to Democracy of Romania and the 1989 Revolution   Speaker: Nicolae Robu (Mayor of Timisoara) Date: June 15th 2013 Reviewer: Nursakinah Fatimah Binti Haji Awang Abao Proofreader: Sam Winters    The talk opened with a special performance by two sopranos singing a musical duet while accompanied by a pianist. The talk was given by Nicolae Robu, the Mayor of Timisoara, a city in Romania, and the birthplace of modern democracy in Romania. Mayor Robu gave a brief introduction to Romania in which he explained the demographics, currency, languages spoken, location and population size. He also mentioned the history of Romania and enlightened the audience on the democracy movement that emanated from Timisoara. In a very fact-based manner, the speaker described the genesis and later result of the democratic uprising beginning in Timisoara through the use of Powerpoint images. Also, a short film about the 1989 democracy movement in Timisoara was shared, better illustrating the situation during that time. During the Q&A, Mayor Robu recounted personal experiences, sharing what he witnessed during the democracy movement in 1989. Mayor Robu recalled that the movement was very dreadful, involving gunfire that caused many injuries and deaths, though fortunately not his own, as he and his wife avoided the carnage moments before it took place.   More photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/117593299426331932940/June152013#5889610986313991650 Video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl_WZ7-2_Wo&feature=c4-overview&list=UUw22s4ed3HHu1d7g-teo_yw  

    July comes and so does the summer along with the rain.  The monsoon season brings out Jeollado’s exciting sub-tropical climate with heat and humidity, moisture and fragrant lushness, interspersed with cooling downpours.  This month the GIC Culture Tour visits Buan and Byeonsan-bando National Park for two of the season’s best activities: refreshing in a mountain valley and playing at the beach!       Naeso Temple, backed by the peaks of Byeonsan-bando, begins the excursion. Buan has long been known for its silk production, particularly the all important makers of the silk thread itself, the silk worms. Silk worms love to eat mulberry leaves and as such Buan is full of mulberry fields which produce products like:  mulberry leaf tea, mulberry wine, mulberry soap, and of course fresh mulberries.  After a stroll through Naeso Temple’s impressive pine forest and a tour of the temple’s buildings, one of which houses Korea’s largest mural painting, the beautiful “White Robed Bodhisattva of Compassion,” participants can enjoy a cup or two of mulberry leaf tea in a shaded courtyard.       After tea, the tour will transfer by bus through winding mountain roads to the inner region of Byeonsan-bando National Park and the head of Bongrae Gugok Valley. There are many valleys in Korea, but only a handful have the status of “gugok;” a valley with nine curves and nine scenic spots.  Participants will walk through the upper reaches of this valley passing, rock formations, an old temple site, a forest encircled lake, and finally reaching a 30 meter high waterfall filling deep clear pools of emerald water.  During the peak heat of midday, lunch is a picnic among the rocks and cataracts of Jikso waterfall.       Returning to the bus after natural respite below one of the nation’s loveliest waterfalls, the tour continues for some more fun at Gosapo Beach.  With more than two kilometers of bright sand overlooked by a massive grove of evergreen trees and fronting long tidal recessions into the yellow sea, this beach pleases the most discerning summer connoisseur.  It is great for long walks and at low tide it is even possible to walk to Haseom Island just offshore.  A few shops and restaurants as well as nearby shower and bathroom facilities attend to beachgoers needs.   Please get your linen and silk summer threads in order, and come out for the perfect combination of mountain and beach culture with the GIC Tour!              **Since we will spend most of the day outdoors and under the elements, please prepare the appropriate clothing and accessories such as: walking shoes, sandals, swimwear, towels, hats, sunglasses, sun block and anything else you require on a summer’s day. 

Weightloss Story   Speaker: Maria Lisak Date: June 1st, 2013 Reviewer: Nursakinah Fatimah Binti Haji Awang Abas Proofreader: Sam Winters   Maria has a problem of being a diabetic. During the talk, she shared her childhood memories of when she used to buy chocolates with the pocket money that was given to her. She admitted that she was a chocoholic, and her PowerPoint was full of childhood pictures to prove it. She also mentioned that she had other bad eating habits while growing up and, consequently, has been big all her life. However, when she came to Gwangju, she managed to lose some weight. In the talk, she shared a handful of tips on how to lose weight and keep it off, and told the audience about how she spent 5 weeks in Thailand at a spa to focus on her health, where she managed to lose 13kg in 5 weeks.    Photos:https://picasaweb.google.com/117593299426331932940/20130601_MariaLisak_WeightLossStory Video Clip:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=woQiie8SKmI    

TEMPO (Indonesian Political Magazine & TV Channel) Speaker: Wahyu Muryadi and Hermien Y Hleden. Date: May 18th 2013. Reviewer: Nursakinah Fatimah Binti Haji Awang Abas Proofreader: Bradley Weiss                                         The speakers for GIC Talk on May 18 were special guests from the Indonesian political magazine and TV channel known as TEMPO. They are the recipients for the 2013 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights.  In conjunction with the events commemorating the May 18 Democratic Uprising, the speakers gave a special talk about their magazine. They provided an introduction and an overview of TEMPO magazine. They talked about freedom of expression in Indonesia, as well as some of the challenges and also the opportunities that their magazine faced. The speaker also mentioned about the struggles that they had to overcome when they were banned for four years, suffering from intense government intervention.     Photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/117593299426331932940/20130518_WahyuMuradi_peaceHumanRightsAndDemocracyGallery Clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHWo-G0o_6s

    Review of the GIC Hadong and Gurye Culture Tour   by Khairunnisa Azri (Nationality : Brunei)        For a first timer joining the GIC tour, I had no expectations at all on what lies during the tour. The good thing about the tour is that it welcomes both foreigners and also the Korean residents. This way interaction between both can easily occur, and a way for culture exchange to happen. From my own personal point of view, I really enjoyed my time during the tour. Every activity was interesting from its own aspects. Coming from a country with no existing bears, I was really at awe seeing the bears up close and them showing off their tricks and getting their attention with the tourists that came.       The tea making was also fun because I get to make my own tea from scratch. Though it might not have tasted like the good tasting teas, but the effort is important. I get to start the tea making process from the beginning picking out the tea leaves, to the end which was the tea tasting.     The final destination was the visit to the temple. A great hike to the temple because we get to see the wonders of the stream along the way. I’ve given my positive compliments to the tour because for this tour it helps a lot in understanding and experiencing the culture and the history. Time management and staffs have done a good job, helpful and friendly. Even though the tour was tiring, I really enjoyed my time, I had a lot of fun experiences. I would highly recommend it to any foreigners to participate in the tour.     >> Click to see Hadong and Gurye Culture Tour Pictures     

          June brings summer warmth and the long cool evenings of the solstice.  Peak travel season has yet to begin and it is a great time to escape the city for the countryside and the coast. This month the GIC Culture Tour visits the tourist mecca, Boseong.            Boseong is synonymous with green tea, and of course it is a prerequisite to visit one of the great tea plantations soaring above the sea. Tea has been cultivated in Boseong since the Japanese colonial period due to its ideally warm southern climate and cooling coastal breezes.  The signature hedgerows of tea, arranged for quick mechanized harvesting to ensure an intense green tea color, attract hoards of tourists thanks to great marketing and cameos in Korean dramas and films.  Mongjung Dawon, however, is one of the lesser visited plantations and restricts visitors to protect the organic tea from prying hands and incidental litter.  The factory and tea shop sit below the fields in a charming cypress forest where participants can enjoy a few cups of cool green tea after a leisurely stroll through the tea trees with one of the tea makers.          Nearby the Dawon, is the studio of Hong Seong-il, a professional ceramic artist.  Originally, from Seoul, Seong-il came to Boseong to learn about Korea’s traditional earthenware called Ong-gi.  After studying with local masters, he set up his own workshop overlooking the beautiful farmland of Boseong.  He specializes in shino glazed porcelain, and as a young artist, he is always experimenting with new forms and colors.  Particularly, he is interested in the changes that can occur in the kiln, especially when variables such as seashells and soda ash are added to the intense heat.  Seong-il will explain the process from the clay to the potter’s wheel, as well as demonstrating the glazing and firing process. Participants are able to hand dip their own cups in a choice of several glaze colors, and to help arrange the wares on trays before entering the kiln. Afterwards, the pieces will be delivered to the GIC for pick up the following week so that everyone will own an original work of art, shaped by the artist but finished with his or her own hands!     From Hong’s studio, the tour will transfer by bus to Yulpo Beach for lunch where participants can try a local specialty, “green tea pork.”  This novel dish is made from the meat of pigs that have eaten antioxidant rich tea leaves. The idea is that healthy pigs, make more nutritious and more flavorful meat, which is better for the consumer.   After lunch there will be a quick stop at a convenience store where participants can stock up on snacks, drinks, or ice cream for the last part of the the tour, a lovely coastal drive and an afternoon at the beach digging for clams!         Seonso fishing village is tucked into a little cove with a small beach and a couple of pavilions overlooking the sea. The tour will arrive at low tide and participants can change their clothes and gather their tools for harvesting “bajirak” clams in the mud.  Each person is allowed up to one kilogram of clams to take home to make delicious soups or stir fry dishes, they also make for an especially good, and in this case fresh, seafood pasta. Participants should hurry though, as the tide can rise quickly covering the prime clam beds, and inspiring and afternoon swim.  After the experience, participants can relax, rinse of their clams and sandy bodies, and get ready for the drive back to Gwangju.     Please come out for some fun in the sun, crackling glazes, and waves of tea trees with the GIC Culture Tour!     *** Since we will spent the afternoon outdoors at the beach, please bring the appropriate clothing and accessories such as: hats, long sleeves, bathing suits, sun block, sun glasses, sandals, towels, and a change of clothing.             

   Review for Daechon Region and Co-ops   Speapers: Maria Lisak & Seung-ho Lim Date: April 27, 2013 Reviewer: Khairunnisa Azri Proofreader: Calen Cygan   An introduction to the Doori Community Café, both the speakers, Maria and also Lim Seung-Ho made it clear what Doori Community Café is all about. Through the many places, they explained all the different activities they held and all the different tours they provided over the year. The speakers shares interesting information and also highlight their VisionRoot mission. It is a way for them exposing the Doori Community Café to a much wider connections. Through this, it could maybe help them welcoming in potential interested parties. The talk was exciting enough for the public to take part in giving back to the community whilst still have some fun in doing the volunteering activities.     Photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/117593299426331932940/April272013LimSeungHoMariaLisak  Video Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx5uBUL7nUM&list=UUw22s4ed3HHu1d7g-teo_yw&index=1  

  Eight grapes and tin geese: the real origin of words you thought you knew   Date: April 20, 2013 Speaker: Julien McNulty Reviewer: Khairunnisa Azri Proofreader: Bradley Weiss    Last week’s GIC Talk was a memorable and amusing talk indeed. The speaker, Julien McNulty, presented on quite a unique topic, under the title “8 grapes and tin geese: the real origin of words you thought you knew.” With his dramatic flair and charismatic charm, he shared some different accents and characterizations which lead the audience to burst into laughter several times and take pleasure in listening to his talk. He explored the histories of several different words in English, including where they originated and further explanation of little details that most people tend to miss. Moreover, in addition to being highly informative the talk gave an entertaining vibe to the audience and was really out of the ordinary.   Photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/117593299426331932940/20130420_JulienMcnulty Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0lTtvz3bVU&list=UUw22s4ed3HHu1d7g-teo_yw&index=2  

  Speaker : Calen Cygan Date : 2013 0414 Reviewer : Kyeongseok Yeom Proofreader: Bradley Weiss     This week’s GIC Talk presenter Calen Cygan talked about Sicily, including its food, history and being the birthplace of the mafia. Her speech was interesting and informative, as her she shared some of her first hand experiences in Sicily to help draw the audience in. Perhaps the audience wanted to hear even more about her personal experiences, which could have improved an already interesting speech. However, after listening to the speakers talk the audience is now more familiar with Sicily thanks to her.   Photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/117593299426331932940/April132013Calen Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5jBwCWIORk&list=UUw22s4ed3HHu1d7g-teo_yw&index=1      

  GIC Tour Preview May 2013:  Gurye and Hadong     (Jirisan Threatened Species Rehabilitation Center-Hwagae Village-Lunch-Tea Picking-Tea Making Experience-Ssanggye Temple) Cost:  50,000/60,000 won (GIC member/non-member)     May is all about the color green. The rolling green hillsides and aquamarine streams of Jirisan alive with wildlife, the fragrance of fresh picked tea, and the austere teal of a temple tucked into the woods are just a few of the things to experience in Gurye and Hadong.                First on this month’s itinerary is the Jirisan Threatened Species Rehabilitation Center. This center is the home of the Asiatic black bear, also known as the “half moon bear.”  Although the species had become extinct in Korea, since 2002, the species has been gradually reintroduced to Jirisan National Park.  Currently there are twelve bears in the rehabilitation center and nearly thirty bears living wild within the park.  Through education and conservation this center strives to protect existing wildlife and also to successfully breed and rehabilitate other threatened species. Participants can get close to the community of bears in a protected forest and learn about the efforts done at the center from one of the forestry guides.                After visiting the “moon bears,” the bus ride to Hwagae village follows the Seomjin River through some of the most scenic vistas in the country. At a restaurant high over the clear waters below, lunch is a nutritious mix of mountain vegetables and rice cooked in a stone pot, complemented by a shitake mushroom pancake.  A short walk uphill from the restaurant leads to a field of wild tea trees. With the instruction of a local tea maker, participants can pick the best leaves and buds which give the most flavorful cup of tea. Carrying the fresh tea leaves from the field, the next steps in the tea making process are withering, rolling, and roasting, which will all be done in the village center.  Finally, while the tea leaves are left to finish, participants can enjoy a cup of Hwagae tea, which according to Korea’s greatest tea master Cho Eui, is the ethereal pinnacle of Korean tea making.                With hands scented green, the stroll through the woods along the falling valley water to Ssanggye temple is a magical way to end any day of traveling. First established during the Silla dynasty, the temple later acquired its current name because of the streams converging below its entrance.   Passing through three beautiful gates, the path leads to a large temple compound with dozens of aged buildings and a well curated gallery housing many of the temples treasures.  Participants are free to wander the site, get lost in the nooks and courtyards, or have a drink of water at the ancient spring.                Please come out for a wildlife adventure, some hot cauldrons of tea, and an atmospheric walk in the forest this May with the GIC Culture Tour!