Gwangju International Center

V-Day Gwangju 2013: Back for More   Date: April 6, 2013 Speaker: Leigh Hellman-Kang Reviewer: Khairunnisa Azri Edittor: Isaiah Samuel Winters   Last week’s GIC Talk on the Vagina Monologues, presented by Leigh Hellman-Kang, drew in many foreign and Korean residents, some of whom even brought their daughters, with many students in attendance as well. The speaker presented her topic with great modesty, which caused the room to grow silent as the audience became more attentive. Using PowerPoint slides heavy with data on crucial topics concerning women’s rights abuses, the talk was a wake-up call to all about human rights and feminism. Though it was filled with many statistics, the speaker was able to successfully clarify the importance of various women’s-rights issues to the audience and to present this oftentimes highly emotional topic in a very factual, level-headed manner. The bulk of the talk centered on the status and treatment of women in Korea, a focus which was informative for Koreans as well as an appeal for their support, as their interest is central to aiding those in the community who are most in need of help.   Watch the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BcHeKJ7XAAo See the photos: http://https://picasaweb.google.com/117593299426331932940/20130406_leighHellmanvKang  

  Today we received a very special guest. Doug Stuber, visiting professor at Chonnam National University and longtime member of GIC visited us and donated one million won. That's a really generous amount! We thank Doug for his generosity and for his care for the GIC.     Today we also received our first flea market donation. Two big shopping bags full of clothes! GIC is still looking for more donators to contribute. We receive all kinds of items, from clothes, books, DVDs, accessories, small home decorations and more!       Want to find out more on how to get involved: Click on the link for more info.  

 Renewable Engergy     Date: Mar, 23, 2013 Speaker: Donald Gariepy Review writer: Niez Azri Editor: Bradley Weiss      This week’s topic was rather a fascinating one. The speaker, Mr. Donald Gariepy did not use a Powerpoint presentation to illustrate his topic but instead used a slideshow of pictures to accompany his explanation of his presentation which helped grabbed the attention of the audience. He began by introducing the different types of renewable energy, followed by an introduction to some of the famous engineers and inventors of the past that directly affected how we use energy today. After this survey of historical and present energy use, he proceeded to offer his own opinion on what type of renewable energy he favors the most, that being Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC). He explained this somewhat complicated method in detail to the audience that was likely unfamiliar with the process. Mr. Gariepy then mentioned that with South Korea’s geographical position and available resources, the country has the potential to perhaps change the source for much of its energy. The talk was indeed very useful as the topic was presented and explained from an engineering perspective.   Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgXrpduxPCg&list=UUw22s4ed3HHu1d7g-teo_yw&index=1 Photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/117593299426331932940/130330_DonaldGariepy  

    Nepal-The birthplace of Buddha   Date: Mar, 23, 2013 Speaker: Anup Thapa (Nepal) Review writer: Saerin Jung (Korea) Editor: Isaiah Samuel Winters (USA)   The speaker, Mr. Anup Thapa, began this week’s talk on Nepal by taking the audience through some of the basic yet essential features of Nepal, like its unique geographical position, the weather, religion and culture. It was mostly a broad look at his home country, which he spoke of knowledgeably with the help of PowerPoint. One major topic of his talk focused on the misconception of Buddah’s birthplace. To him, too few people know that Nepal is the actual birthplace of Buddah---not India---so he devoted much of his talk to clearing up this misunderstanding. The talk is ultimately a broad overview of Nepal, though with more than enough details to expose audiences to information not easily found elsewhere.   Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gezc4K3K5qI&list=UUw22s4ed3HHu1d7g-teo_yw&index=2 Photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/117593299426331932940/130323_AnupThapa    

  MyeansimBogam– A Precious Mirror of Bright Mind   Date: 2013.3.16 Speaker: Maria Lissak & Lee Hui Chae Name: Saebom Kim Editor: Bradley Weiss   This week’s GIC talk was about the important historical Confucian primer MyeangsimBogam co-presented by  Profs. Heejae Lee and Maria Lisak. The title MyeangsimBogam means “a precious mirror of a bright mind.” Perhaps only  the name of the book  was familiar in advance to members of the audience, but the talk  provided a good  opportunity for them to  learn more about MyeangsimBogam.  For the most part, the speakers focused on providing an introduction to the MyeangsimBogam’s contents.They noted that previous to their work the complete text of the MyeangsimBogam  existed in translations such as a Spanish version and a Russian version, but there wasn’t yet an English version. As soon as  Prof. Lisak  started to learn about this book in depth through her discussions and collaborations with Prof. Lee, she wanted to make a translation into English. Thus, she made this suggestion to  Prof Lee and they explained in the talk how the translation work proceed, focusing not only the work’s Korean aspects but also aimed at English-speaking readers. In addition, they  shared with the audience some of their favorite selections  from the book. Through this book, we could all learn many universal lessons.   Style:  From the perspective of Korean members of the audience, it was very a impressive talk and  there was much gratitude toward the speakers for the introduction to Myeangsim Bogam. Even though it was an important Korean text book in the past,  many people in modern Korea have hardly  had the chance to know much about it. However, the speakers were able to deal with MyeangsimBogam  briefly and clearly. Profs.  Lisak and Lee really helped  the audience to understand the book through this talk. It was an enjoyable experience for all.   If you are interested in this topic and you missed the talk, please check the video on the GIC website or on Youtube.   Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JxCAiXa3EL8 Photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/117593299426331932940                                                           

  Bhutan, The Land of Hapiness   Date: Mar, 9, 2013 Speaker: Kelzang Review writer: Yeonjin Jung (Korea) Editor: Calen Cygan (USA)   This talk started with a brief introduction to Bhutan, where the speaker shared information about the traditional Bhutanese clothing and the meaning behind their flag. This background information gave the audience great interest about this little known country and was helpful in understanding the talk better. Also, he introduced some interesting cultural and historical facts such as they are still ruled by a king and queen in Bhutan. Furthermore, he explained the Gross National Happiness (GNH), a unique concept around which Bhutan’s government runs. Hence, this talk was a good opportunity for the audience to think about their lives, their goals and gave them some tools to help find ways to live happier lives.   Watch the talks' clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx5_UB2hPrA&list=UUw22s4ed3HHu1d7g-teo_yw&index=2 Watch the photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/117593299426331932940/March152013  

    Tour Date: April 20th, 2013 Price: 40,000 won GIC members/50,000 won non-member   (East Gate and Market - Geumseong-Gwan – Lunch “Gomtang” - Confucian Academy – Teahouse – Wansa-cheon - Bannam Go-bun - Soybean Farm Experience)   April blossoms with the flowers of spring.  It brings back the original and the perennially enjoyable GIC Culture Tour to Naju. Over the years this trip has been refined and expanded to its current robust itinerary with all of the best food, culture, and nature in the province.      This year the first stop is the old East gate of the city and the adjoining traditional market which sells of one Naju’s signature foods, fermented skate, or “hong-eo”. This pungent sinus clearing delicacy is unique to Naju; it is not for the faint of palate and it is sure to brighten any morning. Behind the market and outside the old fortress walls stands a one-thousand-year-old tutelary stone totem used for rituals of protection and prosperity for the capital city of Naju.  Like a sentinel it looks over all of those who enter the city gates.        After a brisk introduction to the outskirts of the city, the tour moves to the historic center of Naju for a guided tour of the Joseon Dynasty era provincial governor's residence and administration center along with a visit to the Naju museum.  The highlight of this palace compound is the imposing royal “hotel” in Geumseong-Gwan, which dates from the late 1400’s.  “Gomtang” is for lunch. No trip to Naju is complete without eating this hearty beef stew packed with energy for a day of traveling.       From the restaurant, participants can wander the streets and alleyways of the old aristocrats’ quarter finally arriving at the Naju Confucian Academy, the second oldest of its kind in the country. This institution has been operational since the mid 15th century and several buildings are extant from the school's founding along with its beautiful 600-year-old ginkgo tree.  Towering above and behind the academy is majestic Geumseong-san. Tea grows on this mountain and a visit to a lovely teashop nearby to drink tea enlivens the senses for enjoying the spring scenery.      Following teatime, the tour transfers by bus to Wansa-cheon, an important spring water well, where Wang Geon, the first king of the Goryeo dynasty met his queen and prepared his army for battle. From Wansa-cheon, the road is more than 15 kilometers of undulating pear orchards and fields to Bannam Go-bun, a pre-Baekjae burial site. The large burial mounds dwarf the surrounding landscape and provide a nice backdrop for a walking tour of the local farmland to a traditional soy sauce maker's home.         At the soybean farm, participants can learn about the process for making soy sauce, soybean paste, and roasted bamboo salt. Also, with arms deep in clay jars and hands full of soft paste, participants can do their fair share of the farm work, separating the soy sauce and mixing the bean paste. All products are organic and each participant receives a small bottle of soy sauce and a jar of bean paste as part of the experience! Additional items like pepper paste and bamboo salt can also be purchased directly from the producer.      This month come out and get your hands on the heartland of Jeollanam-do with the GIC Culture Tour!     More Info. Boram Lee (gictour@gic.or.kr)      

    Becoming with the Hostess with the Mostess Date: Mar, 2, 2013 Speaker: Diane Syejeong Kim Brenner Review writer: Saerin Jung (Korea) Editor: Bradley Weiss (USA)   The speaker began this week’s talk on becoming “the hostess with the mostess” with an introduction to herself and her professional and academic background. Ms. Kim Brenner explained that despite her near-native sounding fluency in English, she is actually a life-long resident of Gwangju, and even remarked that her Korean possesses a strong regional accent. This introduction  provided a very appealing way to get the audience focused on the talk.  As the speaker is currently working as both host and writer for the familiar local radio show ‘Saturday Brunch’, she talked in depth about her personal experiences  associated with the radio show. Her speaking style was actually like broadcasting. Many members of the audience perhaps felt like they were in the middle of a radio show. Ms. Kim Brenner provided a thorough, step-by-step explanation of what exactly goes into scripting and hosting a radio show, from start to finish. The finish, as she explained, is not merely when the recording is finished, but includes the step of “monitoring” by the host, wherein she reviews her own broadcasts and seeks ways to improve. The topic generated a lot of questions from the audience both during the formal question and answer period of the talk and during the smaller, open-forum discussion immediately following the talk. It really seemed like all of the members of the audience were satisfied by the day’s talk, but interestingly many of the Korean members of the audience seemed to be interested not only in the content of the speaker’s talk but also in finding out her “secret” for achieving such impressive mastery of the English language. In the end, Ms. Kim Brenner’s talk was extremely well organized, informative, and entertaining.     Watch the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTKdIhNQBdE&feature=player_embedded Watch the photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/117593299426331932940/130302_DianeSyejeongKimBrenner   

    Global Impact of Indian Culture: Indian spirituality as an art of living.   Speaker: Ashish Sharma (India)  Date: 2013.2.23 Review Writer: Saebom Kim Editor: Bradley Weiss   The topic of this week’s GIC talk was the global impact of Indian culture, but the area of Indian culture the speaker chose to focus on was spirituality. His discussion of spirituality included its relationship with organized religion. He showed a slide that compared the features of spirituality and religion, demonstrating that while they are similar, religion is just one facet of spirituality and being spiritual does not necessitate practicing organized religion.   The speaker used examples of religion in India in general to illustrate his points about spirituality in Indian culture, but he discussed his own Hindu practice and used Hinduism for a majority of his examples. He also focused on how Hinduism is a highly spiritual religion, due to its lack of centralized authority and inclusion of a large number of gods, both of which allow an individual follower to practice his or her own unique spirituality.   The speaker also discussed how in the modern world many people’s attention is shifting away from the pursuit of spiritual concerns towards material concerns. He said this is true in India as well, but talked about it on a global scale, citing the spread of Western culture and thought as one of the responsible factors.   The speaker prepared an excellent and extensive powerpoint to help illustrate his ideas. However he was so extensive and detailed that he was only able to get through about two-thirds of his prepared slides due to time constraints. The powerpoint also included some embedded videos that the speaker utilized to help illustrate his points about the history and nature of the Hindu religion for the audience. The speaker was clearly passionate and enthusiastic about the subject he was presenting. Despite being a student pursuing a post-graduate degree in science, he clearly seems to be concerned about spiritual matters and included some discussion of his own practice and ideas.   If you are interested in this topic and missed the talk, please check out the video on our website.   Watch the clips:http://(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbY5mNwjg9A&feature=player_embedded Watch the photos:  https://picasaweb.google.com/117593299426331932940/130223_AshishSharma    

        Yang-im Park_ Korean teacher This is my 5th session teaching Korean at the GIC. As time goes by, many things have changed but the thing that I have learned is that through teaching here nothing will change. I was moved by my students who never fail to come here to study, even though their working schedule is so tight. In every class, we talk about the same things, similar things and different things in different cultures and learn from each other. I hope all my students learn not only the language, but Korea, like I did.        Hong Chan-Song_Kids’ Hangeul Class Teacher I had a great time with all the lovely kids who is filled with dreams. There has been a big change in session 1 program. The class time got twice as long as it used to be. I was a little worried about the kids. To my surprise, they never got tired, and what is more, they loved it. Especially they loved bringing food and sharing it with each other. We got much closer as we spent more time together. I realized that cultural difference is not a barrier for the kids. Even though they cannot understand each other fully, they communicate. I think this is the most attractive thing in GIC Kid’s Hangeul class. I hope all my students grow with an open mind.      Ji-Hee Cho_Korean Teacher I realized a ‘teaching language’ is a ‘learning culture’ while working as a Korean teacher. I had to study the language, teaching skill, and the culture in order to teach Korean. I was able to learn many things and got to have a more open mindset. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to communicate with people from different countries.             Racheael Facenda (America) This class was well balanced and we were given opportunities to use what we learned. Thanks to 홍송이, I had a great class. She is a great teacher. J   Lucas Howerter(America) The room may have been cold but the mind of our teacher and interns were warm. Thank you very much!   Lau Ka Yuk (Hong Kong) This is my third time taking class here at the GIC. I want to study Korean here every day, if possible. Every teacher and staff member here is kind, and the class atmosphere is very good. I had fun. I will continue studying Korean here.   Henry Gerlits (America) Hey, Song-i. Thanks for tour time and patience teaching us. We learned quite a lot! Hope we can study again together, may be next semester.     A parent of Yoon Seo-Yeong_Kids’ class After the graduation ceremony, my daughter cried until the evening of that day. Thank you for all the love, care, and day-to-day effort you have made. Seo-Yeong had a difficult time because of moving, but now she is used to the new circumstances and has opened her mind. You were very helpful not only to the kids, but to the parents. I will remember the experience here as a good memory. I hope to see you again soon.