InDaegu-Sept2011

Debec– Top cusTomer loyalTyDebec is virtually the only local department store in Korea.

While local department stores in other cities like Busan, Daejeon, and Ulsan went bankrupt, due to IMF and financial crisis, Debec has survived with its own competi-tiveness and reputation.

Hence, Debec has confidence in hold-ing its ‘status’ despite Hyundai.

The confidence of Debec comes from the their inherent image of ‘local shopping mall’, ‘regional shopping mall’ and conserv-ative propensity of consumers in the Daegu region.

A Debec official said, “Customers aged forties and fifties think that Debec is a model of department stores they recall since they were young, so an intimate mar-keting strategy to satisfy the taste of local residences is available to us.”

In particular, Lotte and Hyundai have to compete to attract young customers, so if Debec successfully manages to take care of existing older customers, then they can win back the first place of the department store market in Daegu.

As the opening day of Hyundai Department Store has come and gone, the restructuring of the ‘Department Store Market’ in Daegu region is getting attention.

The major concerns in commercial circles are two kinds: whether Hyundai Department Store, the largest department store in size can overtake front-runners,

Daegu Department Store (Debec and De-bec Plaza) and Lotte Department Store, and whether the size of the regional department store market will expand as the structure of department stores in Daegu transforms into a 3-way duel.

Since Lotte opened their first Daegu branch in 2002, the department store mar-

InDaeguseptember 2011www.in-daegu.comDaegu’s International Newspaper

Continued on pg 18

Continued on pg 18

24 hour Pizza Delivery! Unlimited Pizza! Rail Biking in Korea Andong Mask Festival A Taste of Vietnam

Originally reported by Maeil, by 임상준Translated by Sangwoo KiM

Lee, a fifth grade elementary school stu-dent in Suseong-gu, complains about an after-school English class taught by a for-eign teacher, last semester. His expectation of learning English from a native speaker of English turned into disappointment.

“The teacher taught us some easy vocab-ulary, and then finishes the class. An answer to a student`s question is often vague, and I feel that he/she is just killing time without much enthusiasm.”

The level of foreign teachers in Daegu and Gyeongbuk Province is inferior to the expectation of students and school parents, so it causes great discontent among them.

More than 90 percent of schools in Daegu and Gyeongbuk Province employed foreign teachers, but the proportion of what they deem ‘excellent foreign teachers’, higher than a grade of 1 for having several years of educational experience in Daegu and Gyeo-ngbuk, is at the bottom among 16 provinces. Foreign teachers are evaluated and classified into five grade levels, from grade 1+ to grade 3, according to their degree and teaching ex-perience.

According to the report, ‘Current state of foreign English teachers’ which Ministry of Education, Science and Technology(MEST) submitted to Kim Sundong, a member of Na-

Low Foreign Teacher Levels

Department Store Showdown in Daegu

ket in Daegu has been changed from the competition between Debec and Dong-a Department Store to the competition be-tween Debec and Lotte.

The restructuring of the department store market in Daegu, which is from a two-way competition to the triangular composition is unavoidable due to the emergence of Hyundai.

A department store official said, “The sales for two years after Hyundai’s opening will have a continuous effect on the rank-ing of department stores in Daegu, so the competition will grow intensely.”

Originally reported in Maeil, by 채정민Translated by Sangwoo KiM

tional Assembly in August, the employment percentage of foreign teachers in Daegu is 99.3% and that in Gyeongbuk Province is 91.6%; Daegu and Gyeongbuk Province hold high ranks in the survey <Table 1>. The number of students per foreign teacher in Daegu (647 students) and Gyeongbuk Prov-ince (538 students), also hold high ranks.

However, the level of foreign teach-ers is very low. The percentage of teachers with grade 1+ shown in the MEST report in Daegu and Gyeongbuk Province is 2.6% (17 teachers), 2.4% (14 teachers), respectively, and Daegu ranked 14th place and Gyeong-buk Province ranked 15th place among 16 provinces. Widening the range to grade 1+ and grade 1, Daegu ranked 14th place with 14.5% (83 teachers), and Gyeongbuk Prov-ince ranked at the bot-

LeTTeR FRoM The eDiToRs

InDaegu DIstrIbutIon Downtown:

» City Hall » Daegu Tourism Kiosks » Travellers Bar and Grill » YBM » YMCA » Star Kebab » Caliente

Universities anD schools:

» Daegu University » Daegu Catholic

University

» Keimyung University » Kyungpook University » Yeungjin College » Yeungnam University » Over 400 foreign

language academies

Government: » City Hall » Daegu Conventions

and Visitors Bureau » Daegu Gyeongbuk Free

Economic Zone » Daegu Police

Headquarters » Daegu Tourism Kiosks » EXCO

Us armeD Forces locations:

» Camp Carroll » Camp George » Camp Henry » Camp Walker

publisher HannaH Seo

executive editor Craig WHite

managing editors Priya Sam, Laurent SeWeLL

assistant editor SangWoo Kim

copy editor erin Petrey, ingrid HoLguin

project support managers JoyCe Ko, taeJoon Byun

project support assistant angeLa Wong

writers /editors CHarLene arauJo, david BirCHaLL, LuCaS BraiLSford, SHeLLey d'Souza, miKe davieS, WaverLy de BruiJin, niCK eLWood, traviS HayeS, CatHerine LaWS, david manSeLL, Steven moore, aaron murray, JuLiuS niCHoLSon, Quinn oLBriCH, LeSLie PatriCK, erin Petrey, KennetH QuiLLinan, CHriS tHomPSon, Priya Sam, Laurent SeWeLL, miCHeLLe van BaLKom-niCHoLSon, roBert WiLLiamS, andrea WiLSon, azaeL viLLarreaL

translators eunoK Lee, BoSun Kim, SangWoo Kim, Boyoung KWon, HWa one SHin, Hyemin Lee, merea Lee, SeHee Lee, yuJeong Lee, dean Seo, yeonJoo Seo

graphic and web designers Jeff mueLLer, Ben raLSton, PaoLo deLa roSa

photographers dyren BiLLuPS-adamS

CR

ED

ITS

All works are copyrighted by Galbijim Media, 2008-2011, under Creative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 2.5.Attribution. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensorNo Derivative Works. You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.WiTh The UnDeRsTAnDing ThAT:Waiver — Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder.

Selected articles have been used by permission for Maeil Shinmun, Daegu's largest newspaper. All other contents are copyright protected by Galbijim Media

Have a smartphone and looking for helpful info about Daegu? Snap a pic of our QRCode using your favorite QRCode Scanner and gain access to our useful app for visiting or living in Daegu (It's a work in progress, so please feel free to give feedback and input to [email protected]).

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distribution points!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the September issue of InDaegu. Some new faces and some old faces helped out a lot. Lots of experimenting going on right now, based on reader feedback. We please ask for you to continue to express your thoughts on what kind of content you like to read or want to read more of. And we're always looking for more writers in different parts of the city, who'd like to share info on a good local place they had dinner at or something interesting worth talking about. Never hesitate to shoot us an email at [email protected] or visit our Facebook Wall, by searching us at 'In Daegu'.

Cheers,

Craig

Craig WHiteExecutive [email protected]

2 ■ InDaegu ■ september 2011

september 2011 ■ InDaegu ■ 3

NEWS

Photo News

IAAF photos from Maeil Shinmun's photographers.

World Championships in Athletics. A photo recap from Maeil newspaper, InDaegu, and FACE magazine reporters


NEWS

IAAF photos from FACE magazine's Dyren Billups-Adams

InDaegu

InDaegu

InDaegu

InDaegu InDaeguIAAF photos from InDaegu's Kenneth Quillinan


RESTAURANTS

I enjoy getting free things. I always have. Truthfully, one of my favorite things about Korea is that I receive free things almost daily. My shopping bag at cosmetic stores is always stuffed with samples of various lo-tions and potions; the fact that I don’t know whether they are supposed to go on my face or my feet is irrelevant. Every time I buy my GS salad, I watch happily as the clerk rushes to the beverage coolers to get me a compli-mentary water or soda or strangely-flavored milk. I’ll even gladly accept religious pam-phlets, despite the fact that I have never been to church a day in my life, so long as I get free tissue. I really do like free things. So, because of my love of gratuitous items, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Poom-Roof Gar-den Restaurant.

After a brief stint in the waiting room, which was equipped with a TV, computers and free beverages, my friend and I were led

to our table. For us, this included walking past a waterfall going down the staircase, but we were informed that it is not usually there. Sometimes, we decided, it is best not to ask questions. Still, the interior designer of Poom deserves a pat on the back. The restaurant, across from Memorial Park in downtown Daegu, is bright, chic and clearly inspired by nature. There is even a pond for diners to gaze at; albeit, it is sorely lacking in fish and is overly abundant in algae. If you can, snag a window seat; there is quite a nice view of the park.

If you’ve eaten at a Korean fusion restau-rant before, you will find the menu fairly un-surprising. Pastas, salads, pizzas, and steaks are the majority of the foods offered with the usual translation curiosities thrown in (I had no idea what finger meat steak was sup-posed to be). We ordered barbeque chicken with rice and the salmon salad. The former

Written by andrea wilSonTranslation by Yeonjoo Seo

Poom! NibbLeS

▶ New calzone at Costco. 4000 won. Located in food court. No mem-bership card needed. Getting there cheap and easy will require a taxi from Keungogae Station.

▶ Cannabia Hemp Beer. Recently spotted at the Imported Beer sec-tion of Sangin Home Plus. Likely to be found elsewhere, if that's your thing.

▶ Cafe Bennigan's opened up its 2nd location in Korea, in the basement of the new Hyun-dai Department Store. Other location is at D-Cube City by Seoul's Sindorim Station. Nice to see a franchise trend bypass Busan before getting to Daegu, for a change. Scaled down menu from the regular Bennigan's, featuring pizzas and sandwiches.

was decent; the chicken had a nice tang, but the rice was accompanied by a strange sweet sauce that rather confused my taste buds. The dish did, however, include a re-fillable portion of corn salad. Anyone that truly knows me will acknowledge that this in itself is enough to make me recommend an item. The raw salmon with a sesame seed dressing was delicious, but calling the menu item a salad is pushing it. Fish outnumbered lettuce about 5:1.

Although the main courses failed to tru-ly impress, the after-meal service redeemed Poom’s culinary shortcomings. Once fin-ished with our meal, we were handed a des-

sert and beverage menu, sans prices. Ap-parently, practically unlimited sweets and coffees is a gimmick used by both Poom and its sister restaurant, Ddeu Ra Rae. What an effective gimmick it is! When all was said and done, we had consumed ice cream, a parfait (oddly adorned with a single saltine cracker), a cherry aid and a cappuccino, all for free.

Certainly there are better restaurants in Daegu but few have decent food, good prices, a great atmosphere, and a staff that adamant-ly insists you continue ordering complimen-tary fare. Twist my arm, why don’t you? ■

From Soup to Nuts. From A to Z. From Start to Finish. From Stem to Stern. The fol-lowing are the *ahem* ingredients of what you need to know about pizza in Korea.

If one thing is certain among Western food in Korea, they are infatuated with pizza. On any given street, you can see pizza deliv-ery motorcycles racing all over the place, ranging from western staples like Pizza Hut, Domino's, Papa Johns to popular local fran-chises like Pizza Etang and Mr.Pizza.Some important things of note as far as Ko-rean pizzas go:

SurpriSe!Look at that picture! Cheese stuffed crust! Yum! *Chomp*...uhh....wtf is this? Oh, that's sweet potato. Yeah. Where some wise-ass friend back in the West absolutely must have anchovies on his pizza, rest as-sured, they don't do that here, but make up for it with having potatoes on pizza, sweet potato drizzled all over it, and, naturally, kernel corn.

SideSIt doesn't matter if you eat in or have it delivered, you almost always will be given sweet pickles on the side. And usually par-mesan and hot sauce, as well.

Ordering inSome good news and bad news with that. Bad news first, it’s a pain to get your local guy to deliver what you want, where you want, from the first time, as you need to recite the labyrinth of an address you have. Or you can just walk there and show them your written address and number, if the place is nearby. Good news is that once he knows where to find you, the rest is taken care of for future orders. And knowing that you are likely the only foreigner to ring him up, you’ll likely have future calls occur similar to how my friend in Ulsan orders his pizza:

Friend: Hello?Pizza guy: Ok, bye-bye.

▶ Taco Bell Korea continues to make more footprints in 2011. Still all in Seoul, though. As with Cafe Bennigan's, Taco Bell opened up in Seoul's D-Cube City shopping com-plex, and has another location planned for Sincheon (that's Sincheon, north of the Han River, not the Sinchon on the south side). They've now got 4 in the Seoul area, outside of Yongsan Garrison. Here's hoping that the fad continues its way south.

From Soup to NutsFrom Soup to NutsKorean Pizza

From galbijiM.coMwritten by craig white


RESTAURANTS

With its first restaurant ‘Fall in Shabu’ hav-ing opened in Beomeo (2005) and four more since, Shabu Shabu restaurants have earned a well-deserved reputation of serving hearty, healthy, and heaping soup bowls to the peo-ple of Daegu. ‘Fall in Shabu’ is officially the best Shabu Shabu restaurant in Daegu, and it won’t take long for you to agree.

The beginnings of Shabu Shabu are widely believed to be Japanese; however, the food originally comes from the 13th century Mongolian tradition of nabemono (‘one pot’ cooking). Mongolian soldiers used their met-al helmets as a cooking pot to boil together thin slices of beef, vegetables, and water in a ‘Shabu Shabu’ (roughly translated ‘swish swish’) fashion. The meal provided much needed fuel to fight.

This tradition is clearly evident in Shabu Shabu’s style of cooking. Upon arrival, you’ll find a large round metal dish at the middle of the table, with split sections for spicy and/or non-spicy soups. The menu consists of an easy choice between meat or seafood platters. Shabu Shabu food is intended to be enjoyed with a group of people and like most Korean restaurants, you must opt for at least two platters; so, I don’t recommend coming here alone. The portions are huge, to say the least.

This is the point where ‘Fall in Shabu’ re-ally becomes unique. While its sister restau-rants provide plates of vegetables, rice and salad to accompany your choice of mixed seafood or meat, ‘Fall in Shabu’ instead offers a buffet style arrangement, where you can help yourself to unlimited, yes, UNLIMIT-

ED amounts of extras to your meal. Choices range from a rotund variety of bean sprouts, mushrooms, bok-choy, leeks, potato slices, salad leaves and kimchi- to name a few. The best part of the restaurant is that you can cook everything exactly how you want it. Most people start by adding vegetables first, then the meat. Keep adding whatever you need, whenever you want. Once you start nearing your gut capacity, get ready for noo-dles and heart-shaped rice cakes to top off the meal. By this time, the soup will have taken on all the meat flavours, and you’ll be left with a thick meaty broth. Delicious! Order some rice, and they’ll fry it at your table with an egg, carrots, and seaweed. If you’re still hungry after all that, there’s a desert table of unlimited cake, jelly, popcorn- to-go, ice tea,

and six flavoured juices to make absolutely sure you won’t leave unfulfilled (Don’t forget the complimentary coffee machine!).

While the interior isn’t your stream lined, ultra modern, stainless steel “in your face” kitchen design, the calming light fix-tures in the ceiling and wooded interiors add a mood that more than makes up for it. With two spacious dining rooms, there is ample room for families and friends alike and two large private rooms are available to book for a special occasion. If the kids get bored, there’s a jungle gym and an arcade to keep them occupied at the back, away from sight.

Exit Beomeo 2 and ‘Fall in Shabu’ is on your left, just past the SK oil. Serving food from 11:40 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., you can feast here all day. Enjoy! ■

Swish! Swish! Shabu Shabu

Welcome to Korea, where ‘Hello’ can be your lone trigger word that sets the wheels in motion for having your favorite pizza de-livered to be at your house with no hassle, in 20 min or less.

But to iron out the process on that first time, it’s good to know some Korean:

pizza KOreanI'd like to order a pepperoni pizza.= 뻬뻬로니 피자를 하나 주세요

" " a supreme (loaded) pizza.= 수프림피자 (모든 토핑 있는 피자)를 하나 주세요

Two pizzas.= 두개 주세요.Three pizzas.= 세개 주세요Side of hot wings= 핫윙도 하나 주세요.Side of spaghetti= 스파게티도 하나 주세요.Extra sauce= 소스를 많이 주세요Extra cheese= 치즈를 많이 주세요

Thin crust= 얇은 크러스트로 해주세요Cheese-stuffed crust= 치즈크러스트로 해주세요Large cola= 라지콜라 주세요

My address is...= 주소는요...Possible response you'll hear before/after: 주소가 어떻게 되세요? / 네, 알았습니다 (or repetition of the address to make sure)

My phone number is...= 제 전화번호는...Possible response you'll hear before/after: 전화번호가 어떻게 되세요?

How long will it take to get here?= 여기까지는 시간이 얼마나 걸려요?Possible response you'll hear before/after: 20분 정도 걸릴거예요. (about 20 minutes)

I'd like to change my order= 잠깐, 주문을 바꾸고 싶어요I'd like to cancel my order= 주문을 취소하고 싶어요I ordered awhile ago and am still waiting.

How much longer?= 얼마전에 주문했는데 얼마나 더 기다려야돼요?

FuggedabOutit KOreanHold the corn= 콘 빼주세요Hold the potatoes= 감자 빼주세요

unlimited pizzaIf you’ve ever spent time asking around for restaurant recommendations in Myeong-dong, Seoul’s famed fashion district, then you likely have heard of the well-reviewed ‘Il Mazzio’. Their namesake is ‘unlim-ited pizza’, or in Korean, 무한리필 피자. They’ve since started franchising and the good news is that Il Mazzio has opened up in Daegu’s Siji area. If coming out of Exit 5 of Sinmae Station, head straight along the busy road for a few minutes and look for it above Dunkin Donuts on the right side. If you’re downtown and are fretting about making a trip to Siji, then you can trying searching for this next one that doles out endless pizza. They are more commonly

known as ‘공평동 34번지’ but from the street front, you can see their sign called ‘베프하우스’, located above Cold Stone, south of Debec and on the street opposite the stage from Burger King.

24 hOur pizzaMost of us from the West expect the com-forts of late night/early morning pizza de-livery. Coming home from a long night out on Sat and calling up pizza delivery at 3am, is about as reliable as finding a Slurpee ma-chine in a 7-11. While I can’t help you with the Slurpees, there is one place in Daegu that offers 24 hour pizza delivery service, however, the delivery range is limited. They are called Bori Pizza and will deliver to anywhere in Nam-gu, Jung-gu (Daebong, Namsan, and Bongsan-dong areas), and Dalseo-gu (not the Sangin side of Dalseo, but the Duryu Park area of Dalseo-gu). If you’re not in these areas, you can call them up and try begging, if you know how to do it in Korean. (053) 476-0369 ■

WRITTEN BY catherine lawS

It’s after work and this is the night little Jen-ny or Andy decided to drive you up a wall. Let’s be realistic, you need a drink, maybe some food, too. You could go downtown like the rest of the herd and sit in the same shoe-box painted black with eardrum splitting pop music. You could find a quieter place, but then again you would have to have to deal with the staff hovering around the same two customers the entire night and consequently ignoring the other fifty guys waving empty pitchers and glasses trying to get their atten-tion. You could go to one of a million places in the city with names that sound like they came out of a random Scrabble letter draw, or you could go to a little bit of heaven on earth. The place: Hof–n-Joy.

Hof–n-Joy, a long standing after work hangout for foreigners and Koreans alike, is where to go to avoid the aforementioned pandemonium and unwind. In 2002, Mr. Lee, an extremely likeable and selfless host, opened what has become one Daegu’s best watering holes. Located in Beomeo Dong, Hof–n-Joy greets everyone with a warm atmosphere. The far wall has a huge flat screen TV that shows movies and sports. And most importantly, the seating doesn’t look like someone raided a six-year-old’s tea

party. That’s right; it features comfortable chairs and four sofas. Hof-n-Joy has a vari-ety of liquors, beers, and of course, soju and soju cocktails. My favorite is the 3,000 won tequila shots.

If you are hungry, you can have regular Korean dishes like stir fried tofu and kimchi, stir fried octopus or the ultra popular bulgo-gi rice. Do you want something more west-ern? Try the sausage platter, cheese sticks, french fries or Mr. Lee’s version of a taco. If you are a bit more adventurous, try the fried chicken lips. It’s not really chicken lips but very spicy boneless chicken thigh meat with vegetables. It pairs perfectly with a cold beer.

Food prices at Hof–n-Joy are very rea-sonable and start at 8,000 won. The cocktails and beer are also modest, with prices starting at 3,000 won.

Hof–n-Joy is open from 5pm to 3am seven days a week.

the rest of the herd - 남아있는 사람들 ■ Shoebox - 아주 작은 공간 ■ Ear drum splitting - 이어폰을 꽃은 듯 쩌렁 쩌렁 생생한 ■ Pandemonium - 소란, 난리 법석 ■ Unwind - 긴장을 풀고 걱정,근심을 접어두다

Written by juliuS a. nicholSonTranslation by Kate hwa one Shin

beer and Happiness


RESTAURANTS

Traveler’s bar anD GrillNo longer the new kid on the block, Travel-er’s has established itself into the Daegu breakfast scene. Breakfast is served all day and options include: bacon and eggs, ome-lets, pancakes, and French toast. They also have the Truck-Stop Breakfast for those who want to start their day in a big way: 3 eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, 2 pancakes, and French toast. You’ll need to be rolled out. Traveler’s also boasts the best Caesars and Bloody Marys so you can really start your day right!

From Banwoldang subway exit 13, go right around the corner. Walk straight until you hit the fountains and turn right. Where the street splits off into Cell Phone Street and Shopping Street, continue down Cell Phone Street until the end. Take your last left and

go one block. Traveler’s is on your left-hand side, on the fourth floor

The lazy DinerJust down the road from Traveler’s, The Lazy Diner offers a wide range of Western fare, including an all-day breakfast menu. The Brunch Platter offers a smattering of both sweet and savory items, including sau-sage, eggs, and pancakes. Although the de-scriptions sound appetizing, the execution lacks in flavor and imagination. The sausage is essentially a packaged hot dog and the re-mainder of the platter is poorly seasoned and pretty lackluster. The Diner does, however, offer a pretty excellent club sandwich and a heavy does of cheesy, stereotypical Ameri-can 50s diner décor.

From Banwoldang subway exit 13, go

right around the corner. Walk straight until you hit the fountains and turn right. Where the street splits off into Cell Phone Street and Shopping Street, continue down Cell Phone Street until the end. Take your last left and go one block. Lazy Diner is on the corner on your left-hand side, on the second floor.

daily breadThis cozy little café is the real darling

of the Daegu brunch scene. daily bread takes brunch quite seriously, and the care taken in the kitchen is evident in both the presenta-tion and flavor of the food. Brunch standards like Eggs Benedict, waffles, pancakes, and French toast are all available, along with a larger breakfast platter if you’re feeling par-ticular peckish. Spring for the very berry pancakes (2 large cakes heavily studded with fresh fruit and a heavy helping of ricotta) or

the Benedict (though unorthodoxly prepared with bacon, the meat is full of flavor and the real thing). Unfortunately, the French toast is a strange marriage of a Kraft singles grilled cheese and the sweet, eggy bread we are ac-customed to, but still pretty good. More unique on the menu (and not to be missed) are the ades made from fresh fruit. If you’re a ginger lover, don’t miss the homemade ginger ale. The café also offers a full coffee bar menu, which is also superb. daily bread serves up brunch Tuesday-Sunday 10:30am-10pm, and on Mondays from 10:30am-5pm.From Samduk fire station, walk one block and take the first right. Follow the street for two and a half blocks past the Catholic Church, daily bread’s friendly bright blue fa-çade and wooden porch is on your left.

Written by erin PetreY and Michelle Van balKoMbrunching in Daegu

You won’t find banana wine, but Vietnam Kitchen near Manchon E-Mart serves up a tantalizing menu of traditional dishes that is every bit as authentic as the country of-fers, only with a stylish flare of presentable kitchen ingenuity. From the triangle point-ed hat hung ceiling to the little red Vietnam-ese doll along the wall, Vietnam Kitchen sets itself as a quaint diner with tastes you’ll want more of. Indulge in hardy seafood plat-ters of shrimp cuisine and fried spring rolls or dig into a deep vermicelli bowl, light and refreshing. Every ounce of the grilled pork belly is savory perfection, and there’s plenty

of beef and seafood to accompany the thin rice noodles abundant in most orders.

Korean owner, Han, prides himself in his most popular dish, a vermicelli bowl with a sizable pork belly spring roll. Order the rice wraps to go with it and get your fingers wet in a bowl of lemony water to enhance the helpings of your entrée.

Opened since the first of April 2011, Han was happy to see regular incoming business and an unexpected occupancy of foreigners. Born in Korea, the culinary entrepreneur adventured to Canada for his undergrad in accounting. Ten long years abroad, he grew

A Taste of Vietnamtired of the demands of working the restau-rant scene, with what he calls “a string of bad experiences.”

Letting loose the sails of ambition and navigating toward his dream of operating a restaurant, Han spent three years in Vietnam between ’91 and ’01 before making his trium-phant return to Daegu. Taking advice from foreign friends and business advocates alike, he opened Vietnam Kitchen in a sleek, mini-malist style with the modernity of linearly lined interiors, the calming tones of bleach and hard wood and a soothing mix of natu-ral and atmospheric lighting. The indus-trial styled ceiling of exposed water mains and neutral tones give a feel for the busi-ness luncheon while the cute clutter (or lack thereof) allows a sophisticated environment any gracious diner would feel at home in.

When all is said and done, visit the self-serve coffee station and chat with your date,

while your coffee drips into the recognizable Vietnamese glassware (with curved steel handles!) seen in Vietnam coffee-goer lo-cales. Ask Han for a spoonful of condensed milk, for that poignant authenticity of Ko-rea’s South East Asian neighbor and revel in the light brew of Vietnam’s best ground. If you’re done for dinner, Han also serves up the best of Korean premium beers, so enjoy an easy night out. They’re open until 11 p.m. everyday.

Hop a cab and say Manchon E-Mart, cross the street and with the mart to your left, head 2 blocks to find Vietnam Kitchen on your right, past the jjimjilbang. It’s new, it’s in the neighborhood and if you’ve tried the spring rolls, you’ll know it’s authentic. Give it a try and say hi to Han. If you’re not satiated, the decently priced menu will cer-tainly satisfy you. ■

Written by laurent Sewell


helveTicaThis restaurant is well known for delicious food in large quantities; Helvetica takes the Korean tradition of sharing to a whole new level. The brunch options are limited but de-liver completely on both flavor and value. A sausage, two pieces of bacon, scrambled eggs and a healthy serving of crisp French fries, accompany each brunch platter. Custom-ers can choose between French toast, plain pancakes, or almond pancakes for the main feature. Or if you feel ambitious, opt for the brunch platter that includes a little bit of everything. Helvetica’s brunch options are available during standard brunching hours (12-3pm), but they also feature a large lunch and dinner menu if you miss the window.

From Samduk fire station, walk one block and take the first left. Continue

straight for about two blocks until almost to the main road. Helvetica’s large glassed in dining room visible on your right.

chris DoChris Do is a new face on the Daegu brunch scene. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am-11pm, Chris Do offers a variety of brunch and lunch items. Buttermilk pancakes, French toast, omelets and Eggs Benedict all run between 10-15,000 won. They also of-fer sandwiches, flatbreads, salads and several kinds of cake. The carrot cake was delicious!

From Samduk fire station, walk one block and take the first right. Follow the street for a block and a half past the Catholic Church, Chris Do is across from Die Torte. ■

McDonald’s, KFC, and Burger King have made their mark on Korea and have tens of thousands of U.S. locations, however, when it comes to America’s fave places to get their arteries clogged with fast food, the big names are way down at the bottom of the list. Smaller fast food franchises have emerged as the preferable option, like Five Guys, Chick-fil-A and In-N-Out Burger.

Market Force has announced this year’s re-sults for their annual survey which sussed out the country’s favorite quick-service res-taurant. Once again, after winning last year, as well, Five Guys Burgers and Fries has won over the hearts and stomachs of the Ameri-can fast food diner. Every year, Market Force conducts a survey amongst thousands of Americans to determine their choices for best fast food chains.

RESTAURANTS

Five Guys, in-N-Out, Chick-Fil-A Are America's Favorite Fast Food Chains, Says Poll

Japan plans to open Domino's Pizza on the moonDomino’s Pizza Japan announces plans to build their first restaurant on the moon, but *ahem* can't guarantee delivery in 30 min-utes or less.

In a typically bizarrro publicity move for Japan, Domino's Pizza Japan announced these plans on its new website to open up a moon branch.

The site launched in early Sept, explain-ing the ambitious project, featuring a space-suit-clad Scott K. Oelkers, the CEO and presi-dent of Domino’s Japan.

Oelkers said the expected costs will exceed 1.6 trillion yen (about $21 billion), courtesy of Maeda Corporation, a Japanese construction firm that Domino’s hired to re-search and develop cost estimations.

"We started thinking about this project last year, although we have not yet deter-mined when the restaurant might open," said Tomohide Matsunaga, a spokesman for Domino's in Japan.

"In the future, we anticipate there will be many people living on the moon, astronauts who are working there and, in the future, citizens of the moon."

Odd space-bound marketing projects are not entirely new. In 2008, Rolling Rock Beer launched an effort vowing to put its logo on the moon. Pepsi also announced plans to put a consumer into space in 2002. The market guru behind that stunt, Russell Weiner, now happens to be the chief marketing officer of Domino’s in the U.S. ■


shanghai grill • 15% OffYour favorite Chinese food from half-way around the world back in the United States is available for you to enjoy right here in Daegu!The Mark Pi’s franchise company is pleased and proud to present it’s American cas-ual concept to the Korean market. The Mark Pi’s chain, with close to 50 locations in

the United States, wants you to come and enjoy the Chinese food you’ve come to know and love back home, all the way on the other side of the world.Shanghai Grill boasts some of the most delicious and authentic American Chinese food, with everything from sweet & sour pork, to mongolian beef, spring rolls and plenty more.The perfect answer to your Chinese food craving, and best of all, they deliver!

gOm's cafe • 20% Off entreesGom’s Cafe is a trendy American style fusion restaurant specializing in pastas, pizza, rice dishes, salads, and en extensive drink menu.The decor and atmosphere of Gom’s is very light and cheerful with the majority of cus-tomers being in the 20-30 range due to the funky style and trendy upbeat music.

The owners try to give their patrons the best possible experience as they are constantly updating their menu to keep things new and interesting. Fresh, natural herbs and seasonings are used along with a cook-to-order menu, to ensure everything is always as fresh as possible.With the location in the heart of downtown, Gom’s Cafe is a great place to go for a little something different from your normal restaurants. Great prices, good quality food, and a trendy ambiance will keep you coming back.

all that burger • 10% OffIn Korea it’s difficult to find good quality hamburgers at a reasonable price. In Daegu, there’s one place where you can get handmade delicious gourmet hamburgers, and at a price that won’t burn a hole in your wallet.All That Burger, located in Bummeo, has some of the best quality burgers in Daegu for easily the lowest prices. All ingredients and toppings are fresh, the patties handmade, and the wedges (not fries) are lightly seasoned and baked so you can enjoy without the guilt.

With all the burger chains near downtown offering mediocre burgers at ridiculous prices, All That Burger has a relaxing atmosphere, great burgers, an extensive coffee menu, beers, and a patio to chill out on in the summer.Ditch the bustling downtown area for an afternoon, and enjoy some great burgers and drinks for a great price.

huanjO steak • 10% Off (cash Only)A new dining experience in the heart of downtown comes to you from Huanjo Steak. You are able to choose either from the various different steaks on the menu as a single

entree, or take advantage of their fixed price set menu.Their set menu gets you one sirloin steak, one chicken breast, one chop-steak dish, and one salmon steak! If somehow you haven’t eaten in 3 months and you’re still hungry after that, you can get MORE, for NO extra cost.Also included in the set menu is your choice of sauces, rice dishes, tea and/or coffee.You’re not going to find a better deal for meat lovers than Huanzo Steak. The regular set price menu is 23,000won (about the price of one steak at Outback). phOtai • 10% Off (cash Only)

Pho Tai specializes in Vietnamese and Thai food ranging from their delicious Pho, to different kinds of rolls, noodles, and pad thai.The atmosphere of Pho Tai is very clean and spacious with a great view of the down-

town area out the window.One major thing that makes this Vietnamese and Thai restaurant stand out is the fact they offer the regional Vietnamese beers, Bia Ha Noi and Saigon Beer. If you’ve ever been to Vietnam, this is what you drink, so it’s either nice nostalgia from when you visited, or a precursor of what to expect if you’re planning to go and visit.Overall, a very good authentic Vietnamese restaurant in a great location in Downtown Daegu.

lazy diner • 10% OffThe newly renovated Lazy Diner located in the heart of downtown Daegu offers up a great selection of food and drinks. They boast an all day breakfast/brunch menu that rivals the best in the city from breakfast platters, to pancakes, seriously thick french toast, and more.Moving on to lunch and dinner, the menu just gets better. They offer some great tast-

ing unique burgers and sandwiches to steak and potatoes, so there’s surely something for everyone.Their new layout features an L-shaped bar table for later in the night if you just want to come hang out for some drinks and chill with some grub.Lazy Diner is a great alternative to the other western bars around downtown with great, friendly, English speaking owners.

urban lOunge bar • 1,000wOn Off per drinkUrban Lounge Bar has been a staple for live entertainment in Daegu for over 2 years now. Urban hosts open mic nights on Wednesday’s, regular live performances from local and national bands all over Korea on weekends, and special events for local

organizations.The atmosphere of Urban allows you to lounge around in the early evening while enjoying a drink or two with friends, and then step it up and party hardcore once night falls and the drinks start flowing. Energetic live bands are always a crowd pleaser, coupled with an upbeat mix of hip-hop and dance music, it’s always a good time.With regular drink specials, friendly owners, a good mix of Koreans and Foreigners, Urban is an ideal spot to enjoy a Saturday night.

scent Of sushi • 10% Off (cash Only)Opened in 2010, Scent of Sushi set out to make a great sushi restaurant that con-sisted of high quality food for a reasonable price.The only all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant in Daegu is a modern place with a friendly owner and great food. Plates of sushi float around on small wooden viking ship look-

ing boats in a moat (as opposed to your conventional conveyor belt style) and if you see something you like, take it. There is no limit to how much you can eat, so with the EXEC discount it’s a great affordable way to spend an afternoon or evening with friends when time is not an issue.

papa jOhn's • 20% Off Or free side dishWhen it comes to pizza in Korea, there’s one brand that most people recognize as soon as they see it. Papa John’s! The most recognized pizza restaurant in Korea with a reputation for making great pizzas just like you would get back home.What you order is what you get. No extra ingredients that you didn’t order, like most

other pizza places in Korea.All their ingredients are as fresh as can be, using 100% meats and cheeses with no fillers or preservatives. Their dough made from high-protein flour and clear-filtered water to give you light fluffy, delicious crust, perfect for dipping sauces.With your Expat Entertainment Card, you also get one (1) free side dish from which you can choose cheese bread sticks, wings, salad, and more.Best of all, if you’re too tired or hungover to go all the way downtown, they DELIVER! And your EXEC card is still valid. There should be no hesitation when it comes to choosing which place to get pizza in Daegu!

The Expat Entertainment Card (EXEC) Dis-count Program is designed to give Expats liv-ing or traveling abroad a sense of belonging and importance in their host city, whether it’s for a week, a year, or your new permanent place of residence. Native residents have a plethora of membership and VIP programs, special discount credit cards, loyalty cards, etc. Typically, foreigners visiting, or resid-ing in another country are unable to gain ac-cess to these programs or acquire these cards without having to go through extreme meas-ures to get involved and reap the benefits.

The EXEC card aims to change that by offer-ing Expats an easily accessible membership program offering huge savings, discounts on special events, restaurants, bars, pubs, clubs,

and other entertainment venues both locally, nationally and eventually internationally.

The Expat Entertainment Card is just W10,000 (annually), members will receive a personalized Expat Entertainment Card that you will use in conjunction with your Alien/Foreign Registration Card (ARC) or passport to receive the designated offer at any partici-pating business location.

Our goal is to give you discounts and savings on places you normally go to anyways, in ad-dition to new places you might not have oth-erwise known about.

As for events, we got you covered there as well. We hope to work with event organizers

in and around the city to get you deals for dis-counted tickets or drink offers.

"Like" us on our Facebook page at:http://facebook.com/execmember

And be sure to check out the website for partner information, discounts, maps, pic-tures and more at:http://execmember.com

jja - sha • 20% OffIf you’re looking for good Chinese food in Daegu, this is a place you need to check out. Dishes range from chicken, to pork, to seafood, and delicious soju cocktails.Pronounced, “Jja-Sha” it is located in the middle of the downtown Daegu nightlife making it the perfect dinner and pre-game before going out to party for the night.

The dishes are not the American Chinese that you’re probably familiar with, but it’s just as good, and will make you want to come back again.Once you’ve turned down the small alley, look for a monkey outside the restaurant, that’s how you know you’re there. Seriously.

star kebab • 750wOn Off per 2 kebabsNew for 2011, Star Kebab has exploded onto the fast food scene in Daegu. Boasting arguably the most eccentric staff in any restaurant, they are always trying to the please passers-by.Star Kebab specializes in Turkish-style kebabs. For those unfamiliar, they take super tender meat, add some lettuce, tomato, pickle, special sauce, throw it in a wrap, spicy sauce (if you please) and your good to go.They offer chicken, lamb, or a mix of the two, which makes them unique to other

kebab shops that only offer chicken. In addition to having meat in a wrap, they also offer it on a baguette, a hamburger bun, or on a plate with some sides.Their most popular draw however may be their turkish ice cream stand out in front of the restaurant. Take a walk by and see for yourself, definitely worth the trip!

flOwer field • 10% Off (30,000wOn Or mOre)Hands down the most relaxing, most chilled out spot in Daegu is this place. Pro-nounced “kote-baht” meaning “Flower Field”, most people simply know it as, “the Hookah place”.Incense fill the place with a peaceful aroma, the dim-lighting makes you want to just lay around and relax, and then there’s the hookah!They offer several flavors from mint, to apple, orange, herbs, and many more. There is also a fairly extensive cocktail, beer, and wine menu to enjoy with your hookah.

All of the seating is on the floor with plenty of floor pillows to lounge out on. It’s a perfect place for groups to come and end a crazy night with a chilled out atmosphere to help you wind down.They’re open way late, so you can still party hard before coming over to chill out. A place you need to experi-ence while in Daegu.

Expat EntErtainmEnt

Card

teum lOunge bar • One (1) free shOt/One shOt mixed drink with OrderTEUM Lounge Bar up on the 4th floor in the heart of Downtown Daegu provides a sexy atmosphere perfect for hanging out with some friends enjoying some delicious cock-tails, or partying it up for a live DJ event.

Sexy female silhouettes on the walls, blue neons, comfy seating, attractive bartenders, and a range of house, dance, and techno music make up the atmosphere of TEUM.

TEUM is a great place to escape the hole-in-the-wall underground foreigner bars for a night and feel a little more upscale and sophisticated. Start your night off classy with a group of friends and chill out before gettin’ crazy at the clubs.Plus, with your Expat Entertainment Card, receive a complimentary shot or basic mixed drink with your order. Perfect for starting off the night.

yOur fOOd.yOur bars.yOur entertainment.discOunted!


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Banwoldang Station 반

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oldang Station 반월

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Jungangno Station 중앙로 역 Jungangno Station 중앙로 역

February 28M

emorial Park

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February 28M

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2.28 공원

Gukchaebosang

Park국채보상공원

Gukchaebosang

Park국채보상공원

Persian piercingsTattoos and piercings

Lee Yeon Hab Dental ClinicDentist

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Turkish Kebabs Scent of Sushi

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EPIK

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2. Simple Phones Various Models (Avg. $45.00/month), Samsung Galaxy and LG Optimus (Avg. $73.00/month) with a note saying No ARC Necessary and delivered to your door within 1-2 days. Promo Code: daeguphone20 saves $20.00 on a phone of any type.

3. Bed in a Box Package save 10% with promo code: deagubed


안녕 미미 부탁이 있어 행복한 네가

안녕 미미 너는 오늘도 아름다웠겠지 안녕 미미 나는 오늘도 종일 꿈꿨어

너 - you오늘도 - today as well행복하다 - happy. 행복했다 - was happy. 행복했는지 - whether / if (you) were happy. This 지 is used to bring the word before it into the foreground, and we have to qualify it. 행복했는지 모르겠다 - I don't know if he'she was happy. 행복했는지 불행했는지 - Whether he/she was happy or unhappy... this 지 can be one of the most difficult parts of Korean, though it is the same as the Japa-nese 'ka' (if that helps). 누군지 알아요? - Do you know who it is?너는 오늘도 행복했는지 - whether you were happy today (or not)

물가 - edge of the water젖다 - to be wet. 젖은 - wet저녁 - evening바람 - wind. 저녁의 바람 - evening's wind과 - and. If there is a consonant before it, it becomes 과, if not it becomes a 와. Examples: 나와 / 학교와 / 사람과 / 친구와 / 사랑과 / 믿음과 / 눈물과 / 핸드폰과 / 노래와.물가에 젖은 저녁의 바람과 - The wet/hu-mid night wind of the shore, and

강가 - riverside

앉다 - to sit. 앉은 - sitting사람 - person휘파람 - whistle. 사람의 휘파람 - a person's whistle.강가에 앉은 사람의 휘파람 - the whistle of the person sitting by the shore.

EPIK

안녕 미미 by 자우림

A great way to learn the Korean language is through studying Korean music. The har-monies and repetitive choruses will enable vocab to stick a lot more easily than standard memorization. You can also follow along with the accompanying Korean music vide-os on YouTube and not to mention, the great chances for practice in noraebangs!

We have chosen to study along with the Korean alternative band, Jaurim (자우림), led by the vocals of the “Queen of Korean alt-rock”, Kim Yoona. Jaurim has a popular sound amongst foreigners, due to the band’s western musical influences, such as Bjork, Joni Mitchell, Garbage, and Lenny Kravitz.

The song that we have chosen for this month is ‘Hi Mimi’ (안녕 미미) and is another of their older hits. You can find the accompa-nying video by searching ‘안녕 미미 자우림’ on Youtube.

The following translation, by David MacLe-od, is done as literally as possible, in order to help the student:

안녕 미미 너는 오늘도 행복했는지 안녕 미미 나는 오늘도 행복했는지

물가에 젖은 저녁의 바람과 강가에 앉은 사람의 휘파람

안녕 미미 너는 오늘도 아름다웠겠지 안녕 미미 나는 오늘도 종일 꿈꿨어

안녕 미미 부탁이 있어 항복한 네가 나를 구해줘

Learning Korean through Music

Survival KoreanHello - 안녕하세요 (pron. Ahn-young-hah-say-o). Fluently, this will sound like ‘Ahn-yaw-say-oooh’, when spoken quickly.Goodbye - 잘가세요 (pron. Jahl-gah-say-oh).Goodbye (if leaving a business, store, restaurant, etc…)수고하세요 (pron. Soo-go-hah-say-oh). This is similar to saying ‘keep up the good work!’.Nice to meet you – 반갑습니다. (pron. Bahn-gahp-seum-nee-dah)Yes (formal) – 네 (pron. Neh) (Note: When in doubt, use this one)Yes (informal) – 예 (pron. Yeh)Yes (casual) – 응 (pron. Eung)No (formal) – 아닙니다 (pron. Ahn-eeb-nee-dah) (Note: When in doubt, use this one)No (informal) – 아니오 (pron. Ahn-ee-oh)No (casual) – 아니야 (pron. Ah-nee-ya)

I don’t understand - 모르겠습니다. (pron. Moh-lah-guess-seub-nee-dah)Are you OK?Is it OK? - 괜찮아요? (pron. Gwen-chahn-ah-yoh?)I’m OK/It’s OK - 괜찮아요. (pron. Gwen-chahn-ah-yoh)Do you have _____? - ____ 있어요? (pron. ____ iss-aw-yo?)I have _____ - 있어요. (pron. ____ iss-aw-yo)Could you please give me _____? – 주세요 (pron. ____ Joo-say-yo)Could you please (do) ______? - _____ 해주세요. (pron. ____ Hay-joo-say-yo)Where is the washroom? - 화장실은 어디에 있어요? (pron. Hwah-jahng-shil-eun aw-dee-ay iss-aw-yo?)Where is ______? - ______ 어디에 있어요? (pron. aw-dee-ay iss-aw-yo?)

Classroom Korean

Useful Sites• www.koreanclass101.com• www.declan-software.com/korean/index.htm (Google: Declan Korean)

• Lets Speak Korean Series (Youtube search: let's speak Korean)• http://korean.sogang.ac.kr/

Learning Korean in Daegu• Search for ‘Daegu Language Exchange’ group on Facebook and join one of our events.• Search for ‘Galbijim Daegu YMCA’ to learn more about the Korean classes at YMCA.• Search for ‘daegu university korean language’ to learn more about the Korean classes at Daegu University.

• Search for ‘korean language program KNU’ to learn more about the Korean classes at Kyungpook National University• Visit http://intl.kmu.ac.kr/Eng/Program/Cul/Klcc.aspx for more info about Korean classes at Keimyung University.

English Korean Phonetical RomanizationAre you ready? 준비했어요? Joon-bee-hess-ah-yo?

Be quiet, please. 조용히 하세요. Joe-yong-hee Haw-say-yo.

Please don’t be noisy. 시끄럽게 하지 마세요. She-keu-lup-gye Hah-jee-mah-say-yo.

Calm down, please. 진정 하세요. Jeen-jeong Haw-say-yo.

Don’t do that! 하지마세요! Hah-jee-mah-say-yo!

Stand up, please. 일어서 주세요. Eel-eo-seo Joo-say-yo

Sit up straight. 똑바로 앉아 주세요. Ddohk-bah-lo Ahn-ah Joo-say-yo.

Face the front, please! 앞쪽을 보세요. Ahp-jjoak-eul Bow-say-yo!

Look over here. 여기를 보세요. Yeogi-leul Bow-say-yo!

Repeat after me. 따라 하세요 Ddah-lah Haw-say-yo!

Write it on the board, please. 칠판에 써 보세요. Cheel-Pahn-eh Sseo Bow-say-yo!

Open your books 책 펴세요 Chek Pyeo-say-yo!

Close your books 책 덮으세요 Chek Deop-eu-say-yo!

Please wait. 기다리세요. Kee-dah-lee-say-yo.

Please don't run! 뛰지 마세요. Twui-jee-mah-say-yo.

Don't fight! 싸우지마세요! Ssah-woo-jee-mah-say-yo!

Come here, please! 이리 오세요. Ee-lee-Oh-say-yo.

What's this in English? 이것은 영어로 뭐예요? Ee-gaws-eun Yeong-eo-lo Moh-yeh-yo?

Don’t speak Korean 한국말 하지마 마세요! Hangoog-mahl Haw-jee-mah-say-yo!

65

Welcome to Daegu, EPIK teachers! Here is a helpful section for continuing your Orientation!

아름답다 - beautiful. 아름다웠다 - was beautiful. 아듬다웠겠다 - likely was beau-tiful. 아름다웠겠지 - likely was beautiful, right?너는 오늘도 아름다웠겠지 - You were probably beautiful today too, hmm? That hmm? at the end makes it look awkward so I would leave it out were I to translate it.

종일 - all day. Short form of 하루종일.꿈 - dream꿈을 꾸다 - to dream. Literally, to dream a dream.나는 오늘도 종일 꿈(을) 꿨어 - I dreamed all day today too.

부탁 - request있다 - there is, I have부탁이 있어 - I have a favour (to ask you)

행복한 너 - (the) happy you. When you put a 가 on the end 너 becomes 네 just like how 나 becomes 내. 행복한 네가 - you, who is happy...구하다 - to save. 구해! - save! (order) 구해 줘 - save me. The 줘 makes the request more earnest, and less of an order. From 주다, to give. 행복한 네가 나를 구해 줘 - You, who are happy, save me please. ■


CULTURE

For two weeks, starting September 30th, the Andong Mask Festival will be host to doz-ens of cultural exhibitions and attractions- a uniquely Korean experience. Last year’s festival included mask dance performances, competitions, fireworks, traditional music concerts, puppet shows, and local and for-eign vendors sporting their wares.

If you’ve got to choose between the opening and closing days, the first weekend kicking off the event are the days to shoot for. Starting out bigger and harder with key opening performances for the September 30th weekend, you’re likely to have more to see and buy than on October 8th and 9th.

This year’s program already has 50+ events jammed into the two-week fest; some happening simultaneously at differing loca-tions on the park grounds- so make sure to check out the 2011 program and a map of the festival grounds to plan your night accord-ingly.

Some of the sights are strictly spectator attractions; other nights are more hands on and include: t-shirt, bandana and mask mak-ing, dance lessons and dance competitions.

Now, of course, you can’t go to the An-dong Mask Festival without picking up a few masks for yourself and your loved ones. Unfortunately, they won’t have quite the

selection you’d expect at the festival itself. To get authentic Hahoe masks, you’ve got to go to neighboring, Hahoe-ri village. Even if you’re not looking to buy a mask, Hahoe vil-lage is a sight to see within itself.

The traditional village lies just a few kilometers away from Andong, and you can get there easily- buses come and go every ten minutes from Cheongnyangni Station and from just outside the festival grounds, for a small fee of 1,000 ~ 3,000 won per person.

When you get dropped off at the out-skirts of the village, signs and trails will lead you to the different historical and cultural landmarks. Keep your cameras handy be-cause there is no shortage of scenic snapshots available standing in front of and sometimes in some of the architecturally authentic and beautifully preserved hanoks. It’s while roaming through this village that you’ll find genuine Hahoe mask vendors with goods ranging from 25,000 won for basic Tal masks to 500,000 won for the bigger, more ornate masks carved out of the rarer woods found only in Korea.

It might benefit you to ask around a bit about what each mask symbolizes and repre-sents, especially if you’re giving these as gifts. Your friends and family will appreciate a lit-tle description. You too

If you are any kind of celebrity gossip-mon-ger like me, then you are sure to have seen ac-tress Gwyneth Paltrow sporting those round purple bruises on her back—a sure sign that she partakes in the ancient oriental medici-nal practice of cupping (부항요법).. Cupping can be done on any area of the body and is said to alleviate ailments by sucking out the old, bad blood and allowing fresh new blood to take its place. Some even say that cup-ping can be used for breast augmentation, but I cannot personally confirm or deny this theory, since I am not brave enough to try it.

I tried cupping on my foot since a par-ticularly intense bout at Muay Thai left me with an aching arch. My friend (who shall remain anonymous) had also heard tales of the myriad benefits of cupping and decided to give it a shot. Since she didn’t have any specific areas with pain, she chose to go ge-neric and do it on her upper back and shoul-ders.

This unique oriental medicine proce-dure involves first pricking a circular patch of skin with needles and then placing a suc-tion cup over it to produce an effect not un-like the leeching done in the olden days. The blood percolates out the pinpricks and into the cup- skin blistering like an anthill from the intensity of the suction.

I watched as the doctor placed the cup over my foot, using a small pump to increase the suction’s intensity. I will not deny that the sensation was very painful, but I was in-formed that if the procedure is done on loose skin (such as the back or legs) then it is much less painful. My friend corroborates this the-ory; although, it’s doubtful that she will try

cupping again.The problem is that she has a kind of

fainting-at-the-mention-of-the-word pho-bia of blood. As I watched the cups on her back fill up with the garnet liquid, I sat still- trying to will away the pain of my own cup, which sucked thirstily at my foot. Suddenly, one of my friend’s cups came loose and be-gan oozing blood, a crimson trickle slowly snaking down her neck. All hell broke loose once she noticed a drop of blood hit the sheet below her head. She screamed. Then, to my extreme horror, her eyes rolled back in her head, and she began to convulse. I leapt from my bed with Olympic speed, hopping on my un-cupped foot. “Help!” I shouted, while frantically searching through my brain for any Korean word that might help. The doc-tor then rushed in, quickly removed the re-maining cups, staunched the flow of blood, and slowly she resumed to her natural color. Needless to say, cupping is not for those who suffer from hemaphobia.

Meanwhile, the bad blood had been sucked out of my foot. After the cup was removed, I was left with a maroon-tinted spherical mark that reminded me of some-thing Mulder and Scully once investigated on the X-Files. Immediately following the procedure, my foot did not feel any better. After a few hours, the pain went away, but I am not eager to try this cupping thing a sec-ond time. Gwyneth may swear by it, but it’s not my cup of tea.

Cost: Between 3,000 and 10,000 won per session, with health insurance, at any local Oriental Medicine Clinic (한의원).

Cup, Please!

WRITTEN By leSlie PatricK

Generally speaking, most people are vain, in one way or another. Yet, in all my trav-els, never have I encountered a country whose people value image so highly. There are examples of this everywhere. The stu-dents at my school (both girls and boys) are constantly adjusting their hair. Youngsters on the buses and subway spend their entire

journey checking themselves out in the re-flective windows. Even the ancient ajum-mas are often seen tweaking their thinning perms by way of a parked car’s wing mirror. There is nothing wrong with this. Of course, pride in one’s appearance is a positive trait but in Korea, it is a passion that borders on the fanatical. One such case, perhaps more

WRITTEN By SteVen MooreThe Catwalks of Korea?

surprising than the others, is the lengths Ko-reans go through in order to look good on the mountains.

Hiking is a Korean obsession, albeit con-ducted at varying levels of willingness. For example, there are the weekend families. First, dad and grandpa set the pace- impecca-bly equipped and resplendent in high quality hiking clothes, while dictatorially ordering the family members lagging behind to keep up. Next are the sulking offspring, with the daughter talking on the ever present cell phone and the son playing a game on his, both wearing expressions that scream “I’d rather be shopping or in a P.C bang” but, nev-ertheless, neatly attired in colorful, top of the range gear. Last, mom and ajumma bring up the rear with their make up perfectly applied and not a hair out of place- no doubt mutter-ing invectives about their respective spouses. Then, there are the matching young couples romantically slouching along the trails- decked out in expensive brands, of course. Next come the solo hikers, trailblazing at a phenomenal pace and slowing only to sur-vey a fellow hiker’s attire- satisfied when he or she is the victor in this swift but serious style ‘duel’. Finally, the foreigners are the last group of the outdoor enthusiasts, me in-cluded. With zero thought given to fashion, I opt for a casual shorts and t-shirt combo; thus, subjecting myself to the judgmental

eyes of the Korean Mountain Fashion Police, also known as the general public, as I sweat my way up the various hills around Siji. Evi-dently, failing my trial miserably- judging by the often disdainful second glances my sweat stained and soiled clothes attract.

The ironic thing about all this is the mountains themselves. Barely registering over 1,500 feet, they are little more than swollen hills and can usually be scaled in nothing more than sturdy flip flops. Still, if you are going to do it, do it properly- with Koreans whole-heartedly adhering to the philosophy of ‘look good, feel good.’

So, regardless of their willingness to be hiking in the first place and the relative ease of the mountains in question, all hiker categories still turn out in professional look-ing, glamorous, and totally unnecessary trekking equipment, as though in prepara-tion for a photo shoot on Everest for some high-end outdoor outfitters. It seems like any visit to Daegu’s multitude of mountains includes attending a highly competitive alfresco fashion show. I wouldn’t be sur-prised if we start seeing the red carpet rolled out on the more trodden trails. Despite the knowing that, in Korea, image is everything and that all people are vain to some extent, could it be that the mountains really are the catwalks of Korea? ■

Mountains:

enter the Mask Festival

enter the Mask FestivalWRITTEN By azael Villarreal

Continued on pg 19


One of the benefits of writing a col-umn is that I can write about literal-ly anything I like. In this case ‘like' is a subjective term. Last month, an African American lashed out at an old Korean man on a bus. The inter-net was abuzz and the broadsheets took an interest. I don’t want to get into the ins and outs of the situation, mostly because of the subject I really want to cover; unfair rep-resentation.

Expats in this country have long dealt with stereotypes. As soon as I tell a Korean stranger that I am from England, they as-sume I am a gentleman and, therefore, a good person. I have seen Koreans refuse to believe that my girlfriend is from South Af-rica, because she is White. I have seen how my Black friends get treated by Koreans on the street, from open mouthed shock at their existence to pointing and laugh-ing. And I have seen Koreans move away from foreigners on subways, on buses, even crossing the street to avoid them.

We all deal with the idiots of racist be-liefs in different ways. I laugh and make jokes, others are quiet and raise eyebrows at their friends. My friend Jamari once said to me there was no point in getting upset because he would just be upset all the time and that’s no way to go through life. But we all have a snapping point, a line which we hope no one ever crosses, because we don’t know if we would be the same everyday, rational human being we see in the mir-ror. Because if you have spent any time in

this country at all, you know that few seconds or minutes where you lose yourself, that’s going to be what is mentioned, or more recently, re-corded.

Cameraphones are prevalent in today’s society. And they are great

for recording half a story. The half that the recorder wishes to display. But that is not a true representation of facts. If there is no beginning to the video, showing context, then the viewer’s mind is, of course, skewed to agree with the representation. Again, I am not agreeing nor disagreeing with either gentlemen in this video. For all I know, the Korean man spat in the foreigner’s face and told him to shut up, or the foreigner came on the bus and challenged everyone there to a fight. It doesn’t matter really. Without proper context, video images are used by lazy journalists to force through an agenda.

So be careful out there, expats. The world you live in has deep seated stereo-types and is willing to back them up with half baked, heavily edited video. My teach-er in primary school told us we were repre-sentatives of our school whenever we went on a school trip. It’s a shame that as adults, we carry that same responsibility of being representative of our race and nationalities and cannot be considered as individuals. I suppose that’s to be expected in a country that believes all its citizens are to behave the same way and live as one. Wait, was that a stereotype? Dammit, Korea, look what you made me do. ■

I'm going to tell you a secret, but you have to promise not to tell my Ko-rean friends or the teachers at my school because this is a big deal to them. OK, here goes: I don't par-ticularly like Korean food. Sure some of it's decent; I like bibimbap and kimchi chegae. Hell, some of it (mostly bulgogi and sampgyupsa) even borders on delicious. But when I leave Korea, I don't foresee ever saying to a pal "You know what this fish is missing? A spinal cord" or "Oh man, not de-licious tacos again. Why can't I just have a bowl that consists of salt-water, seaweed and bean sprouts?"

I started cooking here more out of ne-cessity than anything else. I've lost a fairly significant amount of weight since arriving here and it's not because I've pumped the breaks on alcohol-related fast-food binges. It's because (particularly at the beginning) I just didn't eat much.

Now, it's probably a pretty good bet that you like Korean food more than me. How-ever, I know you. We've talked. You miss the food back home. You cooked back then but you stopped when you got here. And your reasons are strange to me.

These are responses to the most com-mon reasons that people don't like to cook in Korea:

1. It's cheaper to eat at a restaurant - Not really. Sure, upfront you're probably pay-ing a little more but you have to look at it in terms of cost/ meal. The meat is used imme-diately and it is marginally more expensive when you cook at home. The other ingre-dients (spices, vinegars, sauces, etc) can usu-ally be used for more than a few meals. For instance, to make delicious chicken adobo it

cost me about 20,000 won up front for everything (soy sauce, a whole chicken vinegar, bay leaves, salt, pepper and peppercorns). Howev-

er, I still have all those ingredients except the chicken. Thus, I can make

chicken adobo another three or four times for only the price of a chicken (roughly 6000 won). Plus, every time I make it, I get about five servings out of it, which reduces the costs even more.

2. I can't find the right ingrediants - This is somewhat legit. There's some ingredients that are find here. Fresh herbs are pretty much non-existant making lovely things like guacamole, pesto and salsa all but im-possible impossible. Still, expand your hori-zons a little. There's plenty of tasty things that I'd never made at home that I've made here and they're really simple to make. The aforementioned chicken adobo is one. An-other is sesame noodles. Do a google search for "Rachel Ray Sesame Noodles." It takes about ten minutes to make. You can get all the ingredients at most neighborhood stores. I've made it a dozen or so times and invited friends over. It's always a hit.

3. My kitchen is too small - This is my favorite. How many people are you cook-ing for? It doesn't take much room to chop vegetables. In fact, it takes roughly the size of a cutting board to do anything you're try-ing to accomplish in the kitchen. Come on. You can accomplish plenty in your kitchen. If not, use your table to prepare the food then move it to stove when it's time to cook.

4. I'm just lazy- It's not that much work to cook. I'd suggest buying a crockpot. You can get one on naver for about 30,000 won and all you have to do is

She smashed my TV with a frying pan, tore apart all my plants, sliced up my best dinner jacket, and then locked herself in my bathroom. That was my third break-up, but now I’m in a happy relationship, go-ing on 2 years. I’m not an expert, but here’s a few things I’ve picked up along the way.

There is no single formula for dating Korean girls. Korean girls vary in style, manner, and taste just like girls from any other part of the world, but there are things that you could learn about the Korean dat-ing culture (don’t judge her short skirt. She’s not a slut, that’s just the style here) that could make things go a little smoother.

From the beginning… First dates, as al-ways, are the time for questions. Figure your girl out. Does she still live at home, what do her parents do, has she ever had a job, does she drive; be tactful with these ques-tions but do ask them. They’re things you should know. Most girls, up until their late 20s early 30s, will still live with their par-ents and should be treated as such. You have to get them back at a decent hour and they can’t go home too drunk. If her parents are wealthy then your parents better damn sure be wealthy, too. I’m not saying you should lie, but if you’re dating the daughter of Lee Kun Hee, Samsung’s CEO, your dad best be Steve Jobs, otherwise you don’t have a shot.

If you find yourself sitting across a rich girl who’s never had a job, doesn’t drive, and still lives at home, I suggest you make this your last date because only pain and suffer-ing can come of it (1st break-up).

Now your dating… Learn the holidays; Valentine‘s Day, White Day, Pepero Day, her birthday, and for Kim Jung Il’s sake,

don’t forget your 100 days anniver-sary. There are also of couple of things you can do to let her know you want this to be exclusive. Start

out with couple t-shirts. With this you’re essentially asking her, ‘Do you

want to be my girlfriend?’ More dating… If you’ve seen every single

movie at Lotte Cinema and she’s bored with eating out again, you‘re doing something wrong (2nd break-up). Make it a Norae-bang night, because girls love to sing. Multi-plex rooms, you can watch Mark Wahlberg’s The Fighter and later beat her ass in Wii boxing. Skiing and snowboarding makes for good winter fun. You can get an all night lift pass, rent clothes, snowboard or skis, all for under 60,000 won. Make sure to get lots of photos, they love getting their picture taken.

If she’s not wierded-out by your vulgar sense of humor and if you can look past her obsession with weight, you might make it to100 days and then it’s time to get your-selves a pair of couple rings. Shop for these together, don’t trust your own judgment. She’ll expect gold, but diamonds are too much, she’ll be happy with zirconium.

Serious dating… If she hasn’t left you yet for being an inconsiderate foreign a-hole, things can quickly become very serious, too serious, and you won’t even notice. For ex-ample, if you think it’s insignificant to be invited to your girlfriend’s home for dinner with the folks, you‘re wrong, it’s HUGE. You are now being evaluated as a possible candi-date for marriage. You’re going to want to avoid this altogether (3rd break-up) or figure out exactly what to do to impress ol’ mom and pop. But that is a whole other story… ■

COLUMNS

What are you doing this weekend? Getting smashed? Maybe having a few drinks with friends, taking a break? You know that I love a drink. Hell, even if you hear of me, it invariably involves drinking. Drink-ing stories are the best. They are memories which last, fractured and embarrassing, even when your childrens' children come home wasted.

But wow, Daegu drinks a lot. Daytime, nightime, weekday or weekend, somebody somewhere is clutching a cold one. And it's just oh so predictable. It's almost like you lot travelled the billion or so miles to get here numbers may vary) just to get ensconced in a new locale. You love routine. You lu-uu-uve routine. You crave familiarity. You desper-ately want to be Norm from Cheers. Or whatever you young kids watch nowadays. Think about your average night out. Now think about how often and how you really deviate from that plan. Now think about when was the last time you did something utterly different. Sad.

But, David, you wail into your deluxe newsprint, causing ajummas to nervously shuffle away. (ha! It'll never happen. Try it.

Go on. Right now. Huh, she called the police. Okay, run away now). DAVID, ALL MY FRIENDS ARE AT THESE PLACES. Well. Wah-

wah. Those people you just met on your journey of self-discovery. Those

people you met half a second ago when you landed? Dry your eyes, there are awesome people everywhere.

But, but I don't know where to go! You cry like a mewling virgin faced by a particu-larly predatory MILF. Go out of your locale. Blink a couple of times and breathe in the slightly fresher air. Look left. Look right. Look up. What did you see? Yes, aside from the Paris Baguettes, the Family Marts, the orange restaurant and the noraebang, you obtuse bastard. Yeah, over there. A bar! It may suck, it may be amazing, but I tell you what, it's different. And isn't 'different' why we came here? So what if you have to ges-ticulate to get a drink, so what if the customs and attitudes of the bar are a little weird? Go point at stuff until it goes down your throat. It could be expensive, it may well be the worst decision of your life but that ultimate-ly leads to the best stories. And we all know how much we like stories, right? ■

DickunVillareal

Break Your Routine

Continued on pg 18

Unfair RepresenatationMansell Mansell


OUT AND ABOUT

While famous for being one of Seoul's busiest transfer stations that many never stop and take a look around, Sindorim Station now has a big reason to stop for a bit or a whole afternoon. It's a sprawling shopping and entertainment complex called D-Cube City, which opened earlier this year. Made famous last month for being a setting of one of Korea's popular comedy programs called 'Running Man', with celebrity come-dians chasing each other through the maze of hallways and concourses. But for visitors, it offers something for everyone. For families, your kids will swoon upon hearing that there is a Pororo Theme Park to go nuts in. For tech buffs, they have a Techno Mart, a massive shopping complex of electronics bargains and hard to find hobbies. Hell, they even have a hobby store full of airsoft guns, if that's your bag. For hi-end travellers, you can stay at their onsite Sheraton or shop in their lavish department store.

No short distance from Daegu is nature's playland of Gangwon Province (Gangwon-do). In Jeongseon County, they've made innovative use of an abandoned, yet picturesque railway, where you can rent rail bikes to coast along and take in the scenery. But coming from Daegu, you might want to make a weekend out of it and stay in one of the upscale pensions in the area, such as the one we've featured that's aptly named, 'Rail Bike Pension'. Great place for outdoor BBQs, when not exploring the countryside. www.railbikepension.com/

OUT AND AbOUT

D-CUbe CiTy. SiNDOriM STATiON, SeOUL

rAiL biKiNG, JeONGSeON-GUN, GANGwON-DO

GEttInG Out AnD ABOut In KOrEA

Written by craig white


TRAVEL

There are many similarities between Thai-land and Cambodia, but conversely, both of them possess many unique characteristics, also. I recently travelled through both coun-tries, stopping off for a few days in three lo-cations from each country. I thought it may be helpful, as well as interesting for you, the reader, to get an insight into both places from my point of view. Obviously, some of you will disagree with my views, but I would expect the majority who have experienced both cultures to be able to relate to my own experience.

Breaking this article into categories will make it easier to clarify how both countries share similarities, as well as showing how they differ from each other.Thailand defi-nitely holds its own in the popularity stakes among travellers, but in my opinion, in a decade or so from now, Cambodia will be right up there beside it. Let me share my ex-periences with you under the following four key categories:

1.The beaches:thailand - Probably the country's biggest at-traction is Koh Pangnan's Full Moon Party. This attracts up to 30,000 revellers to a rather mediocre sized beach for a day and night of

partying that is second to none anywhere across the globe. Beware of the buckets. They are like rocket fuel...but definitely a must if you are looking for the world’s great-est beach party. As well as Koh Pangnan, which is a beautiful beach. It has to be said, Thailand has an array of beautiful beaches on offer such as Koh Tao (Divers paradise), Koh Chang (quieter but amazing beach), Koh Samui (more commercialized beach area but still beautiful), and on the west coast, beaches all around the Phuket area are all worth seeing and relaxing on. Beaches here are definitely some of the best around, so if this is what you are after, book your flight here asap!

Cambodia - Currently, it seems that the south west of Cambodia is the only place to relax on a beach where you can enjoy the same facilities that most of Thailand's beach-es offer, such as bars/restaurants/hotels etc...In my opinion, Cambodia is very similar to Thailand, but just a decade or so behind, which is to be expected due to their bleak history. Their beaches are just as beautiful as Thailand's and a lot less crowded, so in my own personal opinion, I would favour Cam-bodia's more peaceful

Thailand vs Cambodiawhich one do you prefer?Written by Kenneth Quillinan

As Demeter dawns her sable shawl, Perse-phone prepares for another fall and you too should get ready for Korea’s loveliest of spectacles: the time honored changing of the leaves- a time when the tired green of Ko-rea’s rounded mounts give way to colorful autumn delights. Persephone dresses well for her grave lover, as do the lovely limbs of Ko-rea’s forests. As she goes, the fall fire comes, and we invite you to take part in this time-honored event that delights both Koreans and foreigners alike.

If you’d like to enjoy the trappings of fall without traveling, Daegu offers quite a bit. Within the city, you have the close and con-venient climbs of Ap-san Park, with numer-

ous trails to wander and explore. Some have stunning vistas of mountains covered in fall, as well as the Daegu cityscape. Ap-san is a perfect local trip. Not into hiking? You can still enjoy the view via cable car. Getting to the park is a cinch; simply, jump on the 410 bus and get off at Ap-san Park or take the red line to Anjirang Station and leave via Exit 3.

A little further removed from the city but still only a short bus ride away lies the reverent Palgong-san. This holy mountain features a sprawling network of trails where you can enjoy alpine air and the fireworks of fall. Whether you trek up to Gatbawi, trad-ing sweat for scenery, or stick to Donghwa-sa’s nearby gondola, you’re sure to find falls-

Autumn’s FireKorea at Its Finest:

capes aplenty. Getting there’s a breeze (a cool autumn breeze if you will). Head downtown and snag the red 1 express bus across from the Daegu City Center. Ap-san and Palgong-san’s seasonal symphony begins around Oc-tober 20th and tops around the 29th.

If you’d like to escape Daegu, why not head east to the picturesque peaks of Pohang and Pulguk-sa (a.k.a. Bulguk-sa)? In the fall, a trip to Pohang’s Bogyeong-sa and the Wa-terfall Kingdom is sure to please. Picture

trees heavy with autumn’s allure hanging over whimsical waterfalls. It’s a sight not to be missed and perfect for a daytrip. You can go by bus or train to Pohang and then catch the 510 bus to Bogyeong-sa from the Shiwae (Intercity) bus terminal.

Another option to the East is mighty Bulguk-sa. This dazzling temple is in itself impressive but set amongst a backdrop of fall’s finest, it becomes a whole new wonder. You’ll find inner peace

Continued on pg 18

Continued on pg 19

Photo by Akinori Li

Photo by Cain Doherty

Written by traViS haYeS

DanyangDaegu Daytripper

Written by traViS haYeSTranslation by Merea lee

Salutations my street-savvy Daytrippers! I trust you found the giants of Beopju-sa truly a sight to behold. Your dapper-daytrippin’ dandy is back and with something Shweeeet. Let me introduce you to a little day tripping-delight north of here; so slide on in and we’ll swing on up to Danyang.

This sleepy riverside town is a breeze to blow into; simply hop aboard a train to Andong and then transfer to a train headed to Danyang (you can be there by 10 a.m.). A myriad of marvelous excursions awaits! Whether you care to cruise along a scenic riverscape, crawl deep into a cavernous crevice, or trudge to the top of the towering Guinsa temple, there’s something for every daytripper in Danyang!

How about a refreshing riverboat cruise? Across the street from the train station, you’ll spy a bus stop to your right. Grab the bus (2,200 Won) and exit when you see large signs for cruises. Look for the PleaSure Boat sign down the street to the left. For 10,000 won you’ll steam slowly up the enchanting Namhan River as photogenic rock faces peer down at you from the surrounding green mountains.

Going back to Danyang, purchase a ticket from the little shop to the right past the PleaSure Boat sign (catch the bus on the other side of the street). From the bus ter-minal you’ll have two options daytrippers: Head to Gosu caves by taxi (2,200 Won) or go inside and buy a ticket for Guinsa (leaves

hourly: 3,300 Won).Gosu cave is quite an experience and you

have the unusual option of guiding yourself around this spectacular cave. It is well worth the 5,000 Won entry fee for a peek at what rocky art Nature has painstakingly carved out over the past 500 million years. Better still, it’s a great way to beat the heat.

Guinsa is a must-see even if you’re tired of temples, especially during the fall. The temple complex soars overhead as you trudge up the winding streets to the sum-mit. There the crowning jewel waits in all its gilded glory: the Great Teacher Hall. The view from the top is breathtaking, as the hal-lowed halls hold fast to the cascading moun-tain side below you.There’s more to see in Danyang than a day-trip will allow; but if you break the daytrip-per’s code (I promise I won’t tell), there are plenty of love motels to shack up in over-night. So sally forth daytrippers and dare to explore the delights of Korea from Daegu in just a day. ■


rEgion pErCEntagE(%)

Jeju 100

daegu 99.30

Seoul 95.40

Chungnam 93.23

gyungbuk 91.59

Daejeon 90.31

Gangwon 89.42

Busan 87.36

Gwangju 87.33

Gyeonggi 86.96

Jeonnam 80.75

Ulsan 80.17

Chungbuk 78.27

Incheon 72.97

Jeonbuk 69.62

Gyungnam 65.83

tom with 11.7% (77 teachers).In contrast to the state of Daegu and

Gyeongbuk Province, the percentage of teachers with grade 1+ or grade 1 in Gyeong-buk Province is 41.6% <Table 2>.

A foreign teacher can get grade 1, if he/she has teaching experience over two years and with a TESOL certificate or a master de-gree. A grade 1 foreign teacher can get grade 1+ when he/she works consecutively in the same education office (ie., working for EPIK in Daegu). The level of a foreign teacher without these qualifications goes down from grade 2+, grade 2, and grade 3. Grade 3 in-cludes all teachers who received a Bachelor degree in English speaking countries.

An elementary school official in Daegu said, “Students normally like young foreign teachers, not teachers in forties. Moreover, Korean teachers sometimes feel uncomfort-able to work with older foreign teachers.”

Mrs. Kim (Age 44), a mother of a 6th grade elementary school girl complained, “When I ask my daughter about English classes, I cannot get the level of class clearly. I do not have any choice to send her a private academy for English study.”

A private academy official in Suseong-gu said, “Foreign teachers with good ability and experience prefer schools located in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, because living in those regions is more preferable than other regions. So they do not work in Daegu for a long time.”

DEO claimed, “For increasing the quality of English classes, the personality and atti-tude of foreign teachers is far more impor-tant than the grade of them. We give guid-ance to foreign teachers consistently and try to improve English classes by using open classes, and sitting in classes.”

Currently, the proportion of the sales by forties and fifties in Debec Plaza is over fifty percent.

Debec has maintained a brand shop concept by cooperating with Shinsegae De-partment Store, and it arranged shops ac-cording to the preference and taste of local residences based on long-term experience.

A Debec official said, “Old customer base possesses a strong fondness to us, and the consumption propensity of local resi-dences in Daegu region tends to be con-servative. Hence, we will not suffer a great sales reduction. In the aspect of size, Debec is competitive with Lotte and Hyundai, so we will not lose our position on our home ground.”

loTTe– sTronG as a uniTeD Team.Lotte feels sure of defending their first place of the department store market in Daegu emphasizing ‘nine years know-how’, accu-mulated since the open of Lotte in 2003.

Lotte claims that a dense network, such as Lotte Mart and Lotte Outlet, enables cost-effective marketing. The “shopping = Lotte” image and experienced sales staff have worked in Lotte for several years, will also be strong points of their department store’s selling points..

The team leader, Seo Chunghwan said, “Lotte has built a marketing system opti-mized to the Daegu market and an exten-sive customer database which cannot be obtained in a short period of time.

The expected sales of Lotte this year will be over 510 billion KRW because store managers who have an enormous influ-ence on sales, rarely leave Lotte, despite the opening of Hyundai..

Continued from pg 1: Department store...Continued from pg 1: Low Foreign...

rEgiongradE 1+ & gradE 1

pErCEntagE(%)

Gyungnam 41.6

Gwangju 40

Jeonnam 33.2

Jeonbuk 30.2

Busan 27.7

Gyeonggi 25.5

Jeju 24.7

Gangwon 24.1

Seoul 17

Chungnam 16.9

Incheon 16.6

Chungbuk 16

Daejeon 15.1

daegu 14.5

Ulsan 13.9

gyungbuk 11.7

Hyundai– Compete with size and loca-tion advantages.

Hyundai is targeting the first place in sales by overtaking Lotte in a short period of time through an active marketing cam-paign from the beginning.

Hyundai is located at Banwoldang, so it is advantageous compared to other depart-ment stores. Furthermore, there is a formu-la, “Sales = size of a department store.”, so Hyundai holds a superior position due to the large size of the building and the num-ber of brand shops.

Total area of Hyundai is 56,100 square meters, and this value is 1.2 to 1.5 times larger than other two department stores (Debec Plaza:38,184 m2, Lotte:36,300 m2). In addition, there are sixty kinds of brand

shops in Hyundai, which is far larger than the number of brand shops in Debec Plaza (43 shops) and Lotte(28 shops).

The number of Hyundai card members in Daegu and Gyeongbuk region reaches over 200,000, and more than a thousand customers gathered to register classes at Hyundai’s Culture Center on the first day. Hyundai believes that it has already over-come the handicap pf being a newcomer, so it can appeal to customers with the concept of being newly opened until the end of the year, while being backed with active mar-keting.

Hyundai expects to attain sales over 500 billion KRW, next year, which exceeds the last year sales of Lotte (465 billion KRW).

Continued from pg 15: Dickun...

Continued from pg 17: Thailand vs Cambodia...

throw all the ingredients in before you go to work. Come home and dinner's ready. It's easier than catching a subway to whatever restaurant you're heading to.

So, hopefully I inspired you to took a little more often here. And if you do, please invite me because if I have to eat one more piece of sugar-enhanced garlic toast or slice of sweet potato and corn pizza I'm gonna lose my marbles. ■

beaches to Thailand's beautiful, but some-times, overcrowded beaches. Score: Cambodia 1 Thailand 0

2.The FooD:thailand - Unbelievable, delicious, very, very tasty, cheap, fresh, plentiful, huge vari-ety! I could go on and on here, but basically, Thai food is some of the best I have ever had. Massaman chicken curry and Pad Thai are my personal favorites.

Cambodia - I could use all the adjectives above again to describe the food I ate here.The $3 BBQ dinners were special and also similar to Thailand. The abundance of fresh fruit was great to see. Just to inform you, also, that alcohol in Cambodia is slightly cheaper than Thailand, but if you fish around from bar to bar, I am sure they would be more or less equal in price. Back to the food, I would have to say though, Thailand seemed to offer a bigger variety of food, so my point for food belongs to the Thais!Score: Cambodia 0 Thailand 1

3.The local peoplethailand - A huge downfall for me, person-ally, especially in Bangkok. Tuk tuk drivers, as well as, taxi drivers are constantly trying to rip you off and it gets very frustrating, af-ter a while. They can become very persistent when trying to convince you to visit massage parlours, jewellery stores, suit shops, espe-cially tuk tuk drivers who all get a commis-sion if you decide to visit any of these places. DO NOT, is my advice. Be firm with them, even though this led to us being stranded in the city, one day, when our driver kicked

us out of his tuk tuk, because we would not agree to visit any of these places previously mentioned. In saying this, once you escape the madness of Bangkok, the Thai people are generally very friendly, but my advice would be to limit your time in Bangkok.

Cambodia - Never have I come across a na-tion of people that smile so much as they do in Cambodia. It was a breath of fresh air meeting the locals here. After all the pain and suffering they have been through under the Pol Pot regime, it is clear to state that they all appreciate life for what it is and what may seem like a major problem for us Western-ers, would be dealt with here in the most positive manner possible. I just hope that the locals are not influenced by the imminent influx of tourists and become more money driven, as this will kill what is one of Cam-bodia's greatest assets: The people’s simple yet extremely great attitude towards life. No doubt here, Cambodia gets the point.Score: Cambodia 1 Thailand 0

4.The Tours/acTiviTiesthailand - This place has it all. Every activ-ity you can think of seems to be available to do here. Day trips to beautiful islands to go snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, lazing on the beach. Bungee jumping, amusement parks, Maui Thai boxing events, elephant riding, tiger petting, playing golf at night time under floodlights, floating markets, fishing, etc...All the tours/activities are rea-sonably priced and I highly recommend go-ing on, at least, one island day trip via speed boat that involves some snorkeling. These half day or full day trips are also a great way to meet new people and share a story or two.

Cambodia - Seen as it is not as developed as Thailand as of yet, Cambodia is quite limited in what it has to offer. In saying that, there is still a lot to do there and tours may not be as organized as Thailand, but at least if you need a tuk Tuk driver, price is agreed before-hand and they will not lead you astray! A few places I would recommend visiting would be the S-21 Prison and Killing Fields in Phonm Penh (depressing to see but a huge eye open-er), as well as the Floating Village and the no-torious Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, which is an absolute must. Island tours off Serendipity Beach are cheap, but the lack of speedboats can make the day last a little bit longer than needed....Both countries have plenty to offer but I feel that Thailand nicks this one, maybe in a decade or so this will change.Score: Cambodia 0 Thailand 1

Well it finishes in an overall tie, but if some-body was to twist my arm, then Cambodia would come out on top, solely due to the fact that Cambodians are generally a lot more tourist friendly that Thailand (well just Bangkok!) ■


Continued from pg 17: Autumn's Fire...

Continued from pg 14: enter the Mask

as you stroll through the manicured paths of Bulguk-sa and leave with mind and spirit rejuvenated. Bulguk-sa’s a simple trip by train or bus. When you get there, the green 10 or 11 bus is your chariot to this incredible temple.

Additionally, it is equally worth a trip up to the top of Toham-san to see Seokguram Grotto (literally lies above Bulguk-sa). This lofty peak is home to sweeping views of a sea of reds, oranges and browns, as well as a much-revered Buddhist statue. Surround-ed by fall’s leafy canvas, you’ll drink in the sweet aroma of crisp alpine air and enjoy the leisurely stroll towards the hidden hideaway. A bus leaves hourly across the street from Bulguk-sa to this summit.

These are but a few of the local won-ders where you can revel in fall’s splendor, without trekking across Korea. There are, of course, other (but further) locations where you can bask in the glow of fall’s fire, includ-ing Songni-san (Start: 10:18 Peak: 10:26), Geumjeong-san (Start: 9:29 Peak: 10:18), and Seorak-san (Start: 10:01 Peak: 10:20). Wher-ever you enjoy Korea’s autumn fire, you are sure to always recall the glow of reds, orang-es, and yellows, like the rosy embers of some down-home country hearth. ■

might find one mask more appropriate than the others. So, find out whether you’re buy-ing a mask of ‘Imae’ the fool or ‘Seonbi’ the scholar, before putting up any money.

The detour into Hahoe village won’t take long (maybe two hours total, including both exploration and the 20 minute round-trip bus ride), so you’ll be able to get back to the beer, food, and fun of the Andong Mask Festival within good time.

Because the festival is being held on open grounds, you don’t need to worry about buy-ing admission tickets beforehand; you can just pay at the door. However, even if you are taking a train to Cheongnyangni Station or a bus from Daegu‘s Bukbu Bus Terminal to Andong, you are going to want to buy those tickets and your return tickets home ahead of time. Tickets are likely to sell-out, so try to get them at least two days in advance. ■

Critical Thinking in the ClassroomOn Saturday, September 3rd, Michael Mas-sey led a KOTESOL seminar on activating critical thinking skills in young language learners. It’s a topic that speaks to a lot of ESL teachers in Korea. Any teacher who has watched a creative lesson fall flat has no doubt racked their brains for ways to encourage more critical thinking in the classroom. Massey discussed the benefits of critical thinking in language learners, and showed us how to activate these elements in typical ESL lessons.Why?What’s the benefit of critical thinking in a language classroom? Shouldn’t this area be left to the social studies teacher? As Massey explained, inviting students to analyze and evaluate in a lesson can draw richer output from the students. In speaking their opinion, students exercise more self-awareness. They will be more motivated to craft a complex and accurate sentence when arguing their opinion than they would, say, describing a picture of a dog. Wouldn’t you? When?Can critical thinking be introduced in young learners? In beginner classes? How can stu-dents express themselves with only basic English vocabulary? While a long lesson

devoted to debating opinions wouldn’t fly, a teacher can always introduce this type of thinking early on. Reading a simple story book with young learners, the teacher can talk about characters. How does he feel? Why does he feel that way? Who is your fa-vorite character? Why? Students may not be able to express their answers fully, but they will be exposed to a “why” line of question-ing that can serve as a base for future critical thinking activities.

hoW?Students may be shy or hesitant to express themselves and analyze a text in the class-room. Don’t assume this is because they don’t know how to think critically. Low language ability does not equal low cognitive ability. Teach the students the vocabulary they need (“I believe that…” “On the other hand….”), and model the exercise to help them fully understand the task.

As with young learners, stories or films can be a good platform for critical thinking activities. Have students choose their fa-vourite character, or write a dialogue from that character’s perspective. Ask “what if?” questions about the plot: “What if the storm

hadn’t happened?” “What if she hadn’t tak-en that train?”.

Study sentences or texts with the students and look at what is fact vs. what is opinion. Present short videos or dialogues where characters disagree on something, and ask the students whose side they take. Once they have a model of English speakers ana-lyzing an issue, they will be more comfort-able taking on the task. Structure critical discussions and activities around approach-able topics. Issues like war or euthanasia might be too heavy on the first go, especial-ly for younger learners. A debate on school uniforms always rouses opinions. The same goes with fast food.

* By incorporating critical thinking into the classroom, teachers can foster a more engaging and dynamic classroom environ-ment. Try different types of critical think-ing tasks with students, and make sure to teach any target language they may need. Critical thinking can encourage students’ self-awareness, creativity, and empathy for other perspectives. ■

Written by anne Merritt


InDaegu-Sept2011

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Transcript of InDaegu-Sept2011