haps magazine issue 18

2012 spring_ busanhaps.com 1

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Hit The Streets | 18Celebrity Obsession | 20Inside Story: The Art of Being Martin | 28Kim Min-ah: Mamma Min-ah! | 26

FEATURES

The Boys are Back | 24

Schedules: Lotte Giants & IPark | 33

SPORT

REGULARSEvents: The Big 5 | 09The Haps: Word on the Street | 10Korean & World News: In the News | 12Gadgets & Gear: Material World | 16Style & Beauty: Beauty Guide | 20Around Town: Scene Makers | 44Tharp On: Music | 46

DIRECTORY/GUIDESHotel: Directory & News | 34Nightlife: Busan Music | 36 Directory | 37Dining: Sharky’s Shakes It Up | 38 Directory | 38Area Maps | 48Busan Metro Map | 50

On the Cover: Kim Min-ah

CONTENTS

TRAVELInternational: Nairobi | 30Korea: Festivals | 32Ask a Local | 32

As with my confusion of whether the millennium was in 2000 or 2001, I am sometimes at a loss when it comes to celebrating things at the right time. Should I congratulate someone on his or her divorce? Should I drink a toast to a friend becoming a lawyer? A relative turning ninety-five? A co-worker surpassing 1,000 Facebook “friends?” It’s all so confusing.

When I realized that this was Issue 18 of our bi-monthly rag, I thought, “Hey! Third anniversary!” But no, that is not until Issue 19. Fooled again.

Of one thing I am sure; much like myself on my 18th, this issue looks incredibly fresh and clean. The design duo of Russell and Kelvin has really done an excellent layout job, there’s some great content inside from our regulars, as well as a few new faces, and it’s all packaged up with expanded listings, events and more.

Happy Spring. I think.

EDITOR’S LETTER


BUSAN HAPS Spring 2012 Issue 18

BUSINESS REGISTRATION NUMBER: 00001

FIRST PUBLICATION DATE: Sept, 2, 2009

OFFICE ADDRESS: Ocean Tower #1726, 760-3,

Woo 1 Dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan, Republic of Korea 612-822

www.busanhaps.com

DISCLAIMER: The opinions in the magazine

are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Questions or comments: [email protected]

©2012 Busan Haps Magazine

SUBMISSIONS [email protected]

ADVERTISING [email protected] (English)

[email protected] (한국어)

Follow us @busanhaps

Busan Haps Magazine

PUBLISHER Ju Shin-hye

EDITOR IN CHIEF Bobby McGill

MARKETING DIRECTORMichael SchneiderART DIRECTOR

Russell McConnellMANAGING EDITOR

Jeff LiebschWEBMASTER Danny Himes

MANAGER Jeong Jin-bong

PHOTOGRAPHERS:Lee Byung-ryul

Michael FraimanBMC

Peter DeMarco

DESIGNERS:Kelvin Brassbridge

INTERNS:Bae Hae-jin

Kim Hyun-ah

TRANSLATIONKim Hyun-ah

Jeong Hye-won

WRITERS: Jen Sotham

Michael FraimanHilary KimuyuBrian Kilrain

Mike EdmundsDaniel Panozzo

Chris TharpJames TurnbullBobby McGill

Jeff Liebsch

ILLUSTRATORS:Sarah Elminshawi

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CONTRIBUTORSH Regulars

MICHAEL FRAIMANAs a journalism school graduate, Mi-chael is qualified to do many things with English – excluding teaching it to small children, which is what he’s actually paid to do.

JEN SOTHAM New York native, Jen Sotham, has been living in Busan since 2006. Her writing has appeared in magazines, guidebooks and anthologies, including Travelers’ Tales: Best Women’s Travel Writing 2008.

CHRIS THARPChris hails from Washington State and has lived in Busan for over six years. When not when banging on a guitar or screaming into a microphone, he likes to write. If you buy him a drink he’ll tell you all about the times he met Kurt Cobain, but you probably already know the story.

HILARY KIMUYUHilary Kimuyu lived in South Korea for six years and is now back home translat-ing Korean in the Kenyan Law Court. He also regularly contributes to the People Newspaper in Kenya.

JAMES TURNBULLSince coming to Korea in 2000, James has become widely known for his high-ly respected blog The Grand Narrative. He lives in Busan with his wife and two daughters, Alice and Elizabeth.


GWANGAN BRIDGE WALKMAY 6TH

You’ve traversed it by car or bus, but now you can walk it during the annual Gwan-gan Bridge Walk. The BYOB event will fea-ture Korean rock band Mudbrain, as well as an assortment of other entertainment all on the 7.5 km long Gwangan Bridge aka “The Diamond Bridge.” You can get more info on the Facebook group “Lov-able Busan,” or check out the Korean lan-guage only site www.kookjetrail.com.

Events & Culture

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THEBIGFIVE

THE MOTOR SHOW (GIRLS) ARE BACKMAY 24TH - JUNE 3RD The Busan International Motor Show returns this year under the theme “The Voyage of the Green Car Across the Ocean.” Though the name sounds like a children’s tale of a car with inflatable tires on an adventurous ocean trek, the Busan International Motor Show is not that. It is, as most motor shows around the world, a great place to check out the latest offering from the auto industry and take photos of hot ‘spokesmodels.’ The bi-annual event that alternates venues every other year between Busan and Seoul will be held at BEXCO from May 24th through June 3rd. tickets: 7,000 won @ eng.busanmotorshow.co.kr

THE STAGE IS SET FOR BIPAFMAY 4TH - MAY 13TH

The Busan International Performing Arts Festival is in its ninth year of entertaining audiences around the city. Performance teams from New Zealand, Taiwan, Bel-gium, Italy, Japan, China, and Korea come together under this year’s theme of “Hello Asia!”. Venues for the shows include the Busan Cultural Center, Busan Citizens' Hall, Kyungsung University (Concert Hall, Yeno Hall, Outdoor Stage), and Culture Al-ley Yongcheon Jiral Theater. You can get more information about tickets and per-formance times @ bipaf.org

MORRISSEY IN SEOULMAY 6TH

Named one of the most innovative in-die musicians in history by New Mu-sic Express, former lead singer of The Smiths, Morrissey, will be performing at Ax Korea in Seoul at 7 p.m. on May 6th. The controversial singer has widely criticized leading musicians and politi-cians throughout his career, as well as caused media controversies about his statements on race and staunch views on animal rights and vegetarianism.tickets: 99,000 won @ interpark.co.kr

HEAVYWEIGHT GLOBAL GROOVES: BASSMENT AT ALMOST FAMOUSAPRIL 21ST & MAY 12TH

Big things are happening for the BASSment crew! The months of April and May will witness the arrival of some of Japan’s top-name DJs and MCs playing alongside residents Malbool, Griff and Professor. On tap for April 21st is DJ Yah-man and Hajime Oishi, followed by Bun-Bun the MC on May 12th. For more info, keep your eyes peeled to the Haps calen-dar and bring only good vibes!

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WORD ON THE STREETH Regulars

BASEMENT CELEBRATES TEN YEARSNot a lot of bars, or many other service establishments in Busan for that mat-ter, can lay claim to having survived ten years. Basement, the jewel of PNU, has not only survived, but has flourished, and anyone who has been in Busan for more than 15 minutes has some sort of Basement story to tell. Head down to PNU Saturday, April 14th and drink a toast to a Busan expat institution. As usual, there will be great live music on tap, cheap drinks, and general mayhem. www.busanhaps.com/nightlife/basement

VAGINA MONOLOGUES ARE BACKIt’s time to paint the town red! This will be Busan’s third year hosting V-Day, a global campaign to stop violence against women. 90% of the funds from all events will be donated to the Busan Nurim Women's Shelter in Yeonsan and 10% to the women and girls of Haiti. Come out, have fun, and support a good cause!

V-DAY EVENTS: Thursday, April 22nd: V-Men, monologues written from the male perspective discussing violence against women. HQ Kyungsung, 4th floor, 5PM and 7PM. Tickets 8,000W in advance, 10,000W at the door. Thursday, April 26: Vagina Trivia at HQ Kyungsung, 8-11 PM. Cost is 2,000W per controller per game. Food and drink specials and a 50/50 raffle! Friday, April 27: Voices for Vaginas at Eva’s from 10 PM - 1 AM. Drink specials and door prizes along with some of Busan’s hottest female musical talent. Saturday, April 28th, 7PM and Sunday April 29th, 2PM and 7PM: The Vinyl Underground proudly presents three performances of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues. Tickets 12,000W in advance, 15,000W at the door. Advance tickets for V-Men and TVM will be on sale April 1st at HQ (Kyungsung & Jangsan), Eva’s, Fully Booked, and Crossroads. Check Haps Calendar for more details.

BREEZE BURNS DONE, BURGER AND PASTA TAKES OVERBreeze Burns around the city are closing down, and the increasingly popular Burg-er and Pasta (brought to you by the same owners of Thursday Party) will be open-ing their third restaurant, in Breeze Burns old digs in Haeundae, across from Fuzzy Navel near the beach and will open April 12th. Burger and Pasta, which opened its first location in Kyungsung a few years back, is considered by many to make a much better burger and offers a wide va-riety of pasta dishes and a good selection of wine. www.busanhaps.com/food/burger-and-pasta-haeundae

CHINESE WIVES RECRUITED AS TOUR GUIDESAs the number of Chinese tourists visiting Busan grows, the city has gotten creative in addressing their needs. To give Chinese travelers to Busan a more convenient lev-el of service, the City of Busan is recruiting Chinese brides who have married Korean men to show Chinese tourists around.

The city initially chose 20 Chinese wives in March, and have placed them around the city at major tourist sites. According to the city newspaper Dynamic Busan, “Those who are selected will receive training to improve their general knowl-edge of the city and its tourism assets and history. They will also be instructed on local culture.” Chinese tourism ranks sec-ond in the city, next to Japanese visitors.


Community & Living

NEW BUSAN PORT CELEBRATES FIRST ANNIVERSARYFrom Friday June 1st to Sunday June 3rd, various locations in Busan are to be transformed into family-friendly seaside tour-ist attractions, as the city celebrates its 5th annual port festival. This year, the Busan Port Festival’s theme is “Marine Theme Park” with events split into categories including entertainment, education, and history and innovation. Mr. Park, Busan Port’s Marketing Director, says “In light of the port’s record breaking achievements, this year’s festival is set to be bigger and better than ever.” For more information on the festival schedule, visit www.festival.busan.co.kr or www.busanpa.com

KAI SURF SHOP OPEN FOR BUSINESSWhile you may not think of Busan as a surfing destination, it at-tracts a dedicated amount of surfers who brave the waters in Gwangan, Haeundae and Songjong daily. Kai Surf Shop, the newest pro shop for everything surf carries a great selection of apparel and anything you need to get your surf on. Located in Gwangan-li, they provide lessons and rentals in English and carry top quality brands such as Surfer Girl, Spider and Ocean & Earth.www.kaiyoung.com or call 051-753-2746

FULLY BOOKEDLooking for a good selec-tion of English books and a nice spot to sit and en-joy them? Fully Booked in Kyungsung-dae has a wide variety of books for your reading pleasure, as well as board games which you can play while enjoying a soft drink, beer, or a glass of wine. www.busanhaps.com/ful-lybooked

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IN THE NEWSH Regulars

LOCAL NUCLEAR POWER PLANT COVER UPAccording to South Korea’s nuclear safety authority, several engineers are be-ing charged for covering up an electricity failure at the aging Gomi nuclear plant outside of Busan in February. During the incident, main power to the reac-tor was lost for 12 minutes and the emergency generator failed to kick in. Power was eventually restored and there was no radioactive material released into the atmosphere according to officials.

In a released statement, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) expressed “regret” that the incident had been covered up for more than a month until coming to light.

The fact that engineers would cover up an electricity failure created a stir across the country, raising questions of what would happen in the event of a more serious incident.

During a televised press conference, NSSC chairman Kang Sang-sun said that, “A chief engineer and his colleagues had covered it up for more than a month. They will be thoroughly held responsible, legally and administratively as well.”

FOREIGN BASED AIR CARRIERS ON THE RISEThe number of overseas carriers plying air routes to and from Korea has surged in recent years, which should bode well for reducing fares as competition grows among airlines looking to snatch a great-er share of the local aviation market, which last year saw nine million inbound passengers and 42.7 million headed out.

The number of foreign carriers operat-ing routes in and out of Korea has risen from forty-five in 2001, to seventy-three as of February this year.

KOREA DROPS IN PRESS FREEDOM RANKINGSAccording to the annual Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders, South Korea ranks 44th in the world just below South Africa and Botswana. The drop in ranking comes at a time when reporters at Korea’s two largest networks, MBC and KBS continue targetted work boycotts demanding that the CEOs of both news organiza-tions step down for what they claim is biased news cove- rage of the Lee Myung-bak administration.

Over the course of the strike, which started in late Janu-ary, three of the six main MBC news programs have been suspended due to walkouts by reporters.

‘PLEASE LOOK AFTER MOM’ WINS MAN PRIZESouth Korean novelist Shin Kyung-sook’s Please Look After Mom, a story of a vulnerable mother who goes missing in Seoul, has won the annual Man Asian literary prize.

Shin is both the first woman and the first South Korean to take the $30,000 award, and was chosen over well-known contend-ers including Haruki Murakami, Amitav Ghosh, Tahmima Anam and Banana Yoshimoto by a panel of judges who choose the best novel written by a citizen of an Asian country, either pub-lished in English or translated into English.


Korean & World News

DR. HWANG BACK WITH A WOOLY MAMMOTH

SOUTH KOREAN NOODLE MAKERS FINED FOR PRICE-FIXINGThe government’s fair trade watchdog recently slapped fines totalling $151.3 million on the country’s four major noodle mak-ers for price-fixing.

Nongshim, Samyang Foods, Ottogi and Korea Yakult were charged with fixing the price of instant noodles on six different occasions from 2001 through 2010, according to South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission.

The FTC’s investigation found that the four companies, whose combined market share is almost 100 percent, systematically exchanged information for setting the market price of instant noodles, a staple in the Korean diet.

Nongshim took the lion’s share of the fine for its key role in the price-rigging. The company, which accounts for around 70 percent of the country’s $1.8 billion instant noodle market, was fined $94 million.

A private South Korean research insti-tute led by disgraced stem cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk recently announced their collaboration with a Russian uni-versity to clone a woolly mammoth.

A spokesperson for the Institute of Applied Ecology in Siberia’s Yakutsk told reporters, “The egg will then be placed into the womb of the elephant,

who will bear the fetus for 22 months before hopefully giving birth to a live baby mammoth.”

Hwang has been hard at work try-ing to rebuild his reputation after evidence of fabricated data and em-bezzlement of research funds came to light in 2006, causing his dismissal from Seoul National University.

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BEAUTY GUIDEStyle & BeautyH Regulars

PEAR FECTO TANNING LOTIONOne concern for industries hoping to benefit from reduced FTA tariffs, is that vendors sometimes pocket the difference rather than passing the savings on to consumers. We give you: Pear Fecto tanning lotion. The Swedish-made bot-tle of skin-nourishing-goodness retails for about $16 on Amazon.com and you can get it here in Korea online and in selected shops for just under $70. While you are getting severely burned by local retailers, you at least won’t be burned by increased exposure to the sun in the coming months.

KIEHL’S CLEARLY CORRECTIVE DARK SPOT REMOVERIf you are starting to get some age spots or just have a touch of discoloration you would like to rid yourself of, Kiehl’s Clear-ly Corrective has gotten good reviews on many independent skin care blogs. In-stead of Vitamin C (which is great for skin brightening but tends to be unstable), Kiehl’s labs have formulated what’s called Activated C, which can swiftly break apart discolorations and prevent formation of new discolorations while remaining ac-tive for a longer time. It is available at the four Lotte Department Stores around the city.

CHANEL ILLUSION D’OMBRE EYESHADOW Chanel’s Illusion D’Ombre has a very soft texture and feels noth-ing like your average cream shadow, which is why its become so popular since its release. The pigmentation is rich and the colors transfer to your eyes very well. You should apply an eyeshadow primer first for maximum hold, and then apply a powder shad-ow on top for extra depth. The metallic finish is beautiful, and it truly gives you luminous eyes.

BENEFIT BROW ZINGS SHAPING KITBenefit Brow Zings includes all the accessories you need for clean, smooth, perfectly-defined brows. The easy on your pock-et kit includes a soft, pigmented wax for defining and shaping brows and a color complementing setting powder to keep them looking just right, plus discreet tweezers for those pesky little stray hairs. There is also a hard angle brush, and a blending brush to complete the set.

BOBBI BROWN POT ROUGE FOR LIPS AND CHEEKS

Bobbi Brown’s top-selling Pot Rouge is a multi-tasking cream that gives cheeks

and lips a healthy, natural-looking flush. This cream-based formula is

great for a sheer, stained finish and is available in a wide array

of color choices for a variety of skintones. Rub a little

between your fingers to warm it up and then ap-ply it to the apples of your cheeks for a fresh glow. Apply it to your lips with a clear gloss over for maximum col-or richness.

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THE CULLIGAN RAINDISC SHOWERHEADAs the weather warms, you’re going to be sweating more and (hopefully) tak-ing more showers. Go ahead and replace that water spigot of a showerhead you have now and install something that’ll make you want to stay in there all day. For a mere $50, you could soon be bask-ing ‘neath the flow of a Culligan RainDisc showerhead. It also has a wider spread than most others on the market – in the event your loved one stinks too and you want to share the cleansing experience together.

MATERIAL WORLDH Regulars

SAMSUNG SERIES 5 ULTRABOOK

Samsung’s answer to Mac (aren’t they all really just that?) is a cheaper alternative to the Samsung’s Series 7 and Series 9, which were both hits in the PC review-o-sphere last year. Though the $1,000 Series 5 doesn’t match up in head-to-head performance tests with similar brands in its price range, the 15” configuration is actually lighter than smaller 14” competitors and promises five hours of battery life. If you’re not a gamer looking for high-end performance, it’ll do just fine. And, it’s DJ Chad approved!

A HOUSE PLANT Many of our readers are teachers in Korea. And many of those are living in cramped, subsidized studios that of-ten lack, shall we say...comfort? Spruc-ing your place up with a few plants is a cheap and effective way to liven up su casa and bring some of the good growth vibes of spring inside. Which, come June, you will be seeing a lot of when the rainy season rolls in.

CANARD FLEECE DUCK BOOTS Thanks to the recently passed KORUS FTA, we are happy to report that the previously outrageous prices for top of the line import sportswear is set to take a tumble. To assure that you don’t take a tumble when you’re out there enjoying Korea’s great spring weath-er on mountain high, get yourself a good pair of hiking boots. You can pick up a pair of Timberland Canard Fleece Duck Boots around town or online for about $100.

A GYM MEMBERSHIPCome on, admit it. You’ve been putting off the promise to exercise all win-ter. The lame excuses of needing ‘insulation’ have played out and before you know it, you’ll be beachside at the water’s edge trying to get an inner-tube around your inner-tube, while your in-shape chingu’s strain to maintain eye contact during beach blanket conversations. Monthly gym fees are cheap, and there’s one in nearly every neighborhood, often with in-house saunas and all the amenities. Go. Now!


MOSQUITO DEFENSE You’re not the only one that enjoys the good weather. Human-ity’s arch nemesis, the female mosquito (“mo-gi” in Korean), will be making her debut soon enough. While her mate will be off doing the useful work of pollinating flowers, she will be hard at work trying to spread the plague. There are several counter-measures available, ranging from incense-like, cave-man smoke remedies to wall-socket sonic frequency emit-ters. Our favorite line of defense, and the most fun, is the zap-per tennis racket, which you can pick up just about anywhere for about ten bucks. It’s a guilt free way to go on a killing spree and work out your inner Dexter. After all, the “mo-gi” is designed for little more than a human population check and deserves its fiery fate.

Gadgets & Gear

A JUICER While the warming weather is good for goings-on outside, don’t forget that your inside life just got better too as the seasonal fruits start making their way back to market and the long winter of luxury-item priced produce is over. De-pending on your budget, a good juicer will run you any-where from $100 to $500 and are available at all the major grocery chains.

LG 50 INCH PLASMA TV The LG 50 (model no. 50PA6500) offers up an incredibly crisp, Full HD 1080 image with superior picture quality over standard HDTV. You’ll see colors and details that are vivid reminders of why only those with really good skin can cut it in the high-def modern age of broadcast media. What is neither clear nor vivid is why, in the whacky world of Korean domestic sales, the $1,200 price tag in the ROK is nearly $300 more than what you would pay abroad.

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early every morning, an old Korean man sits on a white plastic stool near the southbound Bomnae-gol bus stop and sells apples. Business suits hurry by while he sits patiently, in his tackle vest and fleece, occasionally pounding his thighs as older

Koreans do, to keep the blood pumping. I call him the “Apple Man”, because when I first noticed him his cart was filled with apples, which he sells seven for 3,000 won.

My first purchase from the Apple Man was entirely unremark-able until I got home and took that first bite, realizing how liter-ally life-changingly good it was, and how all seven of those red, unwaxed beauties cost nearly half the price of what I’d found in most supermarkets.

Buying fruit off the street – or fish, or ironing boards, or what-ever – can be a daunting experience for a myriad of reasons. But it’s worth it. A head of broccoli should cost 1,000 won, not 2,500; a bunch of bananas is 3,000; a giant radish is 1,000 – and the food’s often fresher to boot.

On that note, here’s some stuff I’ve figured out based on my naive experiences dealing with wizened Koreans in aprons:

1. DON’T BE INTIMIDATED. Remember: you’re dealing with hu-man beings. Asking the price of something is as easy as slurring out your best “Eeh-goh, ohl-mah-yeh-yo?” Vendors will often show you with their fingers since they assume you don’t speak Korean. If you think 3,000 won is too much for cabbage (it is), or the cabbage is browning (it might be), just walk away and find another vendor. No one will chase after you (not a guarantee), and you’ll find someone else selling cabbage within the radius of a city block (98% guarantee). 2. NUMBERS ARE A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE. I once tried to buy a cucumber from a woman around the corner from me, and she confidently charged me 5,000 won. I asked her again, and she stuck five fingers at me, rapidly saying other things I did not understand. I now refer to her as “Racist Cucumber Lady” and we glare at each other when I walk past her shop twice a day. The lesson: if you want to avoid confrontations, stick to prod-ucts with handwritten price tags. No rip-offs, no inflation: you pay what everyone else pays.

HIT THE STREETS:SIX RULES TO SHOP BY WHENSHOPPING UNDER AN UMBRELLA

WRITING & PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL FRAIMAN

HStreetGUIDE

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3. IF IT LOOKS BAD, IT PROBABLY IS. “Supermarket fresh” is a term Westerners have been raised to be wary of, which implies that a street purchase is automatically the healthier, greener choice. This is untrue. Just because a man is selling tomatoes on the street, it does not mean those tomatoes are a) locally grown, b) healthier, or c) pesticide-free. Produce can be sold out of season, so if it looks off, trust your judgment and walk away. 4. IF IT COMES FROM A CART, YOU’RE (PROBABLY) GOOD TO GO. For whatever reason, homogeneity in a wooden box with wheels often leads to a cheaper and tastier product. Don’t ask why.

5. TAKE TIME TO FIND THE SWEET SPOTS. I have the “Apple Man” for apples, the “Miscellaneous Dried Food Lady” for pea-nuts and onions, and the “Old Lady Who Sometimes Wanders Off Leaving Me Standing Like An Idiot Alone For Five Minutes” for eggs and bean sprouts. It took a few weeks of walking home from school to discover which routes lead to which vendors, and which vendors have the best products and prices, but my bank account has thanked me.

6. YOU’LL FEEL MORE LIKE A KOREAN. I’m a sucker for cul-tural immersion, and refrained from eating Western-style food for the better part of my first two months here. Yes, shopping at E-Mart and HomePlus can be culturally challenging in its own way, but just a walk through Seomyeon’s market alleys has made me feel more like a citizen who actually lives here. In these moments, I’ve seen Busan for what it is: a beautiful, intricate city made up of thousands of people trying to make a living, strike a deal, coming together in clusters to talk and shop and drink until the next day, when they do it all again. To ignore these people is – for me, anyway – to ignore people like the Apple Man, who helps make up this city in small doses by just sitting on his white plastic stool all day. I have never seen him come or go, but I know that he has been here long before me, and will remain here long after I travel on.

OPPOSITE: A WOMAN SKINS AN EEL IN THE JAGALCHI FISH MARKET LEFT: A GRAIN VENDOR IN NAMPO-DONG RIGHT: A FISH VENDOR SEOMYEON MARKET.

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HSocialISSUE

If you’ve spent any significant length of time in Korea, then you’ll have noticed the same celebrity faces in ads time and time again. Whether it’s Kim Tae-hee, Girls’ Generation, Gong Yoo, or 2PM, you just can’t escape them. Be it ads on public transportation, billboards or on TV, they’re seemingly every-where you turn.

In fact, roughly two-thirds of Korean ads have celebrities, as opposed to 10% in most other developed countries. And it’s been like that for over a decade. Redundancy seems to be the rule when it comes to advertising.

But is this an entirely negative thing? Not necessarily.Many Koreans are just as tired of see-

ing the same celebrities everywhere. Also, it’s easy to see how an over-reli-ance on them would stifle creativity in the Korean advertising industry. In the words of Bruce Haines, the current and first foreign president of Korea’s larg-est advertising agency, Cheil Worldwide, “it’s holding back the reputation of Korean advertising” overseas, and that “in its crudest form, Korean advertising degenerates to beautiful people holding a bottle.”

On the other hand, endorsements by Girls’ Generation, the most prolific of the lot, have generally resulted in huge sales increases for the companies that hire them. After they advertised Woongjin Conway water puri-fiers in April 2011, for instance, sales rose 400% compared to the same period a year earlier. Likewise, Manchester United partner Shinhan Bank has managed to sell over a million credit cards with Park Ji-sung’s face emblazoned on them.

What’s more, these huge successes are not necessarily due to anything unique in the Korean psyche, no matter how natural

it may be to assume so. Rather, using celebrities works because it exploits two universal, interrelated human instincts – that we have a natural inclination to associate in groups; and that, to aid in this, we generally trust the opinions of people that we feel are similar to us, and/or that we know well. Whether we’ve met them in person, or only know them from TV.

Consider the effects this has on our decision making with a practical example.

Back when I first joined Facebook, I soon got addicted to ‘friending’ new people. If they were women, and if they were hot, then, well, I couldn’t click fast enough. But then one day,

I suddenly realized that I’d actually clicked on one woman’s profile mostly because her birthday was close to mine. Two other recommendations had been equally attractive, but I’d ignored them because theirs weren’t.

And once I checked, it turned out a disproportionate number of my new “friends” likewise had birthdays in March.

Was that due to Facebook deliberately recommending fellow Pisceans to me, or was that due to my own self-selection? I can’t say. But either way, what was hap-pening sounds a lot like a phenomenon

known as “basking in reflected glory,” as described by author Jake Halpern in his 2006 book Fame Junkies:

…In [a] study, students – there were several hundred of them – read a short biography of Rasputin…you know, the villain of Russian history. For half of them they customized the tests so that Rasputin had the same birthday as you – without you knowing. So you’re like…imagine that your actual birthday is July 28th, so Rasputin is born July 28th…whenever. So [stu-dents] that had the same birthday as Rasputin were, across the

“IT’S HOLDING BACK THE REPUTATION OF

KOREAN ADVERTISING OVERSEAS.” [AND] “IN ITS CRUDEST FORM,

KOREAN ADVERTISING DEGENERATES TO

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE HOLDING A BOTTLE.”

I’VE JUST SEEN A FACE. AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.

BY JAMES TURNBULL

THE AD INDUSTRY’S CELEBRITY OBSESSION


board, more likely to say “Rasputin was a misunderstood man in history. He was notorious but he was great and he played an important role, and that shouldn’t be forgotten.” And this is just because they share a birthday!

Halpern was speaking in the U.K. documovie Starsuckers (2009), in which the narrator then went on to comment:

The power of association, with someone who’s famous or even infamous, is far more potent than we even realize.

In other words, if we’re all more likely to pay attention to someone simply because they’re born at the same time as us, then it to stands to reason that our favorite celebrity’s endorse-ment of a product would carry much more weight than that of an anonymous model or actor.

This also explains the abundance of “making of” videos here in Korea, too – they’re a means of persuading viewers that ce-lebrities are just like us, to encourage us to make associations with them in our minds. After all, why else would companies willingly ruin the fantasies they’ve tried to create in their ex-pensive commercials? Or present celebrities in such unglamor-ous situations as getting food all over their faces while slurping noodles, or running for the bathroom?

Heck, it’s no wonder that Koreans generally don’t hold celeb-rities on a pedestal, and will often judge them severely for even the slightest of misdemeanors.

So, the next time you sigh at seeing a familiar face in a Korean ad, consider the fact that they’re probably the reason you’re paying any attention to it at all. Ultimately, the question may not be why Korean advertisers use celebrities so much, but rather why Western advertiser’s don’t!

James Turnbull’s popular blog, The Grand Narrative, discusses Korean sociology through gender, advertising, and popular cul-ture, and has become one of the leading Internet sources on those topics, with mentions in Time Magazine, The Washington Post and Jezebel.

HAPS_spring 201222

THE ART OF BEING MARTINEVERY EXPAT HAS A STORY TO TELL. MARTIN VERMEULEN HAS AN ESPECIALLY GOOD ONE.

HInsideSTORY

It’s a cool, mid-March afternoon on the third floor of the Netherland Art Gallery on Haeundae’s Dalm-aji Hill. Unlike its uninspired charcoal grey exterior, the Netherland on the inside is awash with sunshine and style. It resembles a small lighthouse, squeezed

square in the center, stretched out on either end and terraced going up. There is living space and gallery rooms atop a steep spiral staircase that ascends white walls on the outskirts of hardwood floors.

On a large glass table, in a paintbrush reach of an easel, the curator, Leeann, lays out coffee and tea and a plate of brownies cut into perfect little squares. I am sitting across the table from the gallery’s proprietor, Martin Vermeulen. He’s on the phone.

He’s speaking in his native Dutch peppered with the occa-sional mildly-spoken American expletive. Both our languag-es descend from the West Germanic tongue, so I am able to recognize a few words here and there, but I already know what he is talking about anyway.

Apologizing after taking the second of two calls, Martin ex-plained that his guest for the week, the head of Indonesia’s largest mining concern, had been detained by immigration in Seoul after plying the gates to Korea with an Indonesian passport. He’s come to purchase tens-of-millions of dollars in Korean-made machinery, but there will be no special excep-tions at Incheon Airport today, he’s been ordered out of the country. Have a nice flight, thank you for coming.

On the three or four occasions I have met Martin Vermeu-len over the past few months, I’ve come to find his personal-ity best described as ‘buoyant.’ There is a sunny air about him; he’s quick to smile, quicker to laugh and at light speed headed for the handshake. Yet, as he deals with the dilemma of having one of Indonesia’s wealthiest men being held at Ko-rea’s front door with blank check in hand, I am waiting for a

crack in the Dutchman’s facade. Perhaps Martin is the inverse of this gallery he opened last November; bright and sunny on the outside but dark and grey within.

My conjecture proves wrong. He hangs up the phone, emits something short of a sigh, and then smiles. “Well, it looks like my schedule for next week just opened up, we should grab some dinner on Thursday!”

Perhaps it’s the boyish grin, or the slightly unkempt hair, but he comes across as well short of his fifty-five trips around the sun. And yet, if life experience were the gauge of age, he would look much closer to one hundred.

Martin Antoon Vermeulen was born in Utrecht, the Neth-erlands in 1957. His father was a man of adequate means, but decided that upon finishing high school young Martin should make his own way sans fatherly funding. He put himself through Cambridge, doing his undergraduate work in me-chanical engineering and his graduate studies in automotive engineering. After leaving Cambridge he took a job as a junior design engineer with a small Dutch auto parts firm.

Whereas most stories of an engineer, stepping out into the real world, would coast right along to a middling “the end,” this is where much of what makes Martin Martin begins.

After Cambridge, he spent his twenties working up the com-pany ladder, eventually garnering the attention of interna-tional automotive giants, who would later hire him away for his innovations, his fluency in seven languages and his gift for gab in each.

While his bread and butter would always be engineering, his work after work would be much of what would come to define him.

His first venture was restoring old cars and reselling them. “We would take cars that were totalled by the insurance companies, fix them up and then sell them for a really good profit,” he says, with a smile that implies it was a business at times a

BY BOBBY McGILL PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER DEMARCO

I


bit shady and the characters involved even more so.In the 1980’s, using his engineer’s salary and the money made

from selling cars, he started buying houses near universities with the intent of renting them to students. To call them “hous-es” might cause you to summon up an image of habitability. That they were not, says Martin.

“The houses were derelict, most of them were singled out by the government to be torn down. Labor was very expensive and no one wanted to invest to restore them, so I did.”

After bringing a house to code, he would divvy it up into separate rooms with communal kitchens and showers, and pack as many students in as regula-tion would allow. Before long he owned seven houses in all, generating a tidy sum of monthly rental income.

Thomas Edison famously spoke of inspi-ration and perspiration, but the inventor, in his wealth of wisdom, neglected to factor in luck. Good luck for Martin was The Netherlands’ infamous housing bub-ble. So extreme was the rise in the Dutch housing market that The Economist then called it “the most overvalued housing in Europe,” with analysts as recently as 2010 pegging it at over 100% above actual value. Boom, suddenly Martin was loaded.

By now he was married with a young son at home, living the very definition of a comfortable life. Great job, nice car, big house and more money than he could spend. Ever the entre-preneur, Martin then started a soup and bagel restaurant, ex-panding to several locations before selling it off as a franchise, building even further on his financial success.

All the while he was still working as an engineer, over the years earning respect for his innovative work in the automotive field. With the golden tongue of a salesman and technical credentials to back it up, he was soon hired away by the century-old Ger-man conglomerate, Bosch, to push their newly developed Anti-lock Braking System.

The role of traveling salesman wasn’t easy on his family life. “I was always on the road back then,” he recalls. “When my son

was a little boy he told his classmates that I was working at Amsterdam Airport, because he always picked me up and brought me there.”

After six years traveling to eighty-six countries and bringing millions in sales to Bosch, he decided it was time to go freelance and pocket more for himself. “It was then,” as Martin says, “I had way too much money coming in, a decent amount in the bank and that’s when things went wrong.”

Though the analogy sounds trite for an automotive engineer, he took to life in the fast lane. He mixed expensive whis-key with expensive cars; one of which he drove into a river and a three-day stint in the pokey. He bought a yacht, shot lions

in South Africa and partied around the world until finally, much to his surprise, his marriage was over and he had spent more money than he had.

“I was in the Bahamas and the bank blocked my credit card. I had to borrow money for a plane ticket from an American I had just met to get back to Holland. We’re still good friends today.”

One-hundred grand in debt, he mined his connections back home for engineering work.

“I WAS ALWAYS ON THE ROAD BACK THEN,”

HE RECALLS. “WHEN MY SON WAS A LITTLE

BOY HE TOLD HIS CLASSMATES THAT I WAS WORKING AT

AMSTERDAM AIRPORT, BECAUSE HE ALWAYS PICKED ME UP AND

BROUGHT ME THERE.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 47

HAPS_spring 201224

TALKHSports

LOTTE GIANTS SCHEDULE

Saturday, April 7 - HanwhaSunday, April 8 - HanwhaFriday, April 13 - Doosan

Saturday, April 14 - DoosanSunday, April 15 - Doosan

Tuesday, April 17 - SKWednesday, April 18 - SK

Thursday, April 19 - SKFriday, April 27 - LG

Saturday, April 28 - LGSunday, April 29 - LG

Tuesday, May 8 - SamsungWednesday, May 9 - SamsungThursday, May 10 - Samsung

Tuesday, May 15 - NexenWednesday, May 16 - Nexen

Thursday, May 17 - NexenFriday, May 18 - KIA

Saturday, May 19 - KIASunday, May 20 - KIATuesday, May 29 - LG

Wednesday, May 30 - LGThursday, May 31 - LG

aseball season is once again upon us, and in Busan that means one thing – the Lotte Giants are back. Busan’s fa-vorite boys of summer once

again hit the field at Sajik Stadium start-ing April 7th for another grueling 132 game schedule, and coach Yang Seung-ho is back for his second season at the helm. Lotte finished second in the stand-ings last year after a huge second half surge, but failed to make the finals losing to eventual runner-ups, the SK Wyverns.

This season will feature a huge change for Lotte, as MVP Lee Dae-ho has packed his bags to move to Japan’s Orix Buf-faloes. They do still have most of their core players intact with Hong Seung-hoon, Kang Min-ho, Cho Seung-hwan, Sohn Ah-seop and Jeon Joon-woo, and are counting on new first baseman Park Jung-woo to pick up where Lee Dae-ho left off.

The pitching staff looks to be improved

over last year with Go Won-joon, Ryan Sadowski, Song Seung-joon, and new import Shane Youman. Lotte also bol-stered their staff by adding former Bal-timore Orioles prospect Jeong Dae-hy-eon and Lee Seung-ho to help bolster the bullpen with Kim Sa-yeol and Lim Kwang-won. The loss of last year’s ace Jang Won-joon to the army may hurt, but Lotte is confident that they will be able to win the close games this year.

The season runs from April through Oc-tober, and if you have never been to a Lotte game, it is truly one of the more ex-citing events to do during the summer in Busan. Whether you like baseball or not, the atmosphere of the games is electri-fying, and it’s easy to get swept up in the moment, especially when drinking, eat-ing and singing are all encouraged, and it’s one of the best places that expats and locals alike share a common bond.

Tickets for the games are very reason-able, starting at 7,000 won a piece.

MATT MCKAY JOINS IPARKAussie Footballer of the Year Matt McKay has joined the Busan IPark, replacing Iain Fyfe on the squad for 2012. The 1.71m Brisbane-born midfielder joined the club from Rangers in Scotland. The 29-year-old led the Brisbane Roar to their first ever A-League championship and premiership in the 2010-11 season. He’s also been capped 23 times for the Socceroos.

THE BOYS OF SUMMER

ARE BACKBUSAN’S FAVORITE BOYS OF SUMMER ARE BACK FOR ANOTHER SHOT AT THE KOREAN BASEBALL ORGANIZATION TITLE.

B

BUSAN IPARK SCHEDULE

Wednesday, April 11 - Seoul FCSaturday, April 21 - GangwonSaturday, May 5 - Gyeongnam

Sunday, May 13 - DaeguMonday, May 28 - Chunnam


KIM YU-NA RETURNS2010 Vancouver Olympics gold medalist Kim Yu-na returns to the ice for the first time in nine months in May, featuring in the “E1 All That Skates Spring 2012,” scheduled from May 4 to 6 at Seoul Olympic Stadium. The 23-year-old is making her first skat-ing appearance in the country since last August. She will also be joined by 2010 men’s gold medalist, American Evan Lysacek.

RUGBY FEVERIt’s been a great 12 months for rugby, with the All Blacks win-ning the Rugby World Cup last year and the conclusion of the recent Six Nations, but that doesn’t mean the excite-ment of the sport will wane anytime soon. If you’re look-ing to catch some games on the screen this year, Beached Bar in Gwangan-li is known to be the spot to watch. Though the bar is very pro-All Black, Kiwi native Craig Morrison shows all kinds of games ranging from major tourneys to pro leagues, as well as provides great Kiwi beer and a delicious New Zealand-style menu unique to Busan.

The Wolfhound in Haeundae is also a great spot for rug-by lovers, and it’s a great spot to get a real rugby vibe, while also indulging in their extensive menu. The Wolf opens at 11 a.m. on the weekends and serves an all day breakfast, and are well-known for their famous “no bullshit” pour policy.

HAPS_spring 201226

HCoverSTORY

HAPS_spring 201226

2012 spring_ busanhaps.com

MAMMA MIN-AH!

BY JEFF LIEBSCHTRANSLATION BY JEONG HYE-WON AND KIM HYUN-AH

SHE’S SMART, SHE’S BEAUTIFUL, AND SHE KNOWS HER SPORTS. MBC SPORTS+ ANNOUNCER MIN-AH KIM OPENS UP ABOUT HER PATH

TO BECOMING A FIXTURE IN THE KOREAN SPORTS JOURNALISM FIELD.


HAPS_spring 2012

HCoverSTORY

rowing up as a kid near the Windsor/Detroit border, I was afforded the luxury of growing up with one of baseball’s best broadcasters of the game ever – Ernie Harwell. Harwell was con-sidered so good at announcing that he is the only announcer ever to be traded for a player. (In 1948, the Brooklyn Dodgers traded catcher

Cliff Dapper to the minor-league Atlanta Crackers in exchange for Harwell’s broadcasting contract.)

Listening to Harwell announce the Tigers games made me a baseball fan from a very young age, which led me to watch Mel Allen hosting “This Week in Baseball” religiously. TWIB, as it is commonly referred, focused simply on giving weekly highlights of games before the onslaught of ESPN and 24-hour sports en-tertainment began. So when moving to Korea nearly 15 years ago, I was pleased to find out that baseball, or ya-gu in Korean, was at the time, one of the more popular sports on the peninsula.

As 24-hour sports broadcasting grew, so did the persona’s of some of the games best callers, and hosts of the programs. Erin Andrews for instance, a sideline reporter for ESPN known for her stunning beauty, has about 1,200,000 Twitter followers – more than most athletes. Albert Pujols, arguably one of the best base-ball players in the world, has 37,000.

Recently, sports broadcasting in Korea is on the rise, as the do-mestic sports leagues gain in prominence. The announcers and hosts of shows haven’t reached the status of thoset of major U.S. networks, but they are experiencing a rise in popularity here on the peninsula.

Min-ah Kim is one of the new wave of sportscasters who are changing the face of sports in Korea. And she’s not just the ev-eryday piece of eye candy – she’s equipped with a knowledge of sports and a determination to succeed.

The 28-year-old announcer for MBC Sports+, is most recog-nized for her work on Baseball Tonight, a 30 minute highlight show which follows nightly games, and one of the most popular sports shows in the country. With baseball being the most at-tended and watched sport in the country, she is a rising star in the field of sports journalism.

The Yonsei University grad didn’t always have sports journal-ism in her blood, though her interest in sport started at a young age as she was once was an amateur figure skater. She gradu-ated from the prestigious school majoring in French Literature, and didn’t decide to become an announcer until her junior year of college, a decision many of her fans are glad she made.

“I used to think about being an educator. I’ve learned more when I’m teaching someone. I have completed a course in

G

28


“SOME PEOPLE TREATED ME COLDLY AT FIRST. OF COURSE, SOME PEOPLE HAD SOME PREJUDICES AGAINST ME BUT I’VE

BEEN DOING THIS FOR FIVE YEARS, SO PEOPLE KNOW ME NOW.”

teaching so I have a licence to teach middle and high school students. I dreamed about being an announcer since I started to go to an academy, but I just applied for fun because it’s such a hard field to get in.”

Kim has covered a variety of different sports during her five year tenure with the station. She’s also hosted Kim Min-ah’s European Goals, and has covered basketball, ssireum (Korean wrestling), marathons, and figure skating to name a few.

But it hasn’t always been an easy task. Working as a woman in sports media can be incredibly intimidating, especially in a male-dominated market. While women are becoming regular fixtures on TV sets and on the sidelines at sporting events, as Kim says, there is still a need to prove yourself before you are taken seriously.

“Some people treated me coldly at first. Of course, some peo-ple had some prejudices against me but I’ve been doing this for five years, so people know me now. With this development of sports broadcasting, my job is being spotlighted.”

Kim has been recognized by her fans not only for her ability as a host and her knowledge of the game, but also for her beauty. She appeared in a photoshoot for Korea Maxim last year though her beauty is, however, a trait she wants to downplay. She ad-mits there is some discrimination based on appearance in the

broadcasting field, but it’s not all negative.“I would rather say that there’s some positive discrimination. In

America, there are so many programs with sexy reporters that interview the athletes. But there are also some programs hosted by reporters in their late thirties who used to be players. Espe-cially in the NBA. I just want to be a reporter who can interview players, not a sexy reporter.”

Kim’s schedule is like most reporters – hectic. She works 11 months of the year, and during the season she puts in a 12 hour work day. Being in the spotlight is something she has learned to accept, but she has no regrets with her choice.

“Everyday is something new, so, I can feel this job is more worthwhile than hard. I get a lot of confidence because I don’t have to be compared to anyone. My parents always encouraged and I always think I’m lucky person.”

With the KBO about ready to begin another long season, she does remain neutral when asked if she supports a certain team and players, but does have some special players she would like to interview.

“I can’t wait to interview Park Chan-ho, Lee Seung-yeop and Kim Byung-hyun. They will make baseball games much more interesting this year,” she said.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF KIM MIN-AH

29

HAPS_spring 2012

HTravelINTERNATIONAL

t was a chilly morning and we were all prepared for a quiet, but fun day at the Nairobi National Park. Located some eight kilometers from the central business dis-trict, the Nairobi National Park is the only park in the world that is situated within a city, and yet one where

you can find zebras and giraffes browsing against the silhou-ettes of apartment buildings and office skyscrapers.

This unique mix of environments teems with wildlife and is home to more than 400 species of birds, 80 species of mam-mals, 40 species of reptiles, and more than 500 species of plants. This notwithstanding, the surroundings are serene and boast miles of rolling grass plains, making them suitable locations for solitude and meditation.

Situated in the Lang’ata suburb, the Nairobi National Park is about a 10 minute drive from the city center if you are lucky enough not to encounter the often irritating traffic jams. There are buses that run there all day, known as ‘matatus’ in Swahili, taking you directly to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) head-quarters gate.

Once you are there, KWS provides transport within the park, complete with a guide for a nominal fee. Small cars can be used, but four-wheel-drives are preferable considering the scenic route is on all-weather rough roads.

Being in the company of an experienced driver and pro-fessional guide, we eagerly anticipated the day ahead. The first signs of wildlife were fresh water buffalo droppings. Further ahead, a herd of zebras quietly grazed against the magnificent backdrop of the city. We could make out the silhouettes of the Kenyatta International Conference Center and Times Towers.

IN THE HEART OF THE PARKOur driver maneuvered the harsh terrain and made straight for

the zebras to get us a better view. Suddenly, a male ostrich ap-peared as if it had been summoned by the sound of our engine. He looked up at us, then sideways, and walked away casually. We took a break at one of the specially created picnic spots to

have lunch. These designated areas are the only places where you can get out and safely walk around. The Kingfisher picnic site for instance, is a cool, green-shaded area with picnic tables and is ideal for morning bush breakfasts, lunchtime relaxation or evening sundowners. Guests are free to bring their own meals, as well as BBQ at any of the picnic sites.

Hippo pools are on the eastern side of the park (although it rel-atively easy to lose your bearing) but we weren’t lucky enough to spot any. We did see a lot of favorite wild animals, but we failed to locate the king of the jungle – the lion. The lions, hip-pos and rhinos are located in a different location called “Safari Walk.” Most of the animals are in a fenced area where you can walk through and see them.

Sadly, the Ivory Burning site stands out, perhaps because it sits closer to the main gate. It is here where, in 1989, former presi-dent Daniel Moi set fire to 12 tons of stockpiled ivory in what was then an aggressive campaign to stop the mass slaughter of Africa’s elephants. The ashes of the burnt ivory still speckle the earth.

ABOUT NAIROBI NATIONAL PARKThe Nairobi National Park was opened in 1946, after just a few

years before serving as firing range during World War II. Before that, it was a traditional grazing ground for the Maasai and So-mali herdsmen.

Covering an area of 117 sq. km, of the “big five”, only the lion, water buffalo, leopard and, rhino can be found here, though you will find a wide diversity of wildlife. The national park opens daily to both domestic and international tourists. Part of the park's beauty lies in the dry highland forest at the western end, riverine forested areas to the south and rolling grassland vege-tations. The road network goes on for more than 250 km, and is well maintained. Sign posts are placed strategically all over the National Park, making it impossible for anyone to lose their way through this vast savanna. Although the park looks safe to take a walk, this is highly prohibited because you never know when the wild animals will appear.

I

Jewel in a Concrete JungleNAIROBI: BY HILARY KIMUYU

ONE OF THE JEWELS OF KENYA, THE NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK IS A PLACE YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS.

30


Traditionally, the Maasai rely on meat, milk and blood from cat-tle for their dietary intake of protein. Cattle blood is prominent on many occasions. It is given to a circumcised person (esipo-lioi), a woman who has given birth (entomononi) and the sick (oltamueyiai).

It is also believed that the blood helps alleviate intoxication and hangovers. Hence, it’s not unusual to find drunken elders (ilamerak) drinking blood to cure their woes from the night be-fore.

The process of extracting the blood involves a simple process. A blunt arrow is shot at close range to puncture the jugular vein of the cow. The blood is drawn into a skin gourd and later mixed with fresh or curdled milk to be drunk by a gathering. The ap-pearance is something similar to a strawberry milkshake. The wound on the animal’s neck is sealed with a blob of manure, until it fully heals.

The drink is an indication of one’s place in the society. For ex-ample, it is a privilege to be served with the first blood from a slaughtered bullock.

The drinking of cattle blood is done for both practicality and occasion. The Maasai drink blood during the dry season when they run short on milk. People with a tendency to worry too much, often drink blood in the belief that it gives them strength.

At childbirth, the mother is given a drink of honey and the fa-ther or his representative is mandated to get blood to mix with milk for the mother to drink. But the source of the blood de-pends on the sex of the newborn. If the baby is a boy, the blood is obtained from the jugular of a bullock, but if the baby is a girl the blood is taken from a heifer.

The drink also plays an important role during circumcision. Af-ter days of dancing in the wild, an age-set leader (ol-aiguenani) is selected from among the more mature initiates. He receives a special black club called an ‘o-rinka’ as a sign of office and a bullock is slaughtered. He then drinks the first warm blood of the slaughtered animal.

During graduation to a junior elder in the eunoto ceremony, a warrior with good reputation and without physical blemish, temperate and good natured is selected to ‘open the way’ for the other initiates. It is he who leads in drinking the blood from the animal’s jugular.

The Maasais believe blood makes the body stronger and warmer and that it is good for children and the elderly to build up their strength. But you are simply traveling in Kenya and need a little something to take the edge off from the night be-fore, you know where to turn. ~ H.K.

COW BLOOD: THE MAASAI HANGOVER CURE

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HAPS_spring 2012

6HTravelKOREA

THE HAPSFESTIVAL PICKSSPRING HAS ONCE AGAIN ARRIVED ON THE PENINSULA, AND THAT MEANS ONE THING – FESTIVAL SEASON IS BACK. HERE ARE SIX FESTIVALS AROUND THE COUNTRY YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER VENTURING OUT TO OVER THE COMING WEEKS.

NONSAN STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL APRIL 13 - APRIL 15A short couple hours drive away in Cheongchung province, Nonsan is the capital of the strawberry growing indus-try in the country. Almost anything you can do or make with strawberries are on the bill, and the festival, now in its 14th year, is a sure sign that spring has arrived.nsfestival.co.kr

CHEONGDO BULLFIGHTING FESTIVAL APRIL 18- APRIL 22Home of the largest bullfighting festival in the country, the tradition spans 1000 years highlighted by the over 100 bulls competing against each other in the ring. Other highlights include the United States rodeo team and a genius rodeo featuring members of the U.S. Armed Forces. www.xn--hq1bj5xh5aw0hv6i.kr

GIJANG ANCHOVY FESTIVAL APRIL 19- APRIL 22The Gijang Anchovy Festival is held in Daebyeon Port, a famous fishing village regarded for their unique recipes for raw anchovies. The harbor is known as the largest anchovy fishing ground on the east coast of the country.english.gijang.go.kr

GWANGANLI EOBANG FESTIVAL APRIL 24 - APRIL 27The Eobang Festival is a Korean tradi-tional festival which celebrates Busan’s fishing history. It includes various events such as street performances, an opening parade, Eobang re-enactments, candle wishes, fireworks and a closing perfor-mance.festival-eobang.suyeong.go.kr

ULSAN WHALE FESTIVAL APRIL 26 - APRIL 29The Ulsan Whale Festival is different in the fact that it focuses on the tradition-al whale fishing, while at the same time raising support for whales rights to live. Historically, Jangsaengpohang Port in Ul-san became an outpost of whalers, mak-ing it a central city for whale fishing in Korea. www.whalekorea.com

BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY - BEOMOSA TEMPLE APRIL 28Set in a serene setting at the base of Mt. Geumjeongsan, Beomosa Temple is adorned with colored lotus lanterns in one of Busan’s more beautiful, traditional events. The day is usually celebrated with a free breakfast/lunch of sanchae (moun-tain vegetable) bibimbap and tea.

32


NAME: Tang Chien Kuo AGE: 40 OCCUPATION AND COMPANY NAME: Hi View Eye Clinic

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED KOREA? 40 years

WHERE WERE YOU BORN? I was born in Korea and have lived here my entire life.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE AND DISLIKE MOST ABOUT LIVING IN KOREA? I like Korea's weather, the kind people and the spicy food. The thing I don't like is Korea’s education system.

WHAT “MUST SEE” PLACES WOULD YOU SUGGEST TO NEWLY ARRIVING EXPATS THAT THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT?I hope people will enjoy going to Jagalchi in Busan, Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju and Deoksugung in Seoul.

HOW LONG DO YOU SEE YOURSELF STAYING IN KOREA IN THE FUTURE?I will stay here for the rest of my life.

NAME: Amy Lim AGE: 27 OCCUPATION: I work for T'way Air.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED KOREA? Over 10 years.

WHERE ARE YOU FROM? I was born in Korea and left the country when I was 13 for Japan and have been back living here since 2011.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT LIVING IN KOREA?I like that Korea has the fastest Internet connection in the world and free WiFi everywhere.

WHAT “MUST SEE” PLACES WOULD YOU SUGGEST TO NEWLY ARRIVING EXPATS THAT THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT?Jeju island is the great place to visit in Korea. It has palm trees, mountains, volcanic tubes and amazing beaches. You can go scuba diving, hiking, sightseeing, museum-hopping, horseback riding, water-sliding, or a million other adventures. It's truly a must-see if you're in Korea for work or travel.

YOU LIVED IN JAPAN MUCH OF YOUR LIFE. WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT IT?I miss the Hanabi Festival. I wore a traditional Japanese summer dress called a "Yukata" and dance "Bon Odori" around a bonfire with friends. All of these memories are very precious to me.

HOW LONG DO YOU SEE YOURSELF STAYING IN KOREA IN THE FUTURE?Well... I love Korea, but I have already decided to go back and live in Japan before I am 30. For now I just want to enjoy myself in Korea until I go back.

HAPS ASKS SOME SEASONED LOCALS ABOUT WHAT THEY LIKE ABOUT KOREA AND WHAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND TO PEOPLE LIVING AND VISITING HERE.

33

ASK A LOCAL

HAPS_spring 2012

HOTEL NEWS

NOVOTEL AMBASSADOR1405-16, Jung-Dong, Haeundae-gu, Busanph.051-746-8481 web.www.novotelbusan.com

The Novotel has plenty of dining packages this spring at their six restaurants, so why not stay in comfort for an evening enjoying their Healing in Suite package? Compli-mentary access to the fitness center, hot spring, EF Lounge, in-room wine and a host of other goodies await, with the promotion lasting until the end of May.

SEACLOUD HOTEL287 Haeundaehaebyun-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busanph.051-933-1000web.www.seacloudhotel.com

In celebration of the Korean Tourism Or-ganization’s “Visit Korea Year 2010-12” campaign, the Seacloud Hotel is offering a 4+1 promotion, where if you stay for four consecutive nights, the fifth night is free. The offer is subject to room availabil-ity and may not be used in conjunction with other special packages. The offer lasts until December 31, 2012.

LOTTE HOTEL772 Gayadae-ro, Jin-gu, Busan051-810-1000web.lottehotelbusan.com

The Japanese restaurant Momo Yama has a Red Snapper Festival running until the end of May. Located on the 43rd floor of the hotel, the restaurant offers spectacular views of the city, as well as a delicious course menu for 130,000 won.

WESTIN CHOSUN67, Dongbaek-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busanph.051-749-7000web.www.westinchosun.co.kr

If you want to take a camping trip in style without having to leave the city, the Wes-tin Chosun has a Camping and Grill Pack-age running through the end of June. Overlooking the Secret Garden, premium barbecues and equipment are available for use, as is the fitness center and swim-ming pool for free.

GRAND HOTEL651-2, U Dong, Haeundae-gu, Busanph.051-740-0610web.www.grandhotel.com

The Grand Hotel has a simple break-fast set available on its first floor lobby lounge. An americano coffee with either maple pecans, a muffin or bagel run be-tween 4,000 to 6,000 won, and is avail-able from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Hotel pack-ages are also available.

NONGSHIM HOTEL NAMES FOREIGN CEOJohn Erksin Banta has been named as the CEO of the Hotel Nongshim, an af-filiate of the Nongshim Group. Banta was chosen for his transformation of the hotel's recent renovations, and proven marketing strategies. He's been working as a consultant for the hotel for the past 15 months. He is only the third foreigner to hold the CEO position of a hotel in the country, after the Grand Hyatt Seoul, the Millennium Hilton Seoul, and the Best Western Incheon.

Hotel Directory & News

34


Accomodation Guide

THE WESTIN CHOSUNDo it right and crash in the same room George W. Bush did. 82-51-749-7000 www.starwoodhotels.com

PARADISE HOTELOn the water, with a casino, excellent spa and a pool. 82-51-742 2121 www.paradisehotel.co.kr

SEACLOUD HOTELLuxury stay, with great restau-rants. Short walk to the beach. 82-51-933-1000 www.seacloudhotel.com

CENTUM HOTELNear Shinsegae and BEXCO. Good subway access. 82-51-720-9000 www.centumhotel.co.kr

SUNSET HOTEL72 rooms with, according to the site, “individual design concepts.” 82-51-730-9900 www.sunsethotel.co.kr

NOVOTEL AMBASSADOROn the beach. Great ocean view, Murpii Nightclub. 82-51-743-1234www.novotelbusan.com

GRAND HOTELOne of the cheaper spots on the strip, but still at the beach. 82-51-740-0610 www.grandhotel.co.kr

HOTEL ILLUA Lovely hotel with stunning views from its perch on Dalmaji Hill.

82-51-744-1331 www.hotelillua.com

HANWHA RESORT Beautiful views of Oryuk-do, the bridge and close to the beach. 82-1588-2299www.hanwharesort.co.kr

BUSAN YOUTH HOSTEL ARPINA Opened in 2004, a cheap place to stay for the night. Culture center inside. 82-51-731-9800www.arpina.co.kr

BUSINESS AND BEACH HOTELLocated in central Haeundae, with easy access to the local historical sites. 82-51-742-3219www.bnbhotel.co.kr

LOTTE HOTELLotte runs a tight ship and it shows in the generous cus-tomer service here. 82-51-810-1000 www.lottehotelbusan.com

TOYOKO INN Across from Migliore, comfort-able, clean and affordable. 82-51-442-1045www.toyoko-inn.com

CROWN HOTELMid-range hotel decorated in Korean style, good for travellers. 82-51-635-1241www.fnetravel.com/english/pusanhotels/crown.html

HOMERS HOTELRight on Gwangan beach amidst the myriad of cafes, bars and restaurants. 82-51-750-8000 www.homershotel.comAQUA PALACE Beautiful view of the Diamond Bridge, right in the middle of the beach. 82-51-756-0202www.aquapalace.co.kr

COMMODORE HOTELBeautifully designed tradi-tional hotel. Close proximity to Busan Station. 82-51-461-9703www.commodore.co.kr

BUSAN TOURIST HOTELConveniently located next to the train station. Good for a cheap night’s rest. 82-51-241-4301www.pusanhotel.co.kr

TOYOKO INNAffordably priced hotel, clean and 10 minutes away from the train station. 82-51-442-1045www.toyoko-inn.com

PHOENIX HOTEL Highly trained staff, close to Nampodong. Popular with Japanese tourists. 82-51-245-8061www.hotelphoenix.net

ELYSEE HOTEL Affordable hotel with good amenities. Close to Nampodong. 82-51-241-4008

www.elyseemotel.com

GUKJE HOTEL About 3 km away from the train station, close to Citizen’s Hall. 82-51-642-1330www.hotelkukje.com

TOYOKO INN The second location, this one is a minute away from the train station. 82-51-442-1045www.toyoko-inn.com

PARAGON HOTEL (SASANG-GU)Business comfort, with close proximity to Gimhae Interna-tional Airport. 82-51-328-2001www.hotelparagon.com

INDY HOUSE (KYUNGSUNG UNIVERSITY)Super cheap, dorm-style room right in the heart of Kyung-sung. 82-70-8615-6442

BUSAN CENTRAL HOTEL (YEONSAN-DONG)Adjacent to Yeonsan rotary, located 10 minutes away from City Hall. 82-51- 866-6225www.centralhotel.co.kr

HOTEL NONG SHIM (ONCHEONJEONG)Great area around the hotel, head north to PNU for original Busan nightlife. 82-51-550-2100 www.hotelnongshim.com

HAEUNDAE

SEOMYEON

GWANGAN

JUNG-GU

BUSAN STATION

OTHER AREAS

PARADISE HOTEL1408-5, Jung Dong, Haeundae-gu, Busanph. 82-51-742-2121web.www.paradisehotel.co.kr

There are plenty of events and hap-penings at the Paradise Hotel this spring, but none are more excit-ing than the grand opening of the Cimer Ocean Spa. Daytime and night-time specials are available, or you may want to indulge in the “Be Waterful” package and rejuvenate your body with SUNDÃRI, a distinctive collection of anti-aging skincare products created from the purest ingredients and rarest essences distilled from nature.

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HAPS_spring 2012

Music Scene

36

LONDON SCAT PARTYYou liked it better when London Scat Party was YOUR band. You had a blood-soaked setlist in your wallet and a scar to prove you were there. Your friends hadn't seen them play, or if they had, they weren't in a state to remember the show, much like the band themselves.

LSP was, and still is, the chaos collective in Busan's expat music scene. Playing an obscure mix 70s Brit-punk that builds, their nights on stage take on chaotic, yet orchestrated forms, until lead singer Mike McArthur ditches his shirt, jumps into the crowd and there’s still several hours to go.

Die-hard Scat fans, known as “Scat-Faces,” enjoy the passion on stage and bar owners cringe at the prospect of the sound equipment exploding at any time. And yes, they remain Busan's best "Patrick Swayze" cover band. Only now, they are not that band that your friends didn’t know about, now they're in demand and you have to share LSP with others. At least you're still the only fan amongst your clique who knows they were originally called "Douche Nozzle!" ~ D.P.

HOT PEPPER PASTAHot Pepper Pasta is the 18-year-old scotch in the liquor cabinet of Busan’s thriving music scene – well-crafted, and best enjoyed in celebration with good friends. Their sound is self-described as “Funky Salsa Jazz”, but you would be remiss to peg them with simply one label. At a Hot Pepper Pasta show, expect to hear funk, latin, reggae, and of course, jazz. Above all, expect to dance.

The band roster reads like a who’s who of Korean Jazz musicians. Nationally acclaimed saxophonist, Lee Byeong Ju, who also doubles on sax with local favorites One Drop East, is joined by Choi Gun Shik, Choi Soo Jeong and Kim Jeong Hoon, giving Hot Pepper Pasta one of the tightest rhythm sections you’ll hear in Asia.

When HPP trumpet player and front-man, Ahn Woo Sung was asked what people should expect at their show, he said: “When you go to a Hot Pepper Pasta concert, you’ll hear jazz, but from a different perspective. We don’t ever want to play boring music, so we make sure the crowd dances the whole time!”

You can catch Hot Pepper Pasta regularly at venues around town such as Monk in KSU and most Saturday nights at Billie Jean in Haeundae. ~ B.K.

HAJIMAMAOriginally, Hajimama were those ‘kids’ in bright Korean shirts singing anthems about Bachus D, hagwons and other expat themes that mirrored the reck-less abandon of the newbie ESL teacher just arrived in Korea. Their first album, “Banned in North Korea,” and their live shows inspired the audience to dance amongst spilled beer, memories and the comfort of an afternoon schedule.

Having been here a few more years, the band has shifted towards a more seri-ous and introspective light, ditching the happy-go-lucky newbie feel for the ROK. Their songs now touch on themes such as “How long can the fun go on teaching here?” and the accompanying music has turned more textured and atmospheric.

Their 2nd album, "Abandon Seoul" is a timepiece; a reminder of kimbap, whiny girls and nights in PNU. Musically they’ve matured, sounding much more confident in their pop-punk skin than before and they still have one of the best bass play-ers in town. Considering their music’s maturation, no doubt in five or six years if they’re still here, we’ll hear them singing of investing in the Korean market, finding a good school for their kids and which brand of hiking boot to buy. But it will all still be in good fun. ~ D.P.

Hajimama plays Metal City April 13th, and Soultrane April 21st.Facebook: "HajiMama"

THE POSITIONSEvery time the Positions hit the stage, you can never be sure who they’re actually go-ing to be. Bandleader and songwriter, Mike Edmunds, anchors the often eclectic mix, flanked by core bandmates Im Gook on bass and Jack Colish on drums. But beyond that, the musical textures and the faces behind them continually change – much like the name ‘position’ implies. It’s not a question of disorganization or an unwillingness to commit, but simply a network of top-shelf musician friends stepping in from time to time for a drink, a smoke and an evening of really good tunes.

On any given night, a gig might feature Patrick Carle on violin, One Drop’s Vasana Haines on keys, Klickitat’s Gino Brann on guitar, Eaguelson Legagneur or Jeffrey Beat-tie on percussion, or even sometimes all of the above. While the lineup may alter and the faces may change, what remains the same is the palpable energy and passion that each carnation of The Positions brings the audience with every show. ~ M.E.

BUSAN MUSIC


KYUNGSUNG

CLUB REALIZEThe home for metal and rock. Great sound.

ALMOST FAMOUSFunky atmosphere, great staff, live music.

BLUE MONKEYtel. 051-611-2888www.busanhaps.com/night-life/blue-monkeyLadies drink ½ price 7-9. DJs on the weekend.

CAFE RADIOGreat atmosphere. Relax with a book.

CLUB FABRICLive music, warm cozy decor.

EVASBeen around awhile, and still packs them in.

FULLY BOOKEDUsed book store, bar, cafe. Great concept.

HQ BARWhere the real mean go to drink and BS.

KINO EYEDark atmosphere. Live music on occasion.

LONG. T BARLarge bar with cheap Long Is-land’s. Pool table and darts.

MONK’S JAZZ CLUBBusan’s only jazz club. Tuesday night’s are hot.

OL’ 55tel: 051-627-5645www.busanhaps.com/night-life/ol’55The best open mic in town on Wednesdays.

PAINTED CHAIR CAFEThe art, the atmosphere. Good place to chill.

THURSDAY PARTYwww.busanhaps.com/night-life/thursday-party2A staple around Busan. Great service. Beer pong and darts.

VINYL UNDERGROUNDwww.busanhaps.com/night-life/vinylConsistently the best spot for live music.

HAEUNDAE

BILLIE JEANtel: 051-742-0297www.busanhaps.com/night-life/billiejeanA Haps favorite. Great decor. Ladies drink for free Thursday nights.

CLUB ELUNEBusan’s super club. A must see at least once.

FUZZY NAVELUsually packed on weekends. Good grub.

GECKOSBeach front bar. Consistently good food.

HQ JANGSANGreat bar to get your drink on with some wings.

MAKTUMIf Elune is packed, head to Maktum.

MIAMI 88On the beach. Patio and good service.

MURPIIIn the Novotel. Dancing, drink-ing, business class.

ROCK N’ ROLL HOUSEGreat atmosphere. Two pool tables, great view.

SHARKY’Stel: 010-4038-2907www.busanhaps.com/night-life/sharkys-barOne of the most popular bars in Haeundae. Great food and staff, and winner Best Burger in Busan 2011.

STARFACEtel: 051-742-0600www.busanhaps.com/night-life/starfaceA classic. Great atmosphere, excellent staff, trivia on Sun-days. Pool and darts.

SUNTORY JAPANESEFood and drink in a classy set-ting. Bonzai!

THE WOLFHOUND PUBtel: 051-746-7940www.wolfhoundpub.comNo bullshit pours and great food on the menu.

THURSDAY PARTYtel: 051-744-6621www.busanhaps.com/night-life/thursday-partyAlways consistent. A Busan cornerstone, and great curry popcorn.

U2 BARCaters more to the Korean crowd these days, but still good to lounge out.

GWANGANLI

BEACH BIKINISpacious club with dancing and such.

BEACHED CAFE AND SPORTS BARtel: 051-924-9662www.busanhaps.com/night-life/beached-cafe-sports-barKiwi run. Has in a short time become hugely popular. Great service, awesome view on the beach.

CLUB 3FDance club looking out over the water. Elegant.

FUZZY NAVELOn the beach. Usually packed. Good mexican food.

PARISHalf coffee shop, half bar. Food is good too.

THURSDAY PARTYwww.busanhaps.com/night-life/thursday-partyTwo great locations on the beach. Enough said.

WA BARWide selection of beer laid out for your choosing.

PNU

CROSSROADStel: 051-515-1181www.busanhaps.com/night-life/crossroadsThe first foreigner bar. Still go-ing. Open mic Thursday’s.

INTERPLAYLive music, hit or miss if you catch on a good night.

MONKSCan catch some great Korean indie bands here.

RED BOTTLEGood spot to get a drink, and

play some darts.

SOULTRANEwww.busanhaps.com/night-life/soul-traneOne of the area’s oldest and well-known foreign bars. Great live music.

THE BASEMENTwww.busanhaps.com/night-life/basementOne of the most popular bars in the area. Always a great time, and anchors the PNU scene.

SEOMYEON

CLUB FIXtel: 051-905-5777www.clubfixkorea.infoNew super club. International DJs and dress code required.

DIVISION 9Pinball, darts, basketball, drinking and good fun.

FOXYDance club, usually packed on the weekend.

FUZZY NAVELSimilar to the others around the city. Good food.

JUDIE NINE BRAUGood place for home-brewed beer.

METAL CITYPool, darts and live music.

ROCK N’ ROLL BARA true dive. Good atmosphere and pool and darts.

THE OLD RECORD BARGood place to listen to some old vinyl.

THE SPOTBottle service, recently under renovations.

THURSDAY PARTYwww.busanhaps.com/night-life/thursday-partyConsistently busy and good spot to meet new people.

Nightlife Directory

HAVE A LISTING? CONTACT US @

[email protected]

37

HAPS_spring 2012

ince Sharky’s opening in May 2010, the comfy bar and grill on Haeundae Beach has had a steady stream of loyal customers. A lot of proprietors would look at this kind of success and think, “Leave it be. Why fix something that’s not broken?” But when owner, Rick

Schneider met chef, Ahmad ‘Oscar’ Mansour, he saw an oppor-tunity to take Sharky’s to the next level. And when Lee Mi-bong ‘Miya’, a previous employee, returned from a year in Australia seeking work, the trifecta was complete.

Miya had just returned from spending a year in Sydney, work-ing as a bartender, barista and waitress, and she became en-thralled by the variety of cuisines on offer, the fanciful coffee culture and the level of ingenuity that went into mixing cock-tails at the local bars. But the thing that stood out to her most was the lack of a ‘yo-gi-yo’ button on restaurant tables as is quite typical in Korea. She was shocked when a waiter approached her table on his own accord and actually asked her how her day was going.

Miya returned to Busan wanting to introduce her hometown to what she learned about both mixology and western-style service. You can see it in her approach to managing the staff at Sharky’s and in her killer Bloody Mary's and chocolate martinis.

Though Ahmad ‘Oscar’ Mansour didn’t attend culinary school until 2007, his enthusiasm for the art of cooking dates back to his youth. Raised in Kuwait in a family of twelve, Oscar attributes his love of food to his mom for whom he says, “there is NO com-petition” in the kitchen. His family relocated to Los Angeles when Oscar was fourteen, and it was there he began the slow, steady journey to his true calling.

Though they all became truck drivers by trade, Oscar and his brothers opened a Middle Eastern restaurant in San Diego, which was voted the best three years in a row by a local TV station. Preparing meals at the local Islamic center during Ra-madan, the Mansour brother’s reputation for good food would sometimes draw as many as 1,500 people. Despite his passion for cooking, Oscar still didn’t consider it a viable career path.

Several years later Oscar met his wife, a Russian-born Korean. Soon after that, on a visit to his in-laws, he was asked to prepare

a meal for the family, and as everyone licked their plates clean, Oscar’s mother-in-law pulled him aside and made a suggestion. She was so sure that cooking professionally was what he was meant to do that she offered to foot the bill for culinary school.

After graduation he did some catering and worked in several restaurants in Southern California. Eventually, he and his wife decided to make a move to Korea, where she began working as a teacher at Busan Foreign School. With nothing but time on his hands, Oscar began working as a volunteer chef at the school, simply for the joy of being able to expose students to an inter-national menu. When he met Rick, their fast friendship led to a job offer, which led to the rumors I began to hear about “that new chef over at Sharky’s.”

When Oscar served me my first course, a Mexican five-lay-er dip, it wasn’t the scrumptious-looking dish topped with a homemade chipotle sauce that got me excited – it was the look in Oscar’s eyes. Like a proud papa, he watched with raised eyebrows as I took the first bite. He gave me a knowing nod as the chips, carrying a perfect blend of homemade refried beans, spicy beef, cheddar, sour cream and salsa quickly began to dis-appear. He then retreated into the kitchen to prepare dish num-ber two: chicken fajita tacos.

I was fairly certain I had reached my limit by the time I finished the last bite of tender chicken (his trick is marinating it in yogurt) until Oscar returned from the kitchen carrying a Chicken Philly Sandwich. If there’s one thing I absolutely cannot refuse, it’s blue cheese dressing – especially when, like Oscar’s, it is home-made. As I sopped up the last of the dressing with the perfectly toasted baguette, I wished I had an extra stomach to accommo-date Oscar’s offer of shawarma.

I’ve always been a fan of Sharky’s, but I’m also kind of a KSU rat, so my visits there have been sporadic. But with their 50% off all menu items on Mondays, “California Steak n’ Fries Burrito” spe-cial on Tuesdays, 5,000 won Mexican Cantina menu on Wednes-days, Miya’s weekend drink specials and 10,000 won chicken fajitas on Sundays, I’m pretty sure I’ll be spending a little more time in Haeundae. www.busanhaps.com/food/sharkys-bar-and-grill

SSHARKY’S SHAKES IT UP

BY JEN SOTHAM

LEFT: CHEF AHMAD ‘OSCAR’ MANSOUR TOP RIGHT: MANAGER LEE MI-BONG ‘MIYA’ BOTTOM RIGHT: SHARKY’S TASTY TACOS

Dining News

38


Dining & Food

VEG OUT AT HQ From the guys who don’t know the meaning of small portions, the HQ Bar in Kyungsung University is adding a Vegetarian Burger to its menu, among the many recent additions. The homemade delight was put together by none other than local foodie Jen Sotham. The burger comes with a side of fries or vegetables and is on promotion for 7,000 won.tel: 010-2857-2367 www.thehqbar.com

JAMBA JUICE HITS BUSANJamba Juice, the Emeryville, California juice franchise has finally hit Busan. The U.S. franchise, which boasts over 750 locations in five countries, opened its first Busan location in Haeundae re-cently. Located on the 1st floor of the Doosan We’ve Building behind the HomePlus in Woo Dong, the freshly made Smooth-ies, freshly squeezed juices and boosters are sure to become a new staple on the peninsula.tel: 051-747-8246 www.jambajuice.co.kr

BIWA CHARITY EVENTGOES FRENCHThe Busan International Women’s Association and the Haeun-dae Grand Hotel are presenting a spring fundraiser under the theme “A Night in Paris” on April 28th. Starting at 6:30 p.m. until midnight, welcome drinks, hors d'oeuvres, and an elegant five course dinner with wine and a charity auction start the evening, which will conclude with dancing to a live band. Tickets are 80,000 to 100,000 won, and can be purchased by contacting Lynn Baratta at 010-2065-8395 or email at [email protected]

DINING EXTRAS

39

HAPS_spring 2012

KYUNGSUNG

WESTERN

AUSSIE BURGERBurgers, fries and Aussie pies.

BURGER AND PASTAOpen: 11 am - 11 p.m.www.busanhaps.com/night-life/burger-pastatel: 051-625-6651The original. Great burgers and pasta. Same management as Thursday Party.

EVASGood grub and taco Wednes-days.

HQ BARtel. 010.2857-2367Solid American style pub grub and dinners.

CHINESE

BEJING GO-CHIGreat skewers, great food, cheap prices.

NI HAO CHINESEGood Chinese at affordable prices.

INDIAN

AYUTAFriendly staff, good food.

SHABANAtel: 051-621-4821Good, affordable Indian food.

ITALIAN

BON BONtel: 051-621-0906Great little spot next to Kyung-sung U.

GRAZIOSODirt cheap Italian located in the Sparx Building.

JAPANESE

CHIBI CHIBI OKNOMAYAKItel: 051-904-8257Good Japanese at affordable rates.

THE SUSHItel: 051-611-4043Affordable, quality Japanese food.

MEXICAN

O’TACOtel: 051-627-8358Good Mexican food and lunch specials.

GWANGAN-LI

WESTERN

BEACHED CAFE ANDSPORTS BAROpen: 6 pm - latewww.busanhaps.com/night-life/beached-cafe-sports-bartel: 051-924-9662Good bar fare, great view, lots of rugby and good times right on the beach.

BURGER AND PASTAOpen: 11 am - 11 p.m.www.busanhaps.com/food/burger-and-pasta-gwangantel: 051-751-6631Solid burgers on the beach with good wines. Service al-ways friendly, and food consis-tently good.

GUESS WHO RESTAURANTtel: 051-757-1213Always busy with a nice patio deck.

ITALIAN

BELLA CITTAwww.busanhaps.com/food/bella-citta-italiantel: 051-711-0010Incredible interior, top notch menu and indoor garden seat-ing.

PASTA E VINOtel: 051-746-2500Intimate beachside sport with good Italian cuisine.

KOREAN

SHIM HAE RAW FISH MARKETtel: 051-753-6868Everything seafood, all in one place.

FOUR SEASONS RAW FISHEnglish speaking owner, 2nd fl. Fish Market.

KOREAN NATURAL FOODtel: 051-751-5534

JAPANESE

SHINSENtel: 051-627-9191Good Japanese dishes.

GINZAtel: 051-751-7077Pricy, but good quality food.

MEXICAN

FUZZY NAVELtel: 051-754-6349Solid burritos and tacos. Good party atmosphere.

VIETNAMESE

SAIGON PHOtel: 051-755-4205One of the few non-chain Viet-namese sports in town. Great food.

SEOMYEON

WESTERN

FRESH FRIES FACTORYSome good fish n’ chips and other tasty foods.

JUDIE NINE BRAUtel: 051-667-7979Good beer and tasty side dish-es.

T.G.I. FRIDAY’Stel: 051-805-3164Two locations in Seomyeon to choose from.

ITALIAN

BUONA OVEN PIZZAtel: 051-904-8239Nice, oven-baked pizza and spaghetti.

FLORIAN’SBuffet with a wide selection of dishes.

VITOOpen: Early for lunch, late for dinnerwww.busanhaps.com/food/vitotel: 051-806-5868Great Italian food at even bet-ter prices.

KOREAN

BUFFALO CHICKENtel: 051-805-3512Good chicken chain with sev-eral interesting sauces.

DRAGON DREAM (THE CAVE BAR)tel: 051-646-5924Very interesting decor with a

nice selection of food.

GOLM OKKorean BBQ. Beef and pork se-lections.

VEGETARIAN

LOVING HUTOpen: 12pm - 10pm (closed Wednesdays)www.lovinghut.co.krtel: 051-808-7718The veggie lovers paradise.

PNU

WESTERN

FARMERS BURGERSPeople rave about it. Nominat-ed in Best Burger.

INDIAN

GANESHSmall spot with good Indian fare on the menu.

SHABANAtel: 051-517-1947Nice Indian food for cheap.

VIETNAMESE

PHONice Vietnamese food in PNU.

VEGETARIAN

LOVING HUTwww.lovinghut.co.krtel: 051-518-0115

HAEUNDAE

WESTERN

BURGER AND PASTAOpen: 11 am - 11 p.m.www.busanhaps.com/food/burger-and-pasta-haeundaeOpening early April, same great food as the other two around the city.

GECKOS BAR AND GRILLtel: 051-747-3069Solid food and drink on the beach.

HQ JANGSANtel: 010-2857-2367Great pizza and wings in the Jangsan area.

SHARKY’SOpen: 6 p.m - 2 a.m.www.busanhaps.com/food/

Dining Directory

40


Dining & Food

sharkys-bar-and-grilltel: 010-4038-2907Winner of Busan Best Burger in 2011, also well-known for Chef Oscars delicious specials.

STARFACEwww.busanhaps.com/food/starface-dalmajitel: 051-742-0600British and Indian cuisine on Dalmaji Hill. Good fish n’ chips and curries.

T.G.I. FRIDAY’Stel: 051-740-6531Good reliable chain in the Har-bor Town Building.

THE WOLFHOUND PUBOpen: Weekdays 5 p.m. - 1 a.m., Weekends 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.www.wolfhoundpub.comtel: 051-746-7913Great menu, excellent variety of food, pub grub and plenty of sports on the TV.

INDIAN

GANGAExpect to pay some good money, but it’s worth it.

NAMASTEtel: 051-746-1946Indian fine dining. Good prices and great food.

GANESHSmall place but it’ll do the trick.

ITALIAN

BELLA CITTAtel: 051-747-6351Delicious, real Italian cuisine with a nice interior.

CINE DE CHEFtel: 051-745-2880In Shinsegae, enjoy a good meal and a movie.

EL OLIVE ITALIANtel: 051-752-7300Delicious Italian, close to Cost-co.

VAN GOGH TERRACEtel: 051-741-3767Nice view of the water while you eat.

JAPANESE

GEN SUSHItel: 051-740-6630

Affordable sushi. Good stuff.

SUNTORY JAPANESEtel: 051-742-5788Great location and delicious food.

UMItel: 051-741-4337Good selection, big price.

KOREAN

AN GAtel: 051-742-7852Very popular bbq meat restau-rant in Haeundae.

CHEOLMA HANWOOBULGOGItel: 051-709-4000

HURGSIRUtel: 051-722-1377

JAGALCHI EEL tel: 051-742-5387

MARIStel: 051-704-8870Great seafood buffet. Across from Primus in Jangsan.

SOMUNNANtel: 051-746-0003Good traditional Korean food.

MEXICAN

FUZZY NAVELtel: 051-746-6439Good burritos and tacos, fun at night when it’s busy.

THAI

HELLO THAItel: 051-731-5033Good Thai food in the heart of Haeundae.

VEGETARIAN

LOVING HUTwww.lovinghut.co.krtel: 051-747-2979All organic, all good. Veggie paradise.

VIETNAMESE

PHO KIMtel: 051-740-4868Good food at a good price. Great soup, located in SFUNZ.

FAST FOOD

MCDONALDS

ph.1600-5252 for deliverywww.mcdonalds.co.kr

LOTTERIA ph.1600-9999 for deliverywww.lotteria.com

BURGER KINGNo deliverywww.burgerking.co.kr

POPEYE’S CHICKEN No deliverywww.popeyes.co.kr

KFC No deliverywww.kfckorea.com

QUIZNOS No deliverywww.quiznos.co.kr

DUNKIN DONUTS No deliverywww.dunkindonuts.co.kr

MISTER DONUT No deliverymisterdonut.gsretail.com

BASKIN ROBBINS No deliverywww.baskinrobbins.co.kr

PIZZA

DOMINOS 1577-3082www.dominos.co.kr

PAPA JOHN’S 1577-8080www.pji.co.kr

PIZZA HUT 1588-5588www.pizzahut.co.kr

MR. PIZZA 1577-0077www.mrpizza.co.kr

PIZZA ETANG 1688-3651 www.pizzaetang.com

FAMILY RESTAURANTS

BENNIGANS ph.1577-4800www.bennigans.co.kr

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE ph.1577-0500 www.outback.co.kr

T.G.I. FRIDAY’S ph.1588-2590www.tgif.co.kr

VIPS ph.1577-0700www.ivips.co.kr

RECOMMENDED RESTAURANT

ANGA

An Ga is well-known in the city for their deli-cious food and for good reason. They’ve been featured in CNN Go, as well as a host of other food magazines, and are known to serve the best meat in the city. Give it a go the next time you’re in Haeundae.Open Daily, 051-742-7852

HAVE A LISTING? CONTACT US @

[email protected]

41

HAPS_spring 2012

Service Directory

AIRLINES

AIR BUSAN Tel: 051-974-8686 www.busanair.com

ASIANA AIRLINES - DOMESTIC Tel: 051-972-4004flyasiana.com

ASIANA AIRLINES - INTERNATIONAL Tel: 051-971-2626 flyasiana.com

CEBU PACIFIC AIR Tel: 051-462-0686 www.cebupacificair.com

JEJU AIR Tel: 070-7420-1502 www.jejuair.net

KOREAN AIR - DOMESTIC Tel: 051-970-3314 www.koreanair.com

KOREAN AIR - INTERNATIONAL Tel: 051-970-3227 www.koreanair.com

LUFTHANSA AIR Tel: 070-8686-2531www.lufthansa.com

TRANSASIA AIRWAYS Tel: 051-463-0093 www.tna.com.tw

BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS

AMCHAM #4501, Trade Tower 159-1, Samsung-dong, Gangnam-gu, SeoulTel: 02-564-2040 www.amchamkorea.orgAn independent association of American and international businesses, the role of the American Chamber of Com-merce is to promote business and trade between the United States and Korea.

EUCCK Paradise Hotel (Main Bldg.), 1408-5 Jung-dong, Haeun-dae-guTel: 051-744-6711 eucck.orgThe European Chamber of Commerce aims to provide an effective network of business associates together with dis-cussion forums and seminars on how to do business in

Korea, as well as an array of social networking events.

EDUCATION

FOREIGN SCHOOLS BUSAN FOREIGN SCHOOL1366-3 Jwa-dong, Haeundae-guTel: 051-747-7199www.busanforeignschool.org

BUSAN JAPANESE SCHOOL 173-8 Millak-dong, Suyoung-guTel: 051-753-4166user.chollian.net/~pusjpnsc

BUSAN OVERSEAS CHINESE KINDERGARTEN 548-1 Choryang-dong, Dong-guTel: 051-468-2845 kbces.com.ne.kr

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BUSAN798 Nae-ri, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun Tel: 051-742-3332 www.bifskorea.org

KOREAN LESSONS

BUSAN FOUNDATION FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES Tel: 051-668-7900www.bfia.or.krEmail: [email protected]

KLIFF Tel: 051-513-0131 kliff.co.krEmail: [email protected]

PNU LANGUAGE EDUCATION CENTER Tel: 051-510-1983ili.pusan.ac.kr Email: [email protected]

TESOL TRAINING

TESOL ALLIANCE Tel: 051-818-0502 www.tesolalliance.com

INFORMATION

EXPAT ASSISTANCE

CALL CENTER FOR FOR-EIGN RESIDENTS IN BUSAN Tel: 1577-7716

FREE TRANSLATION SER-VICE (BBB) Tel: 1588-5644

MULTICULTURAL FAMILY SUPPORT CENTER Tel: 1577-5432

INFORMATION CENTERS

TOURIST INFORMATION SERVICE Tel: 1330

BEXCO TOURIST INFORMATION CENTER Tel: 051-740-7300

BUSAN GLOBAL CENTER Tel: 1577-7716

BUSAN INT’L PASSENGER TERMINAL TOURIST INFORMATION Tel: 051-465-3471

BUSAN STATION TOUR INFORMATIONTel: 051-441-6565

GIMHAE INT’L AIRPORT TOUR INFORMATION (DOMESTIC) Tel: 051-973-4607

GIMHAE INT’L AIRPORT TOUR INFORMATION (INTERNATIONAL) Tel: 051-973-2800

HAEUNDAE TOURIST INFORMATION CENTER Tel: 051-749-5700

INTERNATIONAL FERRY INFORMATION CENTER Tel: 051-465-3471

NOPODONG BUS TERMI-NAL TOURIST INFORMATION Tel: 051-508-9400

UN MEMORIAL CEMETERY TOURIST INFORMATION Tel: 051-625-1608

MEDICAL

HEALTH CENTERS

DONGNAE HEALTH CENTER 702-54, Myeongryun-2 dong, Dongnae-guTel:051-555-4000 Gangseo-gu Health Center2009-1, Daejeo-2 dong, Gangseo-guTel: 051-972-6101

HAEUNDAE HEALTH CENTER 1339, Jwa-2 dong, Haeundae-guTel:051-746-4000

JUNG-GU HEALTH CENTER1 Ga 1, Daecheong-dong, Jung-gu Tel: 051-600-4741

HERBAL CLINICS

DONGEUI UNIVERSITY KO-REAN MEDICAL HOSPITAL45-1, Yangjeong-2 dong, Busanjin-guTel: 051-867-5101

DONGEUI UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL 397-3, Bujeon-1 dong, Busanjin-guTel: 051-803-5430

GOOD SAMSUN HANBANG1162-2, Jurye-dong, Sasang-guTel: 051-325-0300

HOSPITALS

BUK-GU/DONGNAE

BUMIN HOSPITAL 380-4, Deokcheon 1-dongTel: 051-330-3000www.buminhos.co.kr

DONG EUI MEDICAL CEN-TER San 45-1, Yangjeong 2-dongTel: 051-867-5101www.demc.kr

DONGNAE BONG SENG HOSPITAL 766, Anlak 1-dongTel: 051-531-6000 www.bongseng.com

DONGRAE WOORIDUL HOSPITAL 205-10, Nakmin-dongTel: 051-559-5000 www.dongrae.wooridul.co.kr INJE UNIVERSITY BUSAN PAIK HOSPITAL 1435, Jwa-dongTel: 051-890-6114 www.paik.ac.kr

HAEUNDAE

HYOSUNG CITY HOSPITAL 1094-2, Jaesong 1-dongTel: 051-709-3000 www.hshos.com

42


INJE UNIV. HAEUNDAE PAIK HOSPITAL 1435, Jwa-dongTel: 051-797-0100 www.paik.ac.kr/Haeundae

JUNG-GU

HAEYANG HOSPITAL 80-8 Jungang-dong 4-ga Tel: 051-469-4456 www.haeyang.net

MARYKNOLL MEDICAL CENTER 12, Daecheong-dong 4-gaTel: 051-465-8801 www.maryknoll.co.kr

NAM-GU

BUSAN ST. MARY'S MEDI-CAL CENTER 538-41, Yongho 4-dongTel: 051-933-7114 www.bsm.or.kr

SEO-GU

DONG-A UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER 3-ga, #1 Dongdaeshin-dong Tel: 051-240-2400 www.damc.or.kr

PUSAN NATIONAL UNIVER-SITY HOSPITAL 10, Ami-dong 1-ga Tel: 051-254-0171www.pnug.co.kr

SUYEONG

BUSAN CENTUM HOSPITAL 1077-1, Gwangan 3-dongTel: 051-760-5000www.centumhospital.com BUSAN HANNAH WOMAN'S HOSPITAL 304, Namcheon-dongTel: 051-625-2300 www.hannah4u.co.kr Good Gangan Hospital40-1, 41-9, Namcheon-dongTel: 051-625-0900 www.gang-an.or.kr

MUSEUMS

BUSAN MUSEUM OF ART40, Apec-ro, Haeundae-gu, BusanTel: 051-740-2602 art.busan.go.krOpening Hours - 09:00 ~ 20:00 Closed - Jan. 1, Every First Monday

Admission Fee - Free

BUSAN MODERN HISTORY MUSEUM104, Daechung-ro, Jung-gu, BusanTel: 051-253-3845 modern.busan.go.krOpening Hours - 09:00 ~ 18:00 Closed - Jan.1, Every First Monday Admission Fee - Free

BUSAN MUSEUM 63, UN Peace-ro, Nam-gu, BusanTel: 051-610-7111museum.busan.go.krHours of operation - 09:00 ~ 20:00 Closed - Jan. 1, Every First MondayAdmission fee - Free

BUSAN UN MEMORIAL CEMETERY AND PARK 779, Daeyon 4 dong, Nam-gu, BusanTel: 051-625-0625www.unmck.or.krHours of operation - 09:00 ~ 17:00Open Year RoundAdmission fee - Free

RELIGIOUS SERVICES

AL-FATIH MASJID MOSQUE Namsan-dong, #30-1 Guem-jeong-guTel: 051-518-9991www.busanislam.or.krServices: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily

BUSAN CHINESE CHURCH Choryang1-dong, #548-2, Dong-guTel: 051-467-0275

GIFT MINISTRY Myung-nyun-dong, Dong-nae-guTel: 010-7999-8644www.tinyurl.com/lifeisagiftServices: Saturdays,10:30 a.m.

HONGBEOPSA TEMPLE Dugu-dong, #1220-1, Guem-jeong-guTel: 010-8771-6265

HOSANNA CHURCHMyeongji-dong, #3245-5 Gangseo-gu, Tel: 051-209-0191 him-busan.blogspot.comServices: Sundays, 12:30 p.m.

INTERNATIONAL COMMU-NITY CHURCH Minerva Hall, Pusan University of Foreign StudiesTel: 010-8326-1985www.iccbusan.orgServices: Sundays, 10:30 a.m.

ONNURI ENGLISH SERVICEJangsan, Haeundae-guTel: 010-7570-9171Services: Sundays, 10 a.m..

SHOPPING

DEPT. STORES

LOTTE DEPT. STORE www.lotteshopping.comOpen: 10:30 ~ 20:00Four LocationsCENTUM CITY1496, U Dong, Haeundae-gu, BusanTel: 051-730-2500DONGNAE502-3, Oncheonjeong, Dong-nae-gu, BusanTel: 051-605-2500 GWANGBOK20-1, 7 ga, Jung-ang Dong, Jung-gu, BusanTel: 051-678-2500SEOMYEONBujeondong, Busan-jingu, BusanTel: 051-810-2500

HYUNDAI DEPT. STORE 62-5, Beomil-dong, Dong-gu, BusanTel: 051-667-2233Open: 10:30 ~ 20:00

SHINSEGAE DEPT. STORE (CENTUM CITY) 1495 Wu-dong, Haeundae-gu, BusanTel: 1588-1234 english.shinsegae.comOpen: 10:30 ~ 20:00

CLOTHING/SPORTS

KAI SURF SHOP183-11 Gwangan-dong, Suyeong-gu Tel: 051-753-2746 SOCIAL/NON-PROFIT

ORGANIZATIONS

BUSAN BANDITS RUGBY Facebook Group: Busan Bandits

BUSAN BEACH VOLLEYBALLFacebook Group: Busan Beach

Volleyball

BUSAN BOOK SWAPFacebook Page: Busan Book Swap BUSAN BOWLING LEAGUE Contact: David Aldermantel:010.7919.1223Facebook Group: Busan Bowl-ing League

BUSAN FOUNDATION FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTIVI-TIES tel: 051-668-7900www.bfia.or.kr

BUSAN FRIENDSHIP GROUP www.meetup.com/Pusans

BUSAN SCUBAFacebook Group: Busan Scuba

BTC FOOTBALL FB Group: Busan Transporta-tion Corporation Supporters Fanpage

EPIK TEACHERS IN BUSAN Facebook Group: Busan EPIK

EXPAT SAILING CLUB Contact: Mark [email protected]

FIELD HOCKEY Facebook Group: Field Hockey in South Korea

LAOCHRA BUSAN GAELIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION CLUB Contact: Peter Bonnertel: [email protected] FB: Laochra Busan Members

ROKD ROLLER DERBY [email protected] FB: ROKD Republic of Korea Derby

SALSA DANCING www.busansalsa.blogspot.com

SOCRATES CAFEFacebook Group: Busan Socrates Cafe

ULTIMATE FRISBEE Facebook Group: BusanUlti-mate

WORDZ ONLY Facebook Group - WordZ Only

43

HAPS_spring 2012

RegularsAround Town

44

SCENE MAKERS SCENE & HEARD ALL OVER BUSAN

SHARKY’S

KAI SURF SHOP

BLUE MONKEY

STARFACE

BEACHED

BASEMENT

HAPS_spring 2012

THARP ON:

British heavy metal titans, Judas Priest, recently played in Seoul as part of their official “Farewell Tour” but I was out of the coun-try at the time, so alas, I couldn’t go. Missing the show depresses me thoroughly, since Judas Priest is the first real rock band I ever saw live: Defenders of the Faith tour, 1984 baby! I went to the Tacoma Dome with my friend Joe Crossland and his sweet, but hopelessly uncool dad, who served as chaperon for our two-plus hours of straight middle-school headbanging.

The concert was huge, rowdy and loud as hell, delivering all the goods plus some: there were booming drums, shooting lasers, walls of amplifiers, dueling guitars, metal robots, and even a real Harley Davidson that lead singer Rob Halford – in his leather-daddy glory – rode on to the stage. It was pure adrena-line and joy – spectacle on the highest level – and I knew right then and there that one day, I too would play rock and roll.

I went on to keep that promise, playing in a string of bands that continues to this day: The Leaky Sewer Pipes, Bad Water, Brave New World, Naugahyde, Blanche, MV and the Exterior, Christ Analogue, F Plus, The Gargles, The Rice Paddys, Kimchi/DC, The Headaches, and Los Kimchileros. Some of these bands were pretty good and others were atrocious miscarriages of music, but I’ve always carried the torch of rock and roll, at least in my own head.

Not only have I been a player of music, but I’ve also been a great fan. I had two older brothers who were passionate about music. They collected records and turned me on to stuff that I would have never had come across until far later in life. Because of them I was al-ways up on some cool tunes. I was then lucky enough witness the explosion of the Seattle music scene firsthand in the early 90s and saw bands such as Mud-honey, The Melvins, Soundgarden, and Nirvana in very small venues, before some of them became bigger than God. I used to listen to new bands all the time. I went to shows as much as possible. I sang the praises of the music that I loved and wickedly condemned that which I hated. Music coursed through my veins and kept me alive. It was my sustenance.

And then something happened: I got old. One day I just stopped listening to new music. I became that crotchety dude whose musical tastes completely calcified around the age of twenty seven. You know, the old hippy at the bar, who, after two or three beers always proclaims: “There hasn’t been any good music made since 1978, man. I saw Grand Funk Railroad play the Filmore in ’72 after scoring a whole lid of Thai sticks! Now that was groovy.” I used to hate that guy, but now I’ve turned into him.

Case in point: It is possible to go and see real music in Korea these days? One promotion company in particular goes out of its way to bring in hot acts from North America. Many people

“CUTTING EDGE AND COOL?” TO ME, THEY’RE JUST A COUPLE OF EMA-CIATED VEGAN HIPSTERS

WITH A KEYBOARD, A LAPTOP, AND QUES-

TIONABLE FACIAL HAIR. I JUST CAN’T GET DOWN

AND WOULD RATHER BLOW MY THIRTY BUCKS ON SOJU AND CAT FOOD.

AN AGING ROCKER COMES TO GRIPS WITH BECOMING A MIDDLE-AGED MUSIC DINOSAUR.

fork out wads of cash to attend these shows and proclaim their awesomeness, but I don’t and probably never will. I am far too grumpy. To the kids, these acts are cutting-edge and cool. “Cut-

ting edge and cool?” To me, they’re just a couple of emaciated vegan hip-sters with a keyboard, a laptop, and questionable facial hair. I just can’t get down and would rather blow my thirty bucks on soju and cat food.

But what of the home grown scene here in Busan? Even with the depar-ture of Poko Lambro, things are still rich. The reigning kings are reggae supergroup One Drop East, who not only have more members than the E Street Band, but play for twice as long. With them, I don’t know where the crowd ends and the band begins. There’s London Scat Party, who have

improved massively, but are still known to clear a room faster than a suicide bomber. Klickitat are great musicians who play music that no one wants to hear; Hajimama keeps cranking out their schtick like Borscht-belt comedians, so eager to please; the local Korean punks keep rockin’ it, though I have yet to see one of those guys get up on stage without the punk rock “uniform”. Sometimes they can be all sizzle and no steak, if you know what I mean…

So yeah, I’m a dinosaur. I’m an irrelevant man plowing head-first into middle age, already nostalgic for something that prob-ably was never that cool to begin with. So don’t listen to me. Make a band, even it if requires the use of a Macbook. Go sup-port music. And if you see me up on stage attempting to bang on a guitar and while bellowing the lyrics to “Breaking the Law”, try not to throw a beer in my face. You can check out Tharp’s blog: www.homelyplanet.wordpress.com

MUSICBY CHRIS THARP ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH ELMINSHAWI

The Last Word

46


Most westerners have seen all manner of diet fads back home, but few are aware of the benefits of traditional Oriental treatments for reducing weight. Dong-eui Medical Center’s Oriental Esthetic & Obesity Center offers people great options for not only shedding excess weight, but for actually restoring muscle tissue and body shape back to its original state.According to nurse Lee Hei Sung, the weight loss program focuses on the long term rather than a quick fix. “This program helps reduce the ‘yo-yo effect’ of dieting by ensur-ing natural weight loss,” she said. “Our program keeps the the body slim without any of the side effects by correcting unhealthy habits.”Along with herbal therapy, the Oriental method includes several types of painless acupuncture that infuses the body with herbal remedies that stimulate the lipolytic processes that occur in the body naturally. There is also a very interest-ing form of acupuncture to the ears which acts to suppress hunger by stimulating the region of the brain where hunger occurs. Along with a regiment of multi-vitamins and herbs to help

the body better do what occurs naturally, there are other herbal mixtures that help stimulate body metabolism, as well as increasing your body’s ability to absorb essential nutrients into the system. While this all sounds good, don’t think that you are getting off easy with an effortless weight loss program — there is exercise involved, too. The program at Dong Eui includes a personally designed exercise program that can be done in the exercise therapy room at the hospital or at home.Finally, the program includes remedies to help your skin look younger. “With this treatment, we can improve the shape of your face, as well as reduce wrinkles by helping the circulation in your muscles and skin,” said Hei Sung.So, if you have been putting off that New Year’s Resolution to rid yourself of those extra pounds, contact Lee Hei Sung at Dong Eui Medical Center to get started looking better right away.The medical center offers complete English service and is located near the Yangjeong subway station on line 1. You can contact Hei Sung for an appointment by phone, 051-850-8941 or 010-9457-8941 or by email at [email protected].

FIGHTING FAT WITH ORIENTAL MEDICINE

AdvertorialDong-eui Medical Center

THE ART OF BEING MARTIN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23.

Continued Story

47

His reputation as a bon vivant followed him and few firms would take a chance. A few months later, he was once again em-ployed. He was glad for the second chance, but things weren’t quite the same.

“They stuck their neck out because they knew my reputation. They started me at a really shitty salary with a lot of commision. I said ‘ok, I will accept that. I’ve got a history and you’re very careful. Give me just enough money to live and a chance to make more.’”

He worked his way back to esteem, built more connections through corporate training for the Dutch embassy, and was on the road traveling again, spending much of his time in Korea, doing the work he loved with less of the reckless lifestyle that he had loved so much before.

SETTLING DOWN IN BUSANFor the past 20 years, working on the peninsula with different players in the auto industry, he came to love the life in Busan – though he can’t really explain why.

“I don’t know, I just feel it,” he says. “Many years ago I had a Sunday off so I went to Sasang bus

station. I couldn’t read where the bus was going, but I got on and I sat three hours. I ended up in a village in the middle of nowhere. I walked the streets, I felt very relaxed and the people were really friendly, though I didn’t speak one word of Korean. It was summer so I had short sleeves and children were coming up and touching the hair on my arm, so I thought, ‘this is special.’”

Twenty years on, and a long road behind, he’s finally settled in to life in Korea. A year and a half ago he married a Korean wom-

an he first met at an automotive trade show and she gave birth to their son two days after the Netherland Gallery’s opening last November. When not introducing wealthy foreign businessmen to Korean manufacturers, he imports coffee and the machines that make it, while planning his next big venture – building a retirement home just outside of Busan.

As with most things in the life of Martin Vermeulen, there is always a bit more than a simple plan.

“I have some property about an hour west of Busan and I have designed what I call a ‘zero emission house,’ all green,” he says, with that characteristic inventor’s excitement. “It will be the first house in Korea that is completely self-supporting. I am actually going to produce more energy than I need in both electric and heat.”

As we wrap up our interview, the sun shines through a skylight down on the easel, which casts a long shadow across the studio floor. I ask him, looking back on his life, what he learned most from his failures and his successes, and what advice he would give to others.

He emphasizes that regardless of the failures, a measure of success is always there to be found.

“If you take a machine gun with 100 rounds in it and you hit one guy that wants to kill you that’s ok, you don’t need the other 99. Sure, I had some failures, but at the end I still prog-ress. People are afraid to make mistakes, but I don’t care. For me it’s just all the same thing, I just do what I like and that’s it.”

We help ourselves to the last of the brownies.

For more on the Netherland Gallery, check out the Haps Gallery Page: www.busanhaps.com/poi/gallery .

HAPS_spring 2012

PNUAREA

HAEUNDEAREA GWANGANAREA

48


KYUNGSUNGAREA SEOMYEONAREA

49

HAPS_spring 2012

Seomyeon Stn.

Humetro Call Center

Lost & Found Center

BUSAN METRO MAP

50


www.7luck.com Tel. 051.665.6000Busan Lotte Hotel 2F

HAPS_spring 201256

haps magazine issue 18

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