Daejeon AccessDecember 2011 Free

Teach and Learn in Georgia

Yellow Taxi fundraiser

Small Talk in the Big Field

Ex-Pat Christmas

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

Daejeon Access Content

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

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

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

Teach and Learn in GeorgiaPage 1-2

Ex-pat Boozy EggnogPage 4

Have yourself a Merry Ex-Pat ChristmasPage 5-6

Moshiso / Babo Page 8

Small talk in the big fieldPage 9-10

Yellow Taxi Fund raiserPage 11

Comic Illustrations Page 13

Fall TV Wrap upPage 16

Profile - Handsome King Video Journalist Page 17

1

On September 1, 2011 I left Dae-jeon and my four year experi-ence as an ESL Teacher in Asia behind for a chance to check out a part of the world that always fascinated me, The Republic of Georgia. The arrangement was

rather simple. The Ministry of Science and Educa-tion (MOSE) of Georgia offered interested appli-cants a chance to see a part of the world that only recently, that last eight years, opened up to tourism, foreign direct investment, and long term stays for travel and work.

Georgia has a long history as a country at the cross-roads between Asia and Europe. Consequently, it has also been invaded multiple times because of its geographical location by the Romans, Ottomans, and most recently, the Russians. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Georgia had a civil war which lasted approximately two years in the early nineties. After-wards it enjoyed a decade and chance of corruption, nepotism, violence, crime, instability, and a level of darkness, literally, rivaling some of the poorest nations on earth until the early 2000’s when inves-tors tried to get Georgia back on the grid and lit up again. It was a dark period for Georgia, but things have changed.

After the Rose Revolution of 2003 a new govern-ment took over and things have changed rapidly, most would agree for the better. The new leader-ship was a mostly western educated group of very

Teach & learn in Georgiayoung people, mostly in their twenties and thirties at the time, who wanted reforms to be implemented not just promised. Internal security was a major concern and seeing as how the no one rightfully so trusted the police, Mikheil Saakashvili’s administra-tion dismantled the old regime’s security forces and brought in a younger more progressive and edu-cated group to patrol the streets, establish law and order, and bring the country back to the people in a way that only feeling safe can do.

After establishing a secure place to live, work, and raise a family, investment stared pouring in, devel-opment got underway, and the education system eventually got addressed which brings in broad sweeping strokes to how I ended up teaching Eng-lish in Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia.

Teach and Learn in Georgia (TLG) is the branch of the MOSE responsible for bringing in foreign-ers primarily from the big five (The USA, the UK, Canada, Australia/New Zealand, and Ireland) English speaking countries to teach English in prmary and secondary schools through the country. Volunteers are placed in a host family, provided with a small stipend albeit twice the income of a villager and around the same as a city dweller on average, and thrown into a classroom with a Georgian co-teacher.

The majority of volunteers are placed in secondary city, towns, and village. Georgia only has one major city in which 1.5 million of the 4.7 million people live.

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Teach & learn in Georgia By Steve Diamond

Outside of the capital, cities are relatively small, on average a mere 150,000 each with villages and towns dotted in the rest of the country to fill in the remaining population. Georgia is about an eight hour drive from east to west and four hours from north to south so unless you are in the high Cauca-sus Mountains you are usually no more than three hours from a secondary urban center.

Volunteers commonly live with host families who are in some way connected to the local school they teach in. Many volunteers live with school headmasters or teacher. Other host stay fami-lies include families with a relative who is in some kind of leadership position in their town or village. Other volunteers end up living with salt of the earth folks who take them in as one of their own for no other reason than being hospitable and perhaps having their children learn some English as an added bonus. Living conditions are usually in the middle class range, but some volunteers take bucket baths, freeze their asses off in the winter, get snowed in, and eat the same food practically everyday while others might be living with the cream of society in warm comfy beds. It is a crap shoot, but you don’t take a volunteer English teaching job in a developing country with high expectations, or at least you shouldn’t if you know anything about living overseas in unexpected places.

Teaching in Georgian schools varies depending on your location but they have many things in common. Foreigners work with a Georgian co-teacher which

presents its own set of challenges. Many volunteers complain that until they get comfortable in the class-room and know what their role is, they feel underuti-lized. The volunteers who get more involved usually find that it can be a growing experience for them personally and professionally. Schools are in need of repair which is something that is currently getting underway. Another challenge volunteers face is dealing with Soviet era teaching methodologies and the teachers that produced.

In addition to political stability, economic growth, and diplomacy making English language acquisition is a priority for this current administration as a way forward in its goal of becoming part of the European Union. Not only do children benefit from volunteer service. Other ministries most notable, The Ministry of Internal Affairs, have also recruited volunteers to teach police officers, lawyers, and logistics opera-tors English. On the street police officers interact with tourists and in international settings leadership can communicate more effectively.

Georgia has made great stride in the past eight years and will hopefully continue down a path of re-forms and progress as a new administration is set to take over in the 2013 elections. One can only hope that with change doesn’t come unrest so no man, woman, or child has to grow up in uncertain times.

“in the last eight years, opened up to tourism”

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Yellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow Taxi

Yellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow TaxiYellow Taxi

Yellow TaxiYellow Taxi

Taxi

Yellow

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

Thursdays - Ladies Night

Friday is Yellow Day - 5,000 won pizzas!

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

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

-Tell them Daejeon Access sent you^^

Yellow Taxi

Yellow

DaejeonAccessExpat Boozy Eggnog

Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a large pan until well-blended. Add all the milk while whisking while until it is all incorporated into the mixture. Place a pan on your stove’s burner and turn it to the lowest possible setting. If you have another pan or flat grill to place in be-tween the pan and the heat, this would be a great help to prevent scorching. Whisk ingredients continuously for 25-30 minutes or until the mixture reaches 160°F. The mixture should also coat the underside of a spoon when it is ready.

Next, remove the mixture from heat and strain it with a paper towel and a wire screen sieve into a large bowl. If you whisked too slow or stopped for too long you may have some pieces of cooked egg. Don’t fret; just remove the egg pieces from the mixture. After doing all that put the booze in along with the vanilla and nutmeg.

When you are ready to serve, whip the cream until stiff. Make sure your bowl is clean and free of any fat or water because that inhibits the whipping process, kind of like saying the wrong thing to your date at 2:30a.m. in Dunsan dong.

Fold the whipped cream into the eggnog mixture. “Folding” means putting some of the whipped cream in and then using a spatula or other flat utensil to gently lift some of the eggnog mix over the whipped cream. This makes sure all the air you’ve incorporated in the cream doesn’t get knocked out. The air adds a nice tex-ture to the beverage. Pour in to chilled glasses. Get blind.Makes 15 servings or 6 serv-ings depending on whether you invited the Daejeon Access crew to your house.“Stick it in the

fridge for four at least four hours.”

6 eggs2 extra egg yolks4 cups whole milk, room temperature3/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons of sugar1/4 teaspoon salt1 Tablespoon vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg1 cup bourbon

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5

T he Christmas season is upon us once again

and for some of you spending the holiday season as an expat is very much the norm but for oth-ers this may be the first Christmas away from your family and friends. For those people, their holiday routine is displaced and stress sets in, disconcerting themselves and those around them. We can all see the holiday decorations, especially since they were up well before American Thanksgiving, and the holiday music has been in full swing in the department stores and your friendly neighbor-hood Lotteria (but you don’t know that because no expat really eats there). People from back home have sent the emails asking why you aren’t coming home, parents and friends have sent their over-

seas care packages, and holiday themes are in running in every TV show you watch. All these things may actually stress people instead of comfort them. The holiday doesn’t have to disap-pear for you just because you aren’t home. Korea is different than home and you have to learn that how you spend your holidays here are different as well. Dae-jeon Access would like to recom-mend some ways to make your holidays memorable and full of that holiday spirit that you may feel is lacking.

1. Have house parties

Fill your house with some people with the intent of having a holiday get together. Make sure you have the cheesy holiday music on, most notably Alvin and the Chip-munks. Put ups some Christmas lights and have a couple of holi-

day decorative items out. Buy a twenty buck tree off the internet and have that up until January 5th. Make some eggnog. After drinking a bunch of that you will start to sing along with Alvin if someone remembers to bring helium balloons.

2. See the Nutcracker ballet

The Belarus National Ballet troupe is performing the Christ-mas classic at the Daejeon Culture and Arts Center from the 17th to the 20th weekdays at 7:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday with matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets range from W10,000 to W70,000.

3. Get W50,000 worth of phone cards and have those long overdue phone calls to special friends back home.

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‘However you spend your holidays, Daejeon Access wishes you the very best for the holiday season.”

Yeah you email some and com-ment on their posts on Google+ and the other social network, but it isn’t really enough, is it? You Skype call them but the internet back home sucks big green ones (#7 on the list of what we don’t miss back home) so that call is shaky half the time. Get a bunch of phone cards and talk with those special friends, really talk like you used to when you were living near each other. Pop open a bottle of wine and talk to each other without worrying about the cost of a long distance call. You’ll be amazed at how cathartic a simple talk with a friend can be.

4. See hotel dinners in Dae-jeon for Christmas dinners

The hotels tend to have decent buffet due to their clientele being people who have to travel be-cause of their job. Honestly, can

you imagine people coming to Daejeon as a tourist without an international whifferfoot game on at the whifferfoot stadium? The Riviera in Yusong usually puts out a turkey on their Christ-mas spread. I remember one one year where the carver put a three-ounce portion on the plate of Van Walker, the Buzzard Luck frontman. She was wondering why the six foot, eight inch man didn’t leave her station after be-ing served. After ten seconds of eyeball to eyeball contact and another ten ounces of turkey,

5. Get a Santa cap

You don’t realize how this cheesy little thing can brighten up your whole day and your whole night as well.

6. Buy a Christmas gift for your favorite service people

Everybody has their guys where they live—I’ve got my computer tech guy (7th floor Techno World); my coffee guy (Told A Story, Eoeundong); my water guy (speed dial); my tailor (Eunhengdong); my local soopa guy; my favorite bartenders, baristas, and servers, and my mechanic. Buy something small but thoughtful. Make sure it’s wrapped because presenta-tion is everything. Remember, in Korea you’re not a customer but someone who has a relationship with all these vendors. It’s always nice to hear “Melly Clissmasu!” from a friendly face.

Have Yourself a Merry Ex-Pat Christmas

Our Mexican cuisine is a unique blend of fresh vegetables and natural spices perfectly matched with select cuts of beef and chicken

to make a distinct dining experience.

All of the dishes, relishes and sauces are homemade with the freshest ingredients, with no preservatives and no artificial color added.

Our chef learned to create delicious Mexican cuisine from a Mexican chef after two years

of training and invites you to come and enjoy the rich family atmosphere of our family

restaurant in Daejeon.

Current work hours: Mon-Fri: 5;30pm-10pm

Saturday: 11;30am-10pmSunday: Closed

Next years work hours: from 25th Jan 201212pm-10pm everyday except Sundays.

Sunday; Closed

Address: Daejeon, Yusong-Gu, Oh Een-dong, 101-4 Tel: (042) 863-0505Cell: 016-401-1857

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1. Holiday season is magical no matter where you are.

2. Finding money in your winter coats.

3. A good tofu jjigae.

4. Irish whiskey and coffee. Get one soon.

5. New Year parties coming up soon.

1. Cold and flu season; kids are little bacteria factories so make sure you wash your hands every hour.

2. Heat is expensive.

3. Humidifiers to combat the dry air. Lotion up or you’ll be scratching all day.

4. Everyone looks like Cartman in their winter clothing.

5. Christmas is weird here.

Moshiso Babo

RelationshipsR R Skinship is so important in the male-female dynamic in Korea. If you don’t know what this is then you need to find out.

9

Every so often, about as regularly as Lindsey Lohan is in a courtroom, I’d get a holiday card with a bunch of news articles from my folks back home. Right around the time North Korea was launching that satellite; I got a ton of articles solely about

North and South Korean relations. In every one of these stories the North was painted up as the super villain from the Bond films or comic books. I guess they miss the good old U.S.S.R. I wasn’t too worried since the western media tends exaggerate these stories and my zombie survival plan is good for any crisis, except for a Godzilla attack. After reading article after article about “war was coming to the Koreas”, I decided to rent some local war movies. It makes about much sense as a person with a fear of heights going skydiving, but then you have a story about crapping your pants at thirty thousand feet. Without further ado here is one my top favorite Korean War movies.

Heaven’s Soldiers made in 2005 and directed by Joon-ki Min and starring an ensemble cast.

It takes place in a future where the North and South have reached a truce, but only if the North hands over its prototype nuclear warhead to the Americans I’m really tired of the FBI of kicking down my door and going all Homeland Security on my head every weekend. Doesn’t make sense seeing as I’m in Korea and Canadian. .

When a North Korean general and a handful of sol-diers steal the nuke and kidnap a woman scientist, a group of South Korean commandos are sent to hunt them down. During a standoff between the two boatloads of soldiers, a comet nearly hits all of them sending the DPRK and ROK soldiers back in time to the year 1572.

The nuke is missing, their weapons are stolen and they don’t have Doc to build a DeLorean. They also meet a young Sun-sin Yi. Sun-sin Yi will one day go onto defeat a massive Japanese invasion, but this Sun-sin Yi has failed the military exam and spends all his professional energy as a thief.

Small Talk in

10

the Big Field

Their missions are clear: the Northern soldiersmust find the weapons, the scientist must figure out how to get them home, the Southern soldiers must train Sun-sin Yi so he can one day get his face on a 100won-coin.

They also have to keep from killing each other in the process. This movie has it all: bullets, blades, laughs, and tears.

Screening suggestion: If you can’t find this flick in your local video shop, and those rental places are closing faster than certain bars that see me com-ing when I’ve had a few too many. You should try a local DVD bong. Yes, “bong” is the Korean word for “room”, and “dong” is the Korean word for neighbor-hood. (We have all made those jokes. How many bongs are at your place? Do you come from a big dong? Does your dong have a lot of bongs? Har Har Har.) Most good DVD rooms have a nice couch and a projection screen or big screen TV. One had a mattress and roll of toilet paper hanging on the wall. That one had a drive-in movie feel to it.

Some couples may not go there to watch the movie. Still you can bring your own beer and they have snacks. It’s a great way to experience Korean cinema without having to use youtube, torrents or mysoju.com. I’m really tired of the FBI of kicking down my door and going all Homeland Security on my head every weekend. Doesn’t make sense seeing as I’m in Korea and Canadian.

Questions, comments, or complaints? Write me at Neeser@daejeonaccess.com

By Neeser

Go Elf Yourself! 2011

Dec 23rd , 2011 at Yellow Taxi

Fundraiser: please donate non-perishable food items and blankets for the homeless and less fortunate. Donations will be delivered to the homeless shelter on Dec 26th, 2011.

This is the second time Kris Cain (Canada) has organized a Christmas fundraiser at Yellow Taxi. After the huge success of go Elf Yourself 2010 it seems fitting to only do it again, only better. Two bands, ugly Christmas sweaters and all the Christmas musical classics, it will be sure to be a festive event. Kris has also organized both Halloween parties at Yellow Taxi in 2010 and 2011.

Known as KMFC, DJing at Yellow Taxi, Daejeon Cantina, Jinny’s and Sipripo Beach Festival (Seoul & Incheon), Kris has been involved in the cultural & seasonal party scene of Daejeon for over 2 years.

Kris and Charles J Park (owner) work hard to bring great entertainment to Yellow Taxi. “It’s more than just a party, it’s a time to get together and celebrate the holiday spirit.”

There will be donation boxes set up at Yellow Taxi from Dec 1st to December 23rd. GO ELF YOURSELF! 2011 will take place on Friday, December 23rd at Yellow Taxi.

The Top

ThingsYou Like Here Better Than Home01

During the holiday season people tend to think fondly of home. Here’s a list to rub that rose-col-ored film on your eyes and shock you back to reality.

1. Very little street crime.2. Good, cheap public transportation.3. No open container laws.4. Blazing fast internet.5. Cheap phone service with unlimited bandwidth.6. Always a nearby convenience store at any hour of the day or night.7. ATMs that do more than give you money and tell you your balance.8. Nightspots open until they feel like closing.9. Good fifty buck rooms all over the country.10. For as low as \500,000 you can travel to an even cheaper Asian country.

THANK YOU

GRACIASARIGATO

KOMAPSUMNIDA

SHUKURIA

DANK

IE

SIYABONGAGOZAMASHITA

MERCIBOLZIN

EKH

MET

PALDIES

TINGKI

EFCH

AR

ISTO

SUKSAMA

YAQHANYELAY

GRAZIE

TASHAKKUR ATU

RIYALEBOGA

DANKSCHEEN

Another year and we’re still here, working on our little labor of love.

We’d like to thank everyone that has helped us on our journey, everyone that has

given us cool ideas for the magazine and the website; everyone that has written,

drawn, or made layouts; everyone that has advertised with us; everyone that has

consented to an interview; Joel Rasmussen and all of the volunteers, performers

(most notably the New Wave Pollies), and the supporters for the Angels Ride for

Charity; all of the people who have pointed out the numerous opportunities for us

to improve; and all of the readers of Daejeon Access.

We would like to thank Sandile Nkosi for the graphic work this past year.

The graphics have been wonderful and his accent is really fun to hear.

We would also like to thank Yujin Kim for putting up with all of the bickering that

she has to listen to when we get together, all of the favors we have to ask of her,

and all of the late nights that she has to endure on our behalf.

Merry Kwanzanakkuhmas!

Todd Seffrood and Earl Noble

Founders of Daejeon Access12

You Like Here Better Than Home

Joongbu University freshman comic Illustrators.

Comic strip 1

Comic strip 2

“Hey!” “Hello? Where are you going?“

“Why don’t you pick flowers with me?”

“Hi! Did you see my friend?”

Comic strip 3

“I love to eat...but I’m on a diet...

”Just eat, it’s ok!” “Don’t eat I will gain weight” “What if?”

”Let’s eat!” “Yes, I gained weight!”

“No matter what they say! I won’t forget you. Even though my friends left me.”

“I know you would do that.“

“I fell in love with the woman in my game, my friends stay away from me. She is the only one who stands by me.”

13

My Ja Aan is one of the few female mechanics in Daejeon and she is well known for running one of the

premiere car repair shops in the country. Samsung Anycar in Yusong was ranked #2 in the country in the

quarterly customer service reports this December. After 15 years of taking care of personal and commercial

vehicles she is confident that you will be pleased with the service she can provide for your automobile.

Discount for foreigners who bring their cars in for servicing or check-ups at Sumsung Anycar in Yusong.

Address: Yzu Sung-Gu, Sin Sung Dong, 116-7

Tel: (042) 861-1857

Cell: 010 6456-1857

Work hours:Monday-Saturday 8am-7pmClosed on Sunday

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Open: Monday-Saturdays 11am - 11pmSunday 11am - 10pm

All food available for take out (042)-221-8005

Location: at the crosswalk next to the Catholic Cathedral Bookstore, beside the Korea Exchange Bank(KEB) in Daehung-dong, and kiddie corner from the Flying Pan Italian restaurant.

Wifi available

Menu accommodates a full range of food tastes, including vegetarians.

Danny, the head chef mastered his culi-nary arts in Australia and the difference in taste is mouthwateringly palpable!

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

Backdoor Access

16

Watch

• OnceUponaTimeThis show is so good you feel like it’s going to get canceled. We always want a drama that is not legal, medical, or crime and this fits the bill. The premise is that all the fairytale characters get moved into our world and they don’t know that they are fairytale characters. That’s the curse of the wicked evil queen. Jennifer Mor-rison of House fame stars along with Ginnifer Doodwin. Lana Parilla plays the wicked, evil queen. Robert Carlyle is in there, too. Awesome cast overall. And the kid, Jared Gilmore, is good without being over-the-top cutesy, though he does have a slight lisp (Why do they like casting kids with lisps? Why do people think that having a speech impediment at a young age is cute?)

• HomelandClaire Danes as a psychologically damaged CIA agent who believes that the POW that has come home after eight years may be a terrorist mole. Showtime has a great show here. The most beautiful woman in the world, Morena Baccarin plays wife to Damian Lewis, who plays the former POW.

• TheGoodWifeThird season on the tiny tube and it is still good. Terrific show, Juliana Margulies shines. Watch it from the beginning if you haven’t seen it.

Don’t Watch

• NewGirlI love Zooey Deschanel, with her huge orbs of indigo, but this show had a great first episode and nothing else. Damon Wayans bailed after the pilot and left a huge hole in the cast. “The other characters aren’t consistent and they’re shallow. They get too close to Jess right away and they don’t build the relationships.” says TV sitcom maven Lisa Scholl.

• CharliesAngelsPositives—Minka Kelly looks great. Negatives—the rest of the cast, the predictable plots, goofy badguys, and a good-looking Bosley. How they screwed the pooch here with such a ridiculously well-loved show, I don’t know.

tvFall

“This show is so good you feel like it’s going to get canceled.”

Wrap up

Remember downloading

is illegal

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

In my case I would care about people that I am related such as family, friends, co-workers. I had been staying at Toronto, Canada for 1 year half. At that time I usually felt living in Toronto is awesome however I missed my friends and family all the time even if I had quite lots of friends that I met since I started to live there. This is my biggest reason I came back to Korea. So I can say that my standard for living abroad is definitely people who I love.

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

If I were stranded on a desert. I would have Michal Jackson CD named ‘You are not alone.’ and the movie named ‘mission im-possible’ and the book named ‘Do you want to know how to survive on a desert?’=)

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

My favorite place for weekend is obviously a bed I can sleep;-) I’d love to stay and I can stay in a bed all day on my holiday. Oh one

more! With a girl is better always hehe^^

4. What are your favorite sports teams?

I am a fans to hanhwa eagles. Just like nor-mal people who live in Daejeon. Oh if you want me to answer more I would say that I am a fan of Korean soccer team. LOL!

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

Should I answer this Question? Haha ok ok I am confessing. As you read, I am a video Journalist. One day I tried to interview a doctor in a big hospital in Daejeon, I just figured that out I didn’t bring a tape for re-cording once I opened a door for his room.

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

The best thing about expatriates in Daejeon is that Daejeon become a global city and here are lots of chances to be exposed with various culture stuffs. Which is that I like to do in my life? Thanks for being my friends and welcome to be my friends. Let’s relax and have a party~.

DaejeonAccessProfiles: Handsome King.Occupation: Video Journalist