Global Community

(301) Social issues - low birth rate (I)

(300) Places in Seocho, Seoul (II)

Local team wins touch rugby competition

By Bridget Tunnicliffe A local mixed-side team made it three from three, while a visiting team took out the men’s competition at the fifth international touch rugby competition in Seoul over the weekend. Twenty teams were involved in the tournament and it continues to be one of the largest sporting gatherings of expats in Korea, if not the largest, with Korean players also entering the competition. The Hands team which came together at the last minute to try and defend its previous two titles had an early wake-up call in the form of the National University of Singapore team, an all women’s side, which took all the teams in the mixed-section by surprise. The tournament was without a women’s division this year, so the only option was for them to play in the mixed section, but they gave a few lessons to the other sides in terms of their defensive effort, discipline, and communication on the field. NUS went through the preliminary round unbeaten and first up opponents Hands, rusty from a lack of preparation, were soundly beaten. Nathan Atkins, captain of the Hands side

Expat couple will open gallery

By Cain Barriskill The small neighborhood of Haebangchon, located close to Noksapyeong Station, line 6, has over the years gradually developed as a Mecca for Seoul’s expat bohemian community of musicians, poets, actors and artists. The small foreign haven, close to Yongsan army base, is filled with Africans, Filipinos, Russians and English teachers and is host to a variety of plays, comedy shows and performances monthly. It even has its own biannual music festival. A world away from the busy streets of Myeongdong or Gangnam, Haebangchon, roughly translated as “Freedom Village” does indeed hold an almost village-like atmosphere. So it is hardly surprising that it is this location that American couple Jessica and Adam Lofbomm decided to open “The Laughing Tree,” their own art gallery. The first exhibition entitled “Urban Excerpts” will feature the work of Adam himself who sees the city of Seoul as “a visual narrative full of fragments just waiting to be excerpted, quoted and re-appropriated.” Adam uses a variety of cameras and employs various analog pri

Democrats Abroad to hold voter registration drive

By John Redmond The Democrats Abroad, Republic of Korea country committee (DAROK) organization is holding a voter registration drive on Saturday, Sept. 11 in Itaewon, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in front of Gecko's Bar and Grill. The DAROK will be sponsoring the event to encourage voter participation and awareness of the opportunity to continue their civic duty while living overseas. Voter registration is open to all American citizens wishing to participate in the voting process. “Living overseas doesn’t mean you don’t have a say in what happens in your community back home. We have very involved and concerned expats living in Korea and by providing this service to the expat community, we are excited to assist in bridging the gap of the opportunity to stay involved,” commented Albert Kang, Chair of DAROK. Democrats Abroad Republic of Korea (DA-ROK) is an official country committee of Democrats Abroad, the official U.S. Democratic Party organization for Americans living outside the United States. Democrats Abroad has committees throughout Europe, the Americas, the Middl

Foreignline

Benefit concert for museum The House of Sharing International Outreach Team is hosting a Benefit Concert: Fundraiser for the War and Women's Human Rights Museum on Sept. 11, from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., at Club Ta, Jane’s Groove and DGDB in Hongdae. All funds raised from the event will go to the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan's construction fund for a museum, which is slated to begin construction this November in Seodaemun Independence Park. Club TA, Jane’s Groove, and DGBD will be the venues for a packed night of live rock, acoustic music, and DJs spinning. Performing at this onetime event will be Brickslipper, Jennifer Waescher, Ida Grandas, I Am The Sun, Banco, DJ Wu, among others. The cost is 10,000 won and covers entry to all three venues The Korean Council was founded in 1990 in order to work for women’s human rights issues, relating specifically to the approximately 200,000 women who were forced into military sexual slavery by Japan during WWII, as well as ongoing women’s human rights issues today. The Korean Council or

(299) Places in Seocho, Seoul

Expat troupe to showcase Shakespeare love scenes

Actors Without Bard’ers, a rising expat theater troupe, will turn up the heat this weekend with a new production to be staged at Theatre Gori in Hyewha- dong, Seoul. “Shakespeare on Love, Sex and Romance” packages the Bard’s greatest love scenes into a show that promises to be the group’s edgiest yet. It will focus on the “twisted fumbles” of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” but also feature the sultriest oThe Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, Othello, Merchant of Venicef the Tempest, Merchant of Venice, Richard III, Othello and, of course, Romeo and Juliet.The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, Othello, Merchant of VeniceThe Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, Othello, Merchant of Venice The two-night stand beginning Saturday will The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, Othello, Merchant of Venice The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, Othello, Merchant of Venice, and much more!make AWB the first expat theater group in many years to perform in Hyewha, the heart of Seoul’s theatre district, the group said. AWB, a community-based group comprised of expats

What are the basics of a camera?

By Aaron Raisey A camera is, in its essence, a very simple tool. It’s just a box that allows a measured amount of light to fall upon a light-sensitive recording surface. Unfortunately this basic simplicity has become increasingly camouflaged behind buttons and functions, hardware and software. Though the modern camera offers many creative options to savvy users, to others it’s just a black box requiring little or no understanding of the basic principles involved. Of course, understanding (or not) of the fundamentals of the photographic process has never stood in the way of someone’s ability to create a good picture, but an appreciation of what that camera actually does at that fundamental level can add new dimensions to your photography and give you many avenues of creativity to explore. Over the next several editions of this column, we’ll explore the most important functions of the camera and examine how they come together and impact our photography and photographs. It seems that most everyone has a DSLR these days, so we’ll use that kind of camera as our point of referen

Foreignline

Mexican Embassy to present film festival The 11th Mexican film festival will take place at locations around the nation beginning this week at Seoul Art Cinema and culminating on Oct. 3 in Jeonju. The films for the festival are “Enlightened Blood” directed by Ivan Avilas Duerias, “Absence” by Alfonso Zuarez Romero, “My Life Inside” with director Lucia Gaja, “Wait for Me in Another World,” directed by Juan Pablo Villasenor and “The Old Thieves” by Everado Gonzales. The festival is in the Seoul Art Cinema from Aug. 31 till Sept. 10: in Gwangju, Sept. 8-10; in Daegu, Sept. 11 -13; in Daejeon, Sept. 16-18; and in Jeonju, Sept. 28-Oct. 3. Korean Traditional Music Classes for Foreigners Foreigners now have the chance to learn play traditional Korean musical instruments such as the “janggu,” “gayageum” or “haegeum” at the National Gugak Center (previously known as the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts) in Seocho, for a 12 week Saturday morning course beginning Sept. 04 till Nov. 20 from 10:30 a.m. till 12:30 p.m. The cost is 30,000 won. Applic