(토요모임) [April, 9th, 2016] Saturday meeting topic

[*시에나*]

1. How to Enjoy Spring in South Korea Posted by Mimsie Ladner at 11:23 PM 

After a long winter, spring has finally sprung here in Seoul. But it won't last long so be sure to get out and enjoy it while it does. Here are a few of my favorite springtime activities to partake in here in Seoul. I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy them just as much as I do!

See the Cherry Blossoms

Perhaps no other symbol is as representative of Korean spring than the cherry blossom. And while they might not stick around for an extended amount of time, they are most definitely a sight to behold and seeing them in all their glory should be at the top of your travel itinerary.

Expect to see them around April 7 here in Seoul this year (2016). One of the more popular places to take in the beautiful blossoming of the beotkkot is Yeouido Park, where canopies of pink hang over crowds of camera-toting love birds. For less crowded cherry blossom sightseeing, head over to the tranquil Seokchon Lake in Jamsil or Seoul Grand Park.

Yours truly among the cherry blossoms on Yeouido.

Picnic in one of Seoul's parks

While you're at it, why not pack a picnic? Picnicking is a favorite pastime of Koreans and when they do it, they do it big. Think all-day drinking sessions, complete with kimbap and chimaek. Don't forget to check off these 6 items when packing for your outdoor escapades.

Go to a Festival

While winter has its fair share of festivals, spring offers pleasant weather that actually makes the festivals enjoyable. Many of these celebratory events focus on flowers, but there are also a number that glorify regional cuisine and cultural traditions.

Not to be missed are the Lotus Lantern Festival, which showcases thousands of colorful lanterns and traditional performances, and the Boseong Green Tea Festival, held on a gorgeous tea plantation in the southern part of the country. Both of these events are held in May. For a complete list of spring festivals, visit the KTO website.

The verdant rolling hills of Boseong's green tea plantations are a wonderful spot to spend a spring afternoon, especially during the annual Green Tea Festival.

Bike Along the Han

Seoul is often portrayed as a city of concrete and neon, so many are surprised to learn that there is a variety of green spaces strewn across the Korean capital. My favorite place to soak up some sun is the Han River and the parks that border it. In addition to featuring riverside cafes, basketball courts and fishing spots, the Han River also has its fair share of bicycle rental shops.

To rent a bike, all you need is a photo ID. Prices are extremely reasonable (around 3,000 won per hour) and the river is equipped with safe and well-marked bike lanes. For more info and a list of routes, click here.

Wander a Cafe Street

It's no secret that Korea is known for its cafes. So much so that there's practically one on every block. There are even entire streets dedicated to the caffeinated beverage that boast cafe after cafe, many of which have great patios or terraces that open in spring.

You don't need to look hard to locate said streets, and many, like Garosu-gil or Samcheongdong-gil are already quite famous. To get off the beaten path, make your way to Jukjeon Cafe Street in Bundang, or Seoraemaeul Cafe Street near Express Bus Terminal, both of which exude a sophisticated European atmosphere.

Photo Credit

Visit a Palace

Few places capture the essence of Seoul in spring as well as the palaces of the capital city. Not only are the flowers of the royal gardens in full bloom, but there are often outdoor concerts and performances held here, allowing visitors to truly experience pungnyu.

Pung (wind) and yu (flowing) refer to the enjoyment of tasteful activities that combine the elements of nature, life and art. It also symbolizes being close to nature, knowing music, being well learned in arts and being composed yet merry, free from worldly cares.

Changdeokgung is known for its secret garden but my personal favorite of the five palaces is Changgyeonggung. With fewer people, a large pond and a number of picnicking spots, it's got plenty of pungnyu.



Walk the Cheonggyechon

Although not as impressive as the expansive Han River, the Cheonggyechon is a picturesque stream located smack dab in the middle of the city. Often decorated with artwork in the spring, it also functions as an outdoor cultural space. Grab a lemonade or a bottle of makgeolli from a nearby convenience store and dip your feet in the water to enjoy a nice break from touring nearby Insadong or shopping in Myeongdong.



Go Camping

Take advantage of the short-lived gorgeous weather and reserve a spot at one of Seoul's many camping spots. Like picnicking, camping is a favorite outdoor activity of Koreans which involves barbecue, drinking and lots of laughs with friends and family. For a luxurious (and expensive) experience, take a day trip outside of Seoul to Raventree Camp Grounds in Gapyeong.




Happy spring, y'all!

Questions:

1. What is your favorite season and why?

2. What is your favorite spring activity? Please, share your experience.

3. Does your mood change with the seasons? Why and why not?

2. MOVIE REVIEW: Zootopia is humorous but drives home a hard message

Disney’s newest animated feature film is darker than expected, but still carries a ray of hope

 http://tech.mit.edu/V136/N7/zootopia.html

By Lenny Martinez

Animated movies can be fun for adults, but they’re aimed at kids. And at first, Zootopia feels like purely a kid’s movie with a straightforward plot that we’ve seen before: two clashing personalities must come together to save the day. But as the plot shifts, building up to the movie’s core message, you find yourself engaging with it on a level uncommon to a typical kid’s movie. And that’s where the magic happens.

Zootopia tells the story of Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), who becomes the first rabbit cop in a police force full of fierce predator animals and moves to the central sector of the animal city Zootopia. Although at first things don’t seem to be going her way, Judy is still determined to make it as a police officer and, with her job on the line, takes on the task of finding an otter who has gone missing. With few clues, Judy finds herself working together with the con artist fox Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman). Together, they must put aside their differences and combine their strengths to find the missing animal — all before Judy loses her job!

A lot of the plot is centered around tensions between predators and prey (two naturally conflicting groups) and stereotypes. Bunnies are stereotypically cute, defenseless animals; foxes are stereotypically sneaky, selfish, and cunning. But Judy, who may be a cute bunny, also graduated at the top of her class at the police academy. And while Nick is rightfully sneaky and cunning (he is a con artist after all), he is still outsmarted by Judy. If we take out the animated characters and spectacular environment in which they live and look at the overarching message of the story, we see a movie showing that life isn’t defined by stereotypes or by specific relationships that may have been true in the past. It’s a movie about adapting to challenges and coming together to move toward the same goal. And while that may sound sappy, it’s very relevant today and conveyed easily through the use of animated animals.

Disney has made other movies featuring animals as the protagonists, but never one with such a diverse range of animals. Water buffalos, giraffes, lions, sheep, panthers, foxes, bunnies, shrews, sloths, elephants, and one naturalistic (read: nude) yak make up just a small part of the whole list of animals featured in the movie. With hamster office workers, a lion mayor, ice-cream shop owning elephants, and of course, the awesome sloth DMV employees, Zootopia lives up to its motto of “anyone can be anything.”

Having such a diverse cast also means having a varied environment, because clearly all these animals have different needs. Zootopia is split into different sectors (which feel a lot like the boroughs in New York City): the big-city-feeling Savanna Central, the miniature Little Rodentia, the clearly cold Tundratown, and the jungly Rainforest District are but a few. In each sector, Judy and Nick meet a different set of animals that make their journey all the more exciting and challenging. In Little Rodentia, for example, Judy manages to save Fru Fru, a small arctic shrew that saves her from a cold demise later on. In Savanna Central, Judy is introduced to Flash, one of the fastest sloths at the Department of Mammal Vehicles, who helps her track a clue in the case of the missing mammals.

One of the things that shines about this movie is the way they manage to make it enjoyable for both younger and older audiences. For example, there is this great sequence in the Rainforest District involving vines, logs, and a big cat that was reminiscent of Tarzan, one of my favorite childhood movies. Another example, and one of the selling points of the movie, is the humor. While most of the humor is constructed to appeal to children, the movie includes a lot of jokes that only the older viewers will understand. One of the earliest instances is the welcome sign to Bunnyburrow, which features a constantly-spinning population counter to joke that bunnies reproduce like crazy. Other funny references include characters based on pop culture phenomena like The Godfather, Walter White from Breaking Bad, and Snooki from Jersey Shore.

Questions:

1. Have you ever experienced prejudice or discrimination? Please, share your experience.

2. What are common prejudices or discrimination in Korea?

3. Do you like animated films? What is your favorite animation, and why?

3. The Stigma Of Doing Things Alone

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christina-ling/the-stigma-of-doing-things-alone_b_9239900.html

I was discussing prospective travel plans with a group of people the other day when one of them, after expressing her interest in visiting Lyon, remarked, “But I have to find someone to go with  —  I’m not going to travel there by myself. Nobody wants to do that.”

The same afternoon, I walked into a cafe with a friend to grab lunch. Upon seeing an acquaintance there eating solo, my friend commented, “Aw, he’s by himself. Maybe we can say hi. No one should have to eat alone. That’s so sad.”

These statements started a train of thought on which I had embarked many times before:

Why is it still seen as socially unacceptable to do things by yourself? And why is it always presumed that people don’t want to do things alone?

I do understand where these opinions originate. We, as human beings, are social beings. We are inherently inclined to be around people and thrive in community; it is only natural that we want to share in our experiences with others. Socializing and conversing are how we forge friendships and ultimately help each other grow.

However, it baffles me as to why the idea that someone wants to do something alone is so bizarre. Sure  —  by societal norms, activities such as eating out or seeing a movie are viewed as social activities to be enjoyed with others. But seeing someone out and about on their own does not equate to him or her being lonely, or having no friends. (Alright, sometimes when I am doing something by myself I am feeling a little lonely, or actually couldn’t find an available or interested friend... but that doesn’t mean I need or deserve pity.)

More importantly, I think we are perfectly entitled to simply not be in the mood to entertain someone throughout an activity or socialize, in general.

Is it really so absurd that someone decides to ride solo for an evening and appreciate a meal alone? Residing in a first-world country nowadays entails considerable immersion in environments of distraction; throughout the day, we’re invariably staring at screens of all shapes and sizes, and being bombarded with stimuli through them. On top of that, we must make real human interactions with handfuls of people on a daily basis. It grows exhausting whether one is an introvert or extrovert. And we all need a little “me” time.

““Time spent by myself is time spent alone with my thoughts, which I relish in a world of distraction.”

But who is to say that “me” time is only in the confines of one’s home, in the form of a pantsless Sunday spent watching Netflix and binging on pizza? Why is doing that alone acceptable anyway, but not going outside and doing something in town? Time spent by myself is time spent alone with my thoughts, which I relish in a world of distraction. Once alone, I have the opportunity to ponder over matters to which I have been meaning to devote mental attention  —  or to think about nothing at all, and simply appreciate the present moment.

I suppose that is another explanation for why doing things alone has a social stigma. We tend to project our own tendencies onto others, particularly in situations we view negatively; and I find that the people with the greatest aversion to doing things alone  —  incredibly uncomfortable at and almost disgusted by the idea  —  are the ones who cannot be in solitude with their minds. For what reasons, I can’t say I know, but they seem to move through life from one distraction to the next, from screen to screen.

Being alone with your mind, however, is one of the best things for your soul.

That is one of the greatest pleasures I find in doing things alone. Another is, of course, the freedom to operate on your own schedule. You can spend a full hour trying on clothes (which seems to happen frequently with me...) without the pressure of a waiting companion, or speed through a history museum because you don’t find it that interesting. If I need to backtrack for a photo or stand there for a few minutes to get it right, I have all the time in the world.

But traveling alone? Doesn’t it get a little solitary?

Well, yes  —  I would be in denial if I said otherwise. One of the greatest joys of travel is reveling in the presence of awesome history or art with someone, and I definitely find myself wishing I had a friend with me at times; seeing what I am seeing, eating what I am eating, discussing our experiences. It’s nice to have someone there with you sharing that ephemeral moment that cannot be recreated.

Which leads me to my following point  —  despite all that, I am determined to not let such factors impede me from doing what I want and what speaks to me, and you shouldn’t either. If you truly want to do something, why should the prospect of doing it alone be an obstacle to your will? In the end, the connection you have with that object or goal is the most important.

““If you truly want to do something, why should the prospect of doing it alone be an obstacle to your will?”

This isn’t all with the aim to denigrate people who don’t like being alone, or make the statement that such people have no substance. To each his own.

But satisfaction ultimately lies in the substance of an activity and if that is what you are really after, then go for it.

Take that trip to Lyon. Go to that underground music event none of your friends care about. Enjoy a nice dinner. And all those people you think are judging you... they likely are, given the stigma of doing things alone, but what does that matter in the grand scheme of things?

Doing things alone eventually dissipates the feeling of self-consciousness in public places and fosters self-awareness instead. It takes a degree of confidence and initiative to do things solo, of which you should be proud. And if I’m going to be frowned upon because I’m eating dessert alone like I’m fuckin’ Steven Glansberg then, well. So be it.

Questions:

1. Do you like doing alone? How do you feel about it?

2. Why do you think some people prefer to be alone most of the time?

3. Does Technology make us more alone? Why or why not?

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