This past month, Daegu has created designated swimming areas of the Sincheon river for families seeking to escape the heat and spend time together. The two recreation areas just south of Yongdu Bridge, which for those of you who know the river well, is the last southern bridge before you start heading out of town to Herb Hillz and Spa Valley. Not the big one that connects you to Apsan Beltway, but the next smaller one after that, that connects you to Suseong Lake. There’s one swimming area on the river right by Padong Elementary School and then further down by Daeja-Yeon Apartments.
Translated by Yelim Kim.
Proofed and edited by Craig White.
Just noticed that the following English (w/ Korean subtitles) movies are playing at Dongseong Art Hall, this week.
The results of the rainy season are helping make for a fine rafting season in Gyeongbuk province and the rest of Korea. Daegu Rafting will be holding regular rafting camps, an hour and a half north of the city in Bonghwa-gun. Bookings can be made by calling their Daegu office at 053-783-5565.
At a Lexus car dealership located in Jisan-dong, Daegu, they offer something other than just the standard display of cars. As I sit down on a chair, a receptionist takes my order. I choose one of the ten kinds of drinks and it is promptly served. This little cafe offers not only a place to relax with a drink, but also a service area that is comfortable enough for casual conversation. In contrast, the fifth floor of this building is a gallery. The gallery has a full-time curator and holds approximately 10 special exhibitions annually; many local artists visit here for other reasons than just cars.
The age where a car dealership is only to sell cars, is gone. Many foreign car dealerships now offer an atmosphere where it stimulates car owners’ tasteful lifestyles and displays a positive image of the company.
The Lexus store manager, Hwang Byung-geon, says that this change is brought about by the effort of the company to maximize word-of-mouth advertising and downplay the consideration of customers as simply being the source of a sale; by promoting various cultural and artistic events, it can convert customers’ old impressions of car dealerships and create a fun and amiable place to visit.
The store also holds concerts, caricature drawing artists, wine-tasting classes, make-up shows, and recently held a racing model contest.
The Audi dealership in Suseong-gu has two very different museums, in itself. The third floor displays over three thousands items that reach from East to West, and old to new. Human nature, animals, architecture, and many other interesting objects are exhibited; the Queen of England, American cartoon characters, Russian churches, and many unusual items can also be seen. The whole collection has been compiled by the store president, Kim Dae-gon, throughout the past 25 years of shopping at antique, accessory, souvenir, and street shops.
There is even a phonograph museum. It displays items that were even before Edison’s time and features seven thousands discs. It is famous for having a woodhorn speaker, which is one of only two in existance in South Korea. The speaker is famous for its pure and original sound. The museum area sometimes transforms into a concert hall, three or four times a year.
Hanyoung Art Center has become a place for both car shoppers and regular citizens. Kindergarten students visit here as a group and many average people visit when there is a concert. Hanyoung Motors department manager, Kim Sang-il, says “especially when there is a concert, many new and possible future customers show up and even present customers are glad to be invited.”
The Honda dealership offers a customer center with a female-only rest area where women can do personal needs, such as adding their make-up, a conference room that is open to the public, and a small golf putting area.
Source article from Maeil Ilbo. Translation by Lee Joon-yeob
Preview: World Bodypainting Festival 2008
Since 1998, Europe’s most colourful event has taken place in Seeboden, Austria.
The “World Bodypainting Festival” is the largest Art event in the Bodypainting theme and spreads the art form to thousands of interested visitors each year.
Now, the Festival is expanding with a vibrant and dedicated team in South Korea to host a second event.
The World Bodypainting Festival, with the Asian Awards will be held in the World Cup Stadium, in Daegu from August 25 - 31, 2008 for the first time. Much of what people know from the main event in Austria will be carried on in Daegu.
The Festival-Academy organizes workshops from August 25-28 at Daegu Health College, that are sponsored or presented by our partners. Only the best in their professions teach the classes. And because you never finish learning, the workshops offer possibilities not only for beginners, also for advanced artists to further their knowledge. Group arrangements for schools can be organized on request.
The Festival-Academy offers classes in the areas of bodypainting, airbrush bodypainting, facepainting, special effects, beauty make-up, uv effects as well as photography and more.
The evenings are full of socializing as well as a major highlight on Wednesday, August 27th, with the ‘BodyCircus’, a costumed fantasy ball in the new Novotel Hotel in downtown. Guests will be arriving in costumes ranging from bodypainting, body decoration and masks, to extreme make-up and fantasy fashion. International DJ’s, shows, costume prizes and entertainment will guarantee a magic night. The ‘BodyCircus’ promises to be an evening of magic, of pushing boundaries and of letting imagination run free.
The Bob Dylan biopic, ‘I’m Not There‘ is playing until July 10 at Dongseong Art Hall.
With a 3-4 year development plan and an expected finish date of 2012, the city plans to create a ‘Safari’ in southeast Daegu, near Daegu Grand Park. This effectively would become the 2nd largest zoo in Korea, after the big one in Daejeon (and if you exclude the one in Everland). The city would be merging its current half-assed one at Dalseong Park, with the new, bigger one. In addition to the 300+ animals being moved over, would be an additional 200+ new animals for the zoo, plus a mock safari ride running through a park of lions, tigers, giraffes, etc…, not unlike the safari ride at the zoo in Daejeon. With the big waterpark also being discussed for the same area, the Daegu Grand Park vicinity is really starting to become hot.
The famous classical music ensemble ‘Ditto’ is coming to Daegu on June 21 and will be playing at 7pm in the Grand Hall at the Daegu Cultural Center for Students. The group consists of a collection of some of the very best Korean-American classical musicians, who will be captivating audiences with the works of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. They play all over the world and their tour through these parts was a sell-out, last year, and is sure to be a big hit once again. Tickets go for 30-50,000 won. Tickets can be bought be calling: 대구학생문화센터 운영부 550-7117~8 or 티켓링크 1588-7890
Program
Mozart_ duos for violin and viola G major K.423
-Stefan Jackiw (Vn2) / Richard Yongjae O’Neill(Va)
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Rondeau, Allegro
Beethoven_ String Quartet No. 9 in C major, Op. 59, No. 3, “Rasumovsky”
-Johnny Lee (Vn1) / Stefan Jackiw (Vn2) / Richard Yongjae O’Neill(Va) / Patick Jee(VC)
I. Introduzione: Andante con moto - Allegro vivace
II. Andante con moto quasi allegretto
III. Menuetto: Grazioso
IV. Allegro molto
INTERVAL
Schubert_ Trout Quintet
-Dong-hyek , Lim (Pf) /Stefan Jackiw (Vn) / Richard Yongjae O’Neill(Va) / Patick Jee(VC) / Min-jae , Sung (CB)
I. Allegro vivace
II. Andante
III. Scherzo: Presto
IV. Thema With Variations: Andantino
V. Finale: Allegro giusto
The 2008 Muju Firefly Festival starts this weekend in picturesque Muju, a little over an hour west of Daegu. Should be a great weekend to see that part of country.
From June 13-15, there will be an English expo held at EXCO in Daegu. Over 70 kiosks set up from local hagwons, English villages, the local government will also be there to explain more information about Lee Myungbak’s new English Education policies. Also will be many booths showing off the latest multimedia and online sites for learning English, plus workshops run by foreign teachers. Local TV celebrities will be in attendance, such as Catherine Baillie from Misuda.
Regardless if you are a teacher or student, this expo will likely have something for everyone. And if you are a teacher, remember to bring your personalized business cards to hand out for networking/scooping privates.
