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September 8th 2004: Issue 16
If you haven't seen the posters around town (or read my past few issues) and didn't know already, Tae-Guk-Gi was released last Friday. It didn't do such hot box office numbers, raking in a little over $360,000 from its initial weekend release. Not a great first weekend for the top-grossing film of all time in Korea. I had the opportunity to attend a press screening the other week in turn wrote a review of the film. I would definitely recommend the film. Even though it takes place in the 1950s, it is even still relevant to Koreans today—it is a peek into a dark period of Korea's history as much as it is an intense war-flick. Other upcoming screenings include South Korea's Woman is the Future of Man screening at the upcoming New York Film Festival, one of the most anticipated film festivals of the year. Also screening is Zhang Yimou's (director of Hero) critically-acclaimed House of Flying Daggers.
This Friday is also the birthday party of my good buddy Charlie (whom I host events with), maybe more affectionately referred by many of you as Gohmdoree. Come join us this Friday and have a drink with the Gohm.
For those of you who are registered, don't forget to vote this coming Tuesday in the Primaries. You should have received a card in the mail that indicates your voting site. For those of you who are not, what are you waiting for?! There is still time, and it will only take you a few minutes—the Asian Pacific American Bar Association and the Asian Professional Exchange have both joined efforts to help set up a website to facilitate this. Their link is below. Register and make your voice heard!
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TASTING
Pairing Chinese Cuisine With Wine: A Special Wine Tasting and Chinese Banquet
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Asian Women In Business
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Wednesday, September 8th, 6:00 - 9:00pm
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$45
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Tai Hong Lau Restaurant
70 Mott Street
New York City
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www.awib.org | info@awib.org | 212) 868-1368
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Most of us enjoy having wine with our meals but when it comes to Chinese food, the pairing is often times an enigma. Chinese dishes have a combination of sweet, sour, salty and spicy and at a banquet, you can dine on fish, beef, seafood and pork at the same meal, making the task of matching wine even more complicated. Join us for an unforgettable evening where we will feast on a Chinese banquet while sipping the perfect complementary wine. David Rosengarten, food writer, cookbook author, cooking teacher, wine writer, travel writer and TV journalist will show us how to make the right pairing to bring the best out of wine and food. This event is co-sponsored by Asian Women In Business and the New York City Chapter of Women for WineSense. Fee includes a 9 course Chinese banquet and a selection of wines.
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EXHIBITION
Beyond Koreatown: New Visions of 32nd Street in Manhattan
Turning to Manhattan's Koreatown on 32nd Street, we can feel something very different from the previous blocks we have just been through; signs in a different language, different smells, different foods, different goods, and different people. In a historical sense, we cannot conjecture exactly when this different area was founded, but we find an already big community in the area which emanates difference, extending the meaning into the surroundings.
From the street, what do you see: detachment from the surrounding contexts, transformation of an original culture, or a harmony of two different cultures?
It is a very attractive phenomenon, the forming of a specific cultural area in another nation based on race and language. The fact that a new cultural area, which approaches not only the people in the culture but also people from other cultures, extends its inquiries into architectural or urban planning connotes more than just an interesting happening.
Even though starting a Korean community might be an inevitable choice for survival for Korean immigrants, the pressing issue of survival in a foreign country evolved into a pursuit of higher living quality. The enlargement and ascension of cultural contents in the area seems to surpass the spatial and physical limit of accommodations.
Here, seven prominent young Korean architects suggest new schemes and visions reinterpreting problems and overcoming the limit for the next era of Manhattan's Koreatown.
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RECEPTION
NYU Community Of Color Reception
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NYU APA Studies
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Thursday, September 9th, 5:00 - 7:00pm
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Offices Of A/P/A Studies, Africana Studies And The Institue Of African-American Affairs
269 Mercer Street, 6th Floor
New York City
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www.apa.nyu.edu
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In celebration of a new academic year, A/P/A Studies welcomes all faculty, staff, students and alumni of color to this annual reception to discuss, identify and share resources within our diverse communities. This is an excellent opportunity to connect outside of the usual settings, to share research ideas and to learn about upcoming programs, including critical discussions about race and immigration. Co-sponsored by: the NYU Office for African American, Latino and Asian American Student Services (OASIS), Latino Studies, Africana Studies and the Institute of African-American Affairs. Free and open to the NYU community
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CONCERT
LiNK Benefit Concert
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LiNK (Liberation in North Korea)
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Saturday September 11th
5:30pm Doors Open
7:00pm Concert Begins
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George Street Playhouse
New Brunswick, New Jersey
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$10 Online
$15 At the Door
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www.linkglobal.org | www.georgestplayhouse.org
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The LiNK Benefit Concert is being held to raise funds and awareness about the situation in North Korea in a way that appeals to the next generation of leaders. It will showcase professional performances by talented youth in the community, a testimony by a North Korean defector and screen a documentary showing footage of life and escape from North Korea. There will also host a North Korea photo exhibit and information booths in the theatre's reception room. Food, beverages, t-shirts and tank tops will be sold.
What is LiNK?
LiNK (Liberation in North Korea) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit created to serve as a 'link' among various credible organizations and individuals focused on issues of Human Rights in North Korea. It is a grassroots, non-partisan, non-ethnic-based network dedicated to giving a voice for the people of North Korea and educating communities about the Human Rights violations in North Korea.
Created in March of 2004 by young Korean-American students, LiNK experienced exponential growth of over 60 chapters in 4 nations in only a few months. This growth, indicative of an existing, though untapped and un-channeled passion for the cause, led to the organizing of lectures, screenings, rallies and discussions for the sake of distributing the truth about the gross human rights violations in North Korea.
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CONCERT
Milal House Annual Benefit Concert
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y-KAN
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Sunday, September 12th, 6:00pm
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Korean Church of Queens
89-00 23rd Avenue
Jackson Heights
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jayne@ykan.org
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The 2004 Milal House Annual Benefit Concert will be held this Saturday, September 12th at 6:00pm. Proceeds of the concert will benefit the permanent home of the physically and/or mentally challenged Korean Americans. Musical guests include a piano performance by Ms. Hee Ya Lee, who amazed the world by playing the piano with only four fingers, a vocal performance by Mr. Jung Jin Lee, who overcame cerebral palsy, story telling by Ms. Sae Hwa Kim, and body worship by Pastor Sun Geun Kim. Admission for adults is $20 and students are $10. Please visit www.ykan.org/membership/donation.html for tickets/donations and indicate your contact information in the Notes section if you would like to attend the concert.
The Mil-Al House in New York was established in 1993, as a branch of the greater Mil-Al Missions in Korea (founded in 1979). Mil-Al Missions is a non-profit faith-based social service agency that serves mentally handicapped Korean Americans and their families in the New York Metropolitan area. Since 1998, the organization has been running a group home where underprivileged individuals with severe cerebral palsy and autistic disorder live and get assistance. In addition, the organization also offers after-school programs for mentally handicapped youth, sign language services, and medical services.
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CONVENTION
Korean American Coalition 2nd Annual National Convention
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Korean American Coalition
Washington, D.C. Area Chapter
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Thursday, September 23rd - Sunday, September 26th
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Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill
400 New Jersey Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20001
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www.kacdc.org | 202) 296-6401
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Korean American Coalition Washington, DC Area Chapter is proud and honored to host the 2nd Annual National Convention, to be held at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, from September 23rd ?26th. This is an amazing opportunity for all to reflect on the past 100 years of Korean American immigration to the greatest nation in the world so that we can envision and prepare for the next 100 years of the limitless opportunities that await Korean Americans. Reservations must be made on or before September 1st for the convention discount rates.
Luncheon with Ambassador Sung Joo Han ?Friday September 24th, 12:00pm
Ambassador Han Sung Joo began his representation of the Republic of Korea to the United States in April 2003. Additionally, in the early nineties, he also served as Korea’s Foreign Minister. Ambassador Han will be addressing the status of and issues relating to U.S. ?Korea Relations.
Cruise Aboard the Spirit of Washington ?Friday, September 24th, 6:30pm
Anheuser-Busch, Inc. will play host to an elegant dinner cruise along the Potomac aboard the Spirit of Washington. The evening will be capped by a karaoke contest with many prizes.
Luncheon with U.S. Olympic Gold Medallist, Dr. Sammy Lee ?Saturday, Sept. 25th, 12:00pm
Dr. Sammy Lee is the first Korean American diver to win the gold medal in platform diving at the Olympic Games in 1948 and 1952. Dr. Lee retired from competitive diving in 1953, but he remained involved with the sport while pursuing a career as a doctor. Dr. Lee will be speaking about his experiences as well as his vision for the future.
KAC Gala Banquet Dinner ?Saturday, September 25th, 6:30pm
KAC-DC will be hosting the 5th Annual Awards Gala as the pinnacle event of the Convention. The Annual Awards Gala honors the contributions of many who work tirelessly for the advancement and representation of the Korean American community. As in the past, the categories for awards will be Business Leadership, Corporate Leadership, Bridge-Builder, and Community Service.
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SCREENING
Woman Is the Future of Man (88 min, South Korea/France, 2004)
This year the 42nd Annual New York Film Festival, probably the biggest film festival in New York, has one entry from South Korea by Hong Sang-soo (who also made Turning Gate). Starting Sunday, September 12th at noon, tickets will be on sale at the Alice Tully Hall Box Office Broadway at 65th Street. Note: This film festival has assigned-seating.
The first snows have fallen on Seoul. Heon-jun, a filmmaker recently returned from the U.S., looks up an old college friend, Mun-ho, now a respected university professor. As they sit in a Chinese restaurant the conversation moves from their work to their personal lives and finally to their loves - or at least to their memories of love, especially those concerning Seon-hwa, a painter and former lover of both men. Hearing she now runs a bar, they decide to pay her a visit - but could the woman they find ever really be the woman they remember? Top French producer Marin Karmitz - acclaimed for his work with Chabrol, Kieslowski, Kiarostami, and many others - was so impressed by Hong Sang-soo's Turning Gate (NYFF 2002) that he offered to produce this film. Aided by a trio of superb actors, Hong captures every nuance in the shifting emotional and erotic relations among his characters. His still young, still attractive protagonists are haunted by the fear that the best of times may be behind them.
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ONGOING
Yellowworld.Org To Launch Online Voter Registration Campaign
With just over 60 days left until Election Day 2004, Asian American community portal Yellowworld.org has joined the Asian Pacific American Bar Association (APABA) and the Asian Professional Exchange (APEX) to launch a last minute effort to increase their community¡¯s traditionally low voter participation rates. The campaign, Are You Registered? www.yellowworld.org, will use common internet messaging and branding tools almost exclusively to try to penetrate pockets of Asian Americans online users still unregistered: although nearly 5.4 million are eligible to vote, only 2.5 million are registered.
According to a recent study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, fully 70% of Asian Americans across the country are online on a typical day; comparatively, 58% of white Internet users go online on a typical day,
along with 48% of Hispanics and 39% of African-Americans. If you or your organization would like to join this web campaign, please email info@areyouregistration.com or call 213) 949-5509.
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CASTING CALL
Asian American Political Opinions
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Asian CineVision and WooArt International
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Friday, September 10th and Saturday September 11th
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212) 989-7870
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Asian CineVision in collaboration with WooArt International is looking for real Asian Americans who can articulate their political opinions on camera for a Get Out The Vote PSA to be broadcast on national cable television. Issues include: War in Iraq, foreign policy, economy, health care, job outsourcing, gay marriage, separation of church and state, and more. Candidates should be 15 - 30 years old, men/women, any Asian ethnic background, and any political party affiliation. Small pay. Must be available in New York City, September 17th - 19th. Please call 212-989-7870 by Thursday 6:00pm to schedule an audition.
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LANGUAGE LESSONS
Korean Language Center of New York Course Offerings
KLC the first organization which is entirely dedicated for second generation Korean-American, Americans and others who wish to learn the Korean language and culture and be able to use it in their life as well as their professional careers. The are approximately 1,000 Korean language schools in the United States, most of which focus primarily on children, KLC was founded to teach skills suitable for adults and practical for the professional environment. KLC teaches the communication skills that can be used on a day to day basis. KLC supports and has accommodated many professionals in financing, law, medicine and business in support of expanding and enhancing their careers.
The staff at KLC has outstanding academic credentials and extensive professional experience. These professors have taught Korean for many years to foreign professionals stationed in Korea at the world renowned Korean Language Institute at Yonsei University. Within the United States, they have had more than 15 years of experience teaching Korean at many reputable schools, including Columbia and New York University.
KLC will use its unique modern teaching method to emphasize conversational skills, listening, reading and writing. An introduction to Korean culture and tradition will be incorporated in the curriculum in order to provide students with a well rounded Korean education as well as a greater understanding of the language. KLC offers programs that are suitable for students at every level ranging from basic introductory for beginners to the more intensive courses in language proficiency for advanced. Courses include: Elementary, Intermediate, AND Advanced Korean. Saturday and intensive summer programs are also available.
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