Jifoo Sandwich, I actually went back the next day to eat it again... hehe

At first I was attracted by the architecture, the cubic concrete structure and glass windows. When you step inside, you are greeted by a tiny deli-style counter for ordering and a bakery corner. Once upstairs, it is more chic with European monarchs’ portraits on the walls and classical music. During the warmer months, there is a nice outdoor space in the back to relax in the shade. I like the minimalist aesthetic, which reminds me of restaurants I liked back in Geneva and it’s perfect when I need my western food fix.

From the decor to the food, I really like going there with some friends for lunch. It is a bit on the pricier side, around 18,000~15,000 won for a nice meal, but it’s full of high quality ingredients and tummy satisfaction! My favorites are the Rucola pizza and the Jifoo sandwich, filled with delicious mushrooms… The ciabata bread is really good, the veggies plentiful, and the filling savory. The bread and croissants at the entrance are pretty yummy too.

Mama mia~ Fungi e Salami Pizza!

Vegan note: if you get a salad or a vegetarian sandwich ask them not to add cream cheese.

Lord Sandwich
Tel: 02 363 4554
120-160 Seoul, Seodaemun-gu, Daeshin-dong. map
Right next to the Korean Language Institute at Yonsei University and behind the Ewha University campus. Get there before 1pm to avoid the lunch rush of students and professors.

No, I’m not a French designer either. I’m from nowhere. I’m a European, old European is all I am.
Karl Lagerfeld

Famous as the designer of Chanel since 1983, Karl Lagerfeld also forays into publication, film-making, architecture and photography. There is a huge cult behind the persona he has crafted for himself since the 80′s. The  white hair, black frames and skinny tie are instantly recognizable. His silhouette itself has become a trademark, selling  bags and t-shirts all over the world. He is incredibly knowledgeable and very opinionated about art and culture, but sounds like an alien most of the time. I love his sarcasm and how out-worldly he always is, with fashionistas around the world eating-up his quotes for breakfast.

However a lot of people are unfamiliar with his photography and the Daelim exposition was  great to get into this perfectionist’s work. Of course he does a lot of fashion shots, for magazines and all the Chanel campaigns, but also shoots portraits, landscapes and abstract compositions. His pictures are both precise and dreamy integrating art and design in his work.

Some of the pictures I liked the most were the male nudes of Baptiste Giabiconi. It is rare to see male nudes shot with so much sensuality and beauty, reminding me of the Ancient Greek ideals of athletes and perfect bodies. In other series I loved how he created ethereal atmospheres, as in inhabited by mysterious beauties of the past with a 1920′s vibe of flapping dresses and Charleston.

He has a special instinct for creating an atmosphere, from the clothes to the expression of his models, which I particularly enjoyed in his retro-futuristic compositions and Roy Lichtenstein style portraits of  Ziyi Zhang.

The Daelim exhibition also has a fun little Chanel photo-booth, the “Cocomaton”. For 5,000 won visitors can take their own souvenir shots just like in the Chanel ads. Films and clips of Karl Lagerfeld are also being projected. The museum is located close to Insadong, perfect for a cultural afternoon followed by a nice cup of tea or makkoli…

At the Daelim Museum
Karl Lagerfeld – Work in Progress
Until March 18th, 2012

Chinese actress Ziyi Zhang

Baptiste Giabiconi

Dancing Yoko Ono

The Daelim crowd enjoying the Cocomaton

In the Seoul metro, Apgujeong station one of many dozens in that station

When commuting in Seoul you are constantly reminded how having a good face 얼짱 is a major concern in Korea. Plastic surgery ads are plastered all over the subway with incredible before & after pictures, telling us there is a price to achieve perfection. Korean women don’t think twice: in 2009 one of every five women in Seoul between the ages of 19 and 49 said they had undergone plastic surgery at least once (Trend Monitor).

I always end-up staring at these pictures, looking for little clues in the skin or the shape of the face to check if really it is the same person before & after surgery. Because I often wonder if their own mother would recognize them. These total face make-over are pretty scary and the concept is in total opposition of the beauty values I heard while growing up.

“Love yourself for who you are”, “don’t be artificial”, “little imperfections make you unique”… These are probably things the average Korean kid never hears while growing up. Recently, I was shocked to hear one of my Korean language teachers say that her 10 year old daughter isn’t pretty. And after seeing her picture, I can vouch that she looks as cute as any other 10 year old!

As I already explained on this blog here the Korean obsession for beauty is the result of different tensions on society. First of all, the Confucian heritage translates into a culture that values oneness and homogeneity of the group. With it, comes the importance of keeping face which can be found all across Asia, encouraging conformism in countries such as Japan, China and Korea.

Secondly, the high number of college graduates who do not find employment creates tremendous pressure on Korean society. Also intertwined with the fear of losing face and bringing shame, getting a job in one of chaebol 재벌 companies (Korean conglomerates: Samsung, LG…) is the dream of thousands since middle school. The societal and individual pressures are such that it has become the #1 cause of suicide among young adults (as already discussed here). One of my Korean friends felt so ashamed to be unemployed, she basically became an hermit for a year, too embarrassed to be seen outside enjoying herself with friends when she was jobless. Ironically, now that she has a job, the long hours and over time keep her away from her friends too…

Thirdly, the image of women in Korean society is pulled in many directions by a multitude of contradictions. In 60 years, Korea has made a huge leap in its development to become a modern economy, however cultural values and mentalities take a lot longer to change and women are still at the bottom of the pyramid. Looking back at Joseon dynasty (beginning of a patriarchal Confucian era in Korea), women were subordinates to men with no freedom, literally forbidden outside of the home This era is often considered the dark age for women’s culture and Korean women in general.

Thankfully, contemporary Korea is more evolved, yet many of the issues regarding women and their emancipation can be traced back to Joseon times. Even today, openly criticizing women for their looks, telling them how to behave and live is quite acceptable. I remember this New Yorker in Seoul article, where a saleslady simply told her she was too fat 뚱뚱 for the clothes in that store.

Young or old, all can get a new face!

Getting double eyelids or a slender nose are so last decade! Now all the rage is in getting a smaller face. Even Korean celebrities are getting the procedure done, to the disbelief of fans who see them reappear a few weeks post-surgery looking like a totally different person. “It could be easily assumed that 99 percent of South Korean celebrities got stuff done on their faces,” said to Dr. Park Sang- hoon, head of Seoul’s ID Hospital, which specializes in double-jaw surgery (Xinhuanet.com).

Along with the Hallyu wave in Asia, more and more fans, fixated by the beauty standards of Korean celebrities, are flying to Seoul for plastic surgery (see the short BBC report below). Medical tourism is all the hype in Gangnam and Apgujeong, both business and private clinic hubs and the most expensive areas in Korea. A lot of customers don’t think twice about spending 10 thousand dollars on a new face assured that it the returns are worth it. However, not all are happy with the results.

Leaving aside the possible psychological trauma of looking like someone else (or all looking the same…), a major issue is that plastic surgery in Korea is still widely unregulated. In the past decade the number of plastic surgeons in Korea has almost doubled to 1,500. Then how can 4,000 clinics offer cosmetic surgery? Well that’s easy… Psychiatrists or dentists can perform surgeries they have no qualifications to be performing because Korean law authorizes doctors to switch to this money making field.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6jeAsmlpMjg

According to the Korea Consumer Agency, the number of malpractice suites has increased from 1,901 cases in 2006 to 2,984 in 2010. Keeping in mind that double-jaw surgery is extremely invasive and that being put-under general anesthesia there are always unfortunate cases that don’t make it. In some cases the the consequences of a bad plastic suregery can be devastating. Last year a woman hanged herself “Every waking minute is hell,” she wrote in her diary of the pain following a bad double-jaw surgery (New York Times).

I have nothing against plastic surgery, on the contrary I find it fascinating and if it can make people feel good then all the better. However extremes are never healthy and altering one’s appearance to satisfy others can’t bring happiness. But according to Whang Sang-min, a psychologist at Yonsei University “in recent decades, cosmetic surgery has become a weapon in Koreans’ efforts to impress others, like buying an expensive handbag”.

The selection of films was really interesting, each so different and bringing so much to the viewer in such a short time. My favorite was definitely LUMINARIS, directed by Juan Pablo Zaramella (Argentina, 2011). Using stop motion and pixilation techniques he created a fictional world where “sunlight as a magnetic force” pulls people from their home to their job. The hero is an average Joe making light-bulbs by chewing on glass beads. But he has a big dream of freedom and an urge to see the world… I already am a big fan of stop motion and this film was perfect with its romantic story and beautiful images echoing art-deco. Winner of the Audience and Fipresci Award at Annecy 2011 International Animation Festival. A must watch!

If the director of THE EXTERNAL WORLD (Germany/Ireland, 2010), David O’Reilly, was not on acid when he created this lo-fi animation, then he must be pretty whacked! None the less, this was an amazing film, where the rules of logic and cohesion have no ground and the cutest characters are also the most corrupt. It was cynical and smart, made the audience both laugh and shiver all at once. Winner of Best Animation – Tampere Film Festival.

Going darker, DEEPER THAN YESTERDAY (Australia, 2010), directed by Ariel Kleiman, took us aboard a submarine with a Russian crew on the verge of turning into animals. Right away, the promiscuity and tight space in the ship makes the viewer feel claustrophobic and uneasy. Yet, there is hope in one crew-member who by protecting the corpse of a woman also somehow saves his shipmates from their own madness. Winner of International Short Filmmaking Award at Sundance.

The Program:
INCIDENT BY A BANK- Dir: Ruben Östlund / Sweden / 2009 / 12 min.
DEEPER THAN YESTERDAY – Dir: Ariel Kleiman / Australia / 2010 / 20 min.
THE EXTERNAL WORLD – Dir: David O’Reilly / Germany, Ireland / 2010 / 17 min.
LUMINARIS – Dir: Juan Pablo Zaramella / Argentina / 2011 / 6 min.
THE EAGLEMAN STAG – Dir: Michael Please / UK / 2010 / 9 min.
GOD OF LOVE – Dir: Luke Matheny / US / 2010 / 19 min.

The crowd at Platoon Kunsthalle is always great for people watching. Last night had the usual suspects of hipsters, artists and pop-culture enthusiasts. Next Saturday is the monthly Night Flea Market, don’t forget to check it out if you are in town! It’s the perfect opportunity to mingle with the hip crowd, get some vintage accessories and check-out some special craft-work.

Future Shorts
Platoon Kunsthalle

The diversity in both the beverages and the decor is quite amazing. Compared to Western countries there is so much more creativity, attention to detail and presentation. Themed coffee shops are popular, with cat cafes or character cafes (Charlie Brown, Hello Kitty…) and cute is big thing here.

Great coffee and cake at Charlie Brown themed cafe

Indie coffee shops have a devoted following with fans of hand dripped coffee and stylized environments. A few years ago, one of the most popular Korean dramas to date, The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince, further sparked the interest for coffee making and the art of the Barista among Koreans of all ages.

Koreans like to spend a lot of time in coffee shops for meeting friends and studying. Part of it is explained by the fact that most people live with their parents until they get married and later on with their in-laws. Seoul is also a vast capital and it is common to spend an hour or two each day in transportation, so workers really want a nice coffee break.

It's all in the details...

Partially for these reasons, Seoulites spend hours at cafes. Some people say it explains why coffee is so expensive in Korea (on average $4~$7) as you end up paying for real-estate or the number of hours you will sit there. Note that in Korea coffee is still considered a chic beverage and consumers don’t hesitate to pay a premium for hand-dripped coffee or Starbucks, whose highest prices are found in the Korean market.

A great neighbourhood to explore the coffee scene is Hongdae. Just get lost in the smaller streets and you will find the prettiest cafes, serving the most delicious cups of Joe!

Coffee and design fans are happy in Seoul

Eat and drink cute~

Indie cafe in Hongdae

Hidden among the trees are several exercise areas, Korean style picnic tables and even a natural spring. Koreans are really fond of hiking, especially ajummas and ajhussis (middle aged Koreans) who sport colorful hiking gear and walk-up with their friends.

Starting from Yonsei University’s East gate, I went up Mount Ansan on a Sunday afternoon. The Fall sky was beautiful and the air really clean. There were groups of old ladies gossiping and sharing laughs, grandfathers with their grand-kids playing together, while at the top of the mountain a man with an icebox was selling ice-cream right next to the Ansan Beacon Mound.

From beacon you can see all the way to Mounts Bukhansan and Inwangsan, the Haegjusanseong Fortress and the Hangang River. For some culture you can walk down to the Seodaemun Museum of Natural History and then head to the neighborhood market across the street for some snack.

Widely admired, Korean students excel at mathematics, achieve among the highest test scores around the world and get top acceptation rates into Ivy League universities in the United States (The New York Times). However success has a price, Korean children live under the pressure of the big University Entrance Exam, Suneung Shihom 수능시험 a huge country wide event once a year. Many students start preparing for Suneung since middle school.

Having no time for childhood, Korean students spend about 16 hours each day memorizing lessons and studying at Hagwons 학원 (private academies). It has reached a point where the Korean government had to take action by imposing a 10pm curfew on after-school programs to ensure a healthy lifestyle for children.

A recent survey revealed that Korean kids are among the unhappiest in the developed world, which is easily explained by the repetitive learning format. It is also alarming that the current educational system produces adults who lack creativity and entrepreneurial skills (The Wall Street Journal).

Korean student hard at work (Source: The New York Times)

Combined with the impact of hierarchy in Korea, it creates companies with bureaucratic organizational structures. As proved by the impressive economic development of the country it is an efficient design. Yet it has its limit, the lack of initiative from employees creates a huge loss of talent and a disadvantage against the competition especially in the IT and service industries.

With 80% of high-school graduates attending university, there is a strong bias for college education. It is fuelled by the “perception — driven by educators, families, politicians and media — that success and stability can be achieved only by going to college and getting a job in a large conglomerate or the government.” (The Wall Street Journal)

Photoshop makes you look perfect on your C.V.

The Korean economy knows a 3.3% unemployment rate for the general population and 7.5% for the 15-29 years old (August 2011, Arirang). Being top of the class is not enough to ensure a good position after graduation and a lot of students feel discouraged as they don’t understand what the point of trying so hard anymore is.

The competition to enter a Chaebol (Korean conglomerates like Samsung or Hyundai) is cutthroat and inflation is on everyone’s mind. Perpetuating the Korean obsession for beauty, it is common practice to Photoshop your picture on your resume to look like the Korean ideal of a small face with big eyes. As the next logical step, many turn to plastic surgery to increase their chances at job interviews.

“The pressure to find gainful employment is one of the main causes of suicide among those in their 20s” (The Chosunilbo). Unfortunately, suicide is also the highest cause of death for Korean in their 20′s. As a result, Korea has the highest rate of suicides in the developed world, topping all 34 countries member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

On a brighter note, the Korean Government is conscious of the issue and has launched a 5 year plan to resolve the increasing suicide rate through prevention and taking action against those publicizing suicide methods. At a conference held recently by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, experts stated that “suicide is not just a matter for individuals but a social problem that the society should tackle together” (The Korea Times).

In such a conformist society it will probably take decades before the system changes. Interestingly enough it is not always Koreans who seem the most worried about their mental health but foreigners. I just came across Kelley Katzenmeyer, an award winning filmmaker from the United States who is just 19 years-old. Her next project, A Documentary on Korean High School, is aiming at shaking-up the Korean mentality and creating a positive society for Korean youth. Watch the documentary preview above and you too go to KoreanHighSchool.com to help finance the film!

The site has many beautiful buildings, each decorated with sculptures, paintings and golden Buddhas. Hidden up on on the hill-side of the Anh mountain, part of Yonsei’s campus, the temple has an aura of peace and calm away from the the city raucous. Bongwonsa was founded in 889 as part of the Korean Buddhist order of Taego.

The perfect place to meditate and take your time while visiting Seoul!