7th Heaven (Seogwipo)
Review by Rachel Brooks, ETA 2014-2016 City: Seogwipo Restaurant Name: 7th Heaven Foods Served: coffee, juices, sandwiches, breakfast foods Restaurant Address: 409 Taepyung-ro, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do 제주시 서귀포시 태평로 409 Directions: The cafe is not too far from the Dongmun and Jungang Rotary bus stops in Seogwipo. Cost: around 8,000 – 12,000 won for coffee and food While on our way to eat somewhere else one night, my friend and I tucked into this tiny establishment to avoid downpour from a thunderstorm and decided to try our luck here. Primarily a brunch spot for mid-morning customers, 7th Heaven serves an assortment of options food and drink options. We arrived around 7pm and well after the brunch menu had ended. With shattered hopes of brunch for dinner, we were pleasantly surprised when the kind woman behind the counter offered to make us grilled cheese paninis for 5,000 won. The panini, while not traditionally an option, was promptly added to the chalkboard menu at the end of our visit. The food did not disappoint and was the perfect meal to enjoy during the gloomy weather. I only wish there was a side of tomato soup. The toasty bread and blend of cheeses made for a great combination, but customers — especially those who are vegetarian — should note that the grilled cheese panini also came with a thinly sliced piece of ham inside. In addition to the kindness and flexibility of the staff, the homey decor and vibrant art for sale add to a warm atmosphere. I’ve only tried the hot white mocha (4,000 won), but they have your usual array of coffee choices. If you’re not in the mood for coffee, choose from their ade (5,000 won), smoothie (6,000 won), tea (4,000 won), and fruit juice (6,000won) options. Food includes pancakes (7,000 won), ciabatta (7,000 won), bagels (3,000 won), honey butter bread (6,500 won), cheesecake (4,500 won), and even homemade yogurt (4,000 won). If you find yourself hungry in Seogwipo, certainly stop by this hidden gem.
Selfie Contest Winner: Grace Lee
First-year ETA Grace Lee is the winner of our selfie contest! Grace took these selfies with her 6-year-old-cousin. We asked her a few questions: What was it like meeting your 6-year-old cousin the first two times? I didn’t even know I had a second cousin until I was visiting my uncle’s family on my dad’s side in Busan. It had been two years since my family was able to see my cousin and her family. So I was really happy to meet my second cousin for the first time! His name is 영이. He was shy at first but once I sat down to ask him questions about his Legos and what he had made, he let me play with him. He beat me at car racing! I wanted to take photos with him and didn’t realize he was making silly faces until a few photos afterwards so I played along. I really enjoyed meeting him and I won’t have a chance to meet him again before I leave Korea but I’ll definitely remember our first time meeting each other. What are five words you would use to describe your cousin Patient, silly, inquisitive, welcoming, and kind. I know sometimes little kids can be shy but he opened right up once he knew I wanted to play with him. We also read an English book together – “Wheels on the bus go round and round,” and it was interactive where he had a “Say Pen,” so when you pressed the pen onto the words on the book, it would narrate the story to you. He sat in my lap and we read and sang the words from the book together. What has been your most precious moment with your cousin? The most precious moment with him was having him sit in my lap reading an English book was really special to me. Also, just being able to be silly with him with the funny selfies was a lot of fun. He’s a natural behind the camera and I definitely see him being a jokester as he grows older. A poem by the Editor-in-Chief, inspired by these silly selfies: That first conversation: what should the warm-up question be? What’s this book about? Shall we sing together and read? As the magic “Say Pen” reads the words aloud you imagine the wheels on the bus go ‘round One day stacking Lego blocks again might remind you of this song you sang when you were young. You might wonder where the tune came from. Where will you be when the song pulls you back to these four pictures? A different selfie-style pose before each screen flicker As soon as you grow as tall as your laughter, don’t forget what these pictures have captured: that first afternoon in Busan meeting Grace, your cousin smiling after the toy car race you were happy to win.
Pieces of a Grant Year
Our own Infusion Staff Editor Monica Heilman allowed us to take a look at her grant year through her art and quite literally, allowed us to take a piece of her art home with us. At the ETA Final Dinner, Monica displayed 55 pieces, all done on cardboard cup holders. This is how she describes her work: “Pieces of a Grant Year” is a collection of moments I experienced in Korea, from the mundane (students sleeping during self-study time) to the touristy (Beomeosa Temple, Busan) to the seemly insignificant but actually very influential (squatty potties). Why use coffee cup warmers, also known as cup cozies, java jackets or paper zarfs? Just because? Actually, the materials came before the plan. Thanks to encouragement from our own Hillary Veitch and my frustrated art drive, I began collecting java jackets in January. It wasn’t until many months and paper zarfs later that I decided to draw, paint and paste memories of Korea onto these pieces of cardboard. The concept was broad enough for any number of cup cozies and finding a connection to the material wasn’t too much of stretch. Cardboard cup warmers are always wrapped snugly around your cafe drink-of-choice, but afterward they’re nothing but trash. Cup warmers are insignificant physical tokens, whereas the memories I wanted to capture were meaningful but intangible. Through “Pieces” I give form to these memories, but only in snippets, the same way one might experience memories. The final component of this piece is up to you. The memories here are meant to be applicable to the general ETA experience. Our memories of Korea will eventually grow faint, but I’d like to think you could slip a zarf into your jacket pocket, fly back to America, and later look back on that piece of cardboard with some degree of fondness. So what I’m saying is, if any of these catches your eye, take one because my jacket pockets aren’t big enough for them all. To see more of Monica’s art, visit her website: https://monicaheilman.com/ [slideshow_deploy id=’5054′]