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′]
Cafe Sunbike (Jeju-si)
Review by Rachel Brooks, ETA 2014-2016 City: Jeju-si Restaurant Name: Cafe Sunbike (카페 썬바이크) Foods Served: coffee, smoothies, sandwiches, burritos, and more Restaurant Address: 제주특별자치도 제주시 연북로 527 1층 Cafe Sunbike Directions: A short walk from Jungang Girls’ High School, the cafe is catty-corner from the CGV movie theater. Cost: around 5,000 – 12,000 won for a beverage and food item After hearing positive things about Cafe Sunbike from word-of-mouth, I had been itching to visit and finally went with a friend last semester. A cafe that doubles as a bike shop, Cafe Sunbike quickly became one of my favorite coffee shops. The menu boasts an impressive selection of beverages and food items, and you can check out bicycle parts while you wait for your order. With a sporty, youthful vibe, Cafe Sunbike’s beverages are surprisingly affordable considering you get to keep the water bottle that contains certain beverages, including the smoothies, frappes, and smoothies. For a mere 500 won extra, you can upgrade other beverages, like the coffee selection, to include the water bottle keepsake. The establishment has your typical coffee and tea choices as well as ades, pongdang lattes, smoothies, and frappes. Quench your thirst with a blue lemonade, apple mango, green grape, or grapefruit ade for 5,000 won, and strawberry, mango, and blueberry smoothies are available for 5,500 won each. For 6,000 won, choose from strawberry, blueberry, or mango pongdang lattes, which combine fruit, ice, and milk. My friend’s strawberry smoothie was milk-based, so the taste was delightfully creamy and reminiscent of strawberry milk in slushie form. Frappes cost between 5,500 to 5,800 won, and the flavor options are chocolate, green tea, cookies and cream, and vanilla. I was pleasantly surprised by rich, tiny chocolate chunks in my chocolate frappe. Both my friend and I were impressed with the high quality tastes and textures. If your sweet tooth is especially large, the massive strawberry or chocolate banana “triple tower” beverages feature a mix of yogurt smoothie, fruit, and lots of chocolate. Food options range from sweet to savory. Depending on your mood, you can top your honey bread with caramel, blueberry, strawberry, or garlic flavors. After much deliberation, my friend and I ordered the blueberry honey bread to share and were ecstatic when it arrived with generous helpings of whipped cream and blueberry topping. Other food includes bulgogi, ham and egg, or maple ciabatta as well as sausage, chicken, or bulgogi burritos for between 4,000 and 5,000 won. A short walk from a Megabox theater, the cafe is spacious and clean. It employs a friendly staff, and an English translation of everything on the menu is readily available. While my friend and I visit in the evenings after school, Cafe Sunbike opens at 8am, so it’s the perfect place to stop by for anything from a boost of caffeine in the morning to a sweet treat after work.
Fall in Coffee (Gimhae)
Review by Janine Perri, ETA ’15-’16 City: Gimhae Restaurant Name: Fall in Coffee Foods Served: Coffee, wine, dessert Restaurant Address: 463-6 Daeseong-dong, Gimhae-si, Gyeongsangnam-do View Map Directions: From Gimhae National Museum subway station, take the exit closest to the bridge. Walk toward the Gimhae Tourist Information Center, which will be on your left. The café is across the street. Cost: 5000-6000 won Fall in Coffee is a coffee shop and roasting house located across the street from the Gimhae Tourist Information Center and the Gimhae National Museum. The café has a large selection of different coffees, espressos, wine, and iced beverages. This café features coffee beans from many Asian and Latin American countries. The coffee can be a little expensive, with most cups costing at least 5000 won. Fall in Coffee also has a dessert selection that includes cakes and cookies. The staff does not speak English, but they are quick to provide a menu and take your order. This two-story building has indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating overlooks the parking lot, but the indoor seating is inviting and cozy. The interior has comfortable chairs and lovely wooden tables. If you are doing some sightseeing in the area or you would like to spend some time chatting with friends or working on your laptop, I highly recommend this cafe.