Matador Network's Blog, page 2291
March 15, 2014
You might be a 20th century slaver
I KNOW THAT slavery exists in this world — perhaps not in the same way that impacted American history, but still an unacceptable option in today’s global economy. But I never thought the things I buy, and the lifestyle I lead, contributed to this abuse of human rights. Most of us are none the wiser, and it doesn’t mean we’re bad people; but with more awareness, we can make better choices, and possibly impact the industries that take advantage of those who provide us with the luxuries we take for granted.
Check out this interactive, informative quiz produced by Made in a Free World, and see how many ‘slaves’ it takes to maintain your lifestyle. 
The post You might be a 20th century slave owner — take this quiz to find out appeared first on Matador Network.
Craziest airport announcement ever?
WE’VE ALL HEARD THE ANNOUNCEMENT at the airport: “Attention all passengers, do not leave your luggage unattended…” It’s easy to tune out, but it seems no matter what country you’re in, the announcement is always made by a woman with a soothing, calm voice.
Well, almost always…
As comedian Trevor Noah points out, they do things a little different in South Africa. And the result is friggin’ hilarious.
The post South Africa has the craziest airport announcements ever [vid] appeared first on Matador Network.
March 14, 2014
Never date a girl who travels
Photo: Noukka Signe
SHE’S THE ONE WITH the messy unkempt hair colored by the sun. Her skin is now far from fair like it once was. Not even sun kissed. It’s burnt with multiple tan lines, wounds, and bites here and there. But for every flaw on her skin, she has an interesting story to tell.
Don’t date a girl who travels. She is hard to please. The usual dinner-movie date at the mall will suck the life out of her. Her soul craves new experiences and adventures. She will be unimpressed with your new car and your expensive watch. She would rather climb a rock or jump out of an airplane than hear you brag about it.
Don’t date a girl who travels because she will bug you to book a flight every time there’s an airline seat sale. She won’t party at Republiq. And she will never pay over $100 for Avicii because she knows that one weekend of clubbing is equivalent to one week somewhere far more exciting.
Chances are, she can’t hold a steady job. Or she’s probably daydreaming about quitting. She doesn’t want to keep working her ass off for someone else’s dream. She has her own and is working towards it. She is a freelancer. She makes money from designing, writing, photography, or something that requires creativity and imagination. Don’t waste her time complaining about your boring job.
Don’t date a girl who travels. She might have wasted her college degree and switched careers entirely. She is now a dive instructor or a yoga teacher. She’s not sure when the next paycheck is coming. But she doesn’t work like a robot all day, she goes out and takes what life has to offer and challenges you to do the same.
Don’t date a girl who travels, for she has chosen a life of uncertainty. She doesn’t have a plan or a permanent address. She goes with the flow and follows her heart. She dances to the beat of her own drum. She doesn’t wear a watch. Her days are ruled by the sun and the moon. When the waves are calling, life stops and she will be oblivious to everything else for a moment. But she has learned that the most important thing in life isn’t surfing.
Don’t date a girl who travels, as she tends to speak her mind. She will never try to impress your parents or friends. She knows respect, but isn’t afraid to hold a debate about global issues or social responsibility.
She will never need you. She knows how to pitch a tent and screw her own fins without your help. She cooks well and doesn’t need you to pay for her meals. She is too independent and won’t care whether you travel with her or not. She will forget to check in with you when she arrives at her destination. She’s busy living in the present. She talks to strangers. She will meet many interesting, like-minded people from around the world who share her passion and dreams. She will be bored with you.
So never date a girl who travels unless you can keep up with her. And if you unintentionally fall in love with one, don’t you dare keep her. Let her go.
This post was originally published at Love the Search and is reprinted here with permission.
The post Why you should never date a girl who travels appeared first on Matador Network.
Celebrate Pi Day with Pizza Brain
I FIRST MET Joe Hunter when he worked at D’Allesandro’s pizza shop in Charleston, South Carolina. When I heard he had moved to Philadelphia to help open a pizza shop, I was sold — Joe’s pizzas are the bomb, and Philly is my favorite city in America. Pizza Brain is shaping the way people eat, produce business, and come together as a community.
To celebrate Pi Day, (March 14, 3.14…get it?), here are some images from my recent visit to Pizza Brain. If you’re in the Philly area, I recommend checking them out (the attached ice cream shop also serves pizza-flavored ice cream).
All photos by Tom Cappellino.
1
Welcome to Pizza Brain
Pizza Brain opened on September 7, 2012, in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. It is decorated with items from owner and pizza enthusiast Brian Dwyer's collection of over 1,000 pizza memorabilia pieces.
2
Pizza Museum
The restaurant also doubles as a pizza "museum," and is the first of it's kind in the United States. Dwyer's unique collection earned him a Guinness World Record in 2011. About 30% of his collection is on display.
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Delicious, delicious pizza
This ain't your normal slice of pizza, folks. Pizza Brain specializes in "gourmet 'za," combining locally-sourced ingredients to create eclectic pies, like the Esteban Destino, baked with roasted pork, cilantro, lime juice, jalapenos, and blackbeans, and the Bernie Templeton, which uses goat cheese, potatoes, fresh rosemary, scallions, and bacon -- sort of like a baked potato pizza, if you will.
Intermission
Writing and Driving: Notes from 1000 RPMs
In Search of the Real Dude: Notes from a Lebowski Fest Past
How to save America’s Parks: Pack ‘em with people?
4
Makin' 'za
Pizza making is no joke. Chef Joe Hunter showed me the entire process, from start to finish; kneading all that dough, and working with heavy machinery, has permanently changed the muscle mass in one of Joe's arms.
5
Touches of Philly
Pizza Brain has totally embraced its place in the land of cheesesteaks, and Rocky stairs. "It's such a historically weird, mysterious, and often-overlooked place," remarked Dwyer. "And one that's pigeon-holed a lot by outsiders. In our mind, that’s incredibly fertile ground for authentic creative expression to take place."
6
Pizza art
Pizza Brain's patio is decorated with Philly-centric art. Local artist James ‘Hawk’ Krall created the 40-foot "pizzalebrity" mural, and the ground-to-roof mosaic was put together by Isaiah Zagar, the man behind Philadelphia's Magic Gardens.
7
The brain behind Pizza Brain
Dwyer and Hunter have been friends since 2011, and both actively contribute to the running of the restaurant (on the day of this shoot, Dwyer was found behind the counter, chatting with customers and taking orders). "Pizza, and the culture attached to it, is a shared experience," said Dwyer. "I think Philly, and Pizza Brain, truly revels in that fact."
The post Celebrate Pi Day with a slice from Pizza Brain appeared first on Matador Network.
On the sticky ethics of voluntourism
Photo: Pippa Biddle
THE DEBATE ABOUT THE APPROPRIATENESS of voluntourism — how best to do it, where to do it, or whether it’s ethical to attempt at all — has been a very sensitive subject both with readers here at Matador and across the internet more broadly, judging from the literally millions of views and thousands of comments directed at Pippa Biddle’s recent piece on little white girls and boys volunteering in the developing world (which Matador republished earlier this week).
I caught up with Pippa to ask her more about the impact her story has had, and her thoughts on the ethics of the market for voluntourism.
* * *
RS: What has the feedback to your piece been from people who go on, or provide, voluntourism opportunities? Has it been self-reflective at all?
PB: The feedback on my post has been varied. I knew the topic, and the way that I addressed it, would be controversial. What I didn’t expect was how far the piece would spread. Moderating the 600+ comments on the post on my blog alone (not including comments on Medium, Thought Catalog, Huff Po Impact, etc.) was a learning experience.
I started off by reading each one but, very quickly, realized it would be better for my mental health and work schedule to just approve them. I believe in freedom of speech, so the only comments I have not approved were spam. This means that there can sometimes seem to be a lot of hate on my blog — I like to think of it as lively conversation.
Do you think it would’ve been possible for you to reach the same point of self-reflection on how best to help distant communities without your awkward first attempts at volunteering? Is unhelpfully trying to help others an inevitable step to getting it right?
I can’t remark on what would have been possible or impossible, as I’m not living two parallel lives. I do believe that a negative experience, even with an eventual positive outcome, is not justified by that outcome. I could have learned a similar lesson volunteering in my own community and it would have had much fewer costs.
Often, well-intentioned potential-voluntourists are aware of how problematic the practice can be, but are at a loss for a better, less ethically fraught way of making a difference. What would your advice to them be?
If you are looking for volunteer/advocacy work, look local. Organizations that support global causes through local initiatives, and that I respect, include She’s the First, Pencils of Promise, and Roots & Shoots.
I also believe that traveling for the sake of exploration and adventure is hugely important. It is imperative that young people are smart about where they travel, how they travel, and who they travel with. By embracing your role as a visitor you can, I have found, create a power dynamic weighted in favor of the locals.
What are your thoughts on voluntourism and voluntour operators as an industry? Do you think it’s problematic to have a market for companies to make money off providing a foreign stage for people to act out their good intentions?
I think that it is naive to think any company or nonprofit that sends young people to the developing world for “service” trips does not have to be researched thoroughly. Many of these programs spend upwards of 60% of income on advertising. That is crazy to me. They are (with some exceptions) programs that are in the business of generating profits.
Social enterprises are great, but sometimes we get so caught up in the glamour of the mission that we forget to do our due diligence on the program orchestrating it. It is up to each individual to take the time to do that research and make an informed decision on whether they should go themselves.
The post On the sticky ethics of voluntourism appeared first on Matador Network.
Powder for Powder, episode 5
AFTER SIX WEEKS ON THE ROAD in Alaska, finally heading south felt good. Yancy and I left Arctic Man wiped out and frozen from a week of below-zero days and Stouffer’s bagged stir-frys. We had planned our last stop in Haines before we left home, but had been holding our breath for the stars to actually align. We’d heard from friends about the “knife fight” at the heli-pad, but a call from fellow Matador Ambassador Will Wissman with Stellar Media confirmed they were still holding spots for us.
Haines is arguably the best place in the world for heli-skiing. I’ve been there four out of the past five spring seasons and each year somehow seem to score the best runs of my life while enjoying the relaxed small town atmosphere by the sea. Haines is a fishing town that has a certain mountain energy and vibrancy. Most of the town welcomes the heli community and acknowledges the business it brings to the harbor, which was recently cut off as a cruise ship stop during the economic recession.
I was most fired up this year to share the experience with my brother and live vicariously through his first time getting “towed in” to fragile cornices and steep spine walls. After a weeklong storm, we lucked into a code blue scenario with a relatively stable snowpack, just in time for the last and best weeks of the heli season. We lifted at 6am, and immediately it was go time as our guide, Reggie Crist, and cameraman, Will Wissman, proposed a challenging first line. The zone called Dick’s Picks demands a rider to remember exactly where he’s going because of natural blind rollovers on the face, a very common Alaskan terrain issue and one you don’t want to get wrong. I didn’t doubt for a second that Yancy would step up and slay a nasty line choice with style and confidence. He did just that with first drop, and his first ever filmed Alaskan line. The session was on!
For the next two days we bounced around the mountaintops, picking off lines we identified as aesthetic, difficult, and inspiring to watch on film. Yancy felt right at home copping some serious airtime with every line. We couldn’t have had a better time together riding big mountain lines in perfect blower powder conditions, not to mention getting all the action filmed from the air. Truly unforgettable times were had exploring the Southeast section of the Chugach Mountain Range. A huge thanks to SEABA Heli and the production team at Stellar Media.
Haines is on every powder hound’s bucket list for good reason, and Yancy was ecstatic to check this one off. Leaving Alaska, we headed back down the five-day dusty trail to Idaho and felt like we’d just conquered the world. A two-month, 6,500-mile road trip was coming to a close, and somehow we had pulled it off without any major incidents along the way. The trip, which we’d questioned at first with the snowboarder’s cardinal rule in mind — “Thou shalt not leave powder for powder” — turned out to be a wild adventure and well worth the effort. After all, “the pow is always deeper on the other side…”
Words and photos by Wyatt Caldwell and Will Wissman; video by Yancy Caldwell.
1
Tony Pavlantos gets barreled on an unnamed zone in Glacier Bay National Park. This is what an afternoon with Fly Drake can get you, if you have capable crewmen like Tony P.
2
Yancy crushed his first legitimate heli-powered Alaskan line. A Chugach classic, Dick’s Picks, which I rode four years ago.
3
Here I am battling my way down a prominent spine on a super gusty day. The wind made for some incredible images of sluff spiraling into the air.
Intermission
Powder for Powder, ep. 2: ALCAN adventure
Powder for Powder, ep. 4: Arctic Man
Powder days on the Gaspé Peninsula, Quebec [pics]
4
Yancy keeps his speed up as he traverses above a cliff band he plans to launch.
5
Looking across at a face called FFAA as I prepare to rip one of the most photogenic lines of my life.
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A bit intimidating to drop your line when this is what you see looking out. Stellar Heli in full effect.
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The heli pulled a full rotation around FFAA on this run, giving my line a very unique cinematic aspect.
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A different angle shows Stellar cameramen Will Wissman and Jeff Loewe getting the shot of Yancy plastering down an FFAA approved spine.
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POV of an evening line down a face called Samson and Delilah. I advised Yancy via radio not to pop off the nipple near the top. He did not listen and instead landed himself a 2-page spread.
Intermission
Powder for Powder: A winter pilgrimage from Idaho to Alaska
Snowboarder Jonaven Moore sets his sights on human-powered mountain access.
Snowboard the most beautiful spots on earth…in HD
10
A quick snap of the Caldwell bros after a successful session in the mango chutney evening light.
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The SEABA Heli staff and guides soak up the last sun rays of the heli season before parting ways for the summer.
12
Celebrating the last day of heli season in Haines with a cast of characters at the mouth of the Chilkat River.
The post Powder for Powder, ep. 5: Heli-skiing Haines, Alaska appeared first on Matador Network.
How to piss off an introvert
Photo: Toffee Maky
The characteristics associated with ‘good travelers’ are usually those attributed to the extrovert. Someone who is high energy, willing to talk to anyone, anywhere, for any length of time. The sort of person who can spend five minutes with someone and walk away with a friend for life. A ‘people person.’
But introverts travel, too. We struggle with small talk and social exhaustion, feeling guilty that we’d rather have a quiet dinner alone than explore Berlin’s nightlife scene. We struggle against our extroverted counterparts, the outgoing, talkative travelers who are always trying to drag us out and convince us we’re missing out on life because we’re not living it exactly as they do. And while we appreciate the energy and stream-of-consciousness commentary extroverts provide, sometimes we really just wish they’d let us keep to ourselves instead of pushing every single one of our buttons.
Ask why we’re so shy.
The biggest misconception about introverts is that we’re shy or anti-social. We don’t necessarily suffer from social anxiety. We just find small talk tedious and fighting to be heard in a crowd exhausting. Because of this, we get pegged as aloof, reserved, or rude. Where extroverts thrive on the energy of other people, introverts often feel drained by it. The group dynamics and the incessant talking, while enjoyable in small doses, can quickly become overwhelming.
Take our need for alone time personally.
We need to be alone. Get over it. Our need for quiet time to decompress and process the events of the day has nothing to do with you. It doesn’t mean we don’t like you, it doesn’t mean we don’t ever want to be around you, and it doesn’t mean we’re mad. It just means we want to be alone for a little bit. So if we insist on going for a long walk or grabbing a cappuccino alone or putting on our headphones while riding the train, please just let us go. And don’t take it personally.
Ask if we’re mad.
WE’RE NOT MAD.
Be clingy.
Introverts need extra space. We circle carefully around new relationships, particularly new travel relationships, before committing to anything and are reluctant to travel with others who don’t understand or respect our need for quiet time to recharge. If we act a little noncommittal about a spontaneous week-long trek in Tasmania, it’s probably because we’re still weighing out how likely you are to talk incessantly or be offended by our need to be alone.
Talk incessantly.
We’re not always capable of tuning other people out and are prone to feeling smothered by the extrovert’s need to talk every little detail through. We may really, really like you, but sometimes we just wish you’d stop talking for a few minutes so we can think.
Tell us we need to learn to speak up.
We are not shy. We are only turned inward, processing things slowly and deliberately. When we have something to say, we’ll say it. The best way to guarantee silence from an introvert is to push them to speak. We’ll talk when we’re ready to talk. Pressuring us to speak and putting us on the spot only succeeds in making us so uncomfortable that we don’t want to speak at all.
Push us into commitments.
Introverts need an emergency exit for every social situation. We need to know that if we become completely overcome with social fatigue at 10pm in the middle of a nightclub and need to get out immediately, we can. Because of this we can be a little reluctant to commit to a situation where we might get trapped. The prospect of not being able to leave exactly when we’re ready to go is enough to make us want to stay home.
Tell us we’re missing out on life.
Just because we prefer a different type of travel, a different type of experience, doesn’t mean we’re missing out on life. We’re not much for clubbing or staying out till 2am screaming drunk with a bunch of strangers, and we’ll never be the sort of traveler to become best friends with the shopkeeper we just met, but we’re observant and studious, soaking in quiet mornings and watching towns come to life. We find the best cafes and keep meticulous trip notes, and just because we’re not gushing about how much we love Paris doesn’t mean we love Paris any less than you.
Put us on the spot.
Hand us a microphone in a karaoke bar, pull us up on stage, insist we stand up and dance. We’re happy to cheer you on, but despite what you may think, we aren’t secretly wishing to be up on stage and we don’t want you to drag us up there. It’s not that we won’t belt out a tune in public or give a wildly witty toast at a party, it’s just that we don’t like to get thrown into things without warning.
Tell us to cheer up or stop being so serious.
We’re thinkers, processors, people who thrive on reflection. An introvert sitting quietly alone is not necessarily angry, depressed, or completely incapable of laughing. We’re just thinking. Please stop asking us what’s wrong and suggesting that maybe we should talk to someone about it. We’re fine. Really.
Tell us we need to come out of our shell.
After social interactions and group settings, introverts need to retreat to their shells. We need to be alone and we need down time. This isn’t a sign of depression or social anxiety. It’s just how we function. The best thing you can do after dragging an introvert to a party is to give us time to withdraw and re-energize. Happy introverts are those who find friends (and travel partners) willing to give us this space, knowing that this is just part of how we process the world and the people in it. [image error]
The post How to piss off an introvert appeared first on Matador Network.
March 13, 2014
Sharks vs. humans [infographic]
THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF SHARKS as “killing machines” is straight up ludicrous, and mostly comes from the fact that sharks are awesome horror movie monsters. I’ll admit, I like movies like Jaws, Sharknado, and Sharktopus just as much as the next guy, but the misconceptions they breed are definitely problematic. While sharks are by no means harmless, their image as mindless killers is wildly exaggerated, especially when you consider how much we kill them.
It’s staggering. Check out the incredible infographic by Joe Chernov and Robin Richards below — note that the number of humans killed by sharks is listed per year, while the number of sharks killed by humans is listed per hour.
“Finning” is the totally unsustainable (and cruel) practice of catching sharks, cutting off their fins, and dumping the animals back into the ocean to die. The fins are used for “shark fin soup,” which, incidentally, you should never eat, given the endangered status of these sharks.
To learn more, here are links to Shark Conservation Society, Stop Shark Finning, Humane Society International, Pew Environment, and Sharkwater.
The post Stunning infographic shows who kills who in the battle of sharks vs. humans appeared first on Matador Network.
On Seoul's growing Muslim community
Original image: Kian
An afternoon prayer call sounding from the Central Seoul Mosque drowns out the ambient blare of storefront K-Pop and shouts of taxi drivers as Seoulite Muslims scale the steep cobblestone path to gather together in worship.
The cookie-cutter framework of modern urban Korean architecture gives way all at once to colossal columns and arches that hover impressively over Itaewon, the neighborhood itself a testament to the contained, yet explosive expansion of multiculturalism in Korea in recent years. Other prominent cultural communities of the area are largely based on parameters like ethnicity and language, while the Muslim community of Seoul is diverse in and of itself, creating a very small but dynamic subculture decorated with influence spanning dozens of countries, evident among the array of faces, languages, and accents layered beneath the uniform hijabs and prayer sets.
Islam only began to have any significant presence in Korea toward the late 1990s, largely due to immigration restrictions loosening at that time. Today, the majority of Muslims in Korea are students, teachers, and migrant workers, and only a fraction of Korea’s 135,000 Muslims are native to Korea, roughly 30,000-35,000 people — a figure that hasn’t risen drastically in the last 30 years.
Curiosity is a simple yet major factor in the number of Koreans converting to the religion.
“I had no exposure to Islam until a few years ago, but it created a curiosity in me,” one recently converted Korean said. “I began to study and become more dedicated, and realized there is a community of Koreans who practice Islam.”
Dyas Reda Kenawy is an Indonesian woman earning her PhD in Korean Culture and Language, and she says that this curiosity is a simple yet major factor in the number of Koreans converting to the religion. “Some Koreans are bored with life without religion. Modern Koreans don’t really have a strong link to religion. So they begin to explore new religions online, and for some, it leads them to our mosque.”
The Korean convert admits that it’s a huge decision in Korean society to convert to something so unfamiliar, noting that any true growth of Islam in this country will likely continue to be a result of immigration to the heavily Buddhist, Christian, or otherwise agnostic nation.
“As a Korean, I can say I think we don’t particularly try and understand other cultures,” he said. “My curiosity is uncommon.”
His observation may be narrow, however. As you walk through the grounds of the Seoul Mosque, Korean tourists buzz around every corner, cameras slung over their shoulders. Kids litter the steps that sweep up to the prayer hall itself, sliding down the handrails and chasing after one another through groups of girls posing for the perfectly executed photo in front of the impressive backdrop. Lifelong Seoulites line up for a tour group, gazing up at the domes above.
“I don’t know anything about Islam, we just never have been to the mosque, and it’s very beautiful. I’m curious now,” one local said as she rushed off to join a tour group. Other Korean visitors proudly called the mosque one of Seoul’s “hidden gems.”
Kamal Singh, an Itaewon local since 2009, said the Muslim community doesn’t really see any problems other cultural groups wouldn’t face in a foreign city. He said that to an extent, one doesn’t just immigrate to Seoul without the expectations of some cultural barriers and inconveniences.
“In the years I’ve been in Seoul, I’ve come to this same halal shop, but many, many more have come up, along with restaurants and shops catering to Muslims, and the area is busier than ever,” he said. “The community itself is growing slowly and steadily, but also smoothly because the purpose of Islam is to spread peace, and the Koreans here are receptive to that. It makes for an interesting time to live here, to see the growth of a cultural identity.”
Any discrimination or persecution is ideologically driven, and highly targeted. The Korean convert specifically asked not to be mentioned by name because according to him, there have been several recent incidents during which members of Christian extremist groups have interviewed worshippers at the mosque and used responses out of context “to slander” the Seoul Muslim community. The atmosphere is suspicious, and many worshippers are now wary of visitors to the mosque.
This sort of negative propagation is incredibly damaging to a community that already experiences heavy misperception from Koreans. Professor Hee Soo Lee, in the Department of Cultural Anthropology at Hanyang University, claims that Koreans lack a basic understanding of Islam, and actions like those of the Christian extremist groups are major catalysts that contribute to what he calls “Islamophobia,” especially in the absence of qualified manpower to propagate the Islamic message properly: “[There is] ignorance of Islam among Koreans due to distorted information,” Professor Lee said. “Furthermore, negative ‘image-making’ by the radical Christian groups and media of the West.”
Several students have had similar experiences. “From the very first year I’ve lived in Korea, extremist missionaries will knock at my door,” said Medihah, a Malaysian student at Hanyang University. “At first, they ask very simple questions, but then suddenly they’ll become very aggressive and try and debate with me, get me to say something I don’t mean — it’s very disturbing.”
The community has actively sought to bridge this cultural disparity, with significant help and support from local embassies and offices within the Korean government itself. Shaukat Ali Mukadam, the Pakistani ambassador to Korea, said that the embassy hosts a number of cultural events throughout the year, including photographic exhibits and festivals, to encourage more intermixing and dialogue.
“Korean society has transformed in the last 50 years,” Mukadam said. “There’s been rapid development in multiculturalism, but we still don’t have that direct line of communication [with the Korean community].”
Korea is a country where everything changes fast and adjustments are made for the better.
Representatives from the Malaysian embassy agree, but believe this relationship will develop. “There has been a gradual increase [in Muslim immigrants] over the years as Korea’s ‘hallyu’ has made outsiders more aware of Korea and its attributes,” said Sulochana K. Indran, a representative from the embassy. “The increasing number of foreign nationals entering the homogenous Korean society will of course pose challenges to both the foreigners and Koreans alike, but Koreans seem to be taking this inevitable globalization in their stride.”
Ambassador Mukadam also said that the Korean government is extremely sensitive to its growing foreign communities, and often assists the embassy in promoting cultural diffusion, a pledge that is controversial among many Koreans because of the budget allocated toward the endeavors, according to Hassan Abdou, founder of the Facebook community Arabs and Egyptians in Korea.
Abdou said that he resented the misperception of Islam among Koreans at first, but now he understands it. “[Koreans] only have the ideas the Western media gave them about Islam,” he said.
Korea itself only entered the global conversation in recent years, after all. Before Abdou moved to Korea, there was no K-Pop wave or K-drama craze. All he knew about the country was that his LG television in Egypt was made in Korea — but eight years later he calls Korea home, along with nearly 135,000 other Muslims.
Medihah and her friend Fadilhah, also a Malaysian student, both agreed their expectations of life in Korea paled to the reality. Before immigrating, they had both assumed they’d be less religious while living in a culture with so little Islam. “The surroundings and people — getting to know friends from other countries that are also Muslim — has made me a stronger Muslim, actually gotten me more interested in the religion,” Medihah said.
And walking up “Muslim Street,” it’s evident that this area is unique, Islam influence aside. Dotting the alley are Turkish kebab shops with their infamous ice cream servers entertaining passersby out front, Indian restaurants that fill the street with an aromatic swell of curry, bookshops boasting titles with languages from an array of Muslim countries, and Pakistani stalls showcasing gorgeous garments and shawls.
Dyas’s husband, in addition to his own travel agency, operates an Indonesian restaurant, Siti Sarah, decorated within by artwork from Egypt and other Islamic countries. A nod to his wife’s heritage, the restaurant was actually opened before the two of them had even met. “We laugh about it,” Dyas said. “He says that maybe God prepared it for [me].”
However, this intermixing of cultures that share the Islamic bond is uncommon in Seoul, and can actually be a hurdle to the growth of the Muslim community, according to Professor Hee Soo Lee. She claims that since the immigrants themselves often hail from largely homogeneously ethnic societies, they are less apt to thrive in communities of mixed nationalities. But it’s an obstacle immigrants like Dyas and her husband and Medihah and her friends are embracing and overcoming.
“Even five years ago Koreans still saw me as strange. But in Seoul the people have grown so much more open-minded.”
Sarah Hassan, who completed her graduate and postgraduate studies in Korea from 2002 to 2008, said that Islamic immigrants can thrive in Korea because it’s a country where everything changes fast and adjustments are made for the better. “Things are moving at a fast pace here in all spheres of life,” she said.
Hassan said that when she first moved to Seoul in 2002, she had to suspend her law studies since there was not a single program offered in English. Now, with the explosion of foreign students, from 7,000 in 2002 to more than 113,000 in Seoul in 2012, university offerings are more extensive than ever. Even the more trivial things that were incredibly difficult in 2002, like finding yogurt and cheese, are commonplace now.
Hassan, originally from Pakistan, said one of the more important aspects of Korea is that it is “very, very safe” for women. “It is safer than any Muslim country,” she said. “I’ve lived here without any fear that I would otherwise have to deal with back home.”
According to Dyas, the rapid growth of the community in Itaewon has created a stronger sense of religion for many Muslims. Even in the last five years, there are far more shops and the Islamic corner of Itaewon is busier than ever. “Even five years ago [Koreans] still saw me as strange,” Dyas said. “But in Seoul the people have grown so much more open-minded.”
Dyas has also lived in Gwangju, where the Islamic presence is slowly growing, and Busan, where there are many Indonesian migrant workers, attributed to a swelling influence.
The sheer growth of Islam in Itaewon is quantifiable, too. Dyas’s husband, a local business owner from Egypt, owns a travel agency licensed by the King of Saudi Arabia and the government to arrange the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, or Hajj. The number of Muslims permitted to take the pilgrimage is set by the government each year, and that number is dependent on the percentage of a country’s population that is Muslim. For a country like Indonesia, 250,000 Muslims are granted visas to visit Mecca, whereas in Korea the number stands at around 150. The interest for Hajj is about 375% over capacity, however.
“It’s a healthy sign of growth for us,” Dyas said.
Dyas said that most of the challenges associated with practicing Islam in Korea come from a lack of awareness about Islamic customs among Koreans. For example, keeping to the prayer schedule traditional to the Muslim religion can be a challenge. In places like Indonesia, there are a lot of smaller mosques to help Muslims work in their prayer rituals around the pace of their 21st-century lifestyles. With just one mosque in Seoul, most Korean companies aren’t very sensitive to the prayer practice.
Medihah and her friends agreed, adding that the main outward aggravation they routinely experience is directed at their headscarves, or hijabs, attire entirely unfamiliar to Koreans. “We get a lot of people staring and asking why we wear it,” Medihah said, laughing. “It’s mostly just ajumas asking us if it’s too hot, and suggesting that we take it off.”
Koreans are beginning to understand Islam, however, according to Dyas. For years the media in Korea heavily portrayed it as a “terror religion,” but the perception has shifted. “Lots of the Koreans that live in Itaewon will address the Muslims they meet as ‘sister’ and ‘brother’ [which is a part of Islamic tradition],” Dyas said.
In this way, the impact of Islam is outpacing the population growth. A. Rahman Lee, Ju-Hwa, Imam of Seoul Central Mosque, said that 9/11 actually greatly affected Korea in two ways. “At first, it was difficult because many understood Islam to be a terror religion,” he said. “But it also sparked a curiosity, a conversation.”
He said that Islam hadn’t spread much to Korea because it simply wasn’t on the radar; there was little knowledge of it at all. Professor Lee Hee-Soo agreed, saying that post-9/11 many Korean people did try and understand the Islamic world, and tried to do so through a balanced platform, not necessarily relying on Western media.
“Korea is becoming an international power, with its citizens traveling more and foreigners integrating here,” A. Rahman Lee said. “So international events affect the country more and more.”
The post On the growing Muslim community in Seoul appeared first on Matador Network.
I thought you knew humans could fly
THIS IS LESS like paragliding, or bungee jumping, and more like purring past cliff faces on a pod racer in Star Wars. The only difference is the fact that your chin is the outermost part of your vehicle, inches away from rock and earth.
Scotty Bob Morgan is what’s known as a “proximity wingsuit flyer,” which is basically someone who has unbelievable levels of skill and judgement, and a nonchalant attitude towards the afterlife. This is a selection of what his flights across the U.S. looked like last year, as he tried to get as close to anything life-threatening as humanly possible.
It’s insane.
The post I thought you knew humans could fly appeared first on Matador Network.
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