My Taste of Gwangju!

By Gutema Saron Samuel

“We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won’t. And we’re slowly learning that fact. And we’re very, very pissed off.” – Tyler Durden quote from the film Fight Club

My desk was piled high with homework, and my final test was in two weeks. I’m a sophomore who still hasn’t visited much of the country; I’m disappointed that life isn’t full of new experiences after working hard in high school but rather more pressure in a higher institution. And I’ve diverted significantly from my initial intention of studying in another country to travel more and explore new things. Everything had to end, so I planned to make the most of my winter break by touring South Korea and finding new things in Gwangju, such as tasty cuisines and art galleries.

In this article, I’ll talk about some of the fun activities I did in Gwangju before I left to another city. Being a lover of horror and thriller films, I went to the 2022 ACC Context “Attention! Zombies” reinterpretation and visual examination of how zombies were created and how they’re depicted in various areas such as South Korea and the United States. The event was free to attend and took place in Asia Culture Center (ACC) spaces 3 and 4 from October 20, 2022, to February 26, 2023. The entryway was slightly dimly lit and had a creepy atmosphere. It began with a chronology of how zombies, or these “Contemporary Monsters,” came to be in both South Korea and the United States. I discovered a detailed description about one of my favorite horror films, Warm Bodies, a zombie romance. There was a drawing space in one of the locations where you could sketch your interpretation of a zombie or what the viewers perceived zombies to look like. On a wall full of drawings ranging from informative to humorous, I too participated and sketched my idea of a zombie. There were also a lot of images, videos, and illustrations to look at. You might also attend extra free entrance programs along the way, which I did.

I’d heard a lot about how delicious the food in Gwangju is before I arrived here for the first time. I wanted to use this outing to taste a Korean food at one of the places called Matgol (맛골) that a friend suggested. This is a jeondae matchip (전대 맛집), which means a “Chonnam University must-eat place,” and is quite near the campus. Our dormitory was roughly a five-minute walk away. The restaurant had a motherly feel about it, and the inside was larger than I expected from the exterior. There’s a sitting table for cross-legged seating as well as a chair table. Because the table is quite spacious, various side dishes can be served. The high quality of the side dishes is one of Matgol’s most enticing features. A variety of side dishes are available. The majority of the food costs between 7,000 and 8,000 won. When it’s midday, the restaurant soon fills up, but the side dishes arrive before the main meal, so you can enjoy them while waiting. We ordered kimchi jjigae (김치찌개, kimchi stew) and aehobak jjigae (애호박찌개, zucchini stew) because it was a cold day and we wanted something warm. In general, it’s a fantastic place to visit if you’re missing stew.

Another wonderful spot to eat near Chonnam National University is Ilda, a dessert café. The well-decorated cafe, located at CNU’s back gate, has a lot to look at. The facility includes two floors, one with chairs for viewing the outdoor vista and another for sitting inside. The interior design incorporates vintage phones, photo posters, and picture frames. There were several mirrors in ancient frames across the room, varying in size from huge to little ones. The couch is particularly stunning and complements the overall aesthetic of the cafe. The structure of the building resembles a house that’s been turned into a café. I’d been to the café before, but this time I saw that there’d been many changes to the seating arrangement and decor; while it still has the vintage décor feel, there’d been many additions. Anybody interested in visiting the café should keep in mind that they open at 12:00 p.m. and will be so crowded that you may not be able to secure a seat. This happened to me and a friend as well, but fortunately, another customer departed, and we took their seat.

The winter vacation was long, and I tried many things, but I wanted to share some of them with you so that you may check out other programs at the ACC or other locations in Gwangju, such as the gallery, or try these delicacies. Even if we aren’t a big shot yet, and even if we’re pissed off most of the time, we can still enjoy the little things in life.

Matgol 맛골 Address: Yongju-ro 30-beon-gil, Buk-gu, Gwangju 광주 북구 용주로 30번길 27 Phone: 062-266-8621

Ilda Address: Uchi-ro 110-beon-gil, Buk-gu, Gwangju 광주 북구 우치로110번길 43 Phone: 070-8898-8841

The Author

Gutema Saron Samuel is a CNU junior considering a career in biotechnology and bioengineering. She’s enthusiastic about anything related to academia. Two interesting things about her: She can shout a song at any moment, and she’s a movie buff. Instagram: @Saron_gutema