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In this issue of Discovery, we look back at the 2016 SIWA Charity Gala. We also highlight female entrepreneurs, and bring you the experiences of women who have launched businesses in Korea.
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discoveryJUNE - JULY 2016
FEMALE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT - GET INSPIRED Lessons from Launching a Business Trailing Spouse Confessions
Welcome New SIWA Board 2016-2017 Year
New SIWA Event July Coffee Mingles
A Look Back at the SIWA Charity Gala 2016
June / July 2016 Discovery
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Seoul International Women’s AssociationMailbox
Seoul Finance CenterLevel 21, 136 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu,
Seoul Korea 04520 www.siwapage.com
discovery MagazineJUNE - JULY 2016
SIWA NEWS Editor’s Letter 4 On the Cover
President’s Letter 5 Sponsors
Time to Renew! 6 Mark Your Calendar 7
SIWA SPOTLIGHT Female Entrepreneurs 8 Trailing Spouse Confessions 12 SIWA Charity Gala 2016 14 Join the Welfare Committee 17 Thank You SIWA Leaders 18 Welcome the New Board 19
SIWA ACTIVITIES Tours 22 Interest Groups 24 Enrichment Classes 26
June / July 2016 Discovery
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The idea of highlighting Female Entrepreneurs in this, the first digital-only issue of Discovery, came from my colleague Neeti Virmani, who curates the SIWA Blog and also leads the Welfare Committee. Neeti had been inspired by several hard-working women she met here in Korea who have taken the initiative to launch businesses in this market. I found their stories fascinating and think we can all draw inspiration from their experiences, whatever path we are currently following.
So much comes down to perseverance and a willingness to try something new, which applies to each and every one of us who have left our home countries behind for a new adventure in Seoul. I hope that you will benefit from their stories and maybe even be inspired to start a project of your own, whether it is launching a business, developing a new skill or even trying a new activity through SIWA.
Please also enjoy the beautiful photos of ‘An Evening in Shangri-La.’ Those of us who were there can look back on a magical evening, and those who missed it this year can be sure to save the date in 2017!
Wishing you all a wonderful start to the summer, for those staying here in Seoul, those traveling back to your home countries and those who will be exploring somewhere new!
Robin CarneyVP Brand Communications
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On the CoverCover Photo Photo courtesy of Matt Douma. Pictured are Rina Okumura-Vaivara and Stani Zimmer,
at the 2016 SIWA Charity Gala. Editorial Team Mhyla Borkowski, Robin Carney, Irene Nuutila, Chiara Sakuwa,
Greta Tonnon, Neeti VirmaniGraphic Designer Chloé Keeble-Choi & Andrew Meany Published by 10 Magazine
Advertising Coordinator Kyoko KawaguchiContributors Priya Chawathe, Anne Choe, Maria Lee, Chiara Sakuwa, Courtney Snede
Discovery Photo Files All photos used by Discovery Magazine, unless otherwise stated, have been provided by SIWA vendors or volunteers and are the property of SIWA. Photographers who donate photos for SIWA’s use retain the rights to their photos. Contributions Welcome! Discovery is published bi-monthly (six issues per year) by SIWA, with articles and content written by our members and associates. It is distributed exclusively for SIWA members. All opinions expressed in these articles are those of the respective authors and may not reflect the official position of SIWA. All rights reserved SIWA 2016. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent of SIWA. For submissions and questions, contact [email protected] or go to www.siwapage.com/connect/discovery.
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Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Premium Platinum Sponsors
I recently read about the upcoming Global Summit of Women to be held in Warsaw, Poland in June. The mission of GSW is to bring “all sectors under the common vision of dramatically expanding women’s economic opportunities globally through exchanges of working solutions and creative strategies forged by women leaders in different parts of the world. It is a business summit, whose business focus is women’s advancement in the global economy.” Female entrepreneurs, I believe, are advancing such goals.
Two unique American women come to mind. Sheila Lirio Marcelo’s inspiration to found Care.com resulted from her personal experience as a young immigrant new to the US, and as a mother with two small children who was also caring for her parents. Marcelo realized there was a need in the market to help families find quality care solutions. She utilized her expertise from
the tech industry to address the unique care needs that each family faces through every stage of their lives, helping them select child care, special needs care, senior care, tutoring, pet care, housekeeping and much more. Today the company is the world’s largest online provider for finding and managing family care, with more than 19.5 million members, spanning 16 countries.
Spanx, women’s intimate apparel business, is the brainchild of Sara Blakely. She originally considered becoming an attorney until she failed the Law School Admission Test. She went onto selling fax machines door-to-door and was quite successful; at age 25, she was promoted to national sales trainer. It is during this time she sought something comfortable to wear under her slacks to smooth out unwanted lines. In her research, she discovered many disappointing industry standards for producing women’s hosiery, including men solely overseeing an industry in which they were not the end user. For her product development, Blakely created different waistbands to suit different-sized consumers which was not production standard at the time. Sara Blakely brought to market an innovative product that help women feel and look beautiful! She is a self-made billionaire.
Blakely and Marcelo are now thought leaders in their industry. However, there are other women entrepreneurs who are also affecting change in their communities. Catherine, from the farming region of Chibambo District in Zambia, runs her own business selling shoes, clothes, household products, foods and beverages. She is meeting the demands of a bustling and growing community. Ereda, a 42-year-old mother of six, started her small electronics business in the remote town of Kases in Uganda four years ago. Ereda’s business has grown so much now that it no longer qualifies for microloans but has become part of BRAC’s Small Enterprise Program which helps finance small businesses.
Sheila, Sara, Catherine and Ereda started their business with the purpose to solve a problem and to meet growing demands of their communities. These women are true innovators in my mind, and I commend ALL women entrepreneurs; you are changing the world for the better. Ladies, you rock!
Anne Choe SIWA President
To learn about the benefits of becoming a SIWA Sponsor, please contact
[email protected] Members at the May 2016 Meeting
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Membership RenewalSIWA Membership Renewal 2016-2017SIWA Membership Year: May 1, 2016 – April 30, 2017Spring is here! May rings in a new SIWA calendar year and you can begin renewing your SIWA membership. Registration and payment guarantees a full year of membership benefits and your new personalized SIWA card. SIWA members gain access to these benefits and more:
A world of networking with international women, including a members-only Facebook Group SIWA Discount Program which gives retail discounts exclusively for SIWA members at local merchants Special member pricing for popular social and cultural events throughout the year Exclusive access to members-only interest groups activities, including community service projects Opportunities to volunteer in a leadership role or on a SIWA Team to learn new skills or sharpen existing ones Access to exclusive members-only content, including a magazine and e-Newsletter With your SIWA membership renewal, receive your new personalized SIWA card which you can save on your
phone or print and cut to carry around:
Please submit your online Membership Application Form and pay your Annual Membership Fee of KRW 60,000. The online form and payment instructions can be found at siwapage.com/join-siwa/membership-form/ Both the online form and payment must be completed for your membership application process to be considered complete and to receive your new member ID number with your SIWA Membership Card.For any questions regarding our membership program, please email [email protected]
SIWA Discount ProgramUpon joining SIWA, a welcome letter will be emailed to you with your Membership e-Card. Current SIWA Members may show their Membership e-Card to receive the following discounts:
Create Wellness Center in Itaewon: 10% discount off massage treatments. EdenPotteryinItaewon:10% discount off any purchase. High Street Market in Itaewon: 10% discount off any purchase, excluding damaged label wines and
special offers. Hushu Dermatology Clinic in Sinsa-dong: 10% discount off any treatments. Offer valid until December
31, 2016. JP Hair Salon in Haebangchon (next to Itaewon): 20% discount off any service, except for hair cuts. New York Wholistic Care (NYWC) in Itaewon: 10% discount off any treatment, including one-month
Group Pilates classes. Free consultation for SIWA Members who register with NYWC at SIWA Coffee Mornings.
Suji’s Deli in Itaewon: 10% discount off food and beverage during weekdays, excluding new menu items, lunch specials and weekend brunch.
*Additional exclusions may apply.
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Calendar MARK YOUR
For more details on any of these and many other amazing events, please visit our website: www.siwapage.com/activities/calendar
June 2, 2016Moms & TotsSIWA Mommies, let’s meet up with our little ones and beat the summer heat! I (like) Dalki (Strawberry) is a spacious children’s theme park based on the famous fashion accessory brand ‘Dalki.’ We will meet at the Dalki loca-tion at Times Square Mall in Yeongdeungpo.
June 6, 2016Tour: Spectacular Yeongsan-jae Buddhist CeremonyEveryone staying in Korea who is interested in its traditional culture should see this cer-emony at least one time; and the beautiful “Phoenix-Origin Temple”, tucked into a high steep valley on the southern face of Mt. An-san, is always rewarding to visit.
June 10, 2016Newcomer’s MeetingIf you are new to Seoul or new to SIWA, we encourage you to join our Newcomers Meet-ing. It’s a great chance to get to know a little more about our organization, including mem-bership benefits, and the city of Seoul.
June 10, 2016Book ClubTen years in the writing, the 2015 Pulitzer Prize winning book, “All the Light We Can-not See”, by Anthony Doerr, is a story about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.
July 7, 2016Photo ClubThe SIWA Photo Club is open to members who desire a more artistic and structured approach to creating photographs. The ac-tivities consist of an annual exhibition, tech-nique workshop, critiques of each other’s works, gallery tour, and photo shoots.
July 8, 2016Book Club“In the Woods” is a 2007 mystery novel by Tana French about a pair of Irish detectives and their investigation of the murder of a twelve-year-old girl.
July 20Moms & TotsSIWA Moms are invited to have coffee and mingle, while our SIWA Tots play! Invite your mommy friends and their children, because the July Coffee Morning Mingle event is open to both members and non-members.
New SIWA EventCoffeeMingle-July20,2016Just because it is July doesn’t mean EVERYONE is away for sum-mer holidays. If you are in town on Wednesday, July 20th we would love for you to join us for our first ever July local morning coffee mingle. Local morning mingles are smaller get togethers with other SIWA members close to your neighborhood. Exact locations to be determined. Please check the event link below for more informa-tion and for registration.
siwapage.com/activities/events/coffee-morning-mingles-201607
Photo: Bundang coffee mingle, April 2016
June 7, 2016Tour: Second Guided Bike RideJoin our guided bike ride with 2 experienced bikers. After a short subway ride to Paldang station, we will cycle for about 3.5 hours or 35 km on biking trails along the Han river. We will eat our picnic along the way.
June 9, 2016Community ServiceBe a volunteer at the Soup Kitchen! Anna’s House was founded by Father Vincenzo Bordo, an Italian, in 1998. It serves homeless people and male adolescent runaways. They are looking for volunteers to serve in the soup kitchen, which serves 500+ meals daily.
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Female Entrepeneurs I’ve always been an avid thinker. Beginning in my tween years and well into my late thir-ties, these are the questions I repeatedly pon-dered: “What is my purpose in life? Why am I here? What expertise or skill can I share with the world? What exactly am I most passionate about and will it be meaningful to share this passion with others?” The answer took many years to surface but has been worth the wait.
After earning a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology, I had stopped short of a previ-ous intention to pursue a PhD in the same field. Although interesting, conducting population research in health just didn’t “light my fire”. In-stead, I longed to be on the opposite or receiving end of health data analysis. Application of the latest studies on health, particularly those relat-ed to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid) were of keen interest to me. I was diagnosed with Hashimo-to’s a few years prior and had been living with debilitating symptoms of depression, anxiety and chronic fatigue for many years, in spite of receiving the best available medical treatment at the time.
It was this suffering that finally gave birth to the passion I longed for - a fervent passion to eat and live in a way that stopped chronic disease in its tracks and instead promoted vi-brant health. Inspired by my own transforma-tion following important nutrition and lifestyle
Health Coaching: Launching a Business to Fight Chronic Diseasechanges (the depression, anxiety and chronic fatigue that plagued me for almost 20 years lit-erally disappeared), I became a certified health coach and started my own health coaching busi-ness. My mission: to inspire and educate people to use food and lifestyle as medicine for prevent-ing and reversing chronic disease.
As a certified health coach, I offer functional nutrition and lifestyle recommendations for the prevention and management of chronic illness and related symptoms. I’ve helped clients with food cravings, weight loss, PMS, chronic fatigue, depression, food sensitivities/allergies, digestive issues, chronic skin conditions and more.
My signature, “Complete Transformation” program radically improves health and qual-ity of life for clients who are ready to make the changes necessary to alleviate their symptoms and reach their health goals. The program incor-porates small, incremental changes and is cus-tomized to fit each client’s culture, lifestyle and preference. Using this approach together with expert guidance, support and accountability has tremendous impact and results in creating life-long healthy habits and behavior.
I also periodically offer a professionally su-pervised 3-5 week group detox program that uses delicious, nourishing whole foods to re-set, rejuvenate and lose weight. This program cre-ates a deep awareness of your body and how it responds to different foods so you can create the right diet for you. Other group programs include workshops on a variety of health top-ics including weight loss, managing food crav-ings, restoring digestive health, and proper thy-roid care. I also offer speaking engagements and book signings as co-author of a new book “Sil-ver Linings Storybook, Successfully Navigating Stormy Days in Professional and Personal Life”. My chapter in the book, “Rebirth: Finding My Health, Happiness and Destiny”, highlights my personal story of overcoming Hashimoto’s and subsequently discovering a fulfilling career.
Launching my health coaching business has been an extremely rewarding experience. Wit-
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Priya ChawatheProud SIWA Member since 2015
Priya Chawathe is a certified health coach who specializes in weight loss and chronic disease prevention and management. Her integrated approach of functional nutrition and lifestyle coaching has helped clients with weight loss, food cravings, PMS, chron-ic fatigue, depression, digestive issues, skin disorders and more.
EMAIL: [email protected]
nessing the growth and transformation of cli-ents as they incorporate healthy foods and hab-its into their lives brings me immense joy. It is truly an honor to be invited into their lives and assist them on their journey towards optimal health. Connecting with people and sharing my knowledge and expertise on a daily basis results in deep contentment.
Like any business, there are also a few chal-lenges. Often, I come across potential clients or others who are searching for answers to their health problems, yet hesitant to try health coach-ing. It’s a relatively new field in the health indus-try and people are not yet convinced of its value. As a society, unfortunately many of us are still in the market for a “quick fix” to our problems and committing to a three or six month plan to change our health instead of the usual prescrip-tion is often overwhelming and troublesome. We are creatures of comfort who resist change and instead settle for less.
My biggest challenge has been dispelling skepticism and gaining respect for the work I do. Functional nutrition and lifestyle is some-times misunderstood as a holistic substitute for traditional medical care. This is incorrect. It ac-tually complements medical care, using target-ed nutrition and lifestyle recommendations for a particular illness or symptom. Unfortunately, my professional advice falls short, when fre-quently contradicted by medical doctors who don’t value nutrition as part of patient care. To address this issue, I am now working on form-ing partnerships with doctors and other health care providers to provide patients with better, complete care.
On a personal level, entrepreneurship also involves sacrifice, including working long days
and weekends. Work-life balance is a constant challenge but extremely important nonetheless, and I strive hard to maintain it as much as pos-sible.
Being an entrepreneur has helped me grow in many ways. Professionally, I’m continuously learning new skills and refining others in order to be more effective, first as a health coach, and second at successfully running a business. The most valuable lessons I’ve learned so far per-sonally are to let go of self-doubt and superfi-cial measures of success. Instead, I face each day with confidence, offering my very best and en-joy the fruits of my labor as they naturally pre-sent themselves. Pursuing a worthwhile goal of inspiring, educating, and supporting people to live a healthy life feels wonderful and I savor every moment.
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What inspired you to start your own venture?
Hardship and heartbreak inspired me to start my own venture, and luckily a second chance helped to get it launched. Everyone receives in-spiration in different ways, for me it was life’s not so gentle reminders that life is too short.
There is never enough time in a day, a week, a year… When my mother passed away many years ago it became very clear to me that life is fragile. Three years ago when my son got really sick, I was once again reminded how important it is to cherish every moment of our lives. He was only 4-years-old when he suddenly came down with a serious brain infection. As he lay in my arms limp and unconscious, I was so afraid that our time had run out.
We lived in Seoul at the time and it became a turning point in our lives.
It’s not easy being an expat in Korea. Every-thing takes its toll especially if you don’t speak the language or understand the culture. Doctors are well educated, but don’t all speak English. I remember how difficult it was trying to un-derstand them and their stark bedside manner. They would explain in great detail the prognosis of our son to an interpreter who would boil it down to just a few sentences for us. The worst was when all those few words could tell us was, ‘wait and see’ which basically told us nothing. As a parent, it was agonizing not knowing if my child would live or die. I felt so helpless and lost.
During that time, I tried to find comfort in doing little things for him while we waited, but even buying a pillow and a pair of button down pajamas was difficult. Who would have thought trying to explain buttons to a lady in a store could be so hard and time consuming.
So instead, I helplessly spent a lot of time cry-ing while we waited. And I thought a lot about what we would do differently if he recovered and if we were given a second chance at life. If I could hold his hand again, see him smile, hear his voice…
I thought a lot about all the difficulties we had in the past. And of course, I thought about all the time we had wasted before. I thought about how there was never enough time to go to Ever-land with my kids, how we didn’t play enough, how we rushed through dinner, and how we were always in a hurry to get from one place to another.
The truth is it’s not that we didn’t have time, it’s that we just didn’t make the time. We also squandered a lot of time away unknowingly. Everything in Korea is just harder so we lost track of all the hours we spent getting turned around on a subway. We lost count of the ex-tra time it took doing simple things like order-ing dinner and getting the dry cleaning done. I had once lost half a day driving around in circles looking for a carwash. And many days going from store to store in search for basic necessities. And after weeks of searching online, we never successfully booked that weekend getaway we planned for so long. It was sad when I realized how much quality time we had missed out on.
So when my son recovered, which he miracu-lously did, I set a goal to make more time. But of course, how does one make something so in-tangible as time? Well… with the help of others of course! And that’s how Ask Ajumma came to
Female EntrepeneursHow to Make Time: A Foreigner’s Inspiration to Manufacture It
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Maria LeeProud SIWA Member since 2015Maria Lee is the CEO and founder of Ask Ajumma. She is an advocate for global citi-zenry and likes to tinker with technology. Her kids and dogs taught her everything she knows.
EMAIL: [email protected]
be as a service that manufactures time by help-ing people to get things done quickly and hassle free.Don’t wait until it’s too late to do the things that you are passionate about. Go hug your loved ones, go take time to celebrate, go back to school if that’s what you’ve been wanting to do, start a business and follow your dreams because time is short. That’s what I did.
Ask Ajumma is now the #1 virtual concierge service in Korea dedicated to providing on-de-mand services for tourists, business travelers and expats. Customers simply make a request by sending an instant message and what they want is delivered to them. This kind of market-place efficiency provides unparalleled seamless-ness, scalability and ease of use.
As a leader, which is the project that you were most passionate about and remains close to your heart?
Virtual concierge is an emerging technolo-gy. Backend platforms are becoming more ef-ficient which means we are well on our way to the golden age of leisure. It’s exciting to think how we are in essence able to manufacture time. As a leader, I am most passionate about helping people save time so they can focus on the things that matter most to them. It would be amazing to see people spending more time with family and friends, taking on new hobbies and chasing their passions.
Artificial intelligence will be the way of the future, with computers that can learn and pro-cess information faster than imaginable. Being on the forefront of this technology, it’s exciting to see the progress all around us. From refrigera-tors that can order more milk when it senses it is running low and rooms that are smart enough to maintain comfortable temperatures and man-age energy efficiency on their own, these little things are all time savings that can add up to a lot.
What we do with that extra time will be the question we need to ask ourselves next.
What is the biggest challenge facing leaders today?
I think the biggest challenge facing leaders today is how fast the world is changing with the advent of new technologies. Time management is key and knowing how to prioritize what is im-portant determines our success.
Time saving applications should do just that and help aid work/life balance. Being able to work from home is great, but not when that’s all
you’re doing. Being able to connect with friends on chat is very convenient, but if you’re sitting next to the person you’re texting instead of talk-ing to them, then it might be time to reassess.
Being an effective leader is a hands-on task and that means taking to time to talk to people face to face sometimes.
As an entrepreneur and leader, what advice would you give to the budding entrepre-neurs?
A piece of advice I would give to budding entrepreneurs is collaboration and partnership is important. If you’re thinking about going at your entrepreneurial pursuit alone, you’re go-ing to have a really tough time. You’re probably talented at something, but not everything. Find others to work with and be supportive. The point is you’ll have more chance of survival as a small start-up if you surround yourself with friends that are happy to see you succeed.
Knowing we are part of a community is very meaningful because the business is centered around supporting others - both our customers and other local businesses. If you’re interested in collaborating with Ask Ajumma, contact us at [email protected]. We would love to hear from you!
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Trailing SpouseConfessions
When opportunity knocked for my husband to work in Korea, he opened the door and we all walked through it. We welcomed the adventure, but knew better than to expect it to be easy. While waiting at the airport for our flight from Charlotte, NC to Seoul, I remember making small talk with one elderly lady, mentioning our upcoming trip to Korea. “How nice! What a lovely adventure for the kiddos,” she said. But when I mentioned that we were moving there for good, she recoiled like a rattler and asked, “And you are happy about that? Uprooting your kids and all? What do you think that will do to them?” I did not know what to say to that, honestly. I simply nodded, thanked her for her concern and answered the boarding call for our flight as she prayed the Rosary.
I, too, had been wrestling with the same concerns about how our family would cope with being so abruptly and severely uprooted. Our children had all started elementary school; but how would they handle going to school one week in their Ameri-can classroom, and then the next in a class where they did not speak the language or know anyone? Did we really have a right to do this to them? I also felt a great deal of shame and self-loathing at the fact that perhaps if I had “made it” (i.e. six figure salaried career) as opposed to working freelance from home; then we would not be transplanting ourselves in a society I felt we would never really belong in. And because I had not “made it” despite having a master’s degree, I had no choice but to fol-low my husband, which, as an American, I felt as a sign of concession, rather than a sound decision. But a flicker of faith deep down assured me it was the right one, despite my apprehensions. To assuage my misgivings, I devised myself a master plan. I figured that we would all have this great adventure for perhaps a couple of years, tops, pick up a new language, and then go back to where we belong, given the right opportunities.
Four years later, however, we still remain. And throughout that time, life in Korea has, for the most part, defied the grim expectations I had had at the airport that day. Since then, my children have picked up Ko-rean, which now far exceeds my own. And I am happy to report that they have been warmly welcomed in their Korean school, with hardly any incidents of bullying. In fact, their “Americanisms” have made them an item, with parents encouraging their classmates to befriend my sons to practice English and learn about America, according to their teachers, with whom I have learned to communicate with in steadily improving “Konglish.” As my sons have adapted more seamlessly than expected, however, they still identify as Ameri-cans and long for their old school, even though language was no longer an issue. I do, however, miss helping them with homework and projects, which are now all in Korean—an area where my children far exceed me in skill. I also now shouldered the added task of working with them to keep up their English literacy— one area I could still be of help to them.
My own adaptation to Korea, however, had been far less smooth. As a seasoned wife, mother, writer and Marine veteran already in her mid-30’s, I was already set in my ways, determined not to let my residence in this geographic location change who I was as a die-hard, red-blooded American. I was so determined not to change and assimilate, I refused to study Korean, at first, or consider working outside the home, for fear of becoming “too attached.” I was determined not to let anything get in the way of moving back to the U.S. at
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the earliest opportunity. After all, most Americans and Westerners just came and went, right? In other words, I developed a sort of “cultural resistance” toward assimilating in Korea. I figured that since I already knew where I belonged, and spoke the language of where I belonged, there was no point in changing who I was. So I just went through the motions of caring for my family, writing my novels and taking in any English editing work that came my way. I played it safe by only associating with English-speaking people, and brushing up only on “survival” Korean—enough to shop, bargain, ask directions and give taxi directions, with a little small talk thrown in for good measure.
But the longer we lived here, the more Korean life started to grow on me—the way it embraced my children, and tried to embrace me, despite my resist-ance of it. And as I got to know several Westerners, including our landlord, who have stayed for the dura-tion in Korea, I came to welcome the idea of staying on, and my resistance began to peel. I began to think that perhaps, grasping the Korean language and cul-ture could make me a better American. I began to consider many positives about Korean life that I had overlooked in my staunch resistance, one of which is the safe environment that allows me to walk around alone at night without ever worrying about my safety. My children can also develop their independence by freely going places without fear of getting kidnapped, or their parents getting arrested for “child endangerment.” And most of all, the overall climate of respect for elders and authority, which enables parents and teachers alike to raise up and educate caring and conscion-able citizens.
All in all, I can say that our journey here in Korea had definitely been one of faith; and I am convinced that it is our faith that has given us, especially myself, the ability to overcome adversities and grow as world citizens.
Chiara SakuwaProud SIWA Member since 2016
Chiara Sakuwa is an American freelance writer and editor based in Seoul.
She is the author of three novels, “The Lady Leathernecks,” “The Solitaire Diaries” and the up-coming “Silver Soul.”
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An Evening in Shangri-La HEILL fashion show
SIWA friends from all over the world Photo by Christine Coulter, winner of the #SIWAgala2016SelfieContest
SIWA Charity
An Evening to Remember, in Shangri-La
The 2016 Annual Charity Gala, held April 9th at the Conrad Seoul, was a great success. Thanks to the generosity of our members, sponsors and friends in the Seoul community, SIWA raised KRW 22,700,529!
We’d like to thank all of you who attended or support-ed the Gala this year!
You will find the full list of our volunteers on our web-site: www.siwapage.com/2016-gala-volunteers/
We will donate KRW 5 million to each of the three charities selected as beneficiaries:
• AGIT Sintesi, a project for homeless children• New Light Community, a shelter for people living with HIV/AIDS and their children.• Rainbow Community, providing essential services for intellectually-disabled people.
The remaining funds raised will be deposited into the SIWA Welfare fund for disbursement to other worthy charities.
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Courtney Snede receives Volunteer of the Year award Big winners at the Gala raffle
SIWA volunteers having fun at work SIWA members hit the dance floor
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Volunteer of the Year
Courtney Snede, Special Events Chair, was awarded the Volunteer of the Year recognition at the SIWA Annual Charity Gala on April 9th.
She joined SIWA in the fall of 2014 upon her arrival to Seoul from the US, and jumped right into the role of e-Newsletter editor. She took that leap of faith and led 2015 SIWA & Diplomatic Community Bazaar. Her SIWA colleagues have described her as a giver, someone who embodies the meaning of volunteerism; a proactive leader who completes tasks with great responsibility and enthusiasm with a smile.
Check out more photos from the Gala at www.bit.ly/Gala2016photosofficial
Heill
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If you have the passion, commitment and are open to new thoughts,
for serving the society meaningfully,
Join SIWA welfare committee
today!
Write to [email protected] or enroll at http://siwapage.com/join-siwa/volunteer/
and contribute to making the future of the under-privileged better.
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A Message from the SIWA President:
I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and extend my heartfelt gratitude to all SIWA Leaders for your contributions. As a result of our team effort, we made significant improvements that will have long-term positive impact on SIWA. I have enjoyed work-ing with each and every one of you and we shared many laughs while making a difference to a great organization; you have raised the bar! I will continue to count on you for your support. Thank you again. You are an inspiration!
Thank You SIWA Leaders
SIWA Leaders | 2015-2016 Team
Name SIWA Board PositionAnne Choe PresidentAriane Amiot Board AdministratorBockhee Lee Vice President, FundraisingCourtney Snede Special Events ChairFitri Rahayuni Isenbeck Public Relations ChairGreta Tonnon Tours & Interest Groups ChairJennifer Skuse Discovery EditorJiyoon Song Sponsorship ChairKarin Stangeland Hospitality ChairMagdalena Petko Rozanska Treasurer Mahmooda Chaudhry Welfare ChairMhyla Borkowski Vice President, OperationsMichelle Morrison Newcomers' ChairMikyung Park TreasurerNeelum Sharma Vice President, Brand Communications Name SIWA Committee ChairGreta Tonnon Nominating Committee ChairJessica Raeside Social Media ManagerKelly Yoon Membership RepresentativeKyoko Kawaguchi Marketing ManagerNeeti Virmani Blog ManagerNeeti Virmani Gala ChairRaheela Khan Diplomatic LiaisonRobin Carney Newsletter ManagerIrene Nuutila Graphic DesignerRossella Meloni Website ManagerSandhya Ramabadran Content ManagerSinda Chun Membership ManagerTheresa Kang Invitations ManagerVicki Frame Invitations Manager
*In pink, the leaders who are stepping down, having completed their 2015-16 term.
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SIWA Board Position
Anne Choe PresidentMhyla Borkowski Vice President, OperationsRobin Carney Vice President, Brand CommunicationsAmy Lee Vice President, FundraisingAriane Amiot Board AdministratorSandhya Ramabadran TreasurerMichelle Morrison Newcomers ChairFitri Rahayuni Isenbeck Public Relations ChairSonali Rao Hospitality ChairGreta Tonnon Tours & Interest Groups ChairNeeti Virmani Welfare Chair* in pink, the leaders who are new in their positions.
2016-2017 SIWA Board
Please welcome the
Newcomers ChairNationality: Korean-AmericanMichelle is a Korean-American from Northern California. Since returning to Seoul in June 2009 she has devoted herself to SIWA, taking on several roles simultaneously. She has coordinated and developed a variety of sought after socio-cultural and historical tours. In addition to her role as SIWA’s Newcomers Chair, she created the International Culture Exchange (ICE) group. Michelle also leads SIWA’s Working Women’s Network (WWN) connecting members with both Korean and expat business leaders.
Michelle Morrison
Public Relations ChairNationality: IndonesianFitri is from Indonesia and moved to Seoul in Aug ‘11 with her husband who works for a Finnish telecom firm. At SIWA, Fitri was a Tours Coordinator and has run her enrichment class for creating accessories. She spent 10 years at a 5-star Spanish chain hotel in Jakarta, most recently as an Assistant Director of Business Development and previously as a PR executive. Her passions include traveling, cooking, painting and singing. Fitri is married to a German national and has a 10 year old child.
Fitri Rahayuni Isenbeck
Hospitality ChairNationality: AmericanSonali is an American citizen from Atlanta, GA. She moved to Seoul in November 2015 along with her husband and two young daughters. Prior to moving to Seoul Sonali worked in the consumer goods industry specializing in supply chain and logistics. She has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and an MBA from Georgia Tech. In her free time she enjoys traveling, exercising and reading.
Sonali Rao
Tours & Interest Groups ChairNationality: BelgianGreta is from Brussels, Belgium and came to Seoul in summer 2012 to join her husband who arrived a few months earlier. Their two sons love visiting Korea but are currently studying in Europe. This is the second time Greta leaves her full time job as piano teacher for an expatriation in Asia. While colleagues and students at the Academy are waiting for her to return, Greta enjoys the opportunity of exploring fresh horizons, making new friends and sharing adventures within the Siwa community.
Greta Tonnon
Welfare ChairNationality: IndianAn INSEAD alumna, Neeti has 15 years experience with leading Indian brands in Telecom, FMCG, Media & Entertainment – Airtel, Pepsi, Aircel & RBNL, in senior leadership roles. She moved to Korea with her husband in September 2015 & volunteered for SIWA Charity Bazaar 2015. A technology freak, she draws her energy from Yoga, Travelling, Music, Reading, Adventure Sports, Writing & Photography. Aspires to teach underprivileged kids & looks forward to applying her professional experience at SIWA.
Neeti Virmani
We have already introduced the members of our Executive Committee in the previous issue of Discovery. Here we present the other SIWA Board members. We hope you get a chance to meet them at a SIWA event!
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2016-2017 SIWA Leaders Directory EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
President: Anne Choe [email protected] President, Fundraising: Amy Lee [email protected] President, Brand Communications: Robin Carney [email protected] President, Operations: Mhyla Borkowski [email protected] Administrator: Ariane Amiot [email protected]: Sandhya Ramabadran [email protected]
STANDING COMMITTEE
Discovery Editor: (vacant) [email protected] Chair: Sonali Rao [email protected]’ Chair: Michelle Morrison [email protected] Relations Chair: Fitri Rahayuni Isenbeck [email protected] Events Chair: (vacant) [email protected] Chair: (vacant) [email protected] & Interest Groups Chair: Greta Tonnon [email protected], [email protected] Chair: Neeti [email protected]
COMMITTEE
Bazaar Manager: (vacant) [email protected] Manager: Neeti Virmani [email protected] Liaison: Raheela Khan [email protected] Class Coordinator: (vacant) [email protected] Manager: (vacant) [email protected] Designer: Irene Nuutila [email protected] Manager: Theresa Kang [email protected] Manager: Vicki Frame [email protected] Manager: Kyoko Kawaguchi [email protected] Manager: (vacant)[email protected] Representative: Kelly Yoon [email protected] Manager: (vacant) [email protected] Media Manager: Jessica Raeside [email protected] Content Manager: Kat Wallace [email protected] Manager: (vacant) [email protected]
If you are interested in volunteering to fill one of our vacant positions, we would love to have you join our team!Please visit: www.siwapage.com/join-siwa/volunteer/
Board Members after the board meeting in May 2016
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Past Tour CommentsEnjoy the Grevin Experience 7th MarchThe tour coordinator, Fitri got us special discounted tickets to this great experience of close encounter with great and famous people. Also great recommendation for lunch at the cafe . Thanks Fitri.
Pauline Tan, Singapore
The National Folk Museum of Korea 12th MarchThis was my first tour with Prof. Mason. Both my husband and I learned a lot about Korean history and enjoyed the tour. Thank you for organizing a tour during the weekend so I could bring my husband!
Karin Stangeland, Norway
Chung Young Yang Embroidery Museum 14th MarchGreat tour and rich content on Oriental embroidery art. I enjoyed it very much, especially the opportunity to make the craft at the end, it was a nice hands-on experience.
Marcela Bates, Mexico
Mountain-Spirits explained at The Museum Of Shamanism 17th MarchI warmly recommend this tour for those interested in deeper understanding of Korean culture. Out of the beaten paths, Museum of Shamanism is a unique place that could not be visited without the excellent guidance given by Prof. David A. Mason. Thank you.
Cristina, France
Antique Furniture and Organic Farm Trip30th MarchThe tour was well organised. I mainly enjoyed the part visiting the Gachi CSA organic farm. It was very informative and Mr. Kim and his wife were really lovely hosts.
Jung-Jung Wang Aebischer, Switzerland
Visit to The Whanki Museum1st April The trip was really good and I felt it as a good combination of visiting a museum plus a hike on a very good day :)
Rita Sahu, India
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Garden of Morning Calm 12th AprilAbsolutely wonderful! Fitri had everything so well organized, and the garden was stunning with all the spring colors. Thank you, SIWA!
Robin Carney, USA & Portugal
Korean Stone Art Museum 13th AprilReally enjoyed this tour. Very educational and this museum is very well stocked!
Doria Garms-Sotelo, USA
Guided Bike Ride 19th AprilGreat biking and well planned. The route was suitable and easy going, best of all good for health.
Kitja Walker, USA
Jewelry Fair Korea 201624th AprilI liked it very much. It was nice seeing the exposition and the atmosphere with Siwa was very pleasant. Thank you very much..
Barbara Berner, Germany
Discover Dobongsan27th AprilA fantastic day’s hiking, well worth all the uphill effort for the incredible views over Seoul. Thank you, Karin for guiding us so well - I will look forward to the next one.
Gail Davies, UK
SIWA Family Fun Walk and Picnic30th April It was a very great moment where my daughters and I have met wonderful and friendly women. I am happy to join SIWA. Thanks to Fitri for her amazing lunch.
Justesse Gomis, France
Past Tour Comments
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Interest GroupsPhoto ClubIn the SIWA Photo Club, participants take pictures and bring them on a USB stick to the meeting, where they get feedback from the coordinator. With all the useful input and by sharing their work, the participants can improve their skills. The theme of the next Photo Club meeting is “Photography Instruction and Review of Each Other’s Work”. Coordinator: Inyoung Choi, [email protected] more information, visit www.siwapage.com/activities/tags/photo-club/.
“SIWA Photo Club is a great idea for members who would like to enhance their photographic skills and share their work with others. So far, we have had two meetings and it has been very helpful for me to learn about not only the basics but also the artistic side of photography. Many other activities, such as a visit to a botanical garden and an artist talk are in store, and I look forward to them all. I highly recommend the SIWA Photo Club for anyone with an interest in art!” Bockhee Lee, Korea
Bockhee Lee Catherine Gelbcke Courtney Snede
Doria Garms-Sotelo Veronica Carvajal Inyoung Choi
Ines Hoehenleitner Erika Fuentes Theresa Schmid
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BOOK CLUB
SIWA would like to thank Book Club leader Shubha Maudgal for her dedicated service. Shubha led our book club for several years
and is leaving Seoul to return to India. We appreciate her commitment and wish her well. From June onwards, Ariane Amiot will be the new SIWA Book Club [email protected]
Shubha Maudgal
Interest Groups
“I have been a regular member of the SIWA book club for the last 3 years. I have found it to be an anchor for me in Seoul combining two of my favorite activities: reading and socializing. The discussions throughout have been lively and provocative and they have had an impact on broadening my world view. They have given me a greater appreciation and understanding of the many cultures that make up SIWA. I would like to thank Shubha for opening her home and her heart to us every month and for her generosity and dedication to book club. Warmest wishes for great success as you return to your home country.”
Andie Simons, USA
“I have so much more appreciation for reading since joining Book Club 3 years ago when Shubha became Book Club Hostess. She has such an amazing way of keeping us all centered on the books we discuss, and her questions were asked in a way that made us dig deeper into the meanings. The discussion was always lively, and genuine. Shubha will be deeply missed in her role as Leader, and her heart will never be replaced, but Book Club will move forward, and we wish her the best as she moves back to her mother country.”
Mary Ann Fischbach, USA
“I have only belonged to the book club a little over a year, but I have really enjoyed meeting new people and discussing all the books. Shubha has been a wonderful hostess and leader of the club. She keeps the discus-sions lively and offers much to the conversation. She will be greatly missed.”
Karen Stadnikia, USA
Cultural Connection:The Republic of Zambia21st April Cultural Connection aims to foster better understanding and appreciation of each other’s culture. A SIWA member hosts the gathering at either her home or another venue, gives a brief presentation about her home country, and shares a traditional snack.
Coordinator: Bockhee Lee, [email protected]
Moms & Tots:Lilliput Kids Cafe3rd MarchMoms and Tots provide an opportunity for “Mom members” to build friendships and meet playmates for your children. Meetings take place at a park, indoor playground, kids’ museum, or café. Members hold events for holidays, special occasions like baby shower parties, “Mom’s Night Out,” and more. Ages range from newborn to six years old.
Coordinator: Mhyla Borkowski, [email protected]
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Enrichment Classes
Enrichment: One SIWA Member’s ExperienceCourtney SnedeStudent, Korean Cooking Class
Introducing Foreigners to Korean Cooking, Spring 2016 Semester
One of the most useful and fun activities I’ve done since moving to Seoul was taking a cooking class through SIWA’s bi-annual Enrichment program. The instructor, Mrs. Sunok Moon, has over 20 years of experience living abroad and closely relates to the cultural differences between western countries and Korea. She helped her students understand local ingredients, gave us helpful recipes, and shared valuable cultural insights. Before taking her cooking class I was bewildered by many of the foods in the grocery store because I had never seen them before and could not read any of the labels. Now I feel much more confident about local products and the cuisine.
At our Korean Cooking class Mrs. Moon bought all of the ingredients we needed to prepare the dishes. She explained what each one was and where we should buy it. She also explained which ingredients were seasonal, which were appropriate for certain holidays, and the different variations of popular dishes.
Each student received a recipe book Mrs. Moon made. It covers a huge range of dishes. Each week of the class covered a type of food, so we had an entire class dedicated to grains, meat, soups and stews, fish, vegetables, gimbap and more.
On our last day Mrs. Moon walked us through the grocery store. She explained where to buy the ingredients we learned about and taught us what to look for on the signage.
The best part of the class was eating the great foods we created. It was a fun way to meet people, make new friends and learn about Korea. We’ll be able to share the Korean cuisine with our friends in other countries when we move.
Call for Instructors!Fall 2016 Enrichment ClassesIn order to promote cultural exchanges, sharing of skills and friendships between members, SIWA offers a variety of Enrichment Classes taught by experienced member teachers. Classes range from languages, art, crafts, music, culture, cooking and much more. Enrichment Classes are exclusive to SIWA members and are offered twice each year in the spring and fall.
During the sign-up event, SIWA members socialize and enjoy a cup of coffee and a light breakfast while perusing through a variety of classes.
Online class registration for Fall classes will open in Sep-tember 2016.
If you would like further information about teaching or attending a class, please contact:[email protected] www.siwapage.com/activities/classes/
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•6 Tracks, 12 Programs to experience the powerful performance of BMW and MINI.
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2016 SIWA Charity Gala
