8page

What’s in this issue CONTENTS C O V E R S T O R Y W E L C O M E 06 EDITORIAL: ADOpTEES’ RIghT TO ThEIR RECORDS An adoptee returns to meet ghosts, gain closure and confront many closed doors. 12 KEy pEOpLE Introducing some of the editors, writers and photographers behind September’s issue 13 ThE INbOx Opinions and feedback from readers 14 MuST READS A selection of our editors’ favorite articles 18 ON ThE COvER 22 WhAT’S ON Festivals, concerts, happy hours, networking and events for every day of the month 26 ThE NEWS Funds trump rights in the armed forces; woman escapes second murder rap in deaths of lover and husband; crackdown begins on politicians’ book money; Korean executed in China for drug traffick- ing; K-pop cover dance groups overstep the line F O O D 46 Why gET A CREDIT CARD IN KOREA? After last month’s exposé on the potential pitfalls of Korean credit cards, our resident expert sheds light on the benefits. (He prefers playing good cop, anyway.) I N S I G H T 48 LITTLE RuSSIA If all you know about Russia is Putin and #sochiproblems, you’re missing out on what’s great about Central Asia: food hearty enough to get you through a Siberian winter. 52 vEgAN EATS, vEgAN DRINKS, vEgAN LOvE Forget the dog and cat cafés —check out the rescue shelter that doubles as a vegan foodie haven. The Coexistence Café knows how to walk the talk. 54 FENDINg OFF ThE WINTER bLuES Opt for dried beans this fall and you’ll be rewarded with a painless — and, if done properly, gasless — protein source that’s easy any season. 34 TRACINg AN uNKNOWN pAST The decision for an adoptee to try to find their birth family can be painful and confusing — and hardly the most difficult step of the journey. Between a child’s desire for identity and a mother’s right to privacy, whose needs are greater? 40 A SILENT SACRIFICE, A huMAN COST Groove explores the choices Korean women have when they find themselves pregnant and single: the stigma, the options and the lack thereof. 52 34 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4ISSUE 95 Check out our GrooveCast episodes on these stories at groovekorea.com. D E S T I N a T I O N S 58 ThE DARKENINg yARD An expat reflects on Western travelogues, Eastern poetry and life outside the megacities as she explores the island of Oedaldo. 62 A SINgApOREAN SAuNTER The island city-state may be the world’s most expensive place to live, but two of its neighborhoods offer cultural richness to all who walk their streets. 66 SILvERSMIThINg IN bALI Five years after exchanging vows, an unconventional couple put a unique twist on another time-honored tradition: self-made wedding rings. 58