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85 A dance floor in Sinchon, western Seoul, swings and sways to the guiro and conga rhythms of a Puerto Rican band while their Peruvian singer croons in sweet Spanish. People from Latin America, Korea and other parts of the globe writhe and gyrate to the music as others sit and talk amongst themselves. Some just watch the hypnotic dancing while drinking a bottle of Mexican beer. This is Somos, the brainchild of Miquel Gonzalez, a Span - iard who has been living in Korea since 2011. The 29-year- old is involved with the hands-on running of the club, as well as its promotion. One of his missions is to bring together Seoul’s diverse population of Latinos. “The Latin community needs places and they tend to gather here,” he said. “This is a similar place to what they find at home. Here in Korea, sal- sa clubs are designed for Koreans.” With drinks on the menu like roncola (rum and Coke), tequila sunrises and the Argentinian pick-me-up mate, the Latinos in the crowd can certainly taste a small drop of home. The sign at the entrance bids everyone a welcoming “Bienvenidos,” and the words “El que busca encuentra,” or “He who seeks, finds,” above the door reflect the warm atmosphere and sense of community at Somos. ‘We have a Latin community, but We are not connected. you WiLL find a Lot of peopLe doing different things, but We are not aWare of each other, What We are doing.’ rauL vergara, Latin american center of Korea embracing difference, connecTing communiTies Gonzalez encourages Koreans to experience the richness of Latin Amer- ican culture and language through club nights like this and participation in Spanish classes. However, he does admit that there is often a difference between the Korean and Hispanic outlooks on life. “In Korea, the values that we share are really different,” he claimed. “For example, we (Spaniards) enjoy life and socializing and being friendly and open. In Korea it’s a little bit the opposite.” His students tell him there’s no time for them to socialize and enjoy other people, so he tries to teach them there are other ways of living. Even though Gonzalez notices the students are reluctant at first, this disparity between cultures soon narrows. “They open up fast,” he recalled. “The Koreans that come here are quite natural and spontaneous and they just let it go because the environment is very friendly. That is something that really fulfills me.” This coming together of Latinos and Koreans is something he holds very dear. “To me it’s very important,” he says, “because I could fulfill my dream of contributing to Seoul in a very positive way.”