Christine Ka’aloa | GRRRL TRAVELER

About GRRRL TRAVELER

Christine is a Camera Operator & Producer for reality TV in North America. She enjoys photography, writing, creating art and traveling off-the-beaten path to remote countries and lifestyles she never thought she'd explore.
Website: http://www.grrrltraveler.com
GRRRL TRAVELER has written 383 articles so far, you can find them below.

November GRRR!: Chill Travel Reads & an EPIK Vacation?

Filed under GRRRL in the News, Teaching English by Christine Ka'aloa on November 29, 2010 at 8:39 am {no comments}

November almost gone and it’s a crazy time of month with news of winter camps, vacations and thoughts of if I’ll continue onto Gap Year #2. I’ve been a busy duck this past month and it’s taken a bit of a toll. The biggest question I try not to ask myself is- What will I do if my plans fall short?

Or what if I don’t get a university job by my visa extension deadline in January?

Well folks, GRRRL’s been incubating wonderful fallback plans, which entail yoga and my love for India! Looks like Plan A or Plan A? Decision time will come again soon. (more…)

1o (More) Shocking Facts about Korean Schools

Filed under Crazy Korea, How & why teach in Korea? by Christine Ka'aloa on November 28, 2010 at 9:04 am {9 comments}

Photo from Toiletpaperworld.com

Sometimes, the cultural differences of working in the Korean classroom can be a real trip for a westerner! Either you’re left open-mouthed at every corner or you’re still trying to understand the Korean logic…

Back in March when I first arrived here, I was just uncovering my new environment (Read”10 surprising facts about the Korean school”). Today, it’s become a routine; yet as much as I live the daily idiosyncrasies and tics of my kimchi habitat, some of this stuff still boggles the mind a bit. (more…)

Photo Essay: Nature walk in Muju

Filed under Great Outdoors, Jeollanam/Jeollabuk by Christine Ka'aloa on November 27, 2010 at 6:47 pm {3 comments}

Muju, South Korea.

Walking through a forest with the autumn leaves in fall and life transitions into hibernation, I walk in silence, with my camera. Life is tinged with a trails of abandon and death. From burial grounds to hunter’s markings, everywhere I turn, I’m reminded of how man continually exerts its boundaries within nature.

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Review: Buy the Book Cafe’s Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner (Daegu)

Filed under Cool/Veg Restaurants & Bars, Daegu by Christine Ka'aloa on November 27, 2010 at 6:05 pm {5 comments}

Fearless organizer, Matt holds out awesome vegan Thanksgiving dinners– something to be thankful for!

I realize I’ve a bad habit of underestimating Daegu. These days, I’ve discovered a small community and niche spots where I can get together with like-minded people for vegan food, art and yoga workouts.

Last night was another one of those nights of goodness at another Daegu dining spot which has me perked up to visiting more often. Nestled in one of the crazy offshoots of Daegu’s Bandwoldang dizzying maze, perched on the 4th floor of a building housing a Mr. Pizza, a restaurant (called New York) and a billiards room, sits Buy the Book Cafe.

An independent bookstore owned by a forwardly-fresh young Canadian-Korean family (Sandy, Yatren (more…)

Searching for a Guru: Opening Mats, Minds & Hearts

Filed under Daegu, Yoga & Spiritual Retreats by Christine Ka'aloa on November 26, 2010 at 12:25 pm {3 comments}

Sometimes, finding your guru can feel like a curse. Gurus are dangerous. The inevitable is bound to happen. The moment you develop a passionate preference for something– a gym, a dance or step aerobics class, a psychologist, a personal trainer…– it becomes a “guru”, making it hard to find room in your heart to follow another.

“My yoga is better than yours”

I hate to admit sometimes, I’m a secret snob. After leaving New York City and my wonderful home at Jivamukti Yoga Center, I was convinced nothing would offer me solace for my yoga loss. I was a bereft lover. I didn’t want any lesser replacement. No, I’d prefer to let my yogic muscles atrophy than to have another’s watery imprint on my body.

Why? Finding my yoga home took years of seeking. I sampled different yogas as one might lovers, trying various asanas, philosophies, teachers, wearing it even if it didn’t fit or was un-fulfilling. When I found (more…)

Just Show Me Pictures! Would an Expat Know if there’s a War? North & South Korea tensions rise

Filed under Crazy Korea, Just Show Me Pictures! by Christine Ka'aloa on November 24, 2010 at 4:32 pm {6 comments}

South Koreans watch the North Korean bombardment of Yeonpyeong island, which left two soldiers dead. The White House described the attack as an ‘outrageous act’. Photograph: Yonhap/Reuters (Read article here)

Yesterday, South Korea’s Yeongpyeong Island was struck by a North Korean missile, killing 2 people and injuring 16. The hit list count was less that when North Korea sank a South Korean Naval ship this past March, resulting in 40 casualties; yet this recent news still makes South Koreans a bit nervous.

North Korea’s belligerent actions are begging attention and South Koreans (more…)

My Crazy Kimchi! Teaching Blog Update

Filed under Teaching English by Christine Ka'aloa on November 22, 2010 at 11:24 am {no comments}

My two chirpy students: 5th grader, Jung In and 4th grader, Sung-In and my first student artwork gift.

What am I thankful for this Thanksgiving? The answer is easy~ it’s my students! They’ve been my biggest source of inspiration, motivation and learning; they are my love life!

(Okay, I mean that in an innocent way and not skeevy! It really means that someday I’d like to have kids of my own!)

Thanksgiving is this week and while I won’t be celebrating the holiday, I will be teaching it to my Korean 4th graders; so at least I won’t lack in spirit! But seeing as this is a time for sharing and being grateful for what we’ve learned from others, I thought I’d share some tips as well as, update you on what My Crazy Kimchi! has been learning from students in the Korean classroom! (more…)

Solo Jeju: Riding a Scooter around Udo Island

Filed under Interviews, Jeju Island by Christine Ka'aloa on November 20, 2010 at 2:41 am {11 comments}

Udo Island is exactly what I thought Jeju Island would be– a small island swaying with a warm and tranquil vibe, the crisp mixed scent of island farming and seaweed, volcanic rock beaches and gentle livestock grazing alongside small country roads. Best of all, it could be done solo and by scooter!

After a 3 hour bus ride to Seongsanri Port, I arrived at Udo Island via ferry at around 4:10P…the last ferry leaving the island was at 5:30P. Call me foolhardy but if I spend hours on a bus just to get to a location, I’ll be damned if I leave without seeing it! So there I was with a little over an hour to explore the island.

Casual biking excursion? An island bus tour or a Olle trek? Originally, this might’ve been my first (more…)

Photo Essay: Lost in Jeju Island’s Gimnyeong Maze Park

Filed under Jeju Island, Photo Essays by Christine Ka'aloa on November 20, 2010 at 1:32 am {6 comments}

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be lost in a maze? Mazes have always seemed to be the stuff of minotaur myths. They were something I’d only seen on TV in period dramas and movies like Harry Potter or The Shining. Finally, on Jeju Island, here was my chance to see one.

Sometimes, Jeju can feel a bit random with the variety of theme parks they have. What’s great about this is that the ideas are well-executed and steeped with a kind of off-the-wall self-humor.

Coming from the Manjanggul Caves, about a 15 minute walk, was the Gimnyeong Maze Park. The maze wasn’t of epic proportion nor was it as difficult as I thought, though it’s imaginable that people can get lost in there for some time before they call out or phone their friends for help. There are observation decks which overlook the serpentine maze and a victory bell, which you can ring (more…)