Festivals | GRRRL TRAVELER

Photo Essay: Hwacheon, Trout fishing and Winter Carnivals in Korea

Filed under Festivals, Korea by Christine Ka'aloa on February 5, 2012 at 7:41 pm {8 comments}

: Hwacheon winter festival

Work hard, play hard?… Maybe that is the Korean motto, because it seems when Korea throws a winter festival, it goes all out!

This January, I visited the Hwacheon Mountain Trout Festival. Initially, I thought the festival was purely about the spectacle of fishing for sancheoneo (or wild trout) through a hole in the ice like an eskimo or even fishing by bare hand. But when I got there, what I got was a surprising peek into how Koreans enjoy good old-fashioned winter fun.

I took the weekend bus from Seoul. Swishing past the Korean landscape for three hours at a mere 13,000 Won wasn’t a bad way to go. Hwacheon county is in the Gangwon province, which is north of Seoul, running parallel to the Korean Demilitarization Zone. (more…)

Spicy Novembers: Kimchi Making Season in Korea!

Filed under Crazy Korea, Festivals by Christine Ka'aloa on December 17, 2010 at 11:03 am {6 comments}

A couple of months back, news wires buzzed with bits on South Korea’s “Kimchi Crisis“. Korean farmers hit by a bad last winter, cabbage counts were low, heads were small… the national dinner table staple was threatened with a possible shortage! Oh no, what would Korea do? November is Korea’s kimchi-making season and families typically, buy cabbages in heaping bulks to make enough kimchi to last over winter…

Well, this past November you hardly got the impression there was a kimchi crisis at all. Giant-sized Napa cabbages were unloaded everywhere and in overflowing mass! Last week I asked for a class count of whose family made kimchi? 97% of my students raised their hands.

Korean families and their preservation of traditions.

Olympian proportions: Can kimchi be deadly or dangerous?

Before you gasp over the cabbage prices in my photos, let me add– the size of one head of a winter cabbage is a spectacle!

1. Little girl falls asleep on a pile of cabbages (notice the size comparison); 2. cabbage merchant sells cabbage, radishes and onions from his overflowing truck;
3. Napa Cabbages sold as a four-pack; 4. My hand trying to palm a cabbage. (more…)

Review: Daegu Biennale 2010

Filed under Daegu, Festivals by Christine Ka'aloa on November 14, 2010 at 9:14 am {4 comments}

Daegu Photo Biennale 2010 (website)

Crunchy art. It’s the last thing I expected Daegu to produce.

To me, crunchy art is very satisfying- a tasty and thought-provoking bit, that you must chew on in order to appreciate it’s flavored variety and texture.

When I first heard Daegu was having a Biennale, my first impulse was to dismiss it. I’m glad I didn’t. The exhibition blew me away international works that were witty, gravity-defying, wicked, romantic and… crunchy.

The Daegu Photo Biennale 2010 showcased the works of international photographers, who (more…)

Hi Seoul Festival and Media City Seoul 2010

Filed under Festivals, Reviews by Christine Ka'aloa on November 13, 2010 at 8:09 pm {2 comments}

Does Korea have a pulse on art? Maybe.

October appeared to be the month for festivals and surprisingly scintillating art. Korea and art? Perhaps this country isn’t just all world heritage sites, bundegi (my silkworm arch nemesis) and traditional crafts. Maybe it can swing with the likes of New York City, Los Angeles, Venice Biennale and Art Basel, jet-setting continents to bring together brow-raising shows.

If last month was a sample of the future, then Korea might be on the rookie list of international contenders. I took in three world-class international art and performance exhibitions; one of them was even in.. (gasp) Daegu! (more…)

Korea Loves Pepero Day!

Filed under Crazy Korea, Festivals by Christine Ka'aloa on November 11, 2010 at 9:24 pm {one comment}

How many special days do you know of named after a snack brand? In Korea, November 11 is Pepero Day. Sure, I remember eating it or something like it when I was a kid– it’s a thin chocolate dipped wafer stick! It’s a commercial type of day that the company initiated, but the young kids have turned it a bit into a Valentine’s Day, with one exception– you give out Pepero sticks! From (more…)

Andong Maskdance Festival in need of more… mask dancing?

Filed under Festivals, Korea by Christine Ka'aloa on October 24, 2010 at 2:19 pm {12 comments}

My October kicked off with the Annual Andong Maskdance Festival and friends, Gina & Joel of A Year in Daegu (you can read their review here). Now festivals in Korea can come in all shapes and sizes and yet, they can often get into the habit of feeling eerily the same. Inflated tents sell the standard Korean festival fare in foods and vendor knick-knacks; some are reserved for carnival games or an arts and crafts section for kids. This festival, being one of Korea’s better-known festivals, launched our hopes higher.

Full Story »

Video: Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival

Filed under Festivals, Korea by Christine Ka'aloa on June 25, 2010 at 10:11 am {no comments}

This is a late post but here it goes… Every March, the small village of Cheongdo (30 min from Daegu) awakens to host the Annual Cheongdo Bull Fighting Festival. No, this is not like a Spanish bullfight with a matador and lots bloodsport. This is bull vs. bull (and seldom will one die in the ring).

Full Story »

Video: Celebrating Buddha’s Day

Filed under Festivals, Korea by Christine Ka'aloa on June 6, 2010 at 3:13 pm {3 comments}

For the month of March, Buddha’s Birthday was being celebrated all across Asia in countries such as Nepal, India, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam, etc… For some countries this is a month long celebration; for others it’s less. In Korea, the auspicious day landed on a Friday (May 27) which meant three-day weekend for most of us. Preparations at Buddhist temples usually begin anywhere from a week or few in advance with paper lantern decorations [More...] and displays. Making a pilgrimmage out to a Buddhist temple is where you want to be if you want to see colorfully lit lanterns and special events performances.

Full Story »