Tips & Tricks | GRRRL TRAVELER

Surviving a university job interview in Korea

Filed under Daegu, GAP YEAR TRAVEL by Christine Ka'aloa on February 6, 2012 at 1:46 am {24 comments}

: Working at a Korean university?

A few of weeks ago, when I tweeted I was undergoing a job interview in Korea, I got a response from Dave of The Longest Way Home about doing a post on ‘Surviving a job interview in Korea’.

At first, I laughed at the idea and then later, I thought…well, why not?

“K******** University wants you to contact them ASAP about a job position. Please call them; they are a very good university.”

That was the message I got from Eun-Hyung, my Korean co-teacher, last April in India. It was a university job I had applied for long before I left Korea. The position started March 1st and it was for a full-time lecturer in the Media Arts department, teaching Video and Animation. At (more…)

Making home abroad feel like “Home”: my neighborhood

Filed under Daegu, Tips & Tricks by Christine Ka'aloa on February 28, 2011 at 9:33 am {6 comments}

Do you find you often take your city for granted? I know I do.

The entire year, I took Daegu for granted, wishing I lived an exciting city-life like that in Seoul. One of the things Seoul could never replace however, is my happy neighborhood of Singi-dong.

I’ve absolutely loved living in the Korean suburbs, where life is steeped with a slow-brewing charming character.

But if you remember my first GRRRL whimper , I didn’t start that way. Instead, I went into culture shock! My apartment was on a dark and dingy alley street and my neighborhood was in the “not-so-good area”; a lower-income sector, exiled from the neon radius of city life.

Over time though, my little neighborhood of Singi revealed itself as a true gem!

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6 Western-friendly stores in Korea

Filed under * Korea tips & stays, Korea by Christine Ka'aloa on February 24, 2011 at 9:19 am {4 comments}

Food samples anyone?

Okay, Korea expat newbies- this is my Welcome to Korea gift to you; Korea expat oldies– this might give you a good laugh!

Ever taken an American road trip? You’re passing through unfamiliar terrain and you’re hungry. You want food, supplies… maybe even, a last-minute bikini! Not a familiar store in sight– just a joint selling deep-fried chicken wings, a 24-hour gas station convenience store and a biker bar. Then down the stretch you see it– a giant glowing… Target! Angels sing; there’s a halo over the neon red bulls-eye… and it’s right next to a big blue and yellow sign (gasp!) …a Best Buy! Now as a traveler, you don’t want your exotic destinations littered with a bunch of Kmarts, Walmarts and Targets. They spoil your dreamy getaway and snap you back to the ugly U.S. of A. But when you live abroad for a year or so, it’s damn hard not to feel a slight whoop! when you see a one-stop shop chain store resemblance. Korea has one-stop shopping giants, similar to Target and Kmart… with one major difference– Korea knows how to make shopping an experience!

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A Day in a Life of an MTV Producer turned ESL Teacher (Part 2)

Filed under GAP YEAR TRAVEL, How & why teach in Korea? by Christine Ka'aloa on February 8, 2011 at 1:27 am {no comments}

A Day in a Life of an MTV Producer turned English Teacher

Continued From MTV Producer to English Teacher in Korea

My Schedule:

8:25 am Arriving at school

Stepping onto the school grounds, I am greeted by sleepy-eyed elementary students.

“Hello Christine teacher!” they chirp.

“Good morning. How are you today?” my energy level shoots from 0-90, caffeinated by my students’ voices.

Alarm is the volleyed reaction. A deer-caught-in-the-headlights kind of look. My more confident students who attend after school programs might respond; but my lower-leveled students giggle and run away.

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5 Things Working at MTV taught me about teaching ESL

Filed under GAP YEAR TRAVEL, How & why teach in Korea? by Christine Ka'aloa on January 11, 2011 at 8:04 pm {11 comments}

Before moving to live and teach abroad in Korea, I had a career in producing and shooting some of MTV’s top-rated teen reality shows, such My Super Sweet 16, True Life, Engaged and Underage, Camp’d Out. What did this teach me about teaching ESL?

Directing a good soundbite (aka Pronunciation)

Did I just hear someone utter pibe vs. five?

Repeat.

My students may not be TV talent, but clarity and good enunciation is still important for an audience’s ear.

If I don’t correct their speech habits, their pibes will grow to sebens, then to elebens… until their ” pishes swim in a riber”.

ESL students aren’t the only ones afflicted with bad pronunciation habits, though. It plagues English-speakers too. I remember sitting in many Super Sweet 16ers‘ bedrooms with camera on tripod and lav mic on the talent, directing interviews and promotional reads. Sometimes, a ‘regional accent’ or ‘southern drawl’ gets in the way, making a kid sound like they’re talking with food in their mouth. Other times, it can be a speedy delivery, as if the kid’s words are exhaled into one long and slurred, run-on sentence. There were times some of my show kids were really incomprehensible…

I gave the one favorite word that I use today–

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5 Ways to Trust Yourself as a Traveler (2010 Expat Review)

Filed under Inspiration, Interviews by Christine Ka'aloa on January 6, 2011 at 6:31 am {4 comments}

All artists have a vision of their creation before putting chisel to stone or paintbrush to canvas. At times, the vision is complete; other times, it’s a vague vision with a powerful calling to step into your dream and trust.

Rounding up 2010
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”
- Lao Tzu

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5 Tips to Celebrating the Holidays Abroad

Filed under Inspiration, Tips & Tricks by Christine Ka'aloa on December 30, 2010 at 6:32 pm {8 comments}

4 Tips to Celebrating the Holidays Abroad:
So how do expats and travelers recreate their own holiday traditions abroad? Here are some ideas…
1) Hold loose expectations

Not all countries celebrate the holidays to the extent we do in the western world and a country’s lifestyle and cultural gap may make it broader. Most of Asia, for instance, celebrates their New Year in February using the lunar calendar and Christmas is usually celebrated in countries where Christianity is present.

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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}

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 my 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.

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Decoding the Korean workplace: My School Class Schedule

Filed under Survival Issues, Teaching English by Christine Ka'aloa on September 9, 2010 at 10:30 pm {6 comments}

So I’ve returned this semester to my teacher’s desk more confident, a bit more cocky and… ahem, a tad lazy. Inevitable. This is second semester and I’ve had 6 months worth of grueling experience to prime me for this lounging funk. What’s changed since last semester? I’ve come to