Mock Teaching Interviews & How to Teach English in Korea & Japan

It's been a while since I've posted anything on this site. But I'm starting to entertain teaching abroad again, so we'll see...

If you're new to teaching in Korea, this might be helpful. It's a rough breakdown of types of teachers they're looking for and how you'll be teaching if you don't know the language or have never taught before.  

As I've been asked to do mock teaching interviews for universities and recently, a private academy, I thought I'd do a video about mock teaching and lesson plans.   I've also posted more information on my GRRRLTRAVELER site here.

 If you're interested in teaching in Korea, visit my resource page here.

Grand Opening of "The Face Shop" in Aiea!

If you like Korean facial products and live in Hawaii then you're in for good news.

This Saturday, August 3rd is the opening of "The Face Shop" store in Aiea at Waimalu Shopping Plaza!  You might have seen other Face Shop stores in town and this is one for Leeward residents. There will be Kim Hyun Joong products (for those Kim Hyun Joong fans :), and discounts in the store for its grand opening this Saturday.

The Face Shop sells Korean facial and makeup products, and is very popular in Korea. 

Culture Clash, Korean dramas and Bad Engrish

From the Korean Drama, "Sweet  Spy".

I know I have a lot of fans of KOREA and this was too funny, not to share here.

Korea has a weird obsession with the U.S. and using ENGLISH. It's a weird status symbol for them and in K-DRAMAS, only wealthy & successful people travel or study in America.

So, I caught this scene glitch in a K-drama show. It's NOT meant to be a joke. For those who aren't AMERICAN, they make a reference to SEARS, like it's a high class store.

For Americans, Sears is known as a department store with cheap non-brand clothes and accessories.

Kim Ji Hun lei'd by fans in Hawaii

Kim Ji Hun autographs a photo for a Hawaii fan

 After a four hour plane delay in Las Vegas, Wish Upon a Star Korean-drama star, Kim Ji Hun finally arrived into Honolulu Airport and was greeted by fans, with leis and gifts. The actor seemed surprised to have fans waiting for him, but was gracious and generous to take photos with each of his fans.  

Hallyu star Kim Ji Hun makes a special appearance for Hawaii drama fans

If you're a fan of  K-drama actor, Kim Jihoon, then here's your chance to meet him and take pictures with him in person!

The drama star of Wish upon a Star, Empress Cheongu or  Golden Apple and many others, is making an appearance in Hawaii this month and the date is coming up quick. There will be a meet and greet session for fans

Top 5 fun souvenirs can you get in Korea?

What will you bring back from Korea?

If you’re visiting Korea and shopping for gifts and souvenirs to bring back for family and friends, there's a possibility you don't want to weigh down your luggage excessively with a ton of heavy or fragile stuff. Or maybe you're on a budget and just need to get some fun cute things for office colleagues. Here’s 5 fun and interesting ideas for you.

Seeing as I post more of my travel related stuff on my GRRRL TRAVELER.COM site, you'll need to click here to be redirected to the entire article. Apologies for the redirect, but I promise, it'll be fun and perhaps a little enlightening.

Korean skin care companies come to Hawaii

Kim Hyun Joong, the posterboy for The Faceshop

I've been a fan of The Faceshop for a few years now. I love their skin care products because it always leaves a fresh and clean feeling on my skin, I like their clean green and white branding and the face of Kim Hyun Joong (and occasionally Won Bin) as their poster boy isn't so hard on the eyes either.

Won Bin for the The Smim products at Faceshop

So the good news is that The Faceshop just opened a brand new second shop in Ward Warehouse. The first one opened in Mc Cully Shopping Center and they're also hoping to open a few more

Daniel Henney makes special appearance at Honolulu International Film Festival with film, 'Shanghai Calling'

Photo: Shanghai Calling 

What are some reasons why Korean drama fans should check out the Honolulu International Film Festival?...

These days, it seems that HIFF is bringing in more Korean films to satiate Hawaii's love for Asian films and to feed the growing enthusiasm towards Korean films. It could be the due to the rise of Korean drama fans and audiences in the Hawaiian Islands. This past season's lineup sported a wealth of Korean films that have hit theaters in Korea and made a popular splash, such as The Thieves.

Another reason to check out HIFF?

Well, you never know who you might see...

This past Friday, Daniel Henney make a special guest appearance at the festival for his new film, Shanghai Calling.

Okay, so the film wasn't Korean. It was based in China and Henney plays a Chinese-American lawyer

Hallyu 2 Hawaii on Blogger

So dear readers, Hallyu 2 Hawaii is starting life anew on Blogger!

We were originally on Wordpress but decided to change over.  As we already have other existing sites here such as My Crazy Kimchi (ESL teaching), my travel photography site and a Hanguk Drama Hawaii club site here at blogger, it just seemed to make sense. Now, the design templates aren't as elegant as Wordpress, but we feel in the long-run, this will be much easier to handle.

Apologies for the changes and hope you will all choose to switch over and join us here.

The Secret to Getting Perfect K-pop Skin & Skincare for Men

Lee Min Ho for Etude House

. Earlier, I wrote about BB cream as being one of the secrets to Hallyu skin, but obviously in Korea, there's more. A lot of it has to do with skin care shops, skin clinics and dermatologists ....and yes, plastic surgeons.

 If you've been watching the videos I've been posting, then you know by now, that good looks are highly prized in Korea and the social pressure to look good, even if you're an average person, is still there.

 Men and women can wear makeup and as I said with my BB cream post, many Hallyu stars promote skin care and makeup lines. Korea's kind of unique that way. In  the U.S., Hollywood male stars don't promote much in the way of skin care.  I'd say it's pretty non-existent. At the most, they'd do

Film Location: Jeju Island, Teddy Bear Museums and Korean Drama sites

 

The cast of Goong 

 If you’ve ever seen the popular K-drama show, The Palace (or Gung or Princess Diaries), then you’ll know part of the fascination tourists visiting Korea can have with the Teddy Bear Museum on Jeju Island.

 The show features cute opening and closing scenes with teddies re-enacting scenes which took place in

[* Video Pick Fridays *] Why are Koreans so into their Looks & Plastic surgery?

Why are Koreans so into their Looks?

Video Pick Fridays picks this video as #1 of a two part series looking at 'Beauty in Korea'.

 V-line chins, narrow jawlines, tall noses, double eyelids, ... there's a reason why Hallyu performers looks are so heavenly sent and why we love them over Hollywood. It's all pretty well crafted.

“It could be easily assumed that 99 percent of South Korean celebrities got stuff done on their faces,” said to Dr. Park Sang- hoon, head of Seoul’s ID Hospital (Xinhuanet.com).

I've heard plastic surgery is almost mandatory for Kpop stars and celebrities... well, maybe not or Psy.

Hanguk Friends Drama Club meeting #2

Korean drama water bottles- How absolutely creative!

  Anyeong! The Hanguk Friends Drama club just continues to impress me. It keeps your appetite wet for being inspired to grow your passion towards things Korean and my mom loves it.

 What we appreciate about the Hanguk Friends Drama Hawaii Club is that the committee and volunteers contribute a lot of time, ideas and creativity to make these meetings entertaining and original. From the centerpieces to door prizes,

Gorilla in the Cafe in Waikiki: Not as grand as it could be

Gorilla in the Cafe

 When the news hit the Hawaii press that Bae Yong Joon's Gorilla in the Cafe was opening in Waikiki, it had K-drama fans excited. What would the cafe look like, what would happen at the opening and most of all, would the Hallyu star make an appearance? According to my mother, whom I dropped off at the cafe so she could take some photos for me, the opening wasn't all that impressive.

No Korean congratulatory wreaths,  balloons or free samples, no crowds spilling out of the cafe, no menu

[Video Pick Fridays] Everyone in Korea wants to be pretty

Everyone in Korea wants to be pretty

This is video #2 of a two part series of Video Pick Fridays on the topic of 'Beauty in Korea'. This is a documentary video made by a film student shinibi on youtube.

 

[* Video Pick Fridays* ] Korea: The Art of Makeup

Last week I picked a  news documentary video on Korean makeup and this week I've another video to add to it. Why is the world turning to Korea for makeup? From China, Japan to New York, the beauty industry realizes how Korea's makeup and beauty products such as  about BB cream promotes a youthful look, gives the appearance of clear skin and natural beauty, while using all natural ingredients.

The news video takes a look how each country has had a beauty style which is changing due to the Korea's own skin regimen and  desire to look young and natural.

[Video Picks] Hallyu Star Makeup Tips 2012

The Latest Hallyu Star Makeup Tips

. Face it, if you've seen Korean dramas, you probably want to know their beauty secrets! Aside from BB cream, I've been wondering what makes Hallyu stars so damn gorgeous. The video above is from Korea Today and the morning talk show shows you how you can accentuate your eyes, giving them a little shimmer and smokey appearance, how to rosy out your cheeks, highlight your face and give your lips a natural blush.

Well, Korea Today shed some beauty and makeup tip secrets for us and frankly, after seeing just one video I couldn't stop... so I'm sharing

[Video Pick Fridays] Nail Art Trends for Spring 2012 [Korea Today]

Nail Art Trends for Spring 2012 [Korea Today]

If you've ever been to a nail salon in Seoul (read here), you'd know there's some pretty wicked nail art going on... and I'm talking art of the sculptural kind.  Again, youtube's Arirang Channel has another interesting video for Video Pick Fridays.

Seo Ji-Seok appears at Hawaii's Korean Festival 2012 (Part 2)

Hallyu's Seo Ji-Seok in Hawaii for the 11th Annual Korean Festival 

 Cont. from: Hawaii's Korean Festival 2012 was hot, yet so cool (Part 1) .

What is a Hawaii Korean Festival without a little drama fever?

Hawaii is finally starting hook into Korean culture and it's more than just Korean plate lunches and BBQ. Much of this spreading interest to learn about Korea, is largely due to the popularity of Korean dramas. Well, popularity isn't quite the word... call it a crazed fever.

 To meet the needs of this emerging hunger for dramas, KBFD TV strings out a schedule of the most

Seo Ji-Seok and Hawaii's Korean Festival 2012 was hot, yet so cool. (Part 1)

Hawaii's Korean Festival 2012 Hawaii's 11th Annual Korean Festival was hot yet so coooool. 

Aside from the Hawaiian heat making its way into summer, there were a lot of really good performances and events on the festival grounds. I know all you Seo Ji-Seok fans wanna know if the man arrived.