The scent of newly-gathered herbs, fresh fish on ice, and the steady buzz of neighbors greeting each other over crates of tomatoes, artichokes, lemons… visiting a market gives you a true glimpse into life in the Peloponnese. Twice a week, the Kalamata Open Market (Λαϊκή Αγορά Καλαμάτας) spills into the back lot around the permanent…
The seaside town of Kalamata is the central port of the region of Messinia in the Peloponnese, and one of my favorite stops in Greece. Despite being from Hawaii, I’m not much into beaches (I know!) but I do LOVE being near the water. Towns with mountains that slope down to the water, as the…
Most travelers come to Istanbul for the history and you absolutely can’t miss sights like the Hagia Sophia, Sultanahmet (the Blue Mosque), the maze-like Grand Bazaar, or a cruise along the Bosphorus, as those are all unforgettable experiences. But if you’re the kind of traveler who loves to go beyond the typical tourist stops, or…
Despite being born and raised on Maui, I never learned the Hawaiian Language, ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i. Back in the 80s, we had a kupuna who visited our school once a week to teach us things like the words for colors or simple chants, maybe. It was all around us of course, in music and something you’d…
We compared four of our favorite local poke spots in central Maui to find the best of the best. See the results from our “poke battle” and what we tried!
As a language lover myself and an Online ESL tutor since 2017, I know a thing or two about Language Learning! Here are my favorite resources for students, teachers and self-study language lovers.
Lately it seems that there’s a new headline every week with a natural disaster occurring somewhere in the world. Fires, flooding, hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis have become an unfortunate part of our everyday lives. As travelers, we may often have a familiar connection to the place, having lived or traveled there or thinking of someone…
Istanbul is a huge, sprawling city with twice the population of New York City. When I first arrived ten years ago, I spent my time mostly on the European Side close to the historic center or maybe in Beyoglu or Karakoy. In my first few nights, I stayed near Taksim where it’s quite loud. There…
I believe that food is a universal language. It’s a common ground that unites us, no matter our background or history. To me, it’s also the quickest way to connect with a local culture when I travel. So even for a short trip, I really try to prioritize learning at least a few key phrases….
I’ve always been fascinated by foreign languages and different cultures. When it came time to choose a language to study in high school, I couldn’t decide—so I chose to study both Japanese and French! I’ve traveled to 43 countries now, and even when I’m taking a short trip to a place where English is not…
