View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
simon44
Joined: 15 Mar 2013 Posts: 118
|
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 1:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I taught in Luang Prabang last year. I was the interim Headmaster at the new international school that was setting up on a new campus.
I first visited LP 25 years ago and, due to the protected status, the town has not changed much in appearance - just loads of tourists!
Teaching/working at the school was fine (wrt my relationship with the other teachers and students), but frustrating (wrt my relationship with the school director who kept overruling my decisions and policies).
LP can be rather boring after the first few weeks. Strangers (Lao people) used to approach me in the Night Market and say 'good evening Headmaster', which made me rather paranoid, since the population of this mall town all seemed to know who I was.
Since I was single and since extra-marital nookie with Lao ladies is forbidden, this situation severely restricted my night-time activities and I feared getting arrested by the secret police......
Apart from that, I enjoyed working in LP. Teaching salaries at the international school are probably around $1500 now - they usually have vacancies.
Simon
PS - I also taught/managed a school in Yangon around 2011-2012, if you need any comments about working/living in Myanmar. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
bluetortilla
Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan
|
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 2:08 pm Post subject: |
|
|
That was delightful Simon! Thanks.
Also, I'm not a young man anymore. I don't think the restrictions de la amor will frustrate me much. : D
Myanmar is still up in the air for me. I'll definitely PM you. Thanks ahead for your time. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Prof.Gringo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!
|
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 9:04 am Post subject: |
|
|
bluetortilla wrote: |
That was delightful Simon! Thanks.
Also, I'm not a young man anymore. I don't think the restrictions de la amor will frustrate me much. : D
Myanmar is still up in the air for me. I'll definitely PM you. Thanks ahead for your time. |
Come on over, the Big Brother house is waiting for you |
|
Back to top |
|
|
bluetortilla
Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan
|
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 10:31 am Post subject: |
|
|
Prof.Gringo wrote: |
bluetortilla wrote: |
That was delightful Simon! Thanks.
Also, I'm not a young man anymore. I don't think the restrictions de la amor will frustrate me much. : D
Myanmar is still up in the air for me. I'll definitely PM you. Thanks ahead for your time. |
Come on over, the Big Brother house is waiting for you |
I got some blue tortillas for you gringo! : D |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Prof.Gringo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!
|
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 2:44 pm Post subject: |
|
|
bluetortilla wrote: |
Prof.Gringo wrote: |
bluetortilla wrote: |
That was delightful Simon! Thanks.
Also, I'm not a young man anymore. I don't think the restrictions de la amor will frustrate me much. : D
Myanmar is still up in the air for me. I'll definitely PM you. Thanks ahead for your time. |
Come on over, the Big Brother house is waiting for you |
I got some blue tortillas for you gringo! : D |
Bring me a kilo of 'em! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
bluetortilla
Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan
|
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 8:06 am Post subject: |
|
|
Well, I finally made it to Laos, though I was with my daughter traveling hence no job hunting. Going back in Sept. And figure I'll continue the posts as I seem to be the only current Laos job hunter on the board at present.
Some thoughts: while Vientiane was touristy, I did not find it obnoxiously so; not after China! While there were foreigners to be seen in the central part of town, compared to what I'm used to in Yunnan Vientianne was laid back and chill. A mountain bike or scooter will get you away from that scene in minutes. The worst places I saw 'foreign ghetto' wise were Khao San and Hua Hin in Thailand.
My daughter remarked that everyone 'seems stoned' in Vang Vienne, but she was referring to the locals, not the backpackers! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
bluetortilla
Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan
|
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 8:07 am Post subject: |
|
|
Well, I finally made it to Laos, though I was with my daughter traveling hence no job hunting. Going back in Sept. And figure I'll continue the posts as I seem to be the only current Laos job hunter on the board at present.
Some thoughts: while Vientiane was touristy, I did not find it obnoxiously so; not after China! While there were foreigners to be seen in the central part of town, compared to what I'm used to in Yunnan Vientianne was laid back and chill. A mountain bike or scooter will get you away from that scene in minutes. The worst places I saw 'foreign ghetto' wise were Khao San and Hua Hin in Thailand.
My daughter remarked that everyone 'seems stoned' in Vang Vienne, but she was referring to the locals, not the backpackers! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
EFL Educator
Joined: 17 Jul 2013 Posts: 988 Location: Cape Town
|
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 5:37 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Khao Sarn Road and Hua Hin..foreign ghettos??? More like Farang towns...with lots of strange looking native English speaking species aka aliens around...mostly illegal!!!! Enjoy the Amazing Land of Smiles |
|
Back to top |
|
|
bluetortilla
Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan
|
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 3:41 am Post subject: |
|
|
EFL Educator wrote: |
Khao Sarn Road and Hua Hin..foreign ghettos??? More like Farang towns...with lots of strange looking native English speaking species aka aliens around...mostly illegal!!!! Enjoy the Amazing Land of Smiles |
Well, 'ghetto' is not necessarily derogative, and I did put in quotes. Still, Khao San sure ain't my scene. Mostly I'm trying to say that the concentration of tourists in Vientiane is nothing compared to Khao San!
I do have much affection for LOS, that is true. Quite the exact opposite of 'somber.' |
|
Back to top |
|
|
EFL Educator
Joined: 17 Jul 2013 Posts: 988 Location: Cape Town
|
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 4:02 am Post subject: |
|
|
I agree Kao Sarn Road is nothing more than a tourist freak show...reminda me of the old TV series Lost in Space...this place is a Thai version of Farang Disney land....and there are also hundreds of EFL backpackers living here looking for teaching work. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
bluetortilla
Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan
|
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 11:52 pm Post subject: |
|
|
EFL Educator wrote: |
I agree Kao Sarn Road is nothing more than a tourist freak show...reminda me of the old TV series Lost in Space...this place is a Thai version of Farang Disney land....and there are also hundreds of EFL backpackers living here looking for teaching work. |
'Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change...'
Scam Central Asia is what I'd call Khao Sarn. Worthless junk of no quality and tiny cubes with a bed for high prices. Great stuff.
As I may have said, I was traveling with my 17 year old daughter, who happens to be half Asian. Part of the men (farang usually of Asian variety and less dignified Thais) leered at her, tons of Thais thought she was my wife or girlfriend (GROSS!) while others thought the latter but still leered anyway. My daughter started getting interested in ganja and tattoos so I was happy to get on the train to Vientiane. She also got a big kick out of some farang trying to negotiate a price for dubious services at a streetside massage parlor (one of those 'legit' looking ones with only pretty sad/bored looking young women sitting out front. The girl kept repeating 'ATM, ATM.'
Wow, what a great place to vacation and live (NOT!). In Bangkok I must say I loved the Khlong Toey Food Market though. Hey, may be a little rough but at least people are respectful and it's definitely an authentic Bangkok experience. Also, as in most countries, just attempting a little local language wins friends and smiles and lessens scams. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
EFL Educator
Joined: 17 Jul 2013 Posts: 988 Location: Cape Town
|
Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 3:34 am Post subject: |
|
|
Kao Sarn Road is simply a real eye sore for everyone...it is a place with no shame and scams abound everywhere you look. .On a different note thera are EFL teachers there who will never leave the place as they can't afford to live anywhere else in Bangkok. Many (if not all) EFL teachers here are unqualified to teach English but are qualified to become edutainers at Thai public schools! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
bluetortilla
Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan
|
Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 11:51 am Post subject: |
|
|
EFL Educator wrote: |
Kao Sarn Road is simply a real eye sore for everyone...it is a place with no shame and scams abound everywhere you look. .On a different note thera are EFL teachers there who will never leave the place as they can't afford to live anywhere else in Bangkok. Many (if not all) EFL teachers here are unqualified to teach English but are qualified to become edutainers at Thai public schools! |
Hey I'm staying in Bangkok's Chinatown at this very moment en route to Laos. What a hoot this place is! Especially at sunset, when all the denizens come out for street snacks. This is the Bangkok I love.
Yeah, the unqualified and usually pretty caucazoids are everywhere. Why study from a wrinkly old fart like me when you spend time with an exotic creature from strange and distant lands? I'm glad I'm going to Laos, where a young foreigner gets bored quickly and leaves!
The thought of living in Khao Sarn is about as bad as living in a prison. I think I'd jump off the ferry into the Chao Praya and get it over with. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
EFL Educator
Joined: 17 Jul 2013 Posts: 988 Location: Cape Town
|
Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 2:25 am Post subject: |
|
|
There are a lot of would be EFL teachers living on Khao Sarn Road....and that is where they learn to teach English Edutainment to Thais!!! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
bluetortilla
Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan
|
Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 8:07 am Post subject: |
|
|
Well, I'm here, alive and healthy. Already got a part time job (ha ha yep, could just survive on it and not many hours- still, per hour comes out to about half of what I was getting in China- on the other hand I was not allowed to practice Chinese in my classes there whereas I pretty much HAVE TO practice Lao here, something I was wanting to do anyway, so there you go).
Sorry for rambling. I'm gonna ask the school today if they'll give the paperwork for the B2 visa. I heard they have to pay employer taxes on this so he may balk. ANY WORD ON HOW MUCH WORK PERMITS ARE NOW? I know they've gone up but fear mongers are telling me I'll be paying around $500, which I refuse to believe.
Laos is very cool bit I COULD NOT STAND that area by the river. Smog, drugs, prostitution, petty muggings, sour puss locals...I'm now to the north of the city somewhere, couldn't say where yet, it's near my job, and pretty much the only foreigner. It's very quiet here off the main road.
Bad things about Laos are the not common but not rare either burglaries, particularly if you live in a row house, which I plan, and corruption with the police (I've not been hassled at all so this is hearsay so far) so I'm taking a very strict hear see speak no evil approach to everything (mb no scooter). Well, 'cept for this job I suppose but you gotta be employed to have someone fill out paperwork first that shows you're employed right? The other royal pain is not being able to open a bank account without residency- though that's hardly Laos specific. Happy hunting! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
|