Job Discussion Forums

[Dolma]

Hello! I am a 38 year old woman(unmarried, no kids) currently working as a librarian in NYC and wanting to get back to TEFL after 10 years(I have no TEFL cert but would like to get one since I want to do this long-term). I taught in Italy(Venice) and found it very difficult to find jobs. Now I would like to try Asia, because I have traveled there as a tourist(India) and short-term TEFL volunteer(Nepal) and as a Buddhist practitioner look forward to the opportunity to study dharma and Asian languages in my off-time. While I adore Nepal and my first choice would be to teach there I do not want to make the same mistake as before, being so emotionally tied to one place that I am unable to find good work and end up exploited as a result. The Maoist situation scares me and pay is not good in Nepal, so I am contemplating going to China or Taiwan to get experience and hopefully a TEFL cert. Thailand seems a good place to start out but I am tired of all the guys posting about how great the local women and the party scene is. I'd like to hear about the local guys for a change... My question is what are the best countries for women to teach in, especially over-35s? I'd like to know about social life, job opportunities, street harassment(I'd like to feel comfortable walking on my own), teaching experiences, etc., etc. Thanks and Namaste.

[hesterprynne]

I am almost 34. I think you would find China a cultural wasteland. What do you need in your life to make you happy? A decent yoga teacher? Try Shanghai or Hong Kong. Idealism? Volunteer in Inner Mongolia or Zhangjiajie. Open-minded, spiritual people? Perhaps the closest to that you will find here are the B'ahais. A man? Few and far between here. Real conversation? You can talk to the hooker-chasing men, the pampered expat business wives, the young party animals, the Sinophile backpackers, or the face-saving Chinese. "WHAT? You can't buy pirated DVD's here. WHAT? There are no abortions if the baby will be a girl! and so on with the illogical statements which are almost beyond belief. I am not in a position to travel now. I would love to hear about your previous experiences in Asia. If you come here, bring a huge dose of pragmatism, with regular boosters, lots of books, save your money, and travel often.

[moot point]

Travel often? You have just painted the whole region negatively. Where to travel, then? Perhaps the travelling destination is the place to seek employment?

[hesterprynne]

What a great username! I was reading her clues- librarian- needs order and intellectual stimulation- likes access to new reading material...lives in NYC- likes access to cultural events.... adores Nepal, hates Maoism, has been taken advantage of in the past- so is an idealist, sides with the underdog.... One thing that is very tough for me here is a lack of fresh reading material. I also find the people to be disturbingly practical! I have looked at my lifestyle to examine how I could improve my experience here. One thing I could have changed was to have done more travelling. Other teachers here who have done more have found the region less oppressive because of it. When I have ventured out, I did find points of interest and peaceful places which gave my soul some respite. One ought to be firm with one's employer and insist upon some travel time which is not during peak travel time for the rest of the country- defeats the purpose! The problem also is that I have been here too long without a break, and occasionally with a hectic schedule. I am currently enjoying the calm before the storm- I am due to be much busier very soon!

[Dolma]

If I needed order Nepal(and Italy) would be the last places I would want to settle... Seriously, thanks for your input - you are right in that travel gives you some breathing room - it's good to have a change of scene once in a while. I wouldn't have been able to stay as long in NYC as I have if I hadn't been able to escape the madness a couple of times a year for the cleaner air of Vermont. Despite the whole sex tourism scene, I am leaning towards Thailand as a starting out place-it seems easy to get a TEFL certificate, jobs are plentiful, living is relatively cheap(as are tickets out!) and even though BKK seems like a tropical NYC there are lots of temples and natural spots to explore outside the city. I think I could give it a year anyway and then who knows? Two of my Buddhist teachers have practice groups in Taiwan so I might look there. I will probably go to Nepal eventually anyway, damn the Maoists, full speed ahead, but would like to experience other places along the way. If you are looking for cheap reading material you couldn't do better than Kathmandu - loads of used bookstores in the tourist area(Thamel). Thanks and Namaste, Dolma

[hesterprynne]

Keep us posted. It will be interesting to see where your journey takes you. Care to tell us more about Nepal?

[Dolma]

On Nepal: I volunteered for a lama currently living in NYC who runs schools in Nepal and South India. I was only able to give it a month since this was the maximum time I could take off work. I happened to arrive on 6/2/2001, the day after the crown prince went crazy and shot his entire family. Needless to say the country was in a state of shock, and I had to deal with curfews(one beginning at 12 noon) for the first two weeks of my stay. Nepal itself is definitely 'third world', everything you would expect, cows, unpaved streets, garbage piles, people living in tin shacks, beggars...and this is just on the road leading from the airport into K'du. Despite the poverty and the situation that I happened to jump into, the people are friendly and helpful. Maybe it was because it seemed I was the only westerner in Nepal at the time? The school was located across the street from the famous 'Monkey Temple'-Swayambhunath Stupa, and at 5:30 every morning the lama's mother and I would circumambulate it. What a spiritually powerful area and a wonderful way to begin the day.The young(8-13y/o) monks who were my students mostly came from the ethnically Tibetan region of Mustang. They were wonderfully polite, attentive and kind, and seemed delighted to have a real 'inji'(westerner) as a teacher. Every morning they would stand and say 'Good Morning, Miss Dolma!' and after class one of the monks would carry my books and supplies to the office. I had a private room and all the tea, dal bat(lentils and rice), roti and tukpa(Tibetan noodle soup) I could eat. My final week I spent off sightseeing since the monks were camping on the grounds of the new school in Pokhara for groundbreaking and didn't want any women around for modesty's sake. I still felt nervous going too far afield b/c of the political situation so I mostly stuck to areas around the K'du Valley: Patan, Boudha, etc. as well as the city itself. Everything is amazingly cheap-food(though not the best tasting), taxis, rooms, clothing, books, etc. I could write volumes about Nepal but you get the picture. It's beautiful but not the place to go if you want all of the mod cons and perfect sanitation. You have to watch what you eat and drink. The Maoist situation is frightening despite that they have said that Westerners are not targets. A friend of mine recently returned and said he felt safe(at least as safe as in post-9/11 NYC...), my Nepali friends say I should go back, so who knows? Namaste, Dolma

[hesterprynne]

Did you manage to avoid getting sick while you were there? Could you live under those conditions long-term? Life is a lot easier here- we have a decent variety of foods to choose from. Lentils sound great right now, though- my dad makes them in the winter- they are comfort food to me!

[Henry_Cowell]

Cambodia or Laos might be good alternatives to Thailand. There are far fewer jobs in C and L than in T, but the culture and opportunities might appeal to you. But don't write off north and northeast Thailand, either.

[Dolma]

hesterprynne: I did get the runs after a couple of weeks but it was pretty minor and to be expected. I didn't need to take the antibiotics which I brought with me. I got my shots up to date(including typhoid and hep A) before I left USA. I was very careful-used boiled/bottled/iodine treated water for drinking and brushing my teeth and avoided swallowing any water in the shower. I mostly ate the monastery food and good fruit-the mangoes and bananas are much better than the bioengineered crap at US supermarkets and reminded me of home(Hawai'i) . When I ate out I tried to go to heavily trafficked restaurants except for a couple of momo places in Boudha(momos=boiled=OK). I avoided eating meat, which I pretty much do anyway. I don't know if I could eat dal bat every day(though I make it a lot at home), but K'du is full of restaurants which serve all kinds of Western food and is well known for its bakeries. There are no fast food franchises-gotta hop on a plane to Delhi. There is a very good Belgian frites place in Thamel. It would probably be a lot to deal with long-term, but I had to adjust my standard of living a lot when I came from Hawai'i to NYC so I think I could deal. As far as getting sick is concerned, the sickest I have ever gotten was in Hawai'i when I came down with salmonella, so you never know...
Henry: Cambodia and Laos sound interesting. How do you find out about teaching jobs there? I had a Cambodian boyfriend in HS, so I have some affinity for the place already... I will probably get my CELTA in BKK, but am open to going anywhere after that. Forests, mountains and monasteries are definitely more appealing to me than nightclubs and beaches. Namaste, Dolma

[Henry_Cowell]

dolma: Research, research, research. There is a search feature here on Dave's cafe. Use it to look for info on Cambodia and Laos. I believe that there are some discussions of C and L that might help you. Also, check out the resources that are listed as Stickies at the top of the Thailand forum.

[Dolma]

Thanks Henry! As a librarian 'research' is my middle name. I'll search for the C & L threads here. I don't know if you get to watch much American TV, but whenever I think of Laos I think of Khan and Minh Souphanousanphone(sp?) on "King of the Hill"(just about my favorite show). "I'm Laotian." "What ocean?" "I'm from Laos, stupid! It's a landlocked country in Southeast Asia!" Namaste, Dolma

[Wisco Kid]

see my reply under your Dharma post.

I recomend Thailand. It's not all "beaches and nightclubs". There are lots of interesting temples and great food everywhere. Also Bangkok and Chiangmai both have good used books stores. And with a Hawaiian background you will probably enjoy the tropical weather and abundant fresh fruit.

Aloha

[bailemos]

Great to hear /read of other people (my age !!!) getting out there and teaching and travelling ..

I'm a high school teacher in need of new horizons and adventures...
I've been looking around for a while, off and on, for a teaching job in preferably a Buddhist country. Have been very keen to go to Japan but am cooling off there now with lack of success in scoring a job ! Thailand also appeals alot, as do Vietnam and Cambodia. In spite of my interest in Buddhism, I'm hoping to get a decently paying job - initially at least. I hope to end up in Thailand, Cambodia or Vietnam eventually though ... all the best !

[Dolma]