Job Discussion Forums

william wallace · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 2869 Location: in between

Kinda like this scenario:

Yr 1: Hey,guys let me tell ya what happened to me....

Yr3: Hey,haven't seen you in ages,oh Marg moved where? I didn't know that!

Yr 6: But that's not how it is in X country; 2 friends moved away,one passed away.How do you get a job now ?

This is just a tad of my meaning...with scenarios wide open (but the ever growing estrangement to the forgotten home country and the never total acceptance into the foreign host country/ies (especially multiple countries)
I met a few real old timers, and they came across as lost souls (one 26years, the other 54 years)

Take "Tom" started ESL in Japan in 1951 and stayed there until about 1964, moved to Singapore till 1975, and did bouts in Thailand, Hong Kong and now he's been in mainland China since 1995.There is absolutely nothing for him back in Canada (all deceased). All the countries he's lived in have altered to such a degree that they're alien to him .I see him and the other fellow as the end product of a man with no country.Turkey was somewhere in there. He had told me that after 20 years he wanted to go back so much, but while briefly back in Canada; it was as strange as any other exotic location. So he went back to Japan, but by then ESL was a booming industry mostly for the youth, and while he was able to get employment, Japanese society was too different, and he was competing with those a third his age.

Sherri · Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 5:07 am Post subject:

mdk · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 425

It seems incongrous to speak of being homesick for Fresno, but it actually happens - after you have been gone long enough. I also have ties to my grandkids so that complicates things.

Also, while it probably doesn't mean much to most of the people on this board, you can make up to $13,000 this year before it affects your social security. If you can scrape up the 13K over 3-6 months and then have your social security on top of that to supplement what you are making teaching you can teach overseas a lot longer and in much pleasanter circumstances and still not touch your retirement capital. You work hard here for a quarter, then you are away and gone for six quarters before you have to return.

If nothing else it lets you write off your travel expenses to and from.

tedkarma · Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 11:22 am Post subject:

I don't doubt that I could go back, it's just that I don't want to go back. I love where I am now and you would have to drag me kicking and screaming to get me out of here . . .

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Would you go to a country where English is L1 but not your own country. I am in my wife's home country at the moment(canada) I am having a blast and think I could live here in Toronto. I'm not interested in going back to the UK.

I know living in a place and going on holiday for a month is not the same. Brits, would you consider living in N. America, S. Africa, Oz, NZ, etc and vice versa?

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

Sherri · Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 4:43 am Post subject:

I consider England to be my second home. I would love to live in London again. We seriously considered Australia and New Zealand before coming to Hawaii. It was way too hard to get a visa for Oz and NZ was ruled out because of my daughters health condition (prevented us from getting visas).

S

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

I'm currently based part-time in Canada (am from the US) and can't say that I like it at all. But it's Calgary that's my problem. I think Toronto or Montreal or probably many other Canadian cities would be far more interesting.

Calgary's called 'little Houston' and features the greatest number of US citizens living outside the US in any one city. And the city itself reminds me quite a lot of Atlanta, Georgia: kind of brash, edging on arrogant, highly focused on money and consumer stuff, little on offer in terms of serious culture.

Well, nice mountains nearby, that helps.

I read somewhere that for a lot of people from the US, Canada is tough. It shares most of the cultural traits of the States (which many of us left to get AWAY from) and when you live there, you haven't the advantage of actually being in home territory, with family/friends around. Kind of the drawbacks without the benefits...

And the same for Canadians in the US, of course!

Anyway, I'm obviously not trying to say that Canada's not good for US citizens or vice versa, just that my personal experience living in an English-as-an-L1-but-not-my-home-country has not been great, but that may be more due to the city than the country.

QatarChic · Joined: 06 May 2005 Posts: 445 Location: Qatar

I'd consider maybe Australia and South Africa but the process to apply for a visa is far too long...but who knows what may happen in the future? However to be honest I have always seen myself going back to Spain

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 8:34 pm Post subject:

"Can" is probably not the same as "want to." I periodically check the market in the US for various things I could do, if I needed to be there for a while, for family reasons, or whatever. But, all other things being equal, it isn't where I'd choose to live.

In response to your question, dmb,

sallycat · Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 303 Location: behind you. BOO!

well, you can go back, but it isn't really "back". after a certain amount of time, moving to a place you used to live is pretty much the same as moving to a brand-new place -- one you may or may not like.

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

william wallace · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 2869 Location: in between

You're forgetting about East Coast Canadians(unless,you're from Upper Canada Wink

), they've been heading to Toronto and West for a few generations.

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

East Coastians heading east is what I meant by forced to by things like economics.

BOBBYSUE · Joined: 15 Mar 2007 Posts: 100

My sister was in ESL for 16 years, eventually becoming director of studies and then director of a language school. She eventually decided she missed family and friends back in the US. She got on to a good MBA course by explaining her experience at the language school in business terms. After the MBA she got a 120,000 USD job; nothing to do with ESL. She's happy doing something new now and she knows she can always go back to ESL if she wants to.

She was 37 when she decided to change from ESL and she thought it could never be done, but she did it. Now I'm thinking of doing the same.