Job Discussion Forums

[cronolegs]

Korea is "ok", im not unhappy here, yet the country is lacking excitement for me.
The money is good I think. I managed to save roughly $1000 last month whilst still spending time in bars and travelling around a bit.

But I have my sisters wedding back home which I have to attend in 2 months time. My school has refused time off work so I am being forced by my family to quit.

I spent a year in Vietnam (not teaching) and loved it. What Korea lacks for me is that craziness, freedom, flexibility and randomness that a less developed country offers.
So I might take this wedding as an excuse to leave and move to another Asian country.

So question 1 - Does China offer that dirty, difficult lifestyle similar to Vietnam).
Having a motorbike to roam free is an absolute must for my next destination. I didn't do any research about Korea before I came and was incredibly disappointed to find they use cars instead of motorbikes

Question 2 - The salary threads on here seem really really vague (it depends.... it depends.... it depends)
Am I right in saying to make a $1000 profit is near impossible in China for a relatively new teacher?
However your work hours seem far more flexible and shorter than Korea assuming the job is selected carefully.
Is this correct?

[Non Sequitur]

Assuming by '$1000' you mean US$ I would think it hard.
That's RMB6400 according to XE.com and many uni jobs which are say 16 to 18 contact hours pw would pay around RMB5000- 5500pm.
Sure you can roar around town doing privates but if you want any kind of lifestyle (as you seem to) I would have to say China ain't for you.
Wish I could be more encouraging.
Others may differ.

[voltaire]

China is as down and dirty and real as your bored heart could desire. I only ever visited China, but it's the nearest I ever felt to being on another planet. So if your choices are China or darkest Africa, I'd go with China. Less street crime.

[xiguagua]

I would agree with Non Sequitur. Making $1000 profit per month would be pretty difficult with one job. It's not impossible of course, but hard. You'd have to do lots of privates, and some other jobs and then i'd caution you because of the "foreigner crackdown" which if going nationwide could land you a quit ticket home if they decide to enforce it and catch you working outside your school.

[cronolegs]

Thanks for replies so far.

[Ariadne]

I can understand the wish to ride a motorcycle. It's been a few years, but yes, it can certainly be an exhilarating experience. I do not understand the wish to ride a bike without a helmet, especially not in China. You might be free, but so is the cement truck that just pulled out in front of you. Traffic regulations are still just suggestions here.

Just thought about it a little more and decided you're going to be smashed by the cement truck anyway, so why bother with the helmet. Go forth and be free.

.

[Steinmann]

Best helmetless ride I ever had was heading across South Dakota on I-90 from Sioux Falls to Sturgis in '06. Zwounds, but that was the best leg of that trip.

I know just what you're saying, brother.

[twilothunder]

You've not said what your qualifications are.

Subject teachers and well-qualified (CELTA minimum) English for Academic Purposes teachers can (and commonly do) make over 15000rmb even in second-tier cities at A-Level and IB centres.

With free accommodation, saving 10000rmb a month is possible without living a spartan lifestyle.

[Simon in Suzhou]

China is much more interesting than the bland country you're coming from, but it's not exciting in the same way Vietnam is. Vietnam has it's own "wild west" character that is pretty unique. I think your chances of saving $1000 is a little better there. Unless you have good credentials, it takes some time to network in China to raise your salary.

[isitts]

[Lobster]

Roaming free on a motorbike here isn't the easiest thing. Some cities ban them, and some are quite harsh about riding without the proper documents. Unless you're happy with 50cc, be prepared for quite a runaround before you're tooling around. I've been riding here for over 6 years, and it's not a place to let your guard down, ever. I always wear a helmet. It probably won't be the cement truck that gets you (although it's quite possible) , but rather some beep walking or on a bike that makes you lay it down. That's when you want some head protection to keep a minor crash from becoming a fatality. In some places, they like to steal manhole covers for quick scrap metal change. You don't want to hit that at any speed.

RED

[cronolegs]

I was travelling around in Vietnam, was actually on my way home (last destination) from travels but loved the country so much I could never bring myself to leave. Spent a year renewing a 1 month visa on black market

To finance my stay I actually ended up renting a hotel (for business) through various Vietnamese friends I made.
However it was impossible to make money because the police monitored it's activity. In high season the bribes magically increase etc etc with not alot I could do about it.
So I had to pack it in. - well sort of. Friends still there running it but its on its last legs.

My qualifications are BA in IT.

I have no work experience so recommendation letters are crucial to me now because I have been travelling for two years. (22/23 now)
My CV is beginning to look like a lost Soul travelling through life with no commitments.

From what you guys have said China is not worth the gamble. If I go home for this wedding im better off going back to Vietnam and trying to get skype teaching up and running along side the fairly random teaching market there.

Also seems you need two years teaching experience in China for a decent job?

[mandu]

You should go to Taiwan

[isitts]

[unclealex]