Job Discussion Forums

[gloomyGumi]

After 9 months of packing-ın worse than a sardine on tramways, and I mean worse than a sardine, and practically passing out on a regular basis from eıther the body-odor, bad-breath, or cigarette smoke, split shıfts, lazy students (lazy ones are actually a tad better than the ones who never show up at all), metro, lack of cooperation when asking for sımple thıngs lıke receıpts for example, etc etc etc oh and let me mentıon the paınt snıffers, beggıng gypsıes, and other undesırables lurkıng outsıde my apartment entrance day and nıght, people steppıng on my feet or bulldozıng me on the sıdewalks or on publıc transportatıon, cuttıng ın lınes, etc etc
I cannot see how anybody ın theır rıght mınd would be able to (let alone WANT to) go through thıs for more than the novelty of say 6 months to a year.

I AM OUTTA HERE. THIS TOWN AINT BIG ENOUGH FOR THE 2 OF US.

[sixthchild]

Hardly surprising, what exactly did you expect?
Fortunately, you do have at least another 79 cities to choose from for your next gig, only this time try to be a bit more selective about who you work for!

[oipivo]

Yup, that's Istanbul. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the work is steady, the pay is decent, and the food is good. If only it were a nicer place to live.

[parnett]

Any large city which has a thriving ESL industry (outside of Europe) will have the same scenario you described so eloquently. Try living in a large city in China, and the things you brought out will seem minor when compared with the spitting, public defecation and urination, incredible noise etc. that is so commonplace here.
I worked in Pusan, South Korea for a year. The noise was unbearable, along with the traffic, rude people and pollution.
I also lived in Istanbul for many years. I had to get out of Turkey every 6 months for a few weeks each time to maintain my sanity.
My advice to you is to go home and stay there (and don't even think about working in Asia).

[sixthchild]

I have to say (just to rub salt in) you have only been here for less than a year and you are whining like a little spoilt brat!
Try 15 years of going through the same day to day drudge, I am still here though and guess what, I will stay a while longer, probably because I had the sense and foresight to choose the right city and employers, get some money saved, buy a car, kick public transport, get my own place to live without undesirable neighbours and generally start to live my own life. You can do the same, just spend less on those things that may seem important to your short term happiness, but give you zilch in the long term.

[billy orr]

Get out of Turkey every six months to preserve sanity? Are you sure that is the best strategy? Sanity is a much over-rated condition, and doesn't help one at all when it comes to teaching English.

[Sashadroogie]

Come to Russia!

[parnett]

I was married to a Turk who had two children (boys 10 and 14) from a previous marriage. Try dealing with everything the poster described and then coming home to a worse situation.

[sixthchild]

Yep, seen that, got the t-shirt, some people just don't know they are born!
Ahhh, Turkish families, don't you just love them.........! When they are far, far, away!!