Job Discussion Forums

[shibainu69]

Hello all.

Im thinking about a move to the UAE with my Japanese wife.
Currently living in Japan and lecturing at 2 unis. I am making 6 million yen a year which is about 60K US. It not bad but not really good enough since the apartment costs 10K a year plus tax and medical deducted from that. Food is expensive in Japan too would you like to pay 5 bucks for 250 grammes of cherries?

Anyway my quals are 4 years ESL junior/high school teaching in a Japanese school.
then post MA TESOL
1 year full time teaching in a Korean University
3 years part time University lecturer Japan, teaching Academic writing, reading, presentations.
I am also studying a Phd in applied linguistics part-time
I have 4 publications

So here are my questions.
1. What kind uni post could I get money wise and benefits per month tax free plus apartment plus medical how much????
2. Could my Japanese wife work? She has a 700 toeic score.
3. Could I get a dog? would it survive the heat?
4. How much is a second hand car?
5. How dangerous is it for women?
6. If I finished my Phd how much more money could I make?
The only reason I would go and live in the UAE is monetary, so thats why my post is so money money money, if money wasnt the main factor I would go and teach English on the French riviera.

Lots of quesitons, I really have no clue I will probably visit before even looking for a job.

[PC Parrot]

In the UAE, were you to get a job, you should be looking at $65,000+ / year + one month's salary gratuity/year + housing + health + flights + schooling.

Could your wife get a job?
It depends what she wants to do and what qualifications she has.

2nd hand car?
Anything from $1,000 to $100,000. A 6 yr old, medium range, 4x4 with under 100,000km on the clock will only set you back $11,000 to $12,000.

Dangerous for a woman?
Not if she is sensible.

Dangerous for a dog?
Not if it is sensible.

Would a PhD increase you salary?
If you changed jobs it probably would. You would also have the opportunity to get a job in faculty teaching on a TESOL degree course, which would entail better working conditions all round.

[nomad soul]

You'd have to apply and get an offer to see what you're worth, especially since the majority of your teaching experience hasn't been full time. The big recruiting/hiring season is from March onward. Most unis prefer to recruit/interview candidates attending the annual TESOL Arabia, TESOL International, and IATEFL job fairs.

The UAE is safe. Many of your questions about general life and costs in the UAE have been answered on several popular UAE expat sites. Do an Internet search on expat forum UAE for just about anything related to life in the Emirates. It's worth your time to check out the threads on this ESL forum as well.

[D. Merit]

And 250 grams of cherries = at least 5 bucks.

[2buckets]

Having lived and worked in both Japan, (Kyoto), and Abu Dhabi, you will find the UAE the absolute antithesis of Japan.

In Japan, clean, orderly, dependable, polite.

The UAE is clean, but only because there is an army of poorly paid laborers perpetually cleaning up. You need to deal with some bureaucracy for many things, and it is usually a nightmare. People don't know how to get in an orderly line. Your wife will often be seen as a low paid Filipina housemaid or other east Asian and may be rudely treated or worse. (My wife is Chinese).

If you are happy living in Japan, with one of the most sophisticated cultures in the world, and an appreciation of some of the finest handicrafts and art in the world, I would stay in Japan. I think your wife would have a difficult time adapting unless she has had extensive experience outside of Japan. The only Japanese wife that I know of couldn't stand it and returned to Japan in a few months. Her Canadian husband was so distraught that he jumped off his 14th floor balcony. I know that is extreme, but suicide is not uncommon, especially among the poorly paid subcontinental population which make up about 80% of the population.

Money isn't everything, and you never have real job security anywhere in the UAE. Contracts mean nothing, expats may have somehow (unknown to them) offended someone and they are out on the next plane.

Gulf Arab students rarely study, do homework and will copy and cheat whenever they can. They call it "helping my friend" which is culturally acceptable. Often teachers just ignore the cheating because if they report it, they may very well lose their job. I've seen it happen more than once. Japanese students in my experience are hard working, diligent, honest and a true pleasure to deal with. (My Japanese students were mostly working adults).

Again, if you are content there, just enjoy life, and maybe work a little longer to meet your financial goals in a culture that has infinite attractions.

私は日本が大好き

[shibainu69]

[Neutrino Girl]

[veiledsentiments]

Another important factor is how well your wife could deal with it. How flexible and adaptable can/will she be for the chance to pad the savings account?

I suggest that you make that trip to the UAE next year to attend the TESOL Arabia conference and job fair. Come before and see a bit of the country and lifestyle... then do some interviewing to see what opportunities there are... and network with fellow TEFLers who live there.

VS

[shibainu69]

yes, good advice.
BTW whats the weather like in the UAE? I heard 6 months is hell where you need to be in airconditioning non stop.
What about the rest of the time? is it pleasant enough to play tennis outside etc...
Also what about a dog? wont it peg out in the the heat? Seriously how do you walk a dog when its 50 degrees? They need to go outside to pee and poo so what do you do in that case?

I think non-working wives are ok in the UAE if they have kids to look after??
I dont know about that canadian guy but he seems like a right nut job he could have easily gone back to Japan, but I guess suicide seemed less of a hassle.

[veiledsentiments]

Ah the weather... think of the hottest most humid summer day in Japan... then make it more hot and humid. If you are on the Gulf (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, RAK, Sharjah), this lasts from about late April to late October. (most universities give you 6-8 weeks off in the middle of this) The other 6 months, the weather is gorgeous. There are also positions in Al Ain which is a tad hotter, but much less humid. How much outdoor activity you can tolerate during the hot season really depends on your tolerance. It tends to improve each year as you acclimate.

Dogs are pretty adaptable. I suggest that you get a small dog that will happily stay in a flat much of the time. It is also possible to "potty box" train a dog - like a cat - as long as you get it as a puppy and devote time to the training. My dog is trained to do this (she had it down pat by 3 months) because she was originally my mother's dog and she was physically unable to walk a dog. And if you get an adult shelter dog used to the outside, you will find that if the weather is really bad... they can potty pretty quickly.

Most expat wives seem to do well enough in the UAE. Having kids will certainly take up much of their spare time... plenty of shopping centers... and ladies that lunch. But she does need to be prepared for the racism and sexism that exists there.

VS

[Chuma]

[nomad soul]

[adorabilly]

[adorabilly]

[shibainu69]

thanks for the advice.
Should I buy a dog in Japan and bring it to the UAE? or buy one when i have arrived? which is cheaper? in Japan they cost about 2500 dollars for a toy poodle.
Another question is what is the free housing like?
I just read a thread about someone being housed next to a dormitory full of 100s of horny men raping women with their eyes. Is that usual, do any universities have good housing?
Surely if they show you an apartment and its bloody awful you can tell them no thanks show me another can't you?