Job Discussion Forums

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 3:46 pm Post subject:

Too right! Adaptability is the key.

But Moscow is virtually a Klondyke for any Tefler who isn't a complete idiot. even those who can't bring themselves to adapt. Who are these expats who earn but 80k a month? Get a few extra students to support whatever lifestyle you want...

teacher X · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 4:15 pm Post subject:

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 4:38 pm Post subject:

Apart from laziness and/or incompetence. A healthy dollop of that afflicting various of the ex-pat Tefl scene, until they leave...

maruss · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 1145 Location: Cyprus

Perhaps the problem also has to do with that there are ex-pat jobs in other fields in Moscow and teaching jobs for ex pats and the differential in pay and conditions between them is enormous?Foreigners with high incomes tend to congregate in places which are meant for well-heeled customers-if you are a teacher who has friends among that crowd who you want to hang-out with then you will soon find that you don't earn enough so I can see where people are coming from who write the complaints......
The truth is that the standard of living for average Russians is low compared to what we are used to in the west and in Moscow the contrasts are more glaringly obvious between the inhabitants.The cost of living is high and standards of service in many public sectors such as health and education etc. are poor unless you have money to pay for something better.Perhaps this also helps to explain some of the reasons why people want to learn English and go abroad if they can find the chance?Still, this keeps people like us busy!

Sashadroogie · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 4:00 am Post subject:

I'm not so sure that the oil-and-gas expat crowd mix too much with the TEFL crowd. So I am not so sure that envy is the deciding factor in accounting for the whining. I still stand by mismanagement of income, inability to earn more, and Teacher X's comments about lack of adaptability.

maruss · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 1145 Location: Cyprus

mistaken expectations of what Moscow will be like could also have a bearing on the way some people report their negative experiences and unfulfilled aspirations?Although I had previously been there several times and also travelled widely in Russia before I came to work and live there,I still found I needed to do a lot of adjustment until I settled in.There is no denying that it is a tough place to live in and can be very stressful at times,even more so for a newcomer who doesn't have any friends or a basic knowledge of the language etc.Other negative factors are the traffic,overcrowding and pollution,plus the inevitable winter weather and general unfriendliness of the place which can easily get you down,even more so if you don't have close friends to unwind with.