Job Discussion Forums

Otterman Ollie · Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2005 10:22 am Post subject: Going East,is it safe?

Hi
Saw an ad on Daves for a teaching pos,a few actually, in Diyarbarka of all places ,thats East,innit?
The package includes accomodation,flight ticket and salary between 1000- 1500 dollars could be a nice place for 31?
The big question is how safe is it to be there right now ?
If 31 goes who cares??

31 · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 1797

Perhaps ET will open a branch there and then I can transfer.

31 · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 1797

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

A few years ago I spent 3 months out in the east of Turkey travelling around. I absolutely loved it. However, I dont think i would like to live there.

31 · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 1797

Did you stay in cheap backpacker hostels or did you camp?

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

mostly family run places. not a backpacker in sight... except me. problem?

31 · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 1797

I knew it. TEFLers do it on the cheap. It would be a good car sticker if TEFLers had cars.

Niste · Joined: 28 Jul 2005 Posts: 73

Sorry, I know I should be ignoring this thread but I spent several weeks being a backpacker / hosteller in Eastern Turkey. It was fantastic. Along with Mardin, however, I found the Diyarbakir vibe a bit skewed. Not unfriendly, but there was a wariness about the place I wouldn't have said existed in many Turkish small towns, eastern or otherwise. Hard to pinpoint what it was or to disentangle it from my knowledge of issues such as the fact that a large proportion of the population is comprised of people resttled there from villages 'evacuated' during the PKK conflict, but Diyarbakir was not a comfortable place to stay.

The presence of an enormous military base on the perimeter of the city was disconcerting, to say the least, too. I wouldn't want to live there, but it was all right for a visit. Has anyone on the forum ever worked at or heard about the school itself ?

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Mardin, harbiye, nemrut dag, etc well worth a visit. Go for it. Very Happy

But i would not want to live there.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Sorry this off topic. Did you read about Essex Social services. They are taking kids away from their families cos they have low iqs. The kids are well fed, educated and loved, yet they were taken away because the mother has an iq of 60. Its almost Kafkaesque.

basiltherat · Joined: 04 Oct 2003 Posts: 952

Theresa · Joined: 05 Jun 2003 Posts: 75

I too have travelled a fair bit in the east and generally had a good time. Less hassle-being lone, single female-than in the west.

BUT I had an interview there and can't say I was impressed. Plus the gossip in Diyarbakir is that he's another late payer-if you get paid at all. This İS just hearsay of course and he must have got a teacher for last year. It's seems highly unlikely that any teacher will get paid that much out there. Logically, its not exactly populated with people working on the stock exchange with money to burn.

It's worth going east if only on hols. Had a great time in Van and Dogubeyazit was really interesting. Laughing