Job Discussion Forums

Mark Loyd · Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Posts: 517

A nice little story for newbies to Turkey:

A man was in heaven but found it a bit dull. The people were lovely but nothing exciting ever seemed to happen. One day the man went for a long walk and came to a great door which was guarded by a giant. The man asked the giant what was behind the door and the giant replied that it was hell. The man asked if he could go in for a look round and the giant laughed and opened the door. The man went inside and there was a great party going on. Loads of music, eating, drinking and dancing. Couples were pairing off and everyone was having a great time. The man stayed the night and went back to heaven in the morning very perplexed. He had a meeting with God and asked if he could go to hell permanently and God said yes but he could not return. He went back to the great door and the giant opened it for him. In he went but this time he found a dirty, dank place with rats running around and half-starved wretches everywhere. He called out to the giant and asked where was hell and the giant said that this was it. When the man pleaded that this was different the giant laughed and said the first time the man visited he did it as a tourist but now hell was his home.

Baba Alex · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 2411

FGT · Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 762 Location: Turkey

Nice story.

If you're trying to make an analogy, remember - you didn't commit for ever like the man (person?) in the story. You CAN leave. You can change jobs/schools/cities/countries etc. Good luck wherever you go.

Maybe the moral of this tale is that we create our own heaven or hell here on earth.

mavazah · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 21 Location: East Beijing

FGT, beautifully said.

Mark Loyd · Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Posts: 517

Yeah, Turks are trapped.

calsimsek · Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 775 Location: Ist Turkey

Mark:

Mark Loyd · Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Posts: 517

Your (sic) right I am not trapped. Love it or leave it, your (sic) right.

ghost · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 1693 Location: Saudi Arabia

Many foreigners and foreign teachers have a love-hate relationship with Turkey, in which they (the foreigners) often feel frustrated and want to give up and go home, and some of them do. But then, many of those foreigners come back to Turkey, attracted, no doubt, by the relative ease with which one can gain employment as a 'teacher' and the relatively good pay and conditions, in a country where your money (still) goes a long way....especially in comparison with other Euro. destinations.

In 2003, for example, ghost averaged just $20 U.S. per day, when on vacation between jobs....(in Antalya) and that included lodging (a very nice guest house in Antalya with private bathroom) and meals out, and everything else.....when ghost then went to Barcelona (Spain) (January 2004) it (ghost) was shocked at the prices....for even basic living (in a hostel and eating in the cheapest dives)....in Barcelona, ghost could not live for less than 45-50 euros per day...such was the expense of the place.

But to get back to Turkey....it is still one of the best deals in Europe, but that may change when (if?) Turkey gets formally admitted to Europe, and even before, as the economy in Turkey is on the upswing, and even without Europe, Turkey can improve.

At the end of the day, 'teachers' in Turkey do very well (compared with Spain/Portugal/Italy/France) in terms of disposable income....and they can spend, eat well and travel within Turkey.

Ghost makes much more money in Taiwan (over $2000 a month, for just 12 hours teaching a week) and is able to save over $1000 U.S per month, but the quality of life in Taiwan leaves much to be desired, and ghost has particular reservations about the horrendous traffic, pollution, and crazy road behaviour of scooter riders.....

Enough said.

Ghost in Taichung, Taiwan.

Mark Loyd · Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Posts: 517

Agreed.

The human flotsam and jetsom of the English speaking world end up tefling and the tefl grapevine says that they can easily get a job in Turkey. In their own countries they would be unemployable so with a few photocopies they become teachers. Sime leave but many stay for the easy job, cheap drink and easy sex.

True the schools often treat them like the cattle they are and rob thme blind. See my thread on the disgraceful treatment of eslteacher 1973, which by the way saw a 100% yes vote.

FGT · Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 762 Location: Turkey

Some of us had other jobs in our places of origin.
Some of us would be able to return to better paid jobs where we came from.
Some of us choose to stay in Turkey and take English language teaching seriously.

Don't tar everyone with the same brush.
Don't assume that we are all as desperate as you, Mark.