Job Discussion Forums

[mick_luna]

I teach ESL for bread and butter, but visual art and writing are my life.


Any ideas on this? I have lived in Hanoi and Prague, but the latter was inundated with foreigners, forcing up prices and lowering work opps.,while Vietnam is good for work opps. and pay, low cost of living, but very conservative and xenophobic. I'm looking for somewhere friendly, with affordable real estate (like under 20,000 USD) and some means of sustenance (i am a visual artist/freelance writer/journalist and English teacher).Brazil and the Solomon Islands were lovely places, with very nice women (although Brazil is extremely stressful, violent, and still has slavery), but neither place is recommended for someone who has to work.

I am looking at Eastern/central Europe, outside Prague, and Newfoundland. Any other ideas or info would be most welcome.

i'm currently in toronto, which i don't recommend for the individual newbie. been here 3 years and anxious to get out.
cheers
Mick
www.portfolios.com/exotica
www.exotica.freeservers.com

[Mchristophermsw]

Dear Mick

I liked your post, as I am a closet artists LOL!

While I have lived in places like Singpapore, the Carribean, Mexico and India, I dont have a place in mind that I can suggest.

In the bay area, Berkely, San Francisco, Oakland...there is large presence of the Creative Community but cost of living is outrageous!

Have you tried to go online and join some forums that address your goal?
That might be a real good start. I wish I could help you more.

However, I do wish you the best in endeavors and let us know what you find!

Blessings

Michael

[perdita]

berlin, krakow, breslau, warsaw, sofia, budapest...anywhere in eastern europe but prague.
how about mexico or costa rica?

[Hector_Lector]

mick_luna is all liberal and artistic here.

Check out his postings on the General Europe site, where he seems to be on the make for nooky.

[sojourner]

Mick,

Here are a few suggestions:

- Ubud (Bali). Ubud, is in the hills, quite a long way from the touristy fleshpots such as Kuta. Ubud has a great atmosphere - also plenty of cheapish hotels and guest houses. Also, Ubud has always had the reputation of being an "artists' community" - not just for Balinese artists but also for those from o'seas; most notably, the late Australian artist, Donald Friend. I was in Ubud just under 4 years ago - at the time, I noticed a lot of ads for properties - they didn't seem too expensive, though; but might even be a bit cheaper, now, on account of the recent terrorist attacks on the island (mostly in Kuta). I don't know anything about long-term or permanent residence visas. Do a www search on "Ubud". Still on the subject of Indonesia, you might also be interested in Yogyokarta (central Java) - v.nice town. It might be a bit easier to find some EFL work, there, than in Bali.

- Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province, PRC). Hangzhou is about 2 hours by bus from Shanghai.It's a moderately-large city, reasonably modern, but more laid-back compared to Shanghai. Hangzhou also has some sort of reputation of being a "centre of the fine arts" for that part of China. Just across the road from the Youth Hostel, is a large art college (with an art gallery). Also, in the same area, there are a number of private galleries. Hangzhou is a great place ! Around the West Lake, there are many bars, clubs and coffee lounges. A couple of ks from the West Lake there is even an Irish pub ! You should be be able to pick up some EFL work "in the area" - although the uni/college jobs might be some distance from Hangzhou city proper. You might like Shanghai - but it is more expensive than Hangzhou. Two other places that you might want to consider are Kunming and Hainan - but I've been to neither. I've heard that it's still reasonably easy to find EFL work in China, especially if you are well-experienced. I've heard that you are now meant to have a degree - but if a school is having problems in getting someone, the degree requirement can sometimes be "overlooked".

- Thailand. On the Thailand Forum a few weeks back, someone mentioned that in Bangkok it's possible to buy a flat for 10 K USD ! I'd imagine that it would be pretty small, and, possibly, in a crummy part of town ! You might like Bangkok. A couple of hours by bus from Bangkok is the seaside town of Hua Hin. Compared to Bangkok, it's a v.relaxed and laid-back sort of place. A lot of elderly and middle-aged German and Scandinavian couples seem to be living there. Great (and not-too-expensive) restaurants on the piers and at the night market. Property prices are not too bad - 20 K USD ? - not sure, but you never know ! A lot of people rave about Phuket - but I've never been there.You might like Chiang Mai - haven't been there for 15 years, though ! You should be able to find some EFL work in Thailand - check the Forum.

- Malaysia. KL isn't a bad sort of city - cosmopolitan - good mixture of Malay, Chinese and Indian influences. Even better still, is Georgetown (Penang) - a bit more Chinese in character than KL - good examples of colonial architecture. Also, consider the towns in the Cameron Highlands. I have never been to the east coast of the Malay Peninsula - but many people rave about it.


- Australia. I've heard that there is an "artists' community" in Hobart (in Tasmania). V.nice city - but a bit cold during winter ! Depending on your age, you might be eligible for a Working Holiday Visa.You might be able to pick up some private tutoring work. Further north, in Queensland, you might want to consider Brisbane or the Gold Coast. In the former, the South Brisbane/South Bank and Fortitude Valley areas might appeal to you.On the Gold Coast, apart from the actual coastal strip, you might be interested in the Hinterland. Check some of my earlier postings re Brisbane and the G/Coast.

- New Zealand. Dunedin (South Island) is a university town - great atmosphere ! Some of the little towns on the coast might appeal to you - properties might even be reasonably cheap in those towns - but, nil chances of picking up ESL work in such small places. If you need money, stick to the larger centres (Dunedin, Christchurch, etc). Check the NZ Govt www sites for info re Working Holiday Visas.

You mentioned some time back that you do not possess a degree, and that 4 years at uni would be like "going to gaol" ! But having a degree would really enhance your chances of getting (good) EFL jobs. Also, you don't have to go to an actual physical uni campus in order to study - you can study via distance education or online programmes. You could even major in areas that have some interest to you - art history, possibly ? One reputable uni to consider is the University of New England ( www.une.edu.au ) - would be cheaper than studying at a Canadian uni.

Peter

[jacqui]

Hello from another Canadian! I just returned from Ukraine and while the smaller towns didn't have much to offer in terms of "Bohemia" Kiev definately had alot more to offer. Tons of art galleries and a part of the city aptly named the Bohemian District. The Candian dollar is about 1:4 so it goes a long way but will screw you on the way back. I found food and drink fairly affortable, especially beer! All services are fairly cheap as well, however most things like hair products, toothpaste etc are imported from Germany or Russia and are a bit more expensive.

I have no idea what the pay is like for teachers but I do no that there is definately a demand. People would often ask me for lessons as well as the other English speakers at the university.

Hope everything works out for you!

[merlin]

hmmm ... indulge me a minute here ... try to tune into my wavelength ...

Do you believe living life can be an art form?

Or does being an artist stop at "real life" and only counts when it's on a page, parchment, carved in stone or digitized and put on a DVD?

If an "artist" includes life as an art form worth creating, would he ask another how best to paint it?

Start with a blank canvas. No templates. No "kits".

Just start painting YOUR life, not anyone else's.

Prague can be fine as an artists' refuge. Does a class of kindergarteners make an art gallery's paintings less artistic? Would you only go to art galleries that have no tourists?

That's my 2 cents.