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Kilroy238
Joined: 08 Oct 2005
Posts: 21
Location: Tianjin
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 Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:42 am Post subject: 2 job offers... who to choose. |
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Greetings group,
I am currently being courted by two schools. One school Ae ACTIVATE english in Surabaya, East Java. The other LTC in Beihai, Guaingxi province in southern China.
This will be my first real esl job besides working a winter camp in Korea. More money in Surabaya but the area is a bit safer in China I would think. Contracts are both pretty standard. Although a private apt in China vs a shared house in Java.
Age of students are a hodge podge at both and both have split shifts.
I have read good and bad things about both schools.
I am starting to lean more toward Beihai because the climate and city sound more to my liking.
Anyone have any advice on either area? Or other things to consider?
TIA
Bill |
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Mytime
Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 173
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:46 am Post subject: |
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| East Java sounds a HELL of a lot better than Guanxi. |
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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 3484
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:49 am Post subject: Re: 2 job offers... who to choose. |
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| Kilroy238 wrote: |
| More money in Surabaya but the area is a bit safer in China I would think. |
Why would you think Surabaya is 'unsafe'?
Go to the place you think will have the most interesting life outside of work. |
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Kilroy238
Joined: 08 Oct 2005
Posts: 21
Location: Tianjin
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 5:05 am Post subject: |
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East Java sounds a HELL of a lot better than Guanxi.
_________________
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at him.
In which ways are you thinking? Your reply is a little broad.
Last edited by Kilroy238 on Mon Feb 20, 2006 5:26 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Kilroy238
Joined: 08 Oct 2005
Posts: 21
Location: Tianjin
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 5:13 am Post subject: Re: 2 job offers... who to choose. |
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I am not one of those who hides in the corner that everyone is bad or out to get me but in a 90% muslim country. Tensions can be higher. Bali is not far off from there.
I don't really think Surabaya itself would be unsafe it sounds very western. I don't know I guess world tensions just make me consider the different angles.
| ls650 wrote: |
| Kilroy238 wrote: |
| More money in Surabaya but the area is a bit safer in China I would think. |
Why would you think Surabaya is 'unsafe'?
Go to the place you think will have the most interesting life outside of work. |
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valley_girl
Joined: 22 Sep 2004
Posts: 272
Location: Somewhere in Canada
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:48 am Post subject: Re: 2 job offers... who to choose. |
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| Kilroy238 wrote: |
I have read good and bad things about both schools.
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What "bad" things have you read? Have you talked to foreign teachers who work at both schools? If not, I strongly recommend doing so. (Make sure they are at home, not at work.) Reading something bad about a school is a red flag. You may get the odd 'disgruntled backpacker' who blasts a school for no good reason, but most of the time, where there is smoke, there is fire.
Hunting for a job online is very precarious. I took two jobs this way and was not entirely happy with either. Get as much information as you can before making a decision and remember that even 'standard' contracts are not etched in stone. Haggle. Make them offer you a better deal - better hours, better pay, more vacation time, whatever you think would sweeten the pot for you. If you are not entirely happy with the contract (or the school), keep looking. There are lots of opportunities out there. You don't have to jump at the first one...something better may still be out there.
JMHO.  |
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Khrystene
Joined: 17 Apr 2004
Posts: 271
Location: WAW, PL/SYD, AU
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 12:18 pm Post subject: Re: 2 job offers... who to choose. |
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| Kilroy238 wrote: |
Greetings group,
I am currently being courted by two schools. One school Ae ACTIVATE english in Surabaya, East Java. The other LTC in Beihai, Guaingxi province in southern China.
This will be my first real esl job besides working a winter camp in Korea. More money in Surabaya but the area is a bit safer in China I would think. Contracts are both pretty standard. Although a private apt in China vs a shared house in Java.
Age of students are a hodge podge at both and both have split shifts.
I have read good and bad things about both schools.
I am starting to lean more toward Beihai because the climate and city sound more to my liking.
Anyone have any advice on either area? Or other things to consider?
TIA
Bill |
Go the Javanese!!! |
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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 3484
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 1:26 pm Post subject: Re: 2 job offers... who to choose. |
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| I taught in Jakarta for a year. I never felt any "Muslim tensions"; if anything my Muslim students were quite curious about life in Western countries. |
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khmerhit
Joined: 31 May 2003
Posts: 1874
Location: Reverse Culture Shock Unit
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 3:59 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, go for the best coffee, mate. And may you liv in interesting times, as they say----good luck, and good nite!!---------and have fun, i forgot that bit. most important.  |
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dmb
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 8397
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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| but in a 90% muslim country. Tensions can be higher. |
 I Live in Turkey which is (I think) 99% islamic. I'm missing something. I'm not really seeing all this tension. Anyway, i'm off down the pub. I'll ask there if there is much tension. |
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Kilroy238
Joined: 08 Oct 2005
Posts: 21
Location: Tianjin
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| Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 6:48 am Post subject: |
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Well I decided to go with the cooler climbs of China in Beihai. A school called LTC where I have been totally a$$ raped. My first go out has been a disaster. I should have gone with indonesia. Well you know what they say about hind sight.
Bill |
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basiltherat
Joined: 04 Oct 2003
Posts: 952
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| Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 7:03 am Post subject: |
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| I Live in Turkey which is (I think) 99% islamic. I'm missing something. I'm not really seeing all this tension. Anyway, i'm off down the pub. I'll ask there if there is much tension. |
I doubt whether much has changed since I left in 1999 but a lot of the tension that can occur in cities is not so much religion per se. The problem seems to lie in the fact that the Chinese sector generally steers and steams the economy and the indigenous population are very envious of this (for several reasons). When the indigenous sector get to feeling that they can't hack this injustice, a small incident can spark (even something as tiny as a traffic accident) trouble. I don't think its something imminent but one just needs to be aware of this. It just so happens that a lot of the chinese are of the christian faith while the indigenous population are predominantly islam.
best
basil  |
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VanIslander
Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 67
Location: temp banned from dave's korean boards
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| Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Mytime wrote: |
| East Java sounds a HELL of a lot better than Guanxi. |
I agree.
And here's pics of Surabaya:
Looks way more cool! (er, hot!) |
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