Job Discussion Forums

[trina]

Ooooo, my first posting, how exciting!!

I`m currently teaching in Japan, but have just about had enough of crappy weather and poker-faced students, and am pining for some food with any spice in it at all, even pepper, I`d be happy with pepper...

Anyway, I`ve been trying to find info about a school called REAL English in Batam. Does anyone work there/heard good or bad things/know someone who knows someone? Or otherwise, does anyone know what the scene is like in Batam or north Sumatra? Or alternatively how to go about getting work in Aceh - the few ngo`s I`ve found listed there all seem to be wrapping up projects within the next couple of months.

I`m a qualified ESL/Indonesian teacher with almost 3 years teaching experience, can start around Sept/October ish.


Terima kasih banyak

[wannaBguru]

started in dec. 04 or jan. 05. affiliated with real language in yogya.... basically they bought the marketing program, office software, and textbooks from them for a franchising fee. owned by a singaporean man and run by his wife. lots of drama with teachers leaving and/or getting fired. pay is about 6.5 million per month. batam is a fairly expensive to live. good thing is that by getting your work visa issued in batam, you are exempt from paying the fiscal tax (tax to leave the country... 500,000 by boat). so u can go to singapore anytime u want for the ticket of a high speed ferry. unfortunately ur salary isnt enough to do that often.

batam is a bit like singapore........ minus the good customer service, polite people,and pretty surroundings. everywhere u go people will be screaming at u.......... "ojek" (motorcycle taxi) or "taxi", even if u have just gotten out of a taxi and opening the door to go in a store. most of the taxi are gypsy taxis....... people's private cars. and they arent any meters, u have to nego on the price. once when i was waiting to cross the road a guy pulled up and said taxi. seems he was heading to his grandmother's funeral but he could drop me anywhere for 20,000 rp. when i told him i was walking across the street to the atm, he offered to take me there for only 10,000. got to admire that eternal optimism. but gets rather annoying to be yelled at all day. batam has been going downhill ever since they started to enforce the ban on gambling 2 years ago. it is a small island... not much to see or do, but it does have a good expat community and u can get alot of western stuff either in batam or in singapore.