Job Discussion Forums

MELEE · Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 2:05 pm Post subject:

Hi Nancy,

When I saw that this thread was already on page two, I thought I'd have nothing more to add, but then I read it. Laughing

Since you say you've been reading the posts, you may know that there are some universities on the coast of Oaxaca. You wouldn't be one of the top applicants with your qualifications, but the top applicants have a way of flacking out (a merge of flaking and backing Wink

) , so you I think its worth your time to contact, the Universidad del Mar in Puerto Escondido, Puerto Angel, and Huatulco. Also the Universidad del Istmo in Tehuantepec is only a short distance from the coast.

Another place to look, maybe if you are more interested in teaching kids, is Morelia. Last year they opened a new super highway connecting Morelia to the coast, it is now under two hours to a beach, and only about three and a half hours to Zihuantenejo.

Guadalajara is also not too far from the coast. From my persepective anyways, I'm 9 hours from the coast so even 6 hours seems close to me!

As for renovating a house, I'm not sure I can help you without more information about what your guy does. My uncle is a renovator, but since he works with wood, I have a hard time imagining him renovating in Mexico, where concrete is the most popular building material. However, I do have some friends who renovated an amazing 16th century stone building that served as a way station along the overland journey from the port of Veracruz to Mexico City. Its truely an amazing piece of work and is now a magical home. There are lots of old adobes and stone buildings around, but most Mexicans would perfer to tear them down and build something that they would consider "nice". The Mexican renovators I know are mostly green builders and history buffs. Opposed to tearing down buildings for 1 conversation of resources, or 2 preservation of history.

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

In our area the cost of living has soared, but the wages have not kept pace accordingly. In a tourist/beach location, when the tourist season winds down it has a ripple effect in several areas. There just aren't as many students with extra cash to enroll in English classes therefore fewer teachers are required. Foreigners are very limited in what they can do to make money in other fields.

gordogringo · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 159 Location: Tijuana

Ben round de bloc-
The reason for the wages and benefits is partly because on the border owners have to compete for talent with esl schools in San Diego.There are 10 at last count.But cost of living is high.A nice apt. is usually about $400 US. That is why the cuartos.The cost per class is much higher with me than most TJ english schools because I only use native english speakers.Only school in TJ with that requirement of teachers.Many of my students have family working in the US or parents that cross the border each day on border crosser visas to work in San Diego.Gives me a base of clients with much more disposible income than the average school in Mexico.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

cwc · Joined: 16 Nov 2005 Posts: 372

Earning more, flying home for the first time in 8 years in July. The flight is cheap, 400 USD. The money to have a good time is what will hurt.

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

MELEE · Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 2:00 pm Post subject:

In my first 4 years in Mexico I flew home twice a year. Inflation has crepted up so much that my first year contract was almost half of what I get now. We get a cost of living pay increase every January. I also got a raise after 5 years of service. Then I got a raise when I was director, then I took a sabbatical and was no longer director, so my pay actually went down. I've supplemented over the years with private classes, and consulting work for publishers. During my sabbatical, which was paid Exclamation

, I did quite a bit of work for a publisher and really enjoyed the extra income. I tried to continue when I came back to work, but was running myself ragged and not doing a good job so I had to stop moonlighting. I haven't flown home in a number of years for various reasons.

I'm kind of in the middle of the road here. I can see both BRDB and Guy's points. I KNOW that locals live on a lot less than I'm making and it often annoys me when other teachers seem to be whining about low wages or lack of resources. (Hello, look around you, remember where you are and why you are here!) Likewise, I think there are a lot of ways to live well in Mexico that many people are overlooking, which I think is Guy's main point. But if we remember a recent thread, BRDB has declared himself out of the rat race, at a stage in his life when he is not interested in climbing any ladders or proffesional advancement. Guy and I are both in our early 30s, its only natural we are looking for ways to develop our careers.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Say...where's Nancy, the OP? We've all got a bad habit of doing this to threads.

Where is the surfing to be done in Mexico, as asked? Zipolite and Huatulco I think are best, verdad?

MELEE · Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 2:45 pm Post subject:

Huatulco? No, Lake Michigan has better surfing than most of the beaches in Huatulco, though I guess Tungalula or what ever it is called has some surfing. Some of the bays in Huatulco are actually parallel to the sea, good for small children, elderly, people not acustomed to ocean swimming. Laughing

Puerto Escondido's Zicatela beach is the best. I've heard there are some good places around Salina Cruz for waves. Puerto Aristia in Chiapas. Then I think up Sam's way.

This is all hearsay by the way, I don't surf! Razz

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

sickbag · Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 155 Location: Blighty

Apparently Troncones (just north of Ixtapa) is one of the better places to surf here. It had better be as I'll be there for two weeks well earnt rest in July. Can't imagine there's anywhere to teach there though.

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

Melee's right, in that we do have fairly adequate surf here along the Pacific. It gets especially good when there are tropical storms blowing in off the Baja. The problem is the job opps are fairly limited in this area and the pay is low, so to combine the two is a bit tricky. Conflicting hours and all. I once saw a young teacher from the US bring his surfboard to the school after surfing and before classes. The school admin wasn't particularly amused for some reason and the surfboard never appeared at school again.

A young fellow, the son of a good friend, bolted out of school and ran after me one fine windy day in October. "Teacher, teacher, I have an emergency! Can I borrow 50 pesos and my Mom will pay you back?". Of course... The next morning I saw his picture on the front page of the newspaper riding some very high waves! I called his Mother and she laughed, telling me that he obviously had a "surfing emergency" and needed to hurry home in a taxi for his board when he noticed the storm blowing in. Can't recall ever seeing the 50 pesos again. Ahhh, life in Mexico.