Job Discussion Forums

jsbankston · Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 214 Location: Texas

Did most of you just bring a carry-on and one or two suitcases or did anyone bring a trunk or foot locker?

Bayden · Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 988

jsbankston · Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 214 Location: Texas

No, I'm seriously not trolling. Basically I am new to this--hence the appearance in the newbie board. It's as if I just ran into a friend who has come back from doing TEFL somewhere and I've cornered them at a party and want to ask them everything all at once.

I'm sorry if my questions are not appearing in a formal, logical, most important ones first/least important ones last order. I ask what comes to me as it comes to me. If my questions seem silly to you, then plesae pass them by. I've no one to discuss this with in person, so the board will have to suffice for now.

tedkarma · Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 10:07 am Post subject:

My first job I took FAR too much stuff and ended up paying a few hundred bucks in overweight and oversize charges. You will quickly find that you don't need most of the stuff you take - or can buy it far cheaper where you are going.

More important to take - critical medicines, enough to last you until you can find a good doc and get a local Rx for far cheaper than back home. A couple months should be enough. Otherwise, go local.

Bring a few important reference books and that is all.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

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

When I was teaching in Jakarta, the school asked me and another teacher if we'd be willing to answer some email questions from a potential new teacher. We said sure.

I received a page-long email with about 12 or 13 detailed questions about teaching and life in Jakarta! Wow - but I thought this person seemed a bit scared off and I spent a good hour writing back answers to each of the questions.

The other teacher at the school asked me the next day if I had received the laundry list of questions. I said sure, and that I'd written a detailed reply.

He laughed and said, "That's ridiculous! I wrote her back and just told her she should just fly here and find out for herself - that's all part of the adventure of life!"

jsbankston · Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 214 Location: Texas

So did this teacher show up?

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

Now that I remember, she did come, stayed for just three weeks - and then packed up and went home. Life in Jakarta was a little too, um, challenging for her.

Bayden · Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 988

jsbankston · Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 214 Location: Texas

LOL. I think that's what they have in the men's room at the Musee D'Orsay!

katybell · Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:47 am Post subject:

I personally would just take what I can carry/ drag to a cab, with difficulty. Once you decide that you want to stay somewhere longer, you might want to bring more over.

But you haven't decided where you're going yet, have you?

jsbankston · Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 214 Location: Texas

Western Europe was my first choice, but that doesn't seem do-able at this point, without an EU passport. I was considering Eastern Europe, but from what I've read I shouldn't even bother there without either 1) getting a lot of up-front money, getting TEFL certification at home, and then going over, or 2) getting a lot of money, getting certified over there, and then hunting.

So it's looking like it might be Asia, though that's not really what I had in mind. I'm still sorting through which Asian country would be the best to start from, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, China, and Vietnam all having different pros and cons. And I'm also lookiing into Morocco.

red dog · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 41

In your situation, Korea is the best choice. Do it for a year and then decide whether to try another country, go for further training, go into a different line of work, etc.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Of those Asian countries you listed, Korea has the best saving potential. Not the easiest place to live, but you should save a lot. I saved about $20,000 in a year, but that was a long time ago, when the currency was much much higher than today and I had some great jobs.

red dog · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 41

I think it's a pretty good place to live, if you get a job in Seoul with a reputable company and don't accept shared housing. You won't get rich, but you can probably pay off your debts in a year. (And the toilet paper there is fine.)