Job Discussion Forums

sidjameson · Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 629 Location: osaka

Henry, you are one of the respected posters on the Indonesian forum and clearly a cut above the average TEFLer who passes through these parts. I admit to being nosy, but do you care to share a little about yourself?

I was wondering what keeps you coming back to Indonesia every decade as you say. And where is home inbetween times? Do you TEFL hard in a well paying country then relax or work here too?

The thing about coming and going.....and here Id like to open this up for discussion is that the problem I found is that you get a better job then dont want to give it up. Id love to make Indonesia my second home but it would be suicide career wise to do it.

Does anyone else on this board come and go? And if so are you happy with the arrangement?

TEAM_PAPUA · Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 1679 Location: HOLE

I am also interested. Now, where did Henry go?

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

Oh, Henry's lurking here and there. He hasn't been to Indonesia since March-April 2007, when he was in Central Java for the annual sekaten festivals at the sultans' palaces. Since then, he's been resting his weary bones in Berkeley, California.

What keeps bringing him back are Indonesian cultures, specifically those of Java and Bali, and the friends and food that he loves. Business-wise, he does training and teaching only in Jakarta -- perhaps once every couple of years or so. Otherwise he works in the U.S., India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and occasionally other "congenial places on the globe." Cool

Yr of Living Dangerously · Joined: 09 Apr 2008 Posts: 20

After my experiences at TBI Cengkareng - see my post on the first page or click here: http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=62819&highlight=tbi+cengkareng - I wrote a letter to TBI HQ complaining about my poor treatment and the way the school was operating.

I never got a reply; not totally unexpected.

Fast forward two years to now, I recently applied for a position at TBI Surabaya. You might have seen the advertisement: http://www.tefl.com/jobs/job.html?jo_id=37118

I got this response by email:
I sorry but we have been strongly advised by TBI head office not to consider your application. Since we are a franchise we have to follow their recommendations even if they may not have merit.

Nice, don't you think? They find it easier to blacklist/shoot the messenger than consider whether the issues raised in my letter have merit.

Oh well, at least I now know that they received my letter!