|
Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Prof.Gringo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!
|
 Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 8:46 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| just_a_mirage wrote: |
Yeah, I do too Sakakisins. I have lived and worked in Ecuador for the better part of the last decade, and I stay because I think I have a pretty good quality of life.
Im not making as much as people in the Middle East, or maybe Asia, but at this point in my life, I am not as interested in making lots of money. I love the climate, I have great, respectful students, the places I work respect my experience, and offer me the opportunity to use it in a variety of ways. My kids are doing well, and are fully bi-lingual, and we enjoy paying just $4 dollars to jump on a bus to be at the beach in 90 minutes, or pay $4 and go to the mountains. The food here is great, the people are warm and friendly, the music is fantastic, medical care is incredibly cheap. Those are all pretty much the things I think of when I am evaluating quality of life. |
Funny. Ironic.
I was just chatting with a tamale vendor in Mexico City after giving a business English class the other night.
He had lived and worked in Savannah, GA for about a year and spoke in the highest terms of the US, Americans and the opportunities afforded even an illegal migrant (he freely admitted he crossed the border and worked under the table) were far, far superior to ANYTHING he could EVER dream of having in Mexico. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
MotherF
Joined: 07 Jun 2010
Posts: 1450
Location: 17�48'N 97�46'W
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 11:12 pm Post subject: Re: Lifers |
|
|
| sakakisins wrote: |
| Leroyal wrote: |
| Sadly even with connections there really is only so far you can go in Latin America. As much fun as it may be I know a far better quality of life awaits any dishwasher in Australia than any teacher in Latin America. |
Perhaps I've taken this the wrong way but I feel a little ofended by this. Why do ppl assume all of Latin America is the same? I feel Chile is quite different. A really smart "gringo" teacher with good qualifications could really go a long way here. |
I also agree with you. Mexico--and I guess a lot of other Latin American countries--is still a place where a little bit of higher education goes a long way. The tamale seller preferred life in the US because he only has a 9th grade education. So yes, working on the other side of the boarder will give him a lot more. But a couple with graduated degrees in Mexico can live very well, much better than the same qualifications would allow us to live in the US. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Prof.Gringo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 12:07 am Post subject: Re: Lifers |
|
|
| MotherF wrote: |
| sakakisins wrote: |
| Leroyal wrote: |
| Sadly even with connections there really is only so far you can go in Latin America. As much fun as it may be I know a far better quality of life awaits any dishwasher in Australia than any teacher in Latin America. |
Perhaps I've taken this the wrong way but I feel a little ofended by this. Why do ppl assume all of Latin America is the same? I feel Chile is quite different. A really smart "gringo" teacher with good qualifications could really go a long way here. |
I also agree with you. Mexico--and I guess a lot of other Latin American countries--is still a place where a little bit of higher education goes a long way. The tamale seller preferred life in the US because he only has a 9th grade education. So yes, working on the other side of the boarder will give him a lot more. But a couple with graduated degrees in Mexico can live very well, much better than the same qualifications would allow us to live in the US. |
That Mexican guy I was speaking with was making $800 USD PER WEEK painting houses. Let's see, a lucky EFL teacher in Mexico might make $8,-10,000 pesos per month and a uni teacher might make $12-18,000 per month full-time.
Don't forget that a BA and a MA are six years of higher education which had to be paid for (often with expensive student loans) and that represents six years of lost wages. 
Myself, I do what I love, I earn about $10,000 (in US greenbacks, of course) per month doing so (before I was only making $4-6,000 per month but it's amazing how I just grabbed a HUGE raise in my wages, BTW that is an hourly paid position aka "blue-collar" work), I travel the world and I have a great life, all with a HS Dip.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:39 am Post subject: Re: Lifers |
|
|
| Prof.Gringo wrote: |
| Myself, I do what I love, I earn about $10,000 (in US greenbacks, of course) per month doing so (before I was only making $4-6,000 per month but it's amazing how I just grabbed a HUGE raise in my wages, BTW that is an hourly paid position aka "blue-collar" work), I travel the world and I have a great life, all with a HS Dip. |
10K a month? Doing what?! Wow. That's impressive. I'm jealous. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Prof.Gringo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 4:14 am Post subject: Re: Lifers |
|
|
| naturegirl321 wrote: |
| Prof.Gringo wrote: |
| Myself, I do what I love, I earn about $10,000 (in US greenbacks, of course) per month doing so (before I was only making $4-6,000 per month but it's amazing how I just grabbed a HUGE raise in my wages, BTW that is an hourly paid position aka "blue-collar" work), I travel the world and I have a great life, all with a HS Dip. |
10K a month? Doing what?! Wow. That's impressive. I'm jealous. |
But I only work 6-8 months a year. I gotta have my 4-6 months of vacation each year  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mejms
Joined: 04 Jan 2010
Posts: 390
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 4:15 am Post subject: Re: Lifers |
|
|
| naturegirl321 wrote: |
| Prof.Gringo wrote: |
| Myself, I do what I love, I earn about $10,000 (in US greenbacks, of course) per month doing so (before I was only making $4-6,000 per month but it's amazing how I just grabbed a HUGE raise in my wages, BTW that is an hourly paid position aka "blue-collar" work), I travel the world and I have a great life, all with a HS Dip. |
10K a month? Doing what?! Wow. That's impressive. I'm jealous. |
Same old story from my friend, Prof. Gringo. If you look at just a couple of his posts, you'll see that he almost never fails to mention the superior wages in the US and how he has the golden career. Doing what? He doesn't care to elaborate. But he says the same thing again and again and again and again and again and again and...
I don't get why he loves to boast but never speak. He's impressing a bunch of nameless, faceless strangers. I read and post here for advice and feedback. I guess everyone's got their motives. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Prof.Gringo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:03 am Post subject: Re: Lifers |
|
|
| mejms wrote: |
| naturegirl321 wrote: |
| Prof.Gringo wrote: |
| Myself, I do what I love, I earn about $10,000 (in US greenbacks, of course) per month doing so (before I was only making $4-6,000 per month but it's amazing how I just grabbed a HUGE raise in my wages, BTW that is an hourly paid position aka "blue-collar" work), I travel the world and I have a great life, all with a HS Dip. |
10K a month? Doing what?! Wow. That's impressive. I'm jealous. |
Same old story from my friend, Prof. Gringo. If you look at just a couple of his posts, you'll see that he almost never fails to mention the superior wages in the US and how he has the golden career. Doing what? He doesn't care to elaborate. But he says the same thing again and again and again and again and again and again and...
I don't get why he loves to boast but never speak. He's impressing a bunch of nameless, faceless strangers. I read and post here for advice and feedback. I guess everyone's got their motives. |
Oh, Hi mejms!
Why don't we meet up sometime and we can catch up on old times, buddy?
Somebody sure sounds jealous.
Could it be that I make more than some can even dream of and with just a HS Diploma? Perhaps.
Best of luck |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Isla Guapa
Joined: 19 Apr 2010
Posts: 1520
Location: Mexico City o sea La Gran Manzana Mexicana
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:06 am Post subject: Re: Lifers |
|
|
| Prof.Gringo wrote: |
| mejms wrote: |
| naturegirl321 wrote: |
| Prof.Gringo wrote: |
| Myself, I do what I love, I earn about $10,000 (in US greenbacks, of course) per month doing so (before I was only making $4-6,000 per month but it's amazing how I just grabbed a HUGE raise in my wages, BTW that is an hourly paid position aka "blue-collar" work), I travel the world and I have a great life, all with a HS Dip. |
10K a month? Doing what?! Wow. That's impressive. I'm jealous. |
Same old story from my friend, Prof. Gringo. If you look at just a couple of his posts, you'll see that he almost never fails to mention the superior wages in the US and how he has the golden career. Doing what? He doesn't care to elaborate. But he says the same thing again and again and again and again and again and again and...
I don't get why he loves to boast but never speak. He's impressing a bunch of nameless, faceless strangers. I read and post here for advice and feedback. I guess everyone's got their motives. |
Oh, Hi mejms!
Why don't we meet up sometime and we can catch up on old times, buddy?
Somebody sure sounds jealous.
Could it be that I make more than some can even dream of and with just a HS Diploma? Perhaps.
Best of luck |
I don�t think he's jealous, He just wonders why you feel the need to keep mentioning now much money you rake in from your fabulous job in the States. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Prof.Gringo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:15 am Post subject: Re: Lifers |
|
|
| Isla Guapa wrote: |
| Prof.Gringo wrote: |
| mejms wrote: |
| naturegirl321 wrote: |
| Prof.Gringo wrote: |
| Myself, I do what I love, I earn about $10,000 (in US greenbacks, of course) per month doing so (before I was only making $4-6,000 per month but it's amazing how I just grabbed a HUGE raise in my wages, BTW that is an hourly paid position aka "blue-collar" work), I travel the world and I have a great life, all with a HS Dip. |
10K a month? Doing what?! Wow. That's impressive. I'm jealous. |
Same old story from my friend, Prof. Gringo. If you look at just a couple of his posts, you'll see that he almost never fails to mention the superior wages in the US and how he has the golden career. Doing what? He doesn't care to elaborate. But he says the same thing again and again and again and again and again and again and...
I don't get why he loves to boast but never speak. He's impressing a bunch of nameless, faceless strangers. I read and post here for advice and feedback. I guess everyone's got their motives. |
Oh, Hi mejms!
Why don't we meet up sometime and we can catch up on old times, buddy?
Somebody sure sounds jealous.
Could it be that I make more than some can even dream of and with just a HS Diploma? Perhaps.
Best of luck |
I don�t think he's jealous, He just wonders why you feel the need to keep mentioning now much money you rake in from your fabulous job in the States. |
It's a very valid comparison between what a skilled-trade in the US can get you (even with just a HS diploma) vs. unskilled teaching jobs in Mexico or Latin America.
People used to ask me where I was working all the time when I was making $18-20,000 pesos per month in a colegio. They wanted the "hook-up" and felt they somehow deserved that kinda pay (and probably my job) cause of some unrelated lib arts major from a uni back home.
The truth is some people are just able to find out where the best paying jobs are in non-traditional areas and then they are able to make the most possible in that area. So a degree doesn't make one smart, it only makes a person think they are. You either have it or you don't. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 8:43 am Post subject: |
|
|
Well, I don't know what Prof Gringo does, but I'm sure it's possible. My grandfather retired at age 45, comfortably, put his two kids through college as well. He worked in Alaska doing construction for 16 years, 9 months on, 3 off. ON his three months off, he built houses in California, then rented them, and eventually sold them when the housing market boomed. Just a HS education and he did pretty well.
Work smart, not hard. HTa'ts probably what Prof Gringo does. I for one, am certainly jealous  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
just_a_mirage
Joined: 11 Nov 2008
Posts: 169
Location: ecuador
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Money isnt everything. I�ve earned the big bucks...I�m a former network news anchor/reporter and I made significantly more than $10,000 a month. But even though I�m only making about $2,000 a month here, I�m much happier. I get to enjoy life a lot more than I did when I was working holidays, weekends, overnights and never saw my children. And I get the chance to work with fantastic students who appreciate my efforts to help them learn. If money is the important thing to you....then you should be looking for the high-paying jobs out of Latin America. But if quality of life means other things besides money, then maybe you can make it in Latin America |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Prof.Gringo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| just_a_mirage wrote: |
| Money isnt everything. I�ve earned the big bucks...I�m a former network news anchor/reporter and I made significantly more than $10,000 a month. But even though I�m only making about $2,000 a month here, I�m much happier. I get to enjoy life a lot more than I did when I was working holidays, weekends, overnights and never saw my children. And I get the chance to work with fantastic students who appreciate my efforts to help them learn. If money is the important thing to you....then you should be looking for the high-paying jobs out of Latin America. But if quality of life means other things besides money, then maybe you can make it in Latin America |
I make GREAT money and I still live in Mexico, so I live like a KING. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
just_a_mirage
Joined: 11 Nov 2008
Posts: 169
Location: ecuador
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:27 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Well if you are happy then, thats great. Everyone is different. And I think its great that you are happy and wealthy. Not everyone needs a ton of money to be happy. I could have it if I wanted. But at this point in my life, I dont. Im much happier volunteering with the very poor here in Ecuador, than I was when I got paid a lot. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
TeresaLopez
Joined: 18 Apr 2010
Posts: 601
Location: Mexico City
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:29 pm Post subject: Re: Lifers |
|
|
| MotherF wrote: |
I also agree with you. Mexico--and I guess a lot of other Latin American countries--is still a place where a little bit of higher education goes a long way. The tamale seller preferred life in the US because he only has a 9th grade education. So yes, working on the other side of the boarder will give him a lot more. But a couple with graduated degrees in Mexico can live very well, much better than the same qualifications would allow us to live in the US. |
I think that is true for people with no education or job skills. Unskilled labor pays many many times what the same person could make in the US, but I don�t think the same is true for people with more education. I don�t know of anyone who has a professional job who wants to leave Mexico. I know of one person (an Electrical Engineer) whose company sent him to a suburb of Chicago for a year, and he hated it, was on the receiving end of many hateful comments about Mexico and the educational level of Mexicans in general, and couldn�t wait to get back. He made more money, yes, but spent a lot more too, due to the much higher cost of living. He enjoys a much better quality of life in Mexico. For one thing, how many middle class people do you know in the US who have household help? Just to name one difference. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
MotherF
Joined: 07 Jun 2010
Posts: 1450
Location: 17�48'N 97�46'W
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:48 pm Post subject: Re: Lifers |
|
|
| TeresaLopez wrote: |
| For one thing, how many middle class people do you know in the US who have household help? Just to name one difference. |
Thank you Teresa. Or own their car outright? Have no credit card debt? Eat out all the time? Travel frequently?
The cost of living here is cheaper than the difference in salaries.
And prof needs to update his ideas on uni profs pay. The very low end of the scale for full time is around 15,000 now. It is unfortunate that most universities put their English teachers at the low end. Professors teaching other subjects and doing research can expect to earn 20,000 to 30,000 a month. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
