Job Discussion Forums

juzstylin · Joined: 28 Mar 2004 Posts: 11 Location: Queens, NY

Just wondering how common this is in the English teaching world.

khmerhit · Posted: Wed May 05, 2004 8:41 pm Post subject:

I'm working on it, juz.

foster · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 Location: Honkers, SARS

I think quite common. I know that Nova MM Center in Osaka was an incestuous little dating pool...still is.

We gravitate to what we know. Even in the non-ESL world, teachers tend to hook up with other teachers often, I find. Same holidays, same working times...I think it is very common.

Closest I came was dating a principal for 2 years. Not as much fun as you may think... Rolling Eyes

James_T_Kirk · Joined: 20 Sep 2003 Posts: 357 Location: Ten Forward

This happens all the time. However, in my opinion: colleague + dating = bad idea Exclamation

foster · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 Location: Honkers, SARS

I think dating someone else who is a teacher is ok, just stay away from the same school.

If you work in different schools but the same division, it may be ok.

For me, working and possibly living together would be just too much togetherness for me. And should it go sour, chances are, someone is going to have to change jobs/schools.

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

In my personal experience, it's kinda common. And I agree with Captain Kirk that it's not the best idea...

Same school + same social circle + break-up (nasty or otherwise) = misery! (misery=Denise staying home on Friday & Saturday nights rather than going out with the gang, because "the ex" would be there)

d

Joachim · Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Posts: 311 Location: Brighton, UK

I would have thought it would have been a lot more common than I've actually found it.

In my three jobs so far, I only met one teaching couple and they arrived together (splitting up after a few months). I guess in Asia, the men seem to be too enamoured by the local population to even glance at their compatriots and colleagues.

Maybe it's different in Europe?

foster · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 Location: Honkers, SARS

I found in Canada, it was fairly common that teachers were dating or married to each other. As I said, many couple hooked up at Nova MM Center in Osaka because there are about 500 teachers there, so more choices. Some of the Nova males did date J-girls, but some also hooked up with the Chinese teachers, Italian teachers or Spanish teachers. Very Happy

Some men are NOT into the whole Asian-girl fetish (NOT trying to open a can of worms) so they perfered to date their co-workers. And yes, the breakups were nasty and some of the rumours were heinous.

Twisted Evil

Some of my co-workers are now engaged having met their match in Japan. Ironically, they ususally a teacher-by-trade and a non-teacher-by-trade sort of couple tho. One couple, he is a teacher, she is a writer. Other couple, she is a teacher, he is a flunky film major. (Sorry, nothing against film majors...my problem is with THIS film major.) Very Happy

khmerhit · Posted: Thu May 06, 2004 3:23 am Post subject:

foster discovered

foster · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 Location: Honkers, SARS

Thanks khermit. Nice to know SOMEONE still likes us...even us nasty, red-head type Westerners! Rolling Eyes

Moon report? Do tell..... Question

OK, just read your other post...hum...can't make a report about something I know nothing about..unless it is required by the EMB! Wink

juzstylin · Joined: 28 Mar 2004 Posts: 11 Location: Queens, NY

...the reason I posed the question was because I've generally had bad experiences with japanese women, nothing against women from Japan, just the women I've dated that happened to be Japanese.

I had the belief that most western women that went to asia to teach would prefer to date a local rather than a fellow english teacher....simply because it would provide many benefits, aside from learning the picking up the culture faster.

foster · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 Location: Honkers, SARS

Being a western woman in Asia, I have not dated local or otherwise, but if I had to choose, I would choose someone who is western or European, since I am a talker and want someone who understands me without the language barrier. I have met nice Asian men, but they language barrier always gets me.

Hell, at this point, I would date a potato if it could talk. Rolling Eyes

Joking.

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

foster · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 Location: Honkers, SARS

I agree Denise, that dating someone soley for linguistic or other gains is wrong. Sure, it would be great to have a HK b/f to help with translations and ordering the good dim sum, but if he doesn't float my boat, forget it. I need more than that as well. I do hope that most people date others because there is more than just trophy/linguistic/sexual gains.

We may have opened a HUGE can of worms...... Rolling Eyes

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

It may be a bad idea to date a western colleage of the opposite sex, but it seems to me across-the ethnic divide teacher-teacher relationships are pretty common.