Job Discussion Forums

[Lisa]

hi everyone! i've been in Guadalajara for the past 5 months. love it. the culture, music, language, teaching etc.. however, since the school i work at is very small, i havent been able to meet (with any ease anyways) many other foreigners to hang out with and it can get kinda lonely at times. i do hang out with some of my adult students who i do socialize with, which is wonderful but it would be nice to meet someone i can better relate to. im 29, from Toronto (female) and just wanting to hook-up with some other people that i can share some great experiences with in this awesome country. for anyone else out there thats not in GDL but knows the place, any advice??

thanx in advance

[inmexico]

Hi Lisa,

It seems that things are the same all over. In contrast to places like China, there doesn't seem to be much of a communal atmosphere amongst the foreign teachers in many Mexican cities. I think this largely due to the fact that the Spanish language is much easier to learn for most than Chinese. I have also made friends with several of my adult students and still it would be nice to have the occasional conversation (in English at full speed) with someone who can relate to the same things.
I am also a former Torontonian, although I call the Vancouver area home now. feel free to mail me if you want - [email protected].

[The Old Gringo]

Hey Lisa,
This isn't exactly on topic but if you haven't visited the zoo in GDL it's worth an afternoon, IMO. I visited it a couple of years ago and was completely surprised how clean and nice it was. Not at all what I expected.

You might head out to Ajijjic and/or Chapala for gringo contact. Perhaps the fabled "Chili Cook-off" in Ajijic might be a good excuse. Unfortunately not sure exactly when that is. The folks out there might not be in the age bracket you were looking for, though.

Good luck and enjoy!

TOG

[housed]

Hi, I will be leaving northern Maine for GDL in mid July and would like to visit with other ESL teachers. I have spent 3 previous Julys in GDL living with families of exchange students who have lived in my home. This year is different because I am going to be staying for the entire year!!!! I have a yearlong sabbatical from my boarding school in Maine, Lee Academy, where I am the Spanish teacher. I am going to try to find an ESL job when I get there and have a couple options in the pipeline. I have started an online web journal at http://groups.msn.com/housed and hope readers will join me at my cyberspace for my online adventure.

[jenrich]

Hi Lisa,
I'll be in Guadalajara later in July to get my TEFL cert. at ITTO. I've never been there before and obviously don't know anyone. I'd love to meet up once I get there and hear any advice you have, as I'm obviously new to TEFL (and Guadalajara)!
Jen

[Chunderbuttocks]

Hi Jen,

I am doing the TEFL course starting at the end of July at the ITTO...I guess I'll see you there. I have 5 weeks to trek around the Yucatan first, and I dare say by the time I arrive in Guad I will be very glad to hear English voices!

Gary

[Lisa]

thanks for all your replies everyone. sorry i havent replied sooner but im back in TO for an emergency visit as my dad fell ill, but ill be back in GDL around the last week of August. feel free to email me at [email protected] if you still wanna try to hook-up.

[Pete Brown]

Hello one and all.
My better half and myself will be landing in GDL on Sept 1st and would like to hook up with any other ESL teachers in the area.
Also anyone know a good cheap place to stay until we set ourselves up as we have no job or contacts there.
If you want to, email me at [email protected]
Looking forward to seeing ya.

Pete

[seriouslydog]

I guess GDL is the place to be. I arrive tomorrow night and let me give it to you straight, I'm scared.

seriously,

dog

[gorilla g]

i hear you dog. i haven't had a full night's sleep in a week. i leave in five days and i can't wait. i'm sick of thinking and planning and feeling nervous.

gorilla g

[lozwich]

hi all,

like the rest of the known universe, i am also thinking of heading to guadalajara in the next week. please excuse the capitals, or lack thereof, but i'm in japan, in transit. now, ask me two days ago about what i was feeling and i would have been right there with you. scared. wanting to vomit/get drunk/smoke cigarettes eventhough i quit 4 years ago and so on. but now i'm on my way, and just had a walk in osaka, and i'm excited!! *that would be in caps if i could get the silly thing to work(

remember what you thought of when you conceived this crazy plan. remember why you wanted to go in the first place. because right now, if youre anything like me, your head is full of logistics, and feeling sad/longingness/grief for what it is you are leaving behind. all perfectly normal, but like all things, it will pass.

a good place to stay in guad, for pete who asked, and anyone else, is the iyhf hostel. it should be in the lonely planet - don't have mine with me just now - but its friendly and about 100 pesos a night and clean and free internet and round the corner from yummy foody places. you might even see me there in a week or so, if guad wins the where should i go competition.. currently tossing up between merida and guad...

good luck fellow travellers and remember you're not the only one going through this....

lozwich/lorraine.

[seriouslydog]

lozwhich,

not that it counts but I vote you go to GDL

ole

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[lozwich]

aw shucks! thanks guys!

Look! I'm in LA and in the land of capital letters and punctuation. Just now Merida is looking better, as I've escaped the southern winter and am thinking lots about the sea!

Ah!

But then it is only $200 from LA to Guadalajara, and $400 to Merida.... Decisions decisions...

Hope all the other travellers are feeling a lot better now (like I definitely am!)

Cheers,
Lorraine.

[Ben Round de Bloc]