Job Discussion Forums

[logician]

I notice that a prior thread mentions that most folks will sell their cars and put their bulky possessions in storage before taking a post overseas. I had already planned on doing that.

However, I am a hard-core bibliophile. I have hundreds of serious books, and I really like sitting at home and reading. (One reason that foreign countries appeal to me is that I like the idea of being stuck in the middle of nowhere, without distractions. Since I also don't care much for alcohol I suspect that Muslim countries might be nice, so long as they didn't object to my reading material.)

I would think I couldn't pack up a cubic meter of books and take them on the plane. I might possibly have the opportunity to buy books while abroad, but I might not.

I suspect that most teachers travel with a bit more than a backpack and a few changes of clothes. I don't know if most teachers take twenty kilos of luggage or two hundred kilos.

Is the standard procedure to have one's personal library mailed or shipped to the employer's address? Is the standard procedure to just take a very small number of very good books? Is the standard procedure to pack up a cubic meter of books and just pay extra to the airline because they're much heavier than the allowed number of kilograms? Does a standard procedure exist?

All this is aside from the related question of which countries will confiscate questionable books shipped into the country. I have read some comments that suggest that Saudi inspectors may confiscate particular materials, and that UAE inspectors are less likely to confiscate, but that may be a mistaken notion based on an inattentive reading.

There are other possible expansions to the question, but for the moment I wonder if anyone would comment on the shipping-of-books angle.

[Glenski]

[shmooj]

One thing to bear in mind is shipping your stuff onward/home after your first trip out of your country. If you are coming to Japan, I wouldn't advise brining any books at all. The cost of shipping out of Japan what you brought into it will bring tears to your eyes.

Personally, I came with no books knowing that there would be amazon, bookshops, other people to borrow from. I have never been stuck for anything to read and I, like you, read voraciously. I have a ton of books in storage back "home" but will probably simply give them away at the next opportunity I have. AFter six (of probably many more) years away I realised this: a library and an EFL lifestyle do not marry well. I traded the former for the latter and haven't regretted it.

[naturegirl321]

I packed about 20 kgs when I came here. Clothes, some teaching materials, and things that reminded me of home. I'll probably leave most of the clothes behind when I leave for my next country and pack lighter.
Ask your friends and family to store your books. It's expenive to ship and they might get lost.
BUt, if you're planning on settling down overseas, staying in one place, it could be worth shipping them.
If you're only going to be overseas for a bit, or moving around a lot. Don't ship them

[denise]

I agree with the points made so far. I would add, though, that if there are some books that you absolutely can't live without, bring those with you. (Yeah, I know it's hard to prioritize...) I brought a couple with me, tucked a couple into a box of winter gear that I shipped to myself from the States, and left the rest behind. Now that I'm in Japan, I have used amazon a couple of times, visited my school's library numerous times, made trips into the "big city" to visit the local bookstore, and been the recipient of a fellow teacher's books--she gave them to me just before she left, rather than shipping them all back home.

Depending on where you end up, you can probably rely on your fellow expats/teachers to pass books around to each other.

d

[Gordon]

Another point, find out where and who you are going to teach. My students in Japan are so low that many of the books I brought with me are useless. I haven't cracked them open once and I always used them back home.

[shmooj]

Denise (and others in Japan)... are you aware that amazon.co.jp has almost all the English titles .com has and free shipping next day delivery for even reasonably low priced orders.

Thought I should mention it in case you are going to the trouble of visiting amazon.com still.

To see the site in English and to find ENglish books go to:
THIS LINK and simply click on the English categories. Once you get down to an individual book page, you should see a link to turn ordering details etc to English. You can also set the preferred language you order in to English so that this is set permanently in future.

[denise]

Shmooj--

Yeah, I've used amazon.co.jp once or twice. I stopped because they kept sending me emails that both clogged my inbox and took about 8 hours to open, because of the Japanese characters. It was such an annoyance that I decided I would be willing to pay to have things shipped from the States...

d

[scot47]

Travel light. Take your 20kg or 30kg of luggage and no more. Excess baggage is EXPENSIVE.

Depends where you and your books are. In most places it is CHEAP to post books at printed paper rate.

I do not always take my own advice. When I left my last job I shipped home a container that was 20kg short of 3 tonnes

[johnslat]

Dear scot47,
Shame on you. When I left Riyadh FOR GOOD (in every sense of that phrase) in July, my shipment came it at exactly 99 kilos, one under the desired weight ( should have thrown in that old pair of sneakers).
Regards,
John
P.S. Of course, unlike you, I don't have a wife and kiddos.

[denise]

[johnslat]

Dear denise,
Well, it was cheaper than even an economy class ticket. And scot47 did make sure there was enough bread and water in there for the trip.
Regards,
John

[scot47]

I shipped the dog too.
Next time I will take my 20kg and that is it.

[johnslat]

Dear scot467,
Presumably that means the wife, kiddos and the dog will have to go on one hell of a diet.
Regards,
John

[Deborann]

I shipped 2 boxes of books to China - 20kgs each. Cost me $260 Australian. I was notified yesterday that they arrived safely

I will be trying to stay under my permitted luggage limit for the plane when I come, but have already started to rack up more books to bring, which means I have to ditch other stuff (doedorant??) to make certain I don't have to pay excess

Is there an Amazon China??