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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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 Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 12:45 am Post subject: |
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I tried Dullsville, Scotland, for a while in the 1980s. It was awful, but it took me ages to get back into EFL. A series of lucky coincidences got me, through political links, to a summer school in Potsdam in the last summer of the GDR and from there to Saudi Arabia. Saddam had invaded Kuwait and no one wanted to go to the Middle East. I put my hand up and said, "I'll go ! Send me!"
So a chain of coincidences and the indirect help of Egon Krenz and Saddam Hussein got me back into EFLing in 1990. |
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Sour Grape
Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 241
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 12:21 pm Post subject: |
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| For many reasons, but one not yet mentioned is that the women in the country I'm from are minging, and obesity rates are through the roof and rising all the time. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 4:36 pm Post subject: |
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| While walking around some of the towns of Scotland I wonder where all these SPHERICAL folk come from !!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Hod
Joined: 28 Apr 2003
Posts: 1613
Location: Home
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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| From the outlets serving haggis, tatties and deep-fried Mars bars. |
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Hod
Joined: 28 Apr 2003
Posts: 1613
Location: Home
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Sour Grape wrote: |
| For many reasons, but one not yet mentioned is that the women in the country I'm from are minging, and obesity rates are through the roof and rising all the time. |
Not very PC, but before everyone jumps on you, I agree.
I recently travelled on a plane from the UK to Germany. Before take off, a nearby female passenger from the UK requested a seat belt extension.
Now, I'm no Adonis but later on in that flight I became curious just how big a standard aircraft seat belt would extend. I could've fitted my luggage and a couple of basketballs in the gap.
OK, some people have hormonal or thyroid problems, etc, which contribute to weight gain, but I can't emphasize (sic) enough how accommodating aircraft seat belts are.
PC blah blah. You shouldn't be flying if you can't use a standard aircraft seat belt. You should be at your doctor asking for help.
My Asian wife sums it up best. In the UK, you can just buy bigger clothes every year. Mind you, I reckon Asians are getting bigger too. Must be a conspiracy. |
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joe30
Joined: 07 Jul 2016
Posts: 112
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 3:24 am Post subject: |
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Because the UK is absolutely dire and I was looking for a way out, no matter what it was.
By the way, there's nothing wrong with those who chose to teach ESL for the nice weather, beaches, women, cheap cost of living, booze, laid back lifestyle...or whatever other non job related reason they have. Everyone is different and we should all try and do what makes us happy.
Just thought I'd get that in, since there seems to be a certain degree of snobbiness on here where some people declare they're in it for the love of the career, and think that somehow makes them better than those who are in it for the lifestyle instead. Well guess what, it doesn't. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 5:27 am Post subject: |
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| joe30 wrote: |
Because the UK is absolutely dire and I was looking for a way out, no matter what it was.
By the way, there's nothing wrong with those who chose to teach ESL for the nice weather, beaches, women, cheap cost of living, booze, laid back lifestyle...or whatever other non job related reason they have. Everyone is different and we should all try and do what makes us happy.
Just thought I'd get that in, since there seems to be a certain degree of snobbiness on here where some people declare they're in it for the love of the career, and think that somehow makes them better than those who are in it for the lifestyle instead. Well guess what, it doesn't. |
Seriously, you're only 26 years and have barely started your teaching career, if at all. What you oddly label as "snobbiness" is based on years of teaching and witnessing the industry change while preparing for a future and often more competitive global TEFL market. The era of backpacker/beach bum teachers has lost favor with many overseas employers and governments. Plus, these expats tend to be short termers anyway once the luster of those hedonistic reasons you gave above has worn off (and/or the funds are depleted). |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 10:06 am Post subject: |
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| The UK is dire. I came back but found a far-away corner that still feels like 1961. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 12:53 pm Post subject: |
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Scot's earned the right to whinge when he wants.
Joe's barely a pup still. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 1:04 pm Post subject: |
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Not only that, scot47's sandals were plated in gold and enshrined somewhere out in the ever-shifting sands of Saudi Arabia.  |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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| The gold sandals are now in the pawn-shop. Buddy, can you spare a dime ? |
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twowheel
Joined: 03 Jul 2015
Posts: 753
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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| scot47 wrote: |
| The gold sandals are now in the pawn-shop. Buddy, can you spare a dime ? |
[reaches into pocket]
twowheel |
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joe30
Joined: 07 Jul 2016
Posts: 112
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 5:28 am Post subject: |
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| nomad soul wrote: |
Seriously, you're only 26 years and have barely started your teaching career, if at all. What you oddly label as "snobbiness" is based on years of teaching and witnessing the industry change while preparing for a future and often more competitive global TEFL market. The era of backpacker/beach bum teachers has lost favor with many overseas employers and governments. Plus, these expats tend to be short termers anyway once the luster of those hedonistic reasons you gave above has worn off (and/or the funds are depleted). |
It was more the 'if you're only doing this to get out of the UK then you shouldn't do it' line of thinking that got me annoyed. Lifestyle reasons are perfectly acceptable to choose a career path. I doubt the same BS would be given to say...someone seeing a low stress and low hours career as they have to care for their sick grandparents, or a mother who wants a job that has flexible working so she can pick the kids up from school.
Lifestyle should be your FIRST consideration when taking a job or deciding a career path. If beaches and beer are what make you happy, that's a totally acceptable reason to get into ESL teaching. If you love teaching, that's also an acceptable reason to do ESL. But neither reason is better than the other, and the second guy isn't a 'better person' than the first. |
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bograt
Joined: 12 Nov 2014
Posts: 331
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 6:54 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Lifestyle should be your FIRST consideration when taking a job or deciding a career path. If beaches and beer are what make you happy, that's a totally acceptable reason to get into ESL teaching. If you love teaching, that's also an acceptable reason to do ESL. But neither reason is better than the other, and the second guy isn't a 'better person' than the first. |
I know which one I'd give a job to. |
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adventious
Joined: 23 Nov 2015
Posts: 237
Location: In the wide
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 8:14 am Post subject: |
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| bograt wrote: |
| I know which one I'd give a job to. |
I know to which one I'd give a job, or
I know to which candidate I'd offer a position.
But can you say why?
What motivates people isn't necessarily anybody's business but their own and, in fact, expectations about motivations can as readily serve a bias or prejudice. Aren't standards of professionalism partly about removing subjective judgments made by employers and human resources?
My initial reaction to the post was negative: Of course, motivation matters...
But I'm hard pressed to articulate justifications that aren't steeped in terms others could dismiss as stereotype. |
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