Job Discussion Forums

sojourner · Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2003 8:04 am Post subject:

Minhang Oz,

You mentioned that you are able to save $US 800 per month.I'm really impressed ! (read:jealous !). Exactly what sort of institution do you work for ? Do they provide a lot of overtime,or do you have some private students ? If most of the money you earn comes from private tuition,wan't you have problems converting it into foreign currency when you leave the country ?

- - - - - - -

dmb,

In your posting,you mentioned that you sometimes go to a bar.Is this meant to be a "dry" bar,selling only fruit juices and soft drinks ? I thought that in the Gulf area,the authorities usually prohibit the sale/comsumption of alcohol.So,is Qatar different from its neighbours ?

Is it very easy to obtain work in Qatar ? Do they practice age discrimination re the recruitment of foreign teachers ?

Regards,

Peter

struelle · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 2372 Location: Shanghai

Steiner · Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Posts: 573 Location: Hunan China

I, for one, plan on having enough saved up to buy myself a nice big cardboard box next to the railroad tracks in Youngstown, Ohio, when I retire.

richard ame · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 319 Location: Republic of Turkey

Hi
I have no intentions to go back to the west to retire ,this place has given me more in 10 years than I got back home in 20 . I have money in the bank 2 properties ,my health and at least 10- 15 years more working life left . In the U.K I would be on the scrapheap . And the weather pisses me right off .

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

sojourner, There are proper bars in Doha selling anything you want. although draught beer is limited to fosters, Guiness, carlsberg and an irish bitter I can't remember the name of at the moment.In Qatar, bahrain, and UAE(maybe Oman-i don't know I've not been) alcohol is readily available. I think finding a job here is relatively easy. I found it on TEFL.com and there are no age restrictions apart from you need a few years experience. at my company it is 5 years. I know of teachers who work in primary, secondary, college, university and Ofcourse the oil company.

Wolf · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 1245 Location: Middle Earth

As to my own situation. I'm trying to get my MA now. But, as far as I can see, I'm not going to avoid the poor house.

The only place in East Asia where I can get permenant residency on my own (and therfore live in without working) is Japan . . . one of the costliest places on Earth. (Correct me if I'm wrong.) I said before that I knew people who "made it" over there, but I don't know if I can or not.

I don't have a cent to my name, and I'm not going to inherit anything either. If I retired and went home, I'd have nothing to go home to. No property, etc.

Once my parents retire, I'll have no one to turn to for financial support at all.

I've gambled my future on a tenacious toss of the die: on the hope that experienced and qualified teachers will actually be respected and given a salry (and conditions/permission) sufficent to retire on.

Failing that, I'd try the Middle East, even though I'd be little better than a mercenary.

Failing that, I fight Steiner for his cardboard box. Either that or go back home and try to get enough ESL and other work to retire on a pension that will keep me alive until . . . well . . . I die.

Earlier this year, I lost a lot of sleep over this issue. I'm not sure I'll ever have enough money to retire on - and that's without having any dependants. I don't have much of a head for making investments, so unless there are good financial advisors who know what to do with people in my situation, I starve.

And yet I love my job. I may as well spend my working years happy with what I do.

Maybe I'll be spared this dilema by passing on early....

MELEE · Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2003 3:06 pm Post subject:

Wolf,

For a very small fee, I'll rent you a box on my Turkey farm...

Minhang Oz · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 610 Location: Shanghai,ex Guilin

Soujorner, I'm at a state college in Shanghai, so the pay's at the upper end of the scale, but not unheard of in these parts. The savings mentioned are on my base income. I do some corporate training [eg TOEIC] when something good comes along, but don't depend on it. I realise most salaries in China are quite a lot lower; I'm definitely not trying to rub it in people's faces. I just got lucky for once.

donfan · Joined: 31 Aug 2003 Posts: 217

Being the only child of rich parents helps me. Laughing

nomadder · Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2003 2:12 am Post subject:

Wolf I have a financial advisor and the markets are good right now. When you get some savings together one day it is worth considering. Beats what the bank would give you for sure.

Wolf · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 1245 Location: Middle Earth

lagger · Joined: 08 Apr 2003 Posts: 40 Location: Australia

The best and most secure retirement plan for an ESL teacher is a fatal heart-attack at 45.

lajzar · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Saitama-ken, Japan

Sometime in my forties, I plan to take up drinking again as a serious hobby, and die of liver failure.

Or maybe I'll climb Mt Fuji again. Last time, I almost died of oxygen starvation (first time I ever went over 1000 metres). Its actually a rather pleasant sensation, once you get over the initial panic stage.

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

Steiner,

Y-town in da his-souse! Yeah, baby! Go PENGUINS! Wink

joe-joe · Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Posts: 100 Location: Baku, Azerbaijan

I think the heart attack at 45, although an extreme proposition, is unfortunately the best 'final solution to the retirement question! Lets face it, in TEFL we can live well enough in many of the countries we work in, but as places to stay in long term, and moreover retire in comfortably, safely and indeed financially secure, they really wouldn't be ideal. And most TEFL salaries only allow you to live comfortably in the here and now, but don't allow you to put enough aside for your twilight years. I guess unless you're prepared to work maybe 10 years in the Middle East, TEFL is not going to deliver as a career with great long term wealth prospects and comfortable retirement potential. Hmm, now I'm depressed........