Job Discussion Forums

carolynne · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 80 Location: Spain

Hello!
I need some advice. I'm from Africa and have never been to Mexico. I am a CELTA qualified teacher (with degree plus currently doing masters) with experience (albeit short) on three continents.

I am currently in a very conservative (homophobic, racist etc with religious justification) town. It's okay.... Rolling Eyes

but not great Sad

. I don't really want to be in a similar situation next year! So I want a real Mexican experience that's not too conservative. (Not asking much!) Oh, and I surf and would love to teach in an area with good waves Cool

.

Will I find work in Puerto Escondido? Would I want to work in Puerto? Are there any Mexicans there Smile

? Or are there any other areas that live up to my long list of criteria?

Many thanks, carol

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

carolynne · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 80 Location: Spain

Thanks - although that's not exactly what I wanted to hear.
As for Huatulco I google searched it with the words English and teach...
There were no matches. Confused

Um..??
How long would it take to pick up something once I've arrived in Mexico (is this legal for non-US citizens?)?
Do you know anything about San Luis Potosi?
Sorry for being so demanding Smile

Thanks for the advice about Chile but I really, really want to go to Mexico. Really, really.

C
PS pls excuse any errors its 1am in South Africa.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Huatulco is not big either...I suggested it as it is the largest city on the Oaxacan coast, where the best surfing is in Mexico. Someone wil pipe in here from Huatulco soon (wontcha LS?)

You can work legally in Mexico as a South African...no problem if you have the right paperwork and a school to sponsor. For SLP, check out the job listings on Dave's http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist There ought to be something there.

thelmadatter · Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 4:17 pm Post subject: work

I have to echo Guy's sentiments. Where the money is and where the fun is are often two different things here in Mexico (often true in the US as well). One saving grace might be that the ocean is not too, too far away from Mexico City, Toluca and Guadalajara (esp Guadalajara). Bus transportation is fairly cheap, reliable and easy.

It is often the dream of many to go to places like Puerto Escondido, teach a couple of classes and spend the rest of the time hanging out on the beach. But, too often that leads to many "gringos" Smile

competing for few jobs which then drives down wages, despite the tourist trade that one would think would create a strong demand for English teachers.

As for being South African, there is some connection in the minds of many that true native speakers are white and from the US. Many people here Ive met, seem to think there are only two countries in the world - Mexico and the US (and maybe the EU for some places). Other places in the world hardly exist for them. However, in the larger cities, I believe you will find more acceptance than you would in smaller, more conservative places. I know my school understands that a native speaker is a native speaker is a native speaker, for the most part. We even had a Dutch teacher of English simply because her English was so awesome (took me 5 sentences to realize she was not a native speaker).

So getting a work permit (an FM3) shouldnt' be an issue for you with a CELTA. You can come in on a tourist visa and after securing work, change it to an FM3 (with the usual bureaucratic hassles of course!) Saying that, realize that you should come here with a fair amount of cash in hand to sustain you as you get yourself settled. Many folks here have recommended $2000 USD.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

carolynne · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 80 Location: Spain

Hey IS650, I'm only coming to Mexico in a couple of months so perhaps said University should be notified Wink

.
If you have details/name etc pls won't you send them my way.
I'm saving now to do some Spanish classes before working so this is really the very beginning of my info search on teaching (perhaps you could elaborate on 'apostillized' certificates?).
Otherwise thanks everyone!
Carol

delacosta · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 325 Location: zipolte beach

Just to clarify: Huatulco is nowhere as big as Puerto Escondido, and definitely has no surfing to speak of. It is a series of sheltered bays with a few ripples now and then from the lanchas. It's hilarious to see the chilangos frolicking in the water run for their lives when the occasional micro wave comes in, especially when the rolly-polly ones don't quite make it out and get caught in the surf, kind of like a bowling ball with arms and legs sticking out.

Puerto Escondido has the best surfing, some say in all of Mexico. You have to be a very experienced surfer to dare to take on the waves there. It truely is hard-core surfing. I was there last weekend and there were some incredible surfers there, from all over the world,as well as many 'surfographers', a new word I learned, filming them. The waves were so massive that they had to be towed out on-I don't know what they're called, like snowmobiles in water, eh? Oh yes, jet skis.

It was actually very exciting to watch them surf, we were all on the edge of our seats, the waves were so huge, so imenseley powerful, and they were shooting so fast along them. YOu knew that if they got caught they'd be seriously bleeped.

Anyway, there is also an UMAR campus in Escondido, albeit nowhere as big as the one in Huatulco. Most of the profs who work there were hired because they were at the right place at the right time.
The town itself is in my opinion , a better place to live, and more representative of 'real Mexico' than the pre-planned pseudo disneyland that is Huatulco.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

delacosta · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 325 Location: zipolte beach

Sorry I must clarify. First of all I'm not sure what 'real Mexico' is or where it would fall, but I'm quite sure that 'it' may be less evident in Huatulco than in Escondido.

Actually there is a little old fella, probably getting close to 90 years old who walks everywhere around here, in a tattered old shirt and pants, tied with an old rope at the waist and no shoes, a peasant's straw hat on his head. A few white whiskers poking out of his face. My buddy and I refer to him whenver we see him as 'Mexico'.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

In my travels around the country (not all of it, but a good part) I've come to see Mexico as having a great many faces. I find it really hard to nail exactly one image of Mexico. You've got grinding poverty and fabulous wealth. You've got people riding donkeys being passed by 'juniors' in BMWs. You've got umpteen different languages spoken here. Blonde, blue-eyed Mennonites in the mid-north, orthodox Jews is upscale Polanco, Italians in Puerto Escondido, and as many Mexican Spanish accents are there are varieties of chili.

I've come to think that Mexico never really shows you her true face. She's only a mirror...showing you yourself, or whaty ou want to see.

carolynne · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 80 Location: Spain

Thanks Delacosta,
I have had a look at the website of that university you mentioned, will go visit them when I'm in Puerto... Do you work there? Or somewhere in Puerto?
Carol

MELEE · Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 3:49 pm Post subject:

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

You've got me there...I'm not up on Toltecs...that's more Oaxacan, no?