Job Discussion Forums

[Jizzo T. Clown]

Does anyone perusing this board work in North America? If so, what area are you in/interested in? It's disheartening, the lack of traffic over here. What's good about being on your home continent?

I personally like the nonexistence of a language barrier (well, depending on what part of the country you're in!), access to any type of food you want, and well-stocked and heated/cooled supermarkets. I also love my car and free highways.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

I used to work in Canada. I used to love spending more than 100% of my full time earnings to rent a single room in a house with a bunch of people I didn't really know very well and to get to and from work, and then have to go into debt to eat. It was like being on a very slowly sinking ship.

What was good was never having language difficulties (although now having lived in an area where I very definately DID have language difficulties has been nice too), not paying more than double the cost of cable for a single channel that shows Korean shows almost half the time, and being able to just go sit in a pub and drink a beer (that I had to use borrowed -from the bank- money to buy) while reading a book (also, that I had to use borrowed -from the bank- money to buy) or talking to my friends.

Yep. I'm in my third year of JET now, so that's about the limit for that. If I don't find another job soon, I'll be doing that again. It's like sitting on a train that you know is going to run into a wall, and saying to yourself, I know there's a chance that there'll be another train just before I run into the wall, so I'll just sit here and wait, rather than get off at rush hour when most of the trains go by (fiscal year).

So yeah, I guess my point is that living in Canada is like a slowly sinking ship, and Japan is like a train going to hit a wall. I guess I'm a "The glass is half full... of urine" type person.

[valley_girl]

I'm doing the same thing you're all doing...but doing it in Canada. I teach English to foreign students who want to attend a Canadian University (in particular, the one at which I am teaching). We also have some students who just want to improve their English skills, but not many. Most are pre-degree, which makes for some highly motivated students.

I love my job. As much as I enjoyed living and teaching in Asia, there are few dull moments teaching here in Canada. I've learned a great deal from my students about their countries and they continually learn from each other. Teaching a class of mixed nationals is a very enriching experience for me. I have a nomadic heart, but I live in different countries vicariously all the time so I don't miss not having those overseas adventures too much.

I also have not just a salary, but many benefits including an awesome pension plan. I wouldn't have that in most countries.

Jizzo, you mentioned the language barrier thing and I thought I'd address that as well. I sometimes miss trying to 'get by' in another language. It's stressful, yes, but also a very valuable experience, particularly as a language instructor. This fall, I spent three and a half weeks in Asia on recruiting trips and was able to experience that language barrier again. I made a game of how much of the languages I could pick up in that short time (Mandarin, Korean, and Japanese). It was actually quite fun and of course, challenging. That said, it is a relief to be able to grocery shop and do other chores in my first language again. I still gesture far too much for a native speaker of the language, but that's just a side effect of the job, eh.

[TokyoLiz]

Wow, two very different perspectives from Gamabatte and valley_girl.

Back in the day, when Asian economies were booming, I was teaching at an international ESL school in a major Canadian city, making great money, sharing a whole house with a community of friends, and saving a great deal while still having a good life.

When the economies collapsed in J and K lands, well, so did my great job.

I do okay in Jland these days. The lifestyle, the job and the other cultural pursuits keep me here. But I'd like to go home some day.

[denise]

I would love to work in NA (or at least in certain parts of it), but I also like having a full-time job with a salary and benefits!

I think the lure of "home" for me, aside from a western salary, is sort of an anti-novelty factor. I don�t like being treated like a novelty--being stared at, honked at, expected to be/think/act a certain way, etc. I just want to be me! And live in a place where it�s OK to just be me!

d

[grahamb]

An excellent idea. A huge market - 280 million Americans who need to learn proper English.

[Jizzo T. Clown]

[grahamb]

Jizzo, somehow I knew you'd be the one to take the bait.