Job Discussion Forums

[maryknight]

okay. so i just got here. mexico. south of guadalajara. it's noisy. i get
paid less than US $500 a month. the "furnished" apartment is crummy and it is soooo noisy. my roomates, who are my co teachers are great. the owner of the school is a tight wad.
any of you been to japan? i know the pay is better, but otherwise how does it compare?
for that matter, how does your job in mexico compare? we have to pay our own electric and gas.

[Guy Courchesne]

I've never been to Japan, but I don't think one can make any serious comparisons. Japan is a first world, Asian country and Mexico isn't.

[ls650]

[Samantha]

Those comments sound materialistic and petty. Gas and electric are cheap. Schools in Mexico don't have the kind of budgets that schools in Asia have, obviously. Mexico is a poor country and you need to be here for the right reasons. Your students, mostly. Remember, your students pay your salary so do what you came to do and I assume it was to teach English?

Unemployment is a big factor in Mexico and affects enrollments and payments. So what the school can't provide you with swanky new furniture to keep up your norte lifestyle? Is that what you came for? I have worked in the poorest of language schools with students who travelled hours by bus to get to their lessons. I and my fellow foreign teachers placed no demands on the school other than to pay us for our time. The administrators of our school were heavily subsidizing the school operation, and making sure we teachers got paid and making sure their students got to learn English. I am a better person for it. Keep some perspective or you won't make it (here or anywhere).

[MELEE]

I lived in Japan. The neighbors were much quieter, yes. I did get paid a lot more, but costs were also a lot lot higher. I didn't have to take care of myself as much, because the schools took care of a lot of things. But people also didn't believe that it was possible for a foreigner to take care of themselves there and that was annoying, minorly, but still anoying.

It is really hard to compare. But not impossible. Life in Japan was really good. I only worked 25 hours a week, but it was less rewarding than the 40 hours a week I work here. I earned more, but I could never have afforded to buy a house there, and here I've paid off about 40% of my NO INTEREST housing loan. I saved up over 10,000 US dollars in just over a year when I was in Japan, but I could never have settled there. The Japanese government didn't give me health care, a retirement plan, and a housing loan, like the Mexican government has.

In Japan, I loved visiting temples and shrines, and I miss that, but I also went to salsa lessons and listened to Spanish and Portuguese radio programs on the international radio station, so I also did "Latiny" things there.

Incedentily, Japan totally changed my view of the world development wise Guy. I always saw the world in terms of levels of development in horizontal lines and countries could be placed somewhere on that "ladder". Japan was like a diagonal, incompassing both the very top level and some of the rather low levels at the same time.

I pay my own gas and electric (and I did in Japan too). I get paid about 10,000, but I work for every peso of it!

I can't say you'd be better off in Japan, nor can I say you'd be better off in Mexico. Only you can decided that. I think both experiences would be good for you!

[Ms. Atondo]

Doesn't seem like you did much research before you came. Try this...drop all your expectations and just enjoy this life for what it is.

[Samantha]

Self-deleted, see my post below.

[aroha]

Hiya,
Japan is great if you want to go drinking, partying, shopping, and bathing in hot pools. I worked in Tokyo when I was 23 and it was a great experience - for nine months. It was fairly easy to meet people in Tokyo and yes the money was great. But people looked so cold and closed on the trains and walking around the streets, and I got tired of taking longer steps than everyone else and treading on people's heels. People sneak looks at foreigners but otherwise rarely acknowledge your existence.

In contrast, Mexican people are some of the warmest people I have ever met, and have a way of helping strangers that I have never seen before. Yes, most people struggle economically here, but it really makes you appreciate what you have. If you have a paid, "furnished" apartment, and your salary is paid on top then you are not doing so badly. And if you are from Texas then you are much closer to home than you would be in Japan. My electricity and gas comes to about 200 pesos a month for two people, so thats hardly a big expense.

But I agree with Melee that any experience living overseas is good for you, as it makes you face your own prejudices and limitations.

[mistie3k]

I taught EFL in Tokyo for almost 5 years, then moved to Mexico and taught in Guadalajara for over 3 years. Yes, the money in Japan is wonderful and the country itself is mesmerizing, but I was much happier in Mexico. I ended up meeting some of my best friends there, and actually had a social life that included dating, which didn't quite happen for me in Asia (I've heard vastly different stories on that subject, often depending on the person's gender--my own self esteem was shot by Year 4, though).

True, the places available at a teacher's salary in MX aren't exactly 4-star suites, or even 2, for that matter (I once killed a scorpion in my living room by pulling a brick from the crumbling wall and dropping it on the beast), but it's not so bad if you like your job and have a strong emotional support system. Wheelbarrows of yen cannot replace that...Do whatever you think is best, but I would advise giving Mexico a bit more time to see what develops...Suerte! (Gambatte!)

[M@tt]

it sounds to me like there are probably better jobs available than the one you have right now. less than US$500/month seem really low to me, although i don't know your credentials and i don't know how much you're saving on rent by living in an apartment provided by the school.

there was a similar thread on noise two years ago, and yes, mexico is a really noisy country. that's one thing you basically have to get used to, although you might look around your city for areas that are calmer than where you live. only problem is that if you live somewhere TOO calm, you may end up with animals noises that start at 4am.

i've never been to japan so i can't compare the two. i basically agree with the postings that say there are things in mexico that make it great, which are unrelated to the money (obviously nobody comes here to get rich). however, if money is an important part of the equation for you, you should ignore people on this forum who make it a personal issue (esp. people without lives who read through your past posts to dig up sh*t about you). just think long and hard about what you're looking for and then be ready to adjust.

[Samantha]

Matt, It was not my intention to dig anything or make anything personal. I was trying to make a valid point, but if it was taken the way you say, I will delete my post.

I guess I am a little tired of seeing things on here trashing Mexico when people need to be a little more responsible for their own actions and decisions in this life. I read some of your recent posts over the last few days but refrained from commenting, unlike some others. I hope things are going better for you today. Mexicans are generally not dishonest. That is why I stayed on.