Job Discussion Forums

[efemmera]

Does anyone have any recommendations where a pale Western woman who is ample bodied and traveling alone would feel most comfortable? I am currently in SEA and I am trying to decide what country to live and work in. Staring I can deal with. What I am having issues with is the pointing, laughing and generally being treated like a side show attraction. In Viet Nam these are not isolated events but ongoing daily events. Any PRODUCTIVE advice appreciated. Thanks.

[Enigma2011]

Come to Mexico City. Modern thinking, tolerant and progressive. Do some research and tell me what you find about this huge metropolis. Also try posting on the Mexico forum. There are plenty of experienced EFLer's who may be able to offer you tons of advice.
Do you have a certain location in the world where you would want to be besides SEA?? Hope this helps and PM me if you need more information.

[1st Sgt Welsh]

[Glenski]

Are you even qualified for work visas? Tell us about your educational and vocational background. Your body size really doesn't matter in most places.

[naturegirl321]

I'd say Asia probably isn't your best bet. A friend of mine was not renewed because the director was afriad of her "health" which meant that she wasn't skinny enough. Possibily Latin America or the Middle East? There are larger people there. I personally thought Singapore was pretty accepting, but don't konw if there are jobs there.

I used to have kids come up and poke me when I was in China. Taechers would also tell the chubby kid that he was fat-fat.

[bulgogiboy]

[sistercream]

Assuming your qualifications are up to it,why not try China/ Taiwan/ Hong Kong/ Macau?

As a 200+lb caucasian woman I can't say I've had any more reaction from people in the greater China area than I did in my native Australia - unless you count that some clothing shop assistants giggle if I walk in: but giggling is a common sign of embarrassment here, it doesn't necessarily mean the giggler finds a situation humorous (non-English speaking postal clerks will also giggle when confronting a foreigner, until they find the person speaks Chinese).
Even with fluent Canto & Mando, I've only heard one really snarky comment about my weight over the last couple of decades(I was pushing my way off a packed bus and someone who had no idea that I could understand said, "Elephants should travel on their own drays."). In remote areas of mainland China, there are a lot more comments just about my "foreignness."
What did take me a few years to adjust to among Cantonese people is their way of opening conversations with comments/ questions that would be considered outrageously personal in the west - they might ask "Why are you so fat?", "Why have you got freckles?" or, equally likely, "What's your monthly salary?" or "How much did your dress cost?" Now that I'm used to this way of expressing friendly interest in a person I'm quite happy continuing the conversation in kind...

[efemmera]

Thanks for most of the suggestions offered. To be honest, I still don't know where I am going. From a cash flow perspective, I need to stay in the area. My tentative plans were to spend a month relaxing and writing then spend some time volunteering at an orphanage. I was hoping to start teaching in 6 to 8 weeks. Usually I just cruise a long and everything falls into place. I am sure it will this time as well, I am just feeling disillusioned at present. Viet Nam was one of the places I wanted to visit most and now I need to re-evaluate. I know that the laughter is mean spirited because it only happens when I am alone and there are groups of Vietnamese and it stops very abruptly if I say hello in Vietnamese and give them a look to suggest I understand what is being said. Most of the men have been kinder, it is primarily women. And oddly it is worse if the women can see my clothes or if my hair is down. I don't even want to try to analyze the situation, I just want to leave here but I don't want to hop into a similar situation. At present, I am thinking either Laos, Thailand or India. Any thoughts?

[oxi]

[Madame J]

Indonesia has its share of overweight natives. Not loads, but enough to not make it a big issue. Sometimes students might comment on a fat teacher's weight, but I never heard of it happening enough to drive a teacher out of the country.

[bulgogiboy]

For some reason a lot of the islands in the South Pacific seem to have a big problem with obesity, not so easy to find jobs there though.

Florida? That's quite a haven for ham-lovers, so I hear.

[mimi_intheworld]

I never had issues in Thailand. Got lots of looks for having red hair and pink skin, but my size was rarely (if ever) remarked upon.

Also, it kind of depends on who you teach. Kids & teens are prone to picking everywhere. I got worse comments in England (when I was quite a bit thinner) than I ever got elsewhere in the world. I just roll with it. It's no secret to me that I'm overweight. I don't walk into a classroom thinking I look like Kate Moss and drop dead in surprise when/if a child tells me I'm fat. And I have been known to use such "conversations" as teachable moments as to: sarcasm, polite speech, acceptable topics of conversation in X country. Once my students are aware they can't hurt my feelings or even get me much off task by calling attention to my size, they leave off.

As to the general public, well...I've never lived in a culture quite so sizeist as Vietnam appears to be to the OP. Unless you count Los Angeles.

Generally, I find that if I'm okay with my size (whatever it may be - I have yo-yo'd through all kinds of dress sizes over the years, though I do tend to mainly lose weight when I leave the US), I don't mind what others think of me. I'm always going to be enormous in some places, and I'm always going to stand out in many places. I'm nearly six feet tall and what one might call voluptuous if one is being kind. With the red hair and pink skin mentioned above. Efemmera, I hope you can find a place where you can be comfortable in your appearance, even if the locals point. It's hard, but I wish you the best of luck!

[Prof.Gringo]

In Latin America, people aren't going to freak out about your weight. If you're just "normally" overweight, I would not see it as a problem.

[sharter]

Fat people get gawked at everywhere. Be positive, eat less, exercise more over a long period of time and feel good about yourself. You can run but you can't hide. Go somewhere cold, so you won't sweat as much. Actually...you'll fit in in the UK as a hefty gal....people laugh about obesity there.

[bulgogiboy]