Job Discussion Forums

[ghost]

After a 9 hour bus ride from Phnom Penh (Cambodia) last week, arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the biggest city in Vietnam (8.5 million).

Be careful in Vietnam - of crooks, thieves and con artists, many of whom work in liaison with the police.

Just after the 9 hour bus ride from Cambodia, this poster was offered a relaxing massage by a massage person, outside the guest house in District 1, Saigon. The price (30.000 dong- $2) seemed quite reasonable, so said yes. The guest house said everything was ok and legal.

To cut a long story short, the massage started out ok, but things turned unprofessional toward the end....and so did the price....which rocketed up from the initial $2 to $80...if you did not pay that price you would get into trouble with the local fuzz.....no choice but to pay....as no recourse was available.

Other foreigners have been robbed in similar schemes.

In the seaside town of Nha Trang where this poster is now staying, foreigners have been assaulted or ripped off at night, and during the day on the beach area (6km long).

The Thais and Cambodians are more friendly and honest.

[dmb]

Gecmis olsun

[peaches]

Hey ghost sorry you got ripped off but is there any place in the world that would make you happy???

[scot47]

Caelum non animam mutat quis trans mare currit.

[yaramaz]

Kolay gelsin, abi yaaaaaaaaaaaa

[dmb]

@Scot My Latin is a bit rusty. Can you translate that?

[scot47]

"The Heavens do not transform the soul of him who runs across the sea."

As in most things the ancients had it summed up. I guess some people must have reacted like "ghost" even then !

[ghost]

Peaches asks one if there is anywhere one could be happy in?

Certainly not in South East Asia

Also it is basically boring here, and there is little hope of ever getting close to the people, even with some knowledge of the language.

At the end of the day one wants to be with people who share similar values and outlooks on life, and that is not the case here.

One will travel to Indonesia, and look at the country there, but there is little chance of being happy there.

In this poster's case, the best countries so far for living and teaching were in Latin America - Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil.

The Latinos are somewhat different from one, but one can relate much more easily to them, and the values one shares with them are much more similar. That is what it is all about.

Japan will also be considered, because the people there seem fairly decent and intelligent.

[dmb]

ghost, you say that you are going to Indonesia and that you will not be happy. I am assuming you haven't been there before. How can you go to a country and think about the negative aspects before you arrive?

IMHO when you go travelling to a new country try and go there with no pre-conceived notions. In That way you will not be disappointed.

Go to a country with the prospect of all things new and wonderful. And if things aren't that fantastic you won't be disappointed.

[ghost]

DMB - is right - it is all a state of mind, but one cannot alter one's up-bringing and basic nature...those are things which are difficult to change.

The advantages of Indonesia, for an ESL teacher are the following:

1. Plenty of jobs throughout the archipelago, including some well paying jobs in the 'National Plus' schools, some of those jobs paying around $1500 net a month with accommodation, for the right candidates (people with at least a B.A./B.Ed. , and formal teaching qualifications from the home country.). This poster possesses B.A., B.Ed., M.A., and Post Graduate Diploma in T.E.S.L. Looks good on paper at least to get the foot in the door........

2. A language - Bahasa Indonesia - which ranks as one of the easiest languages to learn in the world, and certainly much easier than the 'tonal' languages which one is now confronted with in South East Asia (Thai, Khmer, Lao and Vietnamese). Bahasa is also written with the Latin script.

3. Indonesia is not overrun with tourists (except in Bali area) and that is definetely an advantage. This could hardly be said for the part of the world where one is now travelling (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos). You have no doubt noticed how countries quickly lose their initial charm once they fall into the trap of catering to commercialized mass tourism.

4. Better picks for jobs because there are less ESL candidates set on going to Indonesia.

5. Poster happens to prefer countries which other people claim are ugly, dangerous or without interest. Poster was never 'happier' than the time spent in places like Managua (Nicaragua), Tumaco (Colombia), Salvador Do Bahia (Brazil), Tegulcigalpa (Honduras), Guayaquil (Ecuador), San Miguel (El Salvador) - all of those locales hardly winning votes in the 'most prized destinations' categories. In a nutshell poster prefers locales which other westerners steer clear of. That might be the case with some places in Indonesia, like Surabays city, for example.

6. New language (Bahasa Indonesia) to learn and study, which will give one the impetus and motivation to get up every day. There are famous Bahasa schools in Djakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya and Yogyakarta. This will be poster's ninth language - following Eng., Fr., Ger., Span., Ital., Port. With elementary 2 knowledge of Turkish and Tagalog. Language learning provides a structure and purpose to the day, especially in settings where there are not many activities of interest.


DMB is presently working in Quatar, and is not particularly happy (as a female) in that conservative Arab State. However she puts up with her job as the money provides for good savings and the prospect of building up a nest egg.

Other teachers go more for 'quality of life' than money, and this poster is one of them.

Some posters, like Yaramaz, are happy to go for a balance between money and quality of life, and they seem to be the ones who adjust quite well.

[SueH]

[stabnkill]

I liked all the "one" and (especially!) "this poster" stuff. Thought it was funny.

[SueH]

Well, I think it's quite funny too, but having seen lots of ghosts posts, I've realised that the humour isn't normally intentional.

[Ajarn Miguk]

Say, Mr. ghost, have you ever lived or taught in Vietnam?

The reason I'm asking is because the overwhelming majority of the teachers I run into daily here are quite content and happy with their jobs and life. Your impression (as a tourist) seems to be quite contrary to what those of us actually living and working here think about the place.

I don't think any country or people should be judged on the basis of a single bad massage parlour experience.

Obviously, you do.

[johnslat]

Dear Ajarn Miguk,
From what I've read of ghost's contributions here, saying that he indulges in generalization is rather like saying that Hitler had a mild dislike for adherents of the Jewish faith.
Regards,
John