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Stan Rogers
Joined: 20 Aug 2010
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 Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 8:46 am Post subject: |
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| PatrickGHBusan wrote: |
Here is a plan Stalin.
Go back to Korea and teach. You can pay back your 40K loan in 2-3 years. Then you will be in the CLEAR financially and that should really unshackle you and give you more options.
40K could even be repaid in 2 years if you budget right and make an effort.
Once you are debt free you can re-think your options. |
That's easy to say but it's not easy to do. |
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BoholDiver
Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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Actually most homeless people have substance abuse problems and/or mentally ill.
| Stalin84 wrote: |
| silkhighway wrote: |
Stalin, you sound like you really feel sorry for yourself,and that's very self-defeating. No teacher or guidance consellor told you that dropping 40K on a philosophy degree was a ticket to writing your own paycheque. Nobody told you to go to Korea without a plan what you were going to do when you came back. Nobody took whatever little money you saved in Korea and made you move to Japan. Finally, nobody is going to make you go vacation on a Thai beach because you still have the "travel bug". These are choices that you have made and continue to make. If you find yourself in 10 years careerless, broke,and living in a foreign country, that's because of choices you made, nobody elses. |
Do you think I would've asked for guidance if I was just feeling sorry for myself? I could do that without the advice of others. I've heard lots of great advice in this thread, contrary to what you may think.
You sound like the kind of person who yells "get a job" at every homeless person they see because we all know, people become homeless only because they're lazy. |
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BoholDiver
Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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I must admit this thread hits home a bit. I have filed an application for permanent residence for my wife to go to Canada.
I had a lot of confidence that I will do okay in Canada. I am versatile and willing to work hard. I am also a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. These days, so many people doubt me and are so pessimistic it is starting to rub off on me.
I don't overly enjoy living in Korea but it has its plusses. (sp?) I enjoy my lifestyle in the way that I can always easily find work, I have a high wage and a lot of disposable income, and never worry about money. I somewhat enjoy my work. Then why go to Canada? Maybe it's a 'grass is always greener' thing. But at this point, if we abandon our plan to go, I feel like I'd be selling myself short. Why give up so easily?
Our general plan is to go to Canada for 2-3 years and then re-evaluate our situation. If we're not living well, we'll consider coming back here or going elsewhere. |
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giraffe
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 6:54 pm Post subject: |
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| BoholDiver wrote: |
I must admit this thread hits home a bit. I have filed an application for permanent residence for my wife to go to Canada.
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I have a few questions for you if you dont mind answering.
-How old are you?
-what kind of work are you looking for in canada and do you have any previous experience in that field other than english teaching if thats what you were doing in korea? Or did you go straight to korea after Uni?
-what about your wife. She plans to find a job in her field in canada? does she have alot of experience in korea? or she plans to be stay home wife/mother?
Just asking because You'll be in a similar situation as me once you get to canada i guess. Minus the having lived/ work in asia. I met my wife in Canada I've only visited korea for long periods . Never lived and worked there. I've been working in Canada the whole time though. I make pretty decent money. Cant complain. Only problem is my wife is having a HARD time finding work in Canada. Theres lots of sushi/ korean restaurant jobs though. Problem is My wife immigrated to Canada right out of University so 0 experience. Shes taking Gov funded courses right not to help her find work but were not sure if that will help. Shes been looking for work for about 1 year now without success.
ITs really too bad though... If this keeps up Were considering moving to korea where she can easily find work and I can just freelance from korea.
If your wife finds herself in a similar situation as my wife Prepare yourself for crazy moodswings and border line depression. Especially If she has no friends in Canada and or having a hard time with finding work and friends. =p It's not that bad but its up and down moments. I Hate seeing my wife like that. She's especially having a very very hard time making friends with Canadian girls. Just nothing in Common...
Anyways Hopefully things work out for you in Canada. Regardless of the Downs in Canada WE like it here HOWEVER its damn expensive ( living in toronto ). We think we will be alot happier if we do move to korea. For many reasons which include Saving more money, being able to cheaply travel , being around my wifes many friends , food and My wife being able to easily find work... |
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recessiontime
Joined: 21 Jun 2010
Location: Got avatar privileges nyahahaha
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 7:41 pm Post subject: |
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| I know several Canadian born graduates that can't get a bad job for 1~2 years. It comes to no surprise to me that a foreign graduate can't find anything. I know the first instinct might be to blame yourself or even lash out at others but the reality is the opportunity simply isn't there. |
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BoholDiver
Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 12:38 am Post subject: |
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I am 33. I am looking for work in many different areas. I am not going to post what, as I am tired of negativity. My wife is qualified for hairdressing, nail art, and wedding make-up. She ill do that out of our home and then a shop later.
| giraffe wrote: |
| BoholDiver wrote: |
I must admit this thread hits home a bit. I have filed an application for permanent residence for my wife to go to Canada.
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I have a few questions for you if you dont mind answering.
-How old are you?
-what kind of work are you looking for in canada and do you have any previous experience in that field other than english teaching if thats what you were doing in korea? Or did you go straight to korea after Uni?
-what about your wife. She plans to find a job in her field in canada? does she have alot of experience in korea? or she plans to be stay home wife/mother?
Just asking because You'll be in a similar situation as me once you get to canada i guess. Minus the having lived/ work in asia. I met my wife in Canada I've only visited korea for long periods . Never lived and worked there. I've been working in Canada the whole time though. I make pretty decent money. Cant complain. Only problem is my wife is having a HARD time finding work in Canada. Theres lots of sushi/ korean restaurant jobs though. Problem is My wife immigrated to Canada right out of University so 0 experience. Shes taking Gov funded courses right not to help her find work but were not sure if that will help. Shes been looking for work for about 1 year now without success.
ITs really too bad though... If this keeps up Were considering moving to korea where she can easily find work and I can just freelance from korea.
If your wife finds herself in a similar situation as my wife Prepare yourself for crazy moodswings and border line depression. Especially If she has no friends in Canada and or having a hard time with finding work and friends. =p It's not that bad but its up and down moments. I Hate seeing my wife like that. She's especially having a very very hard time making friends with Canadian girls. Just nothing in Common...
Anyways Hopefully things work out for you in Canada. Regardless of the Downs in Canada WE like it here HOWEVER its damn expensive ( living in toronto ). We think we will be alot happier if we do move to korea. For many reasons which include Saving more money, being able to cheaply travel , being around my wifes many friends , food and My wife being able to easily find work... |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 4:30 am Post subject: |
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| Stan Rogers wrote: |
| PatrickGHBusan wrote: |
Here is a plan Stalin.
Go back to Korea and teach. You can pay back your 40K loan in 2-3 years. Then you will be in the CLEAR financially and that should really unshackle you and give you more options.
40K could even be repaid in 2 years if you budget right and make an effort.
Once you are debt free you can re-think your options. |
That's easy to say but it's not easy to do. |
Indeed, but then again what is easy?
Also taking YEARS to pay off a loan means you pay more interest. It is better to pay it off sooner and free yourself financially. That debt is like a dead weight you carry around everywhere. It limits your options.
A bit of a sacrifice for say 2 years can clear up the debt and provide a better situations for YEARS after this. |
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giraffe
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 5:33 am Post subject: |
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| BoholDiver wrote: |
| I am 33. I am looking for work in many different areas. I am not going to post what, as I am tired of negativity. My wife is qualified for hairdressing, nail art, and wedding make-up. She ill do that out of our home and then a shop later. |
Ahh definitely different situation than I am =p.. You're wife actually has skills in something people really need!!! I dont think your wife will have any problems finding work then! I know a few koreans working in hairdressing/nail art. All of them find work very very veyr easily! Pretty much right out of the airport haha.
Ugh my wife is competing in the financial sector against people with masters, canadian degrees and experienced people and shes only got a korean degree ( worthless one ) and no experience and English abilities that arent as good as native canadians. I guess the good thing about canada is that employers have to set a certain amount of spots for immigrants as to no discriminate so she does have a chance for certain jobs Especially gov work but theres ALOT of competition for that one spot
Anyways.. Good luck with your move in Canada. |
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recessiontime
Joined: 21 Jun 2010
Location: Got avatar privileges nyahahaha
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| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 6:28 am Post subject: |
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| the funny part is, even if you did have a useful/technical degree in Canada it would go unrecognized anyway, and you'd still be unemployed. |
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asylum seeker
Joined: 22 Jul 2007
Location: On your computer screen.
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| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 7:11 am Post subject: |
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| redaxe wrote: |
| asylum seeker wrote: |
| Stalin84 wrote: |
| ChocolateStarfish wrote: |
Um no. I think he's lazy, because after about 7 responses and hearing that it is possible but difficult to get work at home, he basically says "Ok, I guess I should stay then".
defensive much? |
I have loans to pay off. You sound like the kind of person that didn't need to take out loans for university and your idea of "enduring" involves waiting on jobs while living off of your husband/parent's until you're able to sustain yourself.
Unlike you, I have no safety net. I'm single, my parents make less than I do and my fallback would basically involve returning to my parent's house in the middle of nowhere and working at the gas station.
I hope this helps you understand the difference between lazy and safe. If I play my cards wrong in Canada, I could end up homeless. I've never had a safety net. I have 40k+ in loans I'd rather not default on and right now I'm in the precarious situation of living in a foreign country without a job.
If I went home and had to work minimum wage to tide me over until I got an "adult job", I wouldn't be able to make loan payments and the government would start slicing my paycheques in half. Until I take care of the loans I want to be making enough salary to have a life and not rely on the courtesy of others.
On top of all of that, I haven't gotten the travel bug out of my system yet. If I go back home and work my butt off so I might be able to have a career later on, I probably won't get another chance to see the world until I'm 40.
By the way, you also sound like the kind of person that thinks that its necessary to take an RV on a camping trip. |
It sounds like your best option is to come back to Korea and stay for the rest of your life. |
Well, clearly he's looking for some sort of approval to do that, judging by how he shoots down every suggestion for how to go back to his home country and make a living there. Stalin84, if what you really want is to go back to Korea and teach English some more, it's fine with us. Dave's ESL Cafe approves of your decision. |
Yeah, I thought I'd tell him what he wanted to hear.  |
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recessiontime
Joined: 21 Jun 2010
Location: Got avatar privileges nyahahaha
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| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 7:32 am Post subject: |
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^
I'm pretty sure you guys are just not being convincing that's all. If you point him to a low risk high reward situation anyone would go for it. People are not idiots like you might think. |
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giraffe
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 7:38 am Post subject: |
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| recessiontime wrote: |
| the funny part is, even if you did have a useful/technical degree in Canada it would go unrecognized anyway, and you'd still be unemployed. |
You're referring to a korean coming to canada to work?
Well notice that i told BoholDiver that his wife has usefull "SKILLS", I didnt say she had a useful degree .. In anycase korean hairdressers/makeup nail aritst wouldnt have any problem finding work in Canada. 3 of my wifes korean friends all got work within a few weeks of landing in Canada. All they need to do is find korean hair salon owners and work in their shop. In toronto if you walk by any korean hair salons alot of them have "help wanted" ads . If Boholdiver/ his wife want to legally set up a shop for doing this kind of thing , I've no clue what they would need other a bit of money to setup their business ( even if its running in their own house) maybe some health training to be up to date with Canadian standard to cut peoples hair or something.. Who knows.. Nothing impossible. I think BoholDiver's wife will do just fine. Will just need to find clients and theres no shortage of people needing haircuts and pampering =p. |
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airmax95
Joined: 02 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 12:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Fox wrote: |
| airmax95 wrote: |
| 1. Buying a home is generally a good investment unless you overpay. It's no different than any other kind of investment. What's the alternative? Living with your parents or renting. Are they really better alternatives? Renting gives you the freedom to live where you want and invest elsewhere; why then make the assumption that those investments would actually pay off? |
The current housing situation demonstrates that a lot of the "growth" behind the housing market -- which is what made housing a reasonable potential investment -- was illusory all along. If you can turn your house into a money-producing asset -- like Patrick did by renting it out -- then it's worth speaking of as a reliable investment. If you're planning on living it it, on the other hand, you're completely open to getting screwed in the long term, just like millions upon millions of people have been.
Sure, another investment could go poorly for you. The difference is, you can diversify those other investments (meaning if one of them goes bad, they don't necessarily all go bad), and if for some reason you can no longer continue to invest in one of those fields, you don't suddenly lose your living space. An investment is always a gamble, but why gamble with the place your family lives? Renting + investing elsewhere is in my estimation generally a better option for people like the original poster, who don't have a long-term steady job, don't have a support structure to fall back on if things go bad, and aren't sitting on a large cash surplus.
I'm not trying to attack you, and I'm not trying to be gloomy. I'm just giving the original poster what I feel is an honest assessment of the idea of investing in housing, and I don't think it's a good one given his situation. Most of the talk about the economy is simply supplementing that.
| airmax95 wrote: |
| 2. Some of us posted here to give the OP a clearer sense of what might be possible. Nobody is suggesting here that he will drive a Rolls Royce in 5 years. But he clearly wants some advice and the suggestions to prepare and be aware of yourself and your environment are excellent. To say the economy sucks and there really isn't a chance because of broad social challenges like nepotism is really narrow-minded and doesn't help the OP at all. |
A broad discussion on the state of the economy is required to explain why home ownership may be something the original poster wants to avoid. I feel it's reasonably salient. I also don't feel anything said detracts from the very good advice to work hard, improve qualifications, network, and so forth. It might not work out for him, but it's more likely to work out for him than doing nothing is. Buying a home, on the other hand, especially when he's all ready in debt, is a great way to completely screw himself right now, so I think such suggestions merit rebuttal.
| airmax95 wrote: |
| I also think most homeowners realize that most of what they pay is interest, but some is principal, and when you are renting nothing is ultimately yours. |
I really don't like this line of thinking very much. When you're renting the property in question never becomes yours, but you become more free to invest your surplus income as you wish. Renting also avoids paying property taxes, minimizes insurance costs, almost entirely removes maintenance costs, and often reduces utility bills and commuting costs. All that savings can also be invested. So while the property itself may ultimately never be yours, something else certainly can be.
Ultimately it just comes down to math. I think people often don't do the math, though, and instead end up buying houses based on questionable ideas like the "You'll eventually own your house, but you'll never own your apartment," line that is so often bandied about. Lots of people are unfortunately suffering right now due to that lack of real consideration. |
Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting the OP buy a house. Far from it. I don't think he's there yet. But saying people shouldn't buy homes because a large number of people recently went underwater buying overpriced houses or through sub-prime mortgages is akin to saying people shouldn't be investing because a large number of people lost the value of their investments in stocks and mutual funds last year. Generally speaking over the long term a reasonably purchased house is a good investment. Just ask the person who bought his/her house 25 years ago to see if he/she regrets it. Can people invest their money better? Sure, but like I said most of the people on this board or in general aren't financial wizards and ultimately won't get the same return that they would have had building equity in a house. |
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airmax95
Joined: 02 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 12:37 pm Post subject: |
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| recessiontime wrote: |
Nobody in the thread is going to disagree about planning ahead. Actually, it never seemed like the OP was about to jump back into Canada blindly - which is why he made this thread to begin with. I think planning ahead is something that doesn't need to be mentioned in this thread unless you have something more specific to say.
English Matt - I understand that more education and credentials can help you if there are opportunities but higher education comes with a risk, it being the high cost of tuition and more debt that can't be written off with bankruptcy. I think it would benefit the OP most if he didn't have to saddle more debt in the long run. Imagine, if he couldn't find a job in Canada, he would have a house-sized debt but with no house to live in. Unless his education immediately leads to high pay and close to guaranteed employment, I would not consider it. I honestly can't think of any job like this Canada. Ideally, it would be best if the OP didn't have to go to school and get a decent job without going back into more debt. Working for the government would be ideal but even though the OP has the credentials to work at various government jobs (a BA is not even required) he will probably not get into it. I can either say it's competitive or that hiring practices are based on nepotism but the end result is he most likely won't get in.
Here's some advice to the OP. Try applying to jobs on monster.ca and workopolis.ca. See if you can get the attention of any employer. See if you can get any emails back interested in an interview with you. That will give you an honest idea about how the job market is. You can do this for fun. You can even lie on your resume to test how picky employers are. Have fun. |
I think you lost credibility by suggesting the OP send false resumes to employers. |
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airmax95
Joined: 02 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 12:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Stan Rogers wrote: |
| PatrickGHBusan wrote: |
Here is a plan Stalin.
Go back to Korea and teach. You can pay back your 40K loan in 2-3 years. Then you will be in the CLEAR financially and that should really unshackle you and give you more options.
40K could even be repaid in 2 years if you budget right and make an effort.
Once you are debt free you can re-think your options. |
That's easy to say but it's not easy to do. |
Nothing is easy to do, but many things are possible. I think that is the key message to take away from this thread. |
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