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Leon
Joined: 31 May 2010
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 Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 5:56 pm Post subject: |
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| edwardcatflap wrote: |
| Leon wrote: |
| edwardcatflap wrote: |
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I lived in Singapore. My company covered my housing at the time- but I do hear it is outrageous. It is a great place. I chewed gum, as did others- the key is to not spit it out on the street or try and sneak a bunch in across the border. The food is incredible, very cheap to fly to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, etc. The people were very friendly to me, it was very clean, practically no complaints about it. I did not see a single English teacher, and I can't imagine that there would be any real need for them, except perhaps as a private tutor for people newly arrived. All the other westerners were business men, different crowd than Korea.
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If it's anything like Hong Kong, teachers were probably just avoiding the kind of bars with big ex-pat banker/businessmen crowds. |
Possibly, but I doubt it. Singapore is small and the best bars are all in the same area. Unless they stuck to strictly local bars, I would have ran into them. I'm sure there might have been a small handful, but I guess it would be for people like Fox's girl instead of locals. |
The British Council employs over a hundred teachers there for starters. So I guess none of them must like drinking in bars, or talking to strangers. |
I'm sure there are some. There are some in most every country, including Australia, U.S., etc. I'm just saying that it is not an ESL teaching destination, and that if someone wanted to go to Singapore there would probably be more opportunities to be an actual teacher at an international school, which I did meet several. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Leon wrote: |
| edwardcatflap wrote: |
| Leon wrote: |
| edwardcatflap wrote: |
| Quote: |
I lived in Singapore. My company covered my housing at the time- but I do hear it is outrageous. It is a great place. I chewed gum, as did others- the key is to not spit it out on the street or try and sneak a bunch in across the border. The food is incredible, very cheap to fly to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, etc. The people were very friendly to me, it was very clean, practically no complaints about it. I did not see a single English teacher, and I can't imagine that there would be any real need for them, except perhaps as a private tutor for people newly arrived. All the other westerners were business men, different crowd than Korea.
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If it's anything like Hong Kong, teachers were probably just avoiding the kind of bars with big ex-pat banker/businessmen crowds. |
Possibly, but I doubt it. Singapore is small and the best bars are all in the same area. Unless they stuck to strictly local bars, I would have ran into them. I'm sure there might have been a small handful, but I guess it would be for people like Fox's girl instead of locals. |
The British Council employs over a hundred teachers there for starters. So I guess none of them must like drinking in bars, or talking to strangers. |
I'm sure there are some. There are some in most every country, including Australia, U.S., etc. I'm just saying that it is not an ESL teaching destination, and that if someone wanted to go to Singapore there would probably be more opportunities to be an actual teacher at an international school, which I did meet several. |
An 'actual' teacher, rather than an ESL one? I would suggest that if people, like the ones who work at The British Council, went to Singapore specifically to take up paid employment teaching ESL, then that does make Singapore an ESL teaching destination, no? Even if it has fewer opportunities than other countries. |
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Leon
Joined: 31 May 2010
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| Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 7:34 pm Post subject: |
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| edwardcatflap wrote: |
| Leon wrote: |
| edwardcatflap wrote: |
| Leon wrote: |
| edwardcatflap wrote: |
| Quote: |
I lived in Singapore. My company covered my housing at the time- but I do hear it is outrageous. It is a great place. I chewed gum, as did others- the key is to not spit it out on the street or try and sneak a bunch in across the border. The food is incredible, very cheap to fly to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, etc. The people were very friendly to me, it was very clean, practically no complaints about it. I did not see a single English teacher, and I can't imagine that there would be any real need for them, except perhaps as a private tutor for people newly arrived. All the other westerners were business men, different crowd than Korea.
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If it's anything like Hong Kong, teachers were probably just avoiding the kind of bars with big ex-pat banker/businessmen crowds. |
Possibly, but I doubt it. Singapore is small and the best bars are all in the same area. Unless they stuck to strictly local bars, I would have ran into them. I'm sure there might have been a small handful, but I guess it would be for people like Fox's girl instead of locals. |
The British Council employs over a hundred teachers there for starters. So I guess none of them must like drinking in bars, or talking to strangers. |
I'm sure there are some. There are some in most every country, including Australia, U.S., etc. I'm just saying that it is not an ESL teaching destination, and that if someone wanted to go to Singapore there would probably be more opportunities to be an actual teacher at an international school, which I did meet several. |
An 'actual' teacher, rather than an ESL one? I would suggest that if people, like the ones who work at The British Council, went to Singapore specifically to take up paid employment teaching ESL, then that does make Singapore an ESL teaching destination, no? Even if it has fewer opportunities than other countries. |
Technically I guess. I taught English in Australia for awhile, is that too an ESL teaching destination? |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 8:27 pm Post subject: |
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Technically I guess. I taught English in Australia for awhile, is that too an ESL teaching destination? |
Good question. I don't know enough about the TEFL/TESOL situation in Australia. My definition of a ESL teaching destination would be somewhere you can get full time, long term work teaching ESL and make a decent wage. |
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Zyzyfer
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
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| Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 9:04 pm Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| In the long history of Dave's posts dripping with over the top hyperbole, this has to make the Hall of Fame. You met one Singaporean in your life and decided to judge a country on that basis? |
| denverdeath wrote: |
| Sure, why not? |
Well, then.
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Mostly agree with Leon's posts on Singapore. Yes there are full-time, long-term ESL jobs available there, but I wouldn't refer to it as a major ESL destination. I looked into possibilities there several years ago, and got the impression that it was more competitive and a bit less financially viable. Also seemed to favor Brits more, like Hong Kong. And both strike me as markets for more serious, career-minded ESL teachers.
I know a British guy who went over to Hong Kong with his family after Korea to do ESL. Serious about his craft. From his remarks, he did very well for himself. I imagine Singapore holds similar opportunities for enterprising individuals, but I would assume the actual qualifications to do well are a bit higher than the advertised baseline. |
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Plain Meaning
Joined: 18 Oct 2014
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| Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 6:59 am Post subject: |
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Yes, Singapore is better, provided you can find, keep a job, and enjoy it. I mean, that's the challenge.
Singapore is best if you have children. |
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Chaparrastique
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
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| Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 7:50 am Post subject: |
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| Plain Meaning wrote: |
Singapore is best if you have children. |
Any country is better than korea if you have children.
Most countries have more than car parks and underpasses for kids to play in. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 3:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Most of us aren;t going to get those fancy shmancy jobs in Singapore, Hong Kongor anywhere's else. So, there's no point in comparing them. ESL places are Korea, China, Vietnam, Japan, and Taiwan. Japan and Taiwan not being so great. There's also Thailand and other countries which don't pay much unless you have the right connections. Korea is going downhill. That leaves China and Vietnam as the best teaching destinations in East Asia. Outside of this region is the Middle East for pay and benefits. Other ESL destinations pay peanuts and folks that do it don't need the money and most likely little rich kids. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 4:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| Most of us aren;t going to get those fancy shmancy jobs in Singapore, Hong Kongor anywhere's else. So, there's no point in comparing them. |
That's the attitude that wins.
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Outside of this region is the Middle East for pay and benefits.
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If you're the kind of person who thinks he can't get a job in Hong Kong or Singapore, what makes you think the Middle East would have you? |
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happyinhenan
Joined: 01 Feb 2015
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| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 12:49 am Post subject: |
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| edwardcatflap wrote: |
If you're the kind of person who thinks he can't get a job in Hong Kong or Singapore, what makes you think the Middle East would have you? |
They won't, this particular gentleman refuses to waste money on upgrading his meager qualifications.
I am sure EdEx would take him though, met loads of Newfies via them over there in Riyadh. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 11:22 pm Post subject: |
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| edwardcatflap wrote: |
Pretty much agree with most of that, though anyone who complains about taxi drivers ripping you off in Korea needs to take a reality check by living somewhere like Thailand, Southern Italy or Egypt for a while.
I also really like the international feel here in Hong Kong where you don't feel like a foreigner all the time. Like Hong Kong I heard rental prices are outrageous in Singapore though. How much are you paying for your condo? Here You'd have to shell out around 2000 dollars a month for a small two bedroom apartment an hour out of the city, if you wanted access to a swimming pool. I was renting a 4 bed place in the centre of Seoul for 1500. |
Korea is very tame when it comes to taxi drivers. In Egypt, they'll rip you off every chance they get. I'm not surprised about Thailand. Many shysters over there.
I can understand why some would want to get out of Korea, but Seoul does have a lot of amazing food. There's a great selection. The problem is the local food is rather bland and boring after a while for some of us whereas in a place like Singapore, more of us would probably like the local cuisine. If you want to eat foreign food in Seoul, it's quite expensive. It will eat away at your earnings. |
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radcon
Joined: 23 May 2011
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| Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 4:30 am Post subject: |
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| Adventurer wrote: |
| edwardcatflap wrote: |
Pretty much agree with most of that, though anyone who complains about taxi drivers ripping you off in Korea needs to take a reality check by living somewhere like Thailand, Southern Italy or Egypt for a while.
I also really like the international feel here in Hong Kong where you don't feel like a foreigner all the time. Like Hong Kong I heard rental prices are outrageous in Singapore though. How much are you paying for your condo? Here You'd have to shell out around 2000 dollars a month for a small two bedroom apartment an hour out of the city, if you wanted access to a swimming pool. I was renting a 4 bed place in the centre of Seoul for 1500. |
Korea is very tame when it comes to taxi drivers. In Egypt, they'll rip you off every chance they get. I'm not surprised about Thailand. Many shysters over there.
I can understand why some would want to get out of Korea, but Seoul does have a lot of amazing food. There's a great selection. The problem is the local food is rather bland and boring after a while for some of us whereas in a place like Singapore, more of us would probably like the local cuisine. If you want to eat foreign food in Seoul, it's quite expensive. It will eat away at your earnings. |
Do you really think the foreign food options in Seoul are "amazing"? The variety is much better now than in years past but it's typically way over priced. The places I have eaten have been lackluster and mediocre. How long would these "foreign" restaurants stay open in a major western city just based on the quality of their food? Not too long I'd reckon. |
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Leon
Joined: 31 May 2010
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| Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 5:27 am Post subject: |
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| radcon wrote: |
| Adventurer wrote: |
| edwardcatflap wrote: |
Pretty much agree with most of that, though anyone who complains about taxi drivers ripping you off in Korea needs to take a reality check by living somewhere like Thailand, Southern Italy or Egypt for a while.
I also really like the international feel here in Hong Kong where you don't feel like a foreigner all the time. Like Hong Kong I heard rental prices are outrageous in Singapore though. How much are you paying for your condo? Here You'd have to shell out around 2000 dollars a month for a small two bedroom apartment an hour out of the city, if you wanted access to a swimming pool. I was renting a 4 bed place in the centre of Seoul for 1500. |
Korea is very tame when it comes to taxi drivers. In Egypt, they'll rip you off every chance they get. I'm not surprised about Thailand. Many shysters over there.
I can understand why some would want to get out of Korea, but Seoul does have a lot of amazing food. There's a great selection. The problem is the local food is rather bland and boring after a while for some of us whereas in a place like Singapore, more of us would probably like the local cuisine. If you want to eat foreign food in Seoul, it's quite expensive. It will eat away at your earnings. |
Do you really think the foreign food options in Seoul are "amazing"? The variety is much better now than in years past but it's typically way over priced. The places I have eaten have been lackluster and mediocre. How long would these "foreign" restaurants stay open in a major western city just based on the quality of their food? Not too long I'd reckon. |
There are a few really good ones, at least when I was there. One of the best steakhouses I've ever been to was in Seoul, for example. But yeah, the variety of options is definitely lacking, especially compared to Singapore or Hong Kong. |
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Fallacy
Joined: 29 Jun 2015
Location: ex-ROK
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| Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 6:45 am Post subject: |
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| Leon wrote: |
| One of the best steakhouses I've ever been to was in Seoul, for example. |
Can you be more specific? To know of this location would interest me much more than to find out wherever beats the pants off Seoul. I would love to go eat there. |
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Leon
Joined: 31 May 2010
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| Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 1:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Fallacy wrote: |
| Leon wrote: |
| One of the best steakhouses I've ever been to was in Seoul, for example. |
Can you be more specific? To know of this location would interest me much more than to find out wherever beats the pants off Seoul. I would love to go eat there. |
It was an outback....
Ok, sorry, not funny. I haven't been there for awhile, but it is called Kitchen 272, it is in Insadong and in the same building as the Fraser Suites hotel. |
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