ESL Jobs Forum

[Guy Courchesne]

Welcome...it's a great pleasure of ESLemployment to open a new forum. Say Anything.

As we are part of a large, international community of teachers and job-seekers, we're happy to provide a place for a little relief, to share stories and rants, and to get to know one another, outside the formality of the job.

Got something to say? Say it here.

Of course, this is still a pubic forum, so be polite. Let's keep the flaming to a minimum.

[jnvburke]

Hi, People,

Ever since my years in school back in the '60's, I have wanted to visit PR China, Korea, and Japan. At the time, when I was studying Chinese history, the prospects seemed very dim, what with Mao, Lin Pao, and even Chou en li running things, such an expedition was a suicide pact.
I was invited to North Korea by my good friends at Bechtel to perform as a Safety Manager in the building of a state-of-the-art French railway system the Koreans had somehow acquired.
The challenges and the money was tempting, but when I found that my offices would be in Singapore;---Singapore? I turned it down. One of the guys who worked for me, a former secondary school teacher himself, showed me this website inviting people to teach in Korea. I wound up teaching English at one university in Busan, Oil Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures at another, and consulting across the board at Han Jin on Youngdo, Nampudong, Busan, Samsung in the small town of Gumi, north of Taegu, as well as at LG Electronics in the same community. I made several junkets to Japan, as well, both for the visa at Fukuoka and the experiences there and in other parts of the nation.
Then I returned to Houston and took up my post as Environmental Health & Safety Manager at a steel mill in the Houston suburb of Baytown.
Shortly thereafter, I was hired to teach ESL at a university in Nanchang, PR China. Thankfully, I was able to see first hand many of the towns and cities (Chingdau and Yangtai, mainly), as well as some of the places and temples I had studied and dreamed about during grad school so many years ago. Beijing, Shanghai, Macao...
Upon my return, I rejoined my old crew at the steel mill, functioning in much the same capacity as before, happy and thankful for the trips and to be back home far richer than when I left.
Our governments and press have neglected to teach us about these people, most of whom are as positive, honest and hardworking as any people anywhere. How they have kept hope alive is a mystery, but they taught and I learned an important lesson: Western criticism wilts these folks and a basic sympathetic approach consistantly opens their doors at any and all levels.
I doubt that I shall visit these places again; I am an American through and through, and Dorothy was right!

[pauldadd999]

Quote from JnvBurke.

Upon my return, I rejoined my old crew at the steel mill, functioning in much the same capacity as before, happy and thankful for the trips and to be back home far richer than when I left.

From me:

Could you clarify what you mean by "richer"? Were you able to make good dough back then in the PRC? Or spiritually? Can teaching in China help you in that regard?

[paulo2006]

delete
_________________
'The greatest fool must be the one who, instead of being guided by God's light - is blinded by it'

- P=MC2

[Guy Courchesne]

WHERE o WHERE hast thou been my oddly-intentioned and dubiously-equipped friend?
_________________
Life is a verb, not a noun - Now Bloggin' and Working Hard

[paulo2006]

delete
_________________
'The greatest fool must be the one who, instead of being guided by God's light - is blinded by it'

- P=MC2

[paulo2006]

:delete
_________________
'The greatest fool must be the one who, instead of being guided by God's light - is blinded by it'

- P=MC2

[Guy Courchesne]

The power of the Word, as you well know my wayward friend.

It almost, just almost sounds like you'd be there in Oaxaca with APPO, cheering on the carnage...have you gone LIBERAL?
_________________
Life is a verb, not a noun - Now Bloggin' and Working Hard

[paulo2006]

delete
_________________
'The greatest fool must be the one who, instead of being guided by God's light - is blinded by it'

- P=MC2

[paulo2006]

delete
_________________
'The greatest fool must be the one who, instead of being guided by God's light - is blinded by it'

- P=MC2

[Guy Courchesne]

Sorry Paulie, I didn't realize that there might have been a question in all of that...

...in fact I'm still not sure.

Stay out of the sun, Paulie.
_________________
Life is a verb, not a noun - Now Bloggin' and Working Hard

[paulo2006]

delete
_________________
'The greatest fool must be the one who, instead of being guided by God's light - is blinded by it'

- P=MC2

[Guy Courchesne]

Indeed...life is rather like a banana smoothie. Don't matter if you approach it with a straw from the left or the right...it's all going to the same place.

If I had to guess, I'd say you're probably teaching somewhere in Texas...make that check out for a dollar Paulie...I wouldn't want to break the bank.
_________________
Life is a verb, not a noun - Now Bloggin' and Working Hard

[paulo2006]

delete
_________________
'The greatest fool must be the one who, instead of being guided by God's light - is blinded by it'

- P=MC2

[Guy Courchesne]

That little voice in your ear back again? Don't ignore it...it's telling you good things.

DC was actually my first choice, but I messed it up when tracing your IP address and picked Texas...oh well.

Back in the USA...so the good money is rolling in, is it? Good for you. Everyone in Oaxaca says 'hi' by the way.
_________________
Life is a verb, not a noun - Now Bloggin' and Working Hard