Boshko's Quick and Easy Guide to International English Teaching

[Drake Tungsten]

If you have a 20-year old Japanese girlfriend, you really should be trying to sneak something else up there...

[Timexwatch]

Your avatar is somewhat ironic because we haven't quite reached the "Final Frontier" yet.


Besides, the sound of confusion and surprise when I shouted "KANCHO!" was priceless.


And she forgave me

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by DanS
Atlanta has a few skyscrapers, as I recall. Edit: The tallest is 312 m. Not very tall, but still probably taller than your residential buildings.

On the average, Dan, on the average.

[Urban Ranger]

Nice place, mindseye.

[mindseye]

Originally posted by Lazarus and the Gimp
Remember the target audience, mindseye! What's the man-action like?

I didn't mention it because Boshko's totty summary was quite good and basically applied to China as well, even to the "man-action" category.

I think Chinese & Japanese are the most physically attractive people in the world, so just being around large swarms of them all the time is a major bonus, especially in the summer when shorts prevail.

Maybe the most important difference is that most gay Chinese guys are in their 20s, gay life being a relatively recent development here. However, for many there is no problem dating older guys, so my romantic life underwent a dramatic improvement. If you are an average gay male foreigner in your 20s or 30s, you will never lack for dates with very desirable guys.

As for women, it's hard to imagine a better scenario for straight western guys of any age. A lot of Chinese woman like western men because they will treat their girlfriend/wife more like an equal, whereas Chinese guys expect to rule the roost. Also, Chinese men are usually very reluctant to marry a woman of higher education or income, or a divorced woman.

One of the distinctions of the Shanghainese is that they don't really have the cultural preference for male children (likely linked to Shanghai's relative modernity). This means that there are many successful, highly educated, high income women here. Also, the divorce rate is rapidly climbing (number one reason: hubby has a mistress, very common here).

So, if you don't mind women with high education/incomes, or don't mind if they're divorced, Shanghai is an outstanding place to find a really high-quality mate.

Bonus effect: as has been well-noted, the women and men) westerners like are often considered less attractive by locals. Additional bonus: Shanghai woman are often very cultured and fashionable. What the heck more could you ask for? There are so many that even a below-average looking gay guy in his mid-40s (hello!) is hit on by great-looking young women.

[mindseye]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Nice place, mindseye.

I'm very happy with this apt! I sure don't feel like I'm "roughing it" in a developing nation.

But then again, as a San Franciscan, I expected to look at a lot of places and really shop around before I chose. I don't know why, but some foreigners just grab the first ugly cement bunker they look at.

[Bosh]

I think Asia would be the probably only continent where one might sort one's girlfriends "Friday", "Saturday" and so on. Or even "days" and "evenings". Or need to employ and "odds and evens" system based on the calendar.

For example, I know its hard to believe, but large breasts are not considered attractive in some cultures which prefer a flat chest. Similarly slightly darker skin or long legs are a turn off for some.

Exactly. IIRC I read an article about filipina main order bride profiles that emphasize light skin to a ridiculous degree, while whiteys don't really care about that so much. I think Japan is into tits a bit more than Korea, but then the Japanese are sick bastards who fetishize just about everything (excect for those who don't of course ).

When I was a young fellow, department store shop assistants used to slip their phone number in my pocket as I browsed. Does this happen in Cornwall?

Don't have that happen to me. But I get girls in bars hitting on me, including a really scarily overly-made up drunk girl shoving her thigh into my crotch when I was three feet from my fiance. That would definately never happen back home

It is also very important to know that Asia does have a "good girl" "bad girl" culture and one should not expect that a sexual relationship will result from every date, or even most.

Ya, definately. I've heard stories of epic-blue balling from other foreign teachers. Also I've seen drunk girls on the street being propped up by their bfs, and my fiance has told me that they were probably pretending to be really drunk so that their bfs would take them to love motels where they could get to have sex without being a "bad girls."

In other words, try and be a gentleman.

Boshko's fiance . Would never do anything to hurt her.

And never, never let an Asian woman move in with you.

You forgot Thailand, Boshko

No I didn't. It got written off with most of the rest of the world, since so many foreigners want to live there the English Teacher jobs are harder to come by and they pay ****. I wouldn't teach in Thailand unless I had a master's degree in an applicable field or a teaching certification and 2ish years of teaching experience at home, if you don't have that its just not worth it money/standard of living wise when East Asia is available IMHO.

most people don't go there to make alot of money

Right, so not an option if you have $20,000 of student loans and want to go home for Christmas occasionally. When I made this list, China was kind of the cut-off money wise and I mostly included since its ridiculously easy to get a job there even by East Asian English teaching standards so you have a nice bit of bargaining power and you get a very nice ratio of pay to cost of living in a lot of China.

You think J-birds have big tits? Jesus, things must be bad in Korea...

Yes
I'm dead serious too.

Are you serious about all the things you've typed?

Yeah, pretty much. I joke a bit, but all the advice is completely honest. Will be sending you a PM with specific answers.

This type of work need not be considered only suitable for the freshly-graduated. Here in China I encounter teachers of all ages (including retired).

In Korea there's a definate age-bias in favor of younger teachers. Getting a job if you're over 35 is possible, but you'll have to be less picky once you hit the 35 wall. Koreans will think you're very wierd if you're that old and not married as well and your students will always call you grandfather.

From what mindseye is saying, if you're over 35 you'd do better in China than Korea.

CORPORATE work, which usually pays the best.

Good point, corporate work in Korea is a thing of beauty and they usually have older people, but then those jobs tend to require connections or a ****-load of qualifications.

In China, universities and schools usually pay much less

aaaah, I was basing my post on uni pay being about commensurate with private school pay (like it is in Korea, jobs usually pay about the same but you work a lot less at unis). What do private schools pay in China?

Most of the long-term teachers I know are, like me, freelancers, taking gigs at various places. IMO this is the best route.

But illegal in Korea, so not necessarily the best route here.

who lives on the grounds and must obey your employer's will or risk having your visa yanked

In Japan you own your own visa in almost all cases IIRC, which is a nice perk of working there.

In the China market, North American English is widely considered the "dialect" of choice.

Ah interesting, I thought Korea was the only one.

But since the demand is so high, Kiwis and Ozzies can easily get work here.

And apparently people for whom English is not their native language, judgeing by some resumes posted on Dave's that I read before they made you pay to read them

[Alexander's Horse]

I meant never live with an Asian woman unless you are prepared to marry her.

[Bosh]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
I meant never live with an Asian woman unless you are prepared to marry her.

Yeah having a dumped asian women out there with keys to your apartment would be

[Dinner]

Change the locks!

[Bosh]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Change the locks!

Heard about one guy who was stupid enough not to do this and after threatening to release nudie pics if his ex didn't stop bothering him and leave him alone, she broke in and stole the computer and generally trasked the place.

[mindseye]

Originally posted by Boshko

aaaah, I was basing my post on uni pay being about commensurate with private school pay (like it is in Korea, jobs usually pay about the same but you work a lot less at unis). What do private schools pay in China?

I should have made that more clear. "Private school" could mean exactly what it sounds like: a privately-owned/operated high school, college, etc. I think these pay about the same as gov't schools, since they usually provide room (and maybe board). Then there are businesses like the one I work for that refer to themselves "schools" but would be better described as training centers. Since these don't usually provide housing, the pay is significantly better. It's hard for me to quote figures due to the enormous variation in pay across cities/regions.

In China, if an employer provides housing, they are probably making money off of it (i.e. the difference in pay is larger than what it costs them to provide you housing). Still can be a fine option for short-termers who cannot be bothered with the hassles of looking for lodging.

[Seeker]

I must say that I have met quite a few older people in game, although they are definitely a minority and you don't run into them (often) at bars like the '**** House'.

And Boshko I hope you took AH to the ****house??

[Bosh]

"Private school" could mean exactly what it sounds like: a privately-owned/operated high school, college, etc.

Ah ok, wasn't really discussing those since you generally need annoying qualifications to teach at those in Korea.

I work for that refer to themselves "schools" but would be better described as training centers

Ah, OK that'd be hagwons the heart of the Korean ESL industry. In korea they're generally obliged by visa provisions to provide housing (mine doesn't I'm officially a "consultant" which means almost nothing gets deducted from my pay check and I get a very nice hourly wage).

And Boshko I hope you took AH to the ****house??

Nope we were north of the river the whole time, the ****house of beloved memory is in gangnam