montanovaa
- 2010-04-17
DJanae, I do agree with Jack and Cunning Linguist. The dog you have is one living thing that is a very valuable part of your life. However, there are mountains of obstacles waiting ahead of your path if you're moving to another country to work and reside temporarily. China requires a yearly registration fee to have a pet dog and there is not enough space for you to take care of your dog. I am sure you have heard that China does not allow anyone to build a detached single house. Ninety nine percent of the population lives in apartment buildings. The dogs that Chinese owns are just to show-off their wealth and status to the public. In Thailand, there are hundreds of stray dogs that people there couldn't care much as to that to do with them. It seems that as long as the King is alive, they will respect the dogs and not be eaten as food. The King is an animal lover such as the canine or dogs.
Teaching in Thailand is indeed great not that the students are a joy to teach but the education system is too poor that teachers (FT) just do what they want and gets the salary at the end of the month. Thai students are not expected to pass in English Language studies as the system is concentrated on making money for nothing from the students. In general, public schools in Thailand are one too many that they only prepare something good during an annual school review by the government.
In China, students are well motivated to study as their population is too huge that competition is fierce not to mention that pressure exerted on the students at home to excel in their studies.
Just be prepared to sing and dance if you're planning to teach small kids. if you plan to teach teenagers, be prepared with a lot of educational and fun games. That goes to both countries.
DJanae
- 2010-04-15
So this is a little exciting... a little more research today and i'm finding more and more airlines that allow pets to fly in the cabin with their "parents" the size of my dog I would have to pay as another passenger. There are also companies that transport pets so that they do not have to fly in cargo.... The fact that my very heavily coated dog would be subject to such high temperatures made me pretty much toss this idea aside... I think it may be back on the table for now..... Oh I was hoping to find out that it was a stereotype that dogs were still eaten as a delicacy.... that does make me nervous....
DJanae
- 2010-04-15
I wanted to thank you for the time you took in replying to my questions. Yes, the deciding factor is my dog. I am at the beginning of the process. I have thought about how the travel would affect her but she is my buddy and I just can't see giving her up. ... but there's always the chance she can become my service dog for my anxiety!! ... I think the travel would be more difficult on me than on her in some ways.... I don't think I will have a problem minimizing my "things" and would likely have to put what I don't sell in storage. I have a few things that actually mean something. I feel like I have so much to learn, but like I said my furry companion is my deciding factor. I called the Thai embassy today and they made it sound very easy.... But of course I am finding it very difficult to trust. As far as my friend. I am making a list for him... I don't want to be bugging him every day with new questions and he also ends HIS emails with how easy it is..... Is it really all that easy??
Oh and No I have not gotten my teaching certificate. It is also something that is on a list somewhere ~~~~ I'm all about my lists~~~ Thanks again..
info
- 2010-04-14
When rabies cases are detected, some local governments might order all pet animals within a radius of 5km destroyed.
More here: http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/china-info/index.pl?read=4056
jeff
- 2010-04-14
Try Korea. I know a teacher who brought his family and pet (a cat). Best to you!
Jack's son
- 2010-04-14
Well, DJanae, you've asked some interesting questions and, believe me, you'll probably get a boat load of responses from well intentioned posters at this site. At any rate, I might as well add my two cents.
As to whether or not people sell or minimize before moving, that's a personal choice. In my life I've discovered that my material possessions mean less and less to me. I taught in China for six years, and every time I went home I found that it was easier and easier to rid myself of things that I thought were important. But then I've always believed that the less knick knackery one has in their life the better off they are. The last time I went home, I managed to reduce my possessions to the point that they only take up a small space in the corner of my mother's garage. Everything is neatly packed in boxes and then bagged in black garbage bags and then stacked and firmly wrapped in plastic sheeting to keep the bugs away. It works really well. Well, again it's a personal choice; however, I'm certain that the value you place on things now will change as time goes on. As for what you will be moving, I assume you mean what you should bring. My advice, keep it simple. You're liable to end up doing more traveling about than you imagine - especially if you decide to teach in China because you'll probably need to learn the ropes before settling in one place. You'll hear more on that soon enough; there are enough horror stories about broken contracts and the like to fill volumes. At any rate, you don't want so much stuff that it takes a lot of effort to move from one place to another, but you will need enough clothes to prepare you for a variety of climates that can range from extremely hot to extremely cold, depending on what part of China you end up in.
I've known folks who've brought their dogs to China - usually little yappers. There is a certain amount of quarantine and, of course, you have to be able to prove that the little mutt has had all the required inoculations. However, again, think about the nuisance of traveling with an animal and the cruelty of subjecting them to the rigors of traveling. Well, obviously, you can see that I'm against it.
It doesn't matter if you speak the language or not. You'll start to pick it up quickly and there are plenty of folks around that would be willing to help you. Many schools even offer you free language lessons. Don't worry about that aspect.
You don't mention having a TESOL certificate. It isn't always necessary to have one. I once taught at a private college where there were eventually 26 teachers. I was the only one with a TESOL certificate. However, having said that, I would still advise that you do some research about TESOL training in your area. You may even be able to get financial aid to take such a course. Check it out. If it's a reputable course, you'll learn some very important things about teaching English as a second or foreign language.
One last piece of advice. If you already have a friend teaching in Thailand, see him/her as a valuable resource. Teaching in Thailand, by the way, can be a joyous experience. Not that it's always smooth sailing, but many folks have been happy while teaching in Thailand.
Finally, you've done the right thing by coming here for information. I'm pretty sure that you'll be on information overload in no time.
Good luck
I have found myself in an interesting spot in my life. I have my Bachelor's and a friend of mine is in Thailand teaching. I am 39 and fairly rooted but at a major turning point finding myself unemployed in the unstable economy. I have recently been talking to my friend about teaching abroad and a few of my questions are: Do most people store their things or sell and minimize before moving? What is truly important to move? I have done research about bringing my dog (who I am very attached to) are there others who have their pets with them? How much of the language is important to know? Is there a general person I can speak to about all of my questions? I would truly appreciate any input. Thanks!!