> Interesting post! Out of curiousity what do you see as your future
> here? (Or wherever you are!) Do you have a retirement plan?

> In *some* ways I can relate, my situation isn't 100% different,
> except I left because I was tired of the s*it in the west and I like
> Asia. I had a good job (well, a well paid job, not quite the same
> thing)and a fairly 'decent' life there.

> Here, well, with an apology to all teachers, I don't consider this to
> be a 'proper' job. Perhaps it is because I am used to working in
> large corporates and here even the best companies seem to be totally
> amateursville. Still, I enjoy the work and the life. Certainly more
> than back 'home'. Money isn't everything (though I make more than
> enough to live well here).

> Perhaps you should try a different uni or a private school where the
> students are a little more motivated. It may take a few goes, but you
> may find somewhere you are quite happy.

> Good luck to you anyway!

> Dos

Thanks Dos for being sympathetic, unlike some of the tirades I received. Im married to a Japanese citizen, so I can work legally for as long as I want here. But Im not sure what my future is. If I can find work in my original area, I may be quite happy for a long period. But, Im afraid my bilingual skills are too far behind to qualify for anything but ESL jobs. Ive saved money from my school only because my wife also works and we dont have kids yet. But, I will have to make more if I want to raise a family.

As for retirement, I have a little saved from my previous life and I invested in the currency market. I bet on the Euro when it was .96 to 1 USD and that helped. I still expect the dollar to slide and have sold all my US dollars. So all I can do is save and play the currency market. Im eschewing the stock market for now. But, basically, I have no company to provide anything and I could easily end up penniless without a better system.

I shouldnt be hard on my students; most are very nice and well meaning. Im just ranting about not having success finding other lines of work. But maybe I should give it time. But for sure, I dont miss North America. NOT AT ALL. Thanks and best wishes to you too.