1. How many more times will I have to buy a potato peeler?
2. When will airlines start allowing 60kg for baggage?? (I may be a TEFL teacher but I still like shoes and bags!!! One year depriving myself is one thing…but after 4/5 years of living out of a 20kg bag??? Yeah right!)
3. When will the world invent a pill you can take that will automatically enable you to fluently speak a language!?
4. The first time I lived abroad I spent time and money making my new bedroom cosy. Well…ok I went to a cheap shop and spruced it up in about 5 mins, but now? Really can’t be bothered!
5. A never ending issuing of tearful goodbyes (and big postal bills for sending b’day cards to all my friends abroad!). This is almost as bad as…
6. Saying an even more tearful goodbye to your favourite food…and I’m talking noodles, pasta, your favourite brand of crisps/chocolate/wine etc…
7. Feeling like you are starting from scratch teaching-wise in every new country.
8. Pension? Pension? What pension?
9. All your savings go on flights!
10. How many times will I have to mime plucking my eyebrows to find the tweezers in the pharmacy because I forgot to take my phrasebook with me?
Ahhh all is fair in love and war in the world of TEFL! Why do it? Because:
1. Having to buy a new potato peeler everytime I move is a small price to pay for what you get in return. And I really should just cut the carbs right?
2. I don’t want to get sucked in any more than I am to the consumerist nature back home! Limiting myself to a small suitcase stops me spending money on stuff I don’t need!
3. The more languages I learn the less I am the stereotypical English speaker who expects everyone to speak their language!
4. I want my life to be about the fun I have outside my house/apartment! All I need is a clean bed to kip in!
5. True friends will always be there…and it’s great to have more reasons to travel – and more reasons to go back and visit all your mates around the world!
6. It’s funny how as you are leaving a country all of a sudden you simply have to learn how to cook EVERYTHING! Plus there are always more treats for those taste buds to behold out there!
7. You never get bored – teaching in different countries reminds you that you can’t be complacent and that for the teacher there are always lessons to be learnt!
8. Ahhh why worry about the future when my present is sooo much fun! Most people spend the best years of their life, saving for the worst! Who wants to have money to spend on expensive clothes when your body has gone to pot anyway?! Who wants to travel when you’ll want to spend most of the time recovering from the flight!
9. What better way is there to spend your money than going to new and exciting places and having the time of your life?
10. Hmmm….tough one (I’ll have to pluck an idea out of my head here!) Because….ahhh making a fool of yourself isn’t limited to living abroad!
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Hi! I'm moving to Milan next month where I'll be doing private tutoring (one-to-one) and hoping to get some freelance stuff as well. I see you've used your TEFL qualifications in Italy; any advice? What ages did you teach? Many thanks!
Hey snowfallrain, I' guessing you're from Britain with a name like that!! I can't believe its snowing again!! Ive taught in Japan, Italy, Egypt and Portugal. I have to say that teaching tends to differ from country to country and class to class! Some nationalities tend to want or need more grammar and other to want more conversation. Then there are obviously different strengths and weaknesses to work on such as pronunciation problems in Japan especially of 'l' and 'r'. In Egypt I had to work more on writing and punctuation, in Portugal it was writing styles and Italian of course there is the tendancy to add 'o' onto words :-) Classroom environments vary a lot I guess (which can also be down to the school and their methods!) but Ive always had friendly students (teenagers are always a challenge to get motivated though!). Saving money for retirement? Hmm I don't think most TEFL teachers save, but rather live for the moment! Those who want to save tend to go to Aisa or Saudi Arabia (where the big bucks are!!!).
this post was so funny and at the same time had many valid points! thanks for the advice and I was wondering which countries you have been to. How is classroom environments and what do recommend when it come to saving money for retirement?
thanks you!
Ahh - this is awesome!
Feel v. inspired!
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