notes from The Bucket List

Teaching English is an exciting way to see the world and get paid for it. The hours are generally low and most English Teachers are content and live comfortable lifestyles.

You could be on a plane within 6 weeks of reading this, with an overseas job guarantee.

If you are a native English speaker, and willing to undertake a certificate in Teaching English you will be able to find work teaching English.

Why Teach English?

• Learn another Language. You can spend a full year (or more) immersed in the language of your choice. You could live in a South American country and improve your Spanish.
• pay off your debts. You can save  a mint teaching in places like Korea, Japan and the Middle East. In Vietnam I earn (on an hourly rate) up to twice as much as I do back home, and my living expenses are almost halved. In some countries, however, teaching English will only pay your basic expenses (like Thailand for example) However, it is usually a matter of taking a few extra private classes to bump up your salary.
• Live Overseas My main reasons for moving to Vietnam, was to Teach English and to live overseas. The cultural experiences and adventures you have by leaving your home country are an amazing bonus and incredible life stories to tell
• Fund your travels You can spend 3months to 3 years in any one location teaching English in various locations. There are opportunities at public and private schools as well as private (one on one) lessons
• You want to fall in love, stay in love or follow your friends overseas. You’re significant other is offered a 2 year contract with an international firm in Shanghai, but you’re not offered a position? You could make a living in China (or just about any other country) teaching English.
• Retirement Teaching English is not a domain of the young. In fact, most teachers are of the mature variety. There are no age limits so if you are willing and able you could be overseas in 6 weeks, teaching English in the country of your dreams.
• Gap Year You’ve just finished High School and you’re about to go to College or University but you want to take a year off to travel. By teaching English you will be able to have assimilate with the locals in your new home and live the lifestyle that most travellers will never see.
• No Idea Still haven’t chosen your career? Teaching English can be a 1 year break or your profession for life. There is no age limit, and you can learn on the job or take professional development. There are career progression opportunities and you could eventually find yourself running your own school.

What its like

I work for a language “chain” school, on a part time basis, in Vietnam. Usually I can have as many hours as I want, and the pay is higher than my wage back home on a per hourly basis. When I first arrived I thought I would teach English primarily to adults, but, it was not to be! I now find myself teaching Young Learners, from kindy through to High School and I love it! Children are a mixed bag (if you pardon the expression) but if you can learn the herding techniques, it becomes fun! I am now teaching private classes for groups of 6-9 year olds and having a blast.

Conditions & Benefits Here in Vietnam, a full time teaching is usually offered a full time teaching week of 20 contact hours. They recieve paid leave, 2 days off per week, end of contract bonuses ,reimbursment of part of their training costs, and flights allowances.
Qualifications

In some countries no qualification is needed. However, it is always better to have a teaching certificate. The most common and most respected is the Cambridge CELTA. This course runs for one month and can be taken in most countries. It is a super intensive course so brush up on your grammar and study skills before you go!

While a degree is requested at many schools it is not always a prerequisite. If you havent finished your degree, apply for the jobs anyway. Some schools will accept you without it, but there are occasional visa hassles (Japan is one country that requires a Bachelors degree for a working visa).

How to get started

Check out i-to-i Travel for an online TEFL course! For best results do a 120 hour teaching course such as the Cambridge CELTA or Trinity TESOL.

More resources…

i-to-i Travel

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Post tags: CELTA, language, teach english, teaching, TEFL, TESOL, travel, travelling

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Aaahh the joy of travelling. This is the short list of things that I never travel without, part one, because there are quite a few.

As you can see, I’m not much for travelling light. I like to be in contact and know whats going on at home. I want my creature comforts… within reason.

Ipod

I admit it, its true. I am one of “those” travellers who always has an ipod on me. I bought Dawn many years ago, the battery ran dead and has been replaced, so Dawn has many scratches and nicks, she’s been dropped more times than i care to admit but she’s still going. Filled to bursting with Dylan, Punk Rock and Miley Cyrus (I kid you not). I found a pair of Sony headphones on a necklace type lanyard which keeps itaround my neck and I usually put the ipod under my jacket so it can’t be ripped off by wandering hands.

Mobile phone

I have a phone with me now that i bought in 2001. I remember it well, the first time i bought a ‘nice’ phone. It was the smallest at the time, strangely, phones got bigger for a while, and suddenly they are heavier…. So now my 7 year old phone is just as good as any other phone as far as i can figure. If it gets stolen I will be most upset because we have history. I’d rather my old brick phone than a new phone. How upset will you be if your new iphone gets lifted, or if your crackberry goes swimming in the toilet? Take a cheap phone with you!

For international travel your phone must be compatible – i think its called tri-band? Either way, you can pick up a phone for under $100 pretty much anywhere. Make sure you aren’t locked onto a network before you leave home, and buy a sim card when you land.

In Vietnam, my sim card was around $8, included $10 of credit, and it usually lasts about 3 weeks, depending on how often i call Australia.

Running shoes

Okay, I don’t run half as often as I should, but i always take some sort of sports shoe, even if its just for walking. I randomly joined a touch football team here and these came in very useful.

If you are the running/walking/drinking type, you will need a pair of shoes for Hashing! Hash House Harriers run in just about every city on earth and its probably the quickest way to make new friends. All you need is a pair of shoes and a mouth for drinking.

Laptop

Lets be real here. I’m no flashpacker. I don’t travel with wads of cash, and i avoid backpacker hotspots as I would avoid leper colonies. I listen to punk rock for Gods sake!

But i absolutely can’t travel without my Laptop. Not just because I blog and what not.. But… how else do you stay in touch with the world?  In many countries it is almost impossible to get news from home without a laptop (unless you love CNN).

Your laptop must be fitted out with some usefull applications and programs though. The short list is:


Stay in touch with home, chat, call home for free and make cheap international calls with Skype
- what could be better? I use Skype pretty much every time I am connected to the internet.

Bloglines or Google Reader

For the all important Internet Stalking of your friends blogs… um, i mean, reading the news and staying up to date with stuff!

You can pick up most of the things on this list from the new, shiny, wonderful The Pursuit of Adventure Amazon Store. Check it out!

© Zoe for The Pursuit of Adventure, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: hanoi, Stories from the road, Tips & Ideas, travel, travel advice, travelling, Vietnam

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I have stepped into the twilight zone

The music is thumping, the dance floor is packed… fly boys and girls gyrate skilfully to the hip hop beats from the imported DJ’s in the corner.

My mouth hits the floor. Two minutes ago I was sharing a motorbike with 2 of my friends, dodging the holes in the roads and precisely avoiding the melee of bikes, taxis and buses. The sole of my right high heel has melted through from having my foot on the muffler. And now, here on the 20th floor of the Sofitel plaza, we have found a modern utopia overlooking the antiquated city of Hanoi, and now we are in a modern, polished, 4 star hotel. We could be anywhere in the world right now.

I struggle my way to the bar but my hips can’t help but sway to the music. I notice more than one man noticing me. For once I am dressed for the night with a designer dress and push up to enhance what my momma gave me.

At the bar I wait patiently. Everyone seems to be getting served, and it’s a western bar, right? Wrong. 10 minutes passes. Getting agitated now. I call out to the girl behind the bar and order a cocktail. Mojito. With berries.

Another 10 minutes go by. I order again, from another bartender. He asks me to pay in advance, and I tell him I won’t pay until I have my drink.

A Britney spears song comes on, mixed up with some ghetto gangster and my attention is taken from the bar and I join my friends for a dance. Some other women are dancing around, my friend is busting out some serious moves that involve her being given a clear berth while she impresses.

Eventually I find my way back to the bar. I ask for the drink… again, and it magically appears. A purplish concoction with mint leaves floating around. This is most expensive and weakest drink in the history of Hanoi. Must remember to write a bad review.

I take my drink and try to find some air. All the bars here get hot and smokey to the point that breathing becomes difficult. The view from the 20th floor is worth withstanding the average drinks. 180 degree views over a stunning lake, the full moon high in the sky and nary a backpacker in sight.

I find a comfortable arm chair and sit back, taking in the sights. This city can be so romantic at times it’s almost like nothing bad ever happens here.

I barely notice the young man who comes and sits next to me. Fine-looking, in the way only a man in his early 20’s can be. All the innocence of his age mixed with the experience of a world traveller. A well cut suit, pressed shirt and no tie. Top button open to reveal a hair free chest. He speaks with a heavy French accent which makes him sound more sophisticated than he probably is. He is very charming. They always are.

© Zoe for The Pursuit of Adventure, 2008. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: dancing, hanoi, sofitel, stories, suave, travel, travelling, Vietnam

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Boring day.. studying, preparing for CELTA
Going to meet the touch team at JAFA bar at Ciputra, supposedly a 15 min drive away
I decide to take my motorbike and check the map. It looks easy and the directions get sent by text message.
At the end of my street I turn left, onto the Vietnamese highway,
Staying left – fast lane, move into the right side and cruise along “I got this”
Next thing, road splits, and I’m on a bridge to the other side of town
The sun is setting, I don’t have a torch. Or any idea where I am.
Going over the bridge, can’t turn around
Head north on the wrong side of the river, until I find the other bridge to get to the east
Massive traffic jam
Lovers leap on the bridge by Eiffel
Finally on the right road going north… But where am I?
Stop and ask for directions.. 4kms
End up at the bar… find my friend, ice cream and American television… then to the bar to watch the rugby.
I meet a French guy,
He shows me the way home, then invites me to fancy hotel for drinks
Walk in… The music is so loud, the band is so bad, off key version of YMCA,
Plenty of white old men, young Vietnamese girls with short skirts… I’m the only blonde female there…
Next thing I know, my French friend is going to the bathroom, followed closely by a lithe Vietnamese woman with a slinky green dress.
I don’t see him again. Yellow fever.

© Zoe for The Pursuit of Adventure, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: adventures, getting lost, hanoi, stories, travelling, Vietnam

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