Search found 218 matches

by nikkor
Sat Mar 14, 2015 7:33 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Schools Still Searching
Replies: 26
Views: 29196

Re: Schools Still Searching

klooste wrote:
> If the school is paying you in a foreign currency, it could be that the USD is sinking
> right now due to oil or what not. I know the Canadian dollar has taken a hit this
> year.
>
> Lots to consider.

Just the opposite. The USD is way way way up vs currencies like the Euro. If you are paid in USD, you've gotten a 30% raise over the past year!
http://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from= ... R&view=10Y
by nikkor
Tue Mar 10, 2015 10:08 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Shanghai Living: Tips for packing, must do/see, beware
Replies: 37
Views: 37346

Re: Shanghai Living: Tips for packing, must do/see, beware

Instead of buying air filters like Blu Air or Alen Air, I would go the fan/hepa filter/velcro strap route. You can spend $1500 on a nice Blu Air, or $35 on a DIY. Either way, it's just a fan blowing air through a HEPA filter. Why pay a premium? This year, I've hardly even turned my filters on. There have been a few bad days, but generally air pollution in Shanghai isn't so bad. For example, today's AQI was about 35, whereas Beijing and other industrial cities are often over 300.

If you have a VPN, you can shop on YHD.com with google chrome's translate feature. It's cheap and the Cash On Delivery option is truly amazing. It's a great way to save money on imported food products like milk and beer.

Also google Shanghai Restaurant Week, and sign up for a few meals. It will be a great way to save money while trying out some new places. I never thought I'd say this, but since I've lived in Shanghai, I've become accustomed to $100 meals. My recommendation for a "must do" eating experience: A couple drinks at the long bar, dinner at Mercado, a stroll on the Bund, and then maybe another drink at Salt & Light is a good way to start your weekend.

When the weather is nice, there are quite a few good rooftop bars.
by nikkor
Tue Mar 10, 2015 9:31 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: advice for personality conflict with director
Replies: 39
Views: 42496

Re: advice for personality conflict with director

I'll be the bad guy on this one. The OP sounds like a perfectly fine teacher, and I have no reason to think otherwise. However, he/she may not be doing a very good job, or at least it's perceived that way. If that's the case, the new director may be "cleaning house," or trying to push the OP out. I've seen some form of this happen at every school where I've worked.

If this were the case, I think the other posters' advice has been good. Do the best job you can, and move on. Depending on what's still out there for your position, why wait? Most heads are pretty generous about letting ITs out of contracts.

Bad relationships or conflict can be the very worst thing about international teaching. We all need and depend on each other so much, that sometimes one bad relationship can ruin an entire school year.
by nikkor
Fri Mar 06, 2015 11:27 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Leysin American School Switzerland
Replies: 5
Views: 10849

Re: Leysin American School Switzerland

Leysin wouldn't be a bad place to start. It's a boarding school so teachers have to do double duty, and also live in the dorms. Students who are kicked out of other schools often end up there, as student expectations are a bit more lax. Some years back, a student stole a car and struck/killed a pedestrian.

I don't think you can hardly save a penny, but you can have fun. Skiing is a part of the curriculum. The director told me that teachers can take students skiing to nearby ski hills like Chamonix,France on weekends. There are certainly worse places you can end up.
by nikkor
Mon Mar 02, 2015 6:06 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: YK Pao School in Shanghai
Replies: 7
Views: 11908

Re: YK Pao School in Shanghai

Psyguy nailed the school description. Shanghai is a good, but not great, place to live. Not a bad place to start.
by nikkor
Wed Feb 18, 2015 11:18 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Manila, Philippines
Replies: 9
Views: 17483

Re: Manila, Philippines

Buddha's description was great. Many people love living in the Philippines- tropical vibes, beautiful destinations and all the karaoke you can handle.

Manila can be a tough place to live, but drivers, gardeners, and ayis (child care/cleaner) can shield you from many of the frustrations. For many westerners, there are frustrations around pollution, efficiency, critical thinking and systemic corruption. In quality of life, the Philippines lags behind many of its SEA neighbors. KL, BKK, Singapore, HK, Hanoi, and HCMC are often seen as better locations in the region. It's best to have an "accept the things you cannot change, and look for things to laugh at and enjoy" type of mindset.
by nikkor
Tue Feb 17, 2015 6:05 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Asia or Europe for long-term financial stability
Replies: 26
Views: 27305

Re: Asia or Europe for long-term financial stability

PsyGuy wrote:

> @nikkor
>
> I know of none saving $100K in Asia.

Maybe it depends on your definition of "know." Overhere and I make two people on this thread alone. Personally, I know a good number of couples all over Asia saving 70+, and a handful of couples saving into the hundreds. My wife and I are near the middle of our school's pay scale. If we were at the top, we'd be saving approx 130-140K per year.

To answer the OP, I think Asia is best for preparing to retire.
by nikkor
Sun Feb 15, 2015 2:51 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Asia or Europe for long-term financial stability
Replies: 26
Views: 27305

Re: Asia or Europe for long-term financial stability

So what would be my financial outlook if I worked at a top school in Europe for the equivalent time?
by nikkor
Sun Feb 15, 2015 2:46 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Asia or Europe for long-term financial stability
Replies: 26
Views: 27305

Re: Asia or Europe for long-term financial stability

This is a great question that most career intl educators probably don't spend enough time thinking about. I don't know how all the European pensions work, so I can't comment on that.

In Asia, there are a number of couples saving about 100K and singles saving in the 40K range. To my knowledge, those numbers would reflect a small handful of tier one schools.

If I'm 36 and work for the next 27 years, that gives my partner and I the chance to put away 2.7 million usd. The avg return of the S&P 500 for the past 27 years has been 11.83% according to money chimp -
http://www.moneychimp.com/features/market_cagr.htm

If I had invested my money in an S&P 500 eft (SCHX) at an expense of .04% for the past 27 years, my partner and I would now have about 18.4 million usd. No one knows the future, and I'm not counting on returns that good, but I feel like that is a good plan.
by nikkor
Fri Feb 13, 2015 6:50 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Anyone else hearing crickets?
Replies: 34
Views: 32894

Re: Anyone else hearing crickets?

MizMorton,

Hang in there, it's not over until it's over, and this might only be the 7th inning stretch. Even if your search profile indicates that you are not the best candidate, you can still get an offer. A bad recommendation is not a deal breaker, but you have to understand that it will limit your opportunities, and be ready to take the opportunity that fits you best. In intl teaching, most of the time water finds it's level.
I've filled out Search recs for nearly perfect candidates and I've filled out recs for poor candidates. In the end, they all received offers. I've seen a strong candidate with high aspirations struggle mightily until he landed a dream job in April, and I've seen poor candidates who only want to move on, go to the job fair and quickly sign on for their next middling experience.
by nikkor
Fri Feb 06, 2015 4:16 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Albanian College? Anyone?
Replies: 15
Views: 35118

Re: Albanian College? Anyone?

I travelled in Albania some time around 2005. Tons of old pill box forts from the Tito days, and everyone drove Mercedes Benz automobiles! It was really off the beaten path. We couldn't drink the water or drive at night, bandits would string chains across the roads. I would love to go back. I'm sure plenty has changed.
by nikkor
Fri Feb 06, 2015 3:41 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Automated reference checks - annoying
Replies: 7
Views: 8692

Re: Automated reference checks - annoying

I think you have a great point. Why not just check the references of finalists?

Which school did you apply to?
by nikkor
Fri Feb 06, 2015 3:33 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Syria
Replies: 4
Views: 6591

Re: Syria

Very unfortunate. I had friends working in Damascus who really loved it!
by nikkor
Sun Jan 25, 2015 10:37 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Best agency for counselors? Is there a difference?
Replies: 8
Views: 10248

Re: Best agency for counselors? Is there a difference?

Hi Resigio,

Take my perspective for what you will. However, Eion_Padraig is correct, many highly sought after high school counseling positions do generally get filled in Oct or Nov, well before the BKK fair. Unsurprisingly, the most qualified, well-known counselors get those jobs.