Quote:
Originally Posted by NotThremp
Seems like the job market for English teachers esp American is gonna be a lot thinner in Singapore. Maybe he can get become an expert in Singlish like our folks who are attempting to codify AAVE.
I don't know, I've never been an English teacher. I taught CIE A-Levels Further Math for 2 years, 7 years of CIE A-Levels and IGCSE Economics, 1 semester as sole instructor for principals of microeconomics, and 1 semester as TA for International Economics. I'm applying to econ teaching jobs, but I'd probably do better if I started applying to more math teaching jobs. Frankly, I am not a good math teacher. As you point out (I think jokingly), most high school economics is essentially just a very specific ESL writing class with very little actual problem solving or actual economics. I'd really love to get some PE teaching experience some day...
I got one brutal ego blow of a Thai school saying they don't even want to give me an interview for the economics teaching post I applied to because I only have a British PGCE (as opposed to QTS) and have never taught in the UK, but after looking at my resume they'd love to interview me to teach little children aged 8-9 basic oral mandarin. I've only ever seen one non-native Chinese teacher in Thailand. I reckon that if even one native speaker with a pulse and any non-mainland Chinese educational credential shows up I cannot be offered this job. Interview is thursday...
It's funny you all mentioned Sinapore. I was looking at jobs there just yesterday before I ever opened my log recently. The job market there is much better than Thailand. Thailand schools are nearly all British and they have this semi-imperialist mindset of trying to "civilize" the locals by authentically recreating a British K-12 environment. I'm not in any place ot judge about whether or not this is a good or realistic goal, but I can see why some random American guy from China who's never set foot in the UK makes it hard to recreate such an environment. For Thai schools, a 26 year old English FOB who's never been to Asia with an education degree who barely knows any economics at all is probably going to get the job over me. Singapore doesn't care about that kind of stuff and is more open to other nationalities, so I'm more competitive there from having so many years of experience + graduate degree in my subject. 11-15k SGD/mo. I have no idea how far that goes in SG... peasant wages to pro gambler loco or Notthremp I'm sure.
It's probable I succumb to stockholm syndrom and just end up staying here even if I do have options to leave. The absolute BIG DICK decision I could make is to move to Thailand without even looking for a job and just import Chinese raw steroid powders, brew em up, and start wholesaling to pharmacies. I actually did talk to a few pharmacies about this in my last trip there in December 2019. This is very much "grey market" and unstable, however. And just selling gear to gymrats/users is probably not going to be a great living.
Legs
HBBS: 120kgx8, 100kgx8x3
Leg press: 3ppsx20x3
Hamstring curls: 3 sets
Glute press machine: 3 sets
Today little halloween deadlift competition but I deadlift monday so I'll just pull like 180kg.
Chinese food: Chinese food in mainland china is mostly super awful. Decades of famine set back food culture in this country and many of the things that are eaten here would arouse complete disgust in any person from anywhere else in the world. But as you are all correct about, there's a huge amount of regional variation because it's a surprisingly culturally diverse place despite not being ethnically diverse. Sichuan cuisine is definitely much better than what I'd gotten used to the first 6 years. I was in Jiangsu before and the food there is truly an abomination. Chinese food in other asian countries or HK/Macau is typically amazing and way better versions of what they serve in dirt mainland.
I love all the SEA cuisine I've had. Especially Indonesian... I was surprised they seem to have such great stews in Indonesia.