I Write, I Teach, I Travel and… I Am Satisfied

I Write, I Teach, I Travel and… I Am Satisfied

For those of you who have never been lucky enough seen the famous ambassador of food Anthony Bourdain’s Travel Network show “No Reservations” you might be missing out. Thanks to the miracle of TV, the millions who have may recognize the title of this post as a spoof on the ubiquitous former drug addicts opening segment and how he became a modern day “Renaissance Man,” and default cultural anthropologist.

I deeply and admire Mr. Bourdain not so much for his ability to capture the essence of his subject so aptly but rather, for his ability to turn his passion into something bigger than a narcissistic snarky pursuit of international cuisine, pig parts and beer.

In the process of following his dream, he somehow turned a nation of couch potatoes into a nation of empathetic vicarious thrill seekers. Which isn’t virtually as great as oh say the real experience itself, but perhaps at least it is a start into getting “would be travelers” off their collective duff and heading out in search of greener pastures ( if not literally, at least metaphorically speaking that is.)

As some of us may have learned through Tony Bourdain’s show, the act of eating and cooking can be a life changing and sometimes even a political event. If not, certainly overseas travel becomes a process of interaction, new friendships, increased self-awareness, and growth.

The same can be true for studying and teaching TEFL overseas. You have the chance to combine all the elements of travel, work, study, play and new cultural experiences, a fortunate side effect of which often leads to high levels of deep meaning and personal satisfaction. Forget the kids who threaten and malign your lesson plan, most SE Asian students are more respectful and actually understand the importance of learning the English language to their upward mobility.

We at Paradise TEFL  (a fully accredited and globally recognized TEFL program) strive for our students  to learn conversational English with the latest proven strategies and methods, but share up to date pedagogy and strategies as part of our teachers career development through the latest teaching paradigms. Graduates with these additional certifications have the advantage of substantially increasing their marketability and employment status. This is a limited offer available only at the TEFL Chiang Mai location. Improve your chances of getting a good job with a higher level of pay by enrolling today.

 

For me personally, it has been a similar shift in income and lifestyle, as living and working in Thailand for the past three and a half years has presented opportunities that perhaps I could not have fully imagined when I set out for my first overseas teaching assignment. New friendships have flourished a sense of making a difference and learning from others, a sharing of my interests, and ultimately being an international citizen has allowed me to understand who I really am and share those discoveries and insights with those who cannot participate in the global society to the same level as I have been able to do.

Although it is sometimes demanding to stretch beyond the familiar (think about stopping for gas and finding all the snack products contain some kind of prawn or fish flavor). I find that I am often well rewarded as a part of this transformative process.

Last year I taught English lessons for free at a local temple (see picture below) in my small village after work and had a network of admirers who offer me food, rides and whiskey (among other things) for the retribution of karma I bestowed upon my neighbors. Did I mention the three dollar hour long Thai massages that I get at the government massage center up the road?

As part of TEFL Chiang Mai's goal to increase cultural and religious sensitivity among our participants, we also offer a TEFL Buddhist Exchange program where future TEFL teachers have the opportunity not only to become certified instructors but to participate as student's of the Buddhist philosophy and tradition with daily monk chats and dharma talks to better understand the religious beliefs which permeates our student's lives through out many parts of South East Asia. For more information and registration for this, or any of the "Paradise TEFL" franchise programs, please don't hesitate to contact us today!

The good news you don’t have to go off into the rainforest on a vision alone to do this, (but you definitely can if you want to.) You can have the help you need to become an English teacher with a better quality of life and higher standard of living without having to have a team of handlers or a massive fortune to accomplish the task. Speaking of “greener pastures,” let’s take a look at my own numbers for a start.

 

My current approximate expenses: (yes they vary)

Rent: Less than $200 usd a month

Food: About $50 a week (to eat like a King!-Yes even Pizza and a few drinks now and then).

Utilities: Around $20 electric, 25 internet (hi speed unlimited) $25 Phone.

Transportation: Can fill up the motorbike for less than $6

Accident Health Coverage: Up to $20,000 usd about $5 a month.

Miscellaneous: $75 or so; depending on level of comfort you think you need.

Weather: (October through February) Priceless!

Total Expenses= About $500 Total Expenses. (Income about double that! Try doing that in the West)

For those who don't already know, Paradise TEFL offers our basic TEFL certification which is one of the most affordable accredited hands on TEFL courses offered in Asia or anywhere for that matter. Whether you are looking for On-site, Virtual, or On-line programs, you will find "Paradise is the place you want to be!"