> Cheer Up ESL'ers,

> things are not so bad as they seem teaching English over in Asia.
> I worked overseas for a couple of years and since have returned to
> the states to find the worst job market, double-standards, scammers
> and far too many closed doors!

> yes..."closed doors!"
> i always experienced far more my share of closed doors years ago,
> when things were a little better with even some so-called
> "booming" economy states, but things are far worse these
> days.

> now, even the arrogant.com highlifers are scratching for a living and
> facing those very closed doors that they once so proudly implemented.

> ...and of course the whole world has to digest
> "corruption", not only in asian societies but here and
> there as well.

> like the tune of ABC's school house rock animations..the song,
> "conjunction conjunction what's your function", maybe could
> be replaced here in the states with...
> "corruption corruption what's your function...?

> i'm and artist and musician by skill, but hardly by trade, and even
> the first world economies have made such meaningful talents, a bitter
> chore to make a living at.

> technology and automation has screwed up everything. these advances
> haven't
> improved much, but rather complicated the whole ball of wax even
> further.

> even with utilizing the tools of the trade, like making website,
> business cards, countless resumes, CV's, networking (ha ha) offering
> "free" labor and so much more...still nothing.

> i ask myself..."how much effort does one have to make, and still
> come up empty?"

> it feels like the world is falling into a black hole.

> so about teaching English overseas...it's not all that bad.
> so you have an occasional bad day in class, or your students drive
> you mad crazy, or the school doesn't keep some promises.

> still the doors are open for you all over there.
> working overseas can be tough, but things could be a lot worse.
> some of you might get fed up and decide to return to your country,
> but consider that the grass not being any greener back where you came
> from.

> don't imagine how things are back home, compared to where you are
> now.

> i've read so much on this forum, and many of you seem as though you
> hate, or want to compete with each other so much.
> who knows the situation with good or bad schools the most. who are
> the newbies. who are the REAL english teachers...?

> all of this...WHO CARES?
> if you find that you hate other foreign "teachers", well
> maybe it's because some of you are too afraid to admit to sharing
> some commonality with other foreigners not too much unlike
> yourselves.

> it's really o.k.
> to be honest, very few foreigners teaching overseas are losers.
> real "losers" (if any such person) wouldn't be able to even
> figure out how to get a job in another country.

> just because a person can't secure employment in his or her country
> doesn't make them a loser.
> it just makes them even more human, up against systems larger than
> any of us.

> look in the mirror, if you have one, smile, cheer up and congratulate
> yourselves on beating the odds.

> things will get better!

..................... .................. ............... !
There are scammers all over the world I imagine, but usually there are laws and lawyers to protect the victims.
It seems in a society where foreigners are outside of the societal structure and are considered non-persons, such as in Confucianism,
this is where problems may lie in SOME situations.
Madge has got a job at home, and is protected by REAL LAWS in a fair society.
You might want to expand your set of work skills as music and art must be hard areas to get into. What sort of jobs are easy to get into where you live?

Madge