Working and Living abroad thread
- Thread starter GAMETHEORY
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in general teaching overseas from what I hear is cool but doesnot pay much. If you are the type that dont have family or can just up and leave the United states for a year or two then teaching english is cool but keep in mind you wont make alot and its temporary.
I urge those who haven't traveled abraod to do so. Life changing , at least for me. For those with parents or relatives in homeland abroad, go there and experience . go seem your family abroad and go also a "tourist". often times, I will interact with people that go abroad to their homeland and they just sleep at their family house and not travel around and network.
url]http://officialtaiwo.blogspot.com/[/url]
http://www.expat-blog.com/en/blog/asia/south-korea/theblackeslteacher.blogspot.com
I was watching the Africa channel (south African based channel) show called Africa Within" is cool show of different countries in africa.
get a technical skill marketable outside the US .
I urge those who haven't traveled abraod to do so. Life changing , at least for me. For those with parents or relatives in homeland abroad, go there and experience . go seem your family abroad and go also a "tourist". often times, I will interact with people that go abroad to their homeland and they just sleep at their family house and not travel around and network.
url]http://officialtaiwo.blogspot.com/[/url]
http://www.expat-blog.com/en/blog/asia/south-korea/theblackeslteacher.blogspot.com
I was watching the Africa channel (south African based channel) show called Africa Within" is cool show of different countries in africa.
get a technical skill marketable outside the US .
I spent 3 weeks in Peru and could see myself living there. I did volunteer work teaching English at a school and believe I could easily get a job as an English Teacher.
The people treat you really well, I loved the food (everything is fresh especially the sea food), and the women (they are conservative, with beautiful faces and beautiful natural hair) but hated the air pollution.
The people treat you really well, I loved the food (everything is fresh especially the sea food), and the women (they are conservative, with beautiful faces and beautiful natural hair) but hated the air pollution.
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2 400 000 South Korean won = 1896 U.S. dollars
not enough for me
Ya I explored that teaching in Asia route a long time ago. The pay is not that good. Neither are the living conditons. Some of the companies are not reputable. For someone coming out of college looking for the living abroad experience it's definitely something to consider imo. But if you have a career established over here and looking for a better opportunity this is not it. Unless living/working abroad is something that's extremely important to the individual.
drop some work visa/citizenship/ cost of living/ exchange rate/ must needs aka ducks you absolutely must have in a row before completing the move
or whatever you got but Im sure you know all that
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i suggest that everyone drop that info if you can
Here are a few things. In order to get a permanent visa, there are really two options( a couple of others but these are the two most comment routes).
1. You need to transfer 75k into a Brasilian based account for a business.
OR
2. You must be married to a Brasilian and then apply for a permanent visa as the spouse of a Brasilian.
Here is some of the type of shit you need.
1. FBI report showing you don't have any felonies.
2. Marriage document
3. Passport with current tourist visa
4. at least two friends to give a testimonial about your (signed and certified)
5. lease or utilities in your name or your wife's name
You must have all of these translated by a state certified translator.
This is a majority of it...although there are a few other issues.
Also... getting a CPF (Brasilian social security number) is important but this is easy. You can get this just by paying a small fee (about 40 dollars) and having a mailing address. You will get your official card in a few weeks. You can do this at anytime as long as you have an address to receive the card.
I'll add to this post later and add other details about cost of living, etc
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I've been a computer specialist/teacher in Japan for a minute and could definitely recommend life over here. The thing about the pay, as one person quoted the pay in South Korea, is you have to weigh in the the quality of life factor. I can't speak so much about South Korea (having only been there from time to time for shopping/sightseeing purposes), but in Japan it's a blast. So many things to do, don't have to worry about violence, really great food, really friendly people, can walk out in all hours of the night without problems, etc.
As someone else said, if you're in your 30s with a 3-figure salary and a career already established and hoping to just waltz into Japan, South Korea, etc (without knowing the language, no connections, etc) with a job that pays something comparable you're not thinking in real terms
As someone else said, if you're in your 30s with a 3-figure salary and a career already established and hoping to just waltz into Japan, South Korea, etc (without knowing the language, no connections, etc) with a job that pays something comparable you're not thinking in real terms
2 400 000 South Korean won = 1896 U.S. dollars
not enough for me
I've been a computer specialist/teacher in Japan for a minute and could definitely recommend life over here. The thing about the pay, as one person quoted the pay in South Korea, is you have to weigh in the the quality of life factor. I can't speak so much about South Korea (having only been there from time to time for shopping/sightseeing purposes), but in Japan it's a blast. So many things to do, don't have to worry about violence, really great food, really friendly people, can walk out in all hours of the night without problems, etc.
As someone else said, if you're in your 30s with a 3-figure salary and a career already established and hoping to just waltz into Japan, South Korea, etc (without knowing the language, no connections, etc) with a job that pays something comparable you're not thinking in real terms
Yeah, I should've been clear when I posted that. It's usually recent college grads that get recruited for teaching abroad. Free rent, rent airfare, medical, low tax rate, and a $20K salary (with few expenses) isn't a bad deal for a young single person looking to spend some time overseas. Especially with the rough economy here.
I was in Ghana in April this year..didnt stay much since was en route from Monrovia, Liberia
Personally I'm more familiar with Eastern parts of Africa and some parts of South but not much on West Africa...I guess for some reason West Africans are seen as aggressive (from white folks point of view>>>I have a history of dealing with Nigerians whom i have much respect for...they keep their word) and so forth and of course in terms of tourism countries there haven't done much really compared to countries such as Kenya
Now as far as West Africa goes, Ghana is probably the best country in terms of being easy going and relatively crime free. It did have its moments, but certainly not like Nigeria.
Accra(the capital) is a lively city - bars, night clubs, beaches - and hopefully you could get a long week end break there every month if that's your thing. The majority of expats live in Accra I would guess.
Nearer Tarkwa are Cape Coast/ Takoradi - visitable at week ends, with more choice of hotels/ bars / restaurants than Tarkwa. There was an excellent fish restaurant I recall in Takoradi, run by a German I think, but the name of the place escapes me - near a few of the small 'resort' hotels down on the coast. All along this coast are palm tree fringed beaches and various historic 'slave' forts.
Also a few 'national parks' nearby with canopy tree walks, hiking possibilities and canoe trips on the rivers. There is an annual Durbar/parade of chiefs in Cape Coast which you can attend - well worth the effort, and the real deal - not a tourist show.
Journey times? First thing, whilst you may run around town at night, or possibly travel to Takoradi, inter-city travel after dark is not recommended - vehicles without lights, animals, crazy driving, rainstorms in the wet season. Also, the small risk of being ambushed - they are mainly after market traders returning home, so it pays to know the days and locations of the markets if you do decide to travel long distance at night.
Very broadly: Tarkwa - Takoradi 1 Hr; Takoradi - Cape Coast 1 Hr; Cape Coast - Accra 3 Hrs. They were improving the coast road, but how far that has progressed I don't know. Cape Coast to Accra is a single lane each direction, heavily trafficked, heavily pot holed nightmare. Had a driver - not necessarily a good thing mind you.
If you arrive or leave Accra at peak times on the Cape Coast road, start to add some hours to the journey time.
Malaria...u know what they say "Beware, beware, the Bight of Benin, for every one that comes out, twenty go in." Yes, it is indeed...fuck i had Malaria when i was in Tanzania...stayed in bed for a week till i got better...considering i haven't had Malaria for 10 years
Most anti-malarials have advice relevant to short term use, rather than long term. It is one of the great debates amongst expats whether to take anti-malarials if you are there long term, due to the possible side effects of long term use.
Some American oil majors make it a sackable offense not to take your anti-malarials. Eventually, I decided not to take anything, but took the various precautions to avoid getting bitten in the first place. Then if you feel unwell, get the blood test straight away. You can also get treatment medication for yourself, to take if you feel unwell and cannot get to a clinic.You will also need the full profile of other precautions, including yellow fever, see a Doctor. However, despite the diseases and exotic animals, statistically, it is the roads that will get you.
I 'm sure there are Ghanian members here who might have better input than mine
In London UK, my usual base after 6 months away...was in Tanzania, Kenya, Beirut,South Korea, Libya, Rwanda, China, Vietnam and India
what do you do that lets you travel so much ? and how did you get started ?
Work related...started off as a govt employee and job description meant travelling was essential..its tiring man, airports suck but hey we got them bills to pay
Now Consulting so would go to regions and spend much time there instead of coming back and forth to London
I wanna chill till around Winter time and leave again but who knows I might go to Zimbabwe next week so i am always on stand by mode
bookmarked
What are some good entry level jobs for a recent college grad. I see teaching mentioned but there has to be other options.
2 400 000 South Korean won = 1896 U.S. dollars
not enough for me
Hmmmm. I failed to mention that you can earn money north of 40 dollars an hour on your time merely conversing in English with the locals TAX FREE. It's illegal in S.Korea but duly enforced. So, assuming you're game 5 days a week, that comes up to a possible extra twenty grand a year, income tax is 2% from a monthly stipend. 1900 dollars a month warrants less than forty dollars taken from your check. Half of that is returned to you when you leave the country. No need for a vehicle. Health and dental care is cheaper. The standard of living is cheaper. Only electronics and alcohol is similar priced. Utility bills are really low.
If you already save hella more than 10,000 dollars a year than South Korea and Taiwan isn't worth it.
If you're cool with possibly saving 6,000 dollars a year than Japan is definitely worth it.
Went to Ghana in 06. I marvel at how well improved that country is as opposed to rest of West Africa. The word is stability. Cote D'ivoire had the potential to surpass all the other nations out there but shit happens.
There are highways out there that make you forget you're still in Africa. For the westerner who's still deluded by the media rhetoric, Accra is the best "break in" city to travel to if you're not really to experience hardcore West Africa.
I went to Mozambique this year. It's dismal in Beira but Maputo is better than its West African counterparts. Plus it's a four hour taxi ride to South Africa.
Africa can fare heavily on better intrastructure: There's no one you can travel and not expect to ride in sardine packed, no air conditioned buses and taxis.
In fact, that's probably the best way to determine which country is poorer. In Abidjan, Cote D'ivoire, someone can hire a private taxi; in Cotonou, Benin, no one hiring private shit: That downtrodden five seating Peugeot is taking six passengers.
Once you've spent time in Africa and realize people are living off of an average of fifty dollars a month, you may relate to why these folks aren't becoming political activists (might upset their status and lead to deportation) as much as African Americans do (or did
) Another reason why Africans frown at AA squandering opportunities we were born into. (But that's another thread)
http://www.expatica.com/
http://www.german-way.com/expat.html
Two great sites that talks about living in Europe,as an expatriate. I just flew my 14 year old nephew here for the summer, and he's having a ball. Did his homework about the region, and he's keeping a journal about his travels. My daughter just turn 17 years old, and speaks German pretty good. I'm comfortable with them getting on a train and traveling anywhere here.
I work with the State Department, and have a year left on a four year assignment (thinking about extending for at least another year). I'm always encouraging young blacks to look at working for the U.S. Government overseas.http://www.state.gov/ I see nothing but young white kids working in the Embassies,Consulates, and other State Department functions.
Department of Defense School System (DODSS),http://www.eu.dodea.edu/ is also a pretty good employer for those who want to pursue teaching American kids overseas. Plus there are colleges like University of Maryland, Embry Riddle, university of Central Texas etc. that are always looking for instructors.
http://www.german-way.com/expat.html
Two great sites that talks about living in Europe,as an expatriate. I just flew my 14 year old nephew here for the summer, and he's having a ball. Did his homework about the region, and he's keeping a journal about his travels. My daughter just turn 17 years old, and speaks German pretty good. I'm comfortable with them getting on a train and traveling anywhere here.
I work with the State Department, and have a year left on a four year assignment (thinking about extending for at least another year). I'm always encouraging young blacks to look at working for the U.S. Government overseas.http://www.state.gov/ I see nothing but young white kids working in the Embassies,Consulates, and other State Department functions.
Department of Defense School System (DODSS),http://www.eu.dodea.edu/ is also a pretty good employer for those who want to pursue teaching American kids overseas. Plus there are colleges like University of Maryland, Embry Riddle, university of Central Texas etc. that are always looking for instructors.
http://www.expatica.com/
http://www.german-way.com/expat.html
Two great sites that talks about living in Europe,as an expatriate. I just flew my 14 year old nephew here for the summer, and he's having a ball. Did his homework about the region, and he's keeping a journal about his travels. My daughter just turn 17 years old, and speaks German pretty good. I'm comfortable with them getting on a train and traveling anywhere here.
I work with the State Department, and have a year left on a four year assignment (thinking about extending for at least another year). I'm always encouraging young blacks to look at working for the U.S. Government overseas.http://www.state.gov/ I see nothing but young white kids working in the Embassies,Consulates, and other State Department functions.
Department of Defense School System (DODSS),http://www.eu.dodea.edu/ is also a pretty good employer for those who want to pursue teaching American kids overseas. Plus there are colleges like University of Maryland, Embry Riddle, university of Central Texas etc. that are always looking for instructors.
What's your job at the state department? Are you a foreign service officer?
http://careers.state.gov/officer/index.html
I looked into that a few years ago, and read that FSO's all start working at a US embassy handing out visas to local citizens for a few years before they move on their "career path." And there was a good chance you'd end up in a developing country in a war zone.
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I work as a Foreign Service Specialist (FSS), and most FSOs don't start handing out visas.
Part of my job requires me to travel to third world countries, and war zones, but that's one of the perks of this job.
Take a look at the site below for more information.http://careers.state.gov/
I work as a Foreign Service Specialist (FSS), and most FSOs don't start handing out visas.
http://careers.state.gov/
Hmm, ok. That's just what I read in a few articles. I hope you're right, because I'm thinking about applying.
What do you do as a FSS?
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http://www.expatica.com/
http://www.german-way.com/expat.html
Two great sites that talks about living in Europe,as an expatriate. I just flew my 14 year old nephew here for the summer, and he's having a ball. Did his homework about the region, and he's keeping a journal about his travels. My daughter just turn 17 years old, and speaks German pretty good. I'm comfortable with them getting on a train and traveling anywhere here.
I work with the State Department, and have a year left on a four year assignment (thinking about extending for at least another year). I'm always encouraging young blacks to look at working for the U.S. Government overseas.http://www.state.gov/ I see nothing but young white kids working in the Embassies,Consulates, and other State Department functions.
Department of Defense School System (DODSS),http://www.eu.dodea.edu/ is also a pretty good employer for those who want to pursue teaching American kids overseas. Plus there are colleges like University of Maryland, Embry Riddle, university of Central Texas etc. that are always looking for instructors.
Still thanks. My friend she got offered a position to teach on a military base in Japan. She didn't give me much info but this sounds along the lines of what she was talking about. I was curious about the pay.
http://www.expatica.com/
http://www.german-way.com/expat.html
Two great sites that talks about living in Europe,as an expatriate. I just flew my 14 year old nephew here for the summer, and he's having a ball. Did his homework about the region, and he's keeping a journal about his travels. My daughter just turn 17 years old, and speaks German pretty good. I'm comfortable with them getting on a train and traveling anywhere here.
I work with the State Department, and have a year left on a four year assignment (thinking about extending for at least another year). I'm always encouraging young blacks to look at working for the U.S. Government overseas.http://www.state.gov/ I see nothing but young white kids working in the Embassies,Consulates, and other State Department functions.
Department of Defense School System (DODSS),http://www.eu.dodea.edu/ is also a pretty good employer for those who want to pursue teaching American kids overseas. Plus there are colleges like University of Maryland, Embry Riddle, university of Central Texas etc. that are always looking for instructors.
Thats what I've been telling folks here
look beyond the box
if whites can do it why cant we?
Go ahead and do it man
yeah Im on it too,getting ready for the test in October.
here is a good resource
http://fsot.wikidot.com/preparing-for-the-test
Just found out I passed the foreign service written exam. Now it's time for the personal narrative section and hopefully the oral assessment. PM me if I can be of assistance (or if you can help me on the orals 
)
)
Just found out I passed the foreign service written exam. Now it's time for the personal narrative section and hopefully the oral assessment. PM me if I can be of assistance (or if you can help me on the orals
cool so did you study for it ? Did you think it was difficult?
Thanks!
Just found out I passed the foreign service written exam. Now it's time for the personal narrative section and hopefully the oral assessment. PM me if I can be of assistance (or if you can help me on the orals
Congrats man. What career track do you chose (ie. consular, management, etc..)? Did you study for the exam?
THis is a great post..we should really take advantage of all these opportunities abroad...I just started working for the Corps of Engineers as an Archaeologist...Does anyone know if their are ways that I would be able to work out of the country? The only way I could imagine is if we construct federal buildings on foreign soil and do the surveying for it
yeah Im wondering what career track I should choose. trying to decide which will get me sent overseas the fastest
Check out this blog, the author gives some decent insight into each track and the exams.
http://thehegemonist.com/2009/01/getting-job-as-foreign-service-officer.html
It seems that consular and management have the most openings. I'm interested in public diplomacy myself, but that one seems more selective.
talk about BGOL being International...
What are your experiences with getting pussy overseas?
Easy for an American to get women in other countries? 
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Oh I thought this was the thread where we gonna talk about working a broad. You cats on some other shit...
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