BootsnAll Travel Community

Me me, i have...and currently am!
Spent 2 years in England working as a croupier and had an absolute blast. I am now in USA working as an au pair, not as much fun but i'm getting to do loads of travelling around the country.

I just finished 1 year of teaching English in Korea, and I really had fun. After about 6 months of traveling I think I'm going to go to Japan, Taiwan, or South America (if I have enough money left) and do another year.

Middle East, S/E Asia, Europe & South America
War Profiteer and Pirate

Hey James
You've strayed far afield, I see, I promise not to tell any of the rest of the Bastards. At any rate, I've worked everywhere except Africa. Iraq last year (Basra and Nasiriyah). I was in Basra during the Great SAS Jail-Break, knew some of the lads involved in that International Incident. I'll be headed to Chilca, Peru in a week or so for a 14 month project, had the carrot dangled and been told it might turn into a permanent (oh shit pa--leese no!!!) job. I worked in Peru 8 years ago and made it my home, the Central Highlands remind me of another place and time that stole my heart as well some 35 years ago. Actually look forward to staying in one place for awhile because 1) I'll have my new wife with me and 2) we'll be in a beach house in a part of the world that I really, really like. James unless you're looking for a girlfriend here do not get used to all this Goodness, Naïveté and Innocence, it'll choke you, remain in the HEART OF DARKNESS where we belong. My reason for being here is to educate the masses.

I worked in Lesotho for two years as a Senior Fulbright Professor (very powerful place, geographically gorgeous, often heartbreaking: real culture change IN YOUR FACE for westerners, wonderfully Afro-centric thinking--as it should be!). Adopted two children there (long story), and then when Mandela was elected I applied for, and got, a position as professor and head of the drama department at the University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. It was an amazing time to be in South Africa: everything was changing, FAST, and many people felt they were, as Adrienne Rich writes, "On the first page of the end of despair." It still is the most exciting place to do theatre in all the world, IMO. In addition, ZA is one of the most politically-exciting places on earth, with much more respect for human rights and diversity enshrined in its constitution than the US Constitution ever thought about having. I stayed the whole time Mandela was President, returned to the USA in 99. I ache for it still, probably always will.

I am currently working Warsaw, Poland. I have an Illinois elementary teaching certificate. No problem getting my work permit. Only thing is to get a visa you must return to your home country or get it before leaving. I was lucky and got a job with a big enough school that they covered my(and my daughters) trip back to Chicago.
My first experience working abroad was in Budapest, Hungary about 8 years ago. I got a job at a preschool with only my B.S. I worked illegally, cash in hand, no visa or work permit. Had to leave the country every 3 months. Did this for 4 years. Don't recommend it, most countries won't even allow it anymore, some have 6 month cumulative stays in a 12 month period. After those years in Hungary decided to get my teaching certificate so I'd have more freedom to go where I wanted, legally. It has worked out so far!

I lived/worked in Toronto for 3.5 years (77-81) as a software engineer. I had a landed immigrant visa and could have stayed as long as I wished, but when the $CDN went south so did I.

Life in Canada was somewhat different from the US, but not extraordinarily so.

I taught at Amercian Scools in Mexico City, Mexico for three years and then two years in Damascus, Syria. There are over 190 American Schools in the world. They are built for American kids but then the elite of the country want their kids to go to school at Harvard or Yale and they send their kids to these schools for a leg up. I enjoyed it very much because the caliber of student was awesome so I could teach at a high level. I taught US HIstory, Econ, Govt, World History etc.

I also liked it because you move into an instant community, that is a mix of people who have lived there for years and people who are new there and want to explore with someone.

More info at http://www.iss.edu/

YOu have to be a certified teacher in the US to go through this route.

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Middle East, S/E Asia, Europe & South America
War Profiteer and Pirate

oh...you too. I was gonna call myself a mercenary...but 'war whore' says it so much nicer....

i'm a Canadian, and here's a lil overseas resume:

Australia - orange pickin, paid in cold hard $$ under the table

New Zealand - mandarin pickin, kiwi pickin & packin - cold hard $$$, above the table i might add
- hostel cleaning person, fringe festival front-of-house volunteer - these paid in kind (accomodation and free shows respectively)

The Gambia (West Africa) - shopkeeper, locally-made liquer promotions rep - $$ under the table
- Cultural center volunteer - paid inkind sort of - got connections and help to find local prices on things like accomodation and food instead of tourist prices - BIG difference!

All of these jobs i found by rockin up on the scene, except for the volunteer job which i found on a posting on africaguide.com (which led to several weeks of email correspondence to sort out the details).

Go for it girl! You won't regret it!

I am currently working abroad

I first worked 11 months in Dublin, then started working in Belfast in July 2005. Both are callcenter jobs, found through regular employment agencies (edenrecruitment.ie and Manpower N.Ireland to be precisely).
I hope to find employment in Scandinavia very soon now, though it's gonna be a tough search I'm afraid...

I am currently working in Buenos Aires and I'm from the US.

I have a job I absolutely love working for an Argentine organization that creates Spanish immersion programs in South America for foreigners interested in adventure travel.

I also do some travel writing on the side for an online English-speakers' guide to BsAs.

I came across both jobs on listserves for expats here in the city, though I admit it was extremely lucky...my other expat friends here are all teaching English part-time to fund their stays, which is another viable option.

Getting a work permit here is a giant pain because they understandably don't look fondly on giving jobs to foreigners with such high in-country unemployment rates...so if you want to get hired, it's easiest if you find jobs that either need your insider's knowledge of another language or another country.

I worked for 3+ years in Turkey, teaching with some exam prep magazine writing on the side. I got the first job by being in the hostel when the owner of the school turned up desperate. The pay was low, the work illegal, and the provided accomodation really dodgy -- it was in a neighborhood my Turkish friends were afraid to visit. I was on a first name basis with the Turkish border guards on the Bulgarian border and saw them every three months to get a new visa. The second job was legit as I eventually got a residence permit. This job gave flight money once a year in addition to free decent, but shared, housing I did manage to save BILLIONS, but then had to convert it to a real currency before leaving.

From there I went to Hiroshima, Japan, to a job I arranged in advance. They only paid the flight to Japan and helped arrange housing. It was a good gig, well-paid and interesting, and I stayed for 5 years.

My last overseas job was in Tunisia, another job which I arranged in advance. The pay was low, but part of the flight was paid for (the equivalent of London-Tunis; I flew from NYC) and they provided a crappy apartment in the dismal suburbs of Tunis.

Working in Morocco.
Visa was easy to obtain ... money is quite okay for the local economy. Only challenge is ferreting $$ out of the country - the restrictions are draconian.

Cat in Rabat

In the past I've taught English in Japan and Colombia, but the last few years I've figured out how to take my US job on the road with me. It's a lot more secure and I don't have to worry about what I'll do at the next destination. It's complete freedom to move when and where I want. With technology as it is, I believe a lot more people are going to be headed this way soon.

I was thinking about becoming an au pair in Paris. Seems like a great way to get paid under the table AND a place to stay. two birds with one stone. I am going to look around when I get out there!! Maybe I will find a nice family, with a nice pad!

I dont really want to stay long. 6 months-1 year...

I worked three years in Zambia doing just about everything for a NGO non-profit. Loved it. Lots of long term volunteering jobs that give you a decent seperation bonus when finished.

I have also worked on ships going all over the Carribean and Medeteranian. There are lots of jobs on ships and not just cruise ships that require no prior experience just not on American ones where you have to join the merchant marines or something.

And odd jobs all over Mexico.

Working in South Korea currently, teaching English. I can see doing this for awhile, though not all in Korea. I've been thinking of going back to school to get a teaching degree, to teach in international schools, or a MA in TESOL, to teach in universities abroad. I can't decide which would be a better career option.

Oh, and I found my job here on the internet. I get paid through a bank account, with a valid visa and all.

I have lived and worked in Tibet for the past 5 years. For the past 3 years I have worked for a Tbetan run NGO. The money is not good by western standards, but I am given a work visa which is renewed once a year.

Life in Tibet

Kathmandu, Nepal...
It was easy for me since I am orginally from there and a lot of my family are there. So I yup, lived with my big, fat Newari family (yes I like the emoticans)

First time I moved there, after a few months of trying, I networked through friends and my friend wanted to work with me on a new magazine she was working for, so, I dusted off my camera, and was a photographer and writer for a couple of months until I came back to the US. The magazine lasted three months...btw.

Pay: part-time, equivalent to $70-75 USD. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, and I was working all day, running around, 6 days a week.

Second time I went to start my own project with a friend, a massage therapy school, non-profit, was there a year.

Paid for 3 months, $200/month, couldn't take any more money because we needed it for the school...so some funds sent for b-day, x-mas, and cause I needed some dough! But it's cheap to live there, so $200 is a good amount for entertainment purposes.

Both times, I got a very cheap visa because of something called, a Relations Visa, (proving I have relatives which was a pain because of the slow processing, and getting this document, and that document, that document, going to city hall, then back to immigration, then this then that, then finally my visa.



Currently, I'm looking for a job as a massage therapist abroad...many perks such as room and board provided, relocation costs covered, and other related perks. I'm going through a recruiter based in the UK and also sending out my resume to hotels, and spa listings I've found...

to be continued