BootsnAll Travel Community

I'm American and have lived and worked abroad in:

Prague, Czech Republic
Taipei, Taiwan
Istanbul, Turkey

Most jobs were found by just going to the country with enough money to last for a bit and picking up the local English language paper and pounding the street and dropping off resumes. One job was referred to me by a co-worker so that was setup in advance.

It's a great, great experience. Even if you don't decide to do it for the rest of your life, why not try it out for a year or two? If nothing else, you will have lived and worked in a new place, and doubtlessly met some great people along the way.

I have worked in Europe mostly without papers. I usually found work at construction sites, restaurants or picking fruit. Getting the jobs took a lot of leg work and it helps to know people.

Now I'm taking the next step, I'm about to open my own restaurant in Germany. This time I'll be legal!

Hey - that's great - and long time no see/post! Good for you and let us know the details when you're ready.

Long time no see! It's something that might happen this summer - if I get the place I'm looking at now. Otherwise it will be at the end of the year.

But when it happens, you'll have a new place in Frankfurt to stop and visit.

tell us more, 2th! what kind of food?

Nothing wild. Just an American sports bar and grill. But a real bar and good food. Not what people there think of as American food - hamburgers and everything deep fried. And a real bar where you can order drinks, not just one of the items off a list.

I think I have it worked out so that I will have cable tv from the states. Friday fish fry, macaroni salad, ribs and good wings!

If I get the place I'm looking at, I will be right downtown Frankfurt. Seating indoors and out!

quote:

cable tv from the states.

I'd think that this would be key. What about using Slingbox to show big games if they're not on your cable system? I wonder if that's legal ...

Slingbox is the most tested way. There are a couple of new products out there, though.

The down side is that Slingbox is a TV tuner that will stay in the states and send the signal from one channel over the internet. With my computer I can change channels. However, every TV I connect will show the same channel.

A friend of mine, a computer whiz, is looking into sending the cable signal over the internet so I can run multiple TVs with different programs. Hopefully it will be possible.

As for legal issues, I'm not sure. If they tell me to stop, I will. But, until then...

quote:

A friend of mine, a computer whiz, is looking into sending the cable signal over the internet so I can run multiple TVs with different programs. Hopefully it will be possible.

Technically possible, yes. Practical, no. Sending 'the cable signal over the internet' would be like sending hundreds of channels at once. You'd have a huge internet bill and all.

Have you checked out the European (including British) satellite services? I am under the impression that they have relatively decent US sports coverage...and that would be more reliable than using the net.

Back on topic: once you get up and running, we all should coordinate a BnA meet up and your place!

What made you select Frankfurt?

Thanks for the Advice on sending the cable signal.

I have been checking with different Euro sat companies and haven't picked one yet. The American cable will just be a nice gimmick.

I used to live and work in Frankfurt so I'm familiar with the city. This opportunity came up quickly, so I'm jumping on it. I figure that it doesn't matter where the first one is!

If I get this location and things go on schedule, I hope to open by August 1.

Where: China. Wuhan.

How/What: Fell into it. I stayed at this hostel for a month while traveling China in the summer. Before I left the boss asked me why I was leaving Wuhan since I liked it so much. I told her that I found a school that'll set me up with a visa. I could teach and stay in China practicing Chinese more. She said that if all I needed was a visa she could do that (the hostel's legit and a registered company) and I could work for her. It's been fantastic.

Pay: I'm not paid but get free room and board (the chefs are brilliant). Long hours but I'm surrounded by GREAT people. And how many foreigners get to come to China and start managing a hostel ?

When: There (here) now ^___^

South Korea - ESL

Beautiful land, great food, bratty kids.

Spent a lot of time drinking and

All in all, I can't wait to do it again, albeit with a change in locale.

Thailand, 1998-99, teacher. Well, missionary, but really what I did was teach conversational English classes at a couple of universities and help a couple of churches in Bangkok. Best and worst experience of my life.

Visa taken care of through missionary organization.

Am currently working on getting a visa to teach in the UK, as I'm a real live teacher now, and from what I can tell, they need people willing to teach in "difficult" areas. Since I currently teach thugs and gangsters, I think I could maybe do this?

We'll see. I really don't know anything yet.

Hey, my2thhurts, did you ever get your place off the ground? To the subject of this thread, I taught English in Frankfurt for 2 1/2 years ('89 - '91).

The last time I passed through for a couple of days (2001), there was an Irish pub across from the Hauptbahnhof that showed NFL games on big screens. Lots of Fussball from around Europe as well. There also used to be an American style bar-restaurant somewhere between the Hbf and Hauptwache. I think it had Chicago in the name but I could be wrong.

In Budapest, Hungary in the mid-90s I worked for Shell as a logistics and marketing type manager. It started as an intership through AIESEC an blossomed into a real job.

Later in the 90's I did brief assignments (about 3 months each) in the Balkans and in South Africa working as an international trade specialist.

In 2002 I accepted CEO and General Manager responsibility for a construction products producer in Bosnia.

Finally, I left Bosnia and put my business career on hold in order to join my wife in Egypt where I do international development work.

That's my career in a nutshell.

I am an American, and I have worked abroad 3 times:

#1
where: England for 6 months
what I did: I worked in a cinema
how I was paid/visa issues: I went through BUNAC and had a working holiday visa. I was paid very little above minimum wage at the cinema. It was hard to find work.

#2
where: New Zealand for a year
what I did: I had several jobs over the year. I worked in a gallery, for a catering company, for two festivals (great work), apple picking, various factory work (horrible, but I needed a job I didn't have to commit to in order to earn money to move on), and more.
how I was paid/visa issues: I went through BUNAC again...reluctantly, but discovered that after I went home to the US, I could apply for another working holiday visa through NZ immigration and come back. I was back within a month.

#3
where: New Zealand, where I am and will be for a total of another year on this visa
what I'm doing: I work in a gourmet food shop
how I am paid/visa issues: I am paid really well for what the job entails, but I don't have full time hours. I applied via the NZ immigration website (for free) and received my visa online within 4 days!

I know it's difficult to work in Europe as an American. Set your sites outside of Europe if you just really want to get away from USA. Also, my experience in New Zealand has been a million times better than the one I had in England. I met some great people there, but in general, Kiwis are more easy going and friendly.
The benefit of working in England was that the money I was able to save (and not easily) went a long way when I traveled around Spain...at least much further than an American Dollar would.

I worked in Scotland during uni for a semester, then living in Poland for a few months the following summer. But I've been in Japan the longest, teaching English (and developing curriculum and training programs) for about ten years now.

Perhaps because I've immersed myself in different cultures during my extended stays in Scotland, Poland, and Japan, a short trip to a foreign country doesn't do much for me. There just isn't enough time to get to know the people and the places, and I always feel like I'm just taking notes in my head for when/if I return!

Anybody else have a similar feeling?

Chris Cotter
Heads Up English - ESL materials based on current events. Just print and teach!

Where - Grand Cayman

Did almost any job i could get. I arrived with no work visa, just entered as a tourist and found a job at a dive shop to start. Once i secured employment they got me a temp work visa. As a Canadian it was pretty easy to work there and I had a blast. Met some locals and rented an apt. Stayed 11 months and worked at 4 other jobs - mostly under the table. Eventually immigration would not renew my visa and I was told to leave in a week, but it was time to move on anyway.

Polish passport, but a native English speaker.
Where: the US, Japan, Costa Rica, Germany, now Sweden.
What: science stuff.

Looking to change careers, though.
Next destination: either Korea or Japan.

I'm an American and I've been working overseas as a consultant

Japan: 7 Months as an expat
Hong Kong: Covered while in Japan with a few trips
London: I had an 11 month assignment that was split between NYC and London
Africa: Gabon and Cameroon, I do work for an NGO that has taken me to Africa a few times

http://www.ryansrtw.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rrbhs99/sets/