Sunday, January 16, 2011
Postponing Activities
It is with much sadness and a lump in my throat that I will have to delay my move over to Vietnam. My expat contacts, article research, and financial instability has made me realize that it is not a good time to make this move. The discrimination against Asian teachers and the corresponding lower pay scale are challenges to test your motivation in making this move. In addition, my ultimate plan was to start a business has uncovered the business conduct in the local market is rather corrupt so your success is directly related to your contacts. I would like to pick this move up at a pre-determined time, but it is difficult to say when. As a consulation prize I just want to visit Vietnam for at least a couple of weeks.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Application Updates
It would seem that the English schools use the term "short listing" to refer to filtering the applications to the ones they believe match the qualifications and want to take the next step of setting up an interview. I got some feedback on my job applications for an English teacher, but no interview requests thus far and just a few emails back and forth on documentation requests and clarification on my application; I didn't get short listed. None of the schools gave a reason on why I wasn't short listed, but I can only speculate i.e. no related experience, certification issues.
I have been reading more about why Viet Kieu or Asian looking applicants do not get the job because they are not white, a perception Vietnamese students have about their teacher's native speaking abilities. My most recent encounter was trying to share information with a fellow expat blogger about the pros and cons of enrolling in Oxford Seminars classes, applying remotely vs. applying in person, and certification inquiries. Here is the link to an article about this type of "reverse" discrimination.
http://www.expat-advisory.com/articles/asia/southeast-asia/vietnam/whites-only-vietnam
Given the timing of Thanksgiving (end of Nov), Christmas (end of Dec), New Years (Jan), and Tet (early Feb), it would seem to be an inconvenient time to travel with the higher prices and a festive time so people are a bit slower in responding to inquiries. I am hoping to travel out to Vietnam in mid February given that I can take care of my personal matters. I will follow up with the schools again during January.
For now, I want to enjoy the holidays and will follow up with another entry next month.
I have been reading more about why Viet Kieu or Asian looking applicants do not get the job because they are not white, a perception Vietnamese students have about their teacher's native speaking abilities. My most recent encounter was trying to share information with a fellow expat blogger about the pros and cons of enrolling in Oxford Seminars classes, applying remotely vs. applying in person, and certification inquiries. Here is the link to an article about this type of "reverse" discrimination.
http://www.expat-advisory.com/articles/asia/southeast-asia/vietnam/whites-only-vietnam
Given the timing of Thanksgiving (end of Nov), Christmas (end of Dec), New Years (Jan), and Tet (early Feb), it would seem to be an inconvenient time to travel with the higher prices and a festive time so people are a bit slower in responding to inquiries. I am hoping to travel out to Vietnam in mid February given that I can take care of my personal matters. I will follow up with the schools again during January.
For now, I want to enjoy the holidays and will follow up with another entry next month.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Saigon District Description
I found this description of the districts from a local property manager (?) named Dang in an expat blog/forum. I wanted to capture it as a reference in case it got deleted/removed. Here is the excerpt:
When looking for a new house or apartment in Saigon it pays to consider where best to live. Some expatriates work at industrial zones far outside the city, but this can lead to isolation so many decide to put up with a long commute in order to improve their social options.
Likewise while some expatriates relish the opportunity to discover and immerse themselves in a new culture, for others it is more important to live in familiar surroundings with similar facilities to those they left at home. Nobody likes to commute and traffic in Saigon can be pretty horrific, so its not a bad idea to think about where you will be working or your kids will be attending school too.
In general most people have a choice between going for the all-out expat experience in District 2 or District 7, where life is more like home than Vietnam proper, or diving into the entertaining chaos that makes up the city centre and outlying districts. Here is a brief overview of the districts of Saigon and the atmosphere and facilities you can expect in each area
District 1
District 1 is the central business district of Ho Chi Minh City, where many companies will base their offices and where the majority of bars and restaurants are. Although rising rents have pushed a lot of the simpler local street food and restaurants out, there remains a wide range of eating options with cuisines from around the world, and shops bringing goods from across the world for those who enjoy their shopping. While District 1 certainly has a different atmosphere to much of the city, it is still uniquely Vietnamese in character.
The streets in District 1 are broad and generally tree-lined, and although it is the city centre the traffic is generally worse entering or leaving District 1 than within the district itself, so if you can afford to live in the centre or like the bright lights of the city it can make an excellent choice to settle in.
District 2 - An Phu / Thao Dien
District 2 is a huge area, much of which is currently undeveloped marsh land, so generally when expats refer to District 2 they are talking about An Phu and Thao Dien wards, where much of Saigon's western expatriates settle, as well as wealthy Vietnamese.
Despite being split in two by the massive Highway 1, the roads around An Phu/Thao Dien are fairly peaceful and not too scary to negotiate by bicycle. Many of the houses here are very large - villas with pools designed for those whose housing is included in their contracts - and some are within walled compounds - but there are still affordable houses available for rent. The number of eating and drinking options in An Phu is growing, with a number of nice bars, riverside cafes and shops, which is a good thing since the commute to District 1 is generally around 30-40 minutes, and there are several major international schools and nurseries in the area.
An Phu is certainly a friendly area, referred to as 'the village' by residents, and while some may find it rather Westernised and a little far removed from a genuine Saigon experience, others will relish the peace and quiet and safety it provides for their children.
District 7 - Phu My Hung / Saigon South
The massive Korean Phu My Hung development, around 40 minutes to the south of District 1, was conceived as a 'satellite city' for Ho Chi Minh, and has been designed from scratch with wide, tree lined roads and towering apartment blocks and villas. So far there is little other development in the area which means unparallelled access to green space, and there are a number of sports clubs, swimming pools, and international schools and universities in the area.
There are many expatriates living here, the biggest group of which are East Asians such as Koreans and Japanese, but there are a growing number of Western expatriates too. The area used to recieve a bad rap for being something of a 'toy town' - the area certainly appears sterile when compared to some of the inner city areas with little to no street life and a small but growing number of shops and restaurant, but over the years it has become a more lively place, and in the late afternoons being able to sit on the grass and appreciate the breeze is great after a hot day in the city.
District 7 is certainly not your typical Vietnamese experience, but if you can't take the noise and chaos of the centre or wish to raise your kids with a bit of space to run around it is not a bad option.
District 3
District 3 is considered by many Vietnamese people to be the ideal place to live, with large, old colonial villas hidden behind trees, great proximity to District 1 and a decent quality of life. It is less 'westernised' than District 1, but compared to much of central Saigon is a very peaceful place with lots of local places to eat.
One popular Vietnamese expression states you should go out in District 1, eat in District 5, but sleep in District 3. It certainly has many beautiful buildings but many have been adopted by the government while others are in varying states of repair - for villas in good condition expect to pay a rather high rent, but there are also plenty of townhouses in the area too.
District 4
District 4 used to be known as the 'mafia district' - housing Saigon's main port and many of the city's poor gave plenty of opportunity for crime. This seems to be a thing of the past, and improving transport links to District 1 has seen a recent bump in land prices as more and more apartment blocks for executives are built - in some places a commute into Downtown District 1 might only take 5 minutes, and rents are much cheaper than District 1. The Saigon port is set to close in years to come and the whole area is due for redevelopment - perhaps in coming years it will have a similar amount of restaurants and shops to District 1, but for now it is more of a throroughfare between Districts 1 and 7.
District 5
District 5 is a good choice for those seeking proximity to District 1 - commutes range from 10 - 20 minutes, with lower congestion than some routes into the city, but with lower rents. District 5 is famed for its street food, and its history as the city's Chinatown means there is a fair mix of cuisines in the area.
District 10
District 10 is traditionally where many of Saigon's student population live, with great, cheap options for food and good, low rents. The area is very densely populated though and has quite narrow streets so traffic in and out of the centre can be a pain, but as the crow flies it is not far to the downtown area. The area is also rich in amenities, with lots of swimming pools and sports centres to suit the student population, as well as a good number of coffeeshops.
Phu Nhuan
Phu Nhuan is one of the most densely populated areas of Saigon and has a number of main roads running through it. The area is certainly not without its charms with a number of parks and interesting streetlife, but traffic to and from the centre can get pretty tiresome quickly. Still, if you work in the E Town area in Tan Binh, or anywhere near the airport, living in Phu Nhuan can be a good option to be near work yet not too far from social activites in town.
Binh Thanh
Binh Than is squeezed between District 1 and District 2, and is known for cheap housing that is popular among English teachers on low wages. However the area has seen near constant roadworks for over 3 years, and is the primary point of entry for hundreds of HGV trucks that pour into the city every night. It is also very prone to flooding, even on the main roads, making driving around at night a fairly scary prospect and offering very low air quality, with dust from construction and trucks mingling with diesel fumes.
When looking for a new house or apartment in Saigon it pays to consider where best to live. Some expatriates work at industrial zones far outside the city, but this can lead to isolation so many decide to put up with a long commute in order to improve their social options.
Likewise while some expatriates relish the opportunity to discover and immerse themselves in a new culture, for others it is more important to live in familiar surroundings with similar facilities to those they left at home. Nobody likes to commute and traffic in Saigon can be pretty horrific, so its not a bad idea to think about where you will be working or your kids will be attending school too.
In general most people have a choice between going for the all-out expat experience in District 2 or District 7, where life is more like home than Vietnam proper, or diving into the entertaining chaos that makes up the city centre and outlying districts. Here is a brief overview of the districts of Saigon and the atmosphere and facilities you can expect in each area
District 1
District 1 is the central business district of Ho Chi Minh City, where many companies will base their offices and where the majority of bars and restaurants are. Although rising rents have pushed a lot of the simpler local street food and restaurants out, there remains a wide range of eating options with cuisines from around the world, and shops bringing goods from across the world for those who enjoy their shopping. While District 1 certainly has a different atmosphere to much of the city, it is still uniquely Vietnamese in character.
The streets in District 1 are broad and generally tree-lined, and although it is the city centre the traffic is generally worse entering or leaving District 1 than within the district itself, so if you can afford to live in the centre or like the bright lights of the city it can make an excellent choice to settle in.
District 2 - An Phu / Thao Dien
District 2 is a huge area, much of which is currently undeveloped marsh land, so generally when expats refer to District 2 they are talking about An Phu and Thao Dien wards, where much of Saigon's western expatriates settle, as well as wealthy Vietnamese.
Despite being split in two by the massive Highway 1, the roads around An Phu/Thao Dien are fairly peaceful and not too scary to negotiate by bicycle. Many of the houses here are very large - villas with pools designed for those whose housing is included in their contracts - and some are within walled compounds - but there are still affordable houses available for rent. The number of eating and drinking options in An Phu is growing, with a number of nice bars, riverside cafes and shops, which is a good thing since the commute to District 1 is generally around 30-40 minutes, and there are several major international schools and nurseries in the area.
An Phu is certainly a friendly area, referred to as 'the village' by residents, and while some may find it rather Westernised and a little far removed from a genuine Saigon experience, others will relish the peace and quiet and safety it provides for their children.
District 7 - Phu My Hung / Saigon South
The massive Korean Phu My Hung development, around 40 minutes to the south of District 1, was conceived as a 'satellite city' for Ho Chi Minh, and has been designed from scratch with wide, tree lined roads and towering apartment blocks and villas. So far there is little other development in the area which means unparallelled access to green space, and there are a number of sports clubs, swimming pools, and international schools and universities in the area.
There are many expatriates living here, the biggest group of which are East Asians such as Koreans and Japanese, but there are a growing number of Western expatriates too. The area used to recieve a bad rap for being something of a 'toy town' - the area certainly appears sterile when compared to some of the inner city areas with little to no street life and a small but growing number of shops and restaurant, but over the years it has become a more lively place, and in the late afternoons being able to sit on the grass and appreciate the breeze is great after a hot day in the city.
District 7 is certainly not your typical Vietnamese experience, but if you can't take the noise and chaos of the centre or wish to raise your kids with a bit of space to run around it is not a bad option.
District 3
District 3 is considered by many Vietnamese people to be the ideal place to live, with large, old colonial villas hidden behind trees, great proximity to District 1 and a decent quality of life. It is less 'westernised' than District 1, but compared to much of central Saigon is a very peaceful place with lots of local places to eat.
One popular Vietnamese expression states you should go out in District 1, eat in District 5, but sleep in District 3. It certainly has many beautiful buildings but many have been adopted by the government while others are in varying states of repair - for villas in good condition expect to pay a rather high rent, but there are also plenty of townhouses in the area too.
District 4
District 4 used to be known as the 'mafia district' - housing Saigon's main port and many of the city's poor gave plenty of opportunity for crime. This seems to be a thing of the past, and improving transport links to District 1 has seen a recent bump in land prices as more and more apartment blocks for executives are built - in some places a commute into Downtown District 1 might only take 5 minutes, and rents are much cheaper than District 1. The Saigon port is set to close in years to come and the whole area is due for redevelopment - perhaps in coming years it will have a similar amount of restaurants and shops to District 1, but for now it is more of a throroughfare between Districts 1 and 7.
District 5
District 5 is a good choice for those seeking proximity to District 1 - commutes range from 10 - 20 minutes, with lower congestion than some routes into the city, but with lower rents. District 5 is famed for its street food, and its history as the city's Chinatown means there is a fair mix of cuisines in the area.
District 10
District 10 is traditionally where many of Saigon's student population live, with great, cheap options for food and good, low rents. The area is very densely populated though and has quite narrow streets so traffic in and out of the centre can be a pain, but as the crow flies it is not far to the downtown area. The area is also rich in amenities, with lots of swimming pools and sports centres to suit the student population, as well as a good number of coffeeshops.
Phu Nhuan
Phu Nhuan is one of the most densely populated areas of Saigon and has a number of main roads running through it. The area is certainly not without its charms with a number of parks and interesting streetlife, but traffic to and from the centre can get pretty tiresome quickly. Still, if you work in the E Town area in Tan Binh, or anywhere near the airport, living in Phu Nhuan can be a good option to be near work yet not too far from social activites in town.
Binh Thanh
Binh Than is squeezed between District 1 and District 2, and is known for cheap housing that is popular among English teachers on low wages. However the area has seen near constant roadworks for over 3 years, and is the primary point of entry for hundreds of HGV trucks that pour into the city every night. It is also very prone to flooding, even on the main roads, making driving around at night a fairly scary prospect and offering very low air quality, with dust from construction and trucks mingling with diesel fumes.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Apply and Wait
Submitted job application to nine Vietnamese schools and four Korean schools (via Oxford Seminars). I also joined this expat blog/forums group and posted a classified ad to look for the job or private tutoring. It has been over a week and a couple of the schools has processed my application, but no movement towards a phone interview or anyone interested. I am hoping that it just takes time for these schools to go through the applications and filter out the potential candidates (aka short listing). I am starting to feel that my credentials are not good enough and not sure what else to do besides anxiously waiting. In the meantime, I have been trying to review my teaching principles, grammar, and TOEFL lessons so that I am not so rusty.
I have considered traveling to Vietnam and plan to stay for two months while I go about applying to numerous schools in person. I figure if I show up in person they can see who I am in person rather than over email/phone and via photos. They can hear and see how I present myself so as to increase my chances with getting that job. In the process, I think it would be a unique experience to put myself out there and be outside my comfort zone to see how I would respond to the situation.
In addition, I have also looked at a couple of IT jobs in Saigon to see the kinds of projects being worked on. I have heard that Vietnam is a country where companies outsource their projects. Given that I have been the foreign country sending projects over, it would be interesting to be on the receiving end of projects in the foreign country. =) I saw a web project manager role and a lead position which I qualified for, but hesitated and the posting was taken down. I guess it wasn't meant for me.
For now I am applying to positions and waiting for replies. This is nerve racking. I might just take actions into my own hands by January and go directly to Vietnam.
I have considered traveling to Vietnam and plan to stay for two months while I go about applying to numerous schools in person. I figure if I show up in person they can see who I am in person rather than over email/phone and via photos. They can hear and see how I present myself so as to increase my chances with getting that job. In the process, I think it would be a unique experience to put myself out there and be outside my comfort zone to see how I would respond to the situation.
In addition, I have also looked at a couple of IT jobs in Saigon to see the kinds of projects being worked on. I have heard that Vietnam is a country where companies outsource their projects. Given that I have been the foreign country sending projects over, it would be interesting to be on the receiving end of projects in the foreign country. =) I saw a web project manager role and a lead position which I qualified for, but hesitated and the posting was taken down. I guess it wasn't meant for me.
For now I am applying to positions and waiting for replies. This is nerve racking. I might just take actions into my own hands by January and go directly to Vietnam.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Looking to the Next Step
I got my results last week for the TOEFL exam and I passed so I can start applying to Vietnam now since I have over 120 hours for my certification. Every time I research on teaching positions there is mention of the CELTA certification and it makes me doubt the training that I went through was not good enough. I believe the British trains their students to achieve the CELTA certification so when the job qualifications are posted, it lists this requirement first and says any "equivalent" TESOL/TEFL/TESL training is ok. Makes me a bit worried, but won't know until I submit my first resume and cover letter.
I submitted the latest changes to my resume and cover letter to Oxford Seminar Placement Services and hoping to get some next steps. I also update my cover letter to submit to Korean schools. I researched some more Vietnam schools and added it to the list of places that I will be submitting my application package. At first there were about 20 schools, but it got cut in half after observing that the minimum qualifications for some positions were one to two years of teaching experience. Argh. Most of these are from larger schools, international schools, or British run schools. I already did a criminal background check at the California level, but that was back in July so I am wondering if this document is still valid and/or if I need to do it at a Federal level. This document may push my departure date out even more depending on how long it takes for them to respond.
I have a lot of things queued up and ready to go, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I am bit nervous of the outcome for some reason because it has been a couple of months leading up to this milestone. To increase my chances of getting some kind of job, I also looked at IT related jobs and hoping to get some management level position. Once the placement services contacts me, I guess the next phase needs to start with actual submissions. It is a bitter sweet situation I am in and feeling that I am moving forward to a new, adventurous part of my life. I shouldn't be too surprised because I have working towards this moment, but since it is almost here, it feels so weird; a good and exciting weird, but scary at the same time.
Given the significance of today, the Giants won the 2010 World Series and election day, I am not feeling this excitement and more absorbed in my own little world and how it will shape.
I submitted the latest changes to my resume and cover letter to Oxford Seminar Placement Services and hoping to get some next steps. I also update my cover letter to submit to Korean schools. I researched some more Vietnam schools and added it to the list of places that I will be submitting my application package. At first there were about 20 schools, but it got cut in half after observing that the minimum qualifications for some positions were one to two years of teaching experience. Argh. Most of these are from larger schools, international schools, or British run schools. I already did a criminal background check at the California level, but that was back in July so I am wondering if this document is still valid and/or if I need to do it at a Federal level. This document may push my departure date out even more depending on how long it takes for them to respond.
I have a lot of things queued up and ready to go, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I am bit nervous of the outcome for some reason because it has been a couple of months leading up to this milestone. To increase my chances of getting some kind of job, I also looked at IT related jobs and hoping to get some management level position. Once the placement services contacts me, I guess the next phase needs to start with actual submissions. It is a bitter sweet situation I am in and feeling that I am moving forward to a new, adventurous part of my life. I shouldn't be too surprised because I have working towards this moment, but since it is almost here, it feels so weird; a good and exciting weird, but scary at the same time.
Given the significance of today, the Giants won the 2010 World Series and election day, I am not feeling this excitement and more absorbed in my own little world and how it will shape.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Concerns?
I have been hearing that there will be potential challenges for Asian (i.e. Viet Kieu) applicants seeking English teacher positions in Vietnam (i.e. won't have "good" positions compared to a White person). When I first considered doing the teaching position in Vietnam, I was anticipating some kind of reverse discrimination and my friends had mentioned that it had happened in another country to their friend (i.e. Taiwan). I imagined that there is some validity to this claim since when you think of English, you envision a White person. It certainly improves the school's visual marketability and it fits the stereotype that students would have of an English teacher.
However, I wanted to believe that if I presented myself in a professional manner, showed my credentials, outlined my experience, and expressed my genuine interest in making the students successful, I would be able to overcome these obstacles. Originally, I wanted to apply for teaching positions, do the interviews, and have the offer in hand before leaving for Vietnam, but it has been suggested that I check the schools out and apply in person. I am hoping that Oxford Seminars Job Placement Assistance would yield some results via their contacts and I am hoping that my brother-in-law will put me into contact with an English teacher in Vietnam. Ideally, I want to apply for the job on my own merits, but any help would be appreciated.
My plans to fly over to Vietnam has been fluctuating because of the delay in the specialization modules and with the new information on Vietnam. I need to make sure that I have some contingency plans in place and a couple of options would be: 1) IT job in Vietnam and 2) English teacher in Korea. I would need to build a resume specifically for IT jobs, but I really have to like the position and need to make contacts via networking.
One good thing I learned today was that I passed my Grammar Specialization Module. I was hoping to get the high marks, but missed it by 7 points. Oh well, I am working on my TOEFL Specialization Module now and schedule to finish it by end of October.
A lot of uncertainties that may be originated from me and not based on anything "real", but some concerns I need to watch out for and overcome.
However, I wanted to believe that if I presented myself in a professional manner, showed my credentials, outlined my experience, and expressed my genuine interest in making the students successful, I would be able to overcome these obstacles. Originally, I wanted to apply for teaching positions, do the interviews, and have the offer in hand before leaving for Vietnam, but it has been suggested that I check the schools out and apply in person. I am hoping that Oxford Seminars Job Placement Assistance would yield some results via their contacts and I am hoping that my brother-in-law will put me into contact with an English teacher in Vietnam. Ideally, I want to apply for the job on my own merits, but any help would be appreciated.
My plans to fly over to Vietnam has been fluctuating because of the delay in the specialization modules and with the new information on Vietnam. I need to make sure that I have some contingency plans in place and a couple of options would be: 1) IT job in Vietnam and 2) English teacher in Korea. I would need to build a resume specifically for IT jobs, but I really have to like the position and need to make contacts via networking.
One good thing I learned today was that I passed my Grammar Specialization Module. I was hoping to get the high marks, but missed it by 7 points. Oh well, I am working on my TOEFL Specialization Module now and schedule to finish it by end of October.
A lot of uncertainties that may be originated from me and not based on anything "real", but some concerns I need to watch out for and overcome.
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