All posts filed under: Work

What are you doing exactly?: Teaching Edition

I am going in 8 months strong in teaching English and believe it or not, this is my first full-time long term job ever.  Teaching is not my background, but if you don’t know.. English teaching is the most common job to have in non-English speaking countries due to the appeal and access to all types of resources if one was to master the English language. Also, it is an easy gateway for foreigners to move countries and experience something different. And with that, Taiwan has a lot of options, if you’re looking. Now with my job, I shared here of the process I went through in getting it.  But when I first started, it felt very foreign; almost out of my element. Let’s be real here: I am not crazy about the job itself. BUT It pays the bills, helps me get by, and I get to live in Taipei carefree-ish, but it is not something I plan to do or look to doing long term, but its good for the time being. I teach kindergarten …

HOSTEL LIVING YOU SAY?

After my Chinese studies ended, I decided that I was going to stay in Taipei, but living in my apartment wasn’t doing it for me (that damn landlord). And at that moment, I felt that it was time to change my environment. The semester was ending, Dragon Boat Season was coming to a close, and moving just felt right at the time. It was also a very quick and last-minute decision. Just like that, I moved out of my apartment and into a hostel, doing yet my 3rd work exchange. I talked about my first ever work exchange experience here, the second one isn’t worth mentioning, and now my third and yet another special one at Meander Taipei Hostel. Meander is located in Ximending, which is a very convenient location to live for there are a variety of places to go eat and shop at. It is also located both on the Green and Blue MRT lines and super close to Taipei Main Station. But I will have to say, its one of the places I …

Teaching English Online 101

Teaching online is becoming the next big alternative to moving abroad to teach in a classroom for a few reasons: Hours (can) be flexible You can work from anywhere in the world as long as you have a laptop The work is relatively easy and does not require a lot of prep work Can be fun for those who enjoy teaching English to kids/adults Thanks to my travels meeting people, I found that money can be made “easily” (as they say) through teaching English online. Many countries around the world are actively pushing for people to learn English at a higher rate causing for more people to move abroad and teach English, but now you can also do it in the comfort of your own home. Moving to a new country, having to leave your family along with the place you always have known as home, and adjusting to a new environment while teaching English is of the past! If you have No English/Teaching degree? No Teaching Certification? No Experience? No problem! What these companies …

Let’s talk about Money

So where does it all come from? How were you able to go abroad right after I graduated from college? Is that even possible? Yes, yes it is. As soon as I stepped off that United Airlines flight in Newark from China back in 2016, I knew for sure that I was going back abroad in 2018. But how exactly? It’s the topic that NO ONE likes to discuss. It is as if it’s something secret, something private, something that’s none of your god damn business. I was listening to a podcast on how a lot of people don’t like to talk to each other about how much money they make or spend. But I personally think if we were more transparent in the amount of money we make or even just sharing our personal experiences on our expenses, then a lot of things would be easier to understanding behind the scenes of how others do it. And it will definitely encourage others to follow suit and possibly pursue new ways to be better about …

Workaway in Hualien

What is workaway? Workaway is a platform that allows members to contact one another to organize homestays and cultural exchange. Volunteers or “Workawayers”, are expected to contribute a pre-agreed amount of time per day in exchange for lodging and food, which is provided by the host. Just for a small fee, for a year the user have access to hosts all over the world. Choose a country, set up the profile and message away. This is a great way to learn more about the places one visits and a great way to practice the local language and learn about the culture. Typically, volunteers are guaranteed a place to stay in exchange for 3-5 hours of work a day max 6 days a week. With the platform, users can read the list of available hosts and past experiences of volunteers time spent. Users can also look at what’s expected of the work and the incentives of working with that particular hosts. Some hosts may provide more than just accommodation such as free meals, bike rental, laundry, …