Quote:
Originally Posted by dreams
Did I miss something?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WT Sharpe
 That sounds major. |
Not really... We'd been living in Japan AND Thailand for the past 25 years... In Japan for a few years, then in Thailand for a few years, then back to Japan for a few years...
The last move back to Japan was motivated by my wife's desire to get back into teaching, but at the same time, getting paid a decent wage. Wages in Thailand are anything BUT decent. My business in Thailand catered to the foreign visitor tourist industry and as a result, made foreign money, i.e. comfortable to live on. But normal Thai salaries aren't so nice. I was offered a full time teaching position at a major university... for $900 a month. My wife was teaching part time for fun (getting paid, but paid peanuts) and decided that she wanted to teach and get paid in real value, so we came back to Japan.
Sunday night she decided that she's finally getting burnt out from teaching. And as we'd prefer to be living in a green jungle rather than a cement one, decided to move back to northern Thailand!
Teaching in Japan has changed a lot in the past 10-15 years. The students are becoming much more 'westernized' (read: uncivilized) and the behavior is getting to be what you'd find in some inner city schools in the US. BUT... the school system hasn't changed, so there is still no punishment other than the students being require to apologize. So a kid can stab a teacher with a pair of scissors, and only needs to apologize and everything is forgiven. One student bashes another student over the head with a chair, and if the student basher apologizes, nothing more is done... Except that the bashee's parents now want to sue to schools and the teachers for allowing it to happen. Every night my wife is coming home between 7-9pm because all the teachers have to sit in on meetings with some parents and the principal while the parents scream and the principal tries apologizing. After all, apologizing is all that was required 20 years ago when little Yoshi forgot to say 'please.' So... my wife now says enough is enough. Let's go back to a simpler life in the jungle...
Hey, I can take pictures anywhere. My business is in my camera bag. I prefer Thailand anyway as there are a lot more westerners, especially my age!
Stitchawl