Best country/city for single expat female teachers?
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Open Communication
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2010 3:53 am
Best country/city for single expat female teachers?
edited.
Last edited by Open Communication on Thu May 30, 2013 6:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Mick Travis
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2012 4:09 pm
- Location: Denmark
I'm a bit confused. Are you a single female teacher or a single male teacher?
If you are single female teacher and your question concerns the receptiveness of local men to your presence in their country, I would recommend (outside Europe and NA)
Caribbean
South America
Sub-Saharan Africa
Stay clear of Middle-East and Asia in general, though places like Istanbul and Bangkok can be fun
If you are single female teacher and your question concerns the receptiveness of local men to your presence in their country, I would recommend (outside Europe and NA)
Caribbean
South America
Sub-Saharan Africa
Stay clear of Middle-East and Asia in general, though places like Istanbul and Bangkok can be fun
Hard question
Thats a hard question to answer, what age groups (the better the school, the older the faculty tends to be)? What do you define as expats? When you say single, do you mean divorced (or unhappily married) as well? Do you mean any single woman, or single woman that would actually be interested in dating another teacher (woman travel for relationship opportunities, just not as often as men do. A lot of single 20s something teachers teach/want to teach in italy because they have a fetish for italian men. They wouldnt be interested in dating a "teacher")?
I have two recommendations, whether you want the strategic response, or the statistical response:
Strategic Response:
Middle East (UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia).
I hate recommending this but the ME has the best opportunities. Its a region that appeals to younger less experienced teachers (meaning younger woman), a larger proportion of primary schools/programs (which are typically comprised of younger female teachers) and the cultural environment means a lot of down time for single woman (no real night life, safety concerns, etc), compound, or provided housing (proximity breeds familiarity), and then the common issues of language barriers, and cultural barriers (for woman) with the native male population, all mean increased probability of hitting it with a coworker.
Statistical Response:
Hong Kong or Singapore.
They have the largest proportion of schools per area. They are also "closed" in that they are essentially islands. Traveling to PRC is a pain and GZ is 2 hours a way (by bus) and its not that hot a place to be. KL is 5 hours away (by bus) and its not any more exciting then the "compacted" night life of Singapore. SAS (arguably the largest IS) is there in SG and more students means more teachers which means more female teachers. HK and SG have a lot of schools for such a small area, and you can easily date outside your school (avoiding "issues", that whole dont eat where you poop rule). They both provide very a solid stable night life, and opportunities for going out (alcohol being the social lubricant of choice), and of course expat woman arent going to give it up for free (save the reply its never free).
I have two recommendations, whether you want the strategic response, or the statistical response:
Strategic Response:
Middle East (UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia).
I hate recommending this but the ME has the best opportunities. Its a region that appeals to younger less experienced teachers (meaning younger woman), a larger proportion of primary schools/programs (which are typically comprised of younger female teachers) and the cultural environment means a lot of down time for single woman (no real night life, safety concerns, etc), compound, or provided housing (proximity breeds familiarity), and then the common issues of language barriers, and cultural barriers (for woman) with the native male population, all mean increased probability of hitting it with a coworker.
Statistical Response:
Hong Kong or Singapore.
They have the largest proportion of schools per area. They are also "closed" in that they are essentially islands. Traveling to PRC is a pain and GZ is 2 hours a way (by bus) and its not that hot a place to be. KL is 5 hours away (by bus) and its not any more exciting then the "compacted" night life of Singapore. SAS (arguably the largest IS) is there in SG and more students means more teachers which means more female teachers. HK and SG have a lot of schools for such a small area, and you can easily date outside your school (avoiding "issues", that whole dont eat where you poop rule). They both provide very a solid stable night life, and opportunities for going out (alcohol being the social lubricant of choice), and of course expat woman arent going to give it up for free (save the reply its never free).
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Open Communication
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2010 3:53 am
Well, if you go to Asia, you should be in luck! There are plenty of single female teachers of all ages, and most of them are roundly ignored by expat men as far as dating goes. Most of the single expat men want to date/marry Asian women (this isn't a judgement call, it just is what it is), which means you'd have a fairly large pool of single women in which to potentially find a partner.
Lots o' single women in all of the major cities in China, by the way. Not a bad place to start.
Lots o' single women in all of the major cities in China, by the way. Not a bad place to start.
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Open Communication
- Posts: 117
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eion_padraig
- Posts: 408
- Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2010 8:18 pm
Clearly SA and ISS are missing out on a market here. They could have a pre-job fair opportunity to have a match.com meet-up.
"Tired of losing out on jobs to 'couples'. Meet your soul-mate and make yourself more competitive in the international school job market."
Actually, I just saw a friend a few days ago who came back to North America after working many years at a top tier international school. She said a lack of eligible bachelors was the main factor. I've known others to make the same choice.
"Tired of losing out on jobs to 'couples'. Meet your soul-mate and make yourself more competitive in the international school job market."
Actually, I just saw a friend a few days ago who came back to North America after working many years at a top tier international school. She said a lack of eligible bachelors was the main factor. I've known others to make the same choice.
Reply
@eion_padraig
ISS/SA arent missing out on anything, they already have a social, but if it was a pre-fair match meet event, that could be organized by anyone (The Mead Hall in BOS would be a good, close place). A cooking demonstration at the hotel in BKK the day before is an idea thats been thrown around. Theres nothing that says SA/ISS would HAVE TO organize such an event.
I can actually say now that I've met a couple who got married so that they could market/present themselves as an international couple. Now in the interest of full disclosure, they had dated on and off and were very close friends who went to school together, and they really do love each other and have a son now. At the time when they got married it was a business strategy so that they could get into the BKK fair. Ive heard of other teachers doing the same thing, with less successful outcomes (at least the happily ever after type of outcomes).
Maybe your friend wasnt what other western men would consider eligible? Im not trying to offend you or her, but most men that are looking for a relationship as a factor in teaching overseas, are really not interested in western woman at all, and most local men are either intimidated or have cultural barriers that would inhibit the relationship.
whatever the reason i do agree that woman (a few exceptions exist), dont have nearly the opportunities that men seem too.
@Open Communication
Well it makes a difference how important an EU passport would be to you.
I would recommend somewhere in NE (Northern Europe), Germany and above. You have older more mature woman and a larger number of divorcees. Even if your own school doesnt pay out, you have lots of local schools staffed by single european teachers, and in a small, cold country people tend to pair off rather quickly. Stockholm would be ideal, though the compensation is generally low (though the blond and "glass" blue eyes never gets old). Frankfurt and Berlin have a high concentration of schools, great city and night life, and of course lots of western woman.
No matter how big a school or community is no IS is going to be able to simply beat the numbers in WE woman when you start to look outside your own school at other local teachers.
ISS/SA arent missing out on anything, they already have a social, but if it was a pre-fair match meet event, that could be organized by anyone (The Mead Hall in BOS would be a good, close place). A cooking demonstration at the hotel in BKK the day before is an idea thats been thrown around. Theres nothing that says SA/ISS would HAVE TO organize such an event.
I can actually say now that I've met a couple who got married so that they could market/present themselves as an international couple. Now in the interest of full disclosure, they had dated on and off and were very close friends who went to school together, and they really do love each other and have a son now. At the time when they got married it was a business strategy so that they could get into the BKK fair. Ive heard of other teachers doing the same thing, with less successful outcomes (at least the happily ever after type of outcomes).
Maybe your friend wasnt what other western men would consider eligible? Im not trying to offend you or her, but most men that are looking for a relationship as a factor in teaching overseas, are really not interested in western woman at all, and most local men are either intimidated or have cultural barriers that would inhibit the relationship.
whatever the reason i do agree that woman (a few exceptions exist), dont have nearly the opportunities that men seem too.
@Open Communication
Well it makes a difference how important an EU passport would be to you.
I would recommend somewhere in NE (Northern Europe), Germany and above. You have older more mature woman and a larger number of divorcees. Even if your own school doesnt pay out, you have lots of local schools staffed by single european teachers, and in a small, cold country people tend to pair off rather quickly. Stockholm would be ideal, though the compensation is generally low (though the blond and "glass" blue eyes never gets old). Frankfurt and Berlin have a high concentration of schools, great city and night life, and of course lots of western woman.
No matter how big a school or community is no IS is going to be able to simply beat the numbers in WE woman when you start to look outside your own school at other local teachers.