D31 to D60 on Pearl of the South
Phuket town, 24 October 2011
Summary: Deep plunge into reality, I’m still looking for work, as an employee though. I will not open a Co in Thailand, we will not start anything in Cambodia, Vietnam or Laos. Summer 2012, we will continue with building the Yoga centre/house in Toubab Diallaw Senegal. Life in Thailand is expensive for an expat and wages are very low. Although, I enjoy my stress free life style, gaining experience in working in a Spa & Resorts is still my interest. Teaching Yoga and carrying some of the office managing task in the same Spa Resort could be an option. Not working is tempting… Socialising is very exciting as I keep on meeting new interesting expats regularly who share alike views on life and a-like experiences. A few of them are becoming true friends. I try hard to keep closely in touch with Thai people who speaks English or French! I try hard do reduce my cost of living also. *smile*
Week by week:
D31 to D35: Socialising /Still searching for work / Mannequin - moi?
On Sunday, I had lunch with 2 interesting young ladies. Sarah is an American young teacher, teaching in Phuket town International school. She arrived in Thailand 2 months ago. Melissa, a young English lady with Malaysian/Chinese background who’s field is economy. Melissa left London three years ago for a Thai boyfriend with whom she has a project in Chiang Mai. It consists of inviting tourists to spend time with villagers to experience the ‘real Thai life’ in the mountain. The tours are tailored to the tourists demand and the villagers benefit financially from those tours. www.thailandhilltribeholidays.com. I will try to spend a few days in one of those tours. Both Sarah and Melissa live in Phuket town and are very fond of Yoga.
D33. I found a yoga school, 5 minutes-drive from where I live, offering all types of Yoga including artistic Yoga. I would like to follow classes with that teacher, and possibly teach there too. He is searching for Yoga teachers. FU (follow-up): On D60 no news though. *Grins*
D34. Anothai, a Young Thai lady who lived in France for 5 years, invited me for lunch today to thank me for the pictures she took from me. She found me on expat blog while searching for Mannequins to try the summer collection 2012 for a French FASHION STYLE CO.,LTD. Anothai used to live in Bangkok and arrived in Phuket one year ago to escape the noise, pollution and stress of it. She is also interested in Yoga.
On LinkedIn, I found a head hunter based in Vietnam in search of ‘farang’ Yoga teachers full time in a Yoga school. By curiosity, I filled up all the forms, sent all what was required to be informed of the terms and conditions and the wage. Should I move to Vietnam if I get the job? I do not think so…
Due to weather condition, the biking tour is postponed (D35). It is raining cats and dogs.
D36 to D40: The waiting for the promised interview (last month) is long / Networking:
I had lunch with a French lady, Monique, who arrived in Phuket mid- September. She is retiring in Thailand with her husband. She has been importing and selling French cheeses in India for 5 years with her husband. Their main achievement has been being famous amongst the expats and Indian community throughout India.
It is all about networking and who knows who, I read again and again on the thread, I follow on LinkedIn. I try to keep a balance between the time spend behind my laptop and going out there meeting up people. It is delicate to just show up in a top resort to introduce myself. I did it for one of them. I have been four times (to the same one) now without an appointment. It is a top Detox, Healing and Yoga centre in Rawai. Michelle, the English manager, who wishes to meet up with me informally, is always busy in a meeting. We have been communicating by email so far and she gave me precious information. It is definitely easier more efficient to go out there when someone is organising an appointment. FU: On D59. I finally have the pleasure to have a brief chat with Michelle. *smile*
D40 to D45: Progressing slowly / The ‘art’ of being introduced to the ‘right’ person / In touch with the world
Introduced by mail by Anothai, I met Michael (D41), English (Director of Atmanjai a detox and Yoga centre). Michael started his business 3 years ago and is still expending. He gave me a list of 5 places where I should apply. One of which is a place where only show-bizz people go on holiday. He also advised me to meet Angela which I met immediately after leaving Michael. Incredible lady, Angela arrived in Phuket 27 years ago. ‘There was not even a road to drive on where she is working now’ she is telling me. Angela (English) is married to a Thai husband, speaks Thai fluently. The main service her office is providing is legal advices, accountant service however their offer plenty of other services like gardening, insurances etc…Angelina is reassuring me that setting up a CO end of the year is not sensible. There is a more cost effective legal way for me to start a CO, she highlights to me. I could hire one Thai instead of 4. If I would get my WP (working permit) by myself this would not add any not any financial strain on the CO who is hiring the teacher. This is called a ‘ready made’ Yoga teacher.
D42: I find out today that a Yoga teacher was hired in a Resort which was recommended to me yesterday. I did sent out my CV the day I heard about it but obviously I’m one day too late. *Grins*
I try as much as I can to follow the main political news and disaster in Thailand, Asia and the world. Expats are being updated via a selection of links from “Thaivisa.com News Editor”. I keep following more and more threads (discussions) on LinkedIn (Belgian and South East Asia inclusive). I also have plenty of time to follow the world news. Having cable is a luxury. (TV5 Asia and other informative English, Australian, German or US channels).
D43: A German Spa & Resort owner find my background perfect. He is looking for an Office Manager for his Head office Diving school and invites me to go straight away to speak to Volker. Let’s see…Not sure I want to work in an office though. I found that job by chance.
D45 to D50: First trial session: Yoga poses portfolio/ First interview / First visitor from London / First trip away from the city (4 nights)/
That Saturday, in the early morning, I meet up with a French photographer for a trial session to work on Yoga poses portfolio. Jean has worked in several countries in the world, was employee in Dakar and arrived in Phuket 18 months ago. He is soon off to Canada. He arrived in Phuket thinking to buy/take over a business in the diving sector. After performing a market research, he announced that he is no longer interested to buy the existing business. Then he started off another Co in coaching which he is currently closing. He offers to me his free service as a photographer on top of many advices in business and the various social networks here in Phuket (Lions club, Rotary etc…). He wants to change is life to become a professional photographer. The trial photo-shooting turns out to be a success and I’m so pleased I met Jean.
In the afternoon, I meet up with a French friend of mine living in London arriving straight from Northern Thailand. Over lunch we decide to go to Phi-Phi Island, the day after my first interview.
D47. Volker is explaining to me in German what the job is about and invites me to meet the boss for a second interview after our trip to Phi-Phi Island.
D51 to D55: ‘Swim and Yoga Chicky net’ free event / Second interview with the same Co.
D53. Back from Phi-Phi Island, I had organised a free event of morning of Dynamic Aqua movement and Aqua stretches, followed by Yin Yoga and lunch to share at my place. 11 ladies showed interest, five should have been attending. Only one designer teacher, English nationality, on an early retirement in Phuket for the last 5 years attended the session.
The next day, I have my second interview with the boss of this international diving company. It is 6 days a week, sometimes 7 days. Early-shift and late-shift of 8 or 9 hours a day. I would also learn about the diving equipment and the diving sites. It is a good point that I have my PADI Certificate. All the learning is feasible but with a salary around £700, I declined the job offer. For that salary, I would teach Yoga. I do not wish to be working in an office where clearly they explained to me that there will be very stressful moments in high season especially and even sometimes when I’m by myself in low season. During the interview Holger is telling me that it is possible to have a ‘Freelance WP’ without hiring any Thai at all. He also tells me that if I change my mind I should let him know….Let’s see…..
D55 to D60: Reflection time / Flood victims / Preparation of the coming up session: Meditation and Healing sounds / Meeting a financial adviser:
Back from our idyllic 4 days of peace and quietness on Phi-Phi Island and after the results of that second interview and I fall into a period of doubts: the question is: ‘Should I work at all? So far I always assumed that the minimum wage for an expat is £1000 per month. Several employee Thai gave me that info. Well now I find out, it is not always the case. So if I manage to work legally, I better do what I’m passionate about!
A couple days in a raw this week, I started of my day with Healing sounds and meditation and then I send an invite on Chicky-net invite them to explore this at my place. 5 expats and Anothai are coming. (Yes, it is illegal to offer free event but under Chicky-net network we benefit from some sort of protection. Now if we would be raising money for the benefit of Thailand we would be ‘completely’ covered. Same ‘rules’ apply for Lions club humanitarian project. I probably forgot to say that to do voluntary work we need a WP called ‘voluntary WP’.)
There is still one Company who is interested in me as a Yoga teacher though. The person who had to interview me 3 weeks ago was seriously sick. In the meantime I found another open position to work as Yoga teacher where I also applied. (thanks to Michelle). And there is this school near me who remains completely silent (possibly closed?).
Getting my own WP to work as freelance Yoga teacher is very costly and there are many pitfalls which are not worth, especially since I already have a project in Senegal.
D58. Thanks to a post I had put on LinkedIn, I met a British financial adviser working in Asia for 27 years (7 years in Thailand) based in Bangkok and visiting Phuket. Andrew listens carefully to my circumstances and also advices me not to proceed in getting my own WP. Andrew gave me clear answers about my specific questions regarding tax matters in UK. That meeting with Andrew is really cheering me up. He also give me ideas, advices on how to proceed in the future….all that for free.
Regarding the flood victims, ever since the start of the disaster, I kept on asking myself what I could do. I found some expats (from the Chicky-net woman network) raising money through various events and collecting goods for them. I had a bag of toys for children of all ages initially meant for Africa which I had brought with me with the idea to give them to Thai kids in need. I delivered the bag to this group (D59) who will transfer it to Bangkok. In the meantime I also found out that there was serious flooding on Phuket.
D60: I met another photographer today from Denmark. He arrived 2 weeks ago to live here. We are preparing a different style of Yoga poses photo session. The goal is ‘improving’ my website and promoting myself as yoga teacher. Sometimes, there are requests for a film of one of my Yoga class or pictures.
The outcome of my various attempts to work will be explained in the next newsletter. I will finish this long newsletter saying that I enjoy the socialising-, networking-, stress-free time and that despite some various concerns, I do not regret one minute having moved here. (that is just in case some of you were wondering….*smile*).
If you have gone so far in the letter, it is because you wanted to read every details of the diary. Thank you for showing interests. If you fancy a chat on Skype to share with me your news: Skype me @ ‘lefebvresar’. If it is too cold back in the UK you are welcome to come to warm up in Phuket! With warm regards, M-F