Did you consider living in Russia?

[eekee 182]

^Actually often they'll want someone with a BA.

I found that the jobs that required a BA and a "certificate" paid the worst and worked the teachers to death. I did private classes in my home and taught at a preschool for super rich kids. Although my degree is not in teaching, Russians hire nurses and psychologists all the time for teaching children. I also have the benefit of years of experience teaching kids in various American programs which really helped me in creating lesson plans. But teaching English requires more than just teaching phrases and quickie tourist conversations. It is essential that you have a good understanding of grammer and know enough Russian to be able to translate words and concepts correctly.

This is true: ones which require a certificate are generally bad and farm you out to state schools (Language Link etc). But good ones like to see a BA anyway, I think, although they have no problems hiring people who are currently students at a Russian university. All schools say they want certificates, but only the bad ones make you take a course and get a certificate. If you present yourself as having an excellent grasp on the language and a solid understanding of grammar, they will hire you, no problem. Plus my BA is in Russian, so I think that helped me out somewhat, too, because I probably spent 20% of my undergraduate work just doing grammar.

Just knowing English, as you said, is really not enough to keep you employed. And a lot of Americans don't even have a basic grasp on English grammar themselves.

Were you in SPb? I seem to remember that... I was also offered a job at a preschool for rich kids there and it was probably the same one, but I turned it down because I don't work well with children.

Edited June 12, 2009 by eekee

[slim 1,533]

According to Anna's parents, when I "dress up" and have a clean shave on the head, I look like someone in Russian mafia.

So with that in mind, we all could set up the stand and I could come by once a day to extort us, in plain view, maybe make a scene or something, throw some maps on the ground and then take the money. If we're lucky they will think I have the kiosk covered and doubling up on extortion is bad for business

Or you could get shot for invading someone else's turf!

I too have the clean shave on top and I'm a little bigger than your average Russian okranik. When I throw on the leather jacket and earpiece, it's a done deal. If the two of us just "hung out" all day sitting on the green plastic Carlsburg chairs sipping on some Balitka then maybe we'd scare off the competition...... or maybe we'd get a drive-by pulled on us. I don't think those green plastic tables would stop 7.62 rounds like they do in the movies.

[PJB 0]

^Actually often they'll want someone with a BA.

I found that the jobs that required a BA and a "certificate" paid the worst and worked the teachers to death. I did private classes in my home and taught at a preschool for super rich kids. Although my degree is not in teaching, Russians hire nurses and psychologists all the time for teaching children. I also have the benefit of years of experience teaching kids in various American programs which really helped me in creating lesson plans. But teaching English requires more than just teaching phrases and quickie tourist conversations. It is essential that you have a good understanding of grammer and know enough Russian to be able to translate words and concepts correctly.

This is true: ones which require a certificate are generally bad and farm you out to state schools (Language Link etc). But good ones like to see a BA anyway, I think, although they have no problems hiring people who are currently students at a Russian university. All schools say they want certificates, but only the bad ones make you take a course and get a certificate. If you present yourself as having an excellent grasp on the language and a solid understanding of grammar, they will hire you, no problem. Plus my BA is in Russian, so I think that helped me out somewhat, too, because I probably spent 20% of my undergraduate work just doing grammar.

Just knowing English, as you said, is really not enough to keep you employed. And a lot of Americans don't even have a basic grasp on English grammar themselves.

Were you in SPb? I seem to remember that... I was also offered a job at a preschool for rich kids there and it was probably the same one, but I turned it down because I don't work well with children.

I worked in Moscow but lived in Dmitrov (1 1/2 hours north by electrichka). I taught at a preschool near the Indian Embassy. My American coworkers who lived in the city were making $100 an hour (2 hour minimum lesson) doing private teaching for the rich kids at their homes. I lived too far away and had too many private students in Dmitrov to be able to take private students in Moscow. But I was paid $36 an hour for my time at school so I did quite well anyway.

[AKguy 1]

Or you could get shot for invading someone else's turf!

I too have the clean shave on top and I'm a little bigger than your average Russian okranik. When I throw on the leather jacket and earpiece, it's a done deal. If the two of us just "hung out" all day sitting on the green plastic Carlsburg chairs sipping on some Balitka then maybe we'd scare off the competition...... or maybe we'd get a drive-by pulled on us. I don't think those green plastic tables would stop 7.62 rounds like they do in the movies.

And I suppose it would look odd if we sat behind bullet resistant glass too... Not that it would stop them from using an RPG.

[slim 1,533]

Rocket propelled chainsaws are a dime a dozen in places like papaya/peanutbutter/popcorn/hotsauce stands (henceforth redesignated as the 3PHS) but....... what I've never seen before is a rocket propelled chainsaw with electronic start.

Is that a push button on there? I was just getting ready to ask if the chainsaw flew through the air in standby mode and then started via wire like a TOW or if it had a proximity start or maybe if it utilized the fins to spin it a certain number of times before it started, kind of like what the 40mm grenades use to arm. I was moving around the schematic and trying to figure it out when I came upon the push button. OUTSTANDING! This should really be on Future Weapons.

It's definitely not Russian though as the Russian model would have you pulling a cord several times, shouldering it with the whole thing constantly heating up inside the tube, 5 liters of benzine right next to your head, and then requiring the operator to fire before the whole thing exploded.

However, every Russian conscript would volunteer for RPC duty because it would be so easy to black market the benzine, refill the tank with vodka, and then bribe all the sergeants. No Grozny for me!

I bet if this was deployed by SOCOM, it'd have an ACOG on it. Leave it to those boys to mount a thousand dollar optic on a single-use MANPZD weapons system.

[Tnic 5]

Maybe it'ld just be cheaper to pay the current "Security Provider" and concentrate on sales. Let them handle the protection while we relax on our plastic Baltika chairs.

Maybe we could make a few extra bucks marketing the RPC to them. They might even like the optic sight upgrade too, they do love gadgets.

[slim 1,533]

Maybe it'ld just be cheaper to pay the current "Security Provider" and concentrate on sales. Let them handle the protection while we relax on our plastic Baltika chairs.

Maybe we could make a few extra bucks marketing the RPC to them. They might even like the optic sight upgrade too, they do love gadgets.

I've actually considered starting a business in Vladivostok several times but with no "roof" money, I'm SOL. I'd love to own a business there and sit back sipping on baltika all day long, hawking RPCs to locals, but it's just not going to happen.... yet.

The optic upgrade on our RPCs would be neat to look at, but we'd move zero units. Reason being, Russians are smart enough to figure out you can swap out a $20 Chinese knock-off and it'll work just fine for "close enough" weapons like the RPC. They'd never front the bread for imported Trijicon optics when Trijjkon is available locally. Lowballed by Mr. Chan again.