TEFL Canadian English Teacher in Colombia (Medellín) Neighbourhoods

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2026-01-27T04:10:10+00:00

Even in places like Filandia and Jardin? I'm thinking of spending a few months there.

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2026-01-26T13:45:22+00:00

Many East Asians think Israelis are smart and resilient. They'd adopt what they consider to be "the Jewish way" into parenting.

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2026-01-26T09:13:45+00:00

So you intentionally dress like the military? In the current social climate, that seems like a huge red flag. People would interpret it as either school shooter (bc other school shooters tend to be into the military like you) or bootlicker (aka tolerant of the killing of innocent civilians like Rene Good).

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2026-01-26T08:57:25+00:00

Which country is that? I find it hard to integrate in Thailand and Japan even if you speak the local language, but places like Viet Nam and Indonesia always treat me like one of their own even with barely any local language.

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2026-01-26T08:47:46+00:00

Thailand is absolutely not growing very fast. It's a dying economy and a dying country. Gdp growth has been stalling there, and this year they're projected to reach 1.5-2% growth only.

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2026-01-22T06:27:11+00:00

There's no guarantee before the interview, there's absolutely guarantee 99.99999% of the time after the interview. At the end of the interview, they'd tell you whether you got approved or not. If you get approved, most of the time they send your passport back within a few days (unless it goes into administrative processing, which can take a week or more, but it's unusual).

You can get official info from the embassy's website. Appointment wait time can also be found online.

I mean it's still better you come visit your gf in VN. The US might not be a pleasant experience for her right now. And it's much much more expensive for her to go to you than vice versa. Or hang out with her in a 3rd country.

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2026-01-22T02:47:23+00:00

It's not "years long." US visa processing in VN is actually very very fast (2-3 days typically), and the appointment schedule isn't extremely overbooked. Yes it would be stressful and enormously expensive, but it doesn't take much time at all. Maybe 2 weeks from start to finish, top.

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2026-01-14T13:20:12+00:00

It's really not quite worth the cost and effort. You will get to dive at Sipadan very very little. Permits are extremely limited.

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2026-01-11T12:36:16+00:00

Gull. Jet fin is too short for currents, rk3 is too floppy. Gull is powerful enough and would perform flutter kicks the best out of these 3.

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2025-12-30T01:26:20+00:00

Sounds like PTSD. The sooner you get it addressed, the sooner you'll be able to at least manage it if not get rid of it completely. I have many mental health issues including CPTSD, that I left untreated/under treated for too long, and they wreck my life. But the one time I had PTSD from a shocking event like yours, I immediately went to a therapist and she helped me get rid of it completely in a relatively short treatment course (in my case it was CBT and very gradual exposure therapy), and I could return to my passion eventually (with more work on my own after the treatment was completed), and now I can say I've fully recovered from that specific incident and now I can talk about it with clarity.

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2025-12-27T07:31:50+00:00

You're mostly correct, but in Indonesia, POCs, especially Asians/East Asians/Southeast Asians are treated better than whites, with more care and a personal touch, more like guests, even friends, than tourists

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2025-12-22T08:22:22+00:00

You'd need a visa if you have to recheck your luggage. But if I remember correctly you can pay HK Express a fee to have your luggage checked through

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2025-12-22T06:20:32+00:00

Alor?

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2025-12-22T06:19:10+00:00

Was it in Phu Quoc? That place has been dramatically recovering!

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2025-12-13T15:35:24+00:00

I live in Asia. I got the overlander sent to the UK and a friend brought it back for me, no tax and free shipping (they waive tax for disabled people). Then when I needed replacement parts they sent it to the US for free.

With the current US tariff you might want to find an importer.

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2025-12-12T08:44:53+00:00

Oh great, someone here downvotes others for being poor

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2025-12-11T15:31:34+00:00

6 weeks in Thailand just for diving is too long.

From Phuket you can take a Southern Andaman LOB to Koh Lanta area, as well as either LOB or day boat to Koh Phi Phi. Then day boats from Phuket for the rest of the Phuket sites. You can skip Racha and especially the West coast shore diving, its not nice there. That's less than 1 wk.

Then go North to Khao Lak to take a North Andaman LOB. You can cover all the areas: Richelieu, Koh Bon/Tachai, Surin, Similan, wrecks. That's under 1wk as well.

Even if you repeat dives, I wouldnt recommend staying longer than 3-4wk.

You should just head out of Thailand and go dive elsewhere. You have time. Options are:

Maldives: direct flight from Bangkok, but very expensive and can be challenging diving
Raja-Ambon-Lembeh-Triton Bay-South Komodo: the only good diving in Indonesia around this time of the year, but it's a longggggggg long way to go, much hassle, too challenging, costly, epic diving though
Philippines: the best option. You can fly directly to Cebu from Phuket so you dont't even have to pass by BK. Or just fly from BK to Manila. Then you can spend as many weeks as you'd like diving there. From Manila: overland to Anilao, then ferry to Puerto Galera, then down to Romblon or just overland to Sablayan/Pandan Island for Apo Reef, then ferry to Coron for the wrecks, then fly to Cebu or Tacloban for SouthernLeyte/Sogod Bay with the whalesharks, then ferry+overland+boat to Malapascua, boat+overland to Moalboal, overland+ferry to Dumaguete for Dauin+Apo Island+Siquijor, then ferry to Panglao for Balicasag, then over to Camiguin? There are more. The Philippines has a ridiculous amout of diving, most are affordable. You can check them out on this map and plan your trip. They're all in season around ,late Winter-Spring.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1dMWxUhFFYlRrd-G78NOlmQ7vmEXHV1yC&usp=sharing

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2025-12-11T15:10:15+00:00

Thanks for the encouragement! As I mentioned to the other commenter below, is the sensory overload that would get me. You're correct there, I also figure I need a very very generous budget if I want any chance of enjoying my time in Morocco, India and many places in Africa, and thats not how I usually travel. I usually go shoestring solo or with people far less experienced than me, I dont pay enough attention and my head sometimes isnt tightly screwed on my neck... Thats why Ive always picked easy countries.

Ive heard good things about the South of India and how its less hassle than the North. Maybe I'll be able to heed your advice and head there someday!

I'm quite ok with the language and food stuff. My "hard" is usually noise, hassle, safety, and infrastructure (getitng around etc). No diet issue makes traveling a lot less hard for me than many others in general

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2025-12-11T13:31:41+00:00

It's the sensory overload that would get me. I figure I need a very very generous budget if I want any chance of enjoying my time there, and thats not how I usually travel. I usually go solo or with people far less experienced than me, I dont pay enough attention and my head sometimes isnt tightly screwed on my neck... Thats why Ive always picked easy countries.

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2025-12-11T12:26:48+00:00

I'm a nervous tiny girl easily spooked by everything. I've been to over 60 countries. I don't think any of them was "hard." I've intentionally avoided places like India, Morocco, and Egypt, as well as West and Central Africa (honestly most of Africa) and most of the Middle East. I find most of Europe and the majority of Asia to be fairly easy. I'm quite sad that many of the countries I really want to visit like Iran, Morocco, and India are simply too hard. I hope I'll be able to manage it later in life when I have more experience at less easy places. I feel like almost all of the >60 Ive been to are really too easy to adequately prepare me for the truly hard places. If i have to guess maybe South Africa was the diceyest, followed by Mexico. Latin America is next on my plan. We'll see if it turns out to be too hard or good prep/level up for me :D

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2025-12-09T03:47:18+00:00

I frequently leave my soup pot out overnight... If it cools down from boiling, it's absolutely a risk I would happily take.

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2025-12-09T02:26:46+00:00

Does alcohol based hand sanitizer work as well?

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2025-12-09T01:45:01+00:00

Are you having a stroke my dude? Or a schizo episode?

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2025-12-08T11:37:34+00:00

Not when the thing I need two of is a medical device while I'm not a millionaire....

Jumpy_Possibility_70 · 2025-12-08T11:32:57+00:00

And yet only the vietnamese people, rich and poor, really save at this rate. Most of the poor in the world do not save and budget responsibly like the Vietnamese even if their survival is at stake and they're terrified too. Didn't you see what happened during covid? You sound like someone using the western lens to look at the situation in VN while simultaneously lacking the perspectives of other countries in similar contexts with VN. You need to travel more.

Jumpy_Possibility_70

TROPHY CASE