Bryce Long
Recruiting Coordinator
Bryce Long at a waterfall here in Taiwan
For many New Zealanders it is somewhat of a cultural tradition among young people to leave the shores of our nation and spend some time experiencing what life is like in other parts of the globe. I was no different and often chatted with friends at university about traditional concepts of the “OE” (Overseas Experience) – backpacking in Europe, working in London and so on. After graduating from university I spent some time pondering such options but ultimately took a job with a large bank. Before starting in this position I took advantage of a couple of month’s downtime and went to South Korea to stay with some friends in Seoul.
My time in Korea was my first taste of Asia and it was a hell of a good time. I still remember my first meal was breakfast, which I ate with tricky metal chopsticks and basically felt cramps in my hand trying to coordinate the consumption of the bountiful side dishes on the myriad small plates.
After returning to New Zealand I was satisfied with my new job but knew that it was only a matter of time before I would be back traveling. And soon enough I was. I left Auckland on a one-way ticket to Kuala Lumpur and spent the next six months backpacking my way around Southeast Asia loving (almost) every minute of it.
I always had a plan to pause and live somewhere in Asia during this traveling expedition. Taiwan seemed like a natural choice. I could top-up the travel funds with English teaching work and learn an appealing new language – Mandarin Chinese. Unlike many people who arrive in Taiwan I had no job pre-arranged and my search started the day after I landed. Living in a backpacker’s hostel the clock was ticking as my funds dwindled and need to secure a job rose.
At this point I met Mitch at Reach To Teach and he ultimately placed me in my first job here. Although it was quite an adjustment getting used to teaching young kids, the times when their faces lit up with laughter or the class exploded with excitement were rewarding. I actually had several significant issues at my school and Reach To Teach was in my corner the whole way. I felt Mitch and Reach To Teach gave me honest and reliable support and dedicated time to helping me through the problem.
You can comb the web and find horror stories of teachers who have lost a job, not been paid and worse. Indeed I have good friends who have had such an experience in the ESL industry in Asia. Using a reputable organization like Reach To Teach is a sensible response to managing that risk.
Bryce enjoying a scuba diving trip!
Almost three years after I landed in Taiwan and I am still here. The reasons are many but I know very few foreigners that don’t come to love the lifestyle. Since being here I have found a new passion for many things from hiking to motorcycle touring. Learning Chinese has been an ongoing battle that gives me a real empathy for the task of learning English that our students experience.
At school they told us that experience was working at A Company for X number of years so you qualified for that better job at B Company. This is experience can actually be quite limiting. Going somewhere new, doing something different, getting other perspectives, these are experiences that often count for something more.
Bryce Long
2009 All rights reserved, Reach To Teach - Teaching English Abroad
Teach English in Taiwan | Teach English in Korea | Teach English in China