Teaching ESL in Myanmar

My name is Luyanda and I am a South African ESL teacher living in Yangon, Myanmar. I moved to Myanmar in October 2022 and since then, it's been a rollercoaster of emotions. The excitement of leaving South Africa was mixed with fear and nervousness when I finally arrived in Myanmar. This was one of the biggest life-changing experiences I've gone through. When I first arrived, I was escorted to the apartment I still live in now. I'm fortunate enough to not pay rent or utilities. (The utilities gets taken off your salary if you choose to stay in accommodation provided by XploreAsia). People are very friendly and are always willing to help. I experienced huge culture shocks when I first arrived in Myanmar. It's way hotter and more humid than a December in Pietermaritzburg. I find myself sleeping with the airconditioning on and waking to terrible sinuses. If you're planning on moving to Myanmar, pack a lot of sunscreen. Another culture shock was not seeing Black people as regularly as I saw them in South Africa. It does get a bit lonely but I've made friends in Myanmar. Working in Myanmar has been great. Teaching is a new career for me. Before I left South Africa, I studied television screenwriting and directing. After years of trying to break into the entertainment industry, I decided that I needed a career change for a couple of years and I chose teaching. I've only taught for a year but it's one of the most fulfilling decisions I've made. It's lovely seeing students improve and get excited about the marks they got after each semester. I teach English to all ages. The best thing about teaching is being able to have friendly relationships with the students. Teaching does get challenging. Sometimes, a lesson doesn't go as planned and you'll have to think of activities on the spot. It happens to many teachers. My advice for moving to a new country is to accept as much help as possible. Ask questions about anything that you need to know. I think Myanmar is a lovely country and I hope more people are able to come.