Teaching English & Living in Izmir

If you're thinking of teaching English one-on-one in Turkey, you might want to rethink your plan. I've been in Izmir for almost a year now and find it was a bad decision. Even with the cheapest price in the city, I receive very few phone calls (perhaps one every two weeks). There's an inundation of locals offering English classes, but extremely few (if any other) native speakers. (You can check out the competition at sahibinden.com and ozelders.com.) I seriously doubt that any of the others receive many calls either. The foreigners who are here teaching English seem to do so only in the language schools. Most language schools (esp. the chains) are located between Alsancak and Konak (expect about 20 lira an hour). However, the best place to situate yourself for private students is the other side of the bay in Karsiyaka.

The private students I've had have varied in levels. A few are lazy, a few study continuously, but the majority are only interested in conversation or shooting the breeze, even though they say otherwise when you first meet them. They don't fear learning English or hate it. They arrive on time to class. At least 40% of my students have been referrals.

Beware that Turks take summer seriously and many have summer homes outside the city. June will be minimum work, July barely nothing and August only a bit better. Even the language schools don't seem to hire. Better to come for 9 months, beginning in September. There are 2 Ramadan holidays, several days long, which will also effect your income. They're official holidays so even if your students don't practice the religion, they're sure to go on vacation. And even though they don't celebrate Christmas, the week between Christmas and New Year's will also be dead.

In Izmir, it's very easy to find leveled reader books in English for students (used or new) and they're inexpensive. TOEFL and exam books also are easy to find. If you want regular English novels, Alsancak is the area of the city to go to. There's also an English newspaper for sale, but not as widely available.

As for the rest of Turkey, Istanbul is inundated with native English teachers. Ankara I know nothing about. Before arriving, I was told that the 3 largest cities were the best bet for teaching privately. If this is “best”, it's not worth it. Turkey is not a cheap country to live in either.

If you need to do border runs, it's fairly easy, but time consuming as well as a bit expensive (trips to any of the islands are limited during the off-season and will require an overnight stay). Immigration doesn't question 3 stamps in the passport.

Shopping & Prices

Prices for meat, tuna, milk and dairy products, sugar in general are much higher than in the U.S. Any kind of red meat is double the price here. Chicken, which is consumed frequently here, is a lot more affordable than meat. The chicken in Turkey is also better tasting due to the treatment and feed of the animals. Pork can be had, but only in small meat shops, not the supermarkets. Cans of tuna run well over a dollar a can. Milk comes in 2 types: boxed and fresh. The fresh costs 2-2.40TL a liter where as the boxed costs about 1.80TL. The fresh (homogenized) only lasts about 4-5 days before spoiling. Yogurt almost always needs to be bought in a child's 6 pack and costs a lot for such little. American sour cream is best known here as the local yogurt and is quite cheap in comparison. Cottage cheese doesn't exist, but a small container of ricotta cheese for 1 lira can be found at Kipa. All kinds of fresh cheeses are easily found, but not cheap. Sugar is at least double the price and brown sugar even more. Liquid vanilla for baking doesn't exist (it comes in powder form). Limited choices of cereals are sold, but more expensive for a smaller box. Small boxes of tomato sauce cost 90 kurus each (65 cents) and tomato paste can only be bought in large cans.

Because meat is so expensive, most Turks consume bean, rice and pasta dishes daily. If you're on a budget, pick up some new recipes which don't include meat.

Dollar-type stores don't exist here. Anything and everything which is imported is more expensive than its American counterpart.

Gas prices in Turkey are known as the highest in the world. Currently, 1 liter = 4TL. In Izmir, there are plenty of places to rent a car. In addition, public transportation is good as is long distance bus service.

Cell phones in Izmir are outrageously expensive. The cheapest can be had for around 115TL. There are shops which sell used cell phones, and although you'll save some money, you'll still pay too much. If possible, bring whatever you have with you, register it (req'd by law) and use it. Phone number SIM cards cost about 30 TL. Phone calls and text messaging will depend upon your plan and company, but the charges are also expensive. If you go without a contract and just recharge as needed, calls are around .45 kurus a minute and text messaging .25-30 kurus.

The People

Whether or not you'll be doing business here, at some point you'll encounter (for the first, but definitely not the last time) the Ego. And that's with a capital 'E'. Egoism is the name of the game in Izmir and if you can't bullshit your way through it, you won't survive. Particularly bad are the males, especially if they're in upper management or own a business.

If you're a single female, be cautious of Turkish males. They will say anything to make you happy.

It is a part of Turkish culture to offer food, at the very least tea, when you're in someone's home, especially for the first time. Everyone does this, so don't think you're being treated special or different. If you stay with people (including living with roommates), it's normal that when they make food, you will be invited without hesitation.

Face to face, a Turk will treat you with respect and kindness. If you need something, people will offer to help you or give you what you need. On the street or in their vehicle, it's a different story. Thank you's and excuse me's are far from common.

The People & Their Cars

The vehicle is a status symbol in Turkey. This is due in part to the expensiveness of vehicles and exorbitantly high gas prices. Half of the cars on the road in Izmir are actually company-owned vehicles which have been given to employees for work related usage. However, all such employees are permitted to use their vehicle away from work. Thus, if a Turk acquires a vehicle through his position, the vehicle not only represents a rise in position, but also elevates him in the social standing of Turkish life.

Izmir contains countless BMWs and Mercedes. If you're coming from a poor country or are expecting Izmir to be representative of the rest of the "poor" country, be prepared for this culture shock.

No matter the type of car, in general the driving method here can only be described as lunatic and egotistical. While the locals do learn to drive in order to receive a driver's license, once they pass the course, everything they learned is thrown out the window (blinker usage, following distances, treatment towards pedestrians/cyclists, etc.). Once in their vehicle, any and all bystanders are meaningless (although strangely, drivers do stop at red lights and obey the pedestrian crossing lights). Don't play with the drivers - they mean business. Honking is a favorite past time used for two different purposes: to tell pedestrians to get out of the way or to let drivers from upcoming intersections know that there is a car approaching and they need to stop.

Climate

Izmirians don't like changes in the climate. During the winters, they commonly keep the temperature inside their house between 25-30° Celsius. During the hot summers, before it actually gets hot, the locals commonly complain about the “heat”. Air conditioners run around 20° when on.

Izmir is known as one of the wealthiest regions in Turkey. The number of residents who own a summer house elsewhere is indicative of this fact. From mid-June to August (if before Ramadan) many residents either go and live in their summer houses (particularly housewives and children) or go to them for the weekends after work lets out on Friday. If you have noisy neighbors, hope that they own a summer house and use it.

The Sun

The sun can definitely get intense during the summer, even if it's only for a few hours. Bring suntan lotion if possible because the products sold here are very expensive (25-40 TL).

House Furnishings

The cost of decent new furniture isn't expensive. If looking for used (“second-hand”), there are a handful of scattered second-hand shops which sell beds, mattresses, washing machines, couches, etc. Always bargain the price, including the delivery fee.

Renting

There are a number of heating/cooling choices when looking for an apartment. Natural gas (dogal gaz), electric, oil (the most expensive option), coal, wood, and no heating. Coal and wood is basically used by the poor locals and it's the cause for the bad air pollution in the winter. Natural gas is fairly recent in arriving and has only been installed in the northern part of the city (in Karsiyaka). Many older apartments still are without original heating installments and locals opt for portable heating units which can be purchased at many shops and supermarkets.

Renters pay for water, gas/heating and electricity. For a 2-person household, gas will run about 5 TL a month (extremely cheap) during non-heating months. This is for cooking and showers. In the winter when radiators are used, expect to pay upwards of 175 TL a month. Electricity for 2 people can run about 20-30 TL a month in the summer. This is for lights and oven.

Housing is rented by either the owner or much more commonly, a real estate agent (emlak). Every neighborhood has a dozen real estate offices. The main responsibility of the agent is simple: get the property rented. The agent is paid by the renter (you) and will most likely earn one month's rent of the rental price. This can sometimes be negotiated (as well as the rental price and length of contract). Once you're interested in a property, you visit the agent and they'll have the key for the property. They'll take you to it, and if you want it, they'll contact the owner. The owner comes to the office to sign the rental contract (there is always a contract) and meet you. After the papers are signed, all problems and contact is usually directly with the owner. You can go directly to the agents and see what they have or walk around an area looking for rental signs on the balconies (kiralik).

If you are a foreigner and walk into an office about a particular property, it isn't uncommon for the agent to avoid the property you're interested in and try to get you interested in a different one (usually more expensive). Also be advised that many times, the renter (you) will need a guarantor. This is another person to sign and promise that in the event something bad happens financially, they'll be held responsible.

Little Critters

The only bugs to worry about in Izmir are the cockroaches and mosquitoes - both of which usually only appear in the summer time. Everyone claims that the roaches are normal, which means if you have them, you don't have to be embarrassed. However, not everyone actually has them, which means if you get them, you're going to be scratching your head as to why. There are a variety of brands and contraptions to get rid of them. However, if you don't like sprays (inc. Raid), and prefer an alternative approach, I recommend a mixture of water and Tea Tree Oil sprayed around the baseboards of the kitchen. I tried the roach hotels (“tablets”) and boric acid, but neither worked. The TTO has kept them away 99% of the time. Make sure to spray every few days or they do reappear.

Izmir mosquitoes have 3 characteristics: silent, fast and invisible. You'll rarely hear them, you'll almost never see them and when you try to kill them, they'll escape just as fast as the roaches run.

Border runs

If you're American, you get 90 days on your tourist visa before you need to leave Turkey to re-enter. If you're visiting for longer, retired or working under the table, it's as simple as making a border run to any other country. You can fly, drive, boat, or maybe bus out. There's no minimum number of hours/days in which you need to stay out of the country before re-entering. There are hundreds of retirees from Europe who do this on a regular basis (although their visa rules are currently in a transition).

That said, if you're short on funds, beware that this isn't very cheap to do, especially in the winter. During the summer season, there are numerous towns and cities from which you can depart to a neighboring island of Greece. However, in the non-touristic season, the number of these towns are limited as is the number of trips per week the boats make. In the winter, you're most likely going to have to stay overnight on some island. (Greek pensions and hotels are cheaper as well as negotiable during the off-season months.)

To re-enter Turkey, you'll get another visa stamp after paying the $20US fee, which should allow you another 90 days in the country. It's a straight forward shot with no questions asked.

Some websites which are definitely helpful:

www.turkeycentral.com - an in-use expat site specifically for Izmir, but also inc. surrounding areas

http://www.izmir.bel.tr/en/projelerb.asp?pID=51&psID=0 - Izmir's public transportation hub

http://www.izban.com.tr/Sayfalar/Iletisim.aspx - Izmir's public transportation hub (metro/train)

http://turkey.usembassy.gov/list_of_doctors_izmir.html

For rooms/apts to rent...

www.sahibinden.com - in English & Turkish

www.hurriyetemlak.com - in several langauges inc. English & Turkish

www.emlak.net

http://turkey.gabinohome.com/en/rent+room/izmir

http://www.erasmusu.com/en/erasmus-izmir/rooms-for-rent-erasmus

http://www.sublet.com