omvegan

Hello, I have read enough times about getting a degree. I know I should. Despite where I'm at, I would still have to start out as a new 3rd year student, I fear. I went to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and got 3 years of credit. I studied math and computer science, even though I didn't really know what I wanted to do, and didn't like it. I left school with 94 semester hours total. Then I went into the US Navy and they taught me electronics for 2 years. That got me a 2 year degree in electronics from the University of Phoenix. Then I left the Navy and got into information technology. I got a microsoft certification (MCSE), then a unix cert. (HPUX), and took the Windows XP test. By this point I was sick of Microsoft's certification exams, and became interested in Linux. Unfortunately, I'm not a natural at it.

I was always able to memorize things. In school my best subjects that I also enjoyed were English, French, and Italian.

If I ever came to the LOS, I would totally want to avoid all the scummy areas, bars, and bar girls. Also, what is a police trap? Someone somewhere said, go past them. How hard is it to avoid all the people who would rip a person off?

Now I live in Metro Detroit. I have an acceptable job in IT, but nothing special. I would like to get into something involving language.

Detroit is dying. You can't get ahead here. Corporate life is rather soul-destroying. I am thinking about coming to Thailand. I would want to start work right away. If I could teach basic IT as well, great. Or is that prohibited for farang?

It seems to be that one can go to a 4 week TEFL or CELTA class, even in Thailand, and start out teaching English.

I have about $12,000 US saved. I have 2 old cars I could sell but they wouldn't pull in much.

Is is possible to meet decent women in Thailand, not bar girls, not sex-workers, not con artists? If so, how?

I am 40. The singles scene here in Detroit isn't bad, but it isn't great either. American women mostly seem to be all about money.

Because I think I'm in the wrong field, I'm not optimistic about getting ahead in IT.

Also, I'm vegan. I'm still researching how hard it would be to get along as a vegan in, say, Bangkok. The Lonely Planet book seems to indicate that it's possible. How much Thai would I have to learn to get along as a vegan? I'm already reading that the spoken language depends on how high or low one's pitch is, and whether it's rising or falling. It sounds complicated.

Now some text from a recent Thailand Lonely Planet book:
"If you speak a little bit of the language, invariably Thais will ask if you are a teacher, a profession that carries a great amount of respect. ... Taking on a teaching position in Thailand not only elevates your status from forgettable tourist to honorable guest, but it gives you insight and access into a community pleased to have you." Is any of this even remotely true? I have read online about loser teachers, and the TEFL meat grinder. How hard is it to differentiate yourself from people who are there for the wrong reasons, suck at English, etc?

Is it at all possible to get a teaching position somehow connected to a university there, and get a degree from a Thai university? Has anyone ever tried this?

Thanks! --Dean