My fairwell to TEFL

**Topper** · 14th September 2007 16:17

I would enjoy hearing more comments about Bruce, TI or the combination! TI and Bruce has been a institution here now for at least 10 years and deserves the respect from all of us that he's earned over that time....Does anyone have tales to tell from the early years of TI? That would be nice to hear.

**pucky** · 14th September 2007 17:05

^ U Don't Care So Why Should Anyone.

**kidneystone** · 14th September 2007 18:10

Originally Posted by Desertexile

And how much do you think the CEO of Oxfam or Cancer Research makes? SOmthing closer to home - where does all the AUA money go?

Oxfam and Cancer research are somewht red herrings here. try looking at the tax exemption rules that cover a charitable organization such as TEFL Int! Anyway its not my business, thats between Bruce and the IRS!

Maybe thats the messy number 3 in the OP!

**Bruce** · 14th September 2007 19:18

Thnx for all the concern over my salary, guys! Non profits can only pay their CEO's reasonable salaries, depending upon the size of the company. My salary for the last few years was 70k per year. However, I only drew max 30k--we were in high growth mode and we needed every penny. So now I have my own little 401k for the next several years.

ANd as for the personal business I have to attend to, most of you should know what that is already.

Let me tell you a little story from my days as a Mormon Missionary in Hong Kong (yes I was a bike riding, white-shirt-wearing missionary back in the day). This just might make sense to some of you.

I was a missionary in some pretty rough neighborhoods in HK. In one area, an area the police told us they refused to enter, a gang of "feijaai", street punks (about 16 to 18 years old) would sometimes follow us around and hassle us. Call us names, trhow things at us. Nothing too serious but annoying.

We would usually just give them crap back. No swearing, of course, but our chinese was good enough that we could give as well as we could take. But on a very few occasions they crossed the line and one of us missionaries would take their little black name tag off and put it in our pocket. They had crossed the line and we were no longer missionaries, just two angry Americans that could pretty easily take the lot of them.

When we did that, the pack would scatter because they know they had pissed us off and they did not want to stick around and see what the consequences were. There was never an actual altercation. But that symbolic "removing of the tag" showed we were no longer playing. The time for talk was over and the time for action had begun.

**aging one** · 14th September 2007 19:29

Originally Posted by Bruce

My salary for the last few years was 70k per year. However, I only drew max 30k--we were in high growth mode and we needed every penny. So now I have my own little 401k for the next several years.

Is that in dollars or pounds? You were working for 6,000 baht a month? K is thousand is it not?

**trep** · 14th September 2007 20:56

So Bruce has taken his TEFL Int tag off and is about to kick some ass.

That post looks like a warning to whoever has crossed his path.

Restoring old cars? I just watched Death Proof.

**champagne charlie** · 14th September 2007 21:01

Best wishes, Bruce. I found the course to be one of the highlights of my stay in Thailand. Lots of good memories. Congratulations on your new direction.

**Big Bill** · 14th September 2007 21:04

Originally Posted by trep

So Bruce has taken his TEFL Int tag off and is about to kick some ass.

That post looks like a warning to whoever has crossed his path.

Restoring old cars? I just watched Death Proof.

Huh?? Good luck Bruce!
I did my TI at Gateway Languague Village in Zhuhai in 2004, and had a ball, even though it was one of the hardest courses to do in 4 weeks!!
Good luck Bruce, and I am a car fanatic, and ex-motor racing driver, so if I can be of help with your new venture, please let me know!

**trep** · 14th September 2007 21:15

Death Proof didn't end very well.

I sort of understood his first post, but the latest one, about some Chinese punks, left me puzzled.

I hope there's nothing more to this story than Bruce retiring from TEFL business and doing something he likes.

**bluefalang** · 14th September 2007 21:26

i think a shoot out is coming. perhaps around noon.

**buddahas** · 14th September 2007 21:34

Originally Posted by Bruce

Thnx for all the concern over my salary, guys! Non profits can only pay their CEO's reasonable salaries, depending upon the size of the company. My salary for the last few years was 70k per year. However, I only drew max 30k--we were in high growth mode and we needed every penny. So now I have my own little 401k for the next several years.

ANd as for the personal business I have to attend to, most of you should know what that is already.

Let me tell you a little story from my days as a Mormon Missionary in Hong Kong (yes I was a bike riding, white-shirt-wearing missionary back in the day). This just might make sense to some of you.

I was a missionary in some pretty rough neighborhoods in HK. In one area, an area the police told us they refused to enter, a gang of "feijaai", street punks (about 16 to 18 years old) would sometimes follow us around and hassle us. Call us names, trhow things at us. Nothing too serious but annoying.

We would usually just give them crap back. No swearing, of course, but our chinese was good enough that we could give as well as we could take. But on a very few occasions they crossed the line and one of us missionaries would take their little black name tag off and put it in our pocket. They had crossed the line and we were no longer missionaries, just two angry Americans that could pretty easily take the lot of them.

When we did that, the pack would scatter because they know they had pissed us off and they did not want to stick around and see what the consequences were. There was never an actual altercation. But that symbolic "removing of the tag" showed we were no longer playing. The time for talk was over and the time for action had begun.

This was just a dirty little village in the middle of nowhere. Nothing that happened there was really important.

**Cyrille** · 14th September 2007 23:30

Originally Posted by Bruce

ANd as for the personal business I have to attend to, most of you should know what that is already.

Sorry no, I missed 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous' last week.

Anyways, I can see how moving from TEFLINT to selling used cars will have some synergy benefits.

-----

Originally Posted by aging one

Is that in dollars or pounds? You were working for 6,000 baht a month? K is thousand is it not?

Yeah, that threw me too.

**republic** · 14th September 2007 23:37

Originally Posted by champagne charlie

Best wishes, Bruce. I found the course to be one of the highlights of my stay in Thailand. Lots of good memories. Congratulations on your new direction.

Oh, all this back rubbing makes me sick.
Have a word with yourself.
Drug Drug.

**zehner** · 14th September 2007 23:50

Originally Posted by republic

back rubbing

how dare you criticise another poster for perceived sexual back rubbing!! mustn't have that on our nice board

**Cyrille** · 15th September 2007 00:04

Well I for one am glad I trained in back rubbing with 'Rub Int'. Those people really know what they are doing.

As an added benefit I got to give back rubs for seven months in Nakhon Nowhere - at no extra cost, and I paid for my mat in easy installments.