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Moving to Trinidad from America

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angie4408
  3/27/2015 11:21 EST

Hi all. I have just received word that my husband is going to be starting a new job in Trinidad (near one of the two international airports, we are not sure which one yet). He is going to go there in June, and our 10 year old son and I will be joining him anytime from August to December. I have a few questions. First, I am a licensed ESL and Secondary Language Arts teacher. How easy would it be for me to find a teaching job? I can work for my husbands company for awhile but I would like to teach. Also, what are the schools like there (as I mentioned my son is 10)? I have been researching some international schools but I have heard that the private schools there can be good also. Also, my son loves soccer. Do they have soccer clubs for kids there like they do in the United States? I am so uneducated about Trinidad right now that any information would be helpful!

TechRep
  3/27/2015 15:42 EST

2 international airports?????

I spent several years there and only found 1, Port of Spain. The airport is actually closer to Arima than Port of Spain.

There is an airport on the island of Tobago, which compared to Trinidad, well there is no comparison. Trinidad is industrialized, Tobago is more tourist orientated.

Trinidad was not an easy place to live for an expat from the states. You will find the culture there VERY race and class orientated.

There is very few expats from the states living there, most of the expat community is from Europe. Almost all that I met were in some way or another tied to the oil industry.

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TechRep
  3/27/2015 15:42 EST

2 international airports?????

I spent several years there and only found 1, Port of Spain. The airport is actually closer to Arima than Port of Spain.

There is an airport on the island of Tobago, which compared to Trinidad, well there is no comparison. Trinidad is industrialized, Tobago is more tourist orientated.

Trinidad was not an easy place to live for an expat from the states. You will find the culture there VERY race and class orientated.

There is very few expats from the states living there, most of the expat community is from Europe. Almost all that I met were in some way or another tied to the oil industry.

angie4408
  3/27/2015 15:49 EST

Hi,
Thanks for your response! I was confused when I was looking up the international airports there. I am almost sure it will be the one near Port of Spain, if that is the bigger airport. My husband is from India, so he will have an easier time adjusting than me, but both my son and I are very open-minded people and I am looking forward to learning about a different culture!

FlyboyWV
  3/27/2015 19:07 EST

There are only three airports in the whole country. Only POS (Pory of Spain) is an international airport. The aorpory on Tobago is NOT an international airport. Tobago has no customs and immigration facility. The thirs airport is privately owned at Ciovp near San Fernando but is strictly for little airplanes like cropdusters and Cessna-sized planes owned by a flight school there. They also have a couple of helicopters and a puddle-jumper island hopper 20 passenger charter plane. But again, it is not an international airport. As ypu can see by my screen name...I have a special interest in airports.

FlyboyWV
  3/27/2015 19:07 EST

There are only three airports in the whole country. Only POS (Pory of Spain) is an international airport. The aorpory on Tobago is NOT an international airport. Tobago has no customs and immigration facility. The thirs airport is privately owned at Ciovp near San Fernando but is strictly for little airplanes like cropdusters and Cessna-sized planes owned by a flight school there. They also have a couple of helicopters and a puddle-jumper island hopper 20 passenger charter plane. But again, it is not an international airport. As ypu can see by my screen name...I have a special interest in airports.

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angie4408
  3/27/2015 19:12 EST

I talked to my husband, and it is the Port of Spain airport. As I said, I know very little about Trinidad. We just found out yesterday that we were going there for sure so I am trying to learn as much as I can!

TechRep
  3/27/2015 19:50 EST

I hate to start an argument FlyboyWV, but there is several airlines that advertise a direct international flight to Tobago.
"Caribbean Airlines are offering a new nonstop weekly service from JFK in New York directly to Tobago - making it the only direct flight from North America to Tobago.." and "Virgin Tobago flights operate from London Gatwick South. The service will be provided via an Airbus A330-300."

Not to mention the name "A.N.R. Robinson International Airport"

FlyboyWV
  3/27/2015 19:58 EST

Perhaps Tobago has installed Customs and immigration at their airport in the past year. Prior to that, we were told categorically that if we landed at Tobago or Cuovo without first clearing customs at POS...we would be going to jail IImmediately upon landing at the wrong airport. I sincerely applaud Tobago if they have indeed upgraded to International status.

OhChuts
  3/28/2015 07:47 EST

Angie, you can also get useful information from the Trinidad forum of Trip Advisor.
www.tripadvisor.com/forumhome

Msturge
  3/29/2015 09:56 EST

Hi, we are American and have been here for almost 3 years with our now 4 year old son. I guess first you want to find out where he will be working, but the airport area will probably not be where you will want to live so he will be commuting. ISPS, the Int'l school is probably where you will want to be. I don't think I know anyone with kids that age that are not at school there. St. Andrews is a great private school where expat friends have their kids but just goes up to 11 I believe. My son goes to the Montessori Academy which I love and am not moving him to ISPS (which starts at 4) but we will be leaving at the end of this year too. It is a great school but once they are like 7 or so I would look at other options. So do you teach Spanish-speaking kids? And yes there are loads of soccer clubs here.

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angie4408
  3/31/2015 09:58 EST

Hi,
Thanks for the information! Have you heard anything about the British Academy? I teach kids from all different places. Right now, I live in North Dakota, and the majority of the kids I teach are from Nepal, Somalia, and Iraq. We have a few Spanish speaking students here, but they are not the majority. I am happy to hear about the soccer clubs! I think that will make my son a little less nervous about moving to a new place!

FlyboyWV
  3/31/2015 12:15 EST

Trinidad is a former British holding, and as such, is English-speaking...sort of. The island is 40 percent east Indian so I expected to encounter English with the delightful Indian accent that I enjoyed with my college professors, or perhaps the musical BWI accent associated with Jamaica or the northern Caribbean islands. Nope. It is exceptionally difficult to understand. I am convinced that my TT friends thought I was deaf because I asked for so many repetitions of what they had just said. Their English writing, such as in newspapers, is excellent. But their spoken English would make Professor Henry Higgins have a stroke. Delightful people, but it will take some time to develop an ear for their accent.

Msturge
  3/31/2015 12:32 EST

Don't know anything about the British Academy. From what I have seen most of the ESL kids here are native Spanish speakers. There is a great school called Arbor that is bilingual and a high percentage of native Spanish speakers. I think you have a great chance of getting a job here so just go around to schools once you are here and see who is in need of someone. Our school mostly looks for people to speak Spanish to the kids for them to learn it as a second language. Good luck!

TechRep
  4/1/2015 09:44 EST

Flyboy

I must say that was the most polite description i have ever heard, and will remember it.

I have often described their accent as having a Jamaican tone, spoken at the speed of which Spanish is spoken in Mexico.

For me, one of the things that made it difficult was the lack of separation between words. Once you get used to it, at least you can keep up.

Aquablue
  4/13/2015 17:07 EST

I know that the Tobago airport is a small airport, but there are direct flights to Tobago from Europe. There must be some kind of customs dept. there to process incoming foreign travellers.

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