There's no two ways about it - Turkey is a man's society. Most jobs are done by men and you see a lot of men congregating and socializing in public, and not so many women. We have yet to have a female server at a restaurant. The only women on the hotel staff are maids. Every shop except the cosmetics shop where Emily bought shampoo was run by men. On the streets, you see men bustling about moving goods, making deliveries.
Men are definitely still the breadwinners in Turkey.
Of course, that's not the case among Emily and me. Starting earlier this year, Emily began receiving a flood of classes from her four online universities. Her income became the best it's ever been. Her teaching makes more than my writing does. As a result, we have divided it to where my writing pays the bills at home (of which there are still surprisingly many) plus a little and her teaching is our primary spending money.
In the past few weeks, one of Emily's more reliable online schools took an unexpected hit with sharply declining enrollment and two of her four scheduled class sections were cancelled. The college was under significant scrutiny by Congress and has apparently been weathering bad press.
Meanwhile, another of Emily's schools - her best payer - just didn't have a need for her usual course this five week term and didn't give her a class as they usually do. The good news is that they had her teach two courses last term and so financially, it all evens out.
To make up for the loss of classes, she got yet a third school for which she teaches regularly to toss her a second section of her usual class. When it's all said and done, she still has work and we're fine.
In fact, she'll have a little more free time than last month, which will be particularly nice for her as we get to Nepal.
Luckily, she keeps a "diversified portfolio" of schools and a lack of work in one place doesn't leave us high and dry. Also, fortunately for us, we're getting close to the end of the most expensive part of the trip. Our costs for Region 2 and 3 drop significantly, which we have been looking forward to. It'll be nice to be in a phase when we really don't even need a budget.
Still, at this stage of the game, we live well by any standard. Truly, we've been blessed to have a very nice expendable income and not to travel on a shoestring. We eat at restaurants for every meal. We do all the activities we want. Typically, we spend more on weekends and a little less during the week when we're working. Everyplace we go we buy one decorative item for our future home, one cookbook (in English except the one from Cannes where I decided to be a smart ass and buy a book in French), and a dress for Emily. Emily hauled home the first round of loot with her on her visit.
Overall, working as we travel has gone amazingly well. Sure, we shop carefully for our lodging based on high speed Internet and in Region 2 (India/Nepal) and Region 3 (Southeast Asia) we may be have to pass up some destinations for the same reason.
Being adjunct faculty and a contract writer leaves us exposed to ups and downs as well as the whims of our employers and clients. Despite the bumps that can occur, such as what recently occurred with Emily's class changes, we have been making it work and living very blessed and well.
Men are definitely still the breadwinners in Turkey.
Of course, that's not the case among Emily and me. Starting earlier this year, Emily began receiving a flood of classes from her four online universities. Her income became the best it's ever been. Her teaching makes more than my writing does. As a result, we have divided it to where my writing pays the bills at home (of which there are still surprisingly many) plus a little and her teaching is our primary spending money.
In the past few weeks, one of Emily's more reliable online schools took an unexpected hit with sharply declining enrollment and two of her four scheduled class sections were cancelled. The college was under significant scrutiny by Congress and has apparently been weathering bad press.
Meanwhile, another of Emily's schools - her best payer - just didn't have a need for her usual course this five week term and didn't give her a class as they usually do. The good news is that they had her teach two courses last term and so financially, it all evens out.
To make up for the loss of classes, she got yet a third school for which she teaches regularly to toss her a second section of her usual class. When it's all said and done, she still has work and we're fine.
In fact, she'll have a little more free time than last month, which will be particularly nice for her as we get to Nepal.
Luckily, she keeps a "diversified portfolio" of schools and a lack of work in one place doesn't leave us high and dry. Also, fortunately for us, we're getting close to the end of the most expensive part of the trip. Our costs for Region 2 and 3 drop significantly, which we have been looking forward to. It'll be nice to be in a phase when we really don't even need a budget.
Still, at this stage of the game, we live well by any standard. Truly, we've been blessed to have a very nice expendable income and not to travel on a shoestring. We eat at restaurants for every meal. We do all the activities we want. Typically, we spend more on weekends and a little less during the week when we're working. Everyplace we go we buy one decorative item for our future home, one cookbook (in English except the one from Cannes where I decided to be a smart ass and buy a book in French), and a dress for Emily. Emily hauled home the first round of loot with her on her visit.
Overall, working as we travel has gone amazingly well. Sure, we shop carefully for our lodging based on high speed Internet and in Region 2 (India/Nepal) and Region 3 (Southeast Asia) we may be have to pass up some destinations for the same reason.
Being adjunct faculty and a contract writer leaves us exposed to ups and downs as well as the whims of our employers and clients. Despite the bumps that can occur, such as what recently occurred with Emily's class changes, we have been making it work and living very blessed and well.
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