Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tanklor1]

The search function seems to have stepped out for lunch, I tried seaching for this topic becuase I know that there are tons of thread son this topic; but alas, those wonderful answers are not for me.

I'm about to hit the six month stride and I'm coming down with, how would you say, *classic* homesickness? Well, that would be fine, but I don't intend on going home for quite some time, at least a couple of years.

My question about this is to long-timers who have been home for a few years. How can I deal with this knowing that I would see home for a good while. Are there any tips?

[D-Man]

I think a short trip to your home(3 or 4 weeks) should make everything ok.

It's healthier for many people to break up their time in a foreign country with regualar holidays to their homeland.

Some people don't need to do this but others do.

I knew an Australian guy who stayed away from his homeland for 5 years and it ended up almost destroying his psyche.

While you are living away, stay in touch with everyone in your social network(family and friends) through email,facebook,skype,telephone,snail mail etc etc.

Grandma had her 80th and you couldn't attend the big family party? Look at the photos on facebook and comment on them,ring her up once a week for 5 minutes just to say hello.

Send out birthday cards and Christmas cards to all your family and friends.Give everyone your addy and tell them to keep in touch.

Today's modern society allows us all to keep in touch with everyone no matter where we are on this big dirt ball called earth.

Take advantage of this!! 100 years ago,it wasn't possible.

Being far from home doesn't have to mean your heart and mind is also far away.

I left my homeland 6 years ago and I usually get back for 3 or 4 weeks every year.,I need this break and I enjoy seeing everyone.

With social networking being so popular now,I actually have more and better contact with distant family than I did when I was living in the same town as them.

[Some of the Mothers Said]

Hay..
I recall feeling the same way after my first six months here. That was in 1999. It will pass.
Write a few long letters home. Not e-mail crap, but pen on paper. People at home will LOVE them, and they will miss you all the more. This will help you a lot. The feeling that people who care about you are thinking about you is great.
Remember, your brain is forming new habits and new skills, and it can be difficult to adapt. Just takes a little time.
I don't look down my nose at so called "Newbies", as we ALL started out as such; and it can be tough living here at times. If your feeling really bad, PM me and let's have a beer.

[pidgin]

Strongly agree with the above. And maybe don't read/post here too much....at least for now

[Some of the Mothers Said]

[sojourner1]

I want to retrain into a decent paying new career to permanently cure my homesickness.

[sarbonn]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[RACETRAITOR]

I don't think I've ever felt a bit of homesickness, except sometimes for my dog (but I have two cats now) and for western-style Chinese food (but I go to Ho Lee Chow now).

I do think that staying in touch with people back home won't work as well as you think, though. Most people can only take so much of hearing you talk about Korea before they start to lose interest.

[Seon-bee]

For me, a satisfying job has to be number one. If not, the rest of your night is ruined: you start bellyaching and drinking, and you hang out with others of the same stripe. So, enjoy your job.

Gotta have a comfortable home. Make it warm, charming, and inviting. It has to be a place you call home and like hanging out at. A crappy, cold home will make you miserable. Years ago, teachers were commonly placed together with 2-3 other teachers. These days, just about everyone gets a tiny single. Sure, you don't have to worry about a lousy roommate, but you are likely to become bored and lonely and cut off from others. Returning home alone to TV and computer games sucks.

Next, go to Costco and Star Bucks. Prioritize Facebook to keep in touch with family and friends. Watch new Western movies. Pretend you're back home. This doesn't work for me. It actually makes me more homesick.

Finally, make new friends here and spend time with them. Take on a new boyfriend/girlfiend. You'll forget about those you left behind.

Take a Korean language course. Get involved in an organization of some kind. Be productive.

In short, a good job with close friends will bring you the happiness you long for and make your final six months tolerable.

[Milwaukiedave]

I like Seon-bee's advice about making your home your own. When I first came to Korea, I made the mistake of not doing this. Also getting out and getting involved in something will help. I was lucky enough to find at least one good friend after being here a couple of months.

The idea of taking a trip home (even a short one) isn't bad either. You will find it changes your perpective.

[gojulie]

It helped me a lot to go through some of the markets and shop for fun little souveniers for people back home..nothing expensive, but it makes you feel connected.

My family and friends really appreciate getting fun little gift boxes filled with dried fish, fun flavors of chips and candy and strange Korean souveniers like miss-spelled t-shirts or strangly offensive statues....

[esetters21]

I second Seon-bee's advice. I often think that I spend too much money in making my home comfortable, but it does wonders for my sanity.

I went home for the first time in almost 3 years this past August. It was great, but I was anxious to come back and get to work again.

Milwaukke Dave brings up a great point in having at least one good friend here. My best friend happens to be my gf. I am close to only a couple of other people, but that is a positive to me. I'm not trying to go out and high 5 everyone in Hongdae and Itaewon these days.