Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lookingforworkinasia]

So I've been here in Korea for about 1.5 years. I live and work in a really small town. I chose this job because it offered more money, more benefits, and to be honest I was looking forward to living in a small town. For the most part, everything has been and continues to be great. People are mostly very friendly and personable, I'm treated well at work, and I get all kinds of perks because people seem to appreciate what I do for them here.

That said, I'm no longer particularly happy. Although there are tons of outdoor activities I can enjoy (and do enjoy) solo, my deteriorating social life is definitely dragging me down. I can't think of any alternative solution to moving, which means I'm gonna have to break my contract and go.

My school is sympathetic to my situation, but there isn't much they can do about it. They can't force fun, cool people to move here. I've investigated relocating, but I haven't been able to find a way to make it work. I feel like a total jerk because I know they won't be able to find a replacement for me until March, but that's not enough to motivate me to stay.

So I'm throwing my situation out there because I could use some advice. Does anyone have any ideas on ways I can cope that might enable me to stay till my contract finishes? Or, does anyone have suggestions on how I can part ways amicably with my school?

[asmith]

Go to the city on the weekends.

[mulligc3]

There are only 6 months left. Take up a new hobby or give yourself a goal. Like buy a guitar and learn some tunes,loose weight, tone up, learn a new language, brush up on an old one or buy a bike and explore.
Then once a month or so as said above go on a trip.

It'll be a big achievement if you finish the contract.

[mimis]

Hmm.. tough one.

Where do you live? Like asmith said, going away on weekends (if there's a big city nearby) is a good option, though undoubtedly you've thought of that one yourself.

Or do what the previous poster suggested, aren't there any (government-run) public/private sports places for example? I took yoga at a public sports centre here- super cheap, interesting AND you meet plenty of new people. It wasn't for me though, but hey, another month passed quickly enough. If you look into it, there could be loads of fun stuff to do, just go where the Koreans go!

There are no young, fun & cool Koreans in your town to hang out with? No foreigners, maybe in neighbouring towns/cities?

If not, then it sounds like there's not much you can do, other than relocate. Can't you help your school find a replacement for you? (Why March?)

[madoka]

Suck it up and finish your contract or find a suitable replacement so you don't screw your students/school. It's called being a responsible adult.

[lookingforworkinasia]

Thanks everyone. In response to your suggestions, I've already exhausted most of them. I go to the city almost every weekend. While I'm there, everyone asks me when I am planning on moving into the city, and it actually just depresses me more now.

Like I mentioned in my OP, there are lots of great activities to do in the winter/summer where I live. I'm quite active, more so than I've been through most of my adult life. Sadly though, what I'm looking for is a little more social. I've been studying up and picking up hobbies till now, and it's not really enough for me anymore.

I'm the only foreigner who lives here. I teach in every school in town. I know most of the students names, and a lot of their parents. Only two other teachers from any of my schools live in the town, everyone else commutes. Sometimes, as much as two hours in one direction. There are no young people here, they all leave ASAP. My predecessors impressions of living here was the exact same as mine. Great job, great environment, plenty of stuff to do, but no social opportunities at all.

As to why March, that's when my contract is up. It's a PS. I would consider it unrealistic for them to find a replacement without the aid of EPIK. It isn't a highly sought after area or position (despite the fact it's actually a nice place to live AND a good job) so I don't think myself, or a professional recruiter would have an easy time selling it to potential candidates.

[eIn07912]

ride it out man. uve made it this long, dont break ur contract now. that can follow u for a long time, perhaps even preventing u from finding work in the city later (there is a black list)

i was in a similar situation last year (not that i wanted to change towns, but country rather) i got through it by really getting into fitness. listing weights, working out, running, healthy cooking. it all can take up a lot of ur time. once u set goals like "in 6 weeks, ill be able to do 100 pushups without rest" or " in 2 months, i'll run a 5K".. with enough of these, before u know it, months have passed. the restlessness u felt before will fade with all the exercise ur doing and u get the added benefit of having a good looking body when u hit the city and discover all the ladies here waiting for u.

[thoreau]

Sorry about your situation.

It seems that maybe a little bit of depression has set in probably brought about by the isolation you feel.

One thing that might help is to invite others to visit you. There is a website called Couch Surfing that helps you to open up your home to others and in turn others open up their place to you.

http://www.couchsurfing.org/

Send out the word to friends back home. Tell them that they can visit Korea for up to 90 days with only a passport and a plane ticket. No Visa needed.

Hope things work out for you.

[mimis]

^ Wow, that's actually a pretty good idea!

[Gnawbert]

[Forward Observer]

Are you a guy? If so, get a motorcycle and use it to explore the country. Instead of sitting at home on weekends, you can get out and ride. You could even ride it to a bigger city. One thing that used to get me down is that I always had to walk everywhere. Walk to the bus stop, walk to the train/subway station, walk walk walk. I hated it. As soon as I got a ride, my whole outlook changed. Suddenly, it didn't take as long to go places. People didn't stare as much (maybe i didn't notice it because I was zipping around and smiling so much). Life was infinitely improved.

Maybe you can come to Seoul, I'll buy you a beer.

[thoreau]

[iammac2002]

[nosmallplans]

buy a car. get a new apartment out of town. do what the other teachers do and commute in.

[Jane]

If you are unhappy, and you've tried various ways to relieve that unhappiness, I'm afraid buying things will not make you feel better for long.

It seems like you've contemplated this for a long time, and there is nothing wrong with leaving your contract earlier if you do it responsibly. It seems like the people and colleagues around you are supportive and understanding.

Give your school a reasonable amount of time in which to find someone, and make preparations to move on to something that is more suitable for you.

People change, interests change, and by staying in a position where you aren't happy, it will only bring you down and cause resentment, possibly to the detriment of the people around you.

I've been in your exact situation (albeit my situation was an unhealthy one), and I tried to stick it out but couldn't. I changed my situation (gave plenty of notice, etc) and everyone was happy in the end.

Six months is a looooong time when you are unhappy. Life is too short to discount it by six months for the sake of being a good English teacher. They will surely find someone just as good as you, and you owe it to yourself to fix for yourself a situation where you are at peace.