Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Katie26]

So kind of a personal question today. I've read plenty of things on these boards about Western people dating Korean people but not much about Westerners dating other Westerners.

How do you deal with that when you're both from different countries. Basically I've fallen head over heels with Canadian but I'm from the UK. I'm painfully aware that the longer I teach in Korea the less likely it is that I can return to what I was doing at home (Marketing/PR) but I feel like staying here for another year is my only option. Neither of us are ready to make a decision about moving to one of our home countries, not because it's not serious but because it's only very recently a relationship (we were best friends first).

So basically any advice from someone who has been in the same boat would be awesome...

[conrad2]

How do your parents feel about you dating a Canadian?

[Katie26]

haha they don't know about it yet-could cause a reaction...

[smithy]

[Ginormousaurus]

[johnyv40]

so i have been talking to my friend from ireland, and i only met her cuz she dated my friend alex from america.

but y do u have to go back to the UK? seems like u can still go back to a job in another year. why does another year mean you cannt go back to pr, just tell them on your resume that you helped in korea with pr and marketing. tell them that you were helping with promoting the school and hiring new teachers
which in essence is probably true anyway

do you have a job lined up back home yet?? then that would be an understandable reason to go back home, but if u dont have a job lined up at home, what other reason do you have to go back?? besides visiting family and friends.

if its better to find out in 6 months that u guys arent going to work out, than go long distance and prolong it for another year or 18 months.

good luck to you i hope you can find what you are looking for in the end

[.38 Special]

You could always emigrate to a different country.

"America: Don't Knock It 'Til You Try It"

That's our new Dept. of Tourism motto. The old one wasn't as nice:

"America: Is Rick James, B****"

[caribmon]

Well... once you realize that dating is just a method of intoxication, you can just get another partner at any time and the sadness of leaving the current partner is merely "failure to procreate", just like a bleeding wound is "failure to remain structural integrity of the skin". Once the conflict is over and it is understood that procreation was never the intent (intoxication was), you will stop crying. I've had so many girls begging me to marry them that I really don't care. They all have a story, "ooh I want 399 children with you" (This from a woman named Boonbon who lived in a little shack by the bay), "I want to go to Canada and have lots of computers", "I want to go for a bus ride to town and go to KFC", I want to "watch TV with you every day and eat KFC"> Gosh with the KFC and electronics. One time a fat woman who lived under the mango tree down from Tony's Bar grabbed me by the arm and tried to take me into her house to procreate immediately. Many of them would throw rocks at me to try to get my attention. Once I saw two women with big rocks ready to kill each other over a guy (NOT ME) and it took 10 other women to stop them. Once, a girl threw a big rock at another chick and broke her arm because the other chick was with her man. Went to the hospital. Lowry tried to sell Boonbon to me, but later retracted the offer after everyone in town spread a rumor that I was gay. Then Lowry threatened to cut me up with a knife because his wife was in love with me. But one time I was at the market buying pumpkins and this lady was selling some tomatoes so I bought some. She hugged me and said, "I love you. I want to marry you." Which is nice, but she was 45 years old and somewhat insane. She had a daughter little younger than me, so that was a weird situation.

[hamie]

I meet my GF here. I'm from New Zealand and she's American. We both worked for the same school and were just friends to start with. At the end our first contract I travelled back to America with her (and stayed with her parents) and we then found another teaching job in Mexico. After teaching there for a miserable 6 months we jumped on a plane and headed back to America. From there we decided to come back to South Korea for a year or two.
Neither of us have any intention of heading to New Zealand and after our contract is up we'll head back to America to live.
This is just my story and it seems to have worked out sunny side up

[oldfatfarang]

[Gaber]

Just past 3 and a half years with with an American girl I met here in 2006. Steady as she goes.
We've had various family visit us here and traveled home together too. Her big sister + boyfriend arrived for a couple of weeks just last night, in fact.
Life's pretty great. We have a spacious place, good income, biannual international vacations (or is that semiannual?).
One issue is though that love here is kind of in a pressure cooker. People tend to jump forward through relationships steps rather than let it proceed at a more natural pace. People can, depending on contract situations, find themselves living together far sooner than they would have in the real world. And renewing your relationship in yearly chunks is kind of a trip.
You mentioned you were already good friends; if this is the case, it will stand you in good stead. You're likely to have a LOT of one on one time.