Korean Job Discussion Forums

baedaebok · Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: Seoul, South Korea

What does a Korean women mean when she says "stress"?
My Korean wife uses that word a lot and seems to mean more than when I use it....a deeper meaning for her. She uses it when she speaks Korean (Hangul).

I'm trying to convince my wife to move with me to Saudi Arabia. She's not so keen on the idea. How can I see the idea of moving to Saudi Arabia?

Nolan Ryan · Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 6:22 pm Post subject:

I have to sympathize with the OP...You're in a pickle no doubt about it!

First of all ,you're going to the middle east...where women have to abide by muslim laws/ local customs..wearing the veil and all...I'm sure she is aware of this...

Second, you will no doubt be housed within a compound, which furthers the isolation from her home country...

Thirdly, chances are, she will have no KOREAN friends to bitch and complain too when the chips are down...Further to that point,it is highly unlikely that she'll be able to buy her korean goods there,ie. ramen ,kimchi etc., and watch korean programming other than arirang!

Your wife is no doubt stressed by this decision and the share thought of leaving her one and only "home" and her family behind.

As for advice, I think you have to consider what she has now compared to what she will endure in the mid east. You have to find a middle ground..Does she work right now? If so,in what line of work? Maybe she could find a job with a korean company there...You could also make an arrangement where you take a nice vacation to europe or another place during vacation period. Paris, London, an African safari, the Mediterranean, etc,. That could lessen some of the stress as well.

I sort of had to go through the same thing...before my Korean wife met my family in 2001,she had never been to Canada before. And she went through quite the shock of knowing that access to kimchi ,the Korean lifeblood, was nowhere readily available. That was,until we stumbled on a "Hannam Supermarket" in Langley! We also met some people in my brother's neighbourhood, Korean, European. Indian, white. The more positive experiences we had ,the more comfortable she became with the idea of one day leaving Korea alltogether.

I've been married for close to 5 years now. We have a 3yr old daughter. We plan to move back to Canada in a couple of years. My wife was keen on this idea after visiting B.C many times and knowing full well that she can have her kimchi, kimchi chigae and everything else that is korean in Canada too! It is also the halfway point between where I'm from and her home country, so we can readily visit our kin wherever they are...I believe it still will be a bit difficult to leave Korea but less stressful than before.

In your case,your going to have to find the medium. Do some research and find out if there are small korean communities working there, or people in a similiar situation, ie. married to a korean and living in the mideast...

Best of luck to you..

Benicio · Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 6:38 pm Post subject:

Sounds like she really, REALLY doesn't want to go!

Korean women try to be more subtle in expressing their dislike for something they know their partner is interested in. Many times, they won't tell you straight up that they hate it.
I used to make cream sauce pasta alot for my missus and it took her several months to tell me she really prefers tomato sauce.

I can pretty much guarantee she will not like living there at all.

If you insist on it, I do not think it will be good for your marriage.
Relationships are about compromise, but you should realize when your partner is really NOT into something you are into.

Asking my missus to move to the Middle East would get the saem response as if I asked her to get 5 of her friends to give me a golden shower- you can guess her response!

Horangi Munshin · Joined: 06 Apr 2003 Location: Busan

spliff · Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand

So, what does "stress" mean in Hangul? I hear it a lot to around the office.

rockyroad · Joined: 03 Feb 2008 Location: Seoul

[quote="baedaebok"]What does a Korean women mean when she says "stress"?
My Korean wife uses that word a lot and seems to mean more than when I use it....a deeper meaning for her. She uses it when she speaks Korean (Hangul).

I'm trying to convince my wife to move with me to Saudi Arabia. She's not so keen on the idea. How can I see the idea of moving to Saudi Arabia?[/quo
No need to use the Poll, we all know that korean women can't live there,, mal to ande,, mot sara,, sesang e...aygu aygu... Smile

hellofaniceguy · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: On your computer screen!

I think most would have stress having to live in korea and dealing with koreans...especially korean women. They have to put up with a lot of BS from korean men/husbands/boyfriends and in laws. Especially the
MIL's.

tigerbluekitty · Joined: 19 Apr 2007

Luckily her MIL's not Korean.

She could be stressed because of cultural differences and not wanting to move to Saudi Arabia, thinking the move would sever her from Korean society and throw her into a territory that could possibly be dangerous and desolate.