Korean Job Discussion Forums

Joseph Fitzgerald · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

My Korean wife and I have been living here in my hometown, in Mississippi, for about 8 months. It is boring, the job situation is not good, but my family lives here. I have a M.A. in secondary education, but this area is full of teachers, making it very hard to find a teeaching job. The wife is not happy here( no korean friends, boring, small town ), which makes me not happy here. While we were in Korea my Mom fixed up an apartment behind her house for us to stay. It is nice (small, but not as small as our Korean apartment) and my family put a lot of work and money getting this place ready for us to stay here. How could I make my wife happier here? How could I explain to my Mom that my wife is bored here and we are going to move back to Korea to work? My Mom is in bad health (severe athritis and cripled). Maybe another year or so in Korea would help us both financially, as I have taught 2 years already there.
Any thoughts????????????????

posco's trumpet · Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Location: Beneath the Underdog

Have you considered moving to an area of the US which has a Korean community? You'd be more likely to find work as a secondary-school teacher, your wife would be less likely to feel isolated and homesick, but you could (potentially) still be wiithin striking distance of your hometown.

canuckistan · Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2004 5:23 pm Post subject:

Demophobe · Joined: 17 May 2004

Wow...tough spot.

First, although it's admirable that you are so concerned about everyone, you can't carry the world on your shoulders. You wife is an adult, and she will have to help you find a way to get through this together, As for your mother, that's a shame. I can understand your feelings in regard to all of her (and the rest of your family) efforts to make everything just right for you. You don't want to feel that you are turning your back on them. However, your happiness is what they want, and they should feel good about whatever you need to do in order to achieve that happiness.

I don't know what I would do in this situation, but posco's trumpet is correct, I think....you will have to move somewhere where she has more options.

I have to ask....didin't you see this kind of situation coming? Taking a Korean out of Korea to a small US town is a big deal...her unhappiness was very forseeable. Koreans are very tied to their land...the people, the food, the culture....they have a really hard time without it. I guess we all do, but Koreans seem generally more bound to these things.

I took my wife back home for a year, but it was to a larger center with a great asian community of Koreans and Chinese. She studied English there and made many friends through her school. Maybe she could try that? Do you have ANY foreigners in your town studying? She may not need another Korean, but someone who is in a similar situation.

Ironically, this situation is similar to in Korea, when a foreigner is stuck in a backwater little town with no friends. I guess it's a bit different, as there are usually one or two other foreigners around, but it's still tough.

Sorry...no hard advice....just do what you have to do I guess.

skinhead · Joined: 11 Jun 2004

JF, exactly my experience with my wife our first year back here in Adelaide. PM me if you wanna know how Mrs Skinny's fixed her own situation.

I do agree with this:

The Den · Joined: 26 Jan 2003

I understand what you are going through. I had a similar experience 6 years ago when my wife and I moved to a remote location in northern Canada. We were there for a year and to make matters worse my wife was not allowed to work because she did not have her visa yet. So we were short on money. We made it through the year but not without having some huge fights. I am surprised our marriage made it through intact. Anyway we moved to a bigger town and had a baby and this year we came to Korea to visit her family. So anyway if I were you I would try to find a job in a bigger city or come back to Korea. Be careful if you are not willing to live in Korea though. I have not particularly enjoyed this year but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. I am happy we are going home at the end of July though.

Joseph Fitzgerald · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

I also wonder how will my wife's US visa be affected by going back to Korea? If my wife has a baby in Korea, and it is a boy, will he have to do Korean military service? Does anyone know?

phaedrus · Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Location: I'm comin' to get ya.

waterbaby · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Location: Baking Gord a Cheescake pie

I believe your child can have dual citizenship until the age of 18 (this is from Korea's perspective) and then must choose whether to be a Korean citizen or American citizen.

Have a look here for more specific information.

diver · Joined: 16 Jun 2003

Posco,

You mean it is not the poster's wife's own damn fault for marrying him and moving to America in the first place? You're getting mellow...

Wink

Joseph Fitzgerald · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

We are going back, looks like next month. I have a job with GEPIK, this is Gyeonggi English Program In Korea. Has anyone worked with them? If you have tell me about your experience. I will bw working in Kwangju City, Gyeonggi Province.

TJ · Joined: 10 Mar 2003

Tiberious aka Sparkles · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: I'm one cool cat!

Wifey gave me grief nearly every day we were back in Canada. So I finally caved in and came back to Korea. Now, she won't stop begging me to consider returning to Canada.

Women: can't live with 'em, can't shoot 'em.

Sparkles*_*

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

Don't get married is the basic law of happiness...your life ceases to be your own, and is replaced by a world of responsibility and hell...have fun y'all.

Tiberious aka Sparkles · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: I'm one cool cat!