Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ya-ta Boy]

I had really good plans for today. I went in 2 hours (two HOURS!!) early so I'd have a total of 4 hours to get really prepared for next week. The best laid plans...

Last week I called my ex-boss to see why Immi couldn't find my LOR and ARC card, since he'd been in to cancel my visa and my new boss had gone in to apply for my new one. He was miffed at Immi and my old boss and me when Immi said they couldn't find the stuff. I was puzzled and thought maybe I'm in big trouble.

Wednesday I called the ex-boss but he was here in Seoul visiting so couldn't talk right then. I sent him an e-mail asking him to fax a copy of the LOR to us since my boss thought that might be sufficient.

Didn't hear back.

This moring I'm scurrying around making copies for next week and feeling virtuous when the new boss comes up and says no LOR has arrived and unless I solve the mystery of the missing LOR and ARC today, he'll hire someone else.

I drop everything and run home to get the ex's phone number and luckily checked my e-mail one more time. I had received a reply:

"Your foreinger card is not valid. At school management office MR.Cho keeps your card.

You can not use your foreigner card anywhere in Korea.

You can check your unemployment at the immigration office. You can visit the immigration office.

You neet not get release letter. I have never heard of release letter.

Once we report your resignation, It's enough. It doesn't matter.

I'm sorry but I'm on vacation, so I cannot go to school for the time being."

Notice that this letter disagrees with the previous message that he HAD taken the LOR and ARC to Immi.

Rush back to school and the new boss blows sky high. Next Wednesday is the final day I can be in Korea. I convince him to call Mr. Cho at the old school and see if he'll let me have the ARC card. BUT the two get in an argument. Mr. Cho, the office gopher, says it is not his job to write an LOR and besides, I don't work there anymore, so why should he care?

New boss gets off the phone and just about jumps up and down with fury, calling Mr. Cho an 'ugly Korean' and that is not how Koreans usually act. This goes on for minute after minute. It finally turns out that the new boss has to write me an LOR and I have to go to the old job and retrieve my ARC and have that school stamp my LOR.

So I'm out my pay for the day plus all the transportation expenses of the day, plus the wear and tear on my nerves. I think I aged at least a decade today.

Hurray for weekends. I need one.

[polonius]

Ya-ta Boy, I will drink a guiness or 3 in honour of you tonight.

I often have those stressful days, as I am the foreign manager at my school and the go between for foreigners and Koreans. In fact, this week was one of those stressful daze.

Cheers to you for not blowing a valve.

[Woland]

Bad day. Not your fault. First beer is on your look-alike tomorrow night.

[English_Ocean]

The moral of the storey is....?

[rednblack]

Yep! Good hear that some can go about sorting out a problem in a decent fashion. BTW, the orange/banana cake turned out pretty good.

[Ya-ta Boy]

The offer of a beer has been noted.

I'm off to the kitchen to bake some banana bread. The secret of Allrecipe.com is to read the reviews before you make anything. Some posters offer great tips.

Moral of the story: Scarlett O'Hara was right.

[Hyeon Een]