Boys are stupid...

I should have trusted my first instincts...

Young broke up with me this morning. In a text message. I think I'm too angry/irritated to be depressed right now...

Stress from Korea...

Just a quick update on things…

I’ve applied for two positions, so far. Both are for writing/copy editing positions, one with the Seoul Tourism Organization and the other with Arirang TV, which is an English news/entertainment channel produced in Korea. Both advertised part-time positions, but the pay wasn’t too too bad. If I get one of them, I may have to stay part-time at Apple Tree (really don’t want to, but it would make things less complicated visa-wise) or take on some more tutoring jobs during my free time. (I still have my current one on Saturday which will help.) If I get the Arirang job, it’s from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. during the week, so I could take a 10-week course at a language institute during the day (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and try to improve my Korean. I’m starting to put some money aside for that. I remember that it wasn’t nearly as expensive as I thought it would be.

I have a list of about six other places to apply. One is another Korean PR company that has an open position for basically the same thing that I do at Apple Tree (yes, I know it’s a death wish, but I seriously need to find a job). The rest are global PR companies and some international hotels that currently aren’t advertising, but I’m hoping will at least take a look at my resume. I give it month. If I still haven’t found anything office-wise, then I’m going back to teaching English and writing on the side for foreign magazines. Luckily, I found a job listing website for expats and foreigners in Korea, so that’s helping a bit.

In other news, my friend Jung Shin and I are looking into possibly starting our own business, but it’ll probably take us about two or so years to come up with the financing (sucks being poor, young people…though we could probably sweet talk some investors…) and another year after that to get it opened. We’re in the research stage (which is proving to be fun ^^). We’re keeping quite hush-hush about it because we’re not sure how things will work out. If things start falling into place, I’ll keep you updated. Right now, we’re just wondering how to get our hands on $50,000 without selling weed, robbing a bank or any other sort of devious, illegal means…

And in the relationship department…I’d rather not discuss that… I’m under a lot of pressure with work and finding a new job and it’s not helping that my boyfriend is currently being a butthead. Oh well. If things start falling in place for the business, I won’t have time for a boyfriend anyway…

And that’s about it. Keep praying that I find a job soon. It’s getting more and more difficult to stay in this company. Now that I know I’m leaving, my motivation is gone and I have no patience for my co-worker who has morphed into an even larger bitch now that we’re in the middle of our big event. (*see my personal blogger for that account) I guess I just need to work harder at staying positive and hope for the best. ^_^

Life ...

... feels a little bit like a roller-coaster right now. Only I can't seem to figure out how to get off to more stable ground.

Yay the internet came back!

Ok so my internet started working earlier this week but I haven't gotten a chance to post here in a bit.

What is going on in the life of Kristen...hmmmm....

Palm Sunday is tomorrow. And like last year we will be singing the Passion by Gregory Nelson (I think that is his name) I am terrible at keeping his name in my head...:P This musical is more of a choral thing than a play and it is postively beautiful...I am very thankful to be apart of this tomorrow.

SIFE regionals went well. It was so fun being a judge because the pressure is off! I can remember coming to regionals and being soooooooooooooooooo nervous and nationals too. And being a judge....well I got to be the group of people that everyone fears! lol it was fun getting to meet a new SIFE team and see how much they have done in a semester and give them suggestions on how to make what they have done better....the sad part was after the awards ceremony, I was too tired to stay for the Alumni networking thingy so i guess I will have to catch them next time.

And well working my butt off and all. This store is soooo much better than when I joined it in December. It still has a long way to go but so much better!

My family and I are taking a family vacation. Either to Maryland or California. Right now it is looking like we are going to Maryland because it is cheaper. And...please pray long and hard...my dad MIGHT have a job! Sooo right now the trip dates are a little up in the air, but hopefully we will know in a couple days.

I am also trying to go see U2 in concert at Soldier Field in September. I have wanted to see them in concert for a while and now I have a chance! Woot! We shall see if I can get on the presale website tomorrow sometime.

Other than that, I just finished watching Slumdog Millionaire and enjoying some sangria!

Not so Huzzah...But there is huzzah potential...

So, I thought it best to inform all of you at once since I'm sure most of you have seen my status message on Facebook.

My company is letting me go. I apparently make more than all my co-workers (which I found out is quite a pathetic salary. Seriously, I would never knowingly accept what they get paid) and my company can no longer afford to pay me that salary. My manager presented two options to me last night over dinner: 1- switch to a part-time status and accept a pay cut that would reduce my monthly salary by half, or 2- move to another company.

My manager recommended that I move to another company and had already started passing my resume around to help me. I think he could see that my CEO was still trying vainly to keep me around so that he could keep his status of having a “foreigner” at the office. My CEO’s reasoning for keeping me around had nothing to do with my welfare and everything to do with what he wanted. My manager could see this, and thought it would be best for me to move to a different company that would provide more opportunity for me and take better care of me as an employee rather than staying here and being labeled as the “English teacher” or being forced to go along on meetings so my boss could show off his “foreign worker”.

So, I’m currently looking for a new position. My manager is contacting his friends who have high-level positions at other companies and Mr. Han (the guy who got my job here) is contacting his friends at some major hotels in Seoul. I’m planning on sending my resume and a cover letter to the other hotels. And if none of that works out, I’ll go back to teaching English. I know Berlitz would take me back in a heartbeat if there are openings.

I’m trying to remain positive. My company has said that I could stay until I find a new job, so I won’t have to worry about no income until the time comes to get my new visa. (I’ll have to take off up to a month while it processes, and then I’ll have to wait another month until my first pay day.) I’m taking this as an opportunity since things haven’t been so great at my company and I have been wanting to leave. My parting words to my CEO will be to not try to hire another foreigner for awhile because his company is not ready to handle one. And he needs to do some serious research in what hiring a foreigner entails. (i.e. providing housing, higher salary, all medical benefits, a little extra understanding, etc.)

Though part of me wants to be really childish and throw a huge fit my last day here and tell them exactly what I think about them…but I guess that wouldn’t be a good idea…

Instead, I’ve decided to take out my anger by leaving at 6 p.m. everyday instead of being guilted into staying later. I feel that is much more productive…especially now since I no longer care what my co-workers say or think about me. They won’t be my co-workers for much longer… ^_^