So here I am, sitting at work while Shane and Melissa and Tahra cruise around Seoul having fun. And this after the Secretary of State visit for which I had to sit in the boring-as press filing center all day (thus not even seeing the Secretary) and then work extra late on transcriptions of press conference speeches and interviews using horrible tapes apparently recorded with hand-held recorders merely aimed in the general direction of the speaker.
But, I did get to tool around the city with Shane and Melissa last Thursday and Friday, after having made my second trip to the airport at 1:00 a.m. Wednesday night/Thursday morning to pick them up from their 3.5-hour-delayed flight from Tokyo. With all the bad weather Japan has received lately, I can see why they invaded Korea so many times.
I don't really have a purpose with this blog entry; just writing aimlessly. I did just get an e-mail from Aaron Koelman, whom I thought must have dropped off the edge of the earth or something.
Speaking of the edge of the earth, we're trying to plan to take our R&R on New Zealand. But we'd have at most two weeks, and trying to see everything we think we want to see there in that amount of time may be more hassle (and more expensive) than it's worth. At least we know we're not going to NZ for Tahra's next assignment, so this may be our best chance to go.
On a completely unrelated topic, I have a question for my readers. It requires a bit of background info: my current job involves writing and editing documents for extreme (-ly short) deadlines. Some of these documents are big, and include such items as speeches for the U.S. Ambassador to Korea. In addition, I've got one boss who has to leave her mark on everything (even if it's perfectly fine the way it is), and another who doesn't tell me anything about anything and then expects me to do the work upon hearing about it for the first time an hour or so before the deadline. Needless to say, this is very stressful for me. Further, a person in a position similar to mine will be leaving soon, leaving me to take up the slack there until her replacement starts (whenever that may be). To top it all off, I don't need to work. Sure, the extra money is nice, but we have no housing payments and we can get by easily enough on Tahra's salary -- and I could potentially make more money and work fewer hours by picking up more students for English tutoring (which I cannot do while working this full-time job, though I've had several requests recently).
So the question: should I stick this one out long enough to get an evaluation report (approximately February) so it looks good for a resume; should I stick it out until the end (or near the end) of Tahra's assignment here; or should I resign earlier and do more tutoring?
I've stayed on long enough to earn back all of the advance sick leave I used when I picked up "the thing what came from the squid dish I ate in Daehangno," so I don't owe any of that back.
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4 comments:
Two weeks is enough time to tour the south island. Go from Christchurch to the southern tip and back again!
As for yr. job, I'd recommend sticking it out. Not to diminish your issues at work, but your bosses and work situation sound pretty much like everyone else's that I know. I completely agree that last minute projects do suck, and week after week of them must get frustrating. But that's the way it goes, especially when you work for the government, which seems like your best and only bet for the near and far future.
I also think it's better than tutoring, because you can actually put this government job on a resume. No employer will care that you've tutored Korean ppl. in English, unless you're applying to be a tutor, which never sounded anything remotely like a career goal of yours. Whereas speech writing may be a bit closer, and is, truth be told, kind of a cool sounding job.
Unless you've decided to relegate yourself to a life as a dependent house husband, picking up income here and there, I think staying on as a speech writer is the better choice. That's my recommendation.
Clutch is playing at 1st Ave. on Nov. 19. Let me or Aaron know if we need to get you a ticket!
Also, Matt, Aaron, Chuck & I begin the new adventures of Tommy Beans in '05 (except everyone's starting fresh, and Aaron has decided to make a dude named Ronny Salad). You have an open invitation.
I agree that it sounds like most jobs. On the other hand I'm not big on sticking in a situation that your not enjoying and from the way you've talked about it I suspect some of the differences are in personal interaction more than job duty frustration. I do think thatthe speech writer would be a cool thing on a resume, but I also think the tutoring would score you points at many job interviews. My choice would probably be to stick it out for the evaluation (can be put on resume)and maybe work on lining up tutoring for when you're done so you can be making nearly as much (moving back in income will always be tough). That also gives you an easy out for job interviews if they ask why did you leave the job so quickly it's because you had enough interest in you tutoring and that was far more interesting.
Of course if I was really in your position I would not be working (maybe tutoring one or two) and would just cook and keep the house (which is a fair bit of work itself). You would need to learn to cook to do that however so if you like that option you better start studing up the joy of cooking.
Paul, ignore this. It's a conversation b/w Forest and me.
Forest, you're thinking in terms of Paul having job interviews with a variety of employers. I'm thinking in terms of Paul having job interviews with one employer, Uncle Sam. It would look far better to Uncle Sam if Paul worked hard and didn't bow out early then if Paul said he left to work on his tutoring skills. He won't always be able to tutor. He will always (so long as P & T country hop) be able to at least apply to work for the govt. Hence my advice. I'm also not sure how tutoring will improve his resume, aside from future employment as a tutor.
Okay, Paul, you can quit ignoring, now.
Forest and I agree you should become a chef. Although you'll have to use something besides ketchup as a marinade, since tomatoes are in shorter supply this year. And no, catsup is no substitute.
You're right I was thinking of general interviews. Uncle sam as an employer would look at sticking it out as a good thing. So unless there is something else that looks more desirable working for the govt. then maybe just do your job and try to iprove the issues that make it annoying. Though you might be able to sell the tutoring thing to the govt. as trying to get more involved with the culture you find yourself in they might like that, or they might have you shot as a traitor.
I think the chef thing is perfect so you can cook me great meals whenever I see you.
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