update on a shitty situation

[Originally posted at 10:50PM on Monday, August 24, 2015.]

I've decided to link my fate to the Golden Goose, despite recent buttfuckery. The boss called me twice today to inform me that he's spoken with the housing people, and there are indeed empty apartments in Daecheong Tower. In theory, I ought to be able to move into my new place by this coming Friday or Saturday, which will put me ahead of my final cut-off date: Sunday, August 30. I look forward to getting my 3-million-won rental deposit back in early September: that'll be the first of several infusions of cash.

My boss continues to try to cajole me. He's aware of how pissed off I am, and he says he can get me up to W4 million a month after I've been full-time at the Golden Goose for a year. Maybe he can; maybe he can't. I'm skeptical, given the lack of power he has to make things happen. My boss also notes that the Golden Goose offers year-end bonuses that equal a month's pay. I'll believe that when I see it. If it happens, that'll be good: the bonus, plus my continuing work at KMA, will get me back on budget.

The boss also wants me to look at the big picture: the Golden Goose could be a career for me, he says. I recoiled in mild horror when I heard this; I just don't see myself becoming an old man while toiling for years inside a tiny, old, corporate office. The idea seems to be that I'd be groomed to replace my boss, who would be kicked upstairs, so to speak. The problem is that my boss, who is American and a well-networked individual, uses his extremely high-level Korean skills to maintain that network, and I don't have even half of his speaking ability. There's no way in hell that I could fill his shoes, and given the interpersonal conflicts that seem to come with his job, I don't see that as a legacy I'd like to inherit.

So, per a private discussion with Charles, my most likely strategy will be to stay with the Golden Goose for a year while seeking greener pastures. It's a shame, really. I had looked forward to this life-change with a great deal of excitement, but the returns have been diminishing even before I've gotten started with the job. And now that I've been thoroughly ass-raped, I no longer trust the Golden Goose or have any desire to work there for more than a single year. Sad but true.


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