I’ve got another iron in the fire in my quest to secure employment in the ROK.  Submitted an application and a boat load of other documentation for a gig as an Admin Test Monitor.  Trust me, it’s not as exciting as it sounds.  As I understand it, my duties would essentially consist of logging people in and out of the examination room.  I don’t have a clear understanding about what the tests actually are for exactly, I’m assuming it’s related to military personnel qualifying for promotion.

This particular job is part time, three eight hour days per week.  The pay is pretty embarrassing, $15. or less per hour.  There are no benefits, I even have to provide my own transportation to Korea.  On the plus side, it does afford Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) status, so I could access the commissary, PX and other on post amenities.

I’d be working for a guy I’ve known for years.  He also intends to promote me to a full-time Test Administrator position he expects will become available in January.  I don’t think it pays much better though.  Anyway, he wants to hire me (I did a pseudo-interview via Skype the other night) but there are three hoops to be jumped through prior to that happening.

The first of those was running a ration control check which has now been completed.  I was a little surprised and embarrassed to learn I had four violations on record.  While I was working as an Army civilian I was entitled to spend up to $550. per month in the commissary.  There were three instances where I exceeded that amount by less than $100.  To the best of my recollection those occurred on occasions when I did team building events for my staff.  As a GS-15 I probably had authority to do that, although I never did the supporting paperwork required for approval.  The last violation was about $400 over the limit.  No excuse for that.  It was my last month in Korea before retiring and it was Christmas, so I went a little wild with a steak-filled parties for friends and co-workers.  Anyway, my future boss doesn’t think it will be a problem.  He sent me a counseling memo reminding me of my obligation to abide by purchasing limits and I expressed my remorse for past transgressions and assured him there would be no future incidents of this nature.

I also have to have a record check through the Provost Marshal’s office.  There should be no issues there as my only “crimes” during my six years of working in Korea were a speeding ticket and a parking violation, both paid in full prior to my departure.

Oh, the boss also needs to check to see if my “secret” clearance is still active.  That’s not a deal breaker, it would just mean doing a bunch of paperwork and having to wait for an approval prior to actually starting to work.  Keeping my fingers crossed on that because it is a royal pain in the ass to complete that process.

The one hurdle (or should I say hoop to avoid mixing metaphors) he’s concerned about is whether I’ll be considered an “ordinary resident” of the USA, a requirement for SOFA status and employment with his company.  The issue is the six months I spent in Korea as a tourist earlier this year.  I’ve submitted utility bills, tax records, mortgage records and the like to hopefully satisfy the SOFA compliance officer that my permanent residence has been and remains in South Carolina.

Anyway, I expect to learn my fate sometime next week.  I’m obviously hoping for a favorable resolution because for the life of me, I can’t seem to come up with a Plan “B”.  Well, I guess what I would have to do is return to Korea again as a tourist.  I’m frankly worried about my wife.  Or more precisely, whether I still have one.  It’s been nine days now since I last heard from her.  No calls, no texts, not even a friggin”‘ “like” on my Facebook posts.  The good angel on my shoulder keeps telling me she is in the “countryside” caring for her mother without internet access.  What the devil on my other shoulder is saying keeps me awake into the wee hours of the morning.  Regardless, I’m feeling abandoned and I’m depressed.

So, one way or the other I need to go back to Korea.  “Did you know that loneliness will kill you deader than a .357 Magnum?”