Between a rock and a hard place

Things are not going well at work.  The kids are great, I love teaching, but the management is a little shady. We, the other native English-speaking teachers and I, have a growing list of grievances that are really very reasonable even for a bunch of self-entitled Americans. I'll skip over the lesser offenses and share the main problems with you.

Why we grumble

• December 31st was pay day. We each received less than half of our December salary. 
• We have not moved to our new campus. As a result, we work from the tables at the back of the seminar room, without computers or other supplies. 
• The management doesn't think it is necessary to tell us ANYTHING.

We demanded a meeting with the principal for today to discuss our concerns. After an exhausting series of translations, we were offered reasonable explanations and assurance that we will be paid and our jobs are secure at least for this term. However, my cohort's problems are not exactly solved. We have promises from a source that has given us trust issues. 

I know you're all wondering why I don't just get another job at one of the many of Hagwons in Korea seeking English teachers. Here's why. If we are laid off or quit, we lose our job and our right to be in the country. Thanks to the new E-2 visa laws, effective starting this month, I cannot just get a new job. I first have to get a FBI background check, a several month process that comes with a lovely fee. Then I have to go through a bunch of paper work to get my visa's sponsorship switched. By the time my new visa is processed, I'll likely run out of cash or be deported. 

Obviously, not getting paid is the critical issue, but I'm mostly irked by the fact that the no matter how many questions I ask I never get an answer. The lines of communication are about a clear as a phone call from an AT&T cell phone at the corner of Spring Creek St. and Alpine Rd. During the meeting, I tried to impress upon the principal that many of us have invested ourselves financially and emotionally in this venture and to keep us in the dark is not acceptable. I sense that the management has been thinking of us as just "some American teachers" rather than real people. I keep getting the urge to dramatically yell out, "We're people too!" We all have bills and other responsibilities, and do not really have anything to go back to in the States. There is not a whole lot of opportunity for recent graduates in the U.S. right now. That's part of the reason we're in Korea. 

Yesterday, I was about 80% sure would have to cut my Korean adventure short by 10 months. Today, things are looking much better, but I'm still nervous. January 14th is the day that will decide my fate. I have a plan for whatever happens.  Not a good plan but a plan. I really hope things will work out and going home is still a last resort. The looks of disappointment and "I told you so" are sure to silently beat me into depression if I am forced to go home. However, if you see me in the Midwest before the thaw don't be outrageously surprised. 

I have shared my sad story. Now you're up.  Have you ever put all your eggs in one basket and then had some fat guy sit on it? What did you do and how did you rebound? I appreciate any comments of support, advice, or Youtube videos that will make me smile.