If he's out of the country email may be the only way he CAN keep contact with you. International phone calls can get expensive, he may only have a company phone and not be allowed personal calls, etc.

If he's making the effort to keep in contact at all while he's working in another country, he must have some hope of it going somewhere. I say stick with it at least until he returns and you can talk face to face a few more times.

Meanwhile, don't stop communicating with others, just in case. How long have you been in OC with that other guy? If it goes on for more than a couple of weeks and he hasn't brought it up, you might try dropping a hint about how nice it would be to talk to him in person.

Sorry to break it to you, but most of us spend most of our time unsure of where our current relationship is heading. That's part of the fun of dating! Just hang in there, and it will get better.