I spend the night tossing and turning, reading my new book¹ and waiting for my wake-up call. Naturally I fall asleep 2 minutes before they let me know that it's 6:30.... groan.

The first whole day in Korea

Monday 13th November 2000

After a nondescript breakfast ² I meet my colleagues, all Korean, from our other overseas branches³ All told there are 8 of us, plus our host from HQ. We check out ⁴ Our transport for the next 3 days is some sort of Chevrolet super comfortable van. Only there is one seat too few, so the younger women have to squish together on the back seat, the rest of us have luggage under our feet. Still, it's great and, being high, gives a good view. And then we're off to the company HQ.

Every car in Seoul is a big saloon. It has to do with "face", I assume⁵, since they're mostly driven by men in suits. I'm surprised anyone actually survives using a pedestrian crossing, since the rules for drivers seem to be: green = go; red = stop, then inch forwards until your vehicle completely obscures the crossing markings. Even ancient pedestrians seem able, however, to dodge traffic in a sprightly manner, arriving (usually) unscathed at their destination. Another thing which strikes me about the crossings, there are clearly marked arrows to show you to keep to the right.... everyone is observing this. We drive through many junctions where it seems, at the change of the lights, that all traffic surges forward, and it appears impossible that anyone will get through the lights. Get through we do, thanks to our brave and fearless driver!

Having passed the Olympic stadium⁶ and several hundred ugly appartment blocks we arrive at the company HQ an impressive affair which is about 40 storeys high. We ascend to the 17th floor, and I offer up a silent prayer that I work in the German office - the offices here are very cramped and remind me of batteries for chickens. We're ushered into a conference room and are greeted and given the company strategy. After which we're presented with (very heavy) plaques confirming that we're the bees knees employee wise, and given the news that we're off on a trip to our factory.

The trip to Kumi

Once again we squeeze ourselves into our limousine, and we're off. It takes about 1 hour of serious traffic dodging to get to the edge of Seoul, and a further 3 hours to get to Kumi where the factory is. We stop once at a motorway service station on the way and I'm confronted with "real" Korea for the first time. The ladies lavatories ⁷were similar to those in France: a ceramic "hole in the ground". We buy bottled water and, of all things, Polo mints ⁸ and fruit, and eat delicious walnut cakes whilst waiting for the others to finish their smoke break. Then it's off again. I don't really know what I had expected but the countryside isn't that different from Europe - but the day is sunny and clear and it's possible to see the mountains in the distance.

Lunchtime

Finally we arrive in Kumi, and stop at a restaurant for lunch. The maitre'd takes one look at me and gets a wild look in his eyes. A waitress is despatched to our previously prepared room in all haste and much to-ing and fro-ing is seen. One of our party finally tells me that we have been moved from a traditional (ie. sitting on the floor) room to one with chairs and a table. I'm disappointed, I'm very keen to show my ability to "go native". My chance will come. We eat like kings. There is miso soup, kimchee ⁹, beansprouts, all manner of vegetables, salad, and (for the meat eaters) piles and piles or marinaded beef. I cause further consternation by informing my host of my vegetarianism, and receive a big steaming bowl of kimchi-tofu soup. Everything, as always, is accompanied by sticky rice and copius amounts of water. In contrast to the Chinese and Japanese, the Koreans don't eat everything with chopsticks. They use rather thin metal chopsticks in one hand and a long handled dessert-type spoon in the other. They eat a lot of soup and porridge, so this is very practical.

I notice a lot of surreptitious looks, and realise that for most of my colleagues, let alone the waitresses, a westerner with a chopstick licence is something of a rarity. With the weight of at least 9 pairs of eyes on me, I start to eat, knowing that if I drop something I've lost it and will be given my own personal fork to schlepp around with me for the entire visit. I manage the whole meal, and ever after no mention of forks is made. Phew!. I become, during my stay, very attached to the habit of having several small portions of a variety of foods, I'm already a big fan of Korean cuisine anyway and am determined to learn how to prepare it myself. Nobody seems able to give me any tips though, so I make a mental note to find a cook book in English.¹⁰

After what seems like hours we pile back into the van, and finally arrive at the factory site. After having a group photograph taken¹¹ we're given a quick lesson in how to make our product¹² - which I have seen countless times, but the others haven't - and are shown around the production line. Then we're taken to our new display room, and for the first time the panels which I have helped sell for the past 11 months really come alive. They're fantastic, and I take loads of pictures for my colleagues in Germany, we're the first visitors to the showroom, and are thus very honoured.

Finally the PR team take their leave, we troop back into the van and drive through the dusk to our next luxury hotel: the Huyndai hotel at Kyung Ju. Another truly luxurious experience, and very quick efficient check-in procedure to boot. It's not as anonymous as the Intercontinental, and my room has a balcony overlooking the front courtyard and out to the mountains beyond. We meet for a buffet dinner (more kimchi and rice - this trip must be doing my waistline some more good!) and a drink - then it's back to the rooms for a not too early start the next day.

Day 4 - Tuesday
Day 5 - Wednesday
Days 6/7 - Thursday/Friday