Coworkers

As much important as it is where you work, whom you work with is also crucial. In this regard, I am very fortunate to have very professional colleagues. My team, overseas marketing team consists of 5 (me inclusive) members.

The team captain; he used to work at KNTO (Korean National Tourism Organization) for years, later moved to Hyundai Asan that has paved the way to nurture Korean's tourism in North Korea, in particular Geumgang Mountain and Kaesung. He basically started the whole thing from scracth and set up the things now known as Hyundai Geumgang Mountain Tour. From time to time he talks about entertainment industry and behind stories that he knows of. According to him, he knows people in the industry and thus gets updated on juicy stories of Korean entertainment field. He seems to be callous from time to time, but that is his style. Seemingly, he talks insensitively, but deep down, we all know that he is a good person. He lost his father in-law few weeks ago. He's been suspicious as to whom I live with..hehe. The area that I live is pretty flamboyant and full of bars and whatnot. So he thinks that I live with one of juicy girls or young college girl. Well, no one except for my folks has been my home..so who knows?

And the ranking number two, she is in Europe now, on 3 week long trip, which she got lots of denouncement from outside the department. She is in charge of Chinese tourism and has been associated with the government office and so forth. Fully capable of speaking both Mandarin and Cantonese, she is very professional and that's why she has not been married, yet. Workaholic she seems to be sometimes. One day, I needed to pick up something that I forgot at work and thus came back to work around 11pm. And she was still there staring her computer monitor and constantly typing up something. I was very impressed with her dedication and devotion to her work. And I believe that she deserves her trip to Europe, (well it is not a trip actually, the company endorses her trip to Europe in order to ameliorate the employee's sense of tourism). She earned it herself. And she said that this is her first time to go on a long trip since she started to get invovled in tourism about 20 years ago. She was very ecstatic about it, but those who have no idea why her trip to Europe is so meaningful to her say "She just kicking it off in Europe. It is very irresponsible for her to take a trip at this very busy time of the year." Well, I don't think so. She won the very competitive competition and thus has all the right to relish what she's obtained.

And my mentor. He is smart. Probably one of the smartest persons I have ever seen. Both book smart and street smart. Ambitious, funny and sensible. From the very day I started to work, he has been giving me a lot of advice as to how to live a life, to excel at work and to further my career. The pieces of advice were not just superficial, but very realistic and helpful. Of course, I have not done any of them, but once I stay on track, I will. He is like my brother that I don't have. I am an only child as you know. He sits right next to me and always welcomes my inquiries and make fun of me as to, again, whom I live with. And he's got a one year old son, so always shoves the baby's pictures taken on cell phone in my face. Oh..and he eats constantly. But he ain't a pig.

The last one, the japanese master. Whenever she is on a business call with some Japanese person, I feel like some kind of channeling happens to her. The voice tonality completely switches to that of Japanese women, which is quite ticlkish. Sometimes she is moody and thus throws tantrum at me, but other times she is very helpful and nice. She always talks about her 2 year old son that is living with his grandmother. Somtimes she is harsh, but most of time, just like my mentor, she is very helpful and I consider her from time to tim my older sister, which also I do not have.

Taken all together, my coworkers are very professional and caring. But work is work. I need to be professional as much as they are. And I don't need to cozy up to them. But sometimes, like today, I would like to depend upon them and listen to their good ole stories or advice. After all, we all should live in harmony.