I’m in Seoul now. This is probably my last business visit here, at least with my current company, as our division in Seoul shuts down at the end of the year. My last chance to say goodbye to the people who’ve worked their guts out in this office for close to a decade.

My first visit to Seoul for this company was also in December, 7 years ago. The temperature was minus 3 degrees and the taxi driver couldn’t find the office, dropping me off quite a distance away, giving me my first clue that Seoul street addresses are just as random as Tokyo’s. Normal mobile phones didn’t work then, and I went from building to building, showing a piece of paper with the address, until I found someone who spoke English and could direct me.

These days I stay in a hotel that’s above a shopping mall and also above the Seoul Subway – I don’t even have to go outside to get to a train and two short stops later, I’m at the office (moved from its more remote location several years ago).

Anyway, we’ll see if I have anything worth blogging about while I’m here. But it is a weird feeling coming to a place I’ve come to at least 30 times knowing it could be the last time.
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When I’m single, I never have any luck when I’m traveling. All the luck is when I’m in the middle of a relationship, and what kind of luck is that?

First on the plane, rather than some old man (well, older than me), I’m seated next to a cute young woman. I’m not hitting on her and she has no interest in talking to me. If I was single I might have made an attempt but I let it go.

Off the plane at Incheon. Right into the smoking room. Only one person in there before me, a woman sitting there with earphones stuck in her ears – I’d noticed her sitting two rows in front of me on the plane. When I walk in she smiles, removes her earphones, starts talking with me. Korean, lived all over the world, single from what I can tell, possibly over 40 but still very fit, very attractive, the way so many Korean women are. And in no time at all, volunteers practically her whole life story. And then asks for mine.

We leave the smoking room. She says, “Goodbye. God bless you!” But then we walk together to the shuttle train, ride the train together, walk to immigration together, wait for our bags together.

She lives in a completely different part of town from where I’m going so no interest in sharing my limo. But I think maybe she was waiting for me to ask her out for dinner. Which I don’t do, because I’m being a “good boy” these days. And she tells me she goes to HK 3 times a month on business and I’m picturing the consequences if I do ask her out. so I don’t. But I do hand her my card. She didn’t offer hers in return, so maybe I misread the signs. I’m good at that.

And now I find out that for my three days here, I’m only getting taken out for lunch each day, looks like I will be free for dinner each night. And could have called her, would have had time to go out for dinner, even just for some friendly conversation (not to mention someone local who speaks the language).

Doh!

I will now probably lie in bed awake all night wondering why the porridge bird lays its eggs in the air.