I landed in Seoul at 8 in the morning. I have to catch the registration for the seminar at 13:00. Martin, my assistant researcher, have arranged everything for me. I need to be in this seminar if I wanted any hopes in pursuing my research proposal.
"Martin, it's me. Please send me immediately the update for the registration, I haven't received any email confirmation yet. Please tell me you managed. But if in case, I am going to the hotel earlier to check. Thank you for arranging everything, but you could have hired an interpreter for 2 days at least…" My voicemail ended, as expected Martin is still awake at 2am in Copenhagen.
"Ara, we have a problem, I can't secure the online registration, I have been waiting for your call since yesterday…"
"Are you freaking kidding me???!" I totally forgot I'm still inside the plane when I raised my voice and people looked alarmed, I felt ashamed and tried to burrow my face on my seat. "I won't be staying in Seoul for nothing, I needed to secure that registration. There must be another way."
"I am trying to call Prof. Kim but it was too early, "he's talking about our contact at SNU.
I came to Seoul to attend the seminar for Media and Culture that is being hosted by the top media companies in East Asia. I finally decided to push through my PhD and my research proposal will be on the role of media and pop culture in shaping multiculturalism. As I hired an assistant, I thought things will be smooth sailing, but there are always complications.
"Just give me Prof. Kim's number and I will contact him from here. But in any case, if you're still not sleepy you can contact the event coordinator again for any slot left. How about the rental car?"
It´s only been two months since I have hired Martin, and to hope for him to be effective and smoothly ease into my lifestyle is too much of a stretch. But I have not expected how his inadequacy to fill-up the position of my assistant will cause chaos now. We've only known about the seminar a week ago and to arrange everything during this time is a stretch. So, to blame Martin for all the chaos is unfair.
"Give me the number of my contact person and Professor Kim and I will take it from here. If you can reach the coordinator let me know as well, otherwise you can just go to sleep now. If you won't be fresh tomorrow or any moment when I call you, we will have more problem." I ended our conversation before he can say goodbye. I am aware, I'm becoming rude at times, especially when I'm in stressful situations but to dwell on it right now is really making me more piss.
I didn't even notice that people are starting to get off the plane. I dialed the number of my contact person, hoping whoever she or he is, is already briefed of the situation and what to expect.
"Hello, anyeong" greeted a sweet voice from the other line. I'm glad she picked up the immediately and she seemed cheerful although anxious. She seems to have a good grasp of the English language. I can hear through her accent. "Miss Ara, I'm Soo-ah, I am on my way to the airport now, I just picked up the car. I will be there in 10 minutes…" she seemed efficient.
"Hi, thank you. No rush, we just landed, and it will take half an hour before I can come out, I have a checked luggage. By the way, you booked me at the same hotel where the seminar will take place right?"
"Of course, Miss, it would not be practical to have different hotels otherwise." Thank goodness, Martin hired someone competent.
"Ok then, see you in a while" I notice the crowd of the coach class on the door already and I figured I will just wait it out until most people get out of the plane. I called Prof. Kim; he is a keynote speaker at the seminar hopefully he can help me with the registration. I knew him when he was visiting lecturer at Copenhagen University during the Spring Semester. He is the one who inspired me to pursue my research in Multiculturalism with the focus on East Asia.
"Good morning, Prof Kim, it's Ara Rivera," before telling him anything, I think he already know why I am calling. Martin is not that bad after all.
"Ara, I talked with your assistant, he's persuasive to say the least, I already secured a spot for you on the seminar. It will be a shame if you can't attend, we have to pull some strings you know," as expected, he's still the joker and he is not the type to be beating around the bush when he talks.
"Thank you, I owe you one. I thought I will miss out the opportunity and be in Seoul for nothing, I'll just pick up my registration badge from the coordinators then? Did Martin take care of the fee? Oh, Ok, so I will pay it at the registration booth. Thanks, and see you tonight." I will see him tonight at the welcome party. He will be the only familiar face I know in this event probably.
"Problem solved? Can we get off now?" I am startled with the voice behind me. It's my seatmate again. "Nice to meet you, Ara Rivera…", he offered his hand for a handshake. I have no time to even argue so I held his hand and let out a smile, probably because I have been so stressed that I finally let a smile as a sign of relief.
"..…" I am about to reach for my cabin luggage, but he is already handing it over to me. He is tall and he has a nice built. He is attractive.
"I figured this is yours, since this is the last one in there..." he pointed at the cabin.
"Thank you." I don't really know what his deal is, so I just let him be. He waited with me on the conveyor to pick up my luggage and walked with me until the exit to the departure not saying anything, which is kind of weird since, I know how talkative he can be. I found my contact, Soo-ah from the crowd. I wanted to take my leave, but I felt kind of impolite not to say goodbye to this man.
"Hey mister, listen, thank you for being so considerate and I'm sorry if I'm a little snob. I guess Seoul is not that big, so I might see you around," I said matter of fact.
I'm really hoping to see him around when I'm in the mood to have some conversation; he is quite the talker and absolute eye candy. He is wearing casual grey hoodie and a denim pants with white sneakers; I wonder why he have to wear a mask and a hat, it's probably a normal outfit here.
"I'm hoping you'll let me have that raincheck before leaving Seoul,"he smiled and leave.
He's just the weirdest guy, I just shook my head in disbelief on my luck to have met him on this flight. I don't intend to be meeting with a man anytime soon. Or maybe not at all in a way that a woman is expected to be having anything with a man. I guess that's just how it is with me from now, I know it's a cliché, but I need to focus on myself for now. Of course, that's superficial to say, I'm not really only looking out for myself. Everything from here on out, I'm doing for my 7-year-old son. I guess that's what makes all those married years more tolerable and not totally regrettable.