Santa Clara University

Just another day in Korea....

Had dinner last evening (Monday, August 27) with Mr. Seoung-kook Kim, MBA '93, who arranged a traditional Korean meal in a restaurant above one of the business district buildings. Mr. Kim was formerly head of a rice wine bottler/distributor (which he took public), and is now president and CEO of a battery company.

Many restaurants are found above office complexes, and the higher the floor, the nicer the restaurant. As we entered our private dining room, a glass atrium planted with bamboo and with silk drapes framing the view, we realized that the low table was positioned over a large space into which our legs could rest, apparently designed for westerners unused to lengthy dining on the floor.

And lengthy the meal was, with course after course of delightful dishes created for the eye as well as the palate: a rainbow of delicately sliced purple cabbage, shredded carrot, light green herbs, about eight in all, surrounding a large, bright pink radish thinly sliced to serve as a kind of crepe; a whipped, warm white soup of pine nut dust; rare sirloin sizzling on heated rocks; small colorful patties—pumpkin, spinach and pine nuts, and sole in egg batter; kimchi baked like a soufflé, and on.

Throughout the meal, we were served a wonderful rice wine (which we learned was from Mr. Kim’s former company). Wine is never to be poured for oneself, so we spent the evening serving one another as our tiny glasses emptied.

Finally when the fruit came out, we realized we might be done. We were each given a bowl of lovely pinkish purple clear broth with a half pear in the middle, accompanied by rice balls dusted with green tea or cinnamon. I can’t remember the other sweet things.

It was after 10 PM when we left the restaurant and Mr. Kim had one more treat for us. He took us to the tower, a needle-like building atop the highest mountain in the city. We took a gondola up, then climbed more stairs, and then up in the elevator to the very top. We weren’t moving very fast—the magnificent meal and the remarkable heat, even after sundown, slowed us down.

The tower gave us amazing 360 degree views of the city. Dean Posner commented that the city looks as if it’s on an island surrounded by a river, but it is really not the case. Although 29 bridges connect Seoul proper with the outskirts of the city (mostly south of the business district), the river doesn’t entirely separate the city from the rest of the land mass. In the midst of the city are two palaces, old 13^th century walls from ruling dynasties, and 20- to 40-story ‘homes’ which are apartments that multiply as far as the eye can see, but interspersed with green denseness and small mountains.

Mr. Kim has been most thoughtful and very welcoming. He attended our executive seminars yesterday, and he’ll return for our alumni reception today at 3:30 PM. We are so grateful for his connection to us. We have been honored by his attention.

Today our student groups will take us on excursions from 8:30 AM to 2 PM, so I’m sure there will be more later!

Leanna