July 2

   After the relaxing weekend in the outskirt of France, my journey resumed. Unlike the days of the previous week, I had to head out earlier with my host because I had the rare opportunity to go inside the headquarters of the WTO today! As soon as I opened my eyes this morning, I knew that today was going to be really special not only because I would step into the headquarters of WTO but also I had the chance to meet the senior counselor of WTO, Eki Kim and receive a signature for his recent book. His major accomplishments and reputation at the WTO have set a high bar for future generations to come and it felt such an honor to have lunch with him. In fact, he was one of the very few who have worked at the WTO ever since its establishment in 1995, so everyone around knew him well. As a Korean, I suspected that it must have been pretty difficult for Mr. Kim to adapt and integrate to a global organization, but it turned out that he was well-respected for his persistent, hard work.

   For most of the time until the lunch meeting with Mr. Kim at noon, I took a little tour around the headquarters while suited people gave me unwelcoming stares. I felt really uneasy because I was not supposed to be walking around in the first place and I was a teenager without an adult by my side. I kept looking down at my attires, wishing that I had a suit on so that I could blend in a little bit. However, the more self conscious I was, the more uncomfortable I was, so I decided to sit down and take out my Macbook. Now I felt like a legitimate worker who was minding his own business. I glanced around to see people discussing serious matters with a thick stack of report in their hands, casually sipping on coffee or looking at his/her own computer just like I was doing. Then a funny thought came to mind; I tried to imagine myself as an employee at WTO, meeting and discussing about recent WTO meetings with other suited people from foreign countries. The daunting thought of my future job gave me an unpleasant chill through my body, but then I reminded myself that I wanted those kinds of jobs that involved putting myself out in the global world. I have always loved travelling and putting myself through cultural challenges because my childhood involved often moving to different countries. Although living in a foreign country is not always comfortable, I have learned to adapt outside my comfort zone and learned to enjoy new cultures and languages. That is why some day I would like to engage with people from different cultures because not only do I get a whole new experience but also it develops me into a fitter person in a globalizing society.

   As I was lost in my thought, it was already noon and I got ready to meet Mr. Kim, the one I have been waiting to meet as soon as I stepped into Geneva Airport. My host came to pick me up and we strolled along the looming halls of the WTO to Mr. Kim’s office. There he was, in his office, finishing up his work on the computer. Needless to say, my heart pumped faster as I hastily asked for a signature for the book that he wrote. Mr. Kim greeted us with a welcoming smile and gladly took my book and signed it. Then, he gave me a copy of an article he recently wrote and signed that as well, adding a note saying, “To Jong Hyun Kim, may a bright future be waiting for you!” I thought, “Yes this is where I belong and I will make my dream come true.”

   The WTO cafeteria was a buffet style restaurant that included a whole range from salad bars to the meal of the day. After we got our food, Mr. Kim led us to the terrace and as we stepped outside, a picturesque scene unfolded upon my eyes. There it was, stretching far beyond the horizon, the shimmering surface of Lake Leman. (see picture) We sat down and started our lunch, casually introducing myself to Mr. Kim. While we were eating, I treasured every moment not only because the scene was captivating but also that I was one lucky teenager who had the opportunity to dine at the top of WTO headquarters that no other teenager ever did. A precious hour went by as we were drinking a cup of coffee to finish our brief meeting when I asked why Mr. Kim had joined the WTO in the first place. His answer went along the lines of “I don’t want to limit my potential by staying in one country (Korea); rather I wanted to go out there and involve myself in a global scale because that is where I belonged”.