It started at 8:50 am with a meeting outside our workplace to be picked up by our very own private van. The first destination of our outing was a cafe to conduct a team workshop activity to discover each other’s values and team norms.
On the way I sat beside the chief of staff, and we talked about finding hobbies. We agreed that when life is this busy, it’s hard to find a hobby you can enjoy on your own. On this topic, we discussed our university life. Interestingly, she was an artist and enjoyed making 3D art. But the constant demand to make art didn’t seem to match her lifestyle, as she explained. So, I jokingly suggested that she make a piece for our somewhat sterile office environment. Haha
We arrived at the cafe and immediately found a table large enough for all of us. It was great to be able to talk about the things that matter to us.
Furthermore, everyone was very respectful of one another’s opinions, and the CEO and moderator kindly led the event to ensure we finished on time for our next activity.
The next activity was a visit to a whisky distillery! I am a keen whisky drinker, and this was the perfect opportunity to show my somewhat greater-than-average knowledge of the process of making whisky and tasting it. The tour guide took on the challenge of explaining the distillery in English and Korean. We first looked at the process of adding the wheat to the vat and soaking it to extract the sugars. Afterwards, we also got to see the product after it had been fermented for approximately a couple of days. Lastly, we saw the still, which was described as looking like a giant chocolate drop. Inside, it was approximately 30 degrees, so it was very relieving when the tour guide asked us to go outside to see the storage buildings.
The barrels were stacked to the roof with various kinds of wood. Some of the ends of the barrels were labelled with Gochujang, which was a Korean-inspired fusion. We were even given the chance to try the whisky straight from the barrel, which is approximately 60% alcohol by volume! Everybody’s throats were on fire!
To finish up, we had the chance to try their final products, whiskies aged in different barrels. We also got to try their gin, which in hindsight was a mistake: it had a strong mushroomy note.
To wrap up the day, we travelled back to Seoul in the van, found a bar and had a few quiet ones together before everyone went back to their homes. We did so much in one day, and I think we learned a lot about each other while enjoying the activities together!
If you are ever looking for a workplace in Korea, reach out to me!