Thriving on Awkward

The photo seen above took place only because I thrive on awkward moments. That's the president and CEO of KBS, Jung Yun-Joo, and me at the Public Broadcasters International conference last night. Now, I probably wasn't even supposed to be at the PBI conference, as indicated by Mr. Jung's reaction to my personal introduction only hours before this picture was taken.

Let's go back to the beginning. The Public Broadcasters International conference is an annual event that draws presidents and other "important" people from public broadcasting outlets all around the world. So, we're talking BBC (Great Britain), NHK (Japan), and a host of other major outlets. I had the opportunity to look through the list of registered participants (of which I was not listed), and let me tell you; these broadcast companies aren't sending Reporter Joe Schmo (or Producer Abby Rhodes, for that matter) to this convention. Most delegates are high-ranking, accomplished individuals in their respective organizations. KBS, for instance, was represented by our president and CEO. Any other KBS employees involved in the conference were facilitating the event or doing some other type of grunt work that ensured the festivities ran smoothly.

So, how I ended up at the PBI convention two nights in a row still remains a mystery. Thankfully, I wasn't alone. Four other KBS World Radio foreign service employees attended along side me, each one of us as clueless as the next as to how we became involved. Of course, it seems obvious that KBS would tout its international staff and services as part of a convention of this sort, maybe parade us around a bit as a visual testament to the company's efforts to bring Korean public broadcasting to a worldwide audience. Perhaps someone down the chain of command did think of that. After all, we were invited . . . by someone. Someone who apparently doesn't report to Mr. Jung.

It's no surprise that I brought upon myself the awkward situation that ensued when I decided I should probably meet Mr. Jung. I usually rely on Sophia to introduce me to the movers and shakers around KBS, but since she wasn't there, it was time to fall back on my smooth and fearless (a.k.a. shameless) social skills. So, here's the scene:

After a long day of conferencing, the PBI delegates (I DO have a name tag that dubs me "Delegate") arrive at a beautiful, scenic resort to enjoy cocktails and dinner. We stroll through a maze of brick sidewalks, "Oooo-ing" and "Ahhh-ing" at the nature surrounding us, taking deep breaths of fresh air untainted by city pollution. As we descend onto a flat expanse of golf-course green grass, we are handed glasses of champagne and encouraged to enjoy snacks neatly arranged on sporadically-placed tables. I down a glass of champagne and think, "What better time for me to introduce myself to the Prez!" That's logical, right? I figure I'm doing him a service. Now he won't have to go out of his way to introduce himself to me.

I set my empty glass down on a linen-clad table and commence my confident stroll over to Mr. Jung. He is surrounded by a few important people (so important I have no idea who they are), so I hang back for a lull in the conversation before I take my valiant leap into what will surly go down as one of the most awkward moments of my South Korean adventure. To best describe the conversation that ensued, I'd like to switch now to a transcript of the exchange.

Abby: "Mr. Jung, I'm Abby Rhodes . . . "

(Extension of my hand for a painfully awkward handshake)

Mr. Jung: No repsonse

Abby: " . . . I was recently hired as the new foreign staff member of KBS World Radio."

Mr Jung: No response.

Abby: ". . . English service."

Mr. Jung: "Oh. What a surprise to see you here."

(Long pause as I realize Mr. Jung has no idea who authorized this invitation . . . and perhaps didn't even know KBS had a World Radio service)

Abby: "Well, thank you for inviting me. This is a beautiful resort. (Stupid, stupid, STUPID!!!)"


My co-workers teased me about "outing" us and we all spent the rest of the night wondering how soon we'd be asked to get the hell outta there. We managed to enjoy our five-course dinner, fancy gift from Samsung electronics, and exclusive tour through the private resort.

As dinner was winding down, it was clear Mr. Jung was really enjoying himself. Copious amounts of champagne and wine were obviously imbibed by the head table because by 8:00 our esteemed president was dancing from table to table, hugging everyone, and posing for pictures left and right. That's when I decided maybe Mr. Jung and I got off on the wrong foot. Surly I had just overwhelmed him with my confident approach and stunning professionalism. Plus, if the president of the Canadian Broadcast Corporation can get a picture with Mr. Jung, I should be able to, too!

So, unscathed by my first awkward encounter with the Prez, I boldly approached Mr. Jung and one of his European counterparts and asked to have a photo taken. You'll notice by our friendly embrace . . . we've let bygones be bygones.