Class of 1968, Class of 2013 cross over at Bishkek

It was a cold December Day around noon. My plane just landed at Bishkek international airport. It was a small airport and as soon as I walked out of the arrival gate after claiming my back pack, I saw around a dozen kyrgiz taxi drivers with a dollar mark in both their eye, waiving at me with a big grin of a person who is about to make some money.

I knew from my past 2 weeks in Uzbekistan that the drivers would not rip me off too badly, but would prefer not paying over two times the regular rate.

My eyes darted to the two senior gentlemen with grey hair speaking to each other in Korean. Their composure told me that they know their way around here.

I quickly walked up to the two and said,
“Annyeonghaseyo, sorry to ask this out of the blue. It is my first time coming to Bishkek, could you tell me how much it usually costs to get to city centre by taxi?”

They seemed puzzled at first by this young Korean dude suddenly approaching them out of the blue, but kindly told me about how much is a fair price.

And just as I thanked them and started walking towards the grinning drivers, one of the two gentlemen stopped me.

“Wait, we will give you a ride.”

I thought I was lucky then, but well I had better luck then I thought I had.

In a few minutes a black Sedan pulled up, with a peculiar number plate stopped in front of us three. The next moment I was sitting next to the driver in front while the two gentlemen sat in the backseat.

After a minute of sharing my travels through Uzbekistan, the gentlemen who called out to stop me asked,

“So, young man which university are you studying at?”
(This is somewhat typical question of a senior Korean gentlemen..)

”Sogang University“ I replied.

And the other gentlemen who was quiet all along gasped and said ”Wow, isnt that a coincidence. The person who offered you this ride is also from Sogang. Which major? “

I, also very surprised given that my university is rather small and hence random encounters as this had never happeend, responed.

“My major is business management, class of 2013.”

I heard another round of gasp and some chuckles.
Then that is when who turned out to be my alumni not only of the same university but also the major said.

”What are the chances, I also majored business management, Sogang class of 1968.“

He later kindly offered to take me to dinner after 2 days, but my schedule being limited to only one-night could not take up this kind offer.

Upon hearing this, the gentlemen went all the way to kindly send over the very car we were riding along with the driver(Olleg, turns out to be his name) so that I can go around the city of Bishkek for the remainder of the day with his car.

And my last part of the Central Asia travel became very much a VIP experience.

Later, I learned that my alumni is Mr.Choi. He has been featured in one of Korean documentaries focusing on entrepreneurs who made their name abroad. He was heading the largest bank of Kyrgyzstan.

Still grateful of the warm hospitality I have received from someone I met for the very first time. (Although I try not to ask people which university they studied at, or studying at, this experience made me very much willing to extend hand to any alumni I come across.)