Non Anglia Orientalis, sed Angli in Oriente

I'm languishing in the luxurious loungue complex in the space-age Seoul Incheon Airport, on my way back from Our apostolic journey to the Kingdom of Cambodia, which began on the Epiphany. More on that later (those posts will be interesting; this post is mostly rambling, so stop reading here if your dislike such things! I'm just excited about using the internet for the first time in weeks!).

Brother Assistant Sacristan took many photographs during our two-week journey, and so I suspect some of them shall appear here in the next few weeks, as we begin to trickle back into term-time.

Meanwhile, I have another hour before I can board my twelve-hour flight back to Blighty, so having exhausted all other avenues of entertainment which South Korea can provide (without having to acquire an entry visa, that is), I thought I'd send a little word of greeting to our readership from the Far East, as well as having to re-learn how to use Windows, and guess what the various different Korean keys and buttons mean.

Having slept through the entirety of our five-hour flight from Siem Reap to Incheon, I proceeded immediately to the airline lounge at Incheon, and slept for another two hours on one of the beds which are dotted around the airport. Fortunately, it was still dark, but my ear-plugs and eye-shade obscured a surely familiar winter sunrise; I awoke to a damp, misty morning - about nine hours before East Anglia's morning alarms went off - and, thanks to the heating in the airport, I'm protected by the freezing temperatures outside. I had my first hot shower in two weeks, in a well-appointed shower complex in the transfer lounge; the hand-towel and soap were complementary, at least.

I had hot chocolate to wake me up, recited the morning Offices, and then it was time for elevensies, and was grateful to find a shop that sold Ear Grey (with real milk!) and pastries. I read a little of my book, too. I've already finished reading my story book - part three of the Shardlake historical murder mystery and legal fiction novels - my spiritual reading book - Mgr Strange's Risk of Discipleship, which was eerily familiar to the recent three-day retreat he gave at Oscott, but fun nonetheless - and now I'm cracking on with my general interest book - the Lord Patten's Not Quite the Diplomat, which I first read years ago, and though it is six years old and a bit out-of-date, but I enjoy the former Governor's and Oxford University Chancellor's splendid use of vocabulary and wit.

I've had lunch, looked at all the Far Eastern shark cartilidge-derived health products (highly illegal in Europe, so I didn't buy anything!), rediculously over-priced chocolates and gin (not that I'm familiar with customs regulations regarding such products from outside the European Union. Besides, I fancied a bottle of Limoncello, but, it seems, unless it's whiskey, they aren't interested).

I've just looked around a museum-like exhibition on Korean wedding-customs, which was quite interesting, though I found the labels on each item was more descriptive than explanitory, so I'm none the wiser, but the outfits and trinkets were pretty enough to look at.

Now, I'll be off to recite the evening Offices, to save getting out my breviary on the areoplane; I'll save my rosary for take-off methinks!

This day, St Sebastian's day, because of time-zone changes, will not be a mere 24 hours, but 30 hours. The longest day. Until next time!