I am exhausted. I have been presenting all day – from 9am to 3pm, just me. Then I prepared a presentation for the manager of our Korean office to present tomorrow in front of 40 clients, with two CEOs of the Korean companies in the audience. It’s a trifle intimidating because I am also presenting to these dignitaries but I aim to charm them with my style, which, despite my reservations, has turned out to be a success with these folks – we are all the same underneath our skin. It took until 6.30pm, precisely the time I was supposed to be in reception to go for tonight’s meal. I dashed back to my room, threw my laptop inside the door and ran back out to meet my colleagues for tonight’s entertainment – a Korean Barbecue restaurant.

My hosts have once again been magnificent. They found an essentially meat eaters restaurant where they would pander to my veggie needs. There was an array of fresh vegetable dishes on the table as we sat down and this was accompanied by meat from the on-table barbecues for all of my colleagues and for myself, a scorching hot stone dish full of rice, vegetables and chilli sauce. It was divine in all senses – wonderful flavours, fabulous company and a great ambience. I wronged my Korean colleagues totally by saying I thought they wouldn’t look after my veggie needs – they totally did!

I have never experienced the Far East before – only previous experience a two day stop-over in Singapore. I have been thrilled by the wonderful service, the kindness of my (new) friends and the whole experience. It is cool doing business travel because you get taken to the BEST places, based on local knowledge. Whoever would have dreamed of me – the kid from nowhere – doing all this.

I ate bibimbap – a stone dish, heated till it’s piping hot, then filled with rice that turns crispy at the points at which it meets the hot stone dish, fresh sautéed veg piled on top and a liberal helping of chilli sauce on top. I washed it down with soju – a drink made from who knows what, slightly sweet and with a kick like a mule, served in tiny glasses.

Our host, Bo, gave the waitress ‘short shrift’ because she brought the dish originally with meat and was told to take it away and bring back one where no meat had sullied its boundaries.

On coming back to the hotel, the time-honoured tradition of ‘one for the swing of the door’ was upheld by yours truly and Satoru, a Japanese colleague. I have, as you probably realise, led a sheltered life and have never worked in or mixed with Asian people really until this trip.

What I find is incredible beauty – these women know how to look divinely sexy without appearing in any way sluttish. They are simply gorgeous.

I sat with Satoru in front of the stage watching the entertainers sing. They reminded me so much of the ‘Fabulous Baker Boys’ – the woman was a ‘Michelle Pfeiffer’ to Jeff Bridges in the movie. They were a bit cheesy but every bit as exciting as the climax of that movie with smouldering passion in their gestures and looks. The songs were exactly as you’d expect and now I’m in my room I cannot remember a single song they sang BUT I know I loved every moment. I don't know why these folks looked so appealing - last night's meal was a Buddhist monk's meal to surpress sexual appetites after all, but they certainly did.

For me, there is still this paradox between my need to be at home and the enjoyment of experiencing this, but I feel at least as though I have not stuck my head in a brown bag and refused to try this culture.

I am so tired – my estimate is that I have had around eight hours sleep in four days. I can’t sleep because of jet-lag and time differences – I type this at gone midnight here and it’s only 4pm at home. I listen to frogs croaking in the ornamental pond outside with my window open – I love hotels that allow you to open the otherwise hermetically sealed windows. Tomorrow is my swansong. I present to forty Korean clients in the morning then travel to where my heart is tomorrow evening. I arrive home, probably smelling like a tramp and looking like a witch early on Saturday.

Exhaustion is my middle name but I know it has been worth the pain.

I can’t wait to be home – Rosie’s snout in my face is never so welcome as after a trip but for now, I feel I have honoured myself and Elaine (my boss) so I feel deeply satisfied.

This photo contains an exhausted me, the silk scarf that has been a gift from my Korean hosts (heartfelt thanks to David (MD), Gina and Bo for all their efforts to make me happy) and a bookmark from Satoru, also a gift. How amazing is that?

Last year garlic was on my mind and two years ago, I did a pic that I have seen many versions of recently on pbase - I'm not claiming originality, simply quoting Bono out of context - there are NO original photographs!