OKinUK Blog

With 2009 my fifth year in London has started.

For the second time in all these years I spent New Year in London. The first time I was very much driven by the thought that I cannot have lived in London and never actually been there for New Year - people make a point of flying here, and I live here! Of course going to town was on the list of things to do that evening - an experience that I had no desire to repeat this year. "Town" was very full with very many people, most of who got there much before I

When I travelled through Germany for two weeks earlier this month I realised how international my life has become since moving to London.

Firstly there is the city itself. Around 300 different languages are spoken in London and my colleagues come from places such as South Africa, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ireland and Portugal. Want to buy coriander? Yams? Ginger? No problem, just pop into one of the small shops.

In this international, transient city being a foreigner is normal. Language is a tool.

Living in

Living in London is very attractive for friends. They come and visit - and are amazed at all kinds of things they find in my new home. Here are some of the things that, when I tell people about them, more often that not, find they didn't know before:

• people have vinegar on their chips
• everyone tries to buy a house as soon as they can
• some people grow figs in their gardens
• London to Paris takes 2 hours 20 minutes by train
• London has lots of usually really clean free of charge public toilets
• you can go