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 did. Surely they did not have a delicious meal, hot wine and all the other nice things I had because they were reserving the best viewing places. They didn't leave any for me. I can proudly say that I have been in London city for New Year and heard the fireworks - my grandparents in distant Germany even saw them, comfortably on TV. I didn't get crushed between the thousands of people - but I thought a number of times exactly this would definitely happen. I have to say that I was very impressed with the organisation of public transport - the mass of people was led very cleverly around the whole station to ensure order. Only getting home took about three timers as long as normally.

This New Year I spent New Year with friends. We watched the German classic New Year's Eve movie/ play "Dinner for One" - an English short play about Miss Sophie on her 90^th birthday and her butler James, who has to replace Miss Sophie's four best friends, who are long dead, in all aspects of her birthday dinner. I don't think the majority of Germans are aware that this play is actually unknown in the UK. Although we watch it in English it is deeply German.

Later we went to the pub and should have been signing "Auld Lang Syne", an old Scottish song that I have seen people sing in movies on New Year's Eve and now learnt that in the UK people actually do that! We didn't actually get around to doing that this year, so there is still scope for the next New Year. I also learnt that fireworks are a central part of German New Year, not so much of British New Year.

During the New Year walk we saw a parrot. Flying the in park. Apparently there were freed during some movie production and live here ever since.

The fifth year in London has started most interestingly. Surely a good sign!