Day 12 - A Quiet Evening

In the evening I'm lucky to have arranged dinner with a former colleague from my days at a legal publisher in Sydney. Lianne emigrated to London five years ago, and her Australian accent has completely disappeared!

We meet at Fulham Broadway and go for Indian - Masala Zone the place is called and it's one of a chain. Apparently the curries are best in the East End (and specifically in Brick Lane) but I'm not disappointed by the Grand Thalis we order. Neither of us can finish our meals, but our taste buds get a good work out - four curries, chutney, bhajis, raita and naan. Mmmmm!

Now Lianne warns me that living in London is not the same as being a tourist in London. But she's happy here. She likes being able to see a play whenever she wants, just as I'd like to hang out at The British Museum whenever I want, walk along the Thames whenever I want, go to The British Library whenever I want ... or see a play whenever I want.

London is not cheap. Australian media likes to claim Sydney has the second highest rents (behind Hong Kong) in the world. Nonsense. Sydney is well behind London, New York, Paris and Rome. In Sydney "rent stress" is when at least a third of your income goes to rent. In London, half your income going to rent is normal. But it's London. A vibrant, bustling, historic city. I love Sydney for the weather, the sport, the beaches, the bush, the people. I love London for the culture, the pubs, the architecture, the surrounding villages, the people. Sure, when I lived in Canberra getting out of bed for work at minus two degrees was difficult. Sometimes I didn't get out of bed. But that's Canberra.

After dinner Lianne shows me Stamford Bridge stadium. Should I go for Chelsea?

We grab a couple of pints of cider at a nearby bar. She let's me know that it's unacceptable to drink "halves". I wouldn't do this if I'm "having a drink" but sometimes, especially during the day, I like to duck in and have a quickie. I'll think twice before doing this. Note the British Government recently amended its drinking advice, clarifying what one standard drink is, and recommending drinkers have two non-alcoholic days a year .. I mean a week.