food for thought..

Sunday 29 January 2012

Woke up to a foggy day and it is quite cold. More so here in Colchester than in London I think. But the forecast for the rest of the week in London is or daytime temperatures not much about 3 degrees. Brrrrrrrr

I was thinking the other day just what a metropolitan cry London is. While waiting at Canada Water to catch the train home a dark skinned chap walked past talking on his phone in  language that sounded like it would have been more at home in Africa. Then there was the group of giggly girls chatting away in what I thought I recognised as French. Next to them a young asian mum called to her child in her own language. Standing on my right was a man reading a paper that looked like it was in German.

The same is true of the place that I work. With me in the lift to go up to the twelfth floor to get a real coffee could be Italian, German, Polish, American and even the occasional Englishman.  

They come to London from every imaginable country all looking for work. There was an article in the paper just recently complaining about the number of non-British working in the food industry here. Go into any coffee bar and it is unlikely that you will be served by anyone English born. On Wednesday before the movies we had a quick eat at a gourmet burger bar that asked if we wanted to make a donation on the bill to save the Kiwi!  Yes that’s right save the Kiwi. And on the menu was a good old kiwi burger complete with beetroot and pineapple. When I asked why the South American chap who served us told us that The Company originated in New Zealand.