The Londoners

Fav 2: The Londoners

With a population of 45% White British and 55% Randoms, you can rest assured that London can definitely be called multicultural. But that's not all: 37% of the whole London population is born outside the UK - that's one in every three people. I'll let that sink in. 

Despite that, most natives are open minded and welcoming, they are used to us Randoms and we don't phase them very much. Also, you can't really tell if they like you or not.  I am not saying that Londoners are nicer, or that once you step out of zone 6 they will start chasing you with torches and pitchforks - I am just saying that at the general elections in May this year, Labour dominated London's polls. It's not me, they crunched the numbers, and it turns out that Londoners are a pretty cool and liberal crowd. 

On a practical level, this means that you can struck the most unusual conversations just by waiting for your coffee, taking a cab, talking with a colleague's colleague or having a pint. If you stay open, the most mundane interactions can become something unique, funny, and sometime terrifying.  The terrifying ones are good too because they make great stories. It's a pity that after a while it becomes routine, you loose the sense of how special it is to meet all these people from all over the world. 

The Real Londoner is never surprised, never phased or shocked, because s/he has seen so much. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as this attitude can give people the freedom to be as they are. 

I love this London, with millions of faces and none, that at times it makes you feel like you own it and some other it just rolls off of you like rain. In the most fortunate cases you will meet kindred spirits and make friends, and wonder how on earth these souls have so many things in common with you.