United Nations

Granny's flat has not been a flat for the last couple of days; it has been a site. Till two hours ago the site was being worked on by Croatian with a Japanese wife. At this moment, an Albanian electrician is spread-eagled on the kitchen floor connecting a pump to the newly installed boiler. Somewhere outside is an Iraqi due to appear any minute with two or three more of the necessary connectors.

The heating and water have come on again at last. Or rather they HAD come on again. They've have now been turned OFF because of the installation of the pump without which it turns out said boiler would be illegal; pumps is also of course an extra. The price of the boiler keeps going up: and UP: AND UP.

Granny is delighted to keep so many people in employment. She just wishes it was cheaper.

She sat next to an Arab woman on the bus yesterday; the driver had stopped for both of them. 'Some of these drivers are nice to you,' Granny said. 'In Arabic,' said the Arab woman 'we say people have different fingers.'

What it is to live in a multi-cultural society...

Saludes.