Proud to be South African – in London. Living In London, UK

Then there's also the colourful spaghetti bowl of initial tube confusion (for someone who's never been on a train before) and the impressive brown buildings. They all look so majestic, that I photograph every single one I come across, ‘cause they all surely seem to be of some historical importance!

And the weather isn't all that bad either. The unexpected rain is actually very pleasant. Growing up on a farm in the drier countryside, we used to pray for a few drops, so I'll never condemn the grey skies! According to my (unstable) info sources, it never gets hot in London. My 20kg suitcase packed with thick jackets and vests may thus not come in handy at all this summer!

And then there's also the little homesickness… South Africans come here to gain from the exchange rate, but surely take more than some Pounds and memories back home.

It only took me a few days to notice that it is here in London where we learn to appreciate a typical South African ‘braai' fire made with real wood, not charcoal or throw-away planks (still with the rusted nails hammered into them) collected from some building dump site.

We come here to realise why tourists recon Cape Town to be the friendliest city of them all – where you greet strangers in the street, without them looking back at you, totally confused. South Africans visit London to learn to appreciate those Afrikaans folk songs and corny sayings only the Afrikaans language teachers used. In our schooling days, we only murmured our national anthem in the school hall, but here we proudly sing it for all to hear.

A London two-year working holiday visa means that South Africans learn to appreciate home-cooked meals, bobotie, Mrs Balls chutney and daily meat dishes. I doubt it if any Afrikaner who has worked in London will ever enjoy 2-Minute Noodles and cheap tuna meals on home ground again!

I guess it takes living in London to realise that earning Pounds never comes close to the golden sunshine, fresh sea breezes and glittering beaches around Table Mountain at the tip of the African continent.

With all due respect to London and as a proud South African, I can definitely state that you'll never find a bigger Sough African patriot back south than those who've been living in London.