It was sunny when the boat left Hamburg at four in the afternoon, but I don’t remember what the weather was like in Harwich at noon the day after. I found it difficult to pronounce the name of the port of my arrival. The immigration officer asked me about the address in London where I intended to stay. I showed him the business card of someone I had met in New Delhi a few months...
In December I was asked a bizarre question – what was I doing during Christmas. I was hoping the corner shop would remain open on Christmas Day for me to come to work. I took a long walk across North London to brave the cold on Hampstead Heath. The Heath was covered in snow like a layer of dust. I was surprised to find many people on the Heath wearing wellingtons and gloves. When I reached the Leg of Mutton pond, I came across an American whom I had seen a few times in the corner shop. He said Merry Christmas to me. It was like meeting a fellow-traveller in a far-off country.
