UK, London vs. Iran, Tehran

[Cyclefrance]

Tagging on to Undertoad's theme...

London is (so far as I am aware) one of the most multi-cultural cities we have on our planet. Give or take a few hiccups - brought on more by government ineptitude than any deep-seated hatred amongst the inhabitants - there's genuine racial harmony. This inspires London dwellers to offer a taste of the cultures of their nations - made available for all to enjoy.

And so we have food from all over the world available for sale in stores and to consume in restaurants. We have community clusters where one or other a culture is predominant allowing the rest to witness that lifestyle in microcosm. Mosques reside alongside cathedrals and abbeys, cathedrals and abbeys alongside synagogues.

The cost of the London lifestyle may be comparatively expensive, but it probably only reflects the variety and density of choice that exists. One has to weigh this against the advantage of a free health service and access to some of the best education in the world - not only through its universities, but also via its museums and theatre.

London is still also, of course, one of the major, if not the major, financial centres of the world - and that's covering international banking and finance, insurance, shipping and transport, and commodities.

On the negative side (and this is as much to do with the country as a whole as with London itself) we do suffer a growing crime rate brought about by government legislation that seems to have lost touch with the reality of what is genuinely really right and what is genuinely wrong.

Back to the positive, above all we still have, in spite of government moves to trim this because of the bombings last year, true freedom of speech. I think that might not be so prevalent in Tehran...