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My multi-ethnic suburb

(27 Posts)
whenim64 Thu 28-Jun-12 14:31:09

That's very like the neighbourhood I live in, Jess. A lovely multi-cultural mix of people from all over the world. This morning, I was playing with my little granddaughters, who are 8 months old now, and chatting with my daughter about the Asian doctor who implanted them as fertilised eggs, saying a happy muslim prayer as he did so, the Indian consultant who delivered them to save their lives, the Canadian, African, Polish and Croatian midwives who looked after them in special care, and the Italian doctor who oversaw their treatment and progress till they were discharged. We are richer for having all these people around us, and I hope they feel the same.

JessM Thu 28-Jun-12 13:56:51

Picture if you will mixed new housing on the edge of Milton keynes, near to a high performing secondary school.
I'm sitting outside our coffee shop, opened by a bright young entrepreneur of Nigerian family. Eating a very nice sandwich - mediterranean filling. Her staff today are one polish and one african/white mix. Near the chinese takeaway an oriental woman is talking on her mobile phone. A woman walks past in south asian dress with her toddler. Outside the other takeaway an older british asian man is drinking a pint glass of milk and enjoying the sun. A businessman pulls up in his softop audi to get some lunch. He is British asian. Next to me two workmen are having their lunch. They are talking English but with strong european accents, I am guessing one is Greek and the other Polish. They are talking about whale watching.
Oh and round the corner the supermarket is run by a asian muslim but staffed by a complete mix. Oh and the dental surgery... guess what? And the Indian restaurant, of course...
Without our multi ethnic business minded citizens it would be pretty bleak round here, I thought. No food outlets, no dentist, no supermarket, no people, no nice sandwich. Only a hairdressing salon. No there, there. No sense of place, here.