Jubilation Nation

You'd have to be living under a rock in this nation to escape knowledge that this weekend is the big'un: The Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The city is awash with Union Jacks, road closures, street parties, and a rubbish weather forecast (in keeping with the British theme). And to top it all off? A four-day weekend! I ask you, what could be better?

As this Land of Hope and Glory is my adopted country and one to which I've become a citizen, I hereby present my own Best of Britain, the very things I love.

In no particular order...

1. Free museums! I was astounded when I first realised 99.9 per cent of the wonderful museums you don't need to pay for. What a fantastic thing.

2. Drinking outside pubs. Drinking in parks. Heck, you could even drink on the tube until our kindly (ha!) Mayor put a stop to it. I like that alcohol beyond the bar confines isn't automatically vilified.

3. Black cabs. They cost a pretty penny, but they're roomy, plentiful, and the drivers knows the city like the back of their hands.

4. Markets. From Camden in the North to Borough in the South, London has a market for almost everything. They're colourful, vibrant, and perfect for people watching.

5. Rule Britannia. Seriously, what other country has a song that goes: 'Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves. And Britains never never NEVER will be slaves.' That never bit cracks me up. I get it, people. Never. Never ever.

6. Sticky toffee pudding. Moist sponge base, gooey toffee sauce . . . *slurp*

7. The Proms. Every summer for something like 100 nights, you can pay a fiver for access to the Royal Albert Hall to see legends of classical music. Over the past few years, I've heard Yo Yo Ma, among many others.

8. Red trousers. Okay, so it's a love-hate relationship. But it makes me giggle!

9. The fact that Canadians can simply exchange their driver's license without taking a test. Words cannot express how much this boosted my love for Britain. I was a bit of a danger on the roads until I figured out what half the signs meant, but . . .

10. Red double-decker buses. There's nothing better than grabbing a set at the front of the top deck and watching the city rush by.

So there you have it! What do you love about your country? (Besides freedom, la la la...)