I'm back in London for about a week to help Diane and Jay pack up our apartment before they join me in Bangalore.

Now, that I'm about to leave, I can write about some of the things I didn't like about London.

-- It's incredibly expensive to live here.

-- It can take forever to get something fixed in your apartment. Repair people often don't show up for days.

-- The people can be very hard to get to know. British reserve is no stereotype. You DON'T start conversations with people in a checkout line that you don't know (the way we do back in the States).

-- People put up with far more pain and suffering than we would. For example, a subway line will be out for months. In New York, there would be rioting after a week.

But these are quibbles. On balance, I like London. A lot.

-- This is a GOOD place to live. I love British food. Just about all of it (except Marmite). I really love British beer.

-- The level of discourse is high here. The television can be very intelligent. The newspapers are lively and fun to read.

-- The museums are wonderful -- and often free.

-- Once you do get to know someone well, they are your friend for life.

This was my London. If I am lucky, someday it will be my London again.