Brad Bateman: Why I'm staying in London

Opinion

The great engine of London roared back into action on Monday morning. The people have taken last week's events in their stride, refusing to let sick, barbaric minds intimidate them in any way.

As a New Zealander living in London, I doubt I would ever have experienced back home what has happened over the past week.

For myself and many other New Zealanders who call London their temporary home, the lure of New Zealand's perceived safety from this sort of carnage shines brightly, and one could be forgiven for racing back to the flat, throwing everything in a backpack and high-tailing to Heathrow.

In his column on Monday, Willy Trolove wrote of his own experience in London in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, and predicted thousands of New Zealanders would decide that "now is a good time to come home" (see link at bottom of page).

To a degree he is correct. Some New Zealanders will see no point in remaining a sitting duck for further attacks.

However, I see the same determination shown by the British among the New Zealanders, and for that matter the Australians, living in London.

New Zealanders are no less safe today than they were last Wednesday. There is as much chance of an attack on London now as there was when I arrived just over a year ago.

Life goes on, you live with the threat and experience all the great things this city has to offer, albeit with a vigilant stare.

On Wednesday, July 7, I was among tens of thousands gathered in Trafalgar Square waiting in anticipation for the announcement of the host city for the Olympics in 2012.

It was impossible not to wonder for a moment whether this large gathering of people could encourage a terrorist attack.

This is a fact of life in London. Almost wherever you go and whatever you do in a public place makes you a target. No Tube ride in rush hour goes by without a second thought of the risks associated.

By Thursday it had finally happened. We all expected it, and it was the expectation that lessened the shock of what was unfolding before our eyes.

As the stream of workers trudged out of London the calm of everyone around me was amazing. The atmosphere was surreal.

On Sunday, I joined 250,000 other Londoners outside Buckingham Palace for the commemorations of the 60th anniversary of victory in Europe.

People were there to remember, but it doubled as a massive statement of defiance. Once more we all made ourselves sitting ducks for the evils of terrorism.

We could have stayed at home. It could have been watched on TV. It could have been cancelled.

It wasn't. That wouldn't be the British thing to do. To react now in any other way than mourning those we have lost and moving on defiantly would be a victory for the murderers .

There I was, a New Zealander who felt very British.

On Monday the trains were full, commuters grumbled about the usual delays on the Tube, and life had returned to normal. There is trepidation about what lies ahead, people still have a heightened sense of caution, but life goes on.

I will continue to enjoy my OE in London, with thousands of other New Zealanders, shaken but not deterred by the attacks.

Every Kiwi mum with offspring in London is no doubt wishing their loved ones would come home.

It would be lovely to feel safe and sound in New Zealand, but to my own mum I have to say, "Sorry, I won't be home for a while yet."