Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner ....
... that I'm pretty pleased that the 2012 Olympic Games will be held there.
Now I do know that more serious things are happening around the world. For example, there is the recent massive corruption in Iraq ~ by the American occupation authorities ~ which puts the malfeasance here in Indonesia in the realms of taking home an office pen. ($8.8bn in eight months???)
No, let me crow a little, but not as much as Diamond Geezer, that esteemed blogger and honorary Londoner. Much of his neighbourhood in the East End is now scheduled for redevelopment and he's recently written many posts about the past London Olympics with photos of their present condition. Well worth a look.
Inspector Sands is also well pleased; he lives south of the river and will also be able to stroll to a few venues, such as Greenwich Park where the equestrian sports and modern pentathlon are scheduled to be held, and the Woolwich Arsenal where my father worked in the postwar years as a cost accountant and where the shooting events ~ what else? ~ are scheduled.
The main venues are given here.
And slap bang in the centre of it all will be Charlton Athletic. Former Charlton favourite Paul Elliott, director of the trust that oversees the club's community activities, said: "We are all wonderfully privileged to be here and congratulations to us all.
"Sport is the most wonderful thing that can bring people together of all classes, races, colours, creeds, religions, and genders. What we have achieved now, as far as I'm concerned, is one of the greatest things in living history. We've all got a chance to be part of it. All I'll say is enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!"
The only problem from my viewpoint in Jakarta is the time zone difference. Most events will be shown here, if at all, in the middle of the night, much as three of the five Charlton matches due to be televised before Xmas.
Ho hum.
Still, we do have one thing here which will cause a touch of envy in both the Inspector and the Diamond Geezer. Today I spotted a Routemaster bus. Yes, having been declared redundant in London, one can be seen here in Jakarta. It is decked out in the colours of DHL mind, not that they seem to keen on telling us about it.
