In blighty`

We've been in the frost of the UK since Wednesday morning. The flight from Lagos was terrible - to Bibi's left the smelliest woman in Nigeria (her armpits redolent of rotting onions), to my right, a couple with a baby that loved to shit and scream. Why would anyone want to have children?

We did some chores in London on Wednesday afternoon, then ended up meeting friends at Patara, an excellent Thai restaurant on Greek Street in Soho. Was lovely to be in the intelligent and witty company of M and M, architectural magi residing in Hommerschmidt.

Then up to Staffordshire and the parental bosom on Thursday morning. On the train, luminous landscapes of ice, frost giving the trees a skeletal brilliance, landscape merging into sky. And then home: christmas tree, food piling on food, laughter, mulled wine. Christmas and Saturnalia baked into a pie.

I'm basking in 2meg broadband, bouncing round the blogosphere. Just discovered Google maps which is a site I've long dreamed of existing. What will Google be in 10 years time?

Closer to home is 2006 in Nigeria, 3000 miles south. Its going to be a huge year, with a battle royale for the soul of the country in advance of the 2007 elections. So many things will happen next year, most of them for the good.